What do you think?
Rate this book
Hotel nad zatoką
Rodzinne więzy łączą nas na zawsze – bez względu na to, jak daleko próbujemy od nich uciec…
Trzy siostry Bradford znane są z urody, pięknych głosów, legendarnych przodków i eleganckiej matki, która od dnia, kiedy zniknął jej mąż, samotnie prowadzi stary Hotel nad Zatoką Szaleńców.
Najstarsza została i stworzyła sobie z pozoru idealne życie: wyszła za mąż, urodziła dziecko i pomaga matce prowadzić hotel. Dwie młodsze uciekły, by spełniać marzenia. Po serii kiepskich decyzji obie muszą wrócić do domu, stawiając czoło krytycznej matce i najstarszej siostrze. Wszystkie postanawiają urządzić przyjęcie urodzinowe dla matki, z trudem starając się utrzymać w tajemnicy fikcję, które z taką pieczołowitością tworzyły. Ale kiedy otwierają się stare bolesne rany i wychodzą na jaw rodzinne sekrety, siostrzane więzi zostają wystawione na ciężką próbę.
Kameralne, szczere spojrzenie na siostrzeństwo, pełne ciepła i humoru. Fascynująca historia o rodzinie: o tym, co ją potrafi rozbić, ale przede wszystkim o miłości, która cementuje jak nic innego.
Powieść, która śpiewa: o miłości do dziecka, utracie i o żalu za życiem. O cichych zwycięstwach, gdy uda się przetrwać i odnaleźć na nowo.
Trzy siostry Bradford znane są z urody, pięknych głosów, legendarnych przodków i eleganckiej matki, która od dnia, kiedy zniknął jej mąż, samotnie prowadzi stary Hotel nad Zatoką Szaleńców.
Najstarsza została i stworzyła sobie z pozoru idealne życie: wyszła za mąż, urodziła dziecko i pomaga matce prowadzić hotel. Dwie młodsze uciekły, by spełniać marzenia. Po serii kiepskich decyzji obie muszą wrócić do domu, stawiając czoło krytycznej matce i najstarszej siostrze. Wszystkie postanawiają urządzić przyjęcie urodzinowe dla matki, z trudem starając się utrzymać w tajemnicy fikcję, które z taką pieczołowitością tworzyły. Ale kiedy otwierają się stare bolesne rany i wychodzą na jaw rodzinne sekrety, siostrzane więzi zostają wystawione na ciężką próbę.
Kameralne, szczere spojrzenie na siostrzeństwo, pełne ciepła i humoru. Fascynująca historia o rodzinie: o tym, co ją potrafi rozbić, ale przede wszystkim o miłości, która cementuje jak nic innego.
Powieść, która śpiewa: o miłości do dziecka, utracie i o żalu za życiem. O cichych zwycięstwach, gdy uda się przetrwać i odnaleźć na nowo.
456 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2016
13 people are currently reading
491 people want to read
About the author
Holly Robinson
21 books241 followersHolly Robinson is the author of The Gerbil Farmer's Daughter: a Memoir as well as several novels, including Sleeping Tigers, The Wishing Hill, Beach Plum Island, and Haven Lake.
Her essays, articles and columns have appeared in a variety of national publications. She also works as a ghost writer and book doctor on celebrity memoirs and other nonfiction books.
Holly holds a B.A. in biology from Clark University and is a graduate of the MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
She and her husband have five children, two cats and one very stubborn Pekingese. They are crazy enough to be fixing up two old houses--in Massachusetts and on Prince Edward Island--one shingle at a time.
Her essays, articles and columns have appeared in a variety of national publications. She also works as a ghost writer and book doctor on celebrity memoirs and other nonfiction books.
Holly holds a B.A. in biology from Clark University and is a graduate of the MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
She and her husband have five children, two cats and one very stubborn Pekingese. They are crazy enough to be fixing up two old houses--in Massachusetts and on Prince Edward Island--one shingle at a time.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 2, 2016
Holly Robinson brings us a great story with all of the ingredients of a family saga. Secrets, sibling problems, jealously, misunderstandings, marital issues, and so much more is wrapped into an engrossing read you hesitate to put down.
I found myself reading late into the night due to the wonderfully crafted in-depth descriptions and character development that begs you keep turning those pages. As the secrets and issues in this family unfold, the more you have to read. While in some parts you can guess where the story is going, it does not lessen the interest or the overall effect of this engrossing story.
You can get lost in Folly Cove easily and I did. A wonderful read that you can fall into and maybe even recognize parts within your own family.
Full review on http://amidlifewife.com/folly-cove-ho...
I found myself reading late into the night due to the wonderfully crafted in-depth descriptions and character development that begs you keep turning those pages. As the secrets and issues in this family unfold, the more you have to read. While in some parts you can guess where the story is going, it does not lessen the interest or the overall effect of this engrossing story.
You can get lost in Folly Cove easily and I did. A wonderful read that you can fall into and maybe even recognize parts within your own family.
Full review on http://amidlifewife.com/folly-cove-ho...
