USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts takes readers on a wintry trip to the harbor in her latest holiday novel…
The town of Moonlight Harbor needs to convince tourists that the beach is still the place to be—even when the sunshine goes south for the winter. Jenna Jones, new proprietor of The Driftwood Inn, has the perfect a holiday festival called Seaside with Santa.
Jenna is happy to throw herself into planning the event. With all the decorating, preparation and extra reservations at the inn because of the festival—and with two wonderful but very different men hoping to claim more of her time and her heart—Jenna is busy. Busy, but happy. Even with her troublesome ex in the picture, life feels as close to perfect as she’s ever known.
Until the weather turns her festival into a farce. Suddenly Mother Nature is not only raining on Jenna’s parade, the old bat’s trying to blow the floats and their princesses out to sea. Soon everyone is without power and the road out of town is blocked. And Jenna has a full motel.
After the generator conks out, she’s not so sure she and her guests will make it through to the New Year in one piece. But with a little pulling together and a lot of holiday spirit, everyone might find that life—and Christmas—is always good at the beach.
With fifty books to her credit, both fiction and non-fiction, Sheila Roberts is a frequent USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller - and a fan favorite. Her books have sold over three million copies and have been turned into movies for the Hallmark, Lifetime and Great American Family channels. Before settling into her writing career, Sheila owned a singing telegram company and played in band. When she's not traveling, Sheila can be found hanging out with friends, playing tennis, and, of course, writing and reading. Sometimes she even remembers to post books she's read!
I really enjoyed this contemporary and loved going back into Jenna's life to see what was happening to her now. This starts out as the businesses in Moonlight Harbor aren't doing as well as they could be and Jenna has an idea. She comes up with a festival to get some people into the little town for Christmas and help them all earn some money. Her ideas are good and she really is trying to do the right thing by all the business owners in Moonlight Harbor. She gets some slack but that is to be expected not everyone is going to love every idea. But, at least Jenna tries. MORE than I can say for some of the residents. This book was a little different as it brought in new characters and we got to see a bit into their lives and how people deal with their problems.
We get multiple POV's from the different hotel residents that are/do stay at the hotel during the festival. This author pulls this together nicely and I am never left wondering who is talking or what is going on. I did not in any way feel lost. I do perhaps want some cookies from Aunt Edie. =)
Of course, there are lots of things happening in this little town and when things go haywire at the festival it's up to Jenna to come up with the solutions to them. I love that she has such great friends and that everyone pulls together when it really matters. This book is cute, funny, and just an overall great read!
I give this books 4.5 of 5 stars!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for an honest review. This in no way influenced my review of the book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher and author for a chance to read this novel.
WINTER AT THE BEACH by Sheila Roberts is the second book in the Moonlight Harbor series. Moonlight Harbor is a beach town, but in the winter hardly anyone comes down and spends any money. The town needs to figure out a way to generate tourism for the colder months. Jenna Jones is currently running the Driftwood Inn and really needs to get people to book rooms as the bills are piling up. She comes up with a great idea for a festival called Seaside With Santa.
Sheila Roberts has a way of pulling you in and never letting you go! She will get you emotionally invested in all of her characters, where you feel as if they are "real" people that you know. If you aren't a fan of series, don't worry. You could easily read this one as a stand alone. Every time I read one of these stories, I feel like I am back visiting old friends and making new ones along the way.
The community of Moonlight Harbor is filled with likable characters that you could see yourself becoming friends with. The women are strong and faithful to their families and the men are always trying to help them out. WINTER AT THE BEACH is going to put you right in the middle of Inn with all its problems! Jenna is trying to keep the inn up and running, plus she is dealing with her ex and her teenage daughter. She likes two men, one who isn't ready to commit and one who is a player but really wants to take his friendship with Jenna to the next level. Ugh!!
The customers who come down to Moonlight Harbor are also dealing with some pretty big issues, cancer, trust problems, financial ruin, but they all try and make the best of a situation. Well, all of them but one! The peek into these characters lives shows you how people deal differently with their problems. Sometimes it's funny and other times it left a lump in my throat. I mean seriously, how can you not fall in love with these people and get all up in their business? The weather doesn't cooperate with the parade they have planned and you will find yourself wondering if the whole festival will be a complete bust!
