The ladies of Do Over are back in One Good Thing, the latest novel in Wendy Wax’s Ten Beach Road series, and things are not looking good for them. The network is willing to let them out of their contract, but they are not allowed to use the name Do Over or sell the footage from their last renovation, the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club.

Maddy wants to be on the road with her rocker boyfriend, but feels she’s needed by her friends and family. Nikki is pregnant with twins, regretting saying no to Joe’s marriage proposals, and worried she won’t be a good mother. Avery’s own relationship is strained due to problems with Chase’s youngest son. And Kyra is afraid they will lose the Bella Flora if they don’t start selling cottages at the Sunshine so she can pay back the loan she took on the house. Added to the cast is Bitsy Baynard, the socialite who loaned the women money to renovate the Sunshine, whose husband has left her for another woman, taking all of her money with him.

One Good Thing is the first book where the ladies aren’t actively renovating any property, other than turning Bitsy’s cottage at the Sunshine into a tiny house, where everything has double or triple the function, and the actual renovations are barely mentioned. I miss that part of the series, where they have to find creative ways around roadblocks, both financial and construction-related, and rely on their wits and elbow grease to get things done.

While this novel has the feeling of a last novel in a series, I hope it’s not, because there are still so many loose ends. I really want to see the ladies of Bella Flora get the happy endings they deserve, including Bitsy, and would love to see it return to the renovations that started it all.

If you’ve read the others in the series (for a refresher, see my reviews of Ten Beach Road, Ocean Beach, Christmas at the Beach (a novella), The House on Mermaid Point, and Sunshine Beach) then One Good Thing is a good continuation of the story. But more than the others, I would not recommend reading it standalone because I think too much would be missed.

The women are amazing in this book. Their friendship, support, and love are more family like than friends. Without a question they accept each other’s faults and problems. They worked together to help each other out of the problems they were each experiencing.

My only struggle with the book is that this was the 5th book in the series and I had not read the first 4. Throughout the entire book I felt like I was missing a piece of the story. I wanted to know the background, the history, and the reasoning that each character was acting the way they were. Wendy Wax did her best to catch the reader up without spending a ton of time and words on it but I was still missing some parts of the story. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and it was sometimes confusing.

Overall this is a fun beach story. One Good Thing is an easy read that I enjoyed. I do recommend reading the first books in the Ten Beach Road series.

A great beach read or to curl up by the fire on a cold winter day! If you like reality television and friendship drama this is the perfect read for you! Light and easy! happy reading!

This was a great addition to the series, but it felt much more unfinished than some of the others. The beach club renovation was great, but unfinished. There was so real closure over the television show. Maddie didn't solve things with Will, and Nicki didn't finish things with her husband. I loved the scenery of this one though! It did keep me reading the next one though!

WHY DID I LISTEN TO ONE GOOD THING BY WENDY WAX?
One Good Thing by Wendy Wax has a cover that just screams summer what with the mason jar and all. Initially, that’s why I grabbed it off of Netgalley. However, I did not realize it was a part of a series. Also, it isn’t the kind of romance series where you can read every book as a standalone. In fact, the only other book I had read in this series was A Bella Flora Christmas which actually comes after. However, when I saw this on Scribd audiobooks, I thought this would be something I would really like via audio.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Well, Wendy Wax’s One Good Thing follows a couple of different storylines. There’s the storyline of Avery who doesn’t quite want to take the full leap in her relationship. There’s Kyra and Maddie – daughter and mother who tried to launch a TV show but failed. Also, there’s Bitsy whose husband stole all her money and ran away with a younger woman. And the other point of view character is Nikki who is pregnant with twins at the age of 47 if I am recalling correctly? Anyways, she’s not quite ready for the twins and she’s feeling all sorts of self conscious about her relationship. The storyline basically covers these plots but well, the story continues on in another book.

HOW DID I LIKE ONE GOOD THING?
Eh, I don’t necessarily know that I will seek out more books in this series. After listening to the book and kind of jumbling up all the main characters – I realize I have preferences. It turns out that I prefer contemporary romance/women’s fiction books where there is one main character and not five main characters. It felt like the focus was ALL over the place. And consequently I didn’t care about any of the characters because I never got to spend enough time with any one character. Also, the book really does feel exactly like a middle book and nothing really actually gets resolved. At this point though, I just don’t care enough to find out how everything plays out for these women.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook of One Good Thing is narrated by Amy Rubinate. It is 11 hours and 7 minutes long. Of course, each point of view character gets a different voice. However, that did not stop me from being confused between all the storylines. Yet, this was easy to listen to. Rubinate is fabulous narrator and I did actually pay attention the whole time. It’s just that I didn’t really care.

Madeline/Maddie asked William if they were there yet.In her former life it had been Maddie ‘s kids asking that question. Somehow her life had rearranged itself. One minute a suburban wife and mother facing the end of a marriage and the world she had known. The next she landed on Fantasy Island AKA Mermaid Point- a small private island that belonged to the recently rehabbed rock icon “William The Wild”. Lifetime had sent Maddie, AveryLawford, Nicole Grant, and the crew of their renovation show turned reality - tv show- Do Over, to turn Will’s private island into a B and B. Will managed to turn it into a sober living facility. Maddie marveled at William’s strength , he had come out of rehab two years ago and reclaimed his life and rejoined the world. William brought out all kinds of things in Maddie that would have been shocking if she hadn’t been so busy enjoying herself. William mentioned he and the band were being sent out on a bigger tour to cover the album. When Maggie had met William he had been hiding out on Mermaid Point, his career in tatters, unable to make music. Then Willam had written “ Free Fall” and put together a band and started doing local gigs. His old record label came calling and they gave him enough to fund the sober living facility he named in honor of his younger brother who lost his life from partying. Maddie couldn’t imagine their relationship would survive with will going back to Rock God status. They were looking at three to four months non stop travel and performing. Then Will told Maddie he wanted her to come with him on the whole tour. He trusted himself more with her there. The mother in Maddie wanted to say yes but she had spent most of her life being there for others. Maddie said she didn’t think she could be away that long Maddie,Nikki, and Avery had left the Network so publicly they were being sued for breach of contract and claiming the name Do Over didn’t belong to them. Nicole no longer recognized herself being pregnant with twins. Special Agent Joe Girardi was the father. She had refused to marry Joe one too many times now it wasn’t brought up. Joe came from a big Italian family. Nikki’s childhood had been spent in poverty, when her father had died her mother worked several jobs to keep a roof over their heads. Nicole had “ mothered” her brother Malcolm while their mom worked. He ended up in a correctional facility for the criminally greedy. Nikki had been bankrupted from her brothers Ponzi scheme. Nikki didn’t see how this could all work out. Not babies. Not Joe’s love. Not having a real family of her own. They were things she had only seen at a distance. Things other people had but she didn’t deserve with all her failings. Avery had grown up on her father's construction site. For her the aroma and sounds of construction were automatic stress busters. Sometimes with Chase near they were foreplay. Chase and Jason- his youngest son were having more and more blown ups. Bitsy’s husband decides to take her money and leaves her penniless and homeless. Bitsy is too proud to tell the girls what happened to her. Bitsy had been the girls former investor/sponsor and friend and she made a surprise visit looking for a place to stay with her dog. Bitsy assumes she can get the money back she had invested but the money's still tied up. Bitsy ends up moving in the small one bedroom Sunshine hotel college. William and Maddie are grabbing at the time they can together before he goes back on the road. Kyra had put the house up for collateral to have money for their projects until the cottages sold and the show they had filmed. The women hoped between selling the cottages and Beach Club memberships would help with their disappearing finances. Daniel is Kyra’s celebrity baby- Dustin- daddy and gave her the house to live in with her mother, dad, and Dustin. The only hope the women have is to sell the documentary of the renovation of the Sunshine Hotel featuring the reopened investigation into the mysterious death and disappearance that had taken place there.
I enjoyed this book. I loved how the women had worked together and still had their friendship. After all they had went through and were going through. I really liked seeing the women turning their lives around and still growing. I also really liked how Bitsy came into her own - even without a lot of money. I do advise you to read the other books in this series in order so you save yourself a lot of confusion and frustration . I felt this was a nice enjoyable read. Yes there was drama and problems but that’s life. I liked the characters and the ins and outs of this book. I recommend.

