Beach Colors

Crescent Cove #1

by Shelley Noble

While renowned designer Margaux Sullivan was presenting her highly praised collection during New York City's Fashion Week, her husband was cleaning out their bank account. A week after he disappeared, the bank foreclosed on Margaux's apartment and business.

Suddenly broke, betrayed, and humiliated, Margaux has nowhere else to turn to but home: the small coastal town of Crescent Cove, Connecticut, where she once knew love, joy, and family before she put them behind her on the climb to fame. When she's stopped for speeding by local interim police chief Nick Prescott, Margaux barely remembers the "townie" boy who worshiped her from afar every summer. But Nick is all grown up now, a college professor who gave up his career to care for his orphaned nephew, Connor. Though still vulnerable, Margaux is soon rediscovering the beauty of the shore through young Connor's eyes . . . and, thanks to Nick, finding a forgotten place in her heart that wants to love again.

But as she continues to work on a bold new line that will get her back into the game, Margaux realizes that soon she will have to make the most important, most difficult decision of her life. . . .

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Summer Reads, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Beach Reads

365 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Shelley Noble is a multi published fiction author whose books have been translated into seven languages. She writes women’s fiction as Shelley Noble and is also the author of several amateur sleuth mystery series, written as Shelley Freydont.

A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. She also consults on various dance and theatre projects, most recently the world premiere of a full length Tom Sawyer ballet commissioned by Kansas City Ballet.

Shelley is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.

She lives near the New Jersey shore. In her spare time she loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and boardwalks with vintage carousels.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

rtc

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I was driving up I-95 and saw a sign for Crescent Cove, I'd probably say, "There's a little dress shop there that makes clothes inspired by the sea and natural environment, let's stop. There's also a great place to get clam rolls, we can get lunch. It won't take long, and then we'll be on our way again to our destination." My companions would turn to me and say, "That sounds wonderful, and I can't wait to stretch my legs. Hope those clam rolls don't go straight to my hips!" We'd exchange sunny smiles all around, our hair blowing in the wind, and I'd steer my un-named indiscriminate convertible towards the exit. Does that sound stiff to you? That's pretty much the way people in Crescent Cove sound too. I'd still stop, go to Margaux to look at dresses, go to Deke's for a clam roll, and then buzz out of town. That's pretty much how I feel about this book too.

I really wanted to like this book as the author lives locally, but I can't say I'll be reading any more Shelley Noble books. I only finished this book because I do not abandon books. The characters didn't draw me in to the story, they often seemed flat and the conversations seemed stinted. Just because one character is a lawyer does not mean there needs to be so many lawyer jokes between the characters, it is unrealistic and falls flat, "I know a good lawyer. Don't make me use my cross-examination technique on you!" Ugh. I also felt that some words in the book were out there just to make the author seem like she knew them - sepulchral, etagere, seraglio.

The three girlfriends in the story call them the selkies and where this name came from is never explained. There's too many references to the "Selkies forever!" and grown woman licking three fingers and lifting them to sky.

The only thing I really liked was the setting, a small beach town in Connecticut. Too bad the town wasn't brought to life in a more desirable way, a town I'd like to buy a beach house in, instead of just pass through for a clam roll.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betrayal? Ambition? Desire? Commitment? Friendship? Love? This book has it all. In a lovely trip to the CT shore, we meet Margaux, an up and coming designer who has just been raked over the coals by her husband. Having lost all she owns and without any other place to go, she returns to her family summer home in Crescent Cove, CT. where she begins to heal and remember the good times of her youth. Reaching her dreams has always been a large part of her life, but as she struggles back to the top is she reaching for the right dream? The one that will make her complete?

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent book. I really liked parts of the story, but didn't care for the way the ending played out. It seemed rushed at the end. I didn't think the writing flowed well in some spots... Some sentences seemed awkwardly written. Overall it was a quick fun read though.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a name like "Beach Colors", you can just about bet you have found a perfect beach read! And this book delivered on that score!! A woman taken to the cleaners by her psychotic ex goes back 'home' to the beach house she grew up in, reconnects with her old friends and even an old (kinda) flame who just happens to be the chief of police with the responsibility of raising his orphaned nephew whose living with his mother.