WINTER AT THE BEACH is filled with family, new beginnings, getting over the past, love and loss. This story is a very heart tugging tale in Moonlight Harbor and I loved every minute of it. The pages aren't filled with romance but there is plenty of it. You will be believing in happily ever after and finding yourself wanting to pack you bags and moving to this charming beach town. The positive female relationships that these women share will make you want to go out and make some new friends. As always, another wonderful story from Sheila Roberts. As a bonus there are recipes from the story at the end of the book and who doesn't love that? I can't wait to continue this series!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Mira Books through Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
Sheila Robert's stories have a way of dragging you into the story and making you feel like you are part of the town. Very well written with a great cast of characters that will make you laugh and cry. I have fallen in love with the town of Moonlight Harbor. I really enjoyed the story and hated to see it end. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Sorry, I got bored at the first 20 percent of the novel, that I skipped over to the last 90 percent. This book is good if you are recovering from surgery and you need to read something with minimum effort.
Rating as a movie: PG-15 for suggestive language and adult content
Songs for the soundtrack: "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½🦃🎄
My thoughts: 📖 Page 49 of 310 Ch. 4 - I was wondering how many festivals could one town have when Jenna enlightened me. I'm not a fan of the plot, Jenna and Sabrina are already on my nerves; passivity annoys me. 📖 101 in Ch. 7 three pages before Ch. 8 - This is where I left off before I got a phone call hours ago. Now there are all of these mediocre side stories. I miss the first book, especially the to-do list epigraphs. *rereading from Ch. 10. 📖198 Ch. 15 - I'm having a hard time remembering all of these people. I recognize their situations but not their names.
This was okay but the entire book felt like filler material. I think the highlight for me was the banter between sisters Sarah and Taylor, I was disappointed that Dave Ramsey wasn't mentioned, Taylor and Chris sound like Babysteppers. I don't know what Jenna's definition of dating is, I'm not looking forward to more of Sabrina and Tristan. There was so much going on in this book and at the same time, nothing at all. I now understand why Debbie Macomber only had 2 guest stories per book for Rose Harbor Inn. There were too many characters in this story and little depth, I had to reread a few clusters of chapters because I was lost.
Recommend to others?: Yeah. You have to get through the lull to get to the next wave.
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.
Once again, this is another fabulous book by Sheila Roberts and a solid sequel to the series!
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the story still focused primarily on Jenna rather than make her an outlier while a previous secondary character took the spotlight, as was the case with the author's Icicle Falls series. But this decision feels fitting as Jenna's drive and enthusiasm continue to inspire, showcasing just how important this community has become to her as well as the hotel's welfare. In hindsight, it seems silly that the town wouldn't have already had a holiday festival available to drive tourism during the winter, but whether she thinks so or not, Jenna has truly cemented herself as a leader that will definitely put Moonlight Harbor on the map! They need her just as much as she needs them, and I can't wait to read more!
There are plenty of tear-jerking moments, but I love how the author is able to find the humor in it all without losing the sense of compassion we all need to feel in order to face such tragic circumstances. The story never loses its ability to convey a sense of hope that powerfully comes from the understanding of those who have also experienced similar situations if not worse. And in the author's deft hands, these fictional characters become masterfully relatable and delightfully engaging.
Happy endings come together in a heartwarming tapestry that makes this a perfect selection to curl up with this season! Plus, the included recipes will set your mouth-watering and have firing up the oven to bake up all those cookies just in time for Santa!
This is a really lovely story. I think that Moonlight Harbor would be a terrific beach town in which to live. I am looking for a house near the beach even as I type this. Please recognize the fact that in reality, I am unable to find a house in an imaginary town. Jenna is a divorced mother. She is managing a small motel for her aunt. Jenna will eventually inherit and that will give her security which her life has lacked. The other people who live in the small beach town are generally friendly and supportive. Beach towns make money in the spring, summer and fall. But, the winter is a hard financial time for most of the people in Moonlight Harbor. Jenna has an idea. She believes that if they have a winter festival, it could draw tourists and it could be a financial success for everyone. The idea draws support from nearly everyone in the Chamber of Commerce. There is one woman who would complain if she were hung with a new rope, but she is in the minority. Jenna has a teenage daughter who is growing into a TEENAGER. But, truly, she is a very good kid. She is simply growing up with the usual teen situations, Jenna also has 2 men who are attracted to her and she is attracted to both of them in return.. Jenna’s ex husband has decided he wants to be connected to his daughter. Jenna’s sister is supportive of Jenna, but she also has a personal story brewing in the back round. This story has a lot happening. Because of a major storm, people who are staying at Jenna’s motel, must be sent to other sites when power goes out and the one main road out of town is blocked. Several families must move into Jenna’s home. The reader gets to know these people well. There are real life issues and real life situations. There are also very interesting family dynamics becoming evident. Some of the people become much better than expected. And most people are willing to make the best of a not so great situation. Ms Roberts is a very talented author. Her characters are well developed and are basically people we all know in life. My problem with this book is I did not feel closure in many of the situations. It is part of a series. I have not read the earlier book in the series. It was not hard to get into this story. Ms Roberts provides good back round information for previous relationships and situations But, for this story, I felt that there were things left hanging. I would have felt more comfortable with everything if there were more stories which had actual endings.
Sheila has gone and done it again! Wow! Winter at the Beach is the perfect Christmas lesson for everyone. Remembering what’s important and what really matters in life. We all have our share of problems but if you have family and good friends all is not so bad. Jenna is running her Great Aunt Edie's Driftwood Inn at Moonlight Harbor. So many changes over the last year has brought Jenna and her 14 year old daughter to the beach. Jenna is new to running an Inn and has to find a way to survive the winter months at Moonlight Harbor. So she decides to put on a Festival. Santa in the Sand. No down time for her at the beach. Planning a festival to bring in the tourists was the perfect idea. Put plans go awry and sometimes in a big way. But with two hunky men to help her out and a team of community members, what could go wrong? This book had me in stitches and had me thinking about my own problems, which seems overwhelming at time, and I think about my family and how I’m so blessed to have them close by. I visit Ocean Shores, WA near where I live, and this book reminds me of that small town beach feel and brings it to life. Sheila has a way of taking an entire town, bringing everybody together and gives you the feeling of being part of a tight knit community where neighbors are helping neighbors. I strongly urge you to pick up this book for Christmas. It will put you in the Christmas spirit and get you ready for the holidays!
Old friends and new ones are in Sheila Roberts second installment in the Moonlight Harbor Novel series, Winter at the Beach. Winter is slow for the small beach town of Moonlight Harbor and all the business are having financial problems, especially Jenna who runs the Driftwood Inn for her Great Aunt Edie. Wouldn’t a winter festival be great to bring in people? A storm causes havoc with high winds, hard rain and electricity out. With The Driftwood full Jenna pulls together with her friends and makes a disaster into an adventure and something memorable that people will not forget! The book gives you so many emotions that you get swept into the town like the storm, happy, sad, mad, frustration and a lot of love, togetherness and emotional awakening. A good read!
Of course I have to say it another great book by Sheila. I enjoyed getting to know the new cast of characters that decided to go to the Christmas Festival at Moonlight Harbor. I connected a little with Taylor at first as I have a husband who is trying to start his own business. Luckily though he is doing it on the side. I kind of wish Taylor would not have put on the blame on her husband as her job was not paying or working out either so she should have looked for something else. Then you had rude Susan who kept saying the festival was going to fail. She was a negative Nellie. I liked how everyone pulled together when the power went out and made the best of things. That would not be how I would want to spend but they made it work. I wonder who Jenna is going to decide to date Seth or Brody - I think she thought she knew but now not so much. I look forward to the next book to see what adventures will happen in Moonlight Harbor
I am sorry but I was bored. And I can not really say why. I liked the characters. I feel sorry and happy but I could not connect to feel them, to breath with them. A perfect ambient did not helped.
