Wrightsville Beach: A Novel

by Suzanne Goodwyn

Two years ago, Hank Atwater made a terrible mistake. Devastated by the sudden death of his older brother, Rob, he went on a drinking rampage that ended in his being arrested for aggravated assault. Sober since then, he has been working to rebuild his reputation in his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, with little luck.

Working a dead-end delivery job, Hank uses surfing and running to deal with being ostracized as he waits for his probation to end. But everything changes after a chance meeting with Jess Wade, a UNCW student studying to be a marine biologist. Hank and Jess feel connected to each other in a way neither has ever felt before. Jess shares her world with Hank and through Jess’s belief in him, Hank starts to see himself in a different light.

But when Hank’s past comes to the forefront again, it sets off a series of events that lead to a frightful incident, ending their relationship. As Jess follows her dream to become a sea turtle biologist. she finds herself thinking about what really happened that summer with Hank. Meanwhile, alone once more, Hank must set out to find his own path, in hopes he can one day win her back.

Wrightsville Beach is about finding—and keeping—true love. It’s about understanding where you belong and how small events lead to self-realizations. And it’s about the incredible world of sea turtles and what it is like to experience them in their natural habitat.

Genres: Fiction

490 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 16, 2022

About the author

An avid reader and having been to Wilmington several times a year for decades, I put my two loves together to create "Wrightsville Beach". I feel a book should move you, surprise you and leave you thinking about it even after you finish. I imagine my stories while living in Virginia with my husband, daughters and pandemic puppy.

Reviews

[Roberta R. Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy a good romance. The author wove a sweet tale of young love and its challenges, teaching readers about turtles along the way. She developed believable characters that mature during the story. She also handled huge lapses of time well, bridging the past and present.

While I enjoyed the story, the author’s writing style slowed my reading with her passive writing style. She depended heavily on “was” and “to be” rather than finding more active verbs. She also used ‘would’ excessively as well as stuffing sentences with unneeded words. The author did head-hopping, which jarred my reading experience. Lastly, the dialogue, especially toward the end, was unnaturally long and unrealistic.

[Kathryn Hurst · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once I start a book, I’m determined to finish it no matter how bad. I have never wanted to give up on a book as much as I did this one. The bare bones of the story have potential, but the author stretched it on wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too long. I felt like I was reading the first draft of a book that was never edited. I swear some sentences were repeated verbatim. Jess’ section was particularly boring to me. I began to skim the pages, knowing that half of the words I was reading weren’t important to the overall plot anyway. The cashier at Robert’s Grocery in Wrightsville Beach convinced me to buy this book. I shouldn’t have been so gullible.

[Linda Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed "Wrightsville Beach" by Suzanne Goodwyn. It was the perfect Summer read. It was light and positive and beautifully written. I enjoyed learning about the sea turtles, surfing, Wrightsville Beach and relationships. The book does a great job exploring options and reasoning. A great book for all ages! I enjoy bike riding and would love to ride around the campus and to the local restaurants covered in the book. I am inspired. Thank you for a lovely read.

[Carrigan . · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reads like it was written from someone who just graduated with a bachelor’s in creative writing. It’s bland & nothing special, very cookie cutter. Just another northern tourist taking advantage of a small beach town. Save your money.

[Alex Dudich · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing i hate more in a book than miscommunication!!! hank and jess were drab to read about and unfortunately the writing style was more telling than it was showing.

[michelle rubright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great summer beach read

A lighthearted romance in a quaint setting. Wrightsville beach is the backdrop for this story and it draws you in and makes you feel like your next vacation should be Wrightsville Beach.

[Elizabeth Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book!

What a wonderful book? The book has a great love story for everyone. I couldn’t put it down. Also, it has sparked my interest even more about sea turtles. Suzanne, I’m patiently waiting for your next book! No pressure! And it was a pleasure to meet you.

[Lauren Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4 1/2 stars, rounded to 5!

There’s so much to love about Wrightsville Beach! I’ve never been there, but after reading Suzanne Goodwyn’s novel, I feel like I’ve lived there among friends. A book with both turtles and slow burn romance is a combination I never knew I needed, but I loved it! Jess and Hank were real, down to earth, kind people who it was easy (for readers) to love, even when their own circumstances and/or baggage got in the way of their happiness.

This was one of the longest books I’ve read in quite some time, which makes sense since we get to follow Hank and Jess through at least 7 or 8 years. It was entirely worth it, though, and I very much enjoyed the ride. I’ll be watching for them if I ever get down to Wrightsville Beach.

[Ryan Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a native of North Carolina I love books that are set in the state and incorporate the local culture, so I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, Wrightsville Beach reads like someone asked ChatGPT to write a script for a Hallmark movie. The plot was predictable, all the characters were two-dimensional, and the central conflict around which the premise of the novel was built was silly and contrived. All of this was compounded by a very mechanical and matter of fact writing style that made the book an easy but annoying read. Goodwyn uses entirely too many adverbs, which make for weak writing, and her dialogue is both stilted and not at all how people talk in real life. I would not recommend this book.

[Margaret Sprott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who grew up in Wilmington in the 1970s or 1980s will love recognizing familiar haunts, street names, historic buildings and of course Wrightsville Beach. I spend my beach time in Garden City Beach, SC these days. This story brought to mind a seventh grade field trip to study marine life on Masonboro Island, ecology classes, the Venus flytraps behind my elementary school, the history of the Lower Cape Fear, and others among the passions I carry to this day.

Not the least of those passions is sea turtles and their nests on the beaches. If you, too, love the turtles then you’ll appreciate the extensive research and the history of that research that’s presented throughout this story.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute premise but I didn’t like the execution.

Something about the writing style was jilted and the characters were flat to me. The only things I know about Jess and Hank are timeline events and that Jess loves turtles while hank likes surfing and historical buildings. I couldn’t tell you anything else about them because there was nothing else given to me.

I liked the idea of reading about my city, but I just wasn’t a fan unfortunately. I think in true Wrightsville fashion, I’m going to pass this along to the little library by the beach for someone else.

[Meg Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reads like a book report. “They walked into the restaurant l, it was artsy..”. Really? You know exactly what will happen, and there is reply no plot/. Save your money

[Sacha Fortuné · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sacha's Book Reviews Blog

This book came to me via an ARC program, and I chose it out of a few others because the synopsis looked good and the existing other reviews were also very positive.

The Premise

Hank is on probation, working a dead-end job while he recovers from the worst mistake he ever made in his life: in a moment of grief, he assaulted someone in a bar while under the influence. A chance encounter with Jess, a university student studying to be a marine biologist, changes Hank’s trajectory forever. Their connection leads him to believe in himself and pursue his dreams, even long beyond the blossoming and fading of their short-lived summer romance. Jess’ faith in him is tested by insidious forces that attack Hank’s character, and she flees town. Their stories continue separately for years as they each focus on rebuilding their lives and flourishing independently, until one day fate brings Jess back to the town of Wilmington, North Carolina where she runs into Hank again. Is it too late for them to find the pieces of their previously broken hearts, and create something new?

The Pros & Cons

“Wrightsville Beach” was a beautiful coming-of-age story of young love that falls victim to the trials of real life. From Hank’s tainted reputation he desperately wants to overcome, to Jess’ emotional rollercoaster of doubt and fear to let herself love and trust her heart, we feel every moment of their fraught relationship as it swells to the highest heights and then plummets to its darkest moments. One painful twist of fate rips them apart and they set off on their separate paths, though they each still love each other deeply and struggle to move on and open their hearts again.

I loved the winding tale of their lives as they each flourished in their careers, and I was so grateful to see Hank’s journey in particular, as he never believed in himself until Jess did. Her words set up shop in his soul, and he was able to convert that faith she had in him into faith in himself, sustaining a route to gain his education and start a profitable career. Jess also blossomed in her new environment after she moved away, gaining the experience she’d always dreamt of having with her research on turtles.

The details of the ecological research were expertly crafted into the story, and the care and attention that went into creating this part of the story was evident. The author also describes the atmosphere exquisitely: you can see the scenery of the beachy, close-knit community overrun with university students surfing and bike-riding, and you can almost smell the salt in the air and hear the roar of the ocean as she takes you from one scene to the next. I also really loved the plot aspects it explored beyond just the simple romance: Hank’s longstanding friendship with Mike, the mentorship he received from Mr. DeGaulle, and his relationship with his own father that flounders but finds its way back to the surface.

This was a lovely story I truly enjoyed. However, I did feel at times that the pacing was a bit slow, particularly when we read something from one character’s perspective and then right afterwards it is followed by the other character’s perspective (in just as much detail), which isn’t always needed. Reducing these parts would have made the pace swifter and reduced the overall word count to greater enhance and streamline this wonderful story.

Conclusion

Overall, this was a fantastic book to read as my first novel by this author. There is a lot to love here, and I really appreciated reading this type of romance with such a deep story that lies beneath. This will suit readers who like clean and/or slow-burn romances, particularly if they appreciate nature and love animals. I also really liked the fact that the author has dedicated this book to serve the preservation of these beautiful animals, and she provides excellent resources for others to participate. This book will touch many readers deeply, and I look forward to seeing more of her work.


___________
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[Rhiannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading this book I sincerely thought it was a YA book because the characters seemed so juvenile and simple-minded at times, so I was genuinely surprised when I saw it is not marketed as such.

What annoyed me the most about this book was how it is written entirely in past tense— that and it felt rushed, where extended periods of time are depicted in only a few sentences.

Additionally, the dumping of major plot points seemingly out of nowhere (ex. BAM Mark is engaged after a year to someone and is becoming a father, or BAM John is dead after attending rehab and drunk driving—- what a seemingly afterthought that was thrown in order for Hank to talk to John’s dad about advancing his career).

Hank’s character was pretty annoying as he was depicted as all ‘high-and-mighty’ for not drinking in college and instead working and taking extra classes to graduate ahead of time. I think that is great and admirable and all, but it got so redundant it got old fast. It felt like it was shoved down our throats how much ‘above’ Hank was to his peers because he didn’t go out with friends. Also what is wrong with having a significant other spend the night? I don’t understand why that was so frowned upon in the book, especially when that is such a normal aspect of life in university— regardless of how ‘serious’ the relationship is. I couldn’t understand why that was depicted as an unhealthy thing.

This book gave me The Notebook energy with how infatuated Hank was with Jess and the years apart he spent thinking about her— and vice versa.

Also as someone who hails from northern New Jersey myself, it got old so fast every time in the beginning of the book when Jess would talk about how ‘back in New Jersey, xyz…” or “it’s not like that in New Jersey…” Like damn I wish the author would have done a little more research into the Jersey area to either give Jess a specific town/county she was from or simply more context instead of making these over generalizations about the state of New Jersey as a whole. It got to the point where I was embarrassed to be associated with the same home state as this girl.

I wanted to give this book the benefit of the doubt because I am living in Wilmington now and liked reading about all the Wilmington spots she mentioned, including the restaurant on the Crystal Pier that I believe is based after a restaurant I like. But, it just didn’t do it for me and was more annoying than anything. I hate lovey-dovey/love-at-first-sight books but this one in particular I struggled to see what was so amazing about Jess that kept him thinking about her every day for over 5 years. The two of them are so naive and too ‘high and mighty’ that honestly I’m glad they ended up together because they were so irritable when they weren’t together. I don’t know how other people put up with them.

All the typos and grammatical errors put this over the edge of annoyance for me too. I got this book from the library and previous readers had made marks in the books for the errors, which was honestly pretty humorous to see and made me look forward to finding more.

Overall, unless you are a 13-year old girl who wants to read another summery love story after finishing “The Summer I Turned Pretty” or interested in reading about a flat 8-year infatuation romance interceded by pages of marine biology and detailed snippets of southern architecture I would stray.

[Reader Views · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Wrightsville Beach” is a beautiful coming-of-age story of young love that falls victim to the trials of real life. From Hank’s tainted reputation he desperately wants to overcome, to Jess’ emotional rollercoaster of doubt and fear letting herself love and trust her heart, we feel every moment of their fraught relationship as it swells to the highest heights and then plummets to its darkest moments. One painful twist of fate rips them apart and they set off on their separate paths, though they each still love each other deeply and struggle to move on and open their hearts again.

I loved the winding tale of their lives as they each flourished in their careers, and I was so grateful to see Hank’s journey in particular, as he never believed in himself until Jess did. Her words set up shop in his soul, and he was able to convert that faith she had in him into faith in himself, sustaining a route to gain his education and start a profitable career. Jess also blossomed in her new environment after she moved away, gaining the experience she’d always dreamt of having with her research on turtles.

The details of the ecological research were expertly crafted into the story, and the care and attention that went into creating this part of the story was evident. The author also describes the atmosphere exquisitely: you can see the scenery of the beachy, close-knit community overrun with university students surfing and bike-riding, and you can almost smell the salt in the air and hear the roar of the ocean as she takes you from one scene to the next. I also really loved the plot aspects it explored beyond just the simple romance: Hank’s longstanding friendship with Mike, the mentorship he received from Mr. DeGaulle, and his relationship with his own father that flounders but finds its way back to the surface.

This was a lovely story I truly enjoyed. However, I did feel at times that the pacing was a bit slow, particularly when we read something from one character’s perspective and then right afterwards it is followed by the other character’s perspective (in just as much detail), which isn’t always needed. Reducing these parts would have made the pace swifter and reduced the overall word count to greater enhance and streamline this wonderful story.

Overall, this was a fantastic book to read as my first novel by this author. There is a lot to love here, and I really appreciated reading this type of romance with such a deep story that lies beneath. This will suit readers who like clean and/or slow-burn romances, particularly if they appreciate nature and love animals. I also really liked the fact that the author has dedicated this book to serve the preservation of these beautiful animals, and she provides excellent resources for others to participate. This book will touch many readers deeply, and I look forward to seeing more of her work.

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book because of how promising the back cover was, but ultimately this just isn’t for me. I found the writing style to be dull and lack a lot of detail, and I felt that the author often rushed through events at breakneck speed. Having someone go from brand new surfer to confidently riding waves over the course of a few sentences doesn’t give any real sense of vicarious accomplishment to me as a reader, and there are SO MANY examples of this pattern.

The parts of this book that I enjoyed were when Hank and Jess were pursuing their education and careers and social lives several states apart. These characters are much more interesting and shine a lot on their own, and I feel that they would have been very happy in life if the author hadn’t (of course) written them as destined to be together. Obviously, this being a romance book, it was extremely likely that Jess and Hank would wind up together, but I can’t help being disappointed at the turn of events.
Also, cheating on your fiancée emotionally and eventually physically is an immediate and irredeemable HELL NO for me.

The contrived complications in the first part of the book were egregiously amateur in my mind, and practically all of the events in part 1 felt shallow. Motivations and side characters felt hollow and weak, and everyone came across as a poorly made NPC. I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes and thought “I could write this better myself” while reading part 1. My least favorite habit of the author is to get across large chunks of dialogue in the most bland and soulless way possible. There’s practically no breaks in drawn out monologuing from any given character while they speak plainly all of the things the author wants them to convey, and there’s almost never any detail given for how characters are moving and existing physically during this time. If you don’t put the work in yourself to imagine these characters in a physical space, you may as well just picture them talking for five minutes straight like this:
🧍‍♀️🧍‍♂️ like I said, NPCs.

I do commend the author for seeming to improve her writing style in small ways over the course of the book, as the middle section of the book was genuinely interesting and enjoyable to me (earning it more than 1 star).

I don’t regret my decision to choose this book to read, as I stand by my interest and excitement at reading the back cover of this book. The problem occurs when this author proceeds to write the entire book in the same style as the back cover, and then it goes on for five hundred pages.

I know lots of people enjoy this book, and I’m very glad others get real enjoyment out of it! Don’t let my review dissuade you if you think this is a book you’d enjoy. Maybe you will.

[Anne S · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a cute, simple read for somebody who is familiar with the area of Wilmington. I’m not so sure that the writing or the story alone would have kept me reading, but I did enjoy the shout out to many of the real local places and restaurants and streets that were mentioned throughout. It made it easier to envision what was happening within the story.

As others have mentioned, this is about a young love summer romance, and what happens after the couple parts ways, moves on, and runs into each other again in the future. Pretty predictable. Could make for a nice Hallmark movie.

This book didn’t captivate me the way that others do – I didn’t feel like I wanted to stop time to keep reading. I almost had to force myself to read it. In all honesty, about 60% of the way through I kind of just had to skim my way into the last few pages to see how it turned out. What I missed in the interim wasn’t really that important to me.

I’m sure many people would like this book but I think the genre just wasn’t for me (I’m still in the process of sorting out what it is I like to read best). If you’re familiar with Wilmington, then it’s worthy of a try, otherwise I’m not too sure, personally.

[Jacqui Lents · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good pick if you like: beach reads, books set in North Carolina, complicated romances, young love, or sea turtles. I’m a nerd, so I really enjoyed all the great information about the sea turtles and those who care for them through the experiences of the MC Jess. Be warned, you are going to want to go find some sunshine and warm sand after reading this. Jess and Hank are young and in love and things seem perfect. But we all know life is not perfect and that is just what happens. Life gets in the way. You’ll go through pages trying to find that moment when they can find each other again. Grab a copy and escape to the sand and surf.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I bought this book I was excited because it had all the things I loved: romance, second-chance, AND turtles! But as I started reading this book I was captivated and constantly excited for the next turtle fact that was coming soon. I’ve never read a book that takes some of the money from purchasing and puts it towards an awareness or organizations that are mentioned in the book. Suzanne takes some of the money she has earned from selling this AMAZING book and puts it towards the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center!

Thank you Suzanne for allowing some of my money to go towards my favorite animal🥹❤️

[Camila Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrightsville Beach, A Second Chance at Love and Life

Wrightsville Beach is a heartfelt story of redemption and new beginnings. After a tragic mistake, Hank Atwater struggles to rebuild his life until he meets Jess Wade, a marine biology student whose faith in him sparks hope and healing. Set against the serene Carolina coast and the world of sea turtles, this story beautifully captures love, forgiveness, and the power of second chances.

[Carly Gehris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated that Hank & Jess always tried to do the right thing and had the best intentions for the other. I didn’t love the third person, back and forth timeline but I also understand why it was necessary to play out that way.

[Harriett Thornton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, the characters and the romance, but, having spent a lot of time in Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, as a child and an adult, my favorite part of the book was the setting.

The story was good but should have been edited - it is much too repetitive and too long.

[Lee Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Especially, when I live in Wilmington, North Carolina. I grow up here. The book was a page turner. Bravo!

[Hannah Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

a cute lil read

[Kendall Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story but I found it hard to get invested in the book. Slow story line.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appreciated the shorter chapters, but felt it was unnecessary long for the overall story plot