Beach Winds

Emerald Isle, NC #2

by Grace Greene

Off-season at Emerald Isle ~ In-season for secrets of the heart Frannie Denman has been waiting for her life to begin. After several false starts, and a couple of broken hearts, she ends up back with her mother, with whom she doesn’t get along, until her elderly uncle gets sick and Frannie goes to Emerald Isle to help manage his affairs while he’s recovering. Her uncle’s oceanfront home, Captain’s Walk, is small and unpretentious, and even though Frannie isn’t a ‘beach person,’ she decides Captain’s Walk in winter is a great place to hide from her troubles. But Frannie doesn’t realize that winter is short in Emerald Isle and the beauty of the ocean and seashore can help heal anyone’s heart, especially when her uncle’s handyman is the handsome Brian Donovan. Brian has troubles of his own. He sees himself and Frannie as two damaged people who aren’t likely to equal a happy ‘whole’ but he’s intrigued by this woman of contradictions. Frannie’s mother wants her back home and Brian wants to meet the real Frannie, but Frannie wants to move forward with her life. To do that she needs questions answered. With the right information there’s a good chance Frannie will be able to affect not only a change in her life, but also a change of heart.

Genres: Romance

282 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2013

About the author

Grace Greene writes fiction with romance, suspense and inspiration ~ The Emerald Isle, NC Stories Series includes Beach Rental, Beach Winds, Beach Wedding, along with the Christmas novellas, Beach Christmas and Beach Walk. Her Virginia books are Women's Fiction with romance, suspense and mystery. Most are set in rural Cub Creek and include her bestselling The Memory of Butterflies and The Happiness In Between which were released in 2017. Three new Cub Creek books were released in 2019 - The Wildflower House Series: Wildflower Heart, Wildflower Hope and Wildflower Christmas, and Wildflower Wedding, A Light Last Seen was released in Feb. 2020. A Barefoot Tide and A Dancing Tide brought a new character from Cub Creek to the beach at Emerald Isle with beloved crossover characters from both settings. Beach Heart and Emerald Heart are single titles set in Emerald Isle, NC. Grace's newest, A HEART BEYOND, will be released on September 3rd, 2024.

Grace is also an artist and photographer and these interests show up on the pages of the stories. She lives in central Virginia. You'll find Grace here:

Website: http://www.gracegreene.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GraceGreeneB...
Author Central: http://amazon.com/author/gracegreene

Reviews

[Susannah Carleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay story, but with characters who might be interesting if they were fully developed instead of one- or two-dimensional. In this book, the heroine, in particular, is a hot mess.

[Linda Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful ,beautiful story.
I was crying as I read.
After reading Beach Rental, this is a wonderful ending to the story.
I love the verses and pieces of paper that Will had throughout his house.
You see God's wonderful grace throughout the story.

[Normandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the Emerald Isle books

This is the second book in the Emerald Isle series. Beach Rental was more about love and loss where Beach Winds is about love, acceptance and forgiveness. This also has a sweet twist I didn't see. Both books were comforting reads.

[Annette McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed

Refreshing book. The story line was different and very real. I love stories that end in a positive way. Will probably read it again.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and sad

Loved the story. Frannie came out to Emerald Isle to help her uncle Will after a stroke. What she didn't realize was that he'd be helping her too.

[Denell C Petty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winds of Change

The winds of the Atlantic bring gentle sounds and roaring dangerous sounds. Fran comes to the beach to take care of her uncle's house once he has a stroke. She knows very little about him, but he knows all about her and her history.
As the winds gently blow, she finds a community ready to welcome her, but the dangerous roar of the winds mirror her fragile personality. Fran finds her family, makes hard decisions about others, and falls in love.
This is a story of pain and acceptance, all while the wild Atlantic brings needed closure to all involved.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this second book in the series, but it feel short! The character of Frannie was just not well developed for me and at times the book just dragged along. I felt there wasn't any depth to her character and it made it difficult to follow along. The sub-plots were just ok to sustain this along.

