Summer by the Sea

by Jenny Hale

Summer by the Sea is a beautiful, heart-warming summer read about sisters, first love and not always getting what we want – but sometimes ending up with exactly what we need.

They say there’s always one summer that changes you.
For Faith the one summer she can’t forget is when she fell in love as a teenager – only for her sister, Casey, to steal her man. Now, at the request of her beloved ninety-year-old Grandmother, Faith has agreed to a family holiday – at their childhood beach house, where it all began.

Faith hasn’t seen her sister in years but is finally ready to forgive and forget, enjoy the sunshine and relive happy memories. What she’s not ready for is meeting Jake Buchanan – the owner of the beach house – or the long-forgotten feelings he ignites in her.

Can Faith overcome the hurt of the past, rekindle the close bond she had with Casey and make this summer THE ONE to remember?

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Summer, Summer Reads, Contemporary, Audiobook

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2015

About the author

Jenny Hale is a USA Today, Amazon, and international bestselling author of romantic contemporary fiction. Her books have sold worldwide, have been translated into multiple languages, and adapted for television. Her novels Coming Home for Christmas and Movie Guide Epiphany Award winner Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses are Hallmark Channel original movies.

She was included in Oprah Magazine’s “19 Dreamy Summer Romances to Whisk You Away” and Southern Living’s “30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now.” Her stories are chock-full of feel-good romance and overflowing with warm settings, great friends, and family.

Jenny is at work on her next novel, delighted to be bringing even more heartwarming stories to her readers. When she isn’t writing, or heading up her romantic fiction imprint Harpeth Road, she can be found running around her hometown of Nashville with her husband, two boys, and their labradoodle, taking pictures—her favorite pastime.

Visit www.itsjennyhale.com to get my latest book! You can also chat with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jennyhaleauthor, Twitter: www.twitter.com/jhaleauthor, and IG: www.instagram.com/jhaleauthor

See all my books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jenny-Hale/e/B...

Reviews

[Габриела Иванова · Rating 2 out of 5]