It's my mistake for picking a book that had four previous titles in the series, but I honestly didn't realize it until it was too late. Unfortunately, I felt like I needed the other four books to read this one. I will say the cover was not overly inviting for a summer novel. I did not like most of the characters and wonder if I would have felt differently if I had known them from the previous books.

This is the fifth book in a series. Unfortunately,, I had not read the first four. If I had I might have enjoyed the book even more. Still, after a while, I was able to catch up with the story line. Four friends are doing their best to salvage their business called “Do Over”. It is tied up in a legal battle. In addition to their issues with the business, they each have their own personal issues. Nikki is pregnant and has trouble trusting anyone. Maddie is dating a rock star who’s career is beginning to take off again. He wants her to go on the road with her. However, she committed to working with her friends. Avery’s relationship is a difficult one. She is dating a man who has two sons. She is trying to help him with them, yet he reacts in a manner that goes against everything she is trying to help him accomplish. The father of Kyra’s son is married. He is also very famous and she is in love with him. They are on the verge of losing everything when something else is added to their plate. A wealthy lady who sponsored their last project had come making demands of them. Her husband took her money and ran off with another woman.


Through all of this, the one thing that impressed me was that the women met each day to talk about one good thing that happened to them. When I am having a really tough day I often rehash everything that had gone wrong. How different would our lives be if we only focused on one thing that really went right? This story intrigued me enough that I have put the others that came before it on my TBR list. If you enjoy reading books that have multiple story lines that all tie together then I believe you would enjoy this.

The 6 Women’s Fiction Best Bets for April 2017
Scarlettleigh
“We dance round in a ring and suppose, While the secret sits in the middle and knows"
-Robert Frost
Don’t you just love a good secret?  Except when it is your own, of course. Some months the theme that brings the month’s best books together is a bit broad or loose, but this month the underlying premise is surprising strong. Secrets never stay hidden, and keeping them will always change a person— as our heroines discover.
Of course, each story is uniquely different, but within the story each author has taken a secret and spin it into a fascinating tale –of intrigue; of lost love; and in some cases, scenarios that test the bonds of family.
You’ll find a fascinating journey within the cover of each book.

The Forever Summer by Jamie Brenner
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Marin Bishop has always played by the rules, and it's paid off: at twenty-eight she has a handsome fiancé, a prestigious Manhattan legal career, and the hard-won admiration of her father. But one moment of weakness leaves Marin unemployed and alone, all in a single day. Then a woman claiming to be Marin's half-sister shows up, and it's all Marin can do not to break down completely. Seeking escape, Marin agrees to a road trip to meet the grandmother she never knew she had. As the summer unfolds at her grandmother's quaint beachside B&B, it becomes clear that the truth of her half-sister is just the beginning of revelations that will change Marin's life forever. THE FOREVER SUMMER is a delicious page-turner and a provocative exploration of what happens when our notions of love, truth, and family are put to the ultimate test.
Strengths:Wonderful exploration of new family bonds; challenging scenarios; Multi-faceted, flawed characters; Uplifting ending;
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: Brenner is a wonderful storyteller and she takes you on such an intriguing journey. Marvelous theme of forgiveness, and the strength of family.