[Mary Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Everytime I thought I knew what happens next, I was wrong. I really enjoyed this book. Worth reading and the others in the series

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beach Winds is book two in the Emerald Isles, NC Stories series by Grace Greene. It is a fitting sequel to Beach Rental. New realistic characters are added and some of the old characters remain. The plot is well thought out with a few surprises thrown in.
Frannie Denman has come to Emerald Isles to help her great Uncle Will by handling his business affairs while he is in the hospital with a stroke. She will also be responsible for selling his house if he should not make it. She is also using this time to get away from her mother Laurel. Laurel wants Frannie to be different from what she is. She wants Frannie to marry someone she chose and she shelters Frannie from a possible repeat of the depression she went through when she broke up with her last boyfriend. Frannie is looking for something although she doesn’t know what. She is shy and awkward around new people, especially men.
Brian Donovan is Maia’s brother. She runs the art gallery for Luke Winters. Brian just went through a terrible divorce and custody fight for his daughter Megan. In the midst of this, he wrecked his motorcycle and was badly hurt. He is recovering and has finished physical therapy and is helping Will Denman as he can.
Frannie takes him for the handyman she calls to fix the lattice work. She then has him painting the inside of Uncle Will’s house. They disagree on the color and she finally leaves it to him. He is reluctant to change anything as he believes Uncle Will is coming home and he resents her immediately looking to sell.
Will going through Uncle Will’s papers, she finds some things out about her life that she didn’t know and which would make a huge difference in her life. Can she cope with this? She can’t ask Uncle Will questions a he can’t talk yet; but she can confront her Mother. Can she find the courage to confront her Mother? What will happen to her when she finds out the family secrets?
It is a very good book and one I couldn’t put down. Hopefully there are more in the series.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the quote from author, Grace Green: “Beach Winds confirms the power of love. Love is not a matter of book for genetics. Love is a blessing wherever you find it and should be tended as if it were the most delicate seedling, yet shared as freely as the most common plant. Like the dune grass that helps the dunes withstand the ocean and weather, so are we to those we love.”

“The timelessness of the ocean, the universe of nature, and life in all of its moods remains in winter, different only in terms of who is observing the scene – what they bring to it and what they take away and what they keep secret.”

Having read “Beach Rental” some time ago, was delighted to read “Beach Winds”, as almost forgot about Julia/Luke (characters from the first book) and her story. I really enjoyed this book as one of my favorites of Green thus far, as have read them all. This series is full of takeaways for many reasons and is really a contemporary historical women’s fiction, a romance, mystery, inspirational, and chick lit combined into one book.

There is much to be said for the NC coastal area (Emerald Isle), as so serene and a tranquil place for reflection, escape, and growing. Hopefully, we will hear more from Mia/Joel, and a continuation of Laurel, as well as Fran/Brian, and Will. These characters need to live on for a few more books as a compelling series.

Frannie is a complex character, asserting her independence as matures so much throughout the book, as well as Brian. An inspirational read about forgiveness and new relationships. This can be a standalone; however, would encourage readers to read Beach Rental first.

[Crystal (Books Are Sanity!!!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to learn that Beach Winds was the sequel to Beach Rental. I loved Beach Rental and that was the first book I read by author Grace Greene and I fell in love! She has done it again with Beach Winds! She introduces a few new characters and of course there are the old characters we already know and love from the first book! Frannie is a dynamic character; she wants to assert her independence and be strong, but isn't quite sure who she is and how to go about it. I love that she turns to the beach and helping her uncle. Along the way she finds inspiration through others. Can she forgive and move on? Can she figure out who she really is, or will she turn back to what she has always known? Can she find love and love in return? A great inspirational and slightly Christian read, Beach Winds will have you yearning to take a walk on the beach!
I received a copy of this book for free. This is my honest review.

[Jennifer Mikeska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace Greene is now one of my favorites !!

I love her books! Captivating. Real characters that I can see in my minds eye and feel like they're true to life. I don't like sex and blood and guts and honestly, too much religion in a story... she offers broken yet humble and honest characters with spiritual growth without over doing it.... and always , some mystery to her stories .... I'm a fan.

[Barbara Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace Greene has another hit. Love the beach, love her stories, would love to have more. You can relate to the characters in her book, they become your friends too. You root for them, you cry with them, you feel for them. Can't wait for Grace's next novel. The book was a prize that I won, I would have bought it had I now been a winner.

[Geneva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Rich Girl finds her "fit"

Love Beach Winds, second in the Emerald Isle series, (hope Grace writes more Emerald Isle books) Fran is complex, trying to find her "fit" in this world. Can't say too much about this story, without being a spoiler, but it is a very heartwarming book. Read...