I have choosen this book couse of the title. I had a mission to read a book with winter in the title. And the cover is just wonderful.
This story is set around Christmas with a festival at the beach. Lots of things go wrong but lots of things happen to make people remember what the holiday season is all about. The book was a quick easy read.
I get sucked in by these books in a series and this wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t outstanding. Would I read number three if it came out? Probably. This isn’t a Nantucket story by the way. It takes place in a small community south of Seattle in Washington state. Just for a change.
Second is a romance series. The lights are off, a strong storm is brewing, a bunch of people are isolated for Christmas at a shore side inn. It was fun....
This was my first foray into woman’s fiction. I picked it up mostly because I heard about this author, who I have known to become popular over the years. Plus it had holiday theme surrounding it so I figured I would give it a try, but I no way an expert in this genre so keep that mind while reading this review. This just how I felt while I read the story.
I realized early on that this book was a continuation of book number one in the series. I wasn’t expecting that going into so I did feel like I missed a little bit of what happened in the previous book concerning certain characters and what happened between characters, etc. I could read between the line pretty good though so I wasn’t confused of what was happening, but I did feel like a little piece was missing for at least in the beginning.
I was surprised how quickly that I got into the story despite the fact that I didn’t read book one in the series. I liked the characters. I liked the setup of this holiday festival that they were planning in order to drum up business in this tourist town. I liked the small town aspect of this story, which small town stories I have to become more and more interesting in. I liked the community feel that I got as this town came together to help Jenna put on this holiday festival. I liked the family parts as well. The setup really got me interested for what was to come. I was expecting especially with a woman’s fiction that I would need more of a warm up until I really got into the heart of the story. So, I was happy that it didn’t take me that long.
I was also really surprised with the humor in this story. There were some really funny moments brought in by various characters and interactions through the story. It was nice to have some of those lighthearted moments throughout. It just made it fun and entertaining to read especially just being introduced to this world and town.
I will say that the middle dragged for me a bit. It wasn’t as interesting because more of the day to day life was being portrayed. It just slowed down the pacing and the momentum that it had going that it had it the beginning. It just stalled. I get that this was meant to setup for what was to come. It wasn’t the other perspectives of the other families that dragged. It was Jenna’s perspective that I felt a bit of a slog and felt dragging too long in order to get to the good stuff.
A reason for Jenna’s perspective slogged for me a bit in the middle could be for a totally bias reason. It had to do with the “romance” portion of the story. I’m huge romance fan so this could have colored my judgement a bit from coming from that perspective instead of a woman’s fiction side. This why in the beginning I said don’t judge me because I don’t know enough about this genre to present an expert opinion of whether this is all woman’s fiction or if it was just this one in particular. Anyway I am not a fan of love triangles in any romance, story or whatever the medium is. They just don’t do them for me, and I could go on a massive rant on them, but I will try to keep my commentary on it to just this particular this story. So, as you can tell there was a love triangle between Jenna, Brody, and Seth. Even though it wasn’t heavy on the romance, it still was part of the story. What couldn’t stand in this story was how back and forth Jenna was even though it was clear where her heart was. I get that the one she wanted, Seth, made it clear that he wasn’t ready to start any type of relationship and blah blah so Jenna couldn’t be with him. So, she trying to deciding whether to give this Brody a shot and move on from Seth. To me it just felt like she was making the best out of bad situation. That Brody was second choice. It felt like she was talking herself into to be into Brody and giving him a shot when even though she wanted the other and even said that if Seth was willing to give her a shot then she hop right on that train. Plus she really didn’t have much chemistry with Brody in my opinion. He was totally her, but the opposite couldn’t be said. I just didn’t care for that because of those reasons that’s typically how most love triangle stories go and that why I don’t like them, All that back and forth between the two was just a little much for me, and her trying to talk herself into a relationship with Brody just didn’t sit right with me at all. I almost wish there wasn’t any romantic elements at all compared to this love triangle going on. That’s coming from a romance reader so that tells you how much I wasn’t fond of this element in the story.
The story got much better once the families were arriving at the inn for the festival. There were lots of conflicts and tension and going on both with the festival and with the families. It was great to see all the families stories connect and interact as things didn’t go according to plan for all in involved, but that was what made good and exciting as they dealt with these things. They really came together and great conversations along way that could be related to as well as help others in similar situations. I really enjoyed seeing that throughout the story. It just bonded them, which I thought was really good.
I think the storyline I liked the most was Taylor and Greg’s. It was such a journey of ride from where they were first at to where they where by book’s end. I didn’t how it was going to go especially with Taylor’s anger and her gloom and doom attitude. I did want to shake Taylor at times just like her sister did. There was just such bitterness in her that I didn’t know how this was going to possibly resolve itself because it was that bad of situation. I didn’t even know how she was going to bridge the gap between herself and other especially with Greg. It was heartbreaking and painful. I could understand where her anger was coming from yet it was such an extreme anger that I didn’t think this was going to end up it a good place in the end. Luckily by getting know Jenna as well as other families who could provide perspectives from their own experiences that could shed some light on what truly mattered in life. Plus the incident near the end was truly Taylor’s wake up call as well as her coming realize that the advice she was getting from other’s were completely valid. It made her shift her own perspective about things as well as let go of the bitterness along the way. I just thought was really well done. It was very powerful moment when she had that “ah ha” moment. It just really took me there on her journey and really dug deep. I really appreciated that. It was such a good part of the story. I enjoyed that part more than I ever thought I was going to especially coming from a romance reader. The other family storylines were well done as well, but this one just hit a spot for me.
As for the Christmas part of the story, I thought that was really well done as well. It felt cold and Christmassy. There were plenty of activities that Jenna and her sister did after the storm that stranded people in town as well as the power outage. They did some really thoughtful and creative things to celebrate the holiday. The things they did for Taylor and Taylor’s sister’s children was just so sweet and lovely. It really made the best out of a bad situation. It was nice to see all the families come together to make this holiday special for only the children but for each other as well. This demonstrated what the true meaning of Christmas really means. I loved that so much. It touched me in various different ways. Christmas was definitely on full display and the highlight of the story. It was really, really good.
For this being my first foray into woman’s fiction, I have say it was a solid one. I liked it a whole lot more than I thought I was going to. I knew this was going to be lighter on the romance and heavier on other things and issues, which made me a little nervous going in and was the reason I hadn’t picked up woman’s fiction in the first place. But this one really surprised me especially with quickly I got into the story once I put the pieces together of what I was missing from book one. I was drawn in by the characters, the town, and just the whole idea of a holiday festival coming together. There were struggles and issues that Jenna had to face between her ex, her daughter, and the festival but she made it work in the end. The “romance”/love triangle didn’t do it for me, and I wish it wasn’t in this story at because that was the part that bothered me most and tended to drag the story down for me a bit. I just wasn’t interested. I hated the back and forth. How she seemed to be taking herself into things even though her heart was pretty solid in where it belonged. The middle of the book’s pacing was just a little slow for me. Once the families started coming to the inn for the festival, it got much better. I loved seeing the families interact and help each other. I loved all the Christmas stuff that went on. I loved how they made the best of Christmas. It just kept me wanting to flip the page to just see what happened next. Usually I’m not a fan of multiple perspectives in stories, but this worked for me because it was needed as different pieces of the puzzle came together in order to help or relate certain situations that were happening. It was almost like it was meant to be that all these families came to this inn this certain time of year and spent the holiday together. It was this all happened for a reason kind of thing. I really liked that. All in all I think was a pretty positive reading experience for me. It definitely has me more interested in picking up a woman’s fiction in future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I received this book as part of a Christmas gift. I love the beach during the winter, Christmas, and the Pacific Northwest so this was set up to be a good read. What could have been a charming story was sadly disappointing.
