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Pilgrim Cove #2

No Ordinary Summer

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Pilgrim Cove—where love can be as powerful as the ocean next door.

On the surface, Pilgrim Cove seems like any other coastal town. Picturesque and peaceful with long stretches of unspoiled beach, fresh ocean breezes and the sense of time passing slowly.

However….
…only in Pilgrim Cove live a group of friends called the ROMEOs whose sole aim to take care of the town.
…only in Pilgrim Cove stands a unique house right on the beach. Sea View House. A very special place—some say magical—to the people who reside there each season.
…and only in Pilgrim Cove, are strangers welcomed while everyone else takes a front row seat as a love story unfolds.

NO ORDINARY SUMMER is the second of the four-book Pilgrim Cove series.

Fun is what Shelley Anderson is trying to provide for her two young children when she rents the first floor of Sea View House a year after a painful divorce. The kids haven’t been adjusting well, and the house is perfect.

She’s not sure about perfection, however, after she meets Daniel Stone, the man who’s renting the top floor of the house. A man who’s trying to find his balance after losing his wife. Her neighbor definitely wants to be left alone. He’s less than thrilled by the instant rapport between his beautiful golden retriever and her two active kids. And he’s definitely shaken by the rapport that springs up between himself and Shelley.

When Shelley’s ex shows up, threatening to take the kids, Shelley must protect her little family while also protecting her budding happiness with Dan.

With their painful pasts, will Shelley and Daniel find the courage to love again? It’s a question only they can answer.


267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 6, 2016

351 people are currently reading
185 people want to read

About the author

Linda Barrett

56 books142 followers
Linda's emotional stories of contemporary romance have earned many industry awards through Romance Writers of America chapter contests. In 2011, Quarterback Daddy took first place in the Write touch Reader's contest while in 2010, Summer at the Lake did the same. Previously, she's garnered the Holt Medallion and The Award of Excellence among others. With laughter and tears, she touches the hearts of her readers by writing stories they'll remember long after the book is finished.

This year, Linda is publishing her first women's fiction novel. Family Interrupted will be available in the spring of 2013.

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5 stars
526 (61%)
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258 (30%)
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51 (5%)
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14 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Jonetta.
2,595 reviews1,328 followers
March 11, 2019
Shelley Anderson and her two children, 8-year old Josh and 6-year old Emily, have decided to spend the summer at Pilgrim Cove. She thinks it will give her family the much-needed respite following a painful divorce. When she meets with Bart Quinn, the Realtor who placed the ad for the beach house rentals, he quickly realizes that the Sea View house is in order as this family needs its healing magic. And, the widower Daniel Stone is already occupying the upper unit of the house with his special dog, Jessie.

I just loved this story! Shelley’s husband, Carl, cheated on her and that led to her walking away, especially since there was no indication that he’d change his ways. Daniel’s wife died and he has yet to move on. Shelley’s children missed their father but he could be neglectful in keeping dates with them and they were still hurting. It was a perfect storm when all of them met, Shelley stirring something in Daniel and he appealing to her on so many levels, one being his natural bonding with her children. Their family events ranged from the mundane to the extraordinary, all leading to their deepening affections with each other. When Shelley’s ex-husband decides to run for political office, he creates a level of conflict that threatens the harmony his children had discovered being on the island.

One of the things I’m loving about this series is the charm of the folks living in Pilgrim Cove. They are multigenerational and look out for each other, illustrating the value of having grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins be a part of young children’s lives (and adults!). It’s done so beautifully in this story that I felt like I was in the town and knew these people. The sense of community is so strong, including the downside of everyone knowing your business. The narrator adds to the enjoyment by telling the story so well and adeptly capturing the personalities of the characters. I’m so glad I opted to listen to this series and highly recommend this format. It’s just been a special experience. I’m dreading reaching the end.

(I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)
Profile Image for Janeiowa.
1,247 reviews
December 24, 2016
I thought #1 in this Pilgrim Cove series was great. This one is even better, I think. Wow...great characters, and a plot that won't let you go. Ms Barrett is a gifted writer. I have loved her other works, and I've bought the 3 remaining books in this series after getting the first one free.
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.4k reviews543 followers
March 18, 2019
There is something about this town and especially Sea View House, it has a magically quality. It seems to heal people and helps them find the best qualities in themselves. With this book it was the same. Daniel just wanted peace and quiet, Shelly needed time with her kids to really heal from her divorce. I loved seeing Daniel and Shelly fall for each other, how the town and Shelly's kids were involved. But I think the best was how Daniel had Shelly's back when he ex started being an ass and threatened to take the kids away. Daniel let Shelly take the lead on what needed to be done.

The ending was perfect for this couple as it had all the main players involved in helping them find their happy ending.
8 reviews
January 20, 2023
I’ve enjoyed these first two books immensely. Can’t wait to start the third. I love that they contain no course words. This was a wholesome, make you feel good, comfort book.
881 reviews5 followers
September 16, 2025
Pilgrim Cove—where love can be as powerful as the ocean next door.

On the surface, Pilgrim Cove seems like any other coastal town. Picturesque and peaceful with long stretches of unspoiled beach, fresh ocean breezes and the sense of time passing slowly.

However….
…only in Pilgrim Cove live a group of friends called the ROMEOs whose sole aim to take care of the town.
…only in Pilgrim Cove stands a unique house right on the beach. Sea View House. A very special place—some say magical—to the people who reside there each season.
…and only in Pilgrim Cove, are strangers welcomed while everyone else takes a front row seat as a love story unfolds.

NO ORDINARY SUMMER is the second of the four-book Pilgrim Cove series.

Fun is what Shelley Anderson is trying to provide for her two young children when she rents the first floor of Sea View House a year after a painful divorce. The kids haven’t been adjusting well, and the house is perfect.

She’s not sure about perfection, however, after she meets Daniel Stone, the man who’s renting the top floor of the house. A man who’s trying to find his balance after losing his wife. Her neighbor definitely wants to be left alone. He’s less than thrilled by the instant rapport between his beautiful golden retriever and her two active kids. And he’s definitely shaken by the rapport that springs up between himself and Shelley.

When Shelley’s ex shows up, threatening to take the kids, Shelley must protect her little family while also protecting her budding happiness with Dan.

With their painful pasts, will Shelley and Daniel find the courage to love again? It’s a question only they can answer.

My comments:

I loved the second book in this series, read the first one earlier in the year and decided to come back to this again. The second story was wonderful and it was lovely to catch up with Matt and Laura from the previous book.

The second book focused on Daniel and Shelley Shelley is recovering from a divorce and wants to herself and her kids time to heal so they rent seeview house. At the top of the house lives Daniel Stone a widdower who just wants to be left alone. I love Shelley and Daniel's story and it was great seeing the romeo's again. This was a lovely story to pass my work day and I will be reading the other 2 books in the series.
Profile Image for Ela (Mouse333).
2,091 reviews10 followers
December 6, 2023
I really liked the idea of the town and the characters, but the parts of the book that were a bigger focus weren’t the parts I wanted to read about.

Shelley comes to Pilgrim Cove in an attempt to cheer her children up, who are still hoping that Shelley will get back together with their father. Daniel is living in the same building as Shelley for the summer because he wanted a change of scenery after losing his wife. They are attracted to each other, but Daniel isn’t ready to accept the risk of loving someone else, and Shelley starts having problems with her ex-husband.

I really liked the ROMEOs who were shown at the beginning – they were hilarious, but then they disappeared for most of the book. The idea of this small town is great, but they’re not shown enough. While eventually I started liking Shelley’s parents, I hated them for how blind they were when it came to their ex-son-in-law. They do change their opinion when the evidence is shoved in their face, but I still didn’t like how they behaved at the beginning.

I liked Daniel and Shelley, and how their relationship was developing, although I think there could have been more detailed scenes with them interacting with Emily and Josh.

Shelley’s ex was awful, because, despite the fact that it’s mentioned often that when he wants to be, he’s a great father to Emily and Josh, but the problem was that he didn’t want to. He was completely focused on his political career and creating a certain image while using his children as props. I didn’t like that Shelley didn’t try to do anything about the conflict he creates until the very last second when she has no other choice.

Overall, this book was fine, but instead of focusing on Shelley’s ex and the problems he’s creating, I would have preferred to see more of the people in Pilgrim Cove.
Profile Image for Nikki.
1,419 reviews12 followers
April 9, 2019
The 2nd in the lovely series set in Pilgrims Cove, and a special house called Seaview House, people who rent the house need healing in some way or another, whether they realise it or not?

Shelley has rented Seaview House for the Summer with her 2 children, to recuperate from her divorce from Carl, their Father. However, she didn't know that the apartment upstairs has been rented to Dan, a Harvard Professor dealing with his own grief, then there's Jessie, Dan's gorgeous Golden Retriever.

Carl tries to reconnect with Shelley, for his own aims, well she capitulate for the sake of the Children? Can Dan show her another world where she doesn't have to worry about Carl?

Of course, the ROMEO's are involved, Bart and his friends manage Seaview House for the Trust, so have a vested interest in the people who live there.

Such a lovely story, ups and downs with some special moments. The way it's written makes you feel you're there, walking along the beach with the wind in your hair! I really enjoy reading these stories and have already bought the next book in the series. ..
2 reviews
June 22, 2018
Thoroughly Enjoyable Read

I started reading some days after buying a few books, and had forgotten the story line. Having had a recent diagnosis that will require surgery, I wasn't sure I wanted to read the book at this time. However, I started it and seemed to move right into the beach house with the main character. The book ran the scale of emotions from dealing with the loss of a loved one while dealing with one's own mortality to dealing with both a lost love and a new life. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Habit_of_book_reading.
248 reviews2 followers
March 3, 2023
This was a 4 star book out and out, but one plot like that tipped the scale for me is the political candidate storyline which was kind of new for me. Adorable characters all the way through, both the old characters and the new ones especially the ROMEOs. I don't know, something about them makes me wanna love them and really need to be in the company of them. I want JJ Parker to be Sam's son so bad and that's the line I want to finish my review with.
Profile Image for Alita Macelhiney.
62 reviews
November 1, 2020
Perfect Second Book

Read the first book in the trilogy and met many of the characters. This book introduced more characters and the mystery behind Sea View House. Love is abound! The town of Pilgrim Cove makes you feel like part of the tight knit community. Pilgrim Cove is a special place! Come and visit!
Profile Image for T A FERRIS.
128 reviews
November 30, 2020
Super pilgrim cove :)

I guess I'm enjoying reading these books because I read a lot of thriller and dramas and it's lovely to have a happy carefree story this the second one and we all need happiness and a smile on our faces and this does that.so keep loving smiling and happiness yay .xxxxx
7 reviews
June 17, 2022
Transports you to Pilgrim Cove

This is the 2nd book in this series and I have to say I loved it. The character development is wonderful and has you rooting for the residents of Sea View House and loving the ROMEOS. I love to visit these lovely towns while reading, when so much ugliness surrounds us these days
5 reviews
August 11, 2023
Next chapter of life

It was so nice how Shelly found Dan and started the next chapter if her life. When her daughter almost drowned how Dan and Jess saved her. It is wonderful how she was taught to save people in the ocean. Dan didn't back down from her ex but helped give her the courage to fight him for her children. Loved the story.
Profile Image for Michelle  Brown.
730 reviews6 followers
May 21, 2018
Simply Perfect...

Such a lovely story.

Shelley and Dan's story was perfect and Linda wrote a beautiful story of two people finding each other and to top it off they came along with two lovely kids and a golden retriever!

Couldn't ask for anything more in a story.
Profile Image for Sara.
330 reviews3 followers
June 10, 2018
Love this series

So far I love this series, just the kind of feel good, might fluffy romance I love to read with the ups and downs the characters go through that makes them realistic and relatable
139 reviews
July 28, 2018
Wonderful story

I enjoyed reading this book and enjoyed getting to know the characters. This story was funny and sad at times. I didn't want put the book down. I love this series and am looking forward to reading the other books.
362 reviews
April 20, 2020
(Pilgrim Cove) 2. No Ordinary Summer

The couple stood together almost from the beginning. Shelley, learning to stand strong for herself and her children. Daniel learned to be strong in another way.
Profile Image for Jeanette Revie.
136 reviews4 followers
August 14, 2021
Book 2 of the series was just as good. No slowing down for this author. Good fission between the characters, magic between the kids and the dog, and I love the way her daughter calls Daniel "my Daniel p'fessor. Great feels all the way through.
Profile Image for Cheryl Graham.
3 reviews
January 21, 2017
Good series

I've enjoyed the series so much, i keep buying the next one. You will be hooked also once you read the first one.
258 reviews3 followers
May 11, 2017
Great read

Great book loved reading it. This was number 2,can't wait for next one. A good read enjoyed very much.....on too number 3
3 reviews
July 19, 2017
Another winner

On to book three. Really hooked on the pilgrim cove series and so pleased to have discovered Linda Barrett. Cup of tea then book three!
40 reviews
August 4, 2017
I really did enjoy this book and have already downloaded #3 in this series.
Profile Image for Ejiro Anthony A.
13 reviews1 follower
July 16, 2018
Nicely written romance, a delightful summer read. One or two improbable plot twists, but still good enough to tug at your heart strings a few times. Good work by Lina Barret.
Profile Image for Samina S. Datta.
4 reviews
September 17, 2018
Great read

I liked how itvreally takes a village to make an impact on a family or individual.
Very positive messages

Thanks for sharing
40 reviews
February 8, 2019
Joy!

Family, friends, love, and joy. There is no better combination and you will find all of them in this book.
4 reviews
May 17, 2019
Enjoyable Read

Easy quick read. Enjoyed reading of the wonderful beach community & the Sea View house. The magic continues. Ready to read book 3!
Profile Image for KANDI AULTMAN.
31 reviews2 followers
July 15, 2019
Great book

Another great book. It makes me really want to find my own sea view house and pilgrim cove to stay at.
359 reviews
October 9, 2019
Another wonderful story.

Very impressed! This book was a delight to read, great kids, sweet dog, good looking and very smart guy, no ex can win in that situation.
3 reviews
February 9, 2020
Excellent series

I enjoyed this heart warming story very much
Highly recommend!
Downloaded next one fro this series
Very good author thanks
Profile Image for Marsha.
573 reviews17 followers
August 22, 2020
Pilgrim Cove

Dan and Shelley come together in book 2 of the Pilgrim Cove series. The ROMEO crew strikes again with this couple. It is definitely no ordinary summer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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