The Inn at Dolphin Bay

Dolphin Bay #1

by Mia Kent

A scandalous affair. An old man with an attitude problem. A family inn crumbling to the ground.Will she ever survive the summer? Tana Martin was living her best life... until suddenly, she wasn't. When she catches her husband with a woman half her age, her friend suggests that she needs a little "you time" - meaning swimsuits, Mai Tais, and golden-sand beaches, not a cantankerous old man who needs a caretaker and a family inn that has fallen into a state of disrepair.She should be celebrating her silver wedding anniversary. Instead, she’s gearing up for the worst summer of her life.But Dolphin Bay, the small island off the coast of Maine where Tana spent much of her childhood, has more than a few surprises in store. Amid the sea-breeze days and starry nights, old friendships are rekindled, new flames are ignited, and Tana begins to realize that the life she left behind might not be the one she craves after all.Visit the beautiful island of Dolphin Bay, where friendship, hope, love, and pastries are plentiful. This small-town women’s fiction series is perfect for readers of all ages.Author's This is a continuing series that follows the lives and loves of the residents of Dolphin Bay throughout multiple books that are best read in order.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Literary Fiction, Amazon

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2021

Reviews

[Tabitha Schmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is sweet but could have used a little more development. Lots of places left you with the what happened feeling, the ending was also kind of flat. I may read the next book just to see what happens, not sure at this point

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Dolphin Bay series. I enjoyed this one, but I didn’t love it as I couldn’t connect with the characters. I love the cover and I will read the next one in the series to see if I get a better feel for the characters.

[Nancy Wilkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a delightful story... Or at least the beginnings of a story. The reason for the low rating is that it was just the beginning. I loved the review that said, "needs a little more development!" Seriously? There is no development at all! The nucleus of a story is there, and we begin to know just some of the main characters, but that's about it. Talk about leaving loose threads...! I hate when an author uses this cheap trick to get you to buy the next book. Write a good story, with likeable characters and give me a complete story to chomp on, and I'll spring for the next book in the series. I would like this author to respect her own wiring abilities more than having to resort to trickery to sell more books. She doesn't need to.

[Eirlys · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting tale

A sweet story about love and loss. A marriage fails, a sick relative, and a duty make for an amazing love story. Character are fleshed out making them feel real.

[Lana Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good contemporary read: deep, realistic and thought-provoking.

[Marija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet tale

Sweet love story about marriage fail, helping sick relative, new life... it's lovely summer reading material, I enjoyed reading it.

[Sherry Callear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Woman is hurt by man, runs away to a beach place where she used to vacation during the summers. Life becomes even more confusing. This plot has been done to death. I’ll pass on any other titles from this author.

[Sally Crosiar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw possibilities in this book. The characters seemed likable, there was a big change looming, a picturesque setting, and I was enjoying myself - until I glanced down to see I was already 80% through it. What? She's got to get the divorce, get the inn up and running again, heal enough to love again, and... No chance for that in the few remaining pages. Drat. Another teaser for a series. With no particular climax, no satisfying ending of its own. I felt cheated. So I won't be going back to Dolphin Bay for fear I'd only be cheated again.

[Deborah Linn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tana Martin's life is one to be envied. She has all the glamour of Hollywood but none of the scandal. Her husband is the good guy, the one that would never betray his wife and daughter for a tawdry affair with a young starlet. So when Tana practically walks in on him and his young starlet, she is devastated. They say when it rains, it pours. Shortly after the shock of her husband's infidelity, Tana's favorite uncle suffers a stroke. She is called to the other side of the country, to Dolphin Bay, Maine, to help care for him.

It turns out the Inn at Dolphin Bay holds just the healing powers that Tana needs.

In this story of heartbreak and healing, Mia Kent authentically tells the story of what happens to a life when everything you think you know about yourself explodes. Kent creates Gilmore Girls-esque characters that the reader wants to know. We wish we could sit at the counter of the local ice cream shop and slurp down one of those creamy milkshakes that helps fill the holes of Tana's heart. Dolphin Bay becomes a place we all wish we could go to reflect on life and plan the future.

The Inn at Dolphin Bay is a fast read that doesn't feel fast. It feels soft and comforting, heartwarming and sweet. If you need a break from your hectic life, read it. If you need a smile, read it. If you need healing, read it. It will bring you all those things and more.

[Anne Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heart-warming book with a very likeable main character. I really enjoyed reading about how Tana tries to heal her broken heart and re-start her life on an island she knew as a child. There's a great focus with an old family hotel she needs to update, and a lively set of secondary characters. Perfect for a warm cosy read.

[Mary Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summer read

This was a great book to read while relaxing around the pool. It was good enough for me to want to continue reading the next in the series

[Tammy Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Good Read

First off, let me say that I really enjoyed reading this book. It kept me engaged in the story until the very end.

The story takes place in Dolphin Bay a small ocean front town where our main girl Tana spent much of her childhood. When she got married to Derek, who was an entertainer in Los Angeles, she had a nice life, and everything money could buy, but when she realizes his secret life with another woman, she decides to take up her mothers' offer to look after her Uncle Henry.


When she arrives to the house she remembered when she was younger, her heart sinks. After a storm had come through the old place was in shambles. To make matters worse, she has guests show up to stay only for them to walk away when they see the condition of the house. Tana, Edie, and Reed decide to start fixing the place to its former glory. During this time, she decides that she can never trust her husband again and decides to stay in Dolphin Bay to not only help her Uncle, but her new friends.

There is quite a few twists and turns along the way that makes this book worth reading.


A few things I did not like was the book was short, and sadly it is one of those been there, done that reads. Girl catches man cheating, goes back to her home town, decides to stay and meets a new love. I was hoping for a more modern plot. This is why I gave it 4 stars.

[Peni]

A scandalous affair. An old man with an attitude problem. A family inn crumbling to the ground.

Will she ever survive the summer?

Tana Martin was living her best life... until suddenly, she wasn't.

When she catches her husband with a woman half her age, her friend suggests that she needs a little "you time" - meaning swimsuits, Mai Tais, and golden-sand beaches, not a cantankerous old man who needs a caretaker and a family inn that has fallen into a state of disrepair

She should be celebrating her silver wedding anniversary. Instead, she’s gearing up for the worst summer of her life.

But Dolphin Bay, the small island off the coast of Maine where Tana spent many of her childhoods, has more than a few surprises in store. Amid the sea-breeze days and starry nights, old friendships are rekindled, new flames are ignited, and Tana begins to realize that the life she left behind might not be the one she craves after all.

Visit the beautiful island of Dolphin Bay, where friendship, hope, love, and pastries are plentiful. This small-town women’s fiction series is perfect for readers of all ages.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read...

Overall I found this an enjoyable read: the locale, summer at the beach, possible love interest, cheating husband.

The read was mostly smooth with only a few proofreading errors, but there were an overabundance of hyphenated phrases, overuse of blue-gray, whipped, whipping, and emotional swings of the h that were not in character from the way she was first developed. A golf cart is a vehicle, you get into and out of it; you don't dismount it. It's not a horse. When you're inside a building you drop things on the floor, not on the ground. The freezer went on the fritz and spoiled everything??? Entirely ridiculous and unnecessary statement made out of the blue.

I couldn't get through this in one sitting, but the story did draw me right back so I finished it in my next spare hour. My first book by this author and I shall read others, hoping she'll enlist a proofreader.

[Kathy Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story of a woman who was raised at a small town seaside resort beach who meets and marries a Hollywood executive producer. She raises her only daughter becomes involved in her social life throws and attends extravagant parties and meets the daily needs of her husband. Then one night at one of these parties she finds that her husband has been having an affair with a younger woman, an actress. She goes home to Dolphin Bay and is heartbroken to learn that her Uncle has had a stroke and is in the hospital. What was once one of the towns most beloved resorts, is now hardly recognizable. The place has fallen apart, holes in the porch, paint peeling everywhere and the inside is almost as bad as the outside, all musty and dusty. Why has she stayed away so long and what has happened to what once used to be the loving town that helped one another out? This book is such a highly recommended good read. It was hard for me to put it down once I picked it up. Wonderful job Mia 💖

[Judi Easley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful series to laugh and cry through...

I have now read this whole series and can highly recommend it. If you enjoy reading about families and small towns who mix their lives and share their ups and downs. A group of people who have a history and end up creating a future despite struggles and heartache. Mia Kent has created a great group of characters with personality and foibles that were interesting enough to get to know and care about. Each a distinct person. Her description of the island was mostly kept to ferry rides and looking out large windows, but it was inviting. I wanted to visit. And I definitely wanted to stop at Daphne's bakery! Yum! I recommend the whole series because you will want to know what happens to all of them. Recommended.

[Susan Garatino · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read with relatable characters. Tana leaves her husband of many years who deserves to be left, and goes to dolphin bay to help her uncle. Her uncle has had a stroke and Needs care as well as help running his bed and breakfast. Once arriving, Tana finds nothing the way she thought. The B&B is run down, neglected and dusty, and her uncle doesn't want her help. At one point she says its been a terrible, no good, very bad day (hats off to Judith Viorst). I thoroughly enjoyed this book however,be forewarned. This is not a good stand alone book. It ends abruptly and nothing is reso!ved. If you want to know what happens you have to read the next book.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inn at Dolphin Bay
Mia Kent

A refreshing read.

This is exactly the type of book you need to read to unwind after a long stressful week! I loved the storyline, the pace of the book and the world-building. The characters are sketched so real that I found myself walking alongside them and sharing their emotions. I would definitely recommend this book!

[Linda Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book Because it was a book of possibility in the future

The author has a way of described in the area did you feel like you're there. The characters are described so you understand their hearts. It's a beginning of a series of books, And what it doesn't give you a happy ever after, It gives you hope for the future. I would like to see the final conclusion to where the main character is going in her life come up but I found I didn't really care she was going forward.

[Susan Serra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first of the Dolphin Bay novel set by Mia Kent. Great little summer book series. Ended up buying the whole 6-Book set. Quick and very good read.
Tana is leaving her cheating husband, and at the same time finds out that her aging Uncle Henry, whom she spent all of her summers in Maine with, has gone into the hospital. The Inn that she loved so much has fallen into disrepair, and she is hoping that along with getting her Uncle back in a healthy shape she can also help the Inn gain the status that it once had.

[Tracey Cramer-Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cheating husband is cliche, as is the hunky islander, the perfectness of the island itself, the cranky older man, the wise and understanding grandmotherly type, the instant friendships... I found nothing unique or different in this story and no real depth to the characters (and what was with just one single chapter in the hunky man's POV?). That Tana's starting to discover who she is on her own terms is good, but coming as far as she did in a few weeks isn't believable. Nor is the hint of mystery for the next book enough to make me hit the buy button.

[Mary Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Anyone who has had to contend with a cheating spouse can relate to the heartbreak and uncertainty expressed in this book. Although, this book begins with that discovery, Tana soon discovers life as she knew it in her childhood summers spent at the Inn in Dolphin Bay. The characters come alive on the pages and I found myself living vicariously through them as the story flowed. Well written and well edited.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice summer time Story



A short and enjoyable story Of a woman named Tana Who is having difficulties in her marriage and has returned to dolphin bay to help her uncle who has had a stroke.
Tana meets reed And his mother And is reacquainted with other friends From years ago.She needs to make some changes in her life and decide what her future holds.This was a quick and interesting read And I will probably read the next 2 books in the series

[PAMpublish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this sweet and clean short read about a Hollywood producer's wife, caught up in the glitter, which quickly crashed when she caught her husband lying and cheating with a young upcoming star. Heading off to her uncle's island inn while he recuperated from a stroke, she meets old and new friends who come to care for her. Easy read, although the story continues into a series without complete closure.

[Carol M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy reading type of book and you will be breezing your way through it in no time. When I heard this book was about a woman renovating an inn, I wanted to read it. Actually there is no renovation talk here and other than the main character cleaning and changing a bedspread and draperies, no renovations occurred here. Disappointing. This book is such a piece of fluff, I am thinking that I could write my own book and it might just be better!

[Debra M Button · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escape

We never know what tomorrow may bring! We need to be ready for anything living one day at a time. When an unexpected truth hits us our world falls apart around us what do we do, fall apart with it or put on our big girl panties and go on no matter how hard it seems at the time. With a broken heart move on praying it will heal with time. Enjoy This read with all its ups and downs.

[Taelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that reminded me that life doesn’t always have to be about the hustle and bustle of a big city. Sometimes returning to your roots can be eye opening and help you find what you want to do in your life. That’s what the book was about for the main character and even though I couldn’t relate to many aspects of her story, I was easily able to empathize with her. This was a refreshing read with many likeable characters and a setting you’re guaranteed to fall in love with.

[moxieBK · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Inn at Dolphin Bay (Dolphin Bay Novel Book 1) — Mia Kent ( chapters) May , 2022

Run of the mill plot where a woman living an “ideal” life finds it’s not so ideal and run home to help her ill relative run the bed and breakfast which is in disarray. In working to fix it up to she falls back in love with the place and the people and may find love again.

Ho-hum but I wasn’t upset that I spend a day reading it.

Two stars.

[candace conte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story, looking forward to reading more books in this series. A Hollywood wife, who's life appears to be happy, stable and not a traditional Hollywood marriage, finds out that her marriage is a lie. She finds her husband in a compromising situation at a Hollywood party. Luckily, her mother needs her help with her uncle who is hospitalized, she travels to Dolphin Bay to help her grumpy uncle and finds herself healing and moving on.

[Donna Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The inn at dolphin bay

Cute story about a woman who thought here life was over when she found out her husband of 20 years was cheating on her and found a chance to escape to a childhood home in Maine to help her uncle bring back the dolphin inn back to life. Here her healing takes place and her new purpose in life is born.