За съжаление, не се разбрах с тази книга. Когато тепърва се запознавах с творчеството на Хейл, бях очарована от уюта и спокойствието, които струяха от страниците. Обаче вече след петия й, прочетен роман от мен, чарът се изтърка. Най-вече, защото книгите й с нищо не се отличават една от друга. Пише един и същ сюжет, на едно и също място, само с различни имена. И накрая всичко това ми се слива и ми става едно безлично.
Сега малко за "Лято край морето", конкретно. Фейт още от първите страници започна да ме дразни и така си беше до самия финал. Авторката има тендеция да изгражда героини, които уж са на зряла възраст, а се държат като ощипани тийнейджърки, които само правят фасони, самосъжаляват се и си врът носа, където не им е работата. Еми, познайте...г-жа Фейт беше ей такова същество.
Менеше си настроенията със скоростта на светлината. В едната глава говори едно, в другата –отива в другата крайност. Не знам дали от мъж е имала нужда, ама психологът е сигурен!
"Лято край морето" беше една безкрайна мелодрама, която накрая почна да ми дотяга. Та въпросната сапунена опера се въртеше около това колко е разстроена Фейт, че сестра й й е "откраднала" гаджето навремето. С две думи, Фейт е била момичето, живеещо в сянката на сестра си и оттам се е натрупало доста негодувание към нея. И какво стана накрая? 280 страници се тръшкаме и мусим на Кейси (сестра й) и в последните 20 си прощават, признават си грешките и заживели щастливо. Беше нелепо и абсолютно непропорционално разделено. Може ли да си отбягвала сестра си през последните колко, 7-8 години да кажем, и накрая за една седмица да стопите всичките ледове все едно нищо не е било? И как г-жа Фейт се влюби за 7 дни...въобще не ми се коментира.
Хейл има един много земен начин на писане, който е близък до битовизмите ни и много често читателя би се припознал в някои ситуации. Обаче има една вдървеност и захаросаност тип "Холмарк", която започва да ме отблъсква. Почти никакъв хумор нямаше или като имаше, не ме разсмиваше. Все едно героите си бяха научили репликите от сценария, но не бяха вложили никакво чувство в тях. Не успях да ги усетя нито тях, нито историята.
Имаше едно хубаво нещо и то беше описанията на обстановката – океанът, спокойният плаж и вилата, кацнала на хълма. Същинска идилия. Както и къщата на Джейк, беше много приказно описана. Някак феерично. Поне така аз я усетих.
Май и затова давам две звезди.
Иначе Джейк, какво да ви кажа, не беше зле момчето, ма ми беше все тая какво ще се случи с него. Много рязко ми дойде промяната от дърводелеца към богатия строителен предприемач. И да, Фейт беше против той да застроява Аутър Банкс и при всеки възможен разговор го вмъкваше и скофтваше настроението и на двама им. Не ми хареса как си вреше носа, където не й е работата. Или добре, ври си го, ама не вярвам, че този настапателен начин е правнилният подход. Такт нула.
И там за финал, дето бившата жена на Джейк го е подтиквала към застрояването и той просто е искал да се докаже...емии, тъпичко изпълнение. Половин книга голямата драма ставаше около строителните му планове и накрая с това оправдание да излезем, айде, много моля.
Също така, книгата е писана от трето лице, единствено число. Не съм фенка много на този похват. Но като го избират него писателите, предполагам, че ще се даде гледната точка на възможно повече персонажи. Еми, не! Фейт, та Фейт и нейните драми. Само в нейната глава бяхме.
В обобщение, не ми хареса. Като сюжет е горе-долу измислено, ама нямаше никаква заигравка, нещо да те изненада поне малко. А героите си ми бяха безлични, без да броим главната – тя беше дразнител номер едно.
Аз лично не бих я препоръчала на никого. Но на любителите на клиширани и захаросани романчена, в които няма много страст и романтика, мисля, че би се харесала.
Засега коледните книги на Хейл ми допадат повече. Това е втората от летните й, която чета и отново не се спогодихме.

[Mary Jackson _TheMaryReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the outer banks of North Carolina made this book perfect. Even though I am Hales biggest fan now. I plan to read ALL of her books this year. Look out Amazon here I come. I found the perfect man Jake a people pleaser but Faith helps him to see the true meaning of love and they are perfect together.
This is a 5 star read and I HIGHLY recommend it.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not the feel-good summer romance I wanted. For most of the book, I was frustrated and not feeling great because of the FMC's sister and the entire situation around her. Meaning that she was so selfish and that she dated, married the FMC's sweetheart with no concern for her sister and even now when they're having a divorce, she has to do it all over again by flirting and doing the exact same thing with the new man our FMC was liking and started having a thing with. I just hated it, hated her. Our FMC was too kind for my taste, she jut watched and let it happen. Even after the confrontation, I couldn't get past it and the end wasn't enough to make me forget how I felt for most of the book. The plot about getting her sister and Scot back together was annoying too. I didn't particularly love Jake either so yeah, 2 stars.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only read Jenny Hale's Christmas books and loved them. SUMMER BY THE SEA was even better. Jenny is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. She makes me feel so many different things while I'm reading her heart warming stories. One minute I'm giggling and the next there is a huge lump in my throat. All of the characters are flawed in different ways but you will find yourself cheering for them through out the book. My heart was melting while Jake tried to figure out what he really wanted. I was trying not to rush through the story of Faith and Casey. I truly wanted the sisters to work out their problems and repair their relationship. I just wanted to reach in the pages and give them all hugs. I can't wait to read more by this wonderful author.


ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding this up to 4 stars because who doesn’t love a cozy beach romance??? It was such a cute story and 10000% Hallmark movie and I loved every second of it. I brought it on vacation and read it in 24 hrs.

