Beachcombing

by Maggie Dana

Sometimes old flames burn the brightestFunny, sophisticated, and wise, this heartfelt book is a coming-of-middle-age story about girlfriends when you are no longer a girl, growing up when you are already grown, and the price you are willing to pay for love. Jillian Hunter treasures her independence. She has raised two sons by herself, launched a small business, and restored a tumbledown beach cottage in Connecticut. But when a trip to London reunites her with Colin-an old flame she hasn't seen in 35 years-Jill falls for him all over again. But love makes Jill reckless and Colin isn't quite the boy she remembers. She ends up risking everything she's worked for-her business, her home, and her two closest friends-to make a life with him. And when she's faced with the risk of losing Colin as well, Jill is forced to take an uncomfortably close look at the woman she?s allowed herself to become.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2009

Reviews

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beachcombing by Maggie Dana Maggine Dana is a mature romance that spans both sides of the pond and about forty decades. The main character, Jill, is not the typical twenty or thirty-something woman with everything she could dream for except for a good man. Instead, Jill is in her mid to late fifties and is established in her life and career.

Jill grew up in England but made a life for herself and her two sons on a beach in Connecticut. After years of being disconnected from her childhood friends and her first crush she's given an invitation she can't refuse. That trip reunites her with her first love and her life quickly spins out of control for better or worse.

As with the few romances I read the middle section is cluttered with a lot of sex and very little in the way of plot. That said the first and last thirds of the book more than make up for it with good character development, plot twists and believable but interesting situations.

As it is a romance, it has a happy ending. The ending though, came with an unexpected twist. It could be fun to re-read the book to see the actual romance developing subtly in the background.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beachcombing is Maggie Dana’s debut novel and tells the story of Jillian Hunter, a fiercely independent mother who has raised two children, fixed up her small house and started her own business in Conneticut. However when she returns to London she meets up with her old boyfriend Colin whom she hasn’t seen for thirty-five years and she falls for him all over again. After thirty-five years apart, can they make it work?

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really enjoyed Beachcombing. When Maggie Dana offered me the chance to read it she told me her heroine, Jill, wasn’t as young as most chick lit characters (she’s 53!) but that didn’t really make a difference as far as I was concerned. It was written so well you could forget Jill is supposed to be 53!

Beachcombing is told in the first person which helps it flow enormously. I started reading it yesterday and after reading for an hour or so I was really into the book. The chapters just slip by – that’s how well written it was. The chapters were also short-ish which made it all the easier to read.

Jill was really well written by Maggie and I enjoyed her narrative. She came across fiercely independent but when she saw Colin again she became reckless. She ignored advice from her friends, she risked losing everything and yet I still enjoyed her character. I could totally understand that she felt this was her chance, that Colin was The One. Even with everything that happened I found myself rooting for Jill, wanting her to overcome her difficulties.

I have to admit I couldn’t stand Colin. Not at all! However, bar Colin, I pretty much loved all of Jill’s friends. Lizzie, Jill’s best friend in Conneticut, was great; Harriet, Anna and Beatrice, Sophie and Claudia in London, Tom Grainger, Jill’s next-door-neighbour. All well-written and all close-knit to Jill. They were like a big family and I loved that feel to the novel. Not forgetting Jill’s cat Zachary and her two sons, Jordan and Alistair who pop into the novel from time-to-time.

I also liked that the novel alternated between Conneticut and London, giving it a trans-atlantic theme.

I was also very surprised at the family secret of Jill’s we learnt of during the novel, it definitely caught me off guard and I didn’t see it coming.

Overall it was a really enjoyable and really well written debut. I loved the descriptions of the beach where Jill lived in Conneticut, I loved the easiness of the writing – good writing always makes a book so much easier to read.

Rating: 5/5

I’d like to thank Maggie and her publishers, PAN, for sending me a copy of the novel to review.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beachcombing is the story of Jill who is fifty-two, divorced and living alone in a beach cottage in Connecticut. On a visit to her friend, Sophie in England where they grew up, she meets Colin, a boyfriend from their teenage years. From the moment she fell down the stairs and fainted at his feet I could see what was coming.[return][return]Of course, Jill falls in love with Colin, who thirty-five years later is not the boy she thought he was. She thinks he s going to marry her and come to live with her leaving his partner, Shelby, and the prosperous little hotel they run in the Cotswolds. And then, everything goes wrong! She has to work her way through heartbreak, work and financial problems, and innumerable car problems. At times she had fallen out with both of her best friends. The only problem free relationships she has are those with her two grown up sons.[return][return]Jill has a phobia about middle aged men leaving their wives for younger women and that colours her relationships so much so that she cannot see what is so obvious to everyone else. Despite having friends she is lonely and mistakes lust for love. I began to despair that she would ever come to her senses. I got to the point where I wondered what could possibly go wrong next and even at the end when things seem about to get better I wasn t convinced they would.[return][return]The things I liked about Beachcombing were the way the characters are delineated (Jill is actually an amalgamation of a few women I ve known) and the descriptions of the locations:[return][return]But I d have liked it more if it wasn t written in the first person present tense. It s a personal thing - I m never too keen on that. Instead of adding to the drama I found that the continual crises Jill encountered actually lessened their impact; once one had passed it had gone, in a series of nows . I had the same problem reading The Time Traveler s Wife.[return][return]The back cover describes Beachcombing as[return][return] & a coming-of-middle-age story about girl friends when you re no longer a girl, and growing up when you re already grown up, and the price you re willing to pay for the love of your life.[return][return]I think that is a good summary. I wondered what the title - Beachcombing - implies. It occurred to me that the sea casts up a lot of rubbish on the beach and maybe that symbolises the rubbish that came into Jill s life. It can also leave treasures. Jill s problem was that she had difficulty in distinguishing the rubbish from the treasures.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis (from Amazon):
Jillian Hunter treasures her independence. She's raised two sons by herself, launched a small business, and restored a tumbledown beach cottage in Connecticut. But when a trip to London reunites her with Colin an old flame she hasn't seen in 35 years, Jill falls for him all over again. Love makes Jill reckless. This could be her chance for a new beginning. But Colin isn't quite the boy she remembers..........

My Thoughts:

If I could pick my next door neighbour it would be Jillian Hunter. She was the sort of person who could keep a secret and who could also help you unblock your kitchen sink! I shared a rollercoaster of emotions with her, from her falling in love to falling out with her best friends, I really felt at the end of the book as if I knew her, and I wanted so much for her to find her deserved happiness.

I thought Maggie Dana's excellent and witty writing was spot-on and I identified on so many levels with Jill, yet she was so different to me. I could never climb up onto my roof and mend loose shingles! This probably sums up her independent and spirited nature -

Letting go of my sore foot, I lurch out of my rope nest and feel like screaming. Not because my toe is on fire, but because I've bloody well coped. I've spent a lifetime coping because that's what you do when there's nobody else to pick up the pieces, and when I think about women like Shelby and Diana who fall apart because a guest complained or the bartender quit or, heaven forbid, the florist delivered the wrong flowers, I get seriously mad.

Maggie Dana quotes on her website that a friend challenged her to write a novel about feisty middle aged women, as there weren't enough of them, and I think she's succeeded in doing just that.

I was engrossed in this book from beginning to end - and would happily recommend it to anyone wanting a great read with convincing characters and amusing moments - never boring!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one really appealed to me when I saw it on the Romantic Novel of the Year longlist - lovely summery cover, love story, heroine in her 50s... It's not a bad read at all, good central character, well drawn friendships, nice tingly love story of older lady re-finding first love. It starts a bit all over the place but builds into a good story with some real humour and sadness, and it struck several chords around love in middle age and living on your own. And she has a wonderful character cat called Zachary who helps drive the narrative. It was perfect for picking up after a hard day at work, but didn't entirely fulfil its promise for me... perhaps she'll get there 100% with a second book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yawn...

Thank heavens I grabbed this from the library and did not spend money on it. Basically it's chic lit aimed at a slightly older reader. Can love happen when you are a bit older?

It did the job of filling a rainy afternoon, but I would not recommend this to anyone looking for a book with substance, or even a likable plot.

[Rosalinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, light reading. Nothing pretentious literaturesque, just a sensitive, warm coming of age story of desire and fulfilment. Very recognisable for 50-something women (like I am). Hoping more romantic novels by Dana will follow!

Spent two lovely relaxed afternoon reading this in my quiet summer garden.

[LG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable storyline. But all in all,it wasnt that bad. :)