Connor has only spoken in whispers since his mother abandoned him and his father died in the war. Guess what? Miraculously he begins to speak aloud shortly after meeting Margaux and forming an instant bond with her. Of course, the psychotic ex has to show back up in one scene but is swiftly run off by the hunky chief. Margaux was a famous fashion designer in New York City but just as quickly is destitute after the ex wipes out all their assets. Her success as a fashion designer was always based on her 'black' designs, but after arriving in Crescent Cove, she begins to design and 'see' in color again. She begins work on a new design portfolio enlisting the help of her mother & friends, the chief's mother who just happens to be a great seamstress, and her beautician landlady who was one of my favorite characters in this book.
Surprise, surprise....after a successful runway showing of her new designs and the opening of a boutique that is masterfully thrown together at the last minute, she receives a call from a famous New York City design executive who just happens to want her to work with him! So back to New York City she goes; she's just not sure that life in the small beach community is for her. It doesn't take very long for her to realize she is not the same person and cannot live without Nick or Connor in her life. She hightails it back to Crescent Cove with her family, friends, and new loves, where in the end....they live happily ever after!

As I said, a perfect beach read. I never questioned the fact that this book would end on a happy note. Sometimes, your reading mood brings you to a book such as this one with no expectations of reading the next 'classic'..........just a great read for a sunny day!!

[Heidi Hilty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaux Sullivan has lost everything; her apartment, her business, and her no-count disappeared husband. She limps home to Crescent Cove, Connecticut to begin rebuilding her life. A fairly predictable but well written story of love and second chances. 3.5⭐️

[Lucky Librarian 13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok summer read. I absolutely loved the beautiful descriptions of the nature-inspired fabrics and can still 'see' the creations. While I was intrigued with all the family issues, too many of the characters just didn't seem to ever become fully developed. Linda, however, was a hilarious exception! (Nook book at discount price)

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a woman who returns home after losing her career, her home and her business to a husband who cleaned her out. She returns to a small beach community where she begins to see colors. The book was an easy read.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fast nice read! I didn't give it 5 stars because it fell short in some of the story line. The story shows how love can help heal trauma in the young and old!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, good for the beach..

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Beach Colors by Shelley Noble. It was a quick, fun read over the Thanksgiving holiday and was a good reminder of what family and friendship is about.

Margaux is a successful fashion designer who, when we first meet her, is having all her personal and professional goods repossessed thanks to her ex-husband. She returns home to Connecticut to family and friends to rebuild her life. Of course there is a man from her past, a young child, and a mother who is there with wisdom. Who I really liked though were Margaux's two best friends from her childhood. I would have like to have gotten to know them better.

Overall, this was a good read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Go Cards! L1C4!!

[Gigi Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Thoughts...

When I noticed this book, I thought, Oh! What a fun looking summer book to read. Well....I struggled all month trying to get this book read. I read two books before I finally decided I'm going to finish this book if it takes all the rest of the month of July and August to get it read. It just seemed to go on and on, never going anywhere, I thought it would never end. It said 286 pages but it seemed more like 1000 pages... It sure wasn't that fun summer read that I thought it was going to be.

I don't know what the problem was but it just never drew me into the story, and I just couldn't relate to the characters. This is the first time I've read a book by this author, and doubt that I will ever read another book by her.

I awarded the book 2 stars, it is a part of my Nook library.

[Bette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beach Colors is a romance novel. The story was pretty good, but the book does contain four letter words. I figured I could get past those and I did. I was about 3/4 the way through the book when the author threw in a descriptive sex scene. So, be warned if you are wanting to read this book.
The story is about a very successful fashion designer whose husband wipes out her bank accounts and ruins her business and then disappears, leaving her to find her way out of the mess.
She returns to her old summer vacation home and meets up with her childhood flame and tries to put her life back together, blending her old life with her new life. She finds that her old flame has a six year old nephew that he has taken on responsibilities for, Connor. Connor's father is dead and his mother has abandoned him, leaving the child with emotional problems.

[Jamie-leigh Haughn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a promising start however it kind of fizzled out for me at the half way point. The romance happened very fast and seemed kind of random, I also found there wasn't much depth to the characters and the overall plot. It was an enjoyable read, however not the best.

