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Beginning Again
A heartwarming original estory that shows that there is life—and yes, even love—after heartbreak.
Things have always gone perfectly for Corrine Brown—until now. She’s separated from her husband of less than three years, and going solo to her baby sister’s wedding in Minnesota. As happy as she is for Ilsa, the weekend is long and lonely, and she’s eager to get back to her life in LA…until she realizes that her life, as she’s known it, is over. Forced to reinvent herself just when she thought was finally settled, Corrine soon learns that sometimes, the most rewarding adventures are the ones that we least expect.
A continuation of the original short e-stories All Is Bright and Love, Accidentally, but told from the point of view of a new character, Beginning Again is a heartfelt take on what happens when one happily ever after fades—and another begins.
Things have always gone perfectly for Corrine Brown—until now. She’s separated from her husband of less than three years, and going solo to her baby sister’s wedding in Minnesota. As happy as she is for Ilsa, the weekend is long and lonely, and she’s eager to get back to her life in LA…until she realizes that her life, as she’s known it, is over. Forced to reinvent herself just when she thought was finally settled, Corrine soon learns that sometimes, the most rewarding adventures are the ones that we least expect.
A continuation of the original short e-stories All Is Bright and Love, Accidentally, but told from the point of view of a new character, Beginning Again is a heartfelt take on what happens when one happily ever after fades—and another begins.
64 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 27, 2012
69 people are currently reading
1444 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Pekkanen
32 books7,135 followersI'm a #1 New York Times bestselling author of 15 solo and coauthored books, including HOUSE OF GLASS, which is a Goodreads Choice award nominee and Amazon best book of the year.
My upcoming thriller, THE LOCKED WARD, is being hailed by Lee Child as "psychological suspense at its very best."
I'm also the coauthor of four bestselling thrillers: THE GOLDEN COUPLE, THE WIFE BETWEEN US, AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, and YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
I've also written eight novels that are contemporary fiction, not thrillers: THE EVER AFTER, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS, THINGS YOU WON'T SAY, CATCHING AIR, THE BEST OF US, THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, and THESE GIRLS. My linked free short estories, published by Simon&Schuster exclusively for ereaders, are titled "All is Bright," and "Love, Accidentally."
When I'm not writing or spending time with my three kids, I'm a passionate advocate for rescue animals. I serve as Ambassador of RRSA India, a shelter and sanctuary for abused and injured street dogs and other animals in Anand, India. And I'm the founder of the nonprofit charity IndiaStreetPaws.com.
I also serve on the board of the International Thriller Writers. Readers and writers - come join us at Thrillerfest in NYC every spring!
Please find me on Insta and Facebook for more!
My website is www.sarahpekkanen.com
(Here on Goodreads, my policy is to only review books I really like. If I don't enjoy the book, I won't write about it - it's just my personal policy.)
My upcoming thriller, THE LOCKED WARD, is being hailed by Lee Child as "psychological suspense at its very best."
I'm also the coauthor of four bestselling thrillers: THE GOLDEN COUPLE, THE WIFE BETWEEN US, AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, and YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
I've also written eight novels that are contemporary fiction, not thrillers: THE EVER AFTER, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS, THINGS YOU WON'T SAY, CATCHING AIR, THE BEST OF US, THE OPPOSITE OF ME, SKIPPING A BEAT, and THESE GIRLS. My linked free short estories, published by Simon&Schuster exclusively for ereaders, are titled "All is Bright," and "Love, Accidentally."
When I'm not writing or spending time with my three kids, I'm a passionate advocate for rescue animals. I serve as Ambassador of RRSA India, a shelter and sanctuary for abused and injured street dogs and other animals in Anand, India. And I'm the founder of the nonprofit charity IndiaStreetPaws.com.
I also serve on the board of the International Thriller Writers. Readers and writers - come join us at Thrillerfest in NYC every spring!
Please find me on Insta and Facebook for more!
My website is www.sarahpekkanen.com
(Here on Goodreads, my policy is to only review books I really like. If I don't enjoy the book, I won't write about it - it's just my personal policy.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 1, 2019
The third short story in the series - I enjoyed them. This one was $.99 on Amazon while the first two were free.
August 11, 2019
Book three in the series. I enjoyed this one a lot. Three cute short stories I would recommend.
April 20, 2017
Good continuation to Love, Accidentally.
December 31, 2014
This would have made a great book. It was too short. I quite liked it though.