For its category of sweet beach romance, this was one of the more enjoyable books I’ve read!

[Aneta Batakchieva · Rating 1 out of 5]

Съществената част беше 20тина странички, другото беше разтягане на локуми. Мисля, че ми стига толкова от Джени Хейл за това лято.

[Natalie TBGWP · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me having a connection to the main character of a book is basically a huge deal breaker. If I don’t have that connection, then I just can’t settle into the plot. The whole book is based upon that person isn’t it? So without that person there would be no book, yes? So it’s obvious that the connection you make is one of the main things within the book.

Summer By The Sea’s heroine Faith Summer has to be one of the most arrogant I’ve had the displeasure of reading about. So obsessive and ridiculous. Always moaning and moping about. Always wanting sympathy from the reader and being a bore. Thinking her opinions and morals are better than anyone else’s. I wanted to stop reading the book because she irritated me that much. In all honestly the only reason I carried on was because I am so fond of the author.

I honestly really tried to relax and get into it, but I really couldn’t. I found myself sarcastically commenting and basically just being a bitch. Reading should be fun. I love reading, I also love being a bitch at times, but not at the same time as reading.

Anyway, the plot is actually a really good one. The idea surrounding family is one that most people will adore. The issue I had with this was that it was written far too nice. There are heated, angry, arguments and times when eruptions are needed. Instead, we just get told how angry someone is and how furious they are, then nothing, it’s over and we’re being told that the situation isn’t enough to warrant any more. What? Obviously I can’t tell you what’s happens, but I can assure that it is one that deserves a lot of anger, a few underhanded words, and a slap to the face! It was just all too nice. It was also REALLY obvious from the beginning what was going to happen, then again in the middle with something else. It’s just so frustrating because it could have been so amazing, so gripping, so filling.

I feel terrible I do. I understand the book is all about putting things into perspective and cherishing your family, I really do, but it just fell flat to me. The only thing that was spot on was the beautiful descriptions of North Carolina.

I’m sorry Jenny, I hope you don’t hate me.

1.5/5

[Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent my day stretched out on m,y deck reading Summer by the Sea. Now I am left looking for a beach house rental so that I too can smell the salty sea and bask in the sun.

Jenny Hale has welcomed us in for a two-week trip back home. Family issues, past relationship baggage, and the kindlings of a possible new romance face the lovely Faith. She must self-evaluate, learn to speak her truth, and also give herself a break. I enjoyed every minute of it.

~Tanja

*Thank you to Forever Publishing for sharing this with me!


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[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐! I have read a few other Jenny Hale books, I really enjoyed her Christmas book CHRISTMAS WISHES AND MISTLETOE KISSES. I was excited when I was surprised by the publisher with this copy. A story about 2 sisters, Faith and Casey. They are reuniting with their mother and grandmother at a beach house In the Outer Banks. Faith and Casey haven't spoken in years because of a feud over a man. Can this trip help them rekindle their relationship? Will the new man, Jake, the owner of the beach house, that Faith is developing feelings for, help or hinder this?

I loved the whole beach setting. I absolutely love the Outer Banks. This book made me want to plan another trip there! Lol! I on the other hand had some issues with the main characters. Casey was just not a very genuine person, especially to Faith. The way she was, irritated me. And Faith….there were lots of times I just wanted her to speak up, get angry. Certain situations called for some anger, and I felt like it was just pushed to the side.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this one. There were sweet moments, and I liked reading and learning about what happened in these sisters past that drove them apart and seeing if they could work it out.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

yayy another summer romance complete!!
s/o to kayliegh for this giving this to me for my bday 💞💞

3.5⭐️

[Debbie Wroblewski · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time I was so happy to finish a book. This one was painful. This is the first book I've read from this author and will probably be the last. I had to put the book down for 2 days due to life and when I picked it up again, I could not, for the life of me, remember what it was about. I figured it was going to be bad when the back cover talks about Casey being a "younger sister" and then, within the first few chapters we find out that Casey is really the older sister. I figured if there was that little care given to getting the description correct, the 300+ pages inside the book must have been a real challenge to get correct.