[Susan Mayhew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was excellent. Once you start reading you won't put it down. Can't wait till the next book comes out.

[TIMOTHY BRIAN AMERSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read

Really good busy summer book. Not difficult to to track and it puts you at the beach. Hope you enjoy.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing. And I have only myself to blame because I didn't like the first book in the series very much, it just wasn't great, yet I proceeded to the 2nd. In that way my rating is unfair to Greene because I knew better.
Here's the thing: writing a clean book doesn't mean you write an unrealistic book. I don't mind that there is no cussing, no sex, and church attendance. Not at all. But when Frannie's response to Brian taking off his shirt WHILE DOING MANUAL LABOR read like a giggling 12-year-old, come on! She is 30 something and doesn't seem able to navigate life very well.
The story itself had a lot of potential. It was a bit predictable and nothing surprised me, but it was interesting enough. I enjoyed the characters from the first book, but Greene doesn't develop the characters in this story as well. Greene also doesn't do intrigue well. The gull storyline was just silly and unnecessary.
Let me also address the character of Brian. His inner dialogue and treatment of women is awful. No amount of bad treatment from an ex-wife excuses his behavior. Remember when Christian Grey was popular and folks casually compared men to him? That wasn't a compliment, he was an abusive character. Brian is also an abusive character and the absence of sex doesn't make that less damaging. I just find it so irresponsible when authors write male characters like this without any redemption and editors allow that. It is 2023, we know better and we need to do better. Frannie deserved better. As did Maya, honestly.
My frustration is that Greene has written some books I enjoyed. She is a good writer as far as the writing itself. She even has good ideas! Readers of clean romances just deserve better. Simple as that.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faith, Friendship, Family, Forgiveness ❤

Beach Winds, the second novel in Grace Greene's Emerald Isle series, is a sweet story of a woman who, although appearing to have everything, has spent her young adulthood feeling awkward and out of place.

Frannie comes to Emerald Isle to look after her great-uncle's home while he recovers from a stroke. Completely out of her element, she tries to impose her sense of logic to the situation - stepping on a few toes along the way. Luckily, my favorite characters from Beach Rental, the first book of the series, show up to befriend Frannie and gently guide and support her as she begins to relax into a more authentic version of herself,  and finally learns the truth about her past.

A few other new characters are also introduced to the story - a couple good looking men with their own issues always make things more interesting - for this second volume ... and maybe the next?

As with Beach Rental, author Grace Greene paints beautiful word pictures of waves crashing on shore, sea birds sailing across the water at dawn, winter beach winds rattling windows and teeth - all the sights, sounds, and feels I miss from coastal living.

I appreciate and enjoy the themes of faith and forgiveness and value of friendship and family that have run strong through these first two books. I look forward to finding the same in the third and final book of the Emerald Isle series, Beach Wedding.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this series. I enjoyed a couple of Greene’s later books, and then came back to the start of this series. But this series doesn’t quite work for me. For the right reader, I think it would be great, but I am no longer that reader. Let’s start with the unquestionably good; Greene writes wonderful characters, full of deep and real emotions. (I found one exception in this book, I think).

Where the book falls short for me is the way Christianity comes out in the books. In some ways, it feels too neat and tidy to deal with the messiness of real life. The other part is that, as I’ve grown, quoting Scripture and seemingly uncritical acceptance of Christianity have become warning signs.

While the series doesn’t spend too much time there, it is definitely in the background most of the time and uncomfortably (for me) in the foreground occasionally.

If you are a reader who would enjoy that sort of book, I would thoroughly recommend this series, but I think it’s time for me, as a reader, to move on and give up on reading this series.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is it that so often when I finish a Grace Greene novel that I think, “This is my new favorite of Grace's books!” I guess it is fair to say that Beach Winds is my current of many favorites of Grace Greene's novels. In this novel Frannie Denman struggles with feeling comfortable in her own skin. She struggles with reconciling her true self with her public persona. She bemoans her frequent missteps in social situations. Then, at age thirty-one, her life change and many things become clear, things that will require much and will possibly give much, but maybe this time around she won't have to handle things alone.

Grace Greene writes such beautiful stories that delve deep into her characters' lives, exposing their, and often our, insecurities and weaknesses, but never without hope. That is what the world needs now, hope. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Beach Winds from the author without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ Make the choice to rejoice when things are happy, be patient when things are bad, and find your answers in prayer.”
Wow!
If you enjoyed Beach Rental, you will simply love Beach Winds and the intriguing love, mystery and family that surrounds the beautiful beach in Emerald Isle.
Frannie has come to Emerald Isle to care for her Uncle's ocean front home and assist with the responsibilities until or if he recovers from his stroke.
Little does she imagine that she will find herself, her family and possibly some love in the process. She begins to unravel her unhealthy relationship with her mother, who has always loved and cared for Frannie, or has she?
"Make the decision to rejoice when things are happy, be patient when things are bad, and find your answers in prayer."
This is a wonderful book that you will not want to miss.
Anxious for the next book in this series to come soon.

[Mandy K Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure...

Things I enjoyed about most about this book were the technical aspects....like proper grammar and good editing. Unfortunately I have read A LOT of Kindle Unlimited books that are excruciating in these areas so this one was stress free in that manner. The story line and idea was good but I really didn't care for the main characters. They were difficult to relate to, and I felt like most thoughts, conversations, and interactions were left incomplete; conflicts were never really solved. So really, not sure if I will read the next installment or not.....

[Sharon Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! This book keeps you entertained from beginning to end. Didn’t want to put it down. Now I’m on to the next one and can hardly wait! Great writing. This book is great for anyone that loves to read especially if they are from Emerald Isle or have ever visited

Loved it! This book keeps you entertained from beginning to end. Didn’t want to put it down. Now I’m on to the next one and can hardly wait! Great writing. This book is great for anyone that loves to read especially if they are from Emerald Isle or have ever visited

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this second story in the Emerald Isle series, though it was a bit annoying that Frannie was such a hot mess and nervous Nelly. She came to help with the financial affairs of a great uncle that she really didn't know. In doing so, she got herself away from a domineering mother, found some independence and eventually was able to help Uncle Will and make some serious discoveries about her background and exactly who she is. She found out secrets, took charge and finally found her footing in her life with new friends and new relatives. A good summer read!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frannie is taking care of her uncle Will's property after he has a stroke. She's just met him and knows no one in EI, which is down to the townies now that it's winter. She's referred to a handyman to help repair the house and she meets Brian.

The character development in this one is great...and we see Juli, Luke Maia, again. There was a lot of faith based messages in this which didn't enhance the story for me.

This has elements of abuse -- it's emotional, but it's there.

[Micheal Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years of joy!

I'm literally crying from reading this book. Having just found my biological father a couple weeks ago, the story touched my heart in so many ways. I hope to someday have a relationship with him and my siblings I didn't know. Stories like this are so helpful for people like me who are struggling with emotions and faith in how it will all work out. You've given me hope for a happy ending.

[Vee Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful-You can feel the romance birthed at the Captains Walk

Enjoyed this novel equally as much as. The first “Beach Rental”. I never would have made the connection if not for the mention of a few characters from the Beach Rental, lives intertwined in ways you just can’t quite figure out, the author keeps your thirst for the next chapter, and the next! Made my eyes tear up more than once! Loved it looking forward to the next novel in this series

[Mrs Linda J Kitson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently read another trilogy by Grace Greene, the Emerald Isle trilogy was a no-brainer. As always Grace describes characters who are very real, you feel like you know them, you get involved in their lives, and her graphic descriptions of surroundings, places and events make the reader part of the scene. As soon as I finished Beach Winds I just had to download Beach Wedding which is the final one of the Emerald Isle series. Brilliant read, well done Grace and keep them coming.

[Lynn Bremer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark journey into the sunlight

Frannie is desperate to start her life and put distance in the toxic relationship with her mother. Her great uncle's need for her help provides the perfect respite to reevaluate her future and start becoming Fran instead of Frannie. We get to see Maia and Julie again and meet Maia's brother, Brian. Not everything is as it seems. As darker forces are uncovered, Fran find her way to happiness and family.

[Beverly S. O'Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing Beach Rental, I was hooked. This is a delightful read and she magically puts the reader into the story. Since my family vacations in Emerald Isle every summer, it was so easy to get into the story and the places were familiar too. Love her style of writing and found it so hard to put the book down.

Such a delightful series and I have already started on the third novel, Beach Wedding.