Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Terrific book about friendship, secrets, and love. Alice, Knox, and Lauren are shocked to discover that they've each inherited a one-third share in a rundown Wild West-themed inn in their hometown of Sunrise Cove. They must work together for the next month to get it ready to reopen or lose their inheritance. Each has a history with the inn and the previous owner and secrets that haunt them.
Alice, her brother, and her father worked for Eleanor years ago. But when Alice's brother Will died in a tragic accident, the memories drove Alice and her father away from Sunrise Cove. Her dad moved to Europe, and Alice has spent her time going from construction job to construction job. Not only did she lose her brother, but she also lost her BFF Lauren, who had been Will's girlfriend. They argued the night of Will's death and haven't spoken since.
Lauren works in the town library and has spent the last four years as the object of the small town's pity. She is "Will's Widow" to all of them, making it difficult for her to move on. No one knows the guilty feelings she harbors over Will's death.
Knox's mom was a (mostly) functioning alcoholic who worked for Eleanor at the inn. Eleanor would give him odd jobs, keeping him busy and teaching him life skills he didn't get at home. After his mother's death, Knox left town, eventually becoming a very successful contractor.
I enjoyed watching these three lonely people find a family with each other as they deal with their grief, the effects of being abandoned by those who should have loved them, and learning how to forgive themselves and others.
Their first day together is difficult for all three. Alice dreads spending any time in the place that holds such devastating memories. She wants to get the place fixed up, sell it, and get the heck out of Dodge. It doesn't help that she feels guilty about the way she left Lauren. She misses their friendship but has no idea how to fix it. Complicating matters, she had a massive crush on Knox as a teenager and can only pray that he never suspected. Lauren also misses her friendship with Alice and is still angry at how Alice left without a word and no further contact. She hides her loneliness behind her work and suppresses her former adventurousness. Meanwhile, Knox is stuck playing referee between the two women and fighting the memories that haunt him.
The antagonism among the three at the start led to an amusing set of rules that they added to as they went along but broke almost as soon as they wrote them down. Early in the forced partnership, they found an iPad with a stash of unsent emails from Eleanor to her long-dead sister, all about our three main characters. Each email links to a chapter in the book and something going on with one of the characters. They are frequent catalysts for our people to face something in their pasts or present, as all three face the events or memories that have affected their lives.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Alice and Knox develop. Alice was hard to like at the beginning. She is abrasive, sarcastic, and always keeps one foot out of the door. Knox sees past that complex façade to the vulnerable and hurting woman inside. He always seems to know the right thing to say, whether it's to comfort her, motivate her, or push her to face her fears. There were some very sweet moments between them and some funny snark and flirty teasing. But when the renovations are finished, Alice has to decide what wins - her feelings for Knox or the pain of her memories. Knox's solution was emotional and perfect for Alice.
Even though Eleanor was her great-aunt, thanks to a family rift, Lauren had never known her. Her connection was mainly through her friendship with Alice and her relationship with Will. Through stories and other revelations, Lauren gets a different view of Eleanor than the one she grew up with. She is tired of being "poor Lauren," and though she longs for a relationship with a man who will put her first, she doesn't have the confidence to put herself out there. I laughed at her first encounter with Ben and her obliviousness about his interest. Thanks to downsizing at the library, Lauren also faces a crossroads in her life.
I liked the growth of each character as they faced their pasts and the fears that kept them from moving on. I liked seeing the support they gave each other, including the occasional kick in the butt to get past self-imposed obstacles. I loved the epilogue and the fun twist at the end.
#netgalley
Alice, her brother, and her father worked for Eleanor years ago. But when Alice's brother Will died in a tragic accident, the memories drove Alice and her father away from Sunrise Cove. Her dad moved to Europe, and Alice has spent her time going from construction job to construction job. Not only did she lose her brother, but she also lost her BFF Lauren, who had been Will's girlfriend. They argued the night of Will's death and haven't spoken since.
Lauren works in the town library and has spent the last four years as the object of the small town's pity. She is "Will's Widow" to all of them, making it difficult for her to move on. No one knows the guilty feelings she harbors over Will's death.
Knox's mom was a (mostly) functioning alcoholic who worked for Eleanor at the inn. Eleanor would give him odd jobs, keeping him busy and teaching him life skills he didn't get at home. After his mother's death, Knox left town, eventually becoming a very successful contractor.
I enjoyed watching these three lonely people find a family with each other as they deal with their grief, the effects of being abandoned by those who should have loved them, and learning how to forgive themselves and others.
Their first day together is difficult for all three. Alice dreads spending any time in the place that holds such devastating memories. She wants to get the place fixed up, sell it, and get the heck out of Dodge. It doesn't help that she feels guilty about the way she left Lauren. She misses their friendship but has no idea how to fix it. Complicating matters, she had a massive crush on Knox as a teenager and can only pray that he never suspected. Lauren also misses her friendship with Alice and is still angry at how Alice left without a word and no further contact. She hides her loneliness behind her work and suppresses her former adventurousness. Meanwhile, Knox is stuck playing referee between the two women and fighting the memories that haunt him.
The antagonism among the three at the start led to an amusing set of rules that they added to as they went along but broke almost as soon as they wrote them down. Early in the forced partnership, they found an iPad with a stash of unsent emails from Eleanor to her long-dead sister, all about our three main characters. Each email links to a chapter in the book and something going on with one of the characters. They are frequent catalysts for our people to face something in their pasts or present, as all three face the events or memories that have affected their lives.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between Alice and Knox develop. Alice was hard to like at the beginning. She is abrasive, sarcastic, and always keeps one foot out of the door. Knox sees past that complex façade to the vulnerable and hurting woman inside. He always seems to know the right thing to say, whether it's to comfort her, motivate her, or push her to face her fears. There were some very sweet moments between them and some funny snark and flirty teasing. But when the renovations are finished, Alice has to decide what wins - her feelings for Knox or the pain of her memories. Knox's solution was emotional and perfect for Alice.
Even though Eleanor was her great-aunt, thanks to a family rift, Lauren had never known her. Her connection was mainly through her friendship with Alice and her relationship with Will. Through stories and other revelations, Lauren gets a different view of Eleanor than the one she grew up with. She is tired of being "poor Lauren," and though she longs for a relationship with a man who will put her first, she doesn't have the confidence to put herself out there. I laughed at her first encounter with Ben and her obliviousness about his interest. Thanks to downsizing at the library, Lauren also faces a crossroads in her life.
I liked the growth of each character as they faced their pasts and the fears that kept them from moving on. I liked seeing the support they gave each other, including the occasional kick in the butt to get past self-imposed obstacles. I loved the epilogue and the fun twist at the end.
#netgalley
