A Month at the Shore

by Antoinette Stockenberg

He was her childhood knight in shining armor ... but she wasn't a fairytale princess.


Kendall Barclay III was a skinny, nerdy kid when he single-handedly took on a gang of bullies assaulting Laura Shore, a thirteen-year-old girl from the town's most notorious family. The childhood trauma became one more reason for Laura to flee the small Cape Cod town for the opposite coast and make a name for herself there. But now her tyrannical father is dead, her murderous uncle as well, and her beloved sister Corinne wants Laura and their black-sheep brother to come home and restore Shore Gardens, the family nursery fallen to rack and ruin, back to its former charm.


Reluctantly, they promise Corinne one month. One month, for Laura to face down past memories which are anything but fond and to come to terms with the wild range of feelings she has for the man who is no longer either skinny or nerdy. It's a daunting assignment -- made more so when a shocking discovery is made on the nursery grounds. Have knights in shining armor gone out of fashion? Laura will soon find out.


Reviews


"A MONTH AT THE SHORE is a most enjoyable contemporary romance. The book illuminates the power of childhood experiences in shaping lives. Rooted as it is in their past, the attraction that sparks to life between Laura and Ken makes eminent sense ... Ken is the perfect hero, clearly a gem. Stockenberg has created an interesting cast of characters, provides a most satisfactory romance, and integrates the suspense element seamlessly into her story. This is a perfect book for a summer day -- or any other day, for that matter."
--The Romance Reader


"A savvy, sexy novel with twists and turns. The dialogue is natural and witty, and the characters jump off the page. If you like a good mystery, with murder, revenge, and tantalizing sexual play, you'll enjoy this book."
--The Best Reviews


"An addictive novel that draws the reader in from the very first page. The characters are extremely sympathetic and believable .... An all-around excellent read, A MONTH AT THE SHORE is enthralling. To be placed on your must-read pile immediately. Don't miss out on this captivating story of love, family, and trust."
--Romance Reviews Today


"The writing and emotional pull [is] finely drawn out .... The plot has just the right amount of intrigue, suspense, and a wonderfully sensual romance as the inspired hero does his best to become [the heroine's] knight in shining armor. The villain is a surprise twist to the mystery of the murder. Set in a wonderful local ... you will truly enjoy A MONTH AT THE SHORE."
--Contemporary Romance Writers Reviews


"This is a must read. It will keep you guessing throughout and you will be shocked to find out just who is the murderer. Don't pass this one up!"
--About Romance Fiction

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Ebooks, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Fiction, Contemporary

ebook

First published August 18, 2003

Reviews

[Katrina Passick Lumsden]

So, crap. Here we go again, right? Super uptight, type A personality career woman with a huge chip on her shoulder comes back to the town she never wanted to be in again because her sister wants to hold a memorial for their asshole father. From the moment I met Laura, I disliked her. She hasn't seen her sister or younger brother in years and all she can do is be negative and critical. At one point she gets all twitchy and uncomfortable because her brother shows up in a crappy car and she hopes no one in town saw him in it. Yeah. One of those. But the thing that bothered me most about Laura was that she never once stopped to reconsider her view of men after learning some pertinent information about Kendall, her childhood savior. For most people, if we've based a lifetime of belief on something that occurred when we were children only to learn that things didn't happen quite the way we thought they had, we stop, reassess, and examine our mindsets and priorities. Not Laura. Nope. Learning that her squire in shining armor didn't reject her after all barely makes her eyelids flinch.

When I got to 30% and read the following, I just gave up: "Do not get emotional. She had eased that rule exactly three times in her life. The first was with Will Burton, and look where it had got her. The second was with Max: she hadn't fared any better. And now, Ken. Did she really need to go out on that ledge again? She already knew the view from there: down, down, down."

After everything she'd been through with Ken up to that point, reading that passage made me envision not a slightly damaged woman with emotional baggage, but a stupidly persistent bulldog who can't think three dimensionally and keeps running its head into a wall over and over again in an attempt to get outside.

To make it simple, I thought Laura was a dumb bitch. So I started skimming to see what happened later, and you know what? I lost interest in skimming. I still have no idea what happens....and what's more, I don't care.

[Brande · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off well. I enjoyed the first 3/4 of it. Then, the author appeared to become tired of writing. The ending was wrapped entirely to quickly. It could easily have been made into a trilogy if written the author so wished.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although there is a beach, this is not a beach novel- Shore is the family name. Just FYI ;)

It took me a while to get into this book, but then I started to enjoy it. I would read more from her.

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great easy read! 4 Stars. This book combined everything from murder, mystery and romance.

We follow the Shore Family. At the beginning of the book we meet Laura Shore who is a successful computer consultant in her early thirties. She is on her way back to her hometown to meet with her siblings, Corrinne and Snack (yes this is the name of her brother), after the passing of their father. Laura and Snack both have not been back to their hometown since escaping their abusive, brutal father. Laura left at 18 and never looked back….until now. Upon coming all together, the three siblings ponder what it would be like to bring their family farm back to what it was in its glory day. They decide to try and give it a go even though the farm is in shambles and hasn’t been tended to or updated in decades. Can Laura survive this small town or will she run back to the life she built for herself across the country? Events unfold in this story and things are uncovered that even the Shore siblings may not be able to run from.

Although Laura is our main heroine, all three siblings are such endearing characters. They really have had a rough past, not only with their father, but also because of other terrible stigmas associated with their family. In this small farm town, it is not good to have the “Shore” name.

There is also a sweet romance aspect to this story. The hero, Ken Barclay, has never quite gotten over the girl that he liked and pined for during his school days. Now, in his thirties, he is no longer the small nerdy boy he was. Now he is tall, muscular and sexy as hell. When he sees Laura, he realizes that this might be his chance. However, Laura has some issues to overcome including dealing with her past and learning to accept the kind of love that she deserves.

Great Contemporary Romance/Mystery/Drama! I hope you give it a go.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always looking for recommendations by fellow book lovers. I wonder sometimes what makes a person love a story and then wonder if I will feel the same way. A Month at the Shore is an example of how two people completely different in life can appreciate the love of a good story. On the recommendation of a fellow book lover, I found a wonderful story of love and growth that I couldn't get enough of.

This is a beautiful story of self growth, acceptance, love, and family. A story that helps you realize that no life is perfect, that each of us carries our own demons. We learn that regardless of what others think, sometimes the person we are meant to be is the person we were all along ... we just have to learn to love and accept the life for what it for what it is and who we are.

This is a sweet and enjoyable read that I recommend to anyone that has an afternoon to spend with a few great people and a willingness to perhaps look at themself in a new light.

[Chelsea Tollefson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok... about what I expected since I got the e-book for 99 cents or something. Moved along too fast I thought, both the love story and the little mystery going on. It's like the author got sick of writing and just ended the story hastily.

[Nhensch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summer fluff beach read.

[Antonette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just can't get into his book at all. The characters are lacking and the story is dragging. This is a DNF for me.

[Debby · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shore family has owned a Cape Cod nursery for generations. The 3 siblings - Laura, Corinne and "Snack" have all suffered from their abusive father. Laura escaped to college, Portland and a computer job. Snack, often his Dad's whipping post, has drifted for years in and out of trouble. Corinne has stayed and helped with the nursery. When the father dies, all 3 come back and agree to help Corinne for a month to turn the nursery around. All is going reasonably well - including the rekindled friendship/romance with the banker's son Kendall Barclay, who rescued Laura from a gang rape in their preteen years - until a body is discovered when they start to move the compost pile. It turns out to be a former employee, and signs point to Snack, but it turns out to be Gabe the city counselor neighbor and Corinne's beau who did it.

Interesting story of going home again, right side/wrong side of the tracks attraction. Some sex, but more involved in the character development.

[K D · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had a solid start. But somewhere in between there were too many plots involved and not enough story to cover them all.

The story was Hallmark movie style in the middle there was a deadbody found making it a thriller. Nothing was given a proper end. It all felt very rushed.

There was a mazing chemistry between Laura and Ken but they didn't have many scenes, making it all seem flat.

Well, at least the chemistry reveal at the end was quite interesting.

Another thing Laura was sexually assaulted when she was barely a teen and I hated the part that no proper action was taken against the assailant, even Ken knowing this asked Laura to brush them off when they met again years later.

[Betty Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book. It deals with a lot of family issues as the main characters in this book all leave home as soon as they graduate except for the youngest sister, who stays back to take care of their father and the flower nursery they run in town. A lot of mystery here when old bones show up under a compost pile they are moving and you have quite a time deciding who did it. There is romance in the book but quite tame. Recommend.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of family dianmics. Can you imagine living in a small town and having an uncle that kills is wife. Then a father who is violent and an unhappy man. The family owns and operates a nursery. Father dies and the sister and brother come home to help their younger sister to get the nursery up and running again. A love and lost story. Good characters. A novel story line that will keep you flipping pages.

[Winnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it while at the Cape, fun being right where it is set.

[Ann L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Small town feel. Romance. Murder mystery. Never a dull moment.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery, romance, quirky characters - great stuff!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend

I read this book in one day. It's been a long time since I've been able to say that. Very good story.

[Rosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written; interesting characters and plot. Pure Stockenberg.

[Barbara W. Hoer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

I enjoyed the book and was very surprised who and how the mystery was solved. Great writing and you feel like the characters come to life.

[charmaine White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Such a really good story.Full of laughter and tears.Mystery,suspense and thrills.This one will keep you guessing from the very beginning to the end.

[Casey Carrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Month at the Shore by Antoinette Stockenberg is a story about 3 siblings that grew up in their family business, a nursery. The family was poor but much worse than that was the way their dad treated them and their mom ignored it. Two of 3 siblings moved on to other parts of the country as soon as they were old enough and only Corinne stayed behind to continue working at the nursery. When their final parent passed away, the siblings all came back to the nursery for the memorial. Corinne manages to talk her brother and sister into helping her bring the nursery back to life and they agree to help her for one month.

During that month at the shore, lots of things Snack and Laura left behind when they moved their lives across the country resurface. Old friends, enemies, and memories come back to haunt them. At first they're acutely reminded of why they left in the first place but they eventually start to question was it so bad after all?

The first half of the book was mostly a reflection on their past. The plot in current time was slow moving and downright unexciting. As I approached the middle of the book I was thinking to myself what could possibly happen for the rest of this story? It seemed tied up and ready for it's predictable ending. And that's when everything changed...

All of a sudden the novel takes a turn when human remains are found in the nursery compost heap. The dust kicks up and the story kicks into high gear. The plot moves briskly, conspiracy theories swirl, and friendships begin to shift.

Overall, I thought the book was just OK. I tend to stick it out to the end of a novel no matter what but had I been the type of person that only reads what they love, I would have quit before half time - and I'm not sure I would have been missing much.

[Pattianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A month at the shore - New England Shore Stories - (Kendall and Laura) - Acclaimed USA Today bestselling author Antoinette Stockenberg consistently engages readers with her breathtaking stories of small-town romance tinged with danger. Now she returns with a tale of one woman's struggle to put the past to rest-even as it haunts her every waking moment...

A Month for New Beginnings
Laura Shore's memories of her Cape Cod childhood are far from fond, mostly serving as a persistent reminder of why she left home in the first place. But now she's back. Her tyrannical father is dead, and his children have banded together to try to salvage the family nursery he ran into the ground. Laura, her younger sister Corinne, and their black-sheep brother, Snack, have given themselves exactly a month to try to get the business on its feet. Developers wait in the wings, eager to purchase the property, while local-boy-made-good Kendall Barclay is there whenever Laura turns around. Kendall's intentions may be honorable, but his attentions are the last thing she's interested in...

A Month for Bitter Endings
Yet Kendall turns out to be a rock-steady shelter from the storm of publicity that blows in after he makes a shocking discovery on the property. Suddenly a murder investigation is underway, placing the Shores under the scrutiny of village gossips--and someone far more dangerous. Someone who thinks that this secret should have stayed buried. And who will stop at nothing to see that Laura's first visit home in years is also her last...

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part family drama, part crime novel and part romance, this book hits lots of high points. The Shores, an old Cape Cod family have operated a family nursery for three generations. The business is failing, partially due to poor management, partly due to bad attitudes and partly due to the taint of a generation old crime of passion that took place on the grounds. Following the death of their very difficult father, brother, Snack and sister, Laura return to help their younger sister Corinne save the business. They all agree to work for one month to see if they can salvage something from the crumbling property and business. Things begin to look up when the unexpected discovery of human remains at the bottom of a compost mound begins a nightmare they are not sure they will recover from. Well written and hard to put down, the author does a good job of establishing her characters and their complexities as well as portraying Cape Cod’s charm and the small town cruelty that sometimes exists in these places.

[Terric853 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Laura Shore comes home after her father's death to help the sister who stayed behind rebuild the family business. She becomes reacquainted with Ken Barclay, the geeky rich kid who saved her from bullies when she was 12 and he was 13. I had lots of problems with this book. Laura's uncle killed his wife before she was born. Why does her fiance dump her upon learning that? Why does the small town she grew up in hold that against her? Why does that color her whole life? SHE WASN'T EVEN BORN!!!! Then, there's the discovery of a body in a compost pile on the family property. What's the deal with the "witch"? And, what the F happened to the killer? The happy-ever-after ending just doesn't seem to work...

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I was sure I had all figured out. About halfway through, all my predictions came true. I was feeling quite smug, until near the end. The author completely surprised me.

I do have a few slight criticisms though. Laura is the main character. While overall quite like able, at times she comes off as immature. And although her sister Corrine is a big part of the book, I didn't feel like we got to know her at all. Why was she the way she was? I almost anticipate a sequel with Corrine as the lead, so we get to know her better. Overall though, this is an entertaining read. If you like Barbara Freethy, as I do, you will enjoy this book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great piece of writing. It starts out with the main character going back home to see her siblings after their not-dear father dies. In the process of sorting through memories colored with childhood resentment, the siblings find themselves being drawn together, closer than they ever had been, all to clear their family's name of any wrong-doing in a recently uncovered mystery.

Definitely a good book and a great read with an unpredicted ending. That the main character held one person so far in esteem, still as an adult, and seemed unable to get past childhood wrongs, held my rating back from being five/five.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect beach read. Part romance, part mystery, and part family relationships. Three siblings with baggage get together and try to save the family business their father ran into the ground before his death. Two siblings left town as soon as they could while the other stayed behind to help run the business. Their father would not have won "father of the year"; as expected, they each have baggage related to that. They also have some other secrets. The romance was a given; I knew on the first page they would get together. I was actually surprised by the identity of the murderer. Nothing about the book blew me away, but it was enjoyable and I did actually read it at the beach.

[Doriann Woodrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

He was her childhood "knight in shining armor"...but she wasn't a fairy princess.

Laura Shore returns to help her sister at her childhood home and family business. Laura had run away as fast as she could from the home and family, to reinvent herself. Now returning to the place that does not hold good memories, she gets reacquainted with her siblings, and Kent, her "knight in shining armor".

I enjoyed this story. I liked the setting on the New England coast. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery that served as a backdrop to the love story.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good story about two sisters and their brother. Add a family nursery that has been failing and a sister who is bond and determined to make it work

This is a story with family values and putting a broken business and home back together. Corrine never left home. Snack and Laura left and make a promise to their sister to give her a month to salvage back a family business. Bad blood and long ago events bring this story together for a surprising turn of events. A very good read

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice diversion. I get a litle tired of modern romances that seem to feel all relationships must start out with one or the other person disliking the other and doing everything they can to antagonize, until suddenly miraculously they realize that they're in love, but other than that, this was an interesting mystery. There were many characters who seemed to be suspect, but the author held the mystery to the end.

[Cherie Reeves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. 3 siblings lose their tyrant of a father. For the first time in many years, they are all back home. The decide to give a month of their time to salvage and run the family's nursery. Faced with obstacles such as society perception, the 3 are challenged to complete the task. Add the stress of the discovery of a body during renovations and the resulting investigation, and tempers and relationships become strained. Interesting twist at the end.