[Amy Prendergast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant enough story, but very cliched. Just once I’d like to read romance or women’s fiction where the heroine flees the city for a small town only to find that the city is where she truly belongs. People do find success and true love in cities, too!

[Kevan Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story of friendship and love rediscovered. This is a book you can "sink into" and just enjoy. A perfect summer read -- I am a fan!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little beach read.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted a fun beach read book, something light but heavy on the romance. This book did pretty good. The plot was forced in places, but that's pretty typical for these kinds of books. The characters were over-dramatic (everyone has a sob story), also pretty typical. But it was still quite enjoyable.

So Margaux was a super hot shot designer in NYC. She had summered in Crescent Cove as a child and had fond memories there. Her best friends Bri and Grace would meet there every summer. She'd sit in the library and look at fashion magazines across from an older boy intent on his studying. But when she got older she got married and moved to NYC where she focused on her career and hadn't been back in a very long time. Until now. Her husband Louis had stolen everything from her, wiped out her accounts, and her business was forced to close. She had a tiny bit of money and her car and that was it. She headed back to her mom, Jude, at Cresent Cove.

Nick was working as the chief of police. When he got out of the military he became a professor teaching history. But then his brother Ben was killed in battle and his son Connor was abandoned by his mother. So Nick went home to Crescent Cove where his mom Adelaide could help Nick take care of the boy. But Connor was traumatized in some way. He would only whisper and didn't act or play like a normal kid. Nick always wondered what happened to the beautiful redhead who would sit across from him at the library.

So Margaux drives back into town and is immediately pulled over by Nick for speeding. And from then on it's every natural (and contrived) encounter the author can come up with to throw them together. margaux starts designing again, but focuses on the colors she sees at the beach instead of her traditional, trademark black. Her friends are there to help and soon she gets space at a place in town and everyone comes together to help her put together a show. Connor was drawn to her and began coming out of his shell.

Louis shows up, threatens her, Nick saves her. Their relationship moves to the next level. Her show is a success and she is called by many designers in NYC to come work for them. As this is and has always been her dream, she goes. Everyone is pissed at her for going. Nick basically breaks up with her and makes her 'break up' with Connor. So weird. I had the hardest time with this part of the story. But of course Margaux "sees reason" and realizes her home and her dream is back in Crescent Cove. So she returns and happy ever after.

PS Connor's trauma was that he believed his mom left because he wouldn't be quiet.

Not the perfect story. Characters were a bit much at times, but overall a good summer read.

[The Booked Mama · Rating 2 out of 5]

Margaux Sullivan's life is falling apart around her. Her lifelong dream of becoming a famous New York City fashion designer had finally come true when she discovers that her husband has run off and taken every last cent of their money with him. With nothing left, she decides to escape to her family's summer home in small town Crescent Cove, CT, a place she hasn't been in over ten years. The new chief of police, Nick Prescott has been dealt an unlucky hand. After leaving the Army he landed a job teaching history at a Denver university only to be called back home when his older brother is killed in Afghanistan and his nephew’s mother dropped him off and never came back. It seems as if he won’t be finishing up that Masters anytime soon. Now as tourist season is about to start on the Cove Nick is going to be busier than ever and he still needs to figure out why Connor won’t speak above a whisper. When Nick pulls Margaux over for speeding as she crosses back into Crescent Cove he comes face to face with the girl he used to love from a far as a boy. She doesn’t seem to remember him but there was no way he could forget the girl with the red hair from the library who made his summers worthwhile. Though the plot is fairly predictable “Beach Colors” is the ideal book for sitting on the sand with the Selkie’s signature watermelon martini in hand.

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a look into the world of privilege vs "townies", the cutthroat world of fashion design, how fashion is created, children that have suffered trauma in their lives when they are young, men and women and how they react to loss of people in their lives, men and women and their relationships, how to build a business and market it, and life-long friendships.

Margaux Sullivan has lost everything she has, being suddenly broke, betrayed, and humiliated. She returns to her childhood home in Crescent Cove, Connecticut, to reconnect with her two childhood friends that have sought careers elsewhere, and returned home to Crescent Cove, just like she is doing. Margaux is stopped by Police Chief, Nick Prescott, a "townie", as she is driving into town for the first time. She recognizes him. He recognizes her as well. And then there is Connor...a little boy who grabs her heart.

There are a lot of life lessons and wisdom in this book, and the pages fly because the story that unfolds is so well told.

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely predictable. Over 200 pages before the main guy and girl kissed, despite the tension building throughout the book. *spoilers begin here* Very odd toward the end with Margaux’s decision to go back to the city for work. I didn’t understand why / how people could be so angry at her for her decision or following a dream or even just making a living. The one with the girl from connecticut whose husband clears out her bank account. She’s a successful clothing designer. Moves back to the beach house in Connecticut. “Meets” a cop. Falls in love (250 pages to do so). The kid who won’t speak, or only whispers (cute). They obviously end up together. 3 stars instead of 2 because I’m a sucker for love - but draggggggggggged on, kind of like this review.

[GiGi Carothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beach Colors by Shelley Noble was an excellent read. Margaux was a successful designer until her husband cleaned out their bank account causing her to loose her business, apartment, and career. She had no choose but to return to Crescent Cove, humiliated and broke. She meets Nick, a "townie" boy who worshipped her when she was his "date" at the local library when she was a child. He returned to Crescent Cove for family matters and establishes a relationship with Margaux. Read this novel to find out what direction does Margaux take; to rekindle her life in NYC as a fashion designer again or stay in town with a new life.

[Cindy Feigert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Shelley Noble read. I enjoyed this book. The author crafted an interesting story with characters you could care about. The main characters Nick and Margaux find their way to each other while dealing with problems in their life. Although I did find it a little hard to believe a guy would pine for a 13 year old girl for over 20years. I liked the supporting characters, especially sweet little Conner. I would definitely read another book by this author.

[Destry Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love story? Yes, but...

A heroine whose had the rug pulled out from under her. At the lowest point she can be instead of climbing in bed and staying there she recreates her dream and along the way finds herself in the middle of a love story. Filled with characters that beg for books of their own. Shelley Noble had me with the first mention of sweet Connor so traumatized in his short like he can't speak above a whisper.

[Janice Llewellyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summer time Chick Lit.... started out pretty good, but went down a boring hill fast. The characters were likeable, but not believable of long ago school friends. Wasn't very believable, that after 20 years of no contact, all of a sudden, they all get back together and once again Best Friends...ugh.
And the main male character couldn't be less likeable...geesh.
But I always try to finish a book, so pushed thru it.
I did like the fashion element, but not much else.

[Momof3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beach Colors was a quick summer read. The characters were likable enough, although at times they were frustrating. This book lacked depth to make it a five star review. Also, I wish the characters and their stories were better developed. At the end of the book, I still had many unanswered questions. The dialogue at times seemed stilted. Overall, it was a good read but had the potential to be a great story.

[Kristin R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman finds herself moving back to the Connecticut beach town she grew up in, when she finds her husband has bankrupted her. Her business is gone, their home in NYC is gone. She has nothing left and moves back to the beach house. The day doesn't start well, as she drives into town, she is pulled over and given a speeding ticket. She slowly starts rebuilding with the help of her mom and childhood friends.

[Thereyougothen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel let down

I was enjoying this story until all the secondary characters started guilting the protagonist for taking time to decide if she wanted to return to her high-powered career. The author could have allowed the character to make the decision on her own, but no, everyone made her feel guilty.
I can’t recommend the book. Especially not to women. This is totally anti-feminist. Three stars feels generous.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book from a thrift store with 0 expectations. After reading some of the reviews here on Goodreads, I started getting nervous that I’d be disappointed. Well after 24 hours, I’m done with the book giving it a strong 4.5 stars, simply wishing the ending (literally the last 4 pages or so) didn’t feel so rushed. Other than that, I am so happy to have found this book when I think I needed it the most. Take a chance on Shelley Noble and take a chance on Beach Colors.

[Jenny Middendorf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted an easy reading beach novel. I wanted to like this- but characters felt flat and cold. The thing I felt was missing the most was just character and relationship development. The setting was good and well illustrated, but just felt that the story never really developed, and everything was just too neatly predictable.