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At Wave's End
After a childhood as unpredictable as the flip of a coin, Faith Sterling has finally found her comfort zone in the kitchen of an upscale Manhattan restaurant. A workaholic chef, at least there she’s in control. So when her free-spirited and often-gullible mother, Connie, calls to announce that she’s won a bed-and-breakfast on the Jersey Shore, Faith’s patience boils over. Convinced the contest is a scam, she rushes to Wave’s End to stop Connie from trading her steady job for an uncertain future.
When a hurricane ravages the coast, Faith is torn between supporting the shore rescue and bailing out her beleaguered boss. But the storm dredges up deceptions and emotional debris that threaten to destroy the inn’s future and her fragile bonds with her mother.
As the women struggle to salvage both the inn and their relationship, Faith begins to see herself and Connie in a new light—and to realize that some moments are better left to chance.
When a hurricane ravages the coast, Faith is torn between supporting the shore rescue and bailing out her beleaguered boss. But the storm dredges up deceptions and emotional debris that threaten to destroy the inn’s future and her fragile bonds with her mother.
As the women struggle to salvage both the inn and their relationship, Faith begins to see herself and Connie in a new light—and to realize that some moments are better left to chance.
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Published August 15, 2017
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About the author
Patricia Perry Donovan
2 books154 followersPatricia Perry Donovan is the author of DELIVER HER, as well as AT WAVE'S END, coming August 15, 2017. She is a journalist who writes about healthcare. Her fiction has appeared in Gravel Literary, Flash Fiction Magazine, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, and other literary journals. The mother of two grown daughters, Patricia lives at the Jersey Shore with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
August 15, 2017
You won a bed and breakfast in yet another contest, Mom? Please say I am not hearing you correctly?
Poor Faith. Her mother, Connie, has always entered contests ever since she was a child and has never won, but then she wins this one which seems unbelievable because of the prize. Connie has won this prize after writing an essay about why she should win the bed and breakfast, and Connie is determined to come all the way from New Mexico to claim and see her prize.
Faith lives in New York City and accompanies her mother to the bed and breakfast at Wave's End at the Jersey Shore. As predicted, the place is in bad shape and nothing like the pictures in the contest.
As Faith argues with her mother about the "prize," a hurricane is making its way up the coast. Faith goes back to New York and then returns as the hurricane is gaining in intensity to make sure her mother is safe.
Faith finds more than she wants to find when she returns with her mother's impulsiveness being a very big problem this time.
AT WAVE'S END is an enjoyable read with characters that were very believable and lovable. A mother/daughter team is always a treat because it can go two ways: the best it can be or the worst it can be. :)
You will be comparing your relationship with your mother and might see some similarities as well as differences.
Secrets kept for a long time and finally revealed are part of AT WAVE'S END, but do they bring mother and daughter closer or farther apart?
Food was another major component with three of the characters being chefs, and who doesn't like to talk about food and gorgeous kitchens?
If you need a fun, light, heartwarming read that shows the resiliency of and the generosity of mankind, then you will not want to miss AT WAVE'S END.
It has something for everyone and the reason I enjoy women's fiction....family, love, tenderness, surprises, a few tears, and warmth.
ENJOY!! I certainly did. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the author in return for an honest review.
October 10, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the author for an honest review. Faith is a NYC chef in a new up and coming restaurant. Her mother, Connie, is a bit irresponsible and flighty so for years Faith has tried to keep her focused toward having a permanent job and preparing her finances for retirement. To Faith's surprise and shock her mother enters a contest and wins an Inn on the Jersey Shore. Once they arrive there Faith's instincts are confirmed when they see how run down the Inn is. Faith is back in NYC as a major storm is forecast. Very reminiscent of Hurricane Sandy. Faith returns to check on her mom and ends up staying temporarily to help out. They take in displaced people who all become like family. It was so heartwarming to meet these people and hear about their lives. Faith and Connie also begin to understand each other better and their relationship improves. This is a feel good book about people caring for and helping each other.
December 6, 2017
A must–read book on mother daughter relationship. Faith is exasperated with her mother’s naivety and innocent mind when she gets duped by scammers. But the latest was when she supposedly wins a bed–and–breakfast inn, Mermaid’s Purse which is nothing like the picture depicted. Faith is at wit’s end with this Mermaid’s Purse at Wave’s End. A cyclone Nadine destroys the town and brings out the physical and emotional upheavals…
This is my first book by the author Patricia Perry Donovan, and what a beautiful read it was. It was everything the story promised and more. She has done a fabulous job describing a mother and daughter relationship sometimes coated with frustration, with anger, fights, skirmishes, arguments, but always on the background of love.
I love stories like this, where love is depicted in so many ways. The author has made the main character Faith as the too controlling street smart daughter, who learns to calm down and start trusting her mother, and the mother Connie, as the naive and innocent victim of most online scams, who learns to be confident and start trusting herself.
I loved the play by play moments of emotions on the landscape of a relationship which is at tether hooks sometimes. It is due to love that Faith moves to protect her mother, it is due to love that Connie tells Faith everything, even when she knows she would be rebuked for it. Every nuance of a mother daughter relationship, including long hidden secrets, is explored here.
The author Patricia has shown a beautiful facet of humanity, a natural calamity, though it brings devastation and loss, it also brings the inner innate humane into surface. Strangers come together and show love, compassion, and life-long friendship. Such bonds, forged in moments of need, are forever bound by kindness and gratitude.
Patricia has great power over her writing, every word adds to the story, every sentence is a beautiful vision and every page reads like a scene of a movie.
The book, its story and its characters, is a tight weave of emotions, and Patricia is the weaver who joins them all together in a bond arising from destruction but surviving in friendship, with moments of hope and ever binding love…
Thank you for writing this book, Patricia, you brought me warmth and a strength to look into the brighter tomorrow. This I swear to the Moon and Stars…
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher, Lake Union Publishing and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
This is my first book by the author Patricia Perry Donovan, and what a beautiful read it was. It was everything the story promised and more. She has done a fabulous job describing a mother and daughter relationship sometimes coated with frustration, with anger, fights, skirmishes, arguments, but always on the background of love.
I love stories like this, where love is depicted in so many ways. The author has made the main character Faith as the too controlling street smart daughter, who learns to calm down and start trusting her mother, and the mother Connie, as the naive and innocent victim of most online scams, who learns to be confident and start trusting herself.
I loved the play by play moments of emotions on the landscape of a relationship which is at tether hooks sometimes. It is due to love that Faith moves to protect her mother, it is due to love that Connie tells Faith everything, even when she knows she would be rebuked for it. Every nuance of a mother daughter relationship, including long hidden secrets, is explored here.
The author Patricia has shown a beautiful facet of humanity, a natural calamity, though it brings devastation and loss, it also brings the inner innate humane into surface. Strangers come together and show love, compassion, and life-long friendship. Such bonds, forged in moments of need, are forever bound by kindness and gratitude.
Patricia has great power over her writing, every word adds to the story, every sentence is a beautiful vision and every page reads like a scene of a movie.
The book, its story and its characters, is a tight weave of emotions, and Patricia is the weaver who joins them all together in a bond arising from destruction but surviving in friendship, with moments of hope and ever binding love…
Thank you for writing this book, Patricia, you brought me warmth and a strength to look into the brighter tomorrow. This I swear to the Moon and Stars…
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher, Lake Union Publishing and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
August 1, 2017
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
You guys know I'm a huge sucker for a pretty cover and this one is swoon worthy! Anything beach themed grabs my eye, and while this is set near the ocean, there's a twist. This isn't about some amazing vacation where the characters sit with a fruity cocktail in their hand, it's a story about what happens after tragedy strikes in the form of a devastating hurricane and how several people are effected and changed by it. It's a beach read with depth and heart, it explores family bonds as well as the bonds that can be formed quickly between strangers when a natural disaster strikes. There is a little something for everyone, a hint of a mystery, some love and romance, and some wonderful themes and lessons.
The characters in At Wave's End are great, they're very realistic and wholly relatable. Faith is a chef based in NYC who heads to Wave's End to help her mom, Connie after Hurricane Nadine hits. Both women are flawed and have made plenty of mistakes in their lives, they haven't had the easiest relationship, but aren't mother/daughter relationships always tricky?! When they team up to help the residents of Wave's End they become a force to be reckoned with and I loved watching them grow and change throughout the story. There is a great cast of secondary characters that also undergo tremendous growth and seeing them all band together restored my faith in humanity a bit.
The Mermaid's Purse is the inn that Connie wins in a lottery and despite it being rundown, there is something magical about it. The entire setting has a bit of magic to it as seeing the community come together was such an inspiration. The kindness of strangers was heartwarming and the resiliency of the people effected by the hurricane was amazing. This was a really lovely read full of heart, strength and meaningful relationships developed during a tragic event, I truly enjoyed this one.
You guys know I'm a huge sucker for a pretty cover and this one is swoon worthy! Anything beach themed grabs my eye, and while this is set near the ocean, there's a twist. This isn't about some amazing vacation where the characters sit with a fruity cocktail in their hand, it's a story about what happens after tragedy strikes in the form of a devastating hurricane and how several people are effected and changed by it. It's a beach read with depth and heart, it explores family bonds as well as the bonds that can be formed quickly between strangers when a natural disaster strikes. There is a little something for everyone, a hint of a mystery, some love and romance, and some wonderful themes and lessons.
The characters in At Wave's End are great, they're very realistic and wholly relatable. Faith is a chef based in NYC who heads to Wave's End to help her mom, Connie after Hurricane Nadine hits. Both women are flawed and have made plenty of mistakes in their lives, they haven't had the easiest relationship, but aren't mother/daughter relationships always tricky?! When they team up to help the residents of Wave's End they become a force to be reckoned with and I loved watching them grow and change throughout the story. There is a great cast of secondary characters that also undergo tremendous growth and seeing them all band together restored my faith in humanity a bit.
The Mermaid's Purse is the inn that Connie wins in a lottery and despite it being rundown, there is something magical about it. The entire setting has a bit of magic to it as seeing the community come together was such an inspiration. The kindness of strangers was heartwarming and the resiliency of the people effected by the hurricane was amazing. This was a really lovely read full of heart, strength and meaningful relationships developed during a tragic event, I truly enjoyed this one.
October 16, 2017
I read and enjoyed Patricia Perry Donovan's first book Deliver Her for a TLC Book Tour last year so when she contacted me several months ago and asked if I would read and review her new book, At Wave's End, I agreed of course. My good intentions to read and review the book when it published in August didn't quite happen. I did read and enjoy the book but did not get around to making a dish and posting a review. Since then several states and communities--most recently Puerto Rico--have suffered severe hurricane damage, which makes a book about it very current. As I read through the book again, deciding on a dish to make for my usual book and food pairing, my thoughts and heart are with all of those who are suffering the after-effects of storms like the book's fictional Hurricane Nadine (based after Hurricane Sandy back in 2012).
At Wave's End is about more than a hurricane on the Jersey Shore, it's about the relationship between a mother and daughter, and a book about taking chances and finding yourself--all things I enjoy reading about. With the main character Faith, being a chef, it also has an strong element of foodie fiction in it. As in her first book, Perry Donovan creates characters that are believable and relatable. Both Faith and her somewhat flighty mother Connie are engaging, as are the supporting characters--mainly the people that stay in the bed and breakfast due to the storm. Faith's harder edges soften and are understandable when you look at her upbringing and Connie has hidden depths to her personality that are not easily seen at the beginning of the story. Despite having heavy topics like the storm and its aftermath worked into the story, overall At Wave's End leans to the lighter side--there is romance, plenty of food, a balance of humorous and poignant moments, and the way the community comes together in a difficult time is heartwarming. A very enjoyable read and I look forward to the author's next book.
You can see my review as well as a recipe inspired by my reading on my blog post here: https://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2...
Note: A free copy of At Wave's End was provided to me by the author for review. I was not compensated for my review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
At Wave's End is about more than a hurricane on the Jersey Shore, it's about the relationship between a mother and daughter, and a book about taking chances and finding yourself--all things I enjoy reading about. With the main character Faith, being a chef, it also has an strong element of foodie fiction in it. As in her first book, Perry Donovan creates characters that are believable and relatable. Both Faith and her somewhat flighty mother Connie are engaging, as are the supporting characters--mainly the people that stay in the bed and breakfast due to the storm. Faith's harder edges soften and are understandable when you look at her upbringing and Connie has hidden depths to her personality that are not easily seen at the beginning of the story. Despite having heavy topics like the storm and its aftermath worked into the story, overall At Wave's End leans to the lighter side--there is romance, plenty of food, a balance of humorous and poignant moments, and the way the community comes together in a difficult time is heartwarming. A very enjoyable read and I look forward to the author's next book.
You can see my review as well as a recipe inspired by my reading on my blog post here: https://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2...
Note: A free copy of At Wave's End was provided to me by the author for review. I was not compensated for my review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 13, 2017
MY REVIEW OF "AT WAVE'S END" by PATRICIA PERRY DONOVAN
I appreciate the way that Patricia Perry Donovan, author for "At Wave's End" writes about the devastations of a Hurricane, and how her amazing storytelling skills depict the community and people. The genre of this book is fiction, but it is based on the devastation of Hurricane Sandy 5 years ago. In this novel, the Hurricane is called Nadine, and Nadine is a formidable force to deal with. The timeline of the story is in the present, and the location takes place mainly on the Jersey Shore, and also in Brooklyn, New York, and Miami.
The author describes her characters as complex and complicated, possibly due to the nature of the situation. The characters are strong, courageous, colorful, quirky, and are like many of the people in our neighborhoods. The characters in this story are diverse.The characters have problems and secrets that affect their lives. I found the story intriguing, and bonded with many of the characters.
Faith Sterling is a chef working in Brooklyn, and often has disagreements with her mother Connie, who at times does compulsive things. It seems that Connie has entered a contest and "won" a Bed and Breakfast Inn called "Wave's End" located at the Jersey shore. Of course, " Waves End" is not as it appears in the pictures, and needs much repair work to make it more presentable. Faith heads to the Jersey shore when a Hurricane is imminent to help her mother.
