The Sand Dollar Sisters

by Amy Rafferty

One inn. One mystery. One chance to begin again.

After a devastating divorce and the loss of her family’s historic hotel, almost-sixty Jess Bryant is ready to disappear—until a crumbling seaside inn on Anna Maria Island offers one last shot at starting over.

With her twin sister by her side and a brooding handyman who seems tied to the inn’s shadowy past, Jess begins rebuilding what’s broken. But the island has secrets—and Jess is at the center of them. Dreams that don’t feel like dreams. A love story lost to time. And the ghost of Rose Holt, the inn’s former owner, whispering through the walls.

What starts as a renovation becomes a journey of healing, hope, and heart—where every sand dollar holds a wish, and every broken thing has the power to be made new.

If you love later-in-life heroines, coastal settings, cozy mysteries with a hint of magic, and clean second-chance romance, you’ll fall in love with The Sand Dollar Sisters.

Grab Book 1 today and discover the island where second chances are always in season.

111 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2025

About the author

Amy Rafferty writes uplifting, clean romance filled with heart, healing, and the kind of hope that lingers long after the last page. Known for her coastal settings, later-in-life heroines, and unforgettable family bonds, Amy's books offer second chances and emotional journeys wrapped in love and mystery. When she’s not dreaming up her next story, she’s sipping tea by the sea and treasuring time with her family.

I always love to hear from you and get your feedback. Email me at books@amyraffertyauthor.com and Follow Me on Amazon. https://amazon.com/author/amyrafferty

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Reviews

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great beginning to a new beach series!

[Melonie Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing and I could not put it down!! So much suspense and mystery! I can't wait to see how the end is fixed!!!!! The characters are amazing!!!!

[Vickie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I have loved the stories. Amy Rafferty does not disappoint. The Sand Dollar Sisters is great. Can't wait to read the next book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This contemporary clean, second chance romance is page-turning with exceptional world-building with coastal settings such as magnificent sunrises and sunsets that are vibrantly painted across the sky, and characters that are resilient, intelligent, captivating, and realistic. Their journey is enthralling with the sand dollar sisters, one inn, one mystery, one chance to begin again, a devastating divorce, loss of almost sixty Jess Bryant's family's historic hotel, she is ready to disappear until a crumbling seaside inn on Anna Maria Island offers one las shot at starting over, her twi sister and her husband are by er side, a brooding handyman who seems tied to the inn's shadowy past, Jess begins building what's broken, the island has secrets, and Jess is the center of them, dreams that don't feel like dreams, a love story lost to time, the ghost of Rose Hold, the inn's former owner, whispering through the walls, what starts as a renovation becomes a journey of healing, hope, ad heart-where every broken thing has the power to be made new, a later-in-life heroine, heartfelt emotions that will leave readers needing Kleenex/Puffs to wipe the tears that are threatening to spill down their cheeks, drama, suspense that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, mystery, intrigue, action, adventure, and more. I recommend reading this book by an extraordinary author who knows how to captivate her readers' hearts and attention with the sand dollar sisters and a second chance clean romance that is sure to transport readers into a world that is wildly mysterious, adventurous, sweet, and unforgettable.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic first book in a new series by Amy Rafferty! You are grabbed in the beginning where Jess Bryant divorces her horrible, scheming husband who tricked Jess into signing over the family inn and everything that goes with it being told it was for the good for the inn to prosper. The inn was owned by Jess' family for generations and now the conniver has it all. When Jess sees an inn for sale at a great price on Anna Maria Island that needs some TLC, with the backing of her wonderful sister, Jules and her husband, she buys it. Byron, the basic gardener and handyman seems to come attached to the sale of the inn to Jess. And a real estate developer, Charles tells Jess, he wants to buy the inn for a development and he was condescending and obnoxious and was turned down by Jess emphatically. With so many twists and turns and feeling drawn to the inn, with secrets and whispers we are taken through to the end where her scheming ex-husband, Carl shows up with his latest wife, and tells her he wants money or her will own her new inn. Chased off by Byron, Carl takes Jess' car since said it was part of the inn he stole from her, a business car. And off Carl goes. And we are left with a cliff hanger at the end. The characters are great and so well written, they feel like friends. I can't wait to read book 2! I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Terry T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a sweet latter in life, second chance, cozy mystery romance.
Some of the lines I really like --- ‘It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, as long as you can breathe and stand, you get up. Dust yourself off, square your shoulders, and push forward.’ --- “Family isn’t just about who stands beside you when it’s easy---it's who won’t let go when it’s not,” --- any place is fixable if you’re willing to put in the time and effort. --- “A place that once it takes hold of you, it’s hard to get out of your heart,” --- “They hold memories in the bones of the walls. They cradle generations between every floorboard and every crack in the plaster. You don’t just leave a place like this. You leave a piece of yourself behind.” --- “People thank us by living well. By being decent to each other. Taking care of their families and their communities. That’s what we fought to preserve.” --- Sand Dollars are left by people who have moved on. They either hold a message or a gift for those they are left for. ---
What's Carl up to? What's Charles up to? These and other questions will be answered in Book 2
I loved Jess and Byron's story and I'm sure you will too. I've loved everyone of her books that I've read and can't wait to read her book 2 in the Anna Maria Inn Series.