This story is filled with an incredible amount of negative undertones, disgruntled characters, and woe is me syndrome. The female narrator has a passive personality who can never quite leave past experiences in the past. I also feel as though the author has issues with men. All of the male characters in the story had glaring flaws or negative self images. The storyline draaaaags on for much too long.
It's difficult for me to toss a book aside before finishing and as such I trudged through this book of basic, flat, uninteresting writing. The best part of this book - recipes for cookies mentioned throughout the story are included following the final chapter.
While my friend who gifted me this book had good intentions, this was a Santa fail.
A nice revisit to Moonlight Harbor and the characters that we met in the first book. Very similar to the Icicle Falls series, the main character saves that day with a creative spin and some not so likely consequences. This is a cute story that is a nice addition to the new series.
Another fun book from Pacific Northwest USA Best Selling author, Sheila Roberts. Moonlight Harbor needs to do something to liven up the community during the winter holiday season. Jenna comes up with a great plan to bring in the people and all looks bright until Mother Nature blows in.
Another touching heartfelt story about friends and family working together in difficult situations. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a happy ending.
I finished reading Winter at the Beach by Sheila Roberts just this weekend. As usual, Ms. Roberts has the ability to take a sometimes-sad story and see the humor in the situation. This one is no different. This is the second in a new series for Ms. Roberts which is set on the Pacific northwest coast in the fictional town of Moonlight Harbor.
In this book, we again meet the characters from the last book, Jenna Jones, her teenaged daughter, Sabrina, and Jenna’s Aunt Edie, whom they now live with. There are two semi-permanent residents of The Driftwood Inn. Pete, Aunt Edie’s sometimes handyman but mostly moocher. And Seth, who owns his own business, but is willing the chip in and help around the inn when needed. Then there’s a collection of colorful townspeople. To top it all off, we have several visitors at the inn, but then I’m getting ahead of myself!
This story opens with Jenna going to a chamber of commerce meeting and suggesting that the town hold a winter festival the weekend before Christmas in order to attract visitors in a typically slow time during the off-season. This idea is met with skepticism from Susan who can see no reason to support this idea, making her a huge “Nervous Nelly.” But most of the members support the idea and put Jenna in charge. Jenna gets down to business of planning the most perfect festival for the town and of course The Driftwood Inn. Of course, anything that can go wrong most likely will but with Ms. Robert’s somewhat warped sense of humor.
Before the festival begins, we meet the would-be guests at their homes as they make their plans to go to the beach for the festival. The inn fills up for the festival and Jenna is delighted. Jenna still has two men vying for her attention, local realtor, Brody Green and sometimes handyman, Seth. Or not, especially in the case of the latter.
As always with all of Ms. Robert’s books, she had me laughing throughout at the characters antics. I think you will too!
Who Doesn't love the beach? In Sheila Roberts new book, Winter at the beach the second in her Moonlight Harbor series, we get to hang out at the beach again. There we meet up with Jenna Jones. Jenna took over The Driftwood Inn from her Great-Aunt Edie, along with her fourteen year old daughter Sabrina. Winter is coming and reservations at the Inn are not. Jenna is worried how they are going to survive the winter with no money coming in.... not to mention she has to pay her dead beat ex spousal support. Jenna comes up with a great plan to organize a holiday festival a week before Christmas, called Seaside with Santa. (and who dosn't love Santa!) Jenna puts out Groupon specials to get people in, which works ... the Driftwood Inn is booked! We meet new characters Taylor and her sister Sarah. Taylor and her husband Greg are in financial trouble, her sister Sarah and Chris got out of debt and saved up a good amount of savings. Sarah is trying to help her sister do the same. Sarah suggests a weekend away for the two of them, her treat! There's also Darrell Wilson who wanted to surprise his wife Kat, with a much needed mini vacation, for their 30th Anniversary. Kat will be going through chemo and radiation for her cancer, and a mini vacation would be a great way for her to relax. Sisters Lisa and Karen are due for a girls getaway. Lisa thinks Karen is losing her fun spark she once had. All is great for Jenna until disaster strikes, a huge storm is predicted on the same day as the festival.Everyone wants to check out, and go home.... but they do not get to far, and come back. how will Jenna cope? Thank goodness for the two handsome men in her life, Seth and Brody, and her family and friends. Will the winter festival be a success? I loved this book, and you will too! Sheila's books always put you in a festive Christmas mood! I can't wait to go back to the beach!