The hurricane causes a tremendous amount of damage displacing families, their pets, and their belongings. Power is out. In the worst of circumstances, the best in people can be seen. People in the community band together to help one another. "Wave's End" Inn is used to give temporary housing to those people in the community who have lost their homes.
Even in times of adversity, the author shows how the people in the community help one another in ways that they can. The author discusses the importance of family, friends, love, and hope.
I liked almost all the characters, and I certainly hope that Patricia Perry Donovan writes another book about them. I highly recommend this novel for readers who enjoy fiction, romance and colorful characters. Happy Reading!
August 27, 2017
First of all, this is going to be a difficult review to write in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and the people of Texas. My thoughts and prayers go out to them all.
This too is about a hurricane, Hurricane Nadine, in Wave's End. There was a lot of devastation in this coastal town , but this is a book about resilience and survival. It is about a community that comes together to help one another. It is a story of loss, love, compassion, empathy and strength. This is the story about Faith and her Mom, Connie, who won a bed and breakfast in Wave's End, just as it is hit with a hurricane. It is about the people of Wave's End coming together to help each other and it turn, it helps the relationship between Faith and her Mom. I must say that I loved this story. It is more about the love of people than about the Hurricane itself. It made me cry and laugh. It is a story of hope. It is a book that will make you feel. The characters, main and secondary, are richly developed and the story is a seamlessly woven tapestry. It flows like a river from beginning to end. It is a quick read, because you just don't want to put it down. Hope abounds in this book and it is truly a pleasure to have read it. Pick it up and see for yourself. This is a work of fiction, but to all those now and in the past who have gone through hurricane's, you are in my heart.
This too is about a hurricane, Hurricane Nadine, in Wave's End. There was a lot of devastation in this coastal town , but this is a book about resilience and survival. It is about a community that comes together to help one another. It is a story of loss, love, compassion, empathy and strength. This is the story about Faith and her Mom, Connie, who won a bed and breakfast in Wave's End, just as it is hit with a hurricane. It is about the people of Wave's End coming together to help each other and it turn, it helps the relationship between Faith and her Mom. I must say that I loved this story. It is more about the love of people than about the Hurricane itself. It made me cry and laugh. It is a story of hope. It is a book that will make you feel. The characters, main and secondary, are richly developed and the story is a seamlessly woven tapestry. It flows like a river from beginning to end. It is a quick read, because you just don't want to put it down. Hope abounds in this book and it is truly a pleasure to have read it. Pick it up and see for yourself. This is a work of fiction, but to all those now and in the past who have gone through hurricane's, you are in my heart.
August 15, 2017
A story of family, friends and rebuilding perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Susan Mallery.
Thanks to the author and Net Galley for providing me with a digital review copy of this title - all opinions are my own.
Written to honor the survivor's of 2012's Hurricane Sandy, AT WAVE'S END is a feel-good story that will satisfy readers of contemporary women's fiction. Faith's journey from NYC chef to a reluctant assistant at her mother's run-down bed and breakfast in a coastal New Jersey town is set against the backdrop of fictional Hurricane Nadine, but closely mirrors the events of Sandy and showcases the true devastation in the areas hardest hit by the storm. The story is a light one, however, and covers a great deal of ground with a large cast of characters. If you like your stories a little on the frothy side and tied up with a bow, this one is for you.
Thanks to the author and Net Galley for providing me with a digital review copy of this title - all opinions are my own.
Written to honor the survivor's of 2012's Hurricane Sandy, AT WAVE'S END is a feel-good story that will satisfy readers of contemporary women's fiction. Faith's journey from NYC chef to a reluctant assistant at her mother's run-down bed and breakfast in a coastal New Jersey town is set against the backdrop of fictional Hurricane Nadine, but closely mirrors the events of Sandy and showcases the true devastation in the areas hardest hit by the storm. The story is a light one, however, and covers a great deal of ground with a large cast of characters. If you like your stories a little on the frothy side and tied up with a bow, this one is for you.
August 24, 2017
What has Connie gotten herself into this time? Faith, sweet, frustrated Faith, has had it to the moon and stars with her mother’s contest entries and pyramid schemes. Each time, will be the time it will work out. This time is, of course, no different. Connie is so close to retirement and pension when she up and wins a B&B on the Jersey coast by writing an essay to the current owner. Faith, let’s just say, is a little less than thrilled. A chef in NYC, she has rescued her mother more times than she can count and is not looking forward to having to do it again. Donovan whips up a wonderful tale of mother and daughter at odds, during a hurricane no less. Each dealing with their own issues, separately and together, throw in some whacky local charm, some unexpected guests, and you have yourself a wonderful book to ride out the storm.
I’d like to thank the author, Patricia Perry Donovan, and Lake Union Publishing for the honor of receiving this book in exchange for an unbiased review and of course NetGalley for the technology to make it possible.
I’d like to thank the author, Patricia Perry Donovan, and Lake Union Publishing for the honor of receiving this book in exchange for an unbiased review and of course NetGalley for the technology to make it possible.
January 11, 2018
Full review and giveaway on my blog: http://www.thebookwhisperer.org/2018/...
September 26, 2023
Story 4. Narration 4 stars
This is a story about a New York chef, her problematic mother and the various people that end up together in the aftermath of a horrible hurricane. It takes place at a run down bed and breakfast on the Jersey shore. The main character’s mother has won the inn by way of one of the many contests she enters. It’s just another one of her mother’s many such plans that always end up with her helping
her out of it. Only this time she can’t get her out of it. When she’s stuck there during the hurricane and the town she’s in has been partially decimated, she finds that her restaurant in NYC has been ruined by the same hurricane. When the town starts sending people that lost everything to stay at the inn, the two women have to work together on both the inn and their shaky relationship.
I enjoyed the story the author has told and all of the characters that she included staying at the inn. Everyone had a story good or bad, but it all added to the book and kept me listening. There’s a lot of growth that happens to these characters by the end. There’s also a couple of romances for the women although they definitely take a backseat to the rest of the story and that was okay with me. Recommended to readers that enjoy women’s fiction. Good read!
This is a story about a New York chef, her problematic mother and the various people that end up together in the aftermath of a horrible hurricane. It takes place at a run down bed and breakfast on the Jersey shore. The main character’s mother has won the inn by way of one of the many contests she enters. It’s just another one of her mother’s many such plans that always end up with her helping
her out of it. Only this time she can’t get her out of it. When she’s stuck there during the hurricane and the town she’s in has been partially decimated, she finds that her restaurant in NYC has been ruined by the same hurricane. When the town starts sending people that lost everything to stay at the inn, the two women have to work together on both the inn and their shaky relationship.
I enjoyed the story the author has told and all of the characters that she included staying at the inn. Everyone had a story good or bad, but it all added to the book and kept me listening. There’s a lot of growth that happens to these characters by the end. There’s also a couple of romances for the women although they definitely take a backseat to the rest of the story and that was okay with me. Recommended to readers that enjoy women’s fiction. Good read!
August 16, 2017
3.5 stars
Thank you to the author, netgalley and Lake Union for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
At Wave's End is to honor and is reminiscent of Hurricane Sandy. I don't think I've ever read a book about a natural disaster before, so this was a nice first for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick, happy read about family and perseverance. It kept me turning pages. There was such a variety of great characters; it has a little something for everyone. There was also just the right amount of tragedy. I loved that everything was wrapped up and resolved by the end; there were no loose ends. I look forward reading more of Donovan's work.
Thank you to the author, netgalley and Lake Union for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
At Wave's End is to honor and is reminiscent of Hurricane Sandy. I don't think I've ever read a book about a natural disaster before, so this was a nice first for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick, happy read about family and perseverance. It kept me turning pages. There was such a variety of great characters; it has a little something for everyone. There was also just the right amount of tragedy. I loved that everything was wrapped up and resolved by the end; there were no loose ends. I look forward reading more of Donovan's work.
June 10, 2021
Nice
Nice story. Learning to aloe yourself the chance to experience life and not categorize or compartmentalize thinks. Think it was waaaaay too long which for me is hard to say because I dislike books that rush to finish. However, it had some really interesting parts that kept my attention.
Nice story. Learning to aloe yourself the chance to experience life and not categorize or compartmentalize thinks. Think it was waaaaay too long which for me is hard to say because I dislike books that rush to finish. However, it had some really interesting parts that kept my attention.
January 10, 2018
This book is too long. It started out strong and then it just kept going. And going. And going. Perhaps a stronger edit would have made this book a better read, because the characters are pretty well done, there are just too many meandering plot points that never go anywhere. I wanted to like this book but it just wasn't for me. I would have quit but I was too far into it.
June 27, 2018
Good summer read
Good character development, compelling relationships. Feel good story for those times you need your spirits lifted. Sometimes predictable is good.
Good character development, compelling relationships. Feel good story for those times you need your spirits lifted. Sometimes predictable is good.
February 20, 2022
Heartwarming
May 8, 2018
What a nice spring read! I love the way in which Patricia writes. I could picture the shore, The Mermaid's Purse, and all the quirky characters perfectly!
There are several conflicts throughout the story - mother/daughter, mother/son, boyfriend/girlfriend, town/storm and so many others.
The main conflict, faith v. herself. What does she want for her life? Can she reconnect with her mother and work through the past mistakes? Can she learn to let go and live the life that she was intended to live?
All these questions and more are answered and I loved the trials and tribulations every step of the way. The crazy family unit of The Mermaid's Purse will pull at your heartstrings and leave you wanting more.
There are several conflicts throughout the story - mother/daughter, mother/son, boyfriend/girlfriend, town/storm and so many others.
The main conflict, faith v. herself. What does she want for her life? Can she reconnect with her mother and work through the past mistakes? Can she learn to let go and live the life that she was intended to live?
All these questions and more are answered and I loved the trials and tribulations every step of the way. The crazy family unit of The Mermaid's Purse will pull at your heartstrings and leave you wanting more.
August 15, 2017
irstLine ~ With Piquant's stainless steel kitchen door propped at the exactly right angle, head chief Faith Stering could clandestinely scan the entire dining room, which at eleven o'clock on this mid-September weeknight remained two-thirds full.
I adored this book. It was everything I love in a good book...an interesting setting, great characters and a story that was both richly written and a story that kept me turning pages. I loved that this book was multi-layered...there was such depth. If you want a book that will take you by the heart and not let go, this is the book for you!
I adored this book. It was everything I love in a good book...an interesting setting, great characters and a story that was both richly written and a story that kept me turning pages. I loved that this book was multi-layered...there was such depth. If you want a book that will take you by the heart and not let go, this is the book for you!
June 22, 2017
"At Wave's End" by Patricia Perry Donovan
What a truly authentic and genuine novel. If you survived Hurricane Sandy, you will more than relate to this novel. If it didn't affect you, personally, you will have a better understanding of it's impact through this novel. While the author does not write about or refer specifically to Hurricane Sandy, the realism with which she writes will have any and all readers absorbed, engaged, and having a better understanding of the destruction, power, and resiliency hurricanes, and other natural disasters, leave behind. They do not just affect the landscape, homes and other dwellings, but that of people and the human spirit. It affects individuals, families, and communities in numerous ways. By the end of the novel, the reader is so invested in the welfare of the states, towns and people affected in one way or another, they will be volunteering to help at the next natural disaster in any way they can.
I started reading "At Wave's End" shortly after dinner. I was so enthralled that I lost track of time. When my dog started bugging me I looked at the clock and knew we had missed our usual walk time by a few hours. That was ok. We are going through a nightmarish heat wave, so even at that hour of the night it was still 102 degrees. I was so absorbed in the realism of the novel, and my recollections of Hurricane Sandy, though in this novel it is Hurricane Nadine, that when walking outside it eerily felt like the calm before the storm. Not many authors can affect you that way in just the first quarter of the book. Patricia Perry Donovan, did so.
Her characters are strong, yet flawed. Kind and loving and sometimes too overprotective of others or their own personal space. They have their own individual thoughts and plans in regard to themselves and others, some accurate and some not so accurate. But at the heart of each of them is love, growing respect, and constant growth. The reader: a part of this novel from the very beginning. One is not simply taken in and absorbing what is being written, they are there, and experiencing what each character is experiencing in all the different situations and relationships they have. They feel the emotions and experiences and changes within the characters individually, as a couple, as friends, as family, and as a community.
"At Wave's End" is not just about Hurricane Nadine and the response of the characters and community. It is not just about the town of Wave's End. It is also a novel about the individuals and community members and what they find, add to, and take away from the experience when they have hit wave's end and to make adjustments: the initial destruction and slow reconstruction of people, towns, and communities. It is a genuine novel of change, at its worst and at its best. It is a novel to be enjoyed by any reader, but one not to be missed.
Rating:
4.8
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Buy Link: http://amzn.to/2t0vtc0
** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this novel. All thoughts are my own.
(Any links in this post may be affiliate links leading to a small commission for me at no cost to you)
What a truly authentic and genuine novel. If you survived Hurricane Sandy, you will more than relate to this novel. If it didn't affect you, personally, you will have a better understanding of it's impact through this novel. While the author does not write about or refer specifically to Hurricane Sandy, the realism with which she writes will have any and all readers absorbed, engaged, and having a better understanding of the destruction, power, and resiliency hurricanes, and other natural disasters, leave behind. They do not just affect the landscape, homes and other dwellings, but that of people and the human spirit. It affects individuals, families, and communities in numerous ways. By the end of the novel, the reader is so invested in the welfare of the states, towns and people affected in one way or another, they will be volunteering to help at the next natural disaster in any way they can.
I started reading "At Wave's End" shortly after dinner. I was so enthralled that I lost track of time. When my dog started bugging me I looked at the clock and knew we had missed our usual walk time by a few hours. That was ok. We are going through a nightmarish heat wave, so even at that hour of the night it was still 102 degrees. I was so absorbed in the realism of the novel, and my recollections of Hurricane Sandy, though in this novel it is Hurricane Nadine, that when walking outside it eerily felt like the calm before the storm. Not many authors can affect you that way in just the first quarter of the book. Patricia Perry Donovan, did so.
Her characters are strong, yet flawed. Kind and loving and sometimes too overprotective of others or their own personal space. They have their own individual thoughts and plans in regard to themselves and others, some accurate and some not so accurate. But at the heart of each of them is love, growing respect, and constant growth. The reader: a part of this novel from the very beginning. One is not simply taken in and absorbing what is being written, they are there, and experiencing what each character is experiencing in all the different situations and relationships they have. They feel the emotions and experiences and changes within the characters individually, as a couple, as friends, as family, and as a community.
"At Wave's End" is not just about Hurricane Nadine and the response of the characters and community. It is not just about the town of Wave's End. It is also a novel about the individuals and community members and what they find, add to, and take away from the experience when they have hit wave's end and to make adjustments: the initial destruction and slow reconstruction of people, towns, and communities. It is a genuine novel of change, at its worst and at its best. It is a novel to be enjoyed by any reader, but one not to be missed.
Rating:
4.8
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Buy Link: http://amzn.to/2t0vtc0
** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this novel. All thoughts are my own.
(Any links in this post may be affiliate links leading to a small commission for me at no cost to you)
October 17, 2017
After the Storm, Hope Awaits ‘At Wave’s End’ [REVIEW]
When a hurricane blasts the Jersey Shore, a woman leaves the city behind to help heal the community devastated by the storm. But will she be able to repair both her mother’s ravaged home as well as their tenuous relationship? Find out in Patricia Perry Donovan’s new novel, At Wave’s End.
Faith Sterling is a workaholic chef at an upscale restaurant in Manhattan. She loves her job, even if she does have to stay late most nights to schmooze with important guests. The fact that she’s had to bail out her boss financially doesn’t even phase her much.
What does get to her? Her roommate recently announced that she is not only getting married, but needs Faith to move out sooner than anticipated because she’s pregnant and wants to convert the second bedroom into a nursery. Oh, and then there’s Faith’s relationship with her less-than-reliable mother, Connie, who spends all her time and money trying to score the next big opportunity.
Then one of the contests Connie enters pays out and suddenly she’s moving to the Jersey Shore to take over an inn she’s won. The mere thought sends Faith over the edge, and she moves to stop her mom from falling prey to yet another con, just in time to get caught helping her mother in the aftermath of a hurricane. With much on the line and no certain outcome in sight, Faith isn’t sure if she’s doing the right thing, but Connie needs help and Faith can’t desert her mother when she needs her most. But will it be enough to salvage both the inn and their relationship?
At Wave’s End is a rich, multi-layered novel about parent-child relationships, community, and the cost of pursuing one’s dreams. It is populated by characters readers will recognize and empathize with, and seems quite timely, particularly in the wake of one of the worst hurricane seasons on record. Here, Donovan demonstrates that compassion brings out the best in humanity, even when the world has been turned on its head and chaos reigns supreme.
Fans of authors like Danielle Steel, Barbara Taylor Bradford and Belva Plain will love this inspiring novel that is filled with hope, even in the most desperate times. Donovan’s voice is warm and it is obvious that she pours her heart and soul into the pages of this book, using her literary talent to prove that life goes on, recovery is possible, and second chances are ours for the taking if only we believe and work together for the common good. It’s the type of story that shines like a beacon of hope in the dark times in which we now live.
As originally published at jathanandheather.com.
When a hurricane blasts the Jersey Shore, a woman leaves the city behind to help heal the community devastated by the storm. But will she be able to repair both her mother’s ravaged home as well as their tenuous relationship? Find out in Patricia Perry Donovan’s new novel, At Wave’s End.
Faith Sterling is a workaholic chef at an upscale restaurant in Manhattan. She loves her job, even if she does have to stay late most nights to schmooze with important guests. The fact that she’s had to bail out her boss financially doesn’t even phase her much.
What does get to her? Her roommate recently announced that she is not only getting married, but needs Faith to move out sooner than anticipated because she’s pregnant and wants to convert the second bedroom into a nursery. Oh, and then there’s Faith’s relationship with her less-than-reliable mother, Connie, who spends all her time and money trying to score the next big opportunity.
Then one of the contests Connie enters pays out and suddenly she’s moving to the Jersey Shore to take over an inn she’s won. The mere thought sends Faith over the edge, and she moves to stop her mom from falling prey to yet another con, just in time to get caught helping her mother in the aftermath of a hurricane. With much on the line and no certain outcome in sight, Faith isn’t sure if she’s doing the right thing, but Connie needs help and Faith can’t desert her mother when she needs her most. But will it be enough to salvage both the inn and their relationship?
At Wave’s End is a rich, multi-layered novel about parent-child relationships, community, and the cost of pursuing one’s dreams. It is populated by characters readers will recognize and empathize with, and seems quite timely, particularly in the wake of one of the worst hurricane seasons on record. Here, Donovan demonstrates that compassion brings out the best in humanity, even when the world has been turned on its head and chaos reigns supreme.
Fans of authors like Danielle Steel, Barbara Taylor Bradford and Belva Plain will love this inspiring novel that is filled with hope, even in the most desperate times. Donovan’s voice is warm and it is obvious that she pours her heart and soul into the pages of this book, using her literary talent to prove that life goes on, recovery is possible, and second chances are ours for the taking if only we believe and work together for the common good. It’s the type of story that shines like a beacon of hope in the dark times in which we now live.
As originally published at jathanandheather.com.
August 15, 2017
I loved Deliver Her when I read it last spring, so when Patricia Perry Donovan emailed me, asking if I wanted to review her newest title, At Wave’s End, this summer, I was happy to do so. Then I found out it was being released two days before my birthday.
Well, Happy Birthday to me, and happy reading to everyone else, because this novel is the perfect way to beat the heat of the dog days of summer. Faith, a professional chef, and Connie, her mother who is always searching for the next, great, money-making opportunity, have the kind of relationship a lot of us do, I think. They love each other fiercely, but Connie thinks her daughter is selling herself short, and Faith worries her mother will be the victim of a scam.
Then Connie arrives with the news that she’s won a bed & breakfast on the Jersey Shore.
As a Jersey girl myself, I’m always excited when people set novels there, because it’s like visiting home again. In this novel, that sense of homecoming is tempered somewhat by Hurricane Nadine – inspired by Hurricane Sandy – which trashes the coastline. Reading it took me back to October, 2012 where I was watching an NJ news station over the internet from my home in Texas, and texting my mother, “I feel like I’m watching my entire childhood being washed away.”
Having been back east fairly recently, and noticed how so many of the shore towns are still rebuilding, five years later, was a visceral experience. So, too, where many of the chapters in this novel.
But Donovan is an excellent storyteller who creates vivid, realistic characters, and even at the most devastating points in the novel there is warmth and humor and the bonds of family and friends.
Don’t think, though, that this novel is all about the wreckage of a major storm. It’s not. That’s just backdrop. It’s really about family and friends, chasing dreams, figuring out what you need vs. what you think you want, and how all those things tied together.
Like Connie, I have been tempted by those “win an inn” contests, but I’ve always managed to resist the urge. Like Faith, I’m sometimes too generous with my friends, to my own detriment. I found both of these women at the center of the story to be completely believable as women, as people.
At 364 pages, At Wave’s End is long enough to tackle everything from the first look at the B&B to the aftermath of the storm, and yet it’s also a fast read, suitable for the last weeks of summer. Dip your toes in the water of this story, let the sun and sand keep you reading. You won’t be sorry.
Goes well with, a classic NJ pork roll sandwich and a glass of iced tea, eaten at a picnic table on the porch.
Well, Happy Birthday to me, and happy reading to everyone else, because this novel is the perfect way to beat the heat of the dog days of summer. Faith, a professional chef, and Connie, her mother who is always searching for the next, great, money-making opportunity, have the kind of relationship a lot of us do, I think. They love each other fiercely, but Connie thinks her daughter is selling herself short, and Faith worries her mother will be the victim of a scam.
Then Connie arrives with the news that she’s won a bed & breakfast on the Jersey Shore.
As a Jersey girl myself, I’m always excited when people set novels there, because it’s like visiting home again. In this novel, that sense of homecoming is tempered somewhat by Hurricane Nadine – inspired by Hurricane Sandy – which trashes the coastline. Reading it took me back to October, 2012 where I was watching an NJ news station over the internet from my home in Texas, and texting my mother, “I feel like I’m watching my entire childhood being washed away.”
Having been back east fairly recently, and noticed how so many of the shore towns are still rebuilding, five years later, was a visceral experience. So, too, where many of the chapters in this novel.
But Donovan is an excellent storyteller who creates vivid, realistic characters, and even at the most devastating points in the novel there is warmth and humor and the bonds of family and friends.
Don’t think, though, that this novel is all about the wreckage of a major storm. It’s not. That’s just backdrop. It’s really about family and friends, chasing dreams, figuring out what you need vs. what you think you want, and how all those things tied together.
Like Connie, I have been tempted by those “win an inn” contests, but I’ve always managed to resist the urge. Like Faith, I’m sometimes too generous with my friends, to my own detriment. I found both of these women at the center of the story to be completely believable as women, as people.
At 364 pages, At Wave’s End is long enough to tackle everything from the first look at the B&B to the aftermath of the storm, and yet it’s also a fast read, suitable for the last weeks of summer. Dip your toes in the water of this story, let the sun and sand keep you reading. You won’t be sorry.
Goes well with, a classic NJ pork roll sandwich and a glass of iced tea, eaten at a picnic table on the porch.
October 30, 2017
The novel centers around Faith, a chef in New York City. Her eccentric mother, who spends most of her time entering contests and sweepstakes, wins a B & B after writing a prize-winning essay about her struggles being a single mother and raising Faith. It sits on the Jersey Shore, so Faith takes Connie to go see the fabulous Inn she's won, and make sure it's all that it appears. When they find a slightly ramshackled old Victorian, Faith wants Connie to give up on her dream and go back to the safety of her factory job. Connie says she'll spend a few days getting to know the place, and then make up her mind. So Faith goes back to work.
But when a deadly Hurricane hits the East Coast, Faith rushes down to her mother, afraid for the mess she may have got into. In the aftermath of the storm, Faith is left with no job in Brooklyn, and decides to stay with her mother and help the displaced residents of Wave's End get their lives back in order. Little does she know that, in helping them, she may find the family she's always wanted and reconnect with her mother in a way that she never thought possible.
I really enjoyed this feel good novel. I think the author did a great job of handling both the complicated dynamic between the mother and daughter, and the story of a community hit hard by a natural disaster. To me this book was all about community and family...and how your family isn't always the people you were born into. You see strangers helping people out, and bringing out the best in each other...struggling to rebuild and have a normal life again. The barriers that people put up around themselves being torn down, and the building of friendships that are stronger because of the common endeavor they have faced together.
During the last two hurricanes to hit the states, what really stood out to me were the stories of folks helping each other out. Of people coming in from all over because they felt compelled to do what they could for their fellow man. Donations being sent, food being cooked, animals being reunited. I choose to look at the good that comes out of the destruction. At Wave's End stands out to me for being such a feel-good novel that really focuses on that resiliency. I think we need more of it in the world!
OH, and I also have to comment on the food!! With the main character, Faith, being a chef...this book is filled with yummy food and menus being described in detail. The author has GOT to be a major foodie because I was drooling all over my Kindle while I was reading. It wasn't over the top, it was just enough to make me hungry for some home-made gourmet goodness!
So, if you're a fan of feel-good women's literature, you'll probably enjoy this one. There is also a domestic violence subplot that might interest folks. And if you like to mix your hobbies of reading and eating, this book should be right up your alley. There is also a smattering of romance for the oooh-la-la among you.
A huge thanks again to the author for sending me a copy of this book!!
But when a deadly Hurricane hits the East Coast, Faith rushes down to her mother, afraid for the mess she may have got into. In the aftermath of the storm, Faith is left with no job in Brooklyn, and decides to stay with her mother and help the displaced residents of Wave's End get their lives back in order. Little does she know that, in helping them, she may find the family she's always wanted and reconnect with her mother in a way that she never thought possible.
I really enjoyed this feel good novel. I think the author did a great job of handling both the complicated dynamic between the mother and daughter, and the story of a community hit hard by a natural disaster. To me this book was all about community and family...and how your family isn't always the people you were born into. You see strangers helping people out, and bringing out the best in each other...struggling to rebuild and have a normal life again. The barriers that people put up around themselves being torn down, and the building of friendships that are stronger because of the common endeavor they have faced together.
During the last two hurricanes to hit the states, what really stood out to me were the stories of folks helping each other out. Of people coming in from all over because they felt compelled to do what they could for their fellow man. Donations being sent, food being cooked, animals being reunited. I choose to look at the good that comes out of the destruction. At Wave's End stands out to me for being such a feel-good novel that really focuses on that resiliency. I think we need more of it in the world!
OH, and I also have to comment on the food!! With the main character, Faith, being a chef...this book is filled with yummy food and menus being described in detail. The author has GOT to be a major foodie because I was drooling all over my Kindle while I was reading. It wasn't over the top, it was just enough to make me hungry for some home-made gourmet goodness!
So, if you're a fan of feel-good women's literature, you'll probably enjoy this one. There is also a domestic violence subplot that might interest folks. And if you like to mix your hobbies of reading and eating, this book should be right up your alley. There is also a smattering of romance for the oooh-la-la among you.
A huge thanks again to the author for sending me a copy of this book!!
August 28, 2017
Manhattan, NY. Piquant’s restaurant. Faith Sterling (chef) was very busy.
Xander is the boss/mgr. Other employees are: Tomas (lead bartender), & Cesar (Sr. server).
Mrs. Connie Sterling (mother), called & told her daughter she had won a bed-&-breakfast on the
Jersey Shore, NJ.
The 2 of them arrived at The Mermaid’s Purse Inn.
Maeve Calhoun soon ex-proprietor greeted them.
Bruce Neery (Beacon newspaper owner, journalist) was getting the scoop.
News Flash: Hurricane Nadine was about to hit the Wave’s End, East coast line.
Aunt Hilda (Tanya’s) had been evacuated & Bayport HS was made into a shelter.
Mauve was taken to the hospital with serious medical problems.
Recovery & lots of PT.
What was posted on the Mermaid’s Purse Inn door?
What happened to Lenny Walker (son) & Harold Walker (father, Mauve’s accountant)?
It was Thanksgiving. Faith had a huge dinner planned.
Those in attendance are: Mona (Fred’s PG wife), Fred (husband), Roxanne (Gage’s mom), Gage (son), Ellie (PG), Roxanne Castro (mom) Gage Castro (son), David Huntington (son) Merrill (Faith’s sister), Grace (midwife), Tanya Lloyd (attorney), Aunt Hilda, Dennis (Ellie’s fiancé), Bruce Huntington (dad), & Pastor Wilkins.
It was Maeve’s farewell party.
What does Faith’s future hold?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written life adventure book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great life adventure movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Lake Union Publishing; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Xander is the boss/mgr. Other employees are: Tomas (lead bartender), & Cesar (Sr. server).
Mrs. Connie Sterling (mother), called & told her daughter she had won a bed-&-breakfast on the
Jersey Shore, NJ.
The 2 of them arrived at The Mermaid’s Purse Inn.
Maeve Calhoun soon ex-proprietor greeted them.
Bruce Neery (Beacon newspaper owner, journalist) was getting the scoop.
News Flash: Hurricane Nadine was about to hit the Wave’s End, East coast line.
Aunt Hilda (Tanya’s) had been evacuated & Bayport HS was made into a shelter.
Mauve was taken to the hospital with serious medical problems.
Recovery & lots of PT.
What was posted on the Mermaid’s Purse Inn door?
What happened to Lenny Walker (son) & Harold Walker (father, Mauve’s accountant)?
It was Thanksgiving. Faith had a huge dinner planned.
Those in attendance are: Mona (Fred’s PG wife), Fred (husband), Roxanne (Gage’s mom), Gage (son), Ellie (PG), Roxanne Castro (mom) Gage Castro (son), David Huntington (son) Merrill (Faith’s sister), Grace (midwife), Tanya Lloyd (attorney), Aunt Hilda, Dennis (Ellie’s fiancé), Bruce Huntington (dad), & Pastor Wilkins.
It was Maeve’s farewell party.
What does Faith’s future hold?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written life adventure book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great life adventure movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Lake Union Publishing; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
August 5, 2017
This is a novel about personal discovery and of the enduring human spirit in times of need. It takes place on the Jersey shore in the aftermath of a powerful hurricane. The hurricane almost completely decimates the small beach town of Waves End. The center of the story is an aging bed and breakfast, The Mermaid's Purse and the struggling inhabitants.
Behind each person is its own story. Faith, a professional chef is desperate to keep her mother Connie from falling into yet another scam. Connis believes that winning The Mermaid's Purse in a contest is the answer to all she has ever needed in life. Maev is the aging owner of the Mermaid's Purse fulfilling the history of finding the next, perfect owner.
After the hurricane, the bed and breakfast open its doors to displaced residents of Waves End. Roxanne and her son Gage are fleeing a ugly separation from her husband. Fred and Mona have been left homeless. Mona suffers from Alzheimer's and Fred is lost in his devotion to her even with her increasingly challenging symptoms. David is a restaurant owner who has lost his business. Ellie, Faith's pregnant best friend, comes to the bead and breakfast torn by her perceived wandering fiance.
These lives cross and parallel building sturdy relationships that display the deeply seated desire to reach beyond ones' self and one's own troubles in order to offer assistance, care and, ultimately, love to each other.
Behind each person is its own story. Faith, a professional chef is desperate to keep her mother Connie from falling into yet another scam. Connis believes that winning The Mermaid's Purse in a contest is the answer to all she has ever needed in life. Maev is the aging owner of the Mermaid's Purse fulfilling the history of finding the next, perfect owner.
After the hurricane, the bed and breakfast open its doors to displaced residents of Waves End. Roxanne and her son Gage are fleeing a ugly separation from her husband. Fred and Mona have been left homeless. Mona suffers from Alzheimer's and Fred is lost in his devotion to her even with her increasingly challenging symptoms. David is a restaurant owner who has lost his business. Ellie, Faith's pregnant best friend, comes to the bead and breakfast torn by her perceived wandering fiance.
These lives cross and parallel building sturdy relationships that display the deeply seated desire to reach beyond ones' self and one's own troubles in order to offer assistance, care and, ultimately, love to each other.
September 21, 2017
I like food so I did like the idea of a setting in an upmarket Manhattan restaurant where Faith works as a chef for relentlessly long hours but is blissfully happy in her job. Her mother however is another story - always falling for a hard luck story and keeping her on the straight and narrow has been Faith's responsibility. Now just a couple of months away from getting a pension Faith faces a quandary. Her mother in one of her infamous lottery schemes has actually won something. A bed and breakfast inn, which looks idyllic on the coast of Jersey Shore.
Knowing very well that her mother will get taken in, Faith is determined to accompany her mother to the Inn and then get her to turn around and return. The whole thing falls apart when Nature (like the present tornadoes, hurricanes and bad weather) turns the Jersey Coast into a nightmare and Faith and her mother Connie are both stuck - one by choice and one by circumstances. Overnight Faith's dream job has disappeared in the storm damage and she decides to wait behind till things change, hopefully for the better.
A story of a fragile understanding between mother and daughter developing into a more solid relationship, lots of romance and stories of human nature and survival in the face of impending crisis is the basis of this story.
The settings helped the story along.
With lots of cooking and chefs involved this is a book for those of us who like food.
Knowing very well that her mother will get taken in, Faith is determined to accompany her mother to the Inn and then get her to turn around and return. The whole thing falls apart when Nature (like the present tornadoes, hurricanes and bad weather) turns the Jersey Coast into a nightmare and Faith and her mother Connie are both stuck - one by choice and one by circumstances. Overnight Faith's dream job has disappeared in the storm damage and she decides to wait behind till things change, hopefully for the better.
A story of a fragile understanding between mother and daughter developing into a more solid relationship, lots of romance and stories of human nature and survival in the face of impending crisis is the basis of this story.
The settings helped the story along.
With lots of cooking and chefs involved this is a book for those of us who like food.
September 30, 2017
Synopsis: A cynical New Yorker is skeptical when her mother wins a B&B on the Jersey Shore. Shortly after arriving to check out the B&B, a hurricane hits. Much of the town is destroyed, but the B&B is relatively unharmed and can house some of the displaced residents. The daughter reluctantly stays on to help her mother temporarily run the B&B.
This was a light, heartwarming story about personal discovery and a community bonding together.
The personal discovery part is about the main character, Faith. She is a chef in New York City and is distrustful of almost everyone. After her mother wins a B&B, Faith goes along with her to check the place out. Faith remains skeptical of the B&B business, the B&B owner, and various other locals. After a hurricane alters her plans and she stays at the B&B to help her mother, she encounters people without ulterior motives and that are wanting to help. Faith learns some things about herself that help her personal growth.
The community bonding part is about a small coastal town, Wave's End, that gets hit with a hurricane and comes together to rebuild. The locals work together with cleanup efforts and getting help for those who need it most. The people support each other and are there to lift one another's spirits when everything seems to be falling apart.
I won this book on a Goodreads Giveaway.
This was a light, heartwarming story about personal discovery and a community bonding together.
The personal discovery part is about the main character, Faith. She is a chef in New York City and is distrustful of almost everyone. After her mother wins a B&B, Faith goes along with her to check the place out. Faith remains skeptical of the B&B business, the B&B owner, and various other locals. After a hurricane alters her plans and she stays at the B&B to help her mother, she encounters people without ulterior motives and that are wanting to help. Faith learns some things about herself that help her personal growth.
The community bonding part is about a small coastal town, Wave's End, that gets hit with a hurricane and comes together to rebuild. The locals work together with cleanup efforts and getting help for those who need it most. The people support each other and are there to lift one another's spirits when everything seems to be falling apart.
I won this book on a Goodreads Giveaway.
August 20, 2017
4 stars for At Wave's End, a feel good, beachy novel by Patricia Perry Donovan. This book showcases and highlights that survivor's spirit that comes through so strongly after the East Coast area is hit with yet another hurricane. Although the hurricane in this book was Nadine, the devastation and destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy is what the book was referencing.
Connie, having won a B&B that she thinks is going to be beautiful and wonderful, based on photos, is thrilled and ready for adventure. Her daughter, Faith, an up-and-coming NYC chef, is disgusted because she figures this is another pie-in-the-sky fantasy of her moms and she has to run off to save her mom from more poor decisions.
I really enjoyed Connie and the owner of the B&B, although she WAS very deceptive, but I did not care for Faith much. Yes, her life had supposedly been filled with a flighty mom making poor decisions, but until the very end, Faith never gave her mom credit for having a brain.
Long hidden family secrets, hard work and the fighting spirit that enables people to move mountains are found in abundance in At Wave's End. The book did leave me feeling upbeat and happy I'd read it.
Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the ARC.
Connie, having won a B&B that she thinks is going to be beautiful and wonderful, based on photos, is thrilled and ready for adventure. Her daughter, Faith, an up-and-coming NYC chef, is disgusted because she figures this is another pie-in-the-sky fantasy of her moms and she has to run off to save her mom from more poor decisions.
I really enjoyed Connie and the owner of the B&B, although she WAS very deceptive, but I did not care for Faith much. Yes, her life had supposedly been filled with a flighty mom making poor decisions, but until the very end, Faith never gave her mom credit for having a brain.
Long hidden family secrets, hard work and the fighting spirit that enables people to move mountains are found in abundance in At Wave's End. The book did leave me feeling upbeat and happy I'd read it.
Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the ARC.
September 23, 2017
Faith's mom Connie is a dreamer. Faith is practical. She's used to her mom following one dream after another. This time, Connie has really won the contest. She won a bed and breakfast called The Mermaid's Purse in a town called Wave's End. When a big storm threatens to hit, Faith heads to Wave's End planning to keep her mom safe.
Mermaid's Purse fares way better than anywhere else in town and soon the b&b becomes temporary housing for the locals. Faith takes over on the kitchen, along with another chef named David.
The cast of characters thrown together because of the storm form a tight bond. When the future of Mermaid's Purse is threatened, they have to band together.
It feels very timely, given all the natural disasters we've had lately.
I liked the characters, I also enjoyed the description of the meals.
There was a good bit of drama going on here. I could have appreciated a bit less. It seemed like the characters had a lot to deal with.
Sweet story.
I got to read an early copy through NetGalley.
Mermaid's Purse fares way better than anywhere else in town and soon the b&b becomes temporary housing for the locals. Faith takes over on the kitchen, along with another chef named David.
The cast of characters thrown together because of the storm form a tight bond. When the future of Mermaid's Purse is threatened, they have to band together.
It feels very timely, given all the natural disasters we've had lately.
I liked the characters, I also enjoyed the description of the meals.
There was a good bit of drama going on here. I could have appreciated a bit less. It seemed like the characters had a lot to deal with.
Sweet story.
I got to read an early copy through NetGalley.
November 21, 2017
Beautiful Story
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and was asked in return for an honest review.
This was an absolutely beautiful story. At first Faith really annoyed me with how rude and judgemental she was but as the story progressed she seemed to have relaxed a bit. I think going through that storm and being around those people really helped her to let her walls down. She listened to their stories and helped them the best she could. It even changed things in her relationship with her mother. This book showed how much a community could come together after a devastating storm. As I read this book it brought back the memories of what happened in my hometown and all the surrounding areas after Hurricane Harvey. And what our communities did to help each other out. You truely see the kindness of others after something like that.
I think this might have been one of the longest e-books I have read, or so it seemed anyway.
Very good book, beautiful story & beautifully written.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and was asked in return for an honest review.
This was an absolutely beautiful story. At first Faith really annoyed me with how rude and judgemental she was but as the story progressed she seemed to have relaxed a bit. I think going through that storm and being around those people really helped her to let her walls down. She listened to their stories and helped them the best she could. It even changed things in her relationship with her mother. This book showed how much a community could come together after a devastating storm. As I read this book it brought back the memories of what happened in my hometown and all the surrounding areas after Hurricane Harvey. And what our communities did to help each other out. You truely see the kindness of others after something like that.
I think this might have been one of the longest e-books I have read, or so it seemed anyway.
Very good book, beautiful story & beautifully written.
August 19, 2017
I rate this book a 3.5 stars out of 5.
I liked it the book as a whole. However, I did not like Faith, she appeared to be a spoiled, self-centered brat, who liked controlling her mom, talking down to her, and overall just being a rude child. I think she confused herself as the parent. I really just could not connect with her character.
Connie and Maeve I did like. I think they were the characters this book needed. I think Connie had a heart of gold, and she put others needs in front of her own, so being the owner of a B&B after a terrible hurricane was perfect for her.
The writing was good, and the description of the aftermath of storm Nadine was written in such great detail, that I can envision the sand lined streets, the destroyed homes, and businesses. It took me back the days I was glued to the t.v. after hurricane Sandy. So well done to Patricia for that.
Overall, this was a good book, and I enjoyed it.
I liked it the book as a whole. However, I did not like Faith, she appeared to be a spoiled, self-centered brat, who liked controlling her mom, talking down to her, and overall just being a rude child. I think she confused herself as the parent. I really just could not connect with her character.
Connie and Maeve I did like. I think they were the characters this book needed. I think Connie had a heart of gold, and she put others needs in front of her own, so being the owner of a B&B after a terrible hurricane was perfect for her.
The writing was good, and the description of the aftermath of storm Nadine was written in such great detail, that I can envision the sand lined streets, the destroyed homes, and businesses. It took me back the days I was glued to the t.v. after hurricane Sandy. So well done to Patricia for that.
Overall, this was a good book, and I enjoyed it.
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