The Hideaway by Lauren K. Denton
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
After her last remaining family member dies, Sara Jenkins goes home to The Hideaway, her grandmother Mags’s ramshackle B&B in Sweet Bay, Alabama. She intends to quickly tie up loose ends then return to her busy life and thriving antique shop in New Orleans. Instead, she learns Mags has willed The Hideaway to her and charged her with renovating it—no small task considering her grandmother’s best friends, a motley crew of senior citizens, still live there.
Rather than hurrying back to New Orleans, Sara stays in Sweet Bay and begins the biggest house-rehabbing project of her career. Amid drywall dust, old memories, and a charming contractor, she discovers that slipping back into life at The Hideaway is easier than she expected.
Then she discovers a box Mags left in the attic with clues to a life Sara never imagined for her grandmother. With help from Mags’s friends, Sara begins to piece together the mysterious life of bravery, passion, and choices that changed her grandmother’s destiny in both marvelous and devastating ways.
When an opportunistic land developer threatens to seize The Hideaway, Sara is forced to make a choice—stay in Sweet Bay and fight for the house and the people she’s grown to love or leave again and return to her successful but solitary life in New Orleans.
Strengths: Multi-generational characters; Appealing setting; Past and Present love story; HEA
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant and lighthearted
Why You Should Read this:  Touching story of a granddaughter finally coming to understand her grandmother. Denton writes in a way, that just makes you want to reach out to family. The charming Alabama setting is a plus.

The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It’s not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren’t helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail.
 
Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee—something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past.
Sugar’s stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother’s seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather's world.
In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee’s house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women....
Strengths: Intriguing mystery; Multi-faceted characters; Uplifting ending
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant and Suspenseful
Why You Should Read this: Karen White has a reputation for writing intriguing mysteries with wonderful southern settings. And this one fits the bill. This book is perfect for readers who love a story filled with revenge, and murder along with some fascinating relationships.

One Good Thing by Wendy Wax
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Embroiled in a battle to regain control of their renovation-turned-reality TV show, Do Over, Maddie, Avery, Nikki, and Kyra find themselves holding tight to the frayed ends of their friendship and relationships.
Maddie must face the realities of dating a rock star once again topping the charts and dealing with her hapless ex-husband, while Avery is caught up in family drama even as she attempts to transform a tiny cottage into a home for the newly impoverished heiress who helped bankroll their last renovation. Put on bedrest, a hugely pregnant Nikki can’t quite believe love can last, or trust in her own maternal instinct. And Kyra, who has secretly put Bella Flora at risk in an attempt to salvage Do Over, must decide whether to accept a desperately needed bail out from her son’s famous father that comes with far too many strings attached…
But friendship is made for times like these, to keep each other—and their dreams—from crumbling.
Strengths: Challenging life changing scenarios; Engaging characters; Continuing storyline; Uplifting ending
Measure of Love:  Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: This series is so addictive. Readers have come to know the characters over the last five books, and their lives continue to keep us enthralled. With its appealing HGTV type theme, you get the best of all worlds – decorating, romance and strong female friendships. 

Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Caroline Murphy swore she’d never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst day of her life was when, in the wake of her father’s death, her mother selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she'd spent her childhood summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley.

Ansley has always put her three daughters first, especially when she found out that her late husband, despite what he had always promised, left her with next to nothing. Now the proud owner of a charming waterfront design business and finally standing on her own two feet, Ansley welcomes Caroline and her brood back with open arms. But when her second daughter Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp. Even more discomfiting, when someone from her past reappears in Ansley's life, the secret she’s harbored from her daughters their entire lives might finally be forced into the open.

Exploring the powerful bonds between sisters and mothers and daughters, this engaging novel is filled with Southern charm, emotional drama, and plenty of heart.
Strengths: Engaging Characters; multiple storylines; Uplifting ending
Measure of Love: Teaspoon  
Mood: Poignant 
Why You Should Read this: One reason of course, is the fascinating secrets – but the relationships between mother/daughter; sister and sister are so well-drawn with sometimes funny –sometimes a bit snarky but always great inter-dialogue.

The Forbidden Garden by Ellen Herrick
(Amazon | B&N | Kobo)
Every garden is a story, waiting to be told…
At the nursery she runs with her sisters on the New England coast, Sorrel Sparrow has honed her rare gift for nurturing plants and flowers. Now that reputation, and a stroke of good timing, lands Sorrel an unexpected opportunity: reviving a long-dormant Shakespearean garden on an English country estate.
Arriving at Kirkwood Hall, ancestral home of Sir Graham Kirkwood and his wife Stella, Sorrel is shocked by the desolate state of the walled garden. Generations have tried—and failed—to bring it back to glory. Sorrel senses heartbreak and betrayal here, perhaps even enchantment. Intrigued by the house’s history—especially the haunting tapestries that grace its walls—and increasingly drawn to Stella’s enigmatic brother, Sorrel sets to work. And though she knows her true home is across the sea with her sisters, instinct tells her that the English garden’s destiny is entwined with her own, if she can only unravel its secrets…
Strengths: Wonderful backdrop and settings; Engaging characters; Intriguing mystery
Measure of Love: Teaspoon
Mood: Poignant
Why You Should Read this: Readers who love bits of magic along with a bit of gothic ambiance will thoroughly enjoy this book.  It has such a wonderful atmosphere! It is the second in a series, so I do recommend you read the first book, Sparrow Sisters first. And if you’ve already read Sparrow Sisters – then I know you have been anxiously waiting for Sorrel’s story.

Wendy Wax has done it again!!!! She is pitch perfect in creating characters that feel like family and whose challenging relationships are totally believable. I especially appreciate the ways in which the four strong women who are the focus of this series grow in this book - each in her own way.. The addition of another women to that original quartet who discovers her own skills and strength in spite of having her life turned upside down is yet another testament to Wax's skills as an author. The title seems particularly appropo because of the role those words have played in the series. Last, but not least, there are definitely enough topics for discussion for any book group.

Another installment in this series and although I still haven't read book one or two, I absolutely adore this series, these characters and the mischief they get into!

This book starts just right where the last ends and there are quite a few series you can read and enjoy out of order or can skip a book or two, I would say you need to start at square one or book one in this series. The characters story build from book to book so it is best to just start at the very beginning.

I love that in this series each character gets almost the same amount of air time. There are moments where one character is highlighted more than the other but each book moves each character's story forward.

In the previous books there was fun DIY adventures and I felt as though this story lacked in that aspect which was disappointing because those made for some fun reading, so I hope that the next book will have more of that DIY/home renovation fun!

Another solid book from Wendy Wax - she is definitely a go to when I am in a slump or just need a good solid read. Her writing is easy to get into and although this may seem weird as a compliment this book is easy to put down and pick back up if life gets crazy!

In an Oyster Shell – A heartwarming women’s fiction that I highly suggest.

The Pearls – The title absolutely fits the book. The women are looking for one good thing at the end of the night. They all have a lot going on and it can be challenging but they do it. I think it’s a good life lesson to look for that what good thing in your life at any given moment. It was inspiring. I haven’t read anything from this author before. This is book five in the series and read great as a stand alone. I signed up for her mailing list so I can be the first to hear about the next book. It was that good.

The concept was interesting following the lives of these four women. The friendships they have developed what I assume is through the series is now a well-seasoned relationship. The characterization was strong for each of the leading women. There was a lot of depth to their characters and you could tell that a lot of it was defined in backstory which I found out were actually other books in the series.

I appreciate the setting because I was born in Florida. I liked reading about the gulf of Mexico. I wanted to be there at Bella Flora with all those women. In a way, I kind of was there. The author draws you into the story and you get lost in it.

The Sand – She depicted white sand on the Gulf of Mexico. sounded breathtaking. The book was good as is.

4.5 Stars. Southern storyteller, Wendy Wax returns following Sunshine Beach #4 Top Book of 2016 with my favorite summer series ONE GOOD THING (#5 Ten Beach Road). We continue the journey with the gals, each at a crossroad both personally and professionally, with critical decisions to be made.

A tale of four women trying to rebuild more than their lives. Before you can fix it up, you might have to tear it down…

From friendships, humor, loyalty, and self-discovery — each of the characters is looking for “one good thing” to be thankful for their nightly gathering discussion. However, with everything going on and so many unsettled issues, often they find it hard to think of the good, versus the bad happenings.

This time around, Maddie, Kyra, Avery, and Niki receive a surprise visit from their former investor/sponsor and friend, Bitsy Baynard (Palm Beach matron).

Unfortunately, her husband decides to take all his wealthy wife’s money and makes off with a younger woman, leaving her penniless and homeless. Bitsy is too proud to tell the gals what is going on in her perfect life and shows up looking for a place to stay with her dog.

Bitsy assumes she can have the money back she invested in the project, which of course is still tied up. Her pampered rich lifestyle is no longer and she is forced to move into the small one bedroom Sunshine Hotel cottage, which is quite small since meant to be a vacation cottage, not for year-round living, especially someone like Bitsy.

She had an Ivy League education and has volunteered to coordinate galas and events over the years and she knew how to hire help. However, she has no marketable job skills. At her age, was going to be hard to start over with nothing.

All the characters’ lives are up in the air. They are unsure what is going on with the TV show, and at the same time, they need to sell off the last real estate design project/real estate to pay their debts and not risk losing Bella Flora.

Madeline Singer and William Hightower (age 62) are back. William is on the road with his music career and wants Madeline to come along as they continue their relationship. However, she has her own life even though it is difficult to spend time apart.

However, she worries about him out of the road without her and all the women and his addiction; and having to communicate with his new assistant. They are trying to grab any time they can to be together. (love this couple)

They all had suffered from the Malcolm Dyer’s Ponzi scheme; however, they had become stronger and bonded when they started over with their TV show, Do Over. Rebuilding their lives. However, life has its ups and down.

The ladies had recently renovated the Sunshine Hotel and hoped would be their own version of Do Over. They had quit the network publicly and they were being sued for breach of contract and claiming that the name Do Over does not belong to them.

Kyra has put up the house as collateral to have money for their projects until the cottages sold/and the show they had filmed. Daniel, her celebrity husband gave her the house to live in with her mom and dad and son, Dustin. She has kept this as a secret until things worked out. Plus he wants to turn Dustin into a Hollywood star.

Their only real hope of income was finishing and selling the documentary of their renovation of the midcentury Sunshine Hotel, featuring the reopened investigation into the mysterious death and disappearance that had taken place there. They were all under a lot of pressure, which did not make for a whole lot of creative thinking.

Nikki is pregnant with twins and is miserable with her hormones, weight gain, and the summer heat. Joe (FBI) and Nikki have moved in together in one of the new cottages at the Sunshine Hotel. However, he and his family are pressuring her to get married before the babies are born. After the problems with her brother, she is unsure of her capability of being the perfect wife and mother.

Avery is dealing with her boyfriend, Chase’s teenage son’s drinking problems, and his erratic behavior. Maddie’s ex-husband Steve is still hanging around; however, has his real estate license now, and trying to help sell the cottages.

However, the gals will need to pull together and utilize all their creative skills in order to survive the storms and surprises of life. They each must be strong and be able to always come up with a least One Good Thing!

PS This series reminds me a little of Schitt's Creek which I love, and cannot wait for Season 4! (watched every episode). Both are about having it all, losing it, and starting over in an entirely different direction. Humorous and heartwarming.

Love these ladies. This time around the gals have more challenges than usual and have not moved on to a new exciting project yet, dealing with things left over from the last book.

Even though this installment did not offer the same excitement as the others, I enjoyed it and again found Maddie to be my favorite character. However, also nice to see Bitsy realize her worth when having to do without money. A good example of the resilience of women when faced with challenges of life, mixed with humor.

My #OneGoodThing is being able to live in South Florida overlooking the water; work from home office in a T-shirt, leggings, and flip flops!

Highly recommend this talented Atlanta Southern Author and all the books in the series. A perfect beach read. As always love the Florida coastal setting and familiar places. Looking forward to seeing what is coming next for these four ladies!

Ten Beach Road #1
Ocean Beach #2
Christmas at the Beach #2.5
The House on Mermaid Point #3
Sunshine Beach #4

A special thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an early reading copy. (cover love)!

JDCMustReadBooks

I love this author and she did not disappoint with this book. I sometimes need a book that is just fun and easy. You could take this book on vacation and be content. This book had real characters that I could relate to and having fixer upper type reality show stuff was frosting on the cake.

This would be a good book for a week at the beach. It is as light as a fruity cocktail. There are a lot of characters to keep track of but the relationships are genuine and sweet. If you liked the first four book in this series, you will like this one too.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with a review copy of the novel.

In a battle to regain control of their TV show, Do Over, Maddie, Avery, Nikki and Kyra find themselves trying to hold tight to their friendship and personal relationships.

Maddie is trying to face the realities of dating a rock star while dealing with her ex-husband. Avery is caught up in family drama even as she attempts to transform a home for the newly impoverished heiress, Bitsy. Put on bedrest, a hugely pregnant Nikki is scared to death something will happen to her, the babies or her boyfriend. And Kyra, who has secretly put their home at risk to try and salvage Do Over, must decide whether to accept a bail out from her son’s famous father.

When I was approved for this book on NetGalley I was not aware that it was part of a series. One Good Thing is book 5 in Wax’s Ten Beach Road series. Having not read any of the previous books, I found it somewhat hard to keep track of the characters. It became easier the more I read, but there were so many that it was often confusing. From my view the characters weren’t developed because I didn’t have their full background stories. I felt I was missing something by not having read the other books. That’s not to say that this book is badly written. It’s not! Wax fills the reader in briefly on previous events, but I still felt I was missing too much. The aspect of the story I enjoyed most was Maddie’s insistence that at the end of each day, each woman share one good thing from their day. I liked this attitude very much! That despite the hardships they each were facing; they could take the time to try and find the positive.

Overall, this was a pleasant read, but I do recommend reading the previous books first. I felt I needed those previous stories to fully enjoy One Good Thing.

Yet another gem from Wendy Wax - one of my all-time favorite authors.

Maddie, Avery, Nikki, and Kyra are all reeling from various events in their lives and have returned to their home, Bella Flora, a restored 1920s mansion in Florida, to lick their wounds. Their famous TV show, Do Over is in disarray, embroiled in legal battles with the network, who wants to take away the show and all the hard work they've put into it. They are busy trying to promote the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club, which they'd renovated in hopes of starting a similar Do Over show or documentary, but the network is saying no. The group hopes that the Beach Club memberships and cottages they are selling will help restore their plummeting finances, but, at the moment, it's not looking good.

In fact, the only cottage sold has been to Joe, Nikki's boyfriend, with the plan that they will move in after the birth of their twins. But Nikki is terrified to plan that far ahead, fearing it will jinx the health of her babies. Meanwhile, Maddie has returned to Bella Flora after a romantic relationship with Will Hightower, a famous musician and rock star. Will wants Maddie to go on tour with him, but Maddie's still trying to find her own self after her divorce from Kyra's father. As for Kyra, she has a secret about Bella Flora she hasn't told any of the women: one that could destroy the last few bits of financial security the group feels. She's also dealing with her feelings toward her young son's (married) father, a famous actor. And finally, Avery feels like her relationship with her boyfriend Chase is crumbling, due to their inability to agree on how to raise his teenage sons. When a former financial backer of the gang, Bitsy, shows up and demands a cottage in return for her financial investment, the women are at a loss: scrambling to find a place for Bitsy and wondering what happened to her wealth. It seems like everyone in the group has something to hide or fear; will their secrets bring them together or tear them apart?

So, full disclosure on this one: most--though not all--of my issues with this novel tend to revolve around the fact that this is apparently the fifth novel in a series for Wax entitled "Ten Beach Road." I had no idea when I requested the book and while I usually prefer to read series in order, it's certainly not an ironclad rule, as most seem to stand on their own. I think I would have definitely enjoyed this book a lot more, however, if I had read some of the previous books, as I found myself somewhat lost for almost the first half of the book. So much that I almost gave up and moved on, because I was just so frustrated. There is a a lot of backstory involved with these women, and while the author attempts to explain a little of it, much of it is simply alluded to, and it gets confusing quickly. There are a lot of people and details to keep track of and truly, by the end of the novel, there were still some ancillary characters that I still had not figured out exactly how/where they factored in. It also didn't help that, and perhaps this was just my ARC copy, the paragraphs would just abruptly switch over to varying points of view, causing you to have to double back and figure out who was now telling the story.

Perhaps because I hadn't read some of the earlier novels, it was harder to get into the characters and really identify with them; seriously, for the first half of the book, I was just trying to figure out who the heck they were and how they were all related/intertwined with each other. I probably related the most with Nikki--being a mother of twins myself--but seriously, her whining could definitely get on your nerves, even if you could identify with some of her fears. Other issues included the fact that the women simply wouldn't Google why Bitsy showed up at their doorstep (seems a bit of a stretch) and a few other places where a simple conversation could have easily resolved what then became a major plot issue. The whole "oh let's just not talk" issue in books is a big pet peeve of mine.

So, for a while, I was pretty frustrated. I had no clue who these people were, nor did I really care. The book was confusing, and the whole money aspect of the plot was stressful (I don't know what it is about my personality, but I get stressed when people stand to lose it all in books, especially when they just don't think clearly about the situation!). Still, I won't lie, as the book wore on and I figured out the basics about the relationships, the characters and the plot grew on me a bit. It helped that there was a Kinsey Millhone reference (main character in Sue Grafton's amazing series). It was sort of like a soap opera; you know it's all really fantastical, yet you can't help but watch. You need to be prepared for famous actors and musicians, allusions to some pretty crazy things that happened in previous novels, and some silly decision-making. But, I couldn't help but keep reading by the time I was about 3/4 through, and I even found myself smiling a bit (shhh, don't tell). I might even consider picking up the next book at some point to find out what happens to some of these characters, because it definitely didn't tie up all the loose ends.

Overall, if you like tidy plots that make sense, or if it bothers you coming into a series midway, this one isn't for you. But if you're looking for a fun, beachy read that can get your mind off things, and you've either read the earlier books in the series, or you can adjust to being confused for a bit, you might enjoy this silly, soapy tale.

I had to keep reminding myself of Nikki’s age. Granted, a forty-seven year old woman pregnant with twins would be uncomfortable but her incessant whining had me putting down this book on more than one occasion. I do not know what Wendy Wax was thinking with this, there must have been some other way of bringing this couple back together.

The women continue to be at their wits end. The legal wrangling over the ownership of ‘Do Over’ is not going in their favor and the selling of the condos or memberships at the beach club are not moving fast enough to pay off the loans leaving Bella Flora and Kyra with looming debt and no way, other than using her son’s father and his business proposal, to bail them out.

Maddie is continuing to questioning her relationship with music icon William Hightower and her ex-husband Steve is still lurking in the background. Yet, there is a spark that he just might be getting his life back in order.

Unfortunately, what started the book, Palm Beach matron Bitsy Baynard’s husband leaving her broke when he skipped out with a younger woman, was left to flounder. This could have been an excellent storyline, maybe even one that involved Maddie’s ex-husband Steve riding in to the rescue, but it was just left as empty as the rest of the book. Maybe this will be drug out further in subsequent books since she did finally find an attorney to take her case.

Then there is Avery, trying her best to keep the women afloat but her personal life is what brings her down. She and Chase are definitely on the outs with Chase’s son rebelling at every turn. Not sure how they will address their relationship in the next book, but it looks as if they are currently parked in the overused land of ‘maybe, but let me find myself first’.

Like all of the storylines, this book came across as a placeholder. Very little forward momentum with any of the characters or their stories. Babies were born. Relationships redefined. Overall – nothing here to look at folks.

This is a typical woman's book, too many characters, too little originality. It is a perfectly lovely and saccharine book, which makes a decent beach read.

I was somewhat confused since this clearly followed an earlier book about these characters. When I was able to pull it all together, I was still confused because of the number of characters, very few fully developed.

So, just too crowded, with too little substance or character development.