July 27, 2016
Rarely do I read a book in a single day, but FOLLY COVE absolutely captivated me. Maybe it was because I saw my own relatives in these characters (Sarah reminded me of my own grandmother), but this story about three sisters and their mother gripped me.
Folly Cove is an old inn in Rockport, MA, run by single-mom Sarah and her three daughters, at least until two of the daughters are old enough to escape. The third daughter married, had a child, and settled in to continue helping out. At the start of the novel, however, the two other sisters are pulled back to Folly Cove, and all three must work together--despite that not all are speaking to one another--to plan their mother's birthday. I didn't want to put this book down so I could find out what all the secrets are--and there are plenty of secrets to be uncovered.
Robinson's writing is gorgeous and her descriptions are spot on. In describing an older couple staying at the inn, she writes, "They looked like a pair of pigeons mated for life." So evocative! I thoroughly enjoyed FOLLY COVE.
Folly Cove is an old inn in Rockport, MA, run by single-mom Sarah and her three daughters, at least until two of the daughters are old enough to escape. The third daughter married, had a child, and settled in to continue helping out. At the start of the novel, however, the two other sisters are pulled back to Folly Cove, and all three must work together--despite that not all are speaking to one another--to plan their mother's birthday. I didn't want to put this book down so I could find out what all the secrets are--and there are plenty of secrets to be uncovered.
Robinson's writing is gorgeous and her descriptions are spot on. In describing an older couple staying at the inn, she writes, "They looked like a pair of pigeons mated for life." So evocative! I thoroughly enjoyed FOLLY COVE.
August 18, 2016
For my money, there's nothing better than characters withholding information, telling white lies and flat-out misrepresenting themselves. It's so much like real life--and so fun. Indeed, this lively novel might've been subtitled: Sisterhood of the Unraveling Secrets because all three sisters (and their mother) have an uneasy relationship with the truth. Readers who are familiar with Robinson's deft hand with scene setting, dialogue and pacing will not be disappointed here as they race toward the satisfying conclusion.
Foley Cove is as honest as the characters within often fail to be, and its message is clear. No one can break your heart like your family and no one else holds greater power to mend it.
Foley Cove is as honest as the characters within often fail to be, and its message is clear. No one can break your heart like your family and no one else holds greater power to mend it.
December 9, 2016
**EDIT 12/8/2016**
Review originally published in Booklist Online on October 20, 2016.
Set among the lush backdrop of a New England autumn, this charmer tells the story of love, family, sisterhood, and “letting go of the life you planned to make room for the life that’s waiting for you.” The Bradford sisters—Laura, Elly, and Anne—grew up seemingly to have it all, until their father abandoned them. Then it took everything they had to help their mother, Sarah, keep the Folly Cove Inn from financial ruin. As soon as they could, Elly and Anne fled Folly Cove to pursue their dreams, leaving their sister Laura behind to cope with their stoic mother. Now the sisters are reuniting to prepare a grand celebration for their mother’s birthday. But there are secrets that can no longer be kept and past wounds that refuse to heal. Only when their picture-perfect lives are shattered do the Bradford sisters realize how strong the bond of sisterhood really is. Although the writing can be a bit cliché, Folly Cove is a warm story of sisterhood that will take the chill out of the autumn air.
Review originally published in Booklist Online on October 20, 2016.
Set among the lush backdrop of a New England autumn, this charmer tells the story of love, family, sisterhood, and “letting go of the life you planned to make room for the life that’s waiting for you.” The Bradford sisters—Laura, Elly, and Anne—grew up seemingly to have it all, until their father abandoned them. Then it took everything they had to help their mother, Sarah, keep the Folly Cove Inn from financial ruin. As soon as they could, Elly and Anne fled Folly Cove to pursue their dreams, leaving their sister Laura behind to cope with their stoic mother. Now the sisters are reuniting to prepare a grand celebration for their mother’s birthday. But there are secrets that can no longer be kept and past wounds that refuse to heal. Only when their picture-perfect lives are shattered do the Bradford sisters realize how strong the bond of sisterhood really is. Although the writing can be a bit cliché, Folly Cove is a warm story of sisterhood that will take the chill out of the autumn air.
October 14, 2017
The three Bradford sisters are together to have a celebration for their mother, Sarah. There is a mix of personalities and complex relationships to each other and their mother. It is set in Massachusetts, where Sarah has run the Folly Cove Inn since her husband disappeared. This story is all about family relationships and has great descriptions and detail. Holly Robinson is a talented author and this is one of her best books. I received the book from Goodreads Giveaways for a review.
July 2, 2017
A fast enjoyable read! Loved it!
Want to read
July 14, 2017Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2017/07...
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2017/07...
October 4, 2016
The Bradford girls, Laura, Elly, and Anne were close once, as close as only sisters can be. They'd learned to rely on each other after their father abandoned them and their mother focused on making their inn, Folly Cove, a success. But along the way, betrayals and suspicions have driven a wedge between the sisters, creating distances, physical, and emotional, that threaten to break them apart. When their mother's stunning past is revealed to them, revealing lies that are unimaginable based on the facade their mother has worn all their lives, the sisters must come together to move forward, or watch their family crumble. Folly Cove is an intimate, gritty look into sisters and families, told with warmth and humor. As the story unfolds we get to know each of the sisters and their mother in detail; their triumphs, their tragedies, their losses and their accomplishments. Holly Robinson has a gift for developing the characters and the settings in her books, and once again she has woven the two into an enthralling story about families...the things that drive them apart, but mostly about the love that binds them together.
September 11, 2016
My heart was feeling all of the emotions this author so richly portrays with the Bradford sisters, Luara, Anne and Elly, their anger, resentments, and withheld secrets from one another, and how their present lives were affected and intertwined. They had been estranged, with some hurts to deep to fathom yet they came back home to the family inn to celebrate their mother's 65h birthday. The history of their childhood was not what they had been led to believe. Sarah, their mother lived her life under false pretenses, the lies she had told everyone, and the status she claimed and upheld was a devastating secret. There were wonderful pages when the love of the sisters pasts were shared with uplifting humor, and the longing hope that they could be as carefree like that again. Holly Robinson captures your heart with this wonderful family saga as only she can. Her message that family drama can change and forgiveness is possible when the truth is revealed and wonderful options are possible.
August 19, 2019
This is a good book till the last 50 pages or so, then it just took forever to end, which brought it down by one star.
December 25, 2016
http://openbooksociety.com/article/fo...
Folly Cove
Holly Robinson
ISBN: 9781101991534
Author Website: http://www.authorhollyrobinson.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer jerjen
Synopsis:
An emotional and rich new novel about family and secrets from the acclaimed author of Chance Harbor.
The ties of family bind us forever—no matter how far we may go to escape them…
The Bradford sisters are famous in Rockport, Massachusetts: for their beauty, their singing voices, their legendary ancestors, and their elegant mother, Sarah, who has run the historic Folly Cove Inn alone ever since her husband disappeared.
The two youngest sisters, Anne and Elly, fled Folly Cove as soon as they could to pursue their dreams and escape the Bradford name, while Laura stayed and created a seemingly picture perfect life. After a series of bad decisions, Anne has no choice but to come home and face her critical mother and oldest sister, reluctantly followed by Elly, another Bradford woman who’s hiding something.
As the three sisters plan a grand celebration for their mother’s birthday, they struggle to maintain the illusions about their lives that they’ve so carefully crafted. But when painful old wounds reopen and startling family secrets are revealed, they soon discover that even the seemingly unbreakable bonds of sisterhood can be tested… (Goodreads)
Review:
This is a book about family drama, family loyalty, family secrets and family love. It took me through a wide range of reactions: laughter, sadness, shock, frustration and understanding. This is one of the best family saga books that I have read, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Anne Bradford, the youngest of the three Bradford sisters, has returned home to Folly Cove Inn, after breaking up with her boyfriend. A boyfriend who happened to be a married man. And she is not returning home alone. She has a four month old daughter that her family knows nothing about. She does not know what type of reception she will receive but she knows she needs to go back and figure out what to do with her life.
Elly has also returned home at the request of her other sister, Laura. Laura is upset that Anne has returned, due to a nasty fight that the two have had. Since Elly is between jobs and does not have a serious relationship, she agrees to come and try to play peacemaker between the two.
Laura is the only one of the sisters that did not leave Folly Cove. She has stayed, married, had a daughter and opened her own riding stables. She knows that things between her and her husband are not great, but she is willing to do whatever it takes to make her marriage work and keep her family intact.
Sarah, the mother of the three sisters, is a no-nonsense type of woman. She has had to make sacrifices during her life to keep Folly Cove Inn open and successful. She has secrets that she has kept hidden from her daughters for most of their lives, and although she is not proud of that fact, she feels she had no choice but to keep certain things from her daughters.
Flossie, Sarah’s sister-in-law, is a new age woman and a thorn in Sarah’s side. Flossie knows all of Sarah’s darkest secrets.
The two do not get along very well at all, but the girls all love Flossie.
The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. All five of the female leading characters are strong willed, independent, smart women. They are not afraid of working hard and doing whatever needs to be done to help them achieve their goals. The one area in their lives where they flounder is in matters of the heart. They all seem to be cursed in love and all have track records of picking the wrong man.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book, I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place and listening in on conversations. I could picture the rooms at Folly Cove Inn and all of the traditions held in the rooms of the resort. She is also very talented in writing the emotions of her characters, what they are thinking and feeling. At times the emotional turmoil and raw reactions felt so human and real. That was some pretty heady stuff and made for great reading. I enjoyed the fact that the book was told from four different points of view: Anne, Elly, Laura and Sarah. I felt this allowed the reader to learn more about each character’s background and the reasons behind how their lives have turned out.
I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who enjoys a superbly written women’s contemporary. If I could, I would give this book more than five stars. Every time I had to stop reading, I found myself wanting to get back to the book as soon as possible. I will definitely check out the other books written by this author and I am looking forward to that.
Folly Cove
Holly Robinson
ISBN: 9781101991534
Author Website: http://www.authorhollyrobinson.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer jerjen
Synopsis:
An emotional and rich new novel about family and secrets from the acclaimed author of Chance Harbor.
The ties of family bind us forever—no matter how far we may go to escape them…
The Bradford sisters are famous in Rockport, Massachusetts: for their beauty, their singing voices, their legendary ancestors, and their elegant mother, Sarah, who has run the historic Folly Cove Inn alone ever since her husband disappeared.
The two youngest sisters, Anne and Elly, fled Folly Cove as soon as they could to pursue their dreams and escape the Bradford name, while Laura stayed and created a seemingly picture perfect life. After a series of bad decisions, Anne has no choice but to come home and face her critical mother and oldest sister, reluctantly followed by Elly, another Bradford woman who’s hiding something.
As the three sisters plan a grand celebration for their mother’s birthday, they struggle to maintain the illusions about their lives that they’ve so carefully crafted. But when painful old wounds reopen and startling family secrets are revealed, they soon discover that even the seemingly unbreakable bonds of sisterhood can be tested… (Goodreads)
Review:
This is a book about family drama, family loyalty, family secrets and family love. It took me through a wide range of reactions: laughter, sadness, shock, frustration and understanding. This is one of the best family saga books that I have read, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Anne Bradford, the youngest of the three Bradford sisters, has returned home to Folly Cove Inn, after breaking up with her boyfriend. A boyfriend who happened to be a married man. And she is not returning home alone. She has a four month old daughter that her family knows nothing about. She does not know what type of reception she will receive but she knows she needs to go back and figure out what to do with her life.
Elly has also returned home at the request of her other sister, Laura. Laura is upset that Anne has returned, due to a nasty fight that the two have had. Since Elly is between jobs and does not have a serious relationship, she agrees to come and try to play peacemaker between the two.
Laura is the only one of the sisters that did not leave Folly Cove. She has stayed, married, had a daughter and opened her own riding stables. She knows that things between her and her husband are not great, but she is willing to do whatever it takes to make her marriage work and keep her family intact.
Sarah, the mother of the three sisters, is a no-nonsense type of woman. She has had to make sacrifices during her life to keep Folly Cove Inn open and successful. She has secrets that she has kept hidden from her daughters for most of their lives, and although she is not proud of that fact, she feels she had no choice but to keep certain things from her daughters.
Flossie, Sarah’s sister-in-law, is a new age woman and a thorn in Sarah’s side. Flossie knows all of Sarah’s darkest secrets.
The two do not get along very well at all, but the girls all love Flossie.
The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. All five of the female leading characters are strong willed, independent, smart women. They are not afraid of working hard and doing whatever needs to be done to help them achieve their goals. The one area in their lives where they flounder is in matters of the heart. They all seem to be cursed in love and all have track records of picking the wrong man.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book, I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action taking place and listening in on conversations. I could picture the rooms at Folly Cove Inn and all of the traditions held in the rooms of the resort. She is also very talented in writing the emotions of her characters, what they are thinking and feeling. At times the emotional turmoil and raw reactions felt so human and real. That was some pretty heady stuff and made for great reading. I enjoyed the fact that the book was told from four different points of view: Anne, Elly, Laura and Sarah. I felt this allowed the reader to learn more about each character’s background and the reasons behind how their lives have turned out.
I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who enjoys a superbly written women’s contemporary. If I could, I would give this book more than five stars. Every time I had to stop reading, I found myself wanting to get back to the book as soon as possible. I will definitely check out the other books written by this author and I am looking forward to that.
November 5, 2017
Thank you to Net Galley and Berkeley Publishing Group for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Another great read by Holly Robinson who has a gift for writing compelling stories about family drama and dysfunction. This book tells the story of the Bradford sisters, who have grown apart after two of them left their home to settle into their own lives away from their distant but domineering mother. Anne and Elly find themselves at loose ends and decide to return home to face the judgement of their older sister Laura and their mother.
While they start to mend fences and plan a grand birthday celebration for their mother, old family secrets and resentments surface, which forces the sisters to decide once and for all how strong the bond of family actually is.
While they start to mend fences and plan a grand birthday celebration for their mother, old family secrets and resentments surface, which forces the sisters to decide once and for all how strong the bond of family actually is.
May 12, 2017
Was a very easy read about three sisters Laura-elly-Annie how they come back to folly cove and help each other with their problems Annie a single mom with four month old baby father went back to wife Laura husband gay tell daughter and pull self together Elly from California comes easy to help friend Ryder comes to visit and they get serious. Mother Sarah deal with husband gone thirty years gets letter he died. Flossie aunt to girls helps them all
September 5, 2017
Three sisters are each at a low point when they meet up at Folly Cove, their childhood home. Mom and a few others are still local. Some dysfunctional family dynamics, lies and old secrets. A few events along the way but the story is all about the interaction between family members. Two of them are instigators trying force issues out in the open. Every plan they devise seems to work out but only after causing some pain.
March 25, 2018
To be honest, I expected this to be a light chick lit romance, but found it a lot more complex (and enjoyable). It probably deserves at least 3.5 stars.
It is told from several different point of views, but it does not detract from the flow of the story. However, if you are distracted often as you read (as I am), it might take a minute to place each one of the characters and their unique back story. Still, the effort is rewarded in a surprisingly well-developed and engaging read.
It is told from several different point of views, but it does not detract from the flow of the story. However, if you are distracted often as you read (as I am), it might take a minute to place each one of the characters and their unique back story. Still, the effort is rewarded in a surprisingly well-developed and engaging read.
January 23, 2018
A very entertaining story about three sisters, their Mom and a life built on lies. Emotional, at times funny and a look at a family close to shattering.
First read by this author and I will be looking for more. Full review to follow...
First read by this author and I will be looking for more. Full review to follow...
March 9, 2018
Folly Cove
Enjoyed this book very much. Well written with characters that was very entertaining. It was hard to put it down until I finished it.
Enjoyed this book very much. Well written with characters that was very entertaining. It was hard to put it down until I finished it.
May 27, 2018
Greatly enjoyed this multi generational family saga set on the East Coast of the US. Highly recommend.
June 17, 2018
Predictable.
January 29, 2019
Good family saga
Between the three girls and their mama and their aunt, how many secrets are waiting to be revealed? Truly good
Between the three girls and their mama and their aunt, how many secrets are waiting to be revealed? Truly good
July 15, 2019
A fun beach read. Or in my case, a patio read. It was really more of a 3.5...
August 29, 2019
I feel like at the end the story should have contributed.
November 23, 2016
Folly Cove by Holly Robinson is a women’s fiction that teaches a moral from the way the four main characters deal with their lives. This is about a mother, and her three daughters, all of whom have very distinct personalities and how they deal with the ups and downs that comes their way. Folly Cove would be a great TV movie on Lifetime or the Hallmark channel because it does have a heartfelt message and spotlights important issues such as infidelity, trying to find one’s place in the world, and family secrets that could destroy lives.
Sarah is celebrating her 65th birthday, but she may be older. She hides many secrets as the owner of the much beloved and respected Folly Cove Inn. Her alcoholic husband left her when her three daughters were very young, and she has no clue if he’s alive or dead. She’s elegant, stoic and somewhat of a snob. While she’s trying to come to terms with her birthday, her three daughters are all going through personal hardships.
There’s Laura, the eldest who appears to have the perfect marriage. Her husband is working long hours, and her pre-teen daughter is moody and has shut off all communications with her, including having issues with her weight. Laura can barely hold it together because even with her horse farm, she’s bleeding money, which her husband is responsible for. He may or may not be having an affair. The mistrust is there because years ago she caught her younger sister Anne kissing her husband, Jake. But not all is what it seems with Anne and Jake.
Anne has come back to Folly Cove with a baby daughter in tow. She got pregnant by a married man. Ashamed, she asks her mother for help, even though it kills her to do so because she and her mother don’t get along. Then there is Laura who assumes Anne will try and seduce Jake. Anne just wants to figure out the next steps to make things right with her family, including a possible old flame from her teen years who may not be the best person for her because of his own personal issues. But at least she has her sister Elly for support.
Elly works in Hollywood, but has become bored with the scene. She s taking a break, which means returning home. She is the buffer between Laura and Anne. She also helps Laura’s daughter with her growing pains, as well as find out what Jake is hiding. She also wishes for more, which maybe in the form of the younger man she left behind.
The Bradford women are portrayed as strong and admirable, but also shown as human with the way they handle situations that arise. We all can sympathize with them, especially with a mother who is very opinionated with her daughters. Some readers may not connect with Sarah like the three other women because she acts too high and mighty. We find out why she does toward the end, which is a bit of a surprise, but nothing too shocking. The big shock is Laura’s husband Jake and his secrets. When those are revealed it’s a big whoa moment because I never would have expected that. Anne and Elly are more down to Earth and likeable. Their stories are more simple, and include a touch of romance for both.
Folly Cove is a solid read with a mash-up of Women’s Fiction and Small Town Family Drama. Also the HEA is pretty nice.
Sarah is celebrating her 65th birthday, but she may be older. She hides many secrets as the owner of the much beloved and respected Folly Cove Inn. Her alcoholic husband left her when her three daughters were very young, and she has no clue if he’s alive or dead. She’s elegant, stoic and somewhat of a snob. While she’s trying to come to terms with her birthday, her three daughters are all going through personal hardships.
There’s Laura, the eldest who appears to have the perfect marriage. Her husband is working long hours, and her pre-teen daughter is moody and has shut off all communications with her, including having issues with her weight. Laura can barely hold it together because even with her horse farm, she’s bleeding money, which her husband is responsible for. He may or may not be having an affair. The mistrust is there because years ago she caught her younger sister Anne kissing her husband, Jake. But not all is what it seems with Anne and Jake.
Anne has come back to Folly Cove with a baby daughter in tow. She got pregnant by a married man. Ashamed, she asks her mother for help, even though it kills her to do so because she and her mother don’t get along. Then there is Laura who assumes Anne will try and seduce Jake. Anne just wants to figure out the next steps to make things right with her family, including a possible old flame from her teen years who may not be the best person for her because of his own personal issues. But at least she has her sister Elly for support.
Elly works in Hollywood, but has become bored with the scene. She s taking a break, which means returning home. She is the buffer between Laura and Anne. She also helps Laura’s daughter with her growing pains, as well as find out what Jake is hiding. She also wishes for more, which maybe in the form of the younger man she left behind.
The Bradford women are portrayed as strong and admirable, but also shown as human with the way they handle situations that arise. We all can sympathize with them, especially with a mother who is very opinionated with her daughters. Some readers may not connect with Sarah like the three other women because she acts too high and mighty. We find out why she does toward the end, which is a bit of a surprise, but nothing too shocking. The big shock is Laura’s husband Jake and his secrets. When those are revealed it’s a big whoa moment because I never would have expected that. Anne and Elly are more down to Earth and likeable. Their stories are more simple, and include a touch of romance for both.
Folly Cove is a solid read with a mash-up of Women’s Fiction and Small Town Family Drama. Also the HEA is pretty nice.
October 4, 2016
Folly Cove. Holly Robinson. Penguin Publishing. October 2016. 400 pp. ISBN#: 978110199.534.
Folly Cove Inn, its owner Sarah Bradford, and her daughters, Laura, Anne and Elly, are famous in the Rockport, Massachusetts area and throughout the country. The singular jazz singing, elegant meals, pristinely beautiful grounds, and the hosts’ friendliness to guests make the Inn a favorite vacation spot as well as a site for weddings and celebrations galore. At one time, the three sisters were as close as possible, a support for each other against the persistent demands for perfection from their mother. But now through a series of unexpected events, secrets galore are about to come out, facts and dreams that will shatter or unite their relationships forever!
Anne is the first to come home from her idyllic love and beach life far from Rockport. Her perfect life has come undone, her love has left and she arrives home to shock Sarah with a baby girl. She soon moves into a nearby cottage on the grounds as her mother doesn’t want a child’s noise to disturb the guests; she never realizes her coldness to her granddaughter just adds more hurt to Anne’s already dispirited mood. But Anne’s feisty enough to fight for her daughter and agrees to help out at the inn to make money to support her daughter.
Laura is the daughter who stayed at home, married and had a child. But something is unraveling in her marriage and she has no idea what it is. She and Anne hate each other over a supposed betrayal that happened years earlier. The truth of that terrible time will be clarified in time but not before words and even a physical attack brings all the venom to the surface.
Elly is a talented singer who just couldn’t make in the music business but developed other skills. Her return home is guided by her need to recoup and see if she should move in a different direction. She’s the beauty of the family which causes some resentment but her genial mood makes everyone around her laugh, smile and speak honestly about whatever is needed at the moment.
All of these ladies will gradually meet men secretly and in the open that will force them to face who they are individually and as a family. Those talks that follow are stunning. Even Sarah is about to undergo a transformation, albeit forced in one sense.
This is a family story that is so very, very real. It has so many moments of different emotional ranges concerning dreams, betrayal and loyalty, sympathy, truth-telling, and a bond that is stronger than any one or series of events can destroy.
This reviewer loved this novel and highly recommends it as a careful, talented work of engaging contemporary fiction! Great story and characters every reader can identify with in some way or ways!
Folly Cove Inn, its owner Sarah Bradford, and her daughters, Laura, Anne and Elly, are famous in the Rockport, Massachusetts area and throughout the country. The singular jazz singing, elegant meals, pristinely beautiful grounds, and the hosts’ friendliness to guests make the Inn a favorite vacation spot as well as a site for weddings and celebrations galore. At one time, the three sisters were as close as possible, a support for each other against the persistent demands for perfection from their mother. But now through a series of unexpected events, secrets galore are about to come out, facts and dreams that will shatter or unite their relationships forever!
Anne is the first to come home from her idyllic love and beach life far from Rockport. Her perfect life has come undone, her love has left and she arrives home to shock Sarah with a baby girl. She soon moves into a nearby cottage on the grounds as her mother doesn’t want a child’s noise to disturb the guests; she never realizes her coldness to her granddaughter just adds more hurt to Anne’s already dispirited mood. But Anne’s feisty enough to fight for her daughter and agrees to help out at the inn to make money to support her daughter.
Laura is the daughter who stayed at home, married and had a child. But something is unraveling in her marriage and she has no idea what it is. She and Anne hate each other over a supposed betrayal that happened years earlier. The truth of that terrible time will be clarified in time but not before words and even a physical attack brings all the venom to the surface.
Elly is a talented singer who just couldn’t make in the music business but developed other skills. Her return home is guided by her need to recoup and see if she should move in a different direction. She’s the beauty of the family which causes some resentment but her genial mood makes everyone around her laugh, smile and speak honestly about whatever is needed at the moment.
