Beach Season

by Lisa Jackson, Cathy Lamb, Holly Chamberlin

Golden sand, pounding surf, a sense of endless possibility--and four unforgettable stories of love, friendship, and second chances. . .

The Brass Ring by Lisa Jackson

It's a beautiful June day, perfect for a wedding--until Shawna learns that her fiancé, Parker, has been involved in a car crash. Though his injuries heal, his memories of her are gone. Yet Shawna won't stop reaching to reclaim the love they once shared. . .

June's Lace by Cathy Lamb

June MacKenzie is done--with her high-pressure legal career, her difficult soon-to-be-ex, and the stress of city living. In her studio on the Oregon coast, she creates beautiful lace wedding dresses, with no intention of ever wearing one again herself. Then songwriter Reece rents the house next door, and sets out to change her mind. . .

Second Chance Sweethearts by Holly Chamberlin

Thea Foss is putting a bad marriage behind her in the pretty vacation town of Ogunquit, Maine. What's past is past. . ..Until her first love wanders into the local diner, reminding Thea of the person she once was, and the life it's not too late to claim. . .

Carolina Summer by Rosalind Noonan

Jane Doyle needs to get out of New York--the farther the better. She's headed toward Florida, but thanks to a storm along North Carolina's Outer Banks, she finds herself stranded in a beautiful, remote town that soon feels a lot like home. And thanks to the local sheriff, she finds herself staying longer than she planned--and feeling less lost at sea than ever. . .

Genres: Romance, Anthologies, Fiction, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction, Novella, Short Stories

528 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Lisa Jackson is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of over ninety-five novels, including the Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya Series, the Pescoli and Alvarez Series, the Savannah series, and numerous stand alone novels. She also is the co-author of One Last Breath, Last Girl Standing, and the Colony Series, written with her sister and bestselling author Nancy Bush, as well as the collaborative novels Sinister and Ominous, written with Nancy Bush and Rosalind Noonan. There are over thirty million copies of her novels in print and her writing has been translated into twenty languages.

Before she became a nationally bestselling author, she was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.

With dozens of bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity—and back—in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions. She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional, and the downright twisted. As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies, and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.

Visit http://www.LisaJackson.com where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.

Reviews

[Marya Kowal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories mostly center around second chances with a beach background.

Lisa Jackson gets top billing here, but I didn't like her contribution. The heroine is annoying. And why would a physician push her injured/amnesiac fiance to the point of hurting his recovery? The hero is wooden and flat. Cardboard is more exciting. And hearing the inner thoughts of a man complaining about his erections just isn't sexy. Sorry.

Cathy Lamb's story was a hoot. LOVED the heroine, want the hero as my next hubby, and adored even the bit characters. I want to meet June in real life. That's the sign of a really successful romantic story. And I'd love to read more about her crazy family!

Holly Chamerlain's story reminded me of the old 80's harlequin romances I used to read...schmaltzy, but mild, unreal, and a little boring. Not really my thing. The characters were flat. I think it's hard for some of the full-length novelists to change course and do shorter stories.

Rosiland Noonan did a decent job of her story. I liked the hero, he had depth. The heroine was a little overdramatic...but this is a beach read romance, I can be forgiving if the story is interesting. And it was. Loved the townspeople...and I enjoyed reading about a place I had vacationed in.

All in all, it's an easy beach read with little that challenges you, but enough fun to make it worth the read.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the Cathy Lamb story because I enjoy her work. This was a fun story - slightly over dramatic but enjoyable light read with a good message!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I just got this book a couple days ago, and am still in the process of reading it. This book is set as a 4-in-1; something that you don't see very often, unlike 2-in-1s, and that often annoys me rather than just doing separate books. Anywho, these books are basically about summer, and how "Every summer offers a new beginning", as the cover says. Each book is about 100 pages long, give or take, so they are very quick to read. I read the first book entitled "June's Lace" yesterday, and I shall start this review off with that book.

"June's Lace": I absolutely loved this book!! It was such a cute little love story about a girl getting over her divorce while trying not to fall in love with the gorgeous 'chariot driver' Reece after he saves her from nearly drowning in the ocean. They end up living next door to each other, and eventually, June changes her mind about men and falls in love. I loved how the plot started so quickly. Reece is introduced pretty much straight away, and the plot just grows from there. I hated Grayson soooo much, and was so glad when he made the right decision in the end. I loved Reece! He just sounded so incredibly gorgeous and sweet. One problem I had with him though was that he sounded too much like a city boy, rather than a cowboy. Other than that, I loved this book. It didn't contain a dull moment, and just kept me laughing with June's craziness. This book also contains one of my new favourite quotes ever, "From the first day I met you until forever, I will love you." ♥ 5 stars to this book! :)

"Second Chance Sweethearts": So, after three attempts at trying to read this book, I finally managed to get through it. I think my difficulty in reading this book was that it was written in the third person. For this reason, I felt slightly detached from the main character, Thea. Thea, in a way, reminded me a lot of myself, in that we are both very shy and not incredibly social. However, the idea of Thea just isolating herself from her life seemed a bit irrational to me. As if she could just put her life on pause for as long as she wanted. As for Hugh, I adored him! Based on the description of him, you could tell that he was one of those "perfect" men. He was so incredibly caring, and I loved that he really listened to Thea. However, another flaw in Thea's character was that she had difficulty talking with Hugh about her relationship with Mark. I don't understand why it was so difficult for Thea to be honest with Hugh. He was, after all, her first love. But the main flaw with this story was that there was hardly any background information given. I felt like I had to assume and guess what had happened between Thea and Hugh when they were young. I felt that hardly anything was explained about why they broke up in the first place. Other than distance and interfering parents, I have no idea what really caused the breakup. Then there was the stuff with Thea and Mark. That was a bit more descriptive; though still not really what I was hoping for. The ending, I thought was pretty ridiculous. Mark gets attacked by Henrietta (the cat), and then he runs away and Thea never sees him again. What a pussy! I mean, for an abusive husband, I expected something a bit more dramatic. Like, maybe a fist fight between Mark and Hugh... I think that the love making scene was done well, though I didn't really feel like Thea had fully committed to being with Hugh at that point. All she said was, "Okay". It still didn't really sound like she was sure about what she wanted. So, basically this was one of those stories where you just know that the girl and guy will end up together. It was too obvious and the story seemed a bit cheesy to me. I also felt that it was a bit too short, but overall, I enjoyed this book. It was cute. I'll give it 4 stars. (:

"Carolina Summer": This book was a very quick read. I got through it in less than a day, which was actually a big relief. It's not that this book was really bad; I am just so sick of romance novels at the moment, which is strange because I normally only read romance novels. But for some reason I am wanting to read something intellectual right now. So I hope to get through the last book (The Brass Ring) very soon so I can move onto something a bit more intellectual. Now onto the review: this book reminded me far too much of "Second Chance Sweethearts". The plot was just too familiar. You have a very emotional and vulnerable female character who is on the run from someone who is trying to kill her. Once in isolation she meets (or re-meets) a man and they fall in love. I actually liked "Second Chance Sweethearts" better than "Carolina Summer". My first problem was that this book was far too descriptive with the scenery, etc. Normally lots of details is good, but it just seemed so false in this book; as if the author just tried to make herself look intelligent by using lots of details. Cooper was an all right hero, but I didn't really like the relationship between him and Jane. It didn't have much depth. Jane spent the whole summer with Cooper, yet it seemed like we hardly got to see them actually together as a couple. Weeks would pass by before the next scene was explained. I just felt like I never really got to see them as a couple. The other thing that bothered me was the fact that Jane and Cooper were so ready to jump into bed together. I know that they had gotten to know each other quite well, but it just seemed too soon. Though maybe that's because the story was too quick and it seemed like I didn't get to see them together as much as I should've. The whole thing with the killer was quite over the top. Thea's story in "Second Chance Sweethearts" was at least more realistic. This story just went too far. Another problem was that Jane just seemed too vulnerable and emotional to me. I understand that she had been through a lot, but I felt that she depended too much on Cooper for protection. It didn't seem like she was being independent at all anymore, which made her seem like a very weak character. One thing I did really like about this book was that it was told both from Jane and Cooper's points of view, so I had a better understanding of both characters. This book also had more background information than "Second Chance Sweethearts". Overall though, I preferred "Second Chance Sweethearts". It was more realistic and I liked the characters better. I'll give this one 2.5 stars.