There are 3 main characters: Faith, Casey and Jake, with Faith being the main character. Casey really cares about no one but herself, which is a character flaw that many of us share, doesn't really make her very likeable. Jake is about a clueless as an autistic mushroom. Faith is the person that we all know that we wish we could punch in the throat. My God, the constant whining, martyrdom and perceived victimization she goes through is not only tiring, but very annoying. It's the same thing over and over again until you want to shoot yourself in the face because it is less painful than reading this book.

The author uses the exact sentences in a variety of places as Faith is going through her poor, poor pitiful me routine, that is how monotonous this book is, even the author can't keep straight what descriptions she's used before.

Honestly, people who are this insipid really deserve the worst life has to offer. I can't believe anyone would want to be around them for more than 2 minutes.

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't and I'm advising you not to.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely summery read. It made you want to ask to stay with Faith's family in Outer Banks. Her nan had a holiday home there and they all spent family holidays there every year producing the most wonderful memories. A hurricane levelled the house and ended the family time.

Her nan has invited everyone back to OuterBanks to celebrate her 90th birthday and they all have a lovely surprise when they realise she's managed to book that same house by the sea. Faith bumped into the 'handyman' finishing off a few touches before they arrive and there is an instant attraction.

I absolutely loved the family feeling surrounding this books- past bad feeling to overcome, love for their grandmother and her photos that she's encouraging them to view to bring back those precious memories from their childhood. What is her motive behind inviting them all and what secrets and feelings are Faith and her sister harbouring?

Jake, the handyman, turns out to be a lovely man who invites them all to share some wonderful trips around Outer Banks. But he's invited them mainly to get to know Faith better.

I loved the descriptions of their trips and could imagine myself there and could almost taste the food.

It's a summer of examining their inner selves, forgiveness and a desire to change the things that need changing!

An ideal book to pack for your summer holidays- or even to read in the back garden if you're not managing a summer escape this year!

Many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read this one.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed everything about this book! I love the setting in the Outer Banks, the beach, the house and the characters. I thought they were imaginative and the story held my interest.

Casey and Faith are sisters who have been estranged for many years - ah, sisters. If you're one you understand perfectly! There are so many jealousies and arguments through the years that we forget that we love each other. In this case, a man is at the heart of the problem.

What the reader finds is a lovely story about the joys and heartaches of being a sister. This is truly a memorable book!

I received this book from NetGalley and Bookouture for an honest review.

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer By The Sea is an endearing story about estranged sisters Faith and Casey, whose relationship is torn apart by a sisters’ betrayal.

Now many years later back in their childhood beach house where this all started, will the sisters be ready to forgive, forget and move on?

With an amazing cast of characters and an endearing romance story, Hale’s writing just grabs you in all the right places.

I enjoyed this amazing summer beach read!

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am really going to try and start and end with a positive note for this review...

I did like the concept of the plot-bringing family together is always a winner for me. For that I gave it two stars instead of one.

Overall, the book is slow moving and not very exciting. I know, I know - it is a beach novel. But there is so much focus on the mundane that I drifted off a bit. And the characters...ugh. Faith seemed like a hard working nice person at first, with a justifiable case of weariness and hurt against her sister who had betrayed her. It quickly became apparent to me that she was not the victim of betrayal as she portrayed in her own head, but instead she was just a general pain in the rear. I also had a hard time cheering for her to get together with Jake (in my head I was screaming, “Go! Get away from her! Run for your life!!”). On her first date with Jake she showed vast emotional immaturity and pretty strong judgmental behavior. And these traits never went away. Ever. Faith noted about herself, “She wasn’t really that hard to please, when she was in a place that made sense to her.” This pretty much summarized her character. She only sees things her way and cannot conceptualize the other side of things. She focuses on her way only and the narrative over-focused on her hyper judgement. No way would I want this woman as my friend. Or sister. Yikes! I also tired of Faith’s immature tendency to jump to conclusions and become jealous for little reason. I found myself talking back to her rants in the book and telling her to get over herself. I can understand why no one would want to date her and would instead want to date her sister.