[Jeannine Wickliffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great start

Jess feels like she has lost everything. After over 30 years of marriage, her soon to be ex was able to manipulate the books and circumstances to make it look he ran her families hotel property and family home. Thankfully her and her daughters trust wascsecured. Now she has moved v the Anna Maria Island to start over. Here, with the help of her sister and her husband, she has bought a inn sight unseen. Its in worse shape then she thought and comes with a caretaker named Byron. Jess immediately fee!s at home and like the inn is welcoming her. Things are going well and Jess finds several similarities between her life and Rose, the late owner. Then her ex shoes up demanding she pay him 4 million or he will get his attorney to take the inn as a breach of divorce . He then takes her car as part of divorce. Not long after he leaves, a call comes in stating her car had crashed. Her car with her ex inside. It seems someone is out to kill Jess

[Mary Ann Speel · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book in this series which gets your attention and keeps you reading as one thing after another occurs. The reader can’t predict what will happen next. It ends with one surprise after another. The ending is a cliff hanger so if this is a negative for you I suggest that you wait until the series ends and then read all the books. I do recommend this book to anyone who loves it a mystery. The author is very good at writing them. You will love the h and her sister and her sister’s husband. The H is a surprise but you will like him too. The h is all set to renovate a B&B and when she goes to the property she finds out that the H is part of the bargain. He helps in the renovation. As the repairs are progressing her husband shows up and claims her investment. He leaves and this results in a surprise ending. Hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I did. Received this book free from the author as a member of her arc team. Enjoy! Hope you become a fan of this author!

[Patty Duplechin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after her ex husband divorced her and took everything, including her family’s Hotel and Spa that was in her family for generations, away from her. She decides to head to Anna Maria Island, where she bought a seaside inn. She and her twin sister, and her twin sister’s husband,invest in it. Can she make a go of it? Will it be too much of a job, especially since she bought it sight unseen?
Jess meets the handyman, Byron Trent, who was part of the sell. He seems to know a lot about the inn. Can he help her bring it to its full glory? Jess feels a connection to the inn and feels like something or someone is drawing her to it. What can it be? The characters are wonderful. There’s a mystery and can Jess will have to solve it? What’s not to love about it? I can’t wait to read book 2. Worth the read. Any Rafferty draws you in and you don’t want to put it down. I received this book for my honest review. I give it voluntarily.

[MsBitsyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sand Dollar Sisters
The Anna Maria Inn Series #1
Betrayal of the worst kind. A misfortune of events opens this story of Jess. One moment she has it all, then one domino topples & the chain reaction begins. But when the tough get going, refusing to break, that’s when the stars align! With the help of her twin sister, Jules, Jess’s future brightens again! With their creative talents (the sisters once owned a business known as Sand Dollar Arts & Crafts), combined with sheer determination to stand strong, amazing things begin to happen!