Wow, another wonderful visit to Moonlight Harbor. This story still concentrates on Jenna, but there is a whole group of secondary characters that are staying at the Driftwood that play a huge part in this story. It is winter and the residents of Moonlight Harbor are trying to come up a way to bring tourists to their small town. It is hard to survive the winter without a lot of income. Jenna suggests a winter festival called Seaside with Santa. It sounds like a great idea and most of the businesses in town are on board. The only thing that could put a damper on the event would be the weather.
This story tugged at my heartstrings. The stories many of the visitors to Moonlight Harbor brought with them were so sad. I loved how upbeat some of them were, even though they were struggling, or had overcome some devastating situations. I came to care for the characters and took time to take stock of my own life. There was only one character that I wanted to smack, but that is the wonderful thing about Sheila Robert's character development, they become real to the reader. As the other books in this series did, the residents of Moonlight Harbor come to the aid of those who need help, and everyone becomes part of the community. This story pulled at my heartstrings, but I am happy to say that it does end on a high note. This is not a romance, but there is some romance in the story. It is a story of friendship, community, helping others, overcoming obstacles, family and love. The positive female relationships that these women share will make you want to go out and make some new friends, or better yet, pack your bags and move to Moonlight Harbor. This one even has some recipes at the end that sound easy and yummy. Another great story from Sheila Roberts. Now, on to book #3.
Life as the beach is always good, says Jenna who has been blessed by the opportunity to start over at her aunt’s beach side motel. When her ex flew the coop, she and her teenaged daughter flew the coop to begin again a life more meaningful or so she hoped. The beginnings of her new life was fraught with some problems, but the good folk of Midnight Harbor flocked around to help her out and boost her up.
Winter was coming however and the few reservations she had were canceling. Looking over the books, she fretted and worried over how she would keep she, her daughter and aunt fed over the bleak winter months much less pay the utilities. They needed something to draw folks back to the town for at least one weekend. What would that be?
Not to be one who gives up, Jenna mulls over the problem. Wonder if another festival would work? A winter festival? Naysayers seemingly turned her hopeful thoughts downward. But hey others thought it just might work and she was in charge! Even with the town getting behind her and plans being laid, would the weather on this beach town commit? Would people come?
What if’s and should we’s plastered more worries on her head. Situations beyond her control might come. If so what would she do? Will her plan work? Would it fail? Would the townsfolk love her, like her or run her out on a rail. Read Winter at the Beach A Midnight Harbor book 2 by Sheila Roberts to find out what, who and when things start happening. You might be in for a surprise.
It is winter time at Moonlight Harbor. All of the merchants would like to entice more tourists to the community at winter.
Jenna Jones is the new proprietor at the Driftwood Inn. She is feeling a financial pinch and wants to come up with an idea to lure people to Moonlight Harbor just before Christmas. She comes up with the proposal of a holiday festival called Seaside with Santa. The rest of the chamber like the idea except for the one negative naysayer.
Jenna throws herself into planning the event. The rest of the chamber are eager to help. Jenna also works overtime getting the inn ready. She is also dealing with two men in her life. One is wanting more of her time and other is trying to pull back from their attraction to each other.
All is going great until Mother Nature turns the festival into a disaster. It rains, the wind is super strong and then the power goes out. And then the road out of town is blocked. No one can get in or out.
When the power goes out, Jenna must find room for some of her customers and her friends step up to help. The rest of the customers get moved into Jenna's home and we get to know these families up close and personal. Real life situations are happening and we get to listen in.
At the end of the story (which ends well) we still do not know which of the two men Jenna will end up with. Or maybe not. I hope it gets resolved soon.
This story is about family, moving ahead with life by getting over the past including love and loss. I liked it al lot.