Also, I just didn’t feel any connection between her and Jake. It is never a good writing technique when the characters’ attraction to each other is not felt within the written words but explained in a character’s head. That is what happens here.

Faith over-thinks every movement, word and emotion to the point that I wanted to just forward to the end of the novel to see if my prediction of this highly irritating novel was as bad as I thought. I do not think the author really ever explained the attraction between the 2, and none of their issues were resolved in a mature, rational matter.

The best part of this book-it was the epilogue. Why? Because it was basically a narrative of a ridiculous and predictable outcome. It was fast. Faith’s personality was not prominent so it was not as irritating as the rest of the book. I didn’t have to hear her whine and be so immature about everything going on in her life.

My advice—-Skip this one...

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having loved Jenny Hale's Christmas books, when I spotted an opportunity to get a review copy of her latest summery book, I couldn't resist requesting it. And I wasn't disappointed. This is a lovely summery book, that made me reminiscent of simple family holidays along the coast of America (despite never even having experienced one myself).

Faith and her family are returning for one last summer holiday, to Outer Banks. When they were younger, they used to spend every summer in Outer Banks, until a hurricane destroyed their old cottage. Now they are returning to celebrate Nan's 90th Birthday. Faith however has been slightly estranged from her sister for the past few years, after Casey stole her man one summer.

As a result Faith needs to let the past go, and to be more comfortable within herself and her family dynamic, and she finally gets to know her niece Isabella, who is now 5.

What she hadn't counted on was meeting Jake Buchanan, who seems to be everywhere, and who she is clearly attracted to.

It is lovely seeing Faith reconnect with Casey and for them to try to get to the bottom of their underlying issues, and try to be supportive of each other like real sisters again.

Faith's nan is lovely, she seems to know everything that is going on in her family, whether she is expressly told or not. She is the real matriarch of the family, and all she wants is to have one last summer holiday in Outer Banks, and get the whole family to be less fractured and back to a whole family. She has an uncanny knack of knowing what others are thinking, or what she can say to hint to others what they should be doing.

Summer by the Sea is a lovely summery read, about a family summer holiday, memories of many summers gone by, and a story of romance and forgiveness.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for this review copy. This was my honest review.

[Daniella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Донесе ми мнаго лятно настроение тази книга, точната доза разтоварване. Още от началото ми бяха приятни и симпатични всички герои. Също така идеята на самата книга много ме привлече и ми беше интересно да чета. Харесах Фейт, държанието й беше много земно и се доближаваше до типа герои, които харесвам в подобни книги. Пречката между двете сестри - много реално и истински написано. Джейк и той допълваше страхотно историята, на моменти мисленето му дразнеше, но всичко се подреди, когато стана ясно защо се държи така. Наистина много леко и приятно четиво, което те грабва още с началните страници и искаш да четеш още. Останах приятно изненадана от доброто изпипване ��а сюжета. Нищо не ми беше в повече или по-малко. Имаше много хубави и мъдри мисли за запомняне, най-вече идващи от бабата, тази жена - уникална и успя да сплоти семейството.
Силно препоръчвам книгата, ще ви хареса ако обичате такъв тип леки романчета. Химията между Джейк и Фейт ми беше най-любимото нещо в цялата книга, личеше си това, че са сродни души и буквално се разбираха само с един поглед.
За гледката и океана, както и самата атмосфера няма да коментирам нищо, защото беше повече от великолепно изживяване да се чете за тази красота. Така увлекат��лно беше писала Дженито, че се почувствах част от всичко и все едно ги наблюдавах отдалеч. Страхотна книга и много се радвам, че я прочетох, имах нужда от такова разтоварващо четиво.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being that I went on a trip to Corolla,North Carolina last year for a vacation for the first time and that this book takes place in Corolla and other places on the Outer Banks I just knew this was the book for me. You can easily imagine yourself walking along the beach, feeling the breeze, watch out for the sand so it doesn't blow into your eyes, you can smell the ocean and feel the hot sand beneath your bare feet.
This is a heartwarming and emotion filled book. Sisters Faith and Casey, at the urging of their grandmother agree to a family reunion to try to patch up a family feud caused by a bitter betrayal.
Family grudges are not worth holding onto as life flies by so fast and you have nothing left in the end but bitterness. I loved the grandma in this story,so warm and friendly. There is a possibility of a second chance romance as well. Recommended book!