Experience loss, brokenness & learning to face each new day by finding the strength instilled deep down inside; as well as the need for close family, love & commitment to each other. Another fabulous read by Amy Rafferty!

[BM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first in series seems to be off to a good start. As with several others, the book is a shorter version of a more complicated storyline, which ends on a cliffhanger to take the reader over into the next book. This might be frustrating for some readers, but it also has the effect of expectation.
It has a dramatic start of an obnoxious divorce, an equally obnoxious, greedy, manipulative and cunning ex husband. It has a dramatic ending also involving the ex husband. Several characters emerge in between and it is obvious there is something exciting and compelling to come. Who it is all going to effect and how remains to be seen.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'm hooked. So many questions.
Jess is trying to pick up her life after her ex husband took everything from her. With the help of her twin sister and brother-in-law she is going to refurbished the Anna Maria Inn. The Inn has a special feel to Jess.
Byron is the handyman who comes with the Inn.
There are so many questions.
The Inn has a "special feel" that Jess feels and she believes the Inn talks to her.
What is Byron hiding? What about Rose and what Lucy discovered?
Can her ex husband take the Inn?
And who has murdered Rachel and Rose's ex? And why?
Can't wait to the next installment.
And what about the connection to the Sand dollar and the Sand Dollar Sisters?

[Margaret Hejmanowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all things Amy Rafferty, and this does not disappoint; this is book one in The Anna Maria Inn Series. Jess Bryant is almost sixty, and recently divorced; she just lost the family's Hotel and Spa to her ex husband. Jess and her twin sister Jules, along with her brother in law; buy the rundown Anna Maria Inn and Holt House. Of course it looked better in the pictures. Byron Trent has been the caretaker of Anna Maria Inn and Holt House for many years, and he comes with the purchase. Their are many secrets and ghosts ahead. Love the plot, great setting, and strong intense interesting characters. I can't wait for the next book in the series!!!

[Alison Hoeksema · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lovely series starts with Jess leaving the inn her family used to own, but which has been taken over by her manipulative ex-husband, Carl. She takes a chance and buys the derelict Anna Maria Inn, with her twin sister Jules; they used to run Sand Dollar Arts together. Conveniently, a caretaker comes with the property: an old boyfriend, Byron. When Carl turns up with his fiancée, causes trouble, and storms off in Jess's car, that seems to be the end of the story, but there is a cliffhanger ending! The characters are believable, and the story progresses fast.
I received an ARC from the author, but my opinion is given voluntarily.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible first book! You find yourself totally drawn in as we meet Jules who is conned out of her generation’s owned family inn by the one person she thought she could trust. Thinking she is too old to start over, she finds a rundown inn on the island of Anna Maria. It comes complete with handyman Byron, a few secrets, a shadowed past and quite possibly a ghost but Jess with help from her sister and hubby takes on the challenge and starts over. It’s enthralling, it’s suspenseful and it has me hooked and totally read for the next book!

[LINDA BASS · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sand Dollars Sisters book had me quite confused as there was another author's book with the same title with the same characters name only it was book TWO! I had to wait on Amy to verify that it was not her book before I could read it. I liked Jess and Bryon a lot, but it seemed that the island had less people as they were bumping into their ex-spouses. Jess had bought the inn without viewing the inn, but, she felt right at home once she saw it. Her ex-husband taken her car and ended up at the bottom of a cliff, and now an eighty-year-old mystery had taken place.

[Brenda Theune · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was torn about how to rate this “book.” Quite frankly, it should be listed as a novella.

If I was rating on the first few pages, it would be a 4 or even a 5. The writing was excellent, the word choice almost poetic. It went downhill from there. Almost everything was predictable. The villains were stereotypical enough to be laughable. I could almost see them laughing maniacally and twisting their mustaches. I often get sucked into these series that really should have just been one book, but not this one. I’m not wasting any more time on it. Sorry!

