Midnight Beach: Escape to the Coast

by Amber Jakeman

305 pages, Paperback

Published January 3, 2024

About the author

Amber Jakeman writes feel-good fiction because your heart matters.

With readers in more than fifty countries, Amber Jakeman was a journalist, ghost writer and editor before succumbing to her addiction to uplifting endings.

Amber writes about hearts and hope and the power of love.

Her books touch on serious themes, yet with a light touch, an international flavour and positive resolutions.

Amber’s five-book House of Jewels series, launched in 2022, follows the fortunes of three generations of the fictitious Huntley family of jewellers in Australia, the US and France.

Summer Beach, the first in her Escape to the Coast series, was released in 2023, and Midnight Beach early in 2024.

Writing with gratitude on the lands of the Cammeraygal, Darkinjung and Awabakal people, Amber Jakeman warmly acknowledges Australia’s first storytellers.

Amber is available for author talks at libraries, book clubs, writers’ festivals and more. Please email amber@amberjakeman.com for details.

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nola runs the Burradeer Bay General Store, she sells the best hamburgers, fish and chips and sandwiches in town. When her sister Erin calls, she agrees for her teenage niece Bronte to stay and as long as she helps out.

Nola hasn’t always been the serious and stern shop owner, as a teenager she met and fell in love with Kento an Engineering student from Sydney and they planned to sail away into the sunset and he let her down and she gave up waiting for him to return.

Nola’s very opposed to change, she can’t understand why Sam Kelly (Jake Bannerman's partner) is complaining about not having any internet, eftpos facilities and mobile phone coverage and she wants Nola to donate a small area of land for a tower and where she planted her Japanese maple.

Nola has been having a feud with her next door neighbour and gift shop owner Susanna the gift shop for years, she can’t believe it when Bronte wants to help her and because she’s much more fun and sells interesting things. Until her grandson Jasper arrives, he’s here for the summer and she finds him annoying and a stuffed shirt.

Midnight Beach is a dual timeline story and the second book in the Escape to the Coast series by Amber Jakeman. I really liked the narrative and characters, it explains how Nora ended up dedicating her whole life to running the shop, and there’s much more to Bronte than being a tactless high school dropout, and she grows up and starts looking at Jasper from a different perspective.

Five stars from me, a tale about living in a small New South Wales coastal town, being taken for granted, resisting change, teenage love (past and present) moving forward and second chances. I couldn’t put Midnight Beach down, I highly recommend and I'm keen to read book three in the popular series.

[Pauline Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bronte, an enthusiastic teenager with lots of creative flair decides to quit school. Her parents are not too pleased, so she ends up at her Aunty Nola's place, "helping" out at Nola's cafe.

Everyone wants the internet, right? Well Nola doesn't and there is a deep secret of why she doesn't, partly the reason is the location, but what else? Bronte and a friend join forces to entice her to change her mind and become a modern woman.

This is a then and now book, as the author Amber Jakeman dishes up a world of what Nola was like.

I loved the beach feel of this book with lots of cafe food mentioned that had my tummy growling, such as hamburgers, eggs, bacon, fried onions, cheese, fish 'n' chips.

I ended up slathering tomatoe sauce on our food, which pleasantly surprised me, try it on chicken and you might be pleasantly surprised too.

Aunty Nola is called Aunty No for short, can you guess why? One day though she said yes to Bronte's baking experimentations. My taste buds were active again as I encountered date & walnut loaf, chocolate cake, and blueberry muffins.

This story is a romantic one that simmers in the background rounding to quite a boil over at the end. Extremely clever plotting skills from Amber as she feeds you with little tidbits which you are wanting more of. I smiled at the ending, as I'm pretty sure you all will too.

5 star rating/review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a feel good romance with a beach scene, with fishing, boat trips, sea adventures, cafe food, Australian culture and cities (especially around Sydney and the backwaters).

[Cindy Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amber Jakeman’s newest contemporary romance is a very touching dual timeline. It contains two love stories from two generations of the same family. The idyllic setting is on the coast of NSW in a fictitious town of Burradeer Bay. Nola, Erin, Kento, Bronte, Jasper and Susanna are part of a diverse and intriguing cast of characters.

Nola is a shopkeeper and her sister, Erin, works as a nurse. Nola has made many sacrifices in her life to help others. She has taken care of her father until his passing, provided for her sister so she could go to college and nurtured her niece. When her sister encouragers her to sell the business and divide the monies, she refuses. Nola loves her coastal home and does not want to leave in case her fiancé, Kento, returns. They had a plan to elope due to her father’s forbiddance of their relationship. Kento is part Japanese and this is held against him because of Japan’s part in the war. Nola is frustrated that people cannot see past Kento’s appearance: that he is a clever man with great abilities in mathematics, science and engineering. When Kento does not appear on the chosen night, she begins to worry. There are rumours of a man involved in drugs that the police are hunting down but she cannot believe it is him. She assures herself that once the furore has died down, Kento will come back for her.

But the days, months and years pass. She begins a ritual of walking at night on the beach, having midnight picnics, lighting a fire, putting on her mother’s bright green coat in hopes Kento will see her on the shore and rescue her. He promised to take her sailing across the world with him. Every time she hears REO Speedwagon’s song, Can’t Fight This Feeling, she stops what’s she’s doing to listen. In fact, everything she does that engages her senses, invokes memories of the special times they had together. But as time passes, her dreams begin to wane. She takes off the coral ring Kento gave her and puts it in a tin box and buries it beneath their Japanese maple. “When the autumn leaves dropped gold and red and coral around the tree, and when the bright green buds burst open in spring, she remembered their love.” And she continues to wonder: why has he not returned? Has he died?

Nola appears stuck in her memories, a prisoner to the past. This infiltrates her whole vision of the world around her. She does not welcome technology advancements such as the internet and computers and wants everything to remain as it was. Bronte and Jasper attempt to change her mind. These two infuse a lot of momentum and youthfulness into the story. It is a pleasure to watch Bronte blossom from an angry teenager to one who is responsible and cares about others. Jasper draws some of the best characteristics out of her, too. It is a joy getting to know him as well.

Erin sends Bronte to live with Nola hoping she can convince her to return to school. But Bronte tells Nola how she suffered from bullies and never felt she fit in. Nola understands and when her niece wants to explore her love of cooking, she supports her. It appears she has a talent in this area. In fact, her sweet treats add a wonderful addition to the business along with other great ideas she has to make the shop better. Jasper, also, works well with Bronte and together their skills prove complimentary.
This novel has a sombre and angry tone in parts and a deep sadness permeates the plot. But these feelings by the characters are justified. It’s quite easy to understand why Nola is the way she is. We want the best for her and hope her lost love will return and bring the joy and light back into her life. Amongst the grief, though, are little bursts of humour to brighten the literary canvas (mostly delivered by the younger characters). Ultimately there are great surprises and welcomed solutions. There is a natural expectation that Nola will enter the current age of communication and find healing for her broken heart. And that her niece, Bronte, will be given the space and opportunity she needs to grow and find her own strengths. As well as experience the tender innocence of young love.

This is an emotional story that showcases the nasty effects of prejudice—how damaging it can be. We see this with Nola and Kento: two souls who love each other but are kept apart by discrimination. Kento’s Asian appearance and being at the wrong place trying to do a good deed, leads to negative responses and false accusations. We are reminded to be cautious of judging others. But, this novel is also about lasting love, protective friendships, respect for others and the environment, family loyalty, generational healing, social and technological awareness and self-improvement (complete with a make-over!).

I was deeply moved by Midnight Beach and how a love so powerful could ride the waves of time; survive the prejudices and maybe get a second chance. This lovely dual timeline, takes us to the past but then moves us forward to the present to resolve the issues and obstacles Nola and Kento faced. Leaving us with a glittering ending filled with hope for their future. A heart-warming read. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Amber for a review copy.

[Bettina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story set on a small coastal town, but just felt like it was missing something.

All through the story we’re waiting for Nola and Kento to find each other again, but as soon as they do, the story ends. It felt like the storyline concluded very quickly.

⭐️I give this book 3 stars ⭐️

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amber Jakeman does it again! Absolutely love all of her books. This sweet dual time line romance had me hooked from the first page until the last