Pub Date 08 Jun 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[Micker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two immature, self absorbed estranged sisters spend a vacation together with the rest of their family. Casey is devastated by her husband leaving her, but she is unwilling to do any work to get him back and Faith is looking for love with a local man but can’t seem to miss an opportunity to express her distaste for his work.
Between the fighting between the sisters, Casey’s whining and selfishness and Faith’s self righteous rants on how the Outer Banks should be developed when she is merely a visitor, I found little to enjoy about this book.

[Barb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure what I was expecting but this book read like my 10-year-old self had written it. Silly, predictable and badly in need of proper editing. I don't understand the high marks for this one.

[Цвети Запрева · Rating 5 out of 5]

Фейт се завръща в градчето Аутър Банкс за юбилея на своята баба.
Тя пази още красивите спомени за времето прекарано там със семейство й - за безгрижните летни месеци, за мекият пясък, за тюркоозените води на океана, за спокойствието, което носи това място .. и сякаш нищо не се е променило, единствено вилата на плажа я няма, разрушета от буря.
Фейт не е забравила и лятото, в което сестра й отмъква голямата й любов й и разбива сърцето. От тогава са минали години, а тя вече е готова да й прости.
Но дали е готова да се влюби?
В началото на своята почивка тя среща Джейк Бюканън - привлекателният работник, който довършва фасадата на вилата, в която са отседнали.
Между тях преквърчат искри, а с течение на времето Фейт разбира, че иска да прекара живота си с този човек, който всъщност не е този, за който се представя.
Дали Фейт и Джейк ще превъзмогнат различията си?
Ще се сдобри ли тя със сестра си?
.. и как ще премине ваканцията им?
Всичко това ще разберете ако прочетете книгата. 📚

Обичам книгите на Джени Хейл - тя може би е единственият автор, който пренася читателите си на невероятни места, които носят усещане за хармония и уединение.

[Paris Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on Paris Baker's Book Nook.

Ah, bliss. One of my most anticipated books of the year: Jenny Hale’s new Summer novel. Last year, Jenny’s summer book Love Me For Me earned the title as My Favourite Book of 2014, so to say I had high expectations for this one would be an understatement.

If you follow me, you’ve probably heard me gush about Jenny’s writing a fair few times, so I’ll try not to go too overboard…

Nah, sod it, she’s bloody marvellous!

Summer by the Sea follows the story of Faith and her family on their holiday to the Outer Banks. Faith hasn’t seen her sister, Casey, for some years, as she has never been able to forgive her for breaking her heart when they were younger, by stealing – and consequently marrying – the man Faith loved.

Their Nan’s 90th birthday finds the family under one roof again, in a place that used to hold such wonderful memories for them all. So much has passed, and there’s so much they’re still going through, but Faith still doesn’t know if she can truly forgive Casey, or if Casey is really even sorry.

On her first day, Faith meets Jake, and can’t help but find her falling for him fast. But is it really worth getting in to something when she’ll be gone in a couple of weeks? And even if it was, can they see past their differences?

Jenny’s books are just such beautiful, realistic love stories, that they honestly melt my heart. Faith was so guarded, so affected by her past that she had built walls around herself, and she was scared of getting hurt. Jake too is haunted by his past, and doesn’t want history to repeat itself. It is also a wonderful story about the love of families, and the need to be there for one another.

All the characters are flawed in their own way, but beautiful too. Nan had to be my favourite character of them all, so sweet and wise, and with all the wits I hope to have if I’m lucky enough to reach 90! Her ability to read her family, to care for them and help them, filled me with a nostalgic warmth for my own family, especially having never known a grandmother.

This story truly tugged at my heartstrings, as I willed for both Faith and Casey to be able to repair their relationship, and for Faith and Jake to be able to make things work. Set in the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina, it was impossible not to get swept away with them, as Jenny fills your senses with sun, sand and sea (and fishbowl cocktails!). I could just picture every scene, every house so vividly, it’s an absolutely perfect book to whisk you away this summer.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love everything by Jenny Hale…she knows how to stir my emotions! Great beach read

[CC · Rating 1 out of 5]

The couple getting together didn't seem believeable...too much drama/disagreements during most of their "dates". For me it was NOT a perfect, feel-good summer romance as advertised on the book cover.

[Barbara Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Hale has done it again! Another heartwarming and just plain lovely story about love and family. With every story of hers, I become more and more of a fan. This one being based in The Outer Banks, NC, makes me love it even more because it’s my fav place on earth!
Faith and her family are getting together at the family home for their grandmothers 90th birthday. The house has had to be rebuilt due to hurricane damage but it’s better than ever, and a beautiful symbol of their relationships. They need to rebuild and start fresh as old wounds are still tender. While there, Faith falls for the local handyman, who is really a wealthy entrepreneur who does handyman work on the side just for the enjoyment of it. He’s been scarred by a previous relationship so he has things to deal with as well before they can go any further.
I loved reading about all the familiar places in the Outer Banks, and seeing their family grow and reconnect was enough to make my heart smile. I can’t wait for her next book.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

[Barbara Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Hale has done it again! Another heartwarming and just plain lovely story about love and family. With every story of hers, I become more and more of a fan. This one being based in The Outer Banks, NC, makes me love it even more because it’s my fav place on earth!
Faith and her family are getting together at the family home for their grandmothers 90th birthday. The house has had to be rebuilt due to hurricane damage but it’s better than ever, and a beautiful symbol of their relationships. They need to rebuild and start fresh as old wounds are still tender. While there, Faith falls for the local handyman, who is really a wealthy entrepreneur who does handyman work on the side just for the enjoyment of it. He’s been scarred by a previous relationship so he has things to deal with as well before they can go any further.
I loved reading about all the familiar places in the Outer Banks, and seeing their family grow and reconnect was enough to make my heart smile. I can’t wait for her next book.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book. The setting was nice, and I liked the characters. Some of the things they made it a lower rating for me was the writing style, some of the cheesy dialogue, and the repetition with the main character.

With the writing style, it felt a little bland. It was very simple, and instead of showing us things about the characters, we were just told them by the author. At one point, Isabella (the little girl in the story) says “may I bury your toes?” While playing in the sand. I have NEVER heard a six year old talk like that - especially to family. Felt a little awkward and cheesy.

I also got tired of hearing our main character complain or worry about the same things over and over again. I would’ve liked to see her character doing more things, rather than being constantly told about her worries over and over.

This was my first Jenny Hale book. For a quick summer read, I may try her other books in the future.

[Emilie Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple summer romance book I couldn't put down! Loved the story and how it showed some realistic difficulties with various relationships and life events. I could also relate to the main character a lot so that pulled me in. Finished reading it in 4 days!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on http://beccasbooooks.blogspot.co.uk/2...