June 10, 2020
This was a short story, but it was too short. I wanted another 10 pages of more closure - what was the deal with Becca, were they able to connect? Give me some more about the roommates and how they fit in. I understood the porpoise connection, but it seems that so much description was spent on the garden and the food being cooked, but not enough to truly wrap this story up.
March 14, 2017
Good fluffy summertime reading!
Be forewarned- it's extremely short! I finished this book in under an hour, and then couldn't believe I actually wasted my time! PASS!
Be forewarned- it's extremely short! I finished this book in under an hour, and then couldn't believe I actually wasted my time! PASS!
January 11, 2020
Well written, but ends a little too ambiguous, and yes, I know that’s the point.
May 18, 2021
Fell flat
These two short stories both had real potential; however, they abruptly dropped off at the end with no forewarning nor explanation. Disappointing.
These two short stories both had real potential; however, they abruptly dropped off at the end with no forewarning nor explanation. Disappointing.
February 6, 2022
I loved the descriptions in the book. I really think I enjoyed the descriptive language more than the story.
May 22, 2022
Editorial errors but good story of a woman starting over.
March 13, 2024
My least favorite of this “trilogy,” yet still an easy and satisfying read. A continuation of All is Bright and Love, Accidentally, this is told by yet another narrator, with another version of the story, as well as one of her own. It had some fun moments as Corinne began to find herself again, and the choices she made on the journey. 👀
December 6, 2012
Continuing the streak of exemplary short stories, Beginning Again follows another thread in the interconnected lives found throughout the series. This time following Corrine Brown - Love, Accidentally's Ilsa's sister - we see a woman struggle to stay strong and continue to move forward into a new life when all she wants to do is go back to the old one.
Beginning on New Year's Eve at her sister's wedding to Griffin, Corrine cannot help but think of where she was just one year before. Then she was happy and married to her husband, Bruce. Now they are divorced, he has gone back to the first wife he never stopped loving and she has to move out of their home and into one all her own. How lonely she feels, even as she knows she has loved ones who are their to support her when she needs them. It just isn't the same, it seems, being all alone when everyone else goes home.
When searching for a new place she chances upon three young men who are looking for a female roommate. They have another woman moving in (Becca, Renee's sister, from These Girls!) and they want to find a second to keep her company. Young, disheveled and full of boundless energy, these "puppy boys" seem almost too much to handle. But won't they also serve to keep her from feeling alone?
Taking a chance and deciding to move in, Corrine soon finds a solid place from which to launch her new life. Even as she takes one step forward and two steps back, her roommates are there to support her - along with Ilsa and Griffin - to allow Corrine the space and experiences she needs to learn that she can be happy again, if she is only willing to keep moving forward into whatever life has waiting for her on the other side of loss.
There is nothing better to me than to find a great new character and to reacquaint myself again with other much loved ones. In Sarah Pekkanen's short story collection you get both! While Beginnng Again mainly follows Corrine, we get peaks into the lives of other characters from the series (such as Elise from All is Bright and Griffin and Ilsa from Love, Accidentally) as well as Becca from the full length novel These Girls. This helps to solidify questions left the last time we saw these characters as well as to see how they twist into the different lives of the various other characters.
Corrine is such an endearing character! Trying desperately to be strong and move on, it is hard to see her falter along her rocky and difficult road to accepting this new life she doesn't really want. Her roommates are delightful and I can only imagine that living with a lively and caring bunch of boys like that would lift anyone spirits! While the ending is definitely open ended and we don't necessarily see Corrine reach her "happy ever after", I have a feeling we will see more of her again. I am excited to see where this short story series goes next (please write more, Ms. Pekkanen!) and which new character thread will become the focus.
Beginning on New Year's Eve at her sister's wedding to Griffin, Corrine cannot help but think of where she was just one year before. Then she was happy and married to her husband, Bruce. Now they are divorced, he has gone back to the first wife he never stopped loving and she has to move out of their home and into one all her own. How lonely she feels, even as she knows she has loved ones who are their to support her when she needs them. It just isn't the same, it seems, being all alone when everyone else goes home.
When searching for a new place she chances upon three young men who are looking for a female roommate. They have another woman moving in (Becca, Renee's sister, from These Girls!) and they want to find a second to keep her company. Young, disheveled and full of boundless energy, these "puppy boys" seem almost too much to handle. But won't they also serve to keep her from feeling alone?
Taking a chance and deciding to move in, Corrine soon finds a solid place from which to launch her new life. Even as she takes one step forward and two steps back, her roommates are there to support her - along with Ilsa and Griffin - to allow Corrine the space and experiences she needs to learn that she can be happy again, if she is only willing to keep moving forward into whatever life has waiting for her on the other side of loss.
There is nothing better to me than to find a great new character and to reacquaint myself again with other much loved ones. In Sarah Pekkanen's short story collection you get both! While Beginnng Again mainly follows Corrine, we get peaks into the lives of other characters from the series (such as Elise from All is Bright and Griffin and Ilsa from Love, Accidentally) as well as Becca from the full length novel These Girls. This helps to solidify questions left the last time we saw these characters as well as to see how they twist into the different lives of the various other characters.
Corrine is such an endearing character! Trying desperately to be strong and move on, it is hard to see her falter along her rocky and difficult road to accepting this new life she doesn't really want. Her roommates are delightful and I can only imagine that living with a lively and caring bunch of boys like that would lift anyone spirits! While the ending is definitely open ended and we don't necessarily see Corrine reach her "happy ever after", I have a feeling we will see more of her again. I am excited to see where this short story series goes next (please write more, Ms. Pekkanen!) and which new character thread will become the focus.
July 29, 2013
As Sarah’s other books and e-books, I love her beautifully designed covers which draw you in, allowing the reader to put themselves into the inviting setting. As mentioned in my other reviews, I love e-short stories, as they set the stage for what is to come--enough to tease you and make you look forward to more.
I especially enjoy her careful planning of the characters in each of her e-short stories as they are intertwined (fun catching up with familiar characters and meeting new ones).
Nice to hear more from Corrine (Ilsa’s sister) after her breakup from her marriage. She is forced to reinvent herself, moving out of her home into a home (with spectacular garden) she shares with some colorful roommates (all younger and single).
When she receives the news her husband is re-marrying his first wife – she is so down and her new found friends bring her around. She finds there is much to learn from her new found friends. I loved the eco dolphin tie in and reflective of the saying “When one door closes, another opens”.
Totally recommend this author as love her writing style! Be sure and read her new book “The Best of Us” which was 5 stars, along with the other e-books (Love Accidently and All is Bright). I am currently reading These Girls and catching up with the character Becca and her story – exciting!!!
I especially enjoy her careful planning of the characters in each of her e-short stories as they are intertwined (fun catching up with familiar characters and meeting new ones).
Nice to hear more from Corrine (Ilsa’s sister) after her breakup from her marriage. She is forced to reinvent herself, moving out of her home into a home (with spectacular garden) she shares with some colorful roommates (all younger and single).
When she receives the news her husband is re-marrying his first wife – she is so down and her new found friends bring her around. She finds there is much to learn from her new found friends. I loved the eco dolphin tie in and reflective of the saying “When one door closes, another opens”.
Totally recommend this author as love her writing style! Be sure and read her new book “The Best of Us” which was 5 stars, along with the other e-books (Love Accidently and All is Bright). I am currently reading These Girls and catching up with the character Becca and her story – exciting!!!
July 23, 2018
I stumbled into this short story on Amazon and got more than what I paid for ($0.99 only!). It tells the story of Corrine and how she tries to live her life after a divorce. It is such a heart-warming story that tells us a message (albeit cliche as it sounds) that there is always life after a heartbreak. Yes, one needs to move on, but it takes more than a single step to heal and move forward. Sometimes, one needs countless steps or major leaps to get your life back. Other times, those movements lose your track back to the life you wanted, but it leads you to the life you deserve. I love the metaphor it presented in the story, and was deeply touched with the ending despite being abrupt. The minor characters were also a joy to read! Worth your penny and time!
December 19, 2012
Every holiday since 2010, Sarah Pekkanen has released an eShort story. I've grown to expect them because I know they are good reads. This holiday season, Sarah Pekkanen released Beginning Again, a continuation of the eShort stories All is Bright and Love, Accidentally. It is told from the point of view of Corrine Brown, Ilsa's sister. She is separated from her husband and going alone to her sister's wedding. The long and lonely weekend has Corrine eager to return back to L.A. But there really isn't anything left there. Corrine has to start anew.
Beginning Again shows that life is not over after heartbreak. You can begin again and love.
Literary Marie of Precision Reviews
Beginning Again shows that life is not over after heartbreak. You can begin again and love.
Literary Marie of Precision Reviews
December 12, 2012
Quick, easy read--just as it intended. I'm familiar with Sarah's other stories, and it was nice to see how she took another secondary character and made her a star. I was kind of left feeling... unsatisfied... with the ending, though. I know Sarah will advance the story and say what happened to Corinne in the next short e-story, but I kind of wish I had some idea now. I didn't know if maybe she'd start a relationship with Bill, even though he's way younger than her? Or maybe she could've met someone while volunteering? I feel like this could have actually been a good, full-length book. Corinne was a good character and had a lot of drama going for her; it could've easily filled more pages.
January 5, 2014
I bought this eShort Story after reading a full length by the author. I also purchased another full length novel by the same author so I guess that is a pretty good recommendation.
I usually don't care for short stories because they leave me feeling that so much has been left unsaid. This one seemed just long enough to have the character complete a transformation. Well, get a good start on a transformation.
The dialogue is good and characters are well developed. I wanted to step in and join the action.
I usually don't care for short stories because they leave me feeling that so much has been left unsaid. This one seemed just long enough to have the character complete a transformation. Well, get a good start on a transformation.
The dialogue is good and characters are well developed. I wanted to step in and join the action.
March 2, 2013
I didn't know this is the 3rd in her collection of these characters but I think its ok I did not read in order because I could not tell I missed anything. I only knew by reading others reviews that the characters are in the other books!
So my review of this is that I liked it so much I was disappointed it was too short. Corinnes new roommates were funny and whether she knew it or not just whet she needed in that time of her life.
So my review of this is that I liked it so much I was disappointed it was too short. Corinnes new roommates were funny and whether she knew it or not just whet she needed in that time of her life.
April 29, 2014
Interesting story overall. I loved the flashbacks to Corrine's past. She is a very well-rounded and intriguing character who should be written into a full-length novel. There was so much to tell and so many places it could go. It was easy to get emotionally invested in the story and I almost cried a few times. The dialogue and dynamics between characters were both great.
Not sure if it's on Kindle's end, but the font is hard to read. (I read it on a Kindle for PC though.)
Not sure if it's on Kindle's end, but the font is hard to read. (I read it on a Kindle for PC though.)
May 18, 2014
Wish there was more
This story kept me wanting more at the end. A great positive chick lit story with a message most people need to hear and would understand, "Just keep moving." However, at the end of the story I found I wanted more, especially since the other roommate had just been introduced. Sarah could easily turn this short story into a novel because there is just so much more to tell about Corinne. Here's hoping she does so and if so I will be eagerly waiting for it!
This story kept me wanting more at the end. A great positive chick lit story with a message most people need to hear and would understand, "Just keep moving." However, at the end of the story I found I wanted more, especially since the other roommate had just been introduced. Sarah could easily turn this short story into a novel because there is just so much more to tell about Corinne. Here's hoping she does so and if so I will be eagerly waiting for it!
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January 14, 2016I know the feeling
I thought it was a great story. I was really feeling Corrine, the main character and BOOM! The story ends. It did cover a lot as Corrine was forced to move on with her live, I just wasn't ready for it to end, I was settled down prepared for more. However, as always it is nothing less than a great story written by Sarah Pekkanen.
I thought it was a great story. I was really feeling Corrine, the main character and BOOM! The story ends. It did cover a lot as Corrine was forced to move on with her live, I just wasn't ready for it to end, I was settled down prepared for more. However, as always it is nothing less than a great story written by Sarah Pekkanen.
March 18, 2015
A really nice short story of beginning again...for the girl who had it all ... I was happy to see at the end that Corrine seemed to know her life will be different from what she thought it would be but that she could just keep moving in a new direction.
November 8, 2013
Worth any day. My first set of all three short stories. A pleasure to read a book which talked about human emotions more than surrounding. Third book in the series and can be read even if you don't read the first two. It's nice to a writer to my favorite writer list. Thank you.
November 29, 2012
a little longer than some of the other short stories (or so it seemed. I read it on my kindle app). but very good!
December 28, 2012
A very pleasant and likable short story.
December 31, 2012
Bought the other 2 loved this story couldn't put it down!
January 1, 2013
3.5 Stars
January 27, 2013
LOVED IT!!!
February 24, 2013
ends too abruptly even for a short story
May 5, 2013
apparently I read this and didn't like it. Must be related to my preference for full novels.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews