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Marigold Island #1
The Beachside Inn
Escape to Marigold Island, a charming New England town with a cast of characters who will come to feel like old friends!
Lydia Walker and Angela Collins both need a fresh start.
A year ago, Lydia became a widow at thirty-eight when she lost her beloved husband to cancer, and despite the support of her friends and her teenage daughter, Holly, she’s had a hard time moving on from the loss. She feels stuck, uncertain of how to carry out her husband’s final wish that she do something that scares her.
Angela Collins has what seems like the perfect life—a beautiful little boy, a loving husband, and a good career. But that all comes crumbling down when she returns home early one afternoon and discovers that her husband is having an affair.
Struggling with grief and loss, both women head to Marigold Island, an idyllic small town with white sand beaches and happy childhood memories.
A chance meeting between the two old friends sparks an idea that’s as exciting as it is terrifying. They decide to buy the historic Beachside Inn, renovate it, and re-open it.
Along the way, they’ll encounter a cranky landscaper who may have a soft side hidden beneath his gruff exterior, plumbing mishaps, old acquaintances, and unexpected competition from a big hotel.
Will Lydia and Angela get the second chance they’re hoping for? Or will their dreams of re-opening the Beachside Inn be dashed before they even get off the ground?
Come dip your toes in the crystal blue waters of Marigold Island, a fictional island town tucked in next to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. This heartwarming and uplifting women’s fiction will take you on a journey of healing, friendship, family, faith, and love.
If you enjoy books by Pamela Kelley, Kay Correll, Debbie Macomber, and Jan Moran, the Marigold Island series is for you!
Lydia Walker and Angela Collins both need a fresh start.
A year ago, Lydia became a widow at thirty-eight when she lost her beloved husband to cancer, and despite the support of her friends and her teenage daughter, Holly, she’s had a hard time moving on from the loss. She feels stuck, uncertain of how to carry out her husband’s final wish that she do something that scares her.
Angela Collins has what seems like the perfect life—a beautiful little boy, a loving husband, and a good career. But that all comes crumbling down when she returns home early one afternoon and discovers that her husband is having an affair.
Struggling with grief and loss, both women head to Marigold Island, an idyllic small town with white sand beaches and happy childhood memories.
A chance meeting between the two old friends sparks an idea that’s as exciting as it is terrifying. They decide to buy the historic Beachside Inn, renovate it, and re-open it.
Along the way, they’ll encounter a cranky landscaper who may have a soft side hidden beneath his gruff exterior, plumbing mishaps, old acquaintances, and unexpected competition from a big hotel.
Will Lydia and Angela get the second chance they’re hoping for? Or will their dreams of re-opening the Beachside Inn be dashed before they even get off the ground?
Come dip your toes in the crystal blue waters of Marigold Island, a fictional island town tucked in next to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. This heartwarming and uplifting women’s fiction will take you on a journey of healing, friendship, family, faith, and love.
If you enjoy books by Pamela Kelley, Kay Correll, Debbie Macomber, and Jan Moran, the Marigold Island series is for you!
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2021
9437 people are currently reading
1128 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
August 30, 2022
A huge disappointment for me. It was so over the top predictable with the widow meeting the widow and the newly separated woman meeting the newly separated man, who would have ever guessed that? But what really drove me insane was the constant talk of food, what they ate, what they ordered where they ate, in literally every single chapter. The entire book was about their food. Even the conflict was so sappy, a big famous actor coming to the small tiny island to build a chain hotel. I just couldn’t handle it.
December 15, 2021
Too perfect
This book was in the okay category for me. Two women who haven't seen each other since high school, now in their 30s, run into each other and in the space of an afternoon decide to buy and renovate and old inn. Neither of them apparently have any issues with money, one a young widow, the other In the process of starting a divorce. Angela, who's getting the divorce, has no worry that her soon-to-be ex will lay any claim to the project, no concerns about moving to the small town with her son and his dad staying in another city, no worries about visitation for the child's father. And then of course says the 4-year-old would have to approve in order for her to move there. What?? No obstacles, everything so easy. Yes, books are an escape, but maybe a little bit of drama would have been nice.
This book was in the okay category for me. Two women who haven't seen each other since high school, now in their 30s, run into each other and in the space of an afternoon decide to buy and renovate and old inn. Neither of them apparently have any issues with money, one a young widow, the other In the process of starting a divorce. Angela, who's getting the divorce, has no worry that her soon-to-be ex will lay any claim to the project, no concerns about moving to the small town with her son and his dad staying in another city, no worries about visitation for the child's father. And then of course says the 4-year-old would have to approve in order for her to move there. What?? No obstacles, everything so easy. Yes, books are an escape, but maybe a little bit of drama would have been nice.
July 4, 2023
The Beachside Inn by Fiona Baker
Marigold Island #1
6h 1m narrated by Meg Price, 294 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Featuring: Massachusetts, Island Life, Widowers, Marital Issues, March, Innkeeper, Overcoming Obstacles, Family
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult situations
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🏖
My thoughts: I needed an audiobook to get through holiday cooking and this one did not disappoint. It is just the carefree breezy read you need to put you in a good mood. It features a good cast of characters all of them amicable and sweet but not enough to make your teeth hurt. Their journeys are predictable, and their problems are easy to solve. It's just the adult version of BSC's Stoneybrook I'm always on the look for in between thrillers. Audible only has 4 books but there are 8 and they're all on Kindle Unlimited.
Recommend to others: Yes. I can't wait to devour this series.
Marigold Island #1
6h 1m narrated by Meg Price, 294 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Featuring: Massachusetts, Island Life, Widowers, Marital Issues, March, Innkeeper, Overcoming Obstacles, Family
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult situations
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🏖
My thoughts: I needed an audiobook to get through holiday cooking and this one did not disappoint. It is just the carefree breezy read you need to put you in a good mood. It features a good cast of characters all of them amicable and sweet but not enough to make your teeth hurt. Their journeys are predictable, and their problems are easy to solve. It's just the adult version of BSC's Stoneybrook I'm always on the look for in between thrillers. Audible only has 4 books but there are 8 and they're all on Kindle Unlimited.
Recommend to others: Yes. I can't wait to devour this series.
August 17, 2025
Too meet cute but can’t say I didn’t know it ahead of time. Anyway, I didn’t hate it.😉
October 8, 2021
I tried. I really did. But this book was annoying. There's two separate stories in this book one book. I mean it's supposed to be about Lydia, right? But you also have Angela's story thrown in there too. It was all over the place trying to read through 4 people's (this includes the men) stories. And don't get me started on how nice all the different foods are on this island. We get it. It's really nice food but do you really have to mention it in every chapter. Won't be reading any more of this book or series.
August 23, 2025
I didn’t have incredibly high expectations for this book. It wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t very good. Lots and lots of unnecessary detail. I do see how it could be an easy read, but it put me to sleep every time. I struggled through it, but you don’t have to.
July 31, 2025
1.5-rounded down. Almost did not finish but did in the end because i could skim through so easily. It was highly predictable and cheesy. No real conflict. Perfect scenarios for everything that came up in the book. Won’t continue the series. It was a free kindle day book.
February 28, 2025
I'm all for a sweet, non-thinking, easy beach read. But for the love of PETE... there was no drama! No arc! No tension at all. If the author had spent half the time trying to develop characters and relationships that she did in describing food - to which I had no emotional response to either - this book would have gotten more than a 2-star rating. It had so much potential, but when I'm saying internally "just DO something already!" and the way they brushed everything as being easy... the divorce decision, no true emotional response from either party or their child, the introduction to a sweet supportive family only to never mention them again, a brief comment about a loved one's passing with no story.... UGH. I have to believe that, having read many of her other books, that perhaps Fiona Baker didn't actually write this one. Or if she did, she was not at her prime. I'm not reading the rest of the series because, quite frankly, I don't feel emotionally invested in any of the characters or locations. Which is not what I expected.
April 9, 2025
Very Flat
I don’t often leave reviews but I’m amazed at the rating people gave this book! The plot was predictable, the characters weirdly trusting of everything, the setting typical (widow finds the widower, newly separated finds a newly separated). The problems the characters face were so easily solved it left me feeling flat! I felt like I was reading a story written by AI.
Who runs into an old friend and within a week- without going inside a property, puts a bid on a business together? The characters internal conversations were shallow. There was little to no nuance any where.
The characters made snap decisions all over the place. It was frustrating to read.
I don’t often leave reviews but I’m amazed at the rating people gave this book! The plot was predictable, the characters weirdly trusting of everything, the setting typical (widow finds the widower, newly separated finds a newly separated). The problems the characters face were so easily solved it left me feeling flat! I felt like I was reading a story written by AI.
Who runs into an old friend and within a week- without going inside a property, puts a bid on a business together? The characters internal conversations were shallow. There was little to no nuance any where.
The characters made snap decisions all over the place. It was frustrating to read.
November 14, 2021
Easy read when you need a break
Lightly delivered and well written. A good cast of characters who seem somewhat diverse to introduce you to this little island. a nice feel good story of happy endings and no big nasty surprises.
Very dreamy and not very realistic but just sweet and nice. I enjoyed the core characters a lot and felt they were nice heroines. The male leads were a bit less three dimensional but still pleasant.
Not a complex or challenging read but a good example of this genre.
Lightly delivered and well written. A good cast of characters who seem somewhat diverse to introduce you to this little island. a nice feel good story of happy endings and no big nasty surprises.
Very dreamy and not very realistic but just sweet and nice. I enjoyed the core characters a lot and felt they were nice heroines. The male leads were a bit less three dimensional but still pleasant.
Not a complex or challenging read but a good example of this genre.
January 24, 2023
2023 reads, #10. (I'm now reading romance novels and women's erotica on a regular basis, in order to better help my freelance clients who write in the same genres. Check out my "romance" tag to see all my reviews.) I've been reading a little too much about monstrous blue-skinned genitalia and space alien group sex recently, so I decided to go in the opposite direction for my next romance read from this sampler of 30 titles I recently downloaded from one of those promotional websites, and check out what's called a clean small-town romance story. As you might imagine, these are basically the literary equivalent of a Hallmark Channel movie, with the kind of gentle stakes and almost non-existent conflict that comes from such a milieu, in this case the story of two childhood friends who both happen to end up back at their small hometown as adults at the same time, both suffering from different types of romance problems (one a recently cheating husband, the other a long-dead husband and her difficulties trying to date again), and both pretty well fated to meet new men in their lives before our page count is over, during their adventures of impulsively buying a dilapidated old inn and deciding to fix it up themselves ("I work at a big-city marketing firm, and you're a successful Instagram influencer, so combined we should have the skills to completely rehab a century-old inn in a couple of months, right?" OF COURSE YOU DO, LADIES, YOU'RE CHARACTERS IN A SMALL-TOWN ROMANCE NOVEL), sensitive cardigan-wearing gentlemen who will gently lead them by the hand into the shaky yet optimistic promise of love by the end (but no washing their girlfriends' hair in the bathtub here -- remember, "clean romance" is code for "no sex whatsoever," so there would never be such a moment of impropriety as a woman's unwashed hair within a man's grasp in any books like these, no sirree).
The reason, then, such books are also specifically called "small-town romances" instead of just being books set in small towns is because the small town in question is not just any old small town, but deliberately by the rules of the genre is the greatest small town that has ever existed or ever will, where (to quote Garrison Keillor about his own fictional small town, Lake Wobegon) "all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." Volume 1 of the chronicles of Marigold Island (a setting so important, author Fiona Baker names her entire series after it) is the perfect combination of tourist spot and beloved local destination, featuring the best ice cream anyone has ever eaten, the best beaches anyone's ever sat on, and pastry that "rivals that of New York and LA," exclaims the middle-aged famous Hollywood actor who recently decided to put down roots on the island themselves (because what would a small-town romance be without the Hollywood celebrity who's even been swayed by the place); and you all can line up and gladly take turns kicking me in the rear end with a steel-capped work boot if Baker doesn't turn out to already be a slavish fan of my fellow favorite Elin Hilderbrand, given the unending naked ripoffs...er, homages contained in her almost exact-feeling Atlantic Seaboard "Jay Gatsby meets Jimmy Buffet" location.
To be clear, I think these books are fine, just fine, and I don't fault anyone for enjoying these kinds of titles; they're enjoyable for what they aim to be, I admit that myself, and make for exactly as much 48 hours of enjoyment as any of the other romance and women's erotica titles I've been reading this year, about sexy vampire masters and shipwrecked models and mousy fashion designers knocked up by a mafia don, and so on and so forth ad nauseum. But man, the stakes in these books are just so non-existent that we might as well be on a slow drip of lithium while we're reading, with it being lucky if anyone even manages to raise their voice in these blink-and-you'll-miss-them conflicts, and especially in the way that these books tend to embrace the old Victorian-Age manner of depicting children in literature as sweet little empty-headed moppets, basically the ultimate darling little perfect versions of children for these harried middle-class moms reading these books, all sweetness and sunshine and "my mommy is my very bestest fweeend in the whooooooole wooooooooorld!!!" It's Mary Sue wish fulfillment elevated all the way to complete lifestyle, in other words; and while I don't blame any women for being fans of these types of stories, I have to admit that a little bit of it goes a long way for me. (Also, although none of these kinds of books are explicitly racist, I think even their fans will admit that the farther away you are from being a middle-aged, middle-class suburban straight white woman, the more difficulty you'll have connecting with this kind of material, and that kind of bothers me too.) So, I think before another clean romance from my current list of 30 titles, I'm going to veer off in another direction again; and based on the line-up, it looks like next will be the dystopian near-future thriller Beneath the Fallen City by Jamie Waters (book 1 of the "Omni Towers" series, because of course it is). Keep an eye out in another few days for that!
The reason, then, such books are also specifically called "small-town romances" instead of just being books set in small towns is because the small town in question is not just any old small town, but deliberately by the rules of the genre is the greatest small town that has ever existed or ever will, where (to quote Garrison Keillor about his own fictional small town, Lake Wobegon) "all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." Volume 1 of the chronicles of Marigold Island (a setting so important, author Fiona Baker names her entire series after it) is the perfect combination of tourist spot and beloved local destination, featuring the best ice cream anyone has ever eaten, the best beaches anyone's ever sat on, and pastry that "rivals that of New York and LA," exclaims the middle-aged famous Hollywood actor who recently decided to put down roots on the island themselves (because what would a small-town romance be without the Hollywood celebrity who's even been swayed by the place); and you all can line up and gladly take turns kicking me in the rear end with a steel-capped work boot if Baker doesn't turn out to already be a slavish fan of my fellow favorite Elin Hilderbrand, given the unending naked ripoffs...er, homages contained in her almost exact-feeling Atlantic Seaboard "Jay Gatsby meets Jimmy Buffet" location.
To be clear, I think these books are fine, just fine, and I don't fault anyone for enjoying these kinds of titles; they're enjoyable for what they aim to be, I admit that myself, and make for exactly as much 48 hours of enjoyment as any of the other romance and women's erotica titles I've been reading this year, about sexy vampire masters and shipwrecked models and mousy fashion designers knocked up by a mafia don, and so on and so forth ad nauseum. But man, the stakes in these books are just so non-existent that we might as well be on a slow drip of lithium while we're reading, with it being lucky if anyone even manages to raise their voice in these blink-and-you'll-miss-them conflicts, and especially in the way that these books tend to embrace the old Victorian-Age manner of depicting children in literature as sweet little empty-headed moppets, basically the ultimate darling little perfect versions of children for these harried middle-class moms reading these books, all sweetness and sunshine and "my mommy is my very bestest fweeend in the whooooooole wooooooooorld!!!" It's Mary Sue wish fulfillment elevated all the way to complete lifestyle, in other words; and while I don't blame any women for being fans of these types of stories, I have to admit that a little bit of it goes a long way for me. (Also, although none of these kinds of books are explicitly racist, I think even their fans will admit that the farther away you are from being a middle-aged, middle-class suburban straight white woman, the more difficulty you'll have connecting with this kind of material, and that kind of bothers me too.) So, I think before another clean romance from my current list of 30 titles, I'm going to veer off in another direction again; and based on the line-up, it looks like next will be the dystopian near-future thriller Beneath the Fallen City by Jamie Waters (book 1 of the "Omni Towers" series, because of course it is). Keep an eye out in another few days for that!
January 25, 2023
I’m sorry but this is possibly the dumbest book I ever tried to read. Two high school friends who haven’t seen each other in about 20 years bump into each other at the beach and decide to buy the old hotel that’s now up for sake. Admirable, you say. Yeah, I would have too until you realize that they never ask the very important question of how much it will cost and, I don’t know, do they actually have any money to do this. I read this 1/3 of the book and then honestly, turned out the lights on this one forever.
June 21, 2025
Nothing but nothing happens except the characters eat good food and drink wines I've never heard of. I did not care about any character and if a hurricane came and washed them all out to sea I would have cheered.
skipped to the end after the famous actor made an appearance to put a little ripple in the plans..glad it was free
skipped to the end after the famous actor made an appearance to put a little ripple in the plans..glad it was free
July 17, 2025
I loved the book. Picked up four books at a Library booksale, my first time reading books by Fiona Baker and I am hooked.
Life changes bring two summer friends, Lydia and Angela, back to Marigold Island where they are able to reconnect. During long talks and strolls on the beach they come to the Beachside Inn a wonderful B&B that brings back childhood memories of summer and fun only to find it closed, in disrepair and for sale. Take the adventure with these two friends, their families as they buy the B&B and restore it meeting new friends along the way!
Life changes bring two summer friends, Lydia and Angela, back to Marigold Island where they are able to reconnect. During long talks and strolls on the beach they come to the Beachside Inn a wonderful B&B that brings back childhood memories of summer and fun only to find it closed, in disrepair and for sale. Take the adventure with these two friends, their families as they buy the B&B and restore it meeting new friends along the way!
May 24, 2022
Great summer read.
June 6, 2024
Sweet story. Easy read.
January 10, 2025
Lydia Walker and Angela Collins both need a fresh start. Lydia has been grieving her husband who she lost to cancer for over a year. She takes a trip to visit her favorite aunt on Marigold Island. While there she meets her BFF from high school. Angela is there on vacation with her son, Jake, to visit with her parents. She recently found out that her husband was unfaithful, and she plans to stay on the island until she figures out her next step. As they tour the island, they come upon a B&B for sale. They have great memories of this inn and are sad that it may be torn down. They decide to buy the inn and remodel it; that way they can both stay on the island.
August 28, 2025
Sweet, wholesome, light hearted. I love the friendship dynamic in this one. 🫶🏼
January 15, 2023
Nice story!
Angela and Lydia run into each other after many years. Previously childhood best friends, they had kept in touch but their busy lives had prevented them from spending much time together.
Angela is married to Scott and they had a young son - Jake. An unexpected trip home during the day might change their lives forever.
Lydia has a daughter in college, Holly and their both still reeling from the loss of Paul, Lydia's husband and Holly's father.
Angela and Lydia are both "home" on Marigold Island for the weekend and they come across the old Inn that Lydia used to send summers at, growing up. The Inn has seen better days and it's for sale. They decide to try to buy the inn, renovate it and help other families enjoy their time on the island making new memories.
The book started out a little slow but didn't take long to catch my attention. I'm looking forward to read the next book in the series and other books by this author since she's new to me.
Angela and Lydia run into each other after many years. Previously childhood best friends, they had kept in touch but their busy lives had prevented them from spending much time together.
Angela is married to Scott and they had a young son - Jake. An unexpected trip home during the day might change their lives forever.
Lydia has a daughter in college, Holly and their both still reeling from the loss of Paul, Lydia's husband and Holly's father.
Angela and Lydia are both "home" on Marigold Island for the weekend and they come across the old Inn that Lydia used to send summers at, growing up. The Inn has seen better days and it's for sale. They decide to try to buy the inn, renovate it and help other families enjoy their time on the island making new memories.
The book started out a little slow but didn't take long to catch my attention. I'm looking forward to read the next book in the series and other books by this author since she's new to me.
August 6, 2025
Cute beach read - no plot
July 29, 2025
island living
was transportyedxyoncommunity life on Marigold
Island love the characters and settings
feels like home looking forward ton the nest book in the series
was transportyedxyoncommunity life on Marigold
Island love the characters and settings
feels like home looking forward ton the nest book in the series
September 28, 2024
a feel-good read with some conflict sprinkled in. very wholesome and light-hearted.
January 10, 2022
Loss of a spouse and loss of a marriage brought these 2 friends back to Marigold Island
Lydia's 38 year old husband had died a year ago of Cancer. Her daughter, Holly was away at college. Lydia had mostly thrown herself into her work in the travel business. Angela was a successful interior designer with a 7 year old son. Her life was hectic and always busy, but she always tried to make sure there was time for her and her husband, Scott to be together. It came as a complete surprise to her when she ran home to get a book of swatches and found her husband in their bed with one of his younger co-workers and it was not the first time she learns. Angela decides to take her son to Marigold Island to visit her family. While there, she runs into Lydia who she had spent many summers with when her family came to visit Lydia's Aunt Millie and stayed at the Beachside Inn. When they see that the Beachside Inn is for sale, they begin to talk about their fond memories of the place and how exciting it would be for them to buy the place, renovate it and reopen it so that other families could build fond memories of their time on Marigold Island. There are many challenges, but new and old friends and family support and help them make their dreams come true.
Lydia's 38 year old husband had died a year ago of Cancer. Her daughter, Holly was away at college. Lydia had mostly thrown herself into her work in the travel business. Angela was a successful interior designer with a 7 year old son. Her life was hectic and always busy, but she always tried to make sure there was time for her and her husband, Scott to be together. It came as a complete surprise to her when she ran home to get a book of swatches and found her husband in their bed with one of his younger co-workers and it was not the first time she learns. Angela decides to take her son to Marigold Island to visit her family. While there, she runs into Lydia who she had spent many summers with when her family came to visit Lydia's Aunt Millie and stayed at the Beachside Inn. When they see that the Beachside Inn is for sale, they begin to talk about their fond memories of the place and how exciting it would be for them to buy the place, renovate it and reopen it so that other families could build fond memories of their time on Marigold Island. There are many challenges, but new and old friends and family support and help them make their dreams come true.
April 17, 2021
This was a very good read! I couldn't put it down! The author knew how to keep interest of her readers and added enough description to let you feel a part of what was happening. I love that it was realistic and showed struggles. But my favorite thing is showing strong, independent, determined women, even though they didn't know how strong they were until they needed to draw from it. Lifelong friendships was very important and I'm so glad it played a major part in these two women coming back to Marigold. Can't wait to read the next book!
May 19, 2021
Very Interesting First in Series!
Really enjoyed this first book. 2 people mourning the loss of their spouses, and 2 people recovering from an unexpected crisis in their marriages, meet on Marigolds Island, where all of them are trying to recover from their personal life crisis! Slower life pace, lack of pressure, and support of family and friends help all of them heal, make new decisions about their life direction, and feel able to recovery from their situations, eventually! Really has no great characters and excellent story line! Enjoy!
Really enjoyed this first book. 2 people mourning the loss of their spouses, and 2 people recovering from an unexpected crisis in their marriages, meet on Marigolds Island, where all of them are trying to recover from their personal life crisis! Slower life pace, lack of pressure, and support of family and friends help all of them heal, make new decisions about their life direction, and feel able to recovery from their situations, eventually! Really has no great characters and excellent story line! Enjoy!
June 1, 2021
I am happy to have had good beach times.
Cannon Beach is now an artist's delight but I will never forget over the waves at the skating rink, horseback riding on the beach, setting pins manually at the bowling alley and the love my mom made possible by spending two weeks every year at Cannon Beach!
Cannon Beach is now an artist's delight but I will never forget over the waves at the skating rink, horseback riding on the beach, setting pins manually at the bowling alley and the love my mom made possible by spending two weeks every year at Cannon Beach!
January 20, 2024
A new series with safe topics. This small beach town with history and character, reminds me of Cape May.
"Lydia Walker and Angela Collins both need a fresh start.
A year ago, Lydia became a widow at thirty-eight when she lost her beloved husband to cancer, and despite the support of her friends and her teenage daughter, Holly, she’s had a hard time moving on from the loss. She feels stuck, uncertain of how to carry out her husband’s final wish that she do something that scares her.
Angela Collins has what seems like the perfect life—a beautiful little boy, a loving husband, and a good career. But that all comes crumbling down when she returns home early one afternoon and discovers that her husband is having an affair.
Struggling with grief and loss, both women head to Marigold Island, an idyllic small town with white sand beaches and happy childhood memories.
A chance meeting between the two old friends sparks an idea that’s as exciting as it is terrifying. They decide to buy the historic Beachside Inn, renovate it, and re-open it." synopsis copied
"Lydia Walker and Angela Collins both need a fresh start.
A year ago, Lydia became a widow at thirty-eight when she lost her beloved husband to cancer, and despite the support of her friends and her teenage daughter, Holly, she’s had a hard time moving on from the loss. She feels stuck, uncertain of how to carry out her husband’s final wish that she do something that scares her.
Angela Collins has what seems like the perfect life—a beautiful little boy, a loving husband, and a good career. But that all comes crumbling down when she returns home early one afternoon and discovers that her husband is having an affair.
Struggling with grief and loss, both women head to Marigold Island, an idyllic small town with white sand beaches and happy childhood memories.
A chance meeting between the two old friends sparks an idea that’s as exciting as it is terrifying. They decide to buy the historic Beachside Inn, renovate it, and re-open it." synopsis copied
September 25, 2022
I had higher hopes for this book, but unfortunately - and I speak only for myself - there was little to enjoy. I'm sure that this book has its fans, but for me it didn't delve deep enough into the characters. It was all very banal and factual. Finding your husband with another woman in your room, check, suggesting divorce, opening a new business, check - There was little or no time at all to go through the emotions, because there were as good as none voiced.
There's no doubt, this book comes across as pleasant and good-natured, but since I have read the entire Sugar Sand Beach series, which is truly very similar to this one, but with a bit more gravitas. I felt like the Beachside Inn was a lukewarm attempt at the same, but here regrettably, I got bored quickly. Reminder to myself: I will not be reading the other installment in this series.
There's no doubt, this book comes across as pleasant and good-natured, but since I have read the entire Sugar Sand Beach series, which is truly very similar to this one, but with a bit more gravitas. I felt like the Beachside Inn was a lukewarm attempt at the same, but here regrettably, I got bored quickly. Reminder to myself: I will not be reading the other installment in this series.
June 5, 2023
Oh, the healing of the ocean!
My mind and emotions were on the Oregon coast throughout this story. That will always be HOME to me, and was where I went for space and comfort. Although my life for these 7 decades has taken me to states across this country, I still try to get myself to Oregon when I can. (In just one month my two brothers and I will be together there, right on the ocean front property where our family has had a home since the early 1950's.) The village is a Marigold sort of place. No high-rise buildings, an Inn that has been there since before I was born, one general store with its multipurpose functions, a golf course known as the Jewel, clean beaches. I so enjoyed following the thoughts and feelings of the many people whose lives developed throughout their interactions with place and people.
On now to the next stories; thanks!
My mind and emotions were on the Oregon coast throughout this story. That will always be HOME to me, and was where I went for space and comfort. Although my life for these 7 decades has taken me to states across this country, I still try to get myself to Oregon when I can. (In just one month my two brothers and I will be together there, right on the ocean front property where our family has had a home since the early 1950's.) The village is a Marigold sort of place. No high-rise buildings, an Inn that has been there since before I was born, one general store with its multipurpose functions, a golf course known as the Jewel, clean beaches. I so enjoyed following the thoughts and feelings of the many people whose lives developed throughout their interactions with place and people.
On now to the next stories; thanks!
January 14, 2024
Such an easy read
A little too simple for me and very predictable but overall so so cute and I love a good beach-town story
Leaves it very open to the sequel but you can kind of see where it’s going
I swear like everyone’s lives in this book are perfect and they run into no problems.
One character walks in on her husband cheating but gets over it in like one day by moving to the beach, so I’m just not entirely buying it. Could have been great opportunity to rly dive into the emotions and stuff but it really stays so surface level.
Same thing with the other main character whose husband died of cancer. The author barely gives us a backstory, even though one can imagine it was a painful experience, and lets her move on with a guy whose wife just died.
A little too simple for me and very predictable but overall so so cute and I love a good beach-town story
Leaves it very open to the sequel but you can kind of see where it’s going
I swear like everyone’s lives in this book are perfect and they run into no problems.
One character walks in on her husband cheating but gets over it in like one day by moving to the beach, so I’m just not entirely buying it. Could have been great opportunity to rly dive into the emotions and stuff but it really stays so surface level.
Same thing with the other main character whose husband died of cancer. The author barely gives us a backstory, even though one can imagine it was a painful experience, and lets her move on with a guy whose wife just died.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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