All of these ladies will gradually meet men secretly and in the open that will force them to face who they are individually and as a family. Those talks that follow are stunning. Even Sarah is about to undergo a transformation, albeit forced in one sense.
This is a family story that is so very, very real. It has so many moments of different emotional ranges concerning dreams, betrayal and loyalty, sympathy, truth-telling, and a bond that is stronger than any one or series of events can destroy.
This reviewer loved this novel and highly recommends it as a careful, talented work of engaging contemporary fiction! Great story and characters every reader can identify with in some way or ways!
February 6, 2017
My another reviewer...Foley Cove is as honest as the characters within often fail to be, and its message is clear. No one can break your heart like your family and no one else holds greater power to mend it.
I decided to read this book, first off because the story is based in Rockport. Just a short drive from my home. I've always loved Rockport and Gloucester for it's deep history and the beauty of the sea. I actually received my scuba diving license at Folly Cove many years ago from a College elective course. It brought back fond memories of training at the YMCA in Charlestown for the final testing dive at Folly Cove. I was 1 of only 2 girls who took the class. A big deal then in 1981 for a girl to do the class.
The book is beautifully written with such wonder characters. They each have their strengths and flaws.
I like to site passages that interest me;
pg 68, oldest sister Laura to her Elly middle sister, "I think the older Mom gets, the fewer filters she has. It's like my thoughts roll straight our of my head onto my tongue and fall out of my mouth. I want to slap myself sometimes."
pg 116, Aunt Flossie to Anne the youngest of the 3 sisters, "You don't know anything about my life. This is the life I've chosen, dear girl. I've had one great love, and I've felt affection toward many men since that first one. In the end, though, I prefer to be on my own. To be at one with the rhythms of nature rather than dependent on the whims of others. The few times I've felt at loose ends, I have found that meditating--especially when I do it with others in my meditation group her in Rockport---lets me think of loneliness as a background landscape I'm moving through temporailiy. So, yea I am generally content." That's amazing Anne said. It isn't really. We think of our emotions as being the result of something happening to us, but happiness is a choice. It's a choice I've made. You can make it, too, no matter what happens in life. People think they have to physically die before going to heaven or starting a new lives, depending on their religions. The truth is that you can start a new life anytime you choose, as easily as waking from a dream."
pg 241, Aunt Flossie to Anne, after they sited humpback whales. "you are but one small creature in an infinite universe of wonders. Open your eyes to the marvels around you, and you will always keep the small things in perspective. Even love is a small thing, compared to what's around us."
I decided to read this book, first off because the story is based in Rockport. Just a short drive from my home. I've always loved Rockport and Gloucester for it's deep history and the beauty of the sea. I actually received my scuba diving license at Folly Cove many years ago from a College elective course. It brought back fond memories of training at the YMCA in Charlestown for the final testing dive at Folly Cove. I was 1 of only 2 girls who took the class. A big deal then in 1981 for a girl to do the class.
The book is beautifully written with such wonder characters. They each have their strengths and flaws.
I like to site passages that interest me;
pg 68, oldest sister Laura to her Elly middle sister, "I think the older Mom gets, the fewer filters she has. It's like my thoughts roll straight our of my head onto my tongue and fall out of my mouth. I want to slap myself sometimes."
pg 116, Aunt Flossie to Anne the youngest of the 3 sisters, "You don't know anything about my life. This is the life I've chosen, dear girl. I've had one great love, and I've felt affection toward many men since that first one. In the end, though, I prefer to be on my own. To be at one with the rhythms of nature rather than dependent on the whims of others. The few times I've felt at loose ends, I have found that meditating--especially when I do it with others in my meditation group her in Rockport---lets me think of loneliness as a background landscape I'm moving through temporailiy. So, yea I am generally content." That's amazing Anne said. It isn't really. We think of our emotions as being the result of something happening to us, but happiness is a choice. It's a choice I've made. You can make it, too, no matter what happens in life. People think they have to physically die before going to heaven or starting a new lives, depending on their religions. The truth is that you can start a new life anytime you choose, as easily as waking from a dream."
pg 241, Aunt Flossie to Anne, after they sited humpback whales. "you are but one small creature in an infinite universe of wonders. Open your eyes to the marvels around you, and you will always keep the small things in perspective. Even love is a small thing, compared to what's around us."
October 13, 2016
Anne Bradford has come home to Folly Cove in Massachusetts, with her baby Lucy, after the abrupt end of her relationship with Lucy's father. Colin, it turned out, wasn't in the process of getting a divorce from his wife. Barbara and Colin show up at the restaurant where she cooks to drop the baby on her and let her know that Colin's going home again. Her boss is shocked that she was "that kind of girl" (so was she), and going home to Folly Cove seemed the only short-term option.
Her mother Sarah Bradford, concerned about maintaining the tone at the Folly Cove in, which has been their sole support since Neil Bradford left them behind. Her oldest sister Laura still believes her husband Jake's version of an encounter one night, when in fact it was Jake who came to her room and behaved, well, inappropriately. The fact that Lucy's father was married only confirms her poor opinion of Anne's behavior.