"The Brass Ring": The last installment in this 4-in-1 novel. I was quite disappointed with this novel. I think it had real potential to be a good story. Shawna's fiancé Parker is involved in a car accident the night before their wedding and, as a result, suffers from amnesia. He doesn't remember her and this causes tension between them. I found Shawna way too pushy with Parker. She pushed him so hard to remember her and to "love her", that she never stopped to think that Parker just needed some time and space to figure out what was going on with his life. I understand that she was upset, but pushing Parker so much to the point that she moves into his house without consulting him, and eventually even kidnaps him was completely unacceptable. She also seemed quite emotional (understandable), but she just kept going on about how much she loved Parker and how deep down he loved her too, and that she just needed to make him see that. I despised her for the fact that she kept acting like his wife. Parker wasn't yet ready for a wife; he didn't remember her! He needed time to sort through everything. Parker; however, was no angel either. I hated the way that he was always being so affectionate with Shawna by kissing her and eventually even sleeping with her, and then he acts like it was a mistake and just tosses her aside as though she means nothing to him. He was quite a selfish character, in my opinion, and he didn't really think about how Shawna really loved him. Though Shawna was selfish in her own way that she didn't stop to think that Parker needed time before he could love her. Either way, they were both annoying characters. Then you have the whole issue with Melinda's unborn baby. That was just ridiculous. Melinda was a selfish and immature character. I don't really understand why the baby situation was included in the story. It was just too loaded and I think it took too much attention away from the real issue: Parker's relationship with Shawna and his amnesia. The ending to this story really annoyed me. It was one of those endings where they are just too cheesy and romantic that you just want to be sick. You know that the characters will end up together and that they'll live "happily ever after", and you just don't even want to finish the story. That's exactly what happened to me. It almost felt like a chore to finish this novel. I also felt that it was incredibly mean that Parker threw the brass ring away. That ring should've meant a great deal to him, and I thought that it was a pretty rude gesture. The lovemaking scenes were also quite annoying, and the only character that I actually liked was Jake. Overall, this book could've been good, but the terrible characters and overdramatized plot were a big problem for me. 2 stars for this one.

So, that is the end of my "Beach Season" review. My favourite book was definitely "June's Lace". I think it was the most realistic and had the most likeable characters. "Second Chance Sweethearts" was also very good. "Carolina Summer" and "The Brass Ring" were not as interesting, in my opinion. This book was a good summer read, but I think that a 4-in-1 is a bit extreme. 2-in-1s are a lot easier to handle. Next I plan on reading something a bit more "intellectual", and then, once I'm in the mood for another romance, I'll re-read "June's Lace". Fantastic story overall. :D

[Rema]

This is a DNF. I got through the first story which, despite it being tedious, was miles better than the second story in the book. The first one had its fair share of literary minefields and cringe-inducing dialogue.

The first story was about a soon-to-be divorced woman who finds romance with a new neighbor after a memorably embarrassing meeting along the beach where he attempted to rescue her. She struggles in moving on with this handsome stud while being hampered by her asshole of an ex-husband who does everything in his power to make their divorce as contentious as he can. Suffice to say he didn’t endear himself to the characters or even the reader. The main character deserved so much better and she fought to keep the business she created and grew from her husband’s greedy grasp. Despite her admirable determination, I didn’t really think much of her. Mainly because she was very wishy-washy about everything else in her life. Or so she came across to me.

I can barely remember what the second story was about. And I don’t really care either. So out of fairness, I didn’t rate this.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

All four stories were just ok for me. I really didn't feel like this was a beach type read. There was a little bit about the beach and ocean but I wasn't impressed with any of these. Sadly, I would pass on these.

[Nancy Narma · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sand, Surf But Most Importantly Love”
If you’re planning to relax on the sands of some faraway destination or just enjoying the view from your backyard hammock, be sure to tote this volume with you. You will savor the works of four talented authors. In “June’s Lace”, Cathy Lamb introduces us to former attorney/talented-beyond-belief wedding dress designer; June MacKenzie, who, after continually battling with her slime-ball of a husband; Grayson for a divorce, swears she will never get involved with any male again—that is, until a blond-haired, hunky giant of a songwriter named Reece rescues her from drowning while she was hunting for a perfect butterfly shell. He seems kind and understanding, but June has her doubts about him..as well as herself. Meanwhile, her talented staff; Estelle and Leoni (and Leoni’s star-gazing/astronaut-to-be Daughter; Morgan, encourage her to follow her heart. But will Grayson ever give up and agree to the divorce? Or will she lose everything, including the creative, loving woman she is? You’ll love the interaction with her Brother; March, and Sisters; August and September and their “Hippie Parents”. Within the pages of Holly Chamberlin’s “Second Chance Sweethearts”, you’ll meet Thea Foss, who, against the advice of her therapist, escapes her familiar surroundings, not to mention her abusive former Husband; Mark Marais, and takes up residence in the quaint vacation town of Ogunquit, Maine. Thea rents from the extremely intuitive but lonely, Alice Moore and secures a job as a waitress in Maggie’s Diner. Despite ever-present fears, her life begins to take some semblance of order—that is, until the “Love of her Life” from years past; Hugh Landry, arrives on the scene. Will he remember all that they once shared so long ago? Will he be disappointed by the woman she has become? Or she with him? Ms. Chamberlin pulls you to the forefront of Thea’s fears and insecurities of which we may all be able to identify. With “Carolina Summer”, Rosalind Noonan transports you to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We accompany Real Estate Agent, Jane Doyle, as she hurriedly leaves Manhattan with a plan to stay with her Brother; T.J. in Florida. With her thoughts distracted while trying to drive in a torrential downpour, Jane is involved in a collision near the town of Avon. Thoroughly shaken but unhurt, she instinctively thinks the worst—that someone has tried to kill her. Confronted by handsome but wary, Sheriff Cooper Locklear and assisted to safety with Quickstop Market/café owners; Leah and Rusty Mallory, she regains her composure, only to find out her SUV is in need of repair and she must find lodging. A series of coincidences keep Jane and Cooper meeting and getting better acquainted. But he must not find out the real reason for her hasty Southern trip. When a frightening phone call persuades Jane to discontinue her travel plans, she fears for her safety & that of her Brother’s and works her way into a position as a rental cleaning person for a R.E. Agent, keeping a low profile. What or who is she running from? Will Coop open up about Leah? Will Jane find sanctuary in Avon? I know I’d like to read about more adventures in N.C. Perhaps you have already read Lisa Jackson’s classic tale; “The Brass Ring”, but if you haven’t, you’re in for a treat. Dr. Shawna McGuire and former tennis great; Parker Harrison, after a whirlwind courtship, are to be married. Prior to the rehearsal dinner party, the two lovebirds relax as they take in the local “Fair from Yesteryear” complete with a carousel where Parker grabs the brass ring. They come upon a fortune teller’s tent and Shawna has her palm read. She is told she will lose the love of her life. Shaken but not deterred, they revel in their love and enjoy the evening’s celebration. Some, as in Parker’s protégé; Brad Lomax, overindulge and Parker offers to drive him home in the fierce storm raging outside the cozy gathering. The party breaks up and everyone prepares for the morning’s wedding. When Parker doesn’t arrive at the appointed time, his Bride imagines he has changed his mind until authorities arrive with the news that there has been a horrific accident and Parker has been transported to Mercy Hospital. Shawna races to his side, hoping she’s not too late, only to discover he does not remember her or their love. Could the fortune teller have been right? Will she lose her beloved Parker and also a piece of herself? And what about the young, dark-haired stranger named Melinda James? Where or how does she fit into their lives? Or does she? You will enjoy this collection and be wanting more, so make room on your shelf for this one. Nancy Narma

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beach Season by Lisa Jackson and 3 others
June's Lace by Cathy Lamb
June is going through a divorce but he wants half of her new wedding dress business. She is so distraught she heads down to the beach and she turns her back on a wave. It's raining and she falls under and an arm stretches to reach her. Reece is only renting a house for 8 weeks and he sees to it that she goes to get checked out at the hospital.
They have a survivors lunch for a few dates and she finds out he is staying right next door to her house. She has to sell that and give half to Grayson or he wants 1/2 of the business.
June concentrates on her sisters: August and September, they each keep a journal of things to worry about and compare them with each other.
Love reading about her design work and the process she uses. She is taken aback of what Reece does for a living and he's very sensitive when she tells him about her life, marriage and now the divorce and he feels like she's been let down for too long.
He just uses simple things to get to her: flowers, french toast on the deck one night for dinner, finding her the perfect unbroken butterfly shell.
Love also that this is located in Oregon as we have visited there a few times on our trek out west, so beautiful.
Such devotion to family, traditions and legends and what they symbolize.
.
Second Chance Sweethearts by Holly Chamberlin
Thea Foss, divorced has left and traveled to a resort town near Wells, Maine, rents an apartment for several months and loses herself in the town activities.
As a waitress to keep busy she's run into her old college boyfriend, Hugh Landry and they share several meals together and have other dates and just remember their whole lives together.
She talks to her landlady Alice when she shows up with fresh baked goodies.
After their long talks they figure out why they had split up before-who had caused it and each is forgiving and they fell they still have enough time in their lives to try it again.
What's to say the people who split them up before just won't do it again... but something else stands in their way.
Love the locale of the lighthouses, blueberry picking, beaches, just walking around parks
.
Carolina Summer by Rosamind Noonan
Jane Doyle has left the city on her way south to visit with her brother in FL. She's made it past Virginia and he's talked her into heading to the outer banks in NC where he has a friend that runs the hotel.
She's within an hour there and the rain downpour starts and she gets rear ended. The local sheriff is able to talk her out of the jeep that she's rented. She finds out her brother, TJ, his friend has relocated to Myrtle Beach.
The doctor and others talk her into staying at the local motel for the night, she walks around a bit and in the morning will say goodbye to them all on her way further south.
Problem is somebody is looking for her and has contacted her brother so she has to go into hiding. She rents a place and the sheriff is her landlord and she's happy that she will have protection so close by.
She opens up to Cooper and he tells her of his past.
Love this book because of the location, never been and have always wanted to after reading Nights in Rodanthe.
New thing for me is the windsurfing lessons.
.
The Brass Ring by Lisa Jackson
Parker Harrison is about to be married to the girl of his dreams. Night before they are at a carnival and he gets the brass ring while on the ride, also a fortune teller states that Shawna will lose him.
The day of the wedding and it's just about time when her brother, Jake comes in stating there had been an accident the night before. Parker had left to drive Brad home. Parker was the tennis coach for Brad.
Shawna McGuire has everything planned. Not only medical problems but other people.
Love this story for the location of Portland, Oregon.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is four books in one, so rating this as a whole is going to be VERY difficult.
June's Lace by Cathy Lamb
This book was a very great read!I really liked how the main character went from the rat race to owning and running her own business and freeing herself from under the Man's thumb in more ways than one.

Second Chance Sweethearts by Holly Chamberlin
This book reminds me of Eddie Money's song, I Want to Go Back. This had a light and fluffy feel to it with a delightful ending.

Carolina Summer by Rosalind Noonan

[Ginger]

I got this book over a year ago. It is a collection of short stories. They are cute and sweet and have HEA's but it just didn't 'do' it for me.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book and I discovered 3 new authors that were really good.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely set of four Mills and Boon stories in one collection in June's lace by Cathy Lamb June is a wedding dress designer who has sworn off marriage after her own disastrous one but that is until a dashing songwriter moves in next door...
In Second chance sweethearts by Holly Chamberlain Thea Foss is trying to get past a bad abusive marriage when she leaves to start a new life in a small town in Maine but fate has things planned for her when she runs into her old flame and the love of her life.
In Carolina summer by Rosalind Noonan Jane is on the run for her life after witnessing a crime but after a car accident she finds help and love with the local sheriff.
In The brass ring by Lisa Jackson sweethearts Parker and Shawna are about to get married when Parker suffers a bad car accident and his memory is wiped out and in enters a pregnant girl claiming that Parker is the father!
A wonderful set of romances with a hint of danger and intrigue making the stories more interesting.
A must for love story addicts everywhere.

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because I really like Cathy Lamb and discovered that she had this novella that I had never read. It was good in typical quirky Cathy Lamb fashion. The rest of the book was just super "Chick-Lit" which I find really annoying. The "chick" typically does something stupid like keeping a secret or running away from someone who could help her but is finally, as expected, rescued and lives happily ever after. Gag.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

All 4 story's were Excellent stories very well written, it kept my interest up as well as I didn't want to put it down. The character's are well developed an helps bring you into the story...it was a book I was sad to see end!!!

[Tgordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

So almost all of these stories were too fluffy for me! I like love stories however I hate when the people cry. Is that mean? I like good old fashioned love you and meant for you love stories. I just hate weak characters who cry when the love doesn’t work out! So only 3 stars for entire book!

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn't get drawn in to the story.

[Elizabeth Foy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, easy read of short stories...complete with happy endings

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these short stories of love and fun! Light hearted reading on heavy hearted days.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the stories written by Cathy Lamb and Rosalyn Noonan. The other two were cheesy love stories. Sorry Lisa Jackson, but your contemporary romantic suspense is more to my liking.

[Jacquelyn Kordenat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the short stories! Made for nice bedtime reading.

[L T · Rating 3 out of 5]

simple chic lit that was fun to read.. somewhat slow in parts, somewhat aggravating. 4 stories written by 4 authors. Yes I would recommend for light reading. nothing to ponder.

[Annika Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only Cathy Lamb's story was my taste.

[Dianemm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only one book held my interest. Disappointed in the others.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining reading 📚

Four very will written romantic thriller novellas with interesting characters. The story lines are each complicated with each having it's own ending. I would recommend these novellas. Enjoy reading 🔰 2020😊

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cathy Lamb short story was my favorite.

[Cait Cher · Rating 3 out of 5]

My advice: the first story was totally worth it. The others...meh...

[Angela]

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[Sue Perkinson Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome reading

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed having 4 short stories in one book.

[Angela Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forgettable drivel. Glad to have finished it. Four stories of romance, predictable.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

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