Summer by the Sea is the second book by Jenny Hale that I have had the pleasure of reading. A Christmas to Remember (see my review here) was the book that first introduced me to the author, and a book which I absolutely loved from beginning to end. So, as you can imagine, I just couldn't wait to dive into Summer by the Sea. The cover, the blurb, and my lasting experience from reading Jenny's previous novel, all had me eager to get lost within her newest story and I couldn't wait to see what Jenny had in store for me and the rest of her readers next.

Summer by the Sea follows Faith and her family during a holiday back to the seaside beach house where they've spent many a happy, summer holiday during the years already gone by, bar one. Jenny's descriptions of this gloriously peaceful and serene place had me wishing that I had somewhere just like that to escape to, with the soft sand and the to-ing and fro-ing of the sea. It was Faith's home away from home, but only now did she feel able to return, despite her evident love for it. Everything about the setting made me feel as if I were slipping into the world right beside Jenny's characters. It was clear from Faith's inner feelings that she'd always had a soft spot for the beach house and it was so much more to her than just a place to stay for the summer. Full of beautiful childhood memories and being surrounded by family, it sounded like a true delight. It had a real 'homely' feel to it, despite having been renovated since their last visit, and I just felt, right from the moment that they arrived, it wasn't just the beach house itself that held the magic, but the space which it occupied, the area in which it sat. Everything held memories for Faith, but not all of them good. Jenny holds back the reason behind Faith's wariness of being reunited with her sister Casey until a little bit later on into the story, which had me just dying to know exactly what had happened between the sisters all that time ago. Faith's inner thoughts, her movements and facial expressions provided me with everything that I needed to know about how she felt towards Casey, and from those, I was able to gather that whatever had happened between them had been pretty monumental to say the least. I couldn't wait to see how they'd approach the mysterious subject as Summer by the Sea progressed.

Throughout the entirety of this gorgeous novel, I felt overwhelmed by the nostalgia which emanated from Faith. It was clear that, despite the troubles between her and Casey, there were definitely happier times between them, although the differences in the sisters had always been evident. It got me thinking about my own sisters (all four of them), and how I'd feel if I were in Faith's situation. It would break my heart to become distance from any of them, but what happened to Faith was heartbreaking. Faith wasn't as confident as her sister, even now after spending so much time away and finally building herself up for seeing her again, and their differences are discussed throughout the novel; their opposite personalities, their lives and circumstances. Reading the moment where they set eyes on each other again for the first time was tense. I was eager to see how each sister would receive the other, how they'd react after such a long time spent apart. Jenny's descriptions only heightened this feeling for me, and knowing that I had the rest of the novel to explore and see how their relationship would pan out had me incredibly eager to keep on reading.

The pace within Summer by the Sea was perfect, I was hooked right from the very start to the very end. I'm a massive family girl at heart so when those tender, moving moments came about, I really paid attention. I loved watching as the relationships within the novel began to change over time, leaving me wondering about how it would all end. Jenny lets us know right from the beginning that Faith is nervous about what lies ahead, and this worked perfectly on me, reeling me completely in!

During Faith and her family's stay in the beach house, Faith meets Jake, who isn't all that he first appears to be. I enjoyed the interactions between Faith and Jake as they began to get to know each other, but with plenty of problems cropping up along the way which kept me interested. Faith is also joined by her mother and grandmother, whose birthday they are celebrating whilst away. We're also introduced to Casey's little girl, Faith's niece, Isabella, who Faith hasn't really spent much time with. Again, watching the relationships change throughout the novel was truly wonderful, and warmed my heart repeatedly.

Summer by the Sea by Jenny Hale was gorgeously enveloping and the setting wrapped itself around me completely. This was such an enjoyable read involving all of my favourite things: romance, family and learning to let go of the past. Definitely one to add to your summer reading list this year! Becca's Books is awarding Summer by the Sea by Jenny Hale with FOUR SCRUMPTIOUS CUPCAKES! Thoroughly enjoyable, fantastic plot and brilliant characters.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic hallmark in book form. I predicted the ending about 25% of the east through.