[Dianne Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book!

An absolutely superb first book in a new series as Jess starts her life again after a devastating divorce. So much lost, but an exciting new beginning with the support of her family and new friend brings her great joy until new challenges emerge. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book, series and author!

I read this book as part of an advance reader team. I am voluntarily writing this review.

[Jacqueline Johnston Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love getting lost in coastal small-towns, cozy mysteries and second chances, this series is for you! This delightful cozy mystery is full of twists, drama and endearing characters all wonderfully written in this book. The storyline will capture your interest along with the shenanigans Carl is up to. I promise you'll be Team Jess. This first book in the new series is an entertaining page turner. I had such a great time reading it!

[DeeDeeWReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chance at Happiness

Great start to a new series from Amy R. When a wife is deceived, losing everything that matters, she picks herself up and finds a new start. A tragic accident leads to the thought someone is out there, not wanting her to succeed.

Short, but engaging read. Had me invested from beginning to end. Sleep is the only reason I wasn’t done in one day. I see some hints of second chance romance too.

Happy reading and can’t wait for book 2!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Rafferty has a delightful new series The Sand Dollar Sisters Anna Maria Inn Series Book 1. An entertaining story of betrayal, loss, rebuilding a new life, a groundskeeper, whispers in the night and cut break lines and of course a Sand Dollar. Please buy this book and see how it all comes together. I received an ARC copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a thrilling tale about beach front inns and deep dark secrets, filled with devious treachery and threats. What will happen to these sisters as they continue to face death threats and other ways to lose all they hold dear? This author certainly knows how to place you in a very intimate and breath stealing place from one page to the next. A must read.

[Linda Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in a new series sets the scene and introduces us to the main characters. Jess, the protagonist, fortunately has the support of her sister and brother-in-law as she navigates the traumatic events of her life. We wrongly think the past is now behind her. It’s not…a bad penny turns up. This is a shorter book, and ends with a cliffhanger. Looking forward to Book 2. An enjoyable read. Recommend.

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess owner of Sanderson Hotel and Spa was financially ruined by her ex-husband Carl. Being a fighter she picks herself up and starts over. Her twin sister Jules and husband are her support group. This book has betrayal, romance and a mystery to make it a great read. I received this ARC copy and recommend this book to other readers.

[Roslyn Simonin Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess's first husband had manipulated her out of both her House and her Hotel.
Thank Heaven her twin sister's husband had the foresight to put Jess and her daughters trust funds where Carl couldn't touch them.
Now, he is trying for her new Inn!!!!

Get me to book 2 quick, the suspense is killing me.

[Jan Tomalis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic start to this new series! Jess is starting over after her divorce and she finds the Anna Maria Inn is for sale. It holds happy memories for her but also mystery regarding the happenings there. Stay tuned for Book 2!
I received an advance copy of this book from the author, however, I voluntarily wrote an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy Rafferty has again drawn me into one of her stories and just doesn’t let go. A romance, a mystery, starting over with a ghost whispering in your ear. Jess Bryant is finding out that buying an inn sight unseen might not have been a wise decision, but was it a wrong one? I’m glad these aren’t long books because I really didn’t want to be interrupted in the middle. Luckily, I live alone so I can determine how long I will sit and read, but maybe I need to be sure I’m have the time to read uninterrupted. I’m looking forward to Book Two.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully written new series that will warm your heart. Jess’s life lately hasn’t been the greatest, so a chance at starting over seems worth the risk. Not to be missed and you’ll definitely want to read the entire series.

[Dorle A Boulden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very relatable characters

This a new author for me. Her story has very believable characters that remind me of people in my life. The mystery is very intriguing as well. Looking forward to where the characters go from here...

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a devastating divorce from her husband, Jess starts a new adventure. Recognizing things from her past and things she has dreamed, Jess and her sister, Jules, begin the transition. Are things really as they seem?