Then their middle sister Elly comes home, partly to act as a buffer, partly because she's simply hit a dry patch in in her work as a production designer in Hollywood, and needs a break from it.
The Bradford sisters, their mother Sarah, and their Aunt Flossie, their father Neil's sister, are about to get tangled up in the revelation of family secrets. While they're being rocked by the secrets Sarah told in building a secure life for herself and her daughters, they're also struggling with their own secrets. For Laura, it's the question of what's wrong in her relationship with Jake, and her own illicit communication with an old school friend, Tom, who contacted her again through Facebook. For Anne, it's what really happened with Jake, and her own cautious new friendship with her first love, Sebastian. For Elly, it's the panful end of her relationship with Hans, and the surgery that followed.
All the women are fascinating and compelling, and I loved their slow discovery of of just how deep their mutual attachments are. It's a family that always loved each other, but has been strained by the challenges they've faced, including, ironically, Sarah's determination to ensure her daughters had the safe, secure childhood she'd wanted for herself.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Her mother Sarah Bradford, concerned about maintaining the tone at the Folly Cove in, which has been their sole support since Neil Bradford left them behind. Her oldest sister Laura still believes her husband Jake's version of an encounter one night, when in fact it was Jake who came to her room and behaved, well, inappropriately. The fact that Lucy's father was married only confirms her poor opinion of Anne's behavior.
Then their middle sister Elly comes home, partly to act as a buffer, partly because she's simply hit a dry patch in in her work as a production designer in Hollywood, and needs a break from it.
The Bradford sisters, their mother Sarah, and their Aunt Flossie, their father Neil's sister, are about to get tangled up in the revelation of family secrets. While they're being rocked by the secrets Sarah told in building a secure life for herself and her daughters, they're also struggling with their own secrets. For Laura, it's the question of what's wrong in her relationship with Jake, and her own illicit communication with an old school friend, Tom, who contacted her again through Facebook. For Anne, it's what really happened with Jake, and her own cautious new friendship with her first love, Sebastian. For Elly, it's the panful end of her relationship with Hans, and the surgery that followed.
All the women are fascinating and compelling, and I loved their slow discovery of of just how deep their mutual attachments are. It's a family that always loved each other, but has been strained by the challenges they've faced, including, ironically, Sarah's determination to ensure her daughters had the safe, secure childhood she'd wanted for herself.
Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
June 18, 2019
Nicely written contemporary family "sisters' power" type story. Good entertainment.
October 13, 2016
The Bradford sisters, Laura, Elly, and Anne, love one another, as only sisters from an overbearing and complex mother can. Their mother, Sara, former jazz singer and wife of the owner of a historic inn located in a beautiful coastal New England town, has secrets and is willfully ignorant of her impact on her daughters. Laura placed her own life as a competitive equestrian on hold, the "good" daughter who sacrificed to "do the right thing." Elly and Anne returned to the family fold after living lives that resulted in dashed dreams. They come back to the inn and face each other as well as the results of their decisions. Prominent throughout the story is the Bradford family trait that keeps secrets close to hearts even as families threaten to break apart.
No one writes about the inner lives of women better than Holly Robinson. Describing the complex relationships between sisters and lovers, and unraveling the impact of mothers and aunts are fertile ground for Holly's skilled touch. Add to this, a mystery of a father who abandoned Sara and her daughters, in settings that will take a reader's breath away, and you have a story that will keep you turning pages until the small hours of the morning.
I received an ARC of this book prior to its release.
No one writes about the inner lives of women better than Holly Robinson. Describing the complex relationships between sisters and lovers, and unraveling the impact of mothers and aunts are fertile ground for Holly's skilled touch. Add to this, a mystery of a father who abandoned Sara and her daughters, in settings that will take a reader's breath away, and you have a story that will keep you turning pages until the small hours of the morning.
I received an ARC of this book prior to its release.
September 18, 2016
What an emotional story. Two sisters head back to New England to their childhood home to reunite with their mother, sister and aunt. Anne and Elly left Folly Cove to escape their overbearing mother and the old fashioned hotel where they grew up. Laura has stayed and runs the riding program program and helps out their mother with the hotel. There is a lot of turmoil within the family starting with Laura's husband accusing Anne of making advances toward him and building a huge rift between the two sisters. As the story progresses, lies and resentments build until the sisters discover that in life, sisters are forever. Great story that has you constantly guessing what's going to happen next.
May 8, 2017
Holly Robinson's books always deal with relationships - in her new one she is looking at the relationships between sisters, mothers and daughters, friends and lovers. And underneath the story is the issue of how much betrayal and hurt we can absorb before we refuse to engage with others. Set in the Rockport/Gloucester area around a family owned inn the book also looks at family expectations and the cost and benefits of submitting to them. But you'll love the characters - well not all of them - and be rooting for them to find their way back to each other. And while this sounds intense (and possibly dismal) the book is an easy, enjoyable read with just enough depth to make you think about it for a while.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews