Willa and Harper Lakey are as opposite as two sisters can get. Willa always the caregiver, after the death of her mother where she practically raised her sister Harper and brother Lucas. And then tragedy struck again when Harper was diagnosed with leukemia. But this family is nothing if not survivors.
With a new lease on life Harper is jumping in with both feet and isn't afraid to tackle challenges. From bungee jumping to a goal of climbing Mount Rainier. She didn't let her illness stop her and she's ready to take on whatever life throws at her.
Now it's finally Willis time, she's opened her coffee shop and is finally in a place where she can spread her wings. She's caught the eye of an attractive client and is looking to take the leap into a relationship. Sean O'Malley isn't everything he seems and things are rocky to say the least. But he's learned that working hard for something makes it more worthwhile. When the unimaginable happens there is strength in love and family.
**This book deals with heavy topics including cancer, death and alcoholism. Be prepared with your tissues. **

The Lakey family has had a lot of challenges. First they lost their mother, then their father mentally checked out not being able to handle their mothers death. Willa the oldest had to step up and raise Lucas and Harper. Harper the youngest has finally overcome a terrible illness. Now everyone is trying to get on with their lives. Lucas is engaged to a wonderful woman, Harper is healthy and energetic again. Willa has opened her own coffee shop but still has not open her heart for fear of disappointment. In walks Sean a seemingly great guy with some challenges to overcome himself. Will Sean and Willa be brave enough to trust in love? Read a Walk Along The Beach and find out for yourself.

Debbie Macomber does it again. What a charming read! Delightful beach reading. I really enjoyed the banter between Harper and Sean.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Keep the tissues close by as you are reading A WALK ALONG THE BEACH by Debbie Macomber. She will have your emotions all over the place. Once I started reading, it was very hard to stop! The twists and turns made it impossible to put down, as I had to know what was going to happen to Willa and Sean after so much heartache! What an awesome story. All of Debbie’s characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride. As you are reading, you will find yourself cheering for all of them, praying they can work out their problems and be happy once again. You will also wonder how much heartbreak a person can stand before they completely break down and shatter.

A WALK ALONG THE BEACH is all about family and the past and the secrets that come out are heart tugging. It had me flipping through the pages like a woman on a mission. Willa has been taking care of her younger sister Harper since their mom passed away and their dad pretty much checked out. She has turned into a complete helicopter sister/mom and is driving Harper crazy! I laughed and cried while reading, sometimes On the very same page. A WALK ALONG THE BEACH is a heart tugging story that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once you start reading, it will be very hard to put down!

A WALK ALONG THE BEACH is without a doubt one of the most memorable books I’ve read in 2020 so far. Willa has a successful coffee shop, Bean There. When Sean O’Malley walks in her shop, the two are drawn together. But, when traumatic and tragic events occur, the lives of all of the characters are forever altered. I was instantly emotionally invested in all of the characters. Debbie Macomber really knows how to write about family drama, heartbreak, and forgiveness, which is why she has been an auto buy author for me for many years! I can not wait to read more by this wonderful and heart tugging author. I have many of her older books to read and that brings me so much joy and happiness to know they are waiting for me!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I won't tell you the storyline as you can read that elsewhere. This is a story of family, love, loss, and heartache. Debbie tells the story in her traditional emotional voice. I enjoyed this book more than some of her previous ones. A very touching family story.

Debbie Macomber's books are always refreshing to read. A Walk Along the Beach is no different. Memorable characters, realistic storyline, and descriptive narrative are the perfect combination for a good summer read -- and A Walk ALong the Beach has all of those.

Willa Lakey became little momma in her family in her teens when her mother died suddenly and her father devolved into alcoholism. Her elder brother Lucas soon left for the Marines and Willa tried to keep their family together, sacrificing herself to do this. A few years back Willa's younger sister Harper was diagnosed with leukemia, and Willa was her chief caretaker. Harper's disease was severe, but she survived the chemo and is now the picture of health, teaching aerobics and yoga at a studio in their small, coastal town of Oceanside, Washington. Willa's worked harder to keep them together, as they are roommates in a little apartment not far from Willa's coffee shop. Harper often helps out there, but it's Willa's pride and joy.

Willa, because she's sacrificed so much, doesn't value herself too highly--and she's always anxious for the next shoe to drop. She gets strung out waiting for Harper's yearly follow-up visits to assure everyone that she's still cancer-free. And, she lives in awe of Harper, who is fit and beautiful, while Willa is a wallflower. But, the new man in town has his sights set on Willa--handsome and successful photographer, Sean O'Malley.

Sean retired from his pro baseball career when an injury permanently sidelined him. That's when he re-evaluated his life choices, including the women he dated and the life he'd been living. He started pursuing photojournalism and has made a decent second career of it. He traveled to Oceanside on one of his trips and lived the small, quaint community enough to buy a modestly-priced home. And even though he detests coffee, he's made a new habit of popping into Willa's coffeeshop and ordering, just so he can get a minute of her conversation at the busy counter.

Willa can't believe that such a handsome man as Sean could find her more appealing than Harper, and she's a bit unsettled about the interest he's showing her--even with Harper's press to embrace the possibility of romance. With a little time they seem to have a good connection, but Sean's due to make a trip to a remote area of South America, and it's a bit of a setback personally--with less time to spend together. Meanwhile, Harper's health is taking a serious turn for the worse, and Willa's being tested to her limits.

This is more women's fiction with romantic elements, than a true romance. There is a lot of heartache, and heartbreak, in this story. Willa has put others before herself for so long, she's nearly unable to ask for her own needs to be met. And, unfortunately, when she truly needs help it's in short supply due to circumstance. She is resilient, however, and her grief and despair do get some resolution--and there is some joy to temper the pain. I think readers need to know that this is not a lighthearted breezy read; keep the tissues handy. But, it's a good one, and I did enjoy the happy ending.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for allowing me to read this book and to give my honest opinion. I am a huge Debbie Macomber fan. I subscribe to her magazine. I read her Christmas book while reading this and I realized what my problem was... I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. This book is the story of Harper and Willa, two sisters. I just had a hard time reading this book. Everyone was surfacy and while there were moving parts, overall not my favorite.

Sigh...this book had me at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Ugly crying at 3 am while my hubby slept soundly next to me.

Debbie Macomber has always delivered a touching romance that hugs at the heartstrings. A Walk on the Beach was no exception. A clean romance that can be shared with the teenage girl in your life.

No recipes at the end but you will be left with a craving for homemade cinnamon rolls and a cuppa hot coffee. Too bad I didn't buy those cinnamon rolls I saw yesterday.

Curl up in your favorite reading spot and dive into one of the best romances of the summer.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Ballantine, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber takes readers to Oceanside, Washington. The Lackey family has had its share of tragedies over the years and now they are all on the right track. Willa has the bakery/café she has dreamed of and it is popular with the locals. I liked the strong characters the author created for this story. Willa became the “mother” of the family after their matriarch died when she was thirteen. She was there for her younger sister, Harper when she received her treatment for leukemia. Willa worries that Harper will have a reoccurrence and tends to hover. Harper is full of life and always on the move. She is training with a group to climb Mt. Rainier at the end of the summer. Harper pushes her sister into dating freelance photographer, Sean O’Malley. Loving someone is a risk because you never know how it will turn out. A Walk Along the Beach is an emotional novel. I thought it was well-written with steady pacing. We see a close-knit family and community that rally around each other. I found it to be a realistic novel. Life is never smooth sailing and that is true for our characters in this story. The developed characters had good traits and weaknesses. Alcoholism, illness, long distance relationship, and financial troubles are some of the problems our characters deal handle in the story. I did feel that it was rushed at the end and I would have liked an epilogue that showed how the family was doing in a year or two. A walk Along the Beach is a lovely story, but I do not feel it compares with some of Debbie Macomber’s other novels (especially A Blossom Street Novel series). I did like how Willa enjoyed walking along the beach to clear her head and how it felt soothing to the soul. I know I find looking at the Gulf of Mexico to be soothing. A Walk Along the Beach is a poignant tale with a cute kitten, a clever canine, a preoccupied photographer, a fraught father, and a caring community.

This was a bittersweet book about two sisters that are really not just sisters, but also best friends. It is also a book about family and forgiveness. And of course it is a romance because not is a Macomber book.

I don't have any sisters so I really enjoyed the dynamics of the sisters. I also really loved that they each had their own passions that carried over into their career choices. Much of the book took place in Willa's coffee shop and it was a great setting.

I really liked Sean. He wasn't perfect, but he was very persistent and that is a favorite quality of mine in book heros. I also enjoyed reading about his travels in his photography career especially since he went to Boliva and I rarely read about characters going there. It is my favorite country and I've been there 3 times!

This book has beautiful romance but it also has some tearful moments. You might want Kleenex.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

A Walk Along the Beach is the heartwarming story of Willa and her Sister Harper. Willa meets Sean after he comes into her coffee shop multiple times and ends up in a relationship with him. Sean is a photographer and travels often . After Harper discovers her cancer has returned , Willa realizes Sean is more committed to his work than their relationship. Willa puts everything on hold to be with Harper through her illness.
Debbie Macomber takes us on an adventure full of sickness, heartbreak, love, and second chances . This is my favorite of her books so far.and my favorite summer read so far. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an Arc for my honest opinion.

I laughed and I cried! Great book. I consider this is a book that mimics real life. We all have issues at one time or other with family and relationships. While this is not a prescription on how to mend relationships, it is relatable.

Willa and Harper are sisters. Willa is the "stable" one, the big sister who has taken on a lot of responsibility because she loves her family. She raised Harper, the younger sister. Harper is full of life and wants to do it all. But she has had some tough times of her own. Add to this a love interest for Willa and you have a beautiful, sometimes painful, story.

I loved this book. The author brought my own family to mind as I was reading. The memories it brought back were heartrending! I literally cried tears for these characters! I truly recommend this book. It is beautiful!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine to read this amazing book and provide an honest review.

What about a book by Ms Macomber?
She always manages to touch our hearts, even though the story has the most common plot possible.
This book is to make you think... about how important it is to enjoy every moment of our lives and that we should not be ashamed to show how much we love our family and friends.

Prepare the tissues because, at some point, you will feel your throat tighten and the tear down your face.
There is HEA, but there is also life, and with it, its ailments.

Meet Willa's family, her sister Harper, her brother Lucas and her father, and how, in her workplace, at Bean There Cafe, she finds the great love of her life.
Touching.
5 stars

I loved this book!! Great story!! It was sad!! Love this author's books!! Received this book from netgally!!

I love Debbie Macomber books! This one was no exception! It paralleled Cottage by the Sea, and that was one of my favorites! The plots were different to keep it interesting, and I would definitely recommend to my fellow beach-readers!!

Willa Lakey’s life revolves around her coffee shop Bean There and her family. Sean O’Malley is a photojournalist whose job takes him away from home for long periods of time. They’ll find themselves facing separations, family tragedy, and illness. A WALK ALONG THE BEACH will bring these two people closer to true love.

Debbie Macomber’s A WALK ALONG THE BEACH is emotional and heartbreaking. She’ll tug of your heartstrings with a story that is inspired by the death of a good friend. A look into the struggle of a family dealing with the after and current effects of what life with cancer can do to a family. These characters are very well written and come from a place of love of a best friend. You’ll cry and smile along the way as you get a look at a couple who face adversity and come out stronger when they come together.

4.25 teary heart swelling stars

After their mother's death and their father deep grief, Willa Lakey was left to raise not only herself but her younger siblings, Harper and Lucas. Then her sister Harper was diagnosed with Cancer and once again, Willa put her life on hold to nurse her sister through it. Now Willa runs a successful bakery/coffee shop and life is beginning to show promise. She has a customer who has turned her eye, and her business is growing strong. The only thing that stresses her out is her sister's insistence in pushing herself with a goal of climbing Mount Rainier.

Sean O'Malley is a freelance photographer who is a frequent customer at Willa's coffee shop and bakery. He is quite smitten with her and hopes she is willing to take a chance on a man who travels often for work.

This is family and romance Debbie Macomber style. I do not read her books often, but when I do, I always enjoy them. In this book she covers several topics: stray animals, starting over, being your own boss, going after your goals, coping with loss, cancer, death, and of course, walks along the beach.

As always, she sucked me in with her likable characters, engaging and riveting plot, a bandit dog, and compelling storytelling. This was a fast read for me as I wanted to know what was going to happen. I was the proverbial fly on the wall watching as the various characters each had their own relationship issues and challenges. Willa became a parentified child when her Mother died and has sense struggled with being less of a mothering figure and more of a sister to her siblings but especially her sister, Harper. I thought Macomber handled this very well.

Fans of Macomber will be incredibly happy with this book. She does handle tough subjects with grace. Fans of Macomber also know she does not use excessive language or gratuitous scenes in her books.
Romance books are all about the journey as we typically know how the book is going to end -even though the ending is predictable, it was enjoyable and just I wanted. My only complaint is that with most romance books - after they work out the conflict there is that rushed ending. Nothing in this book felt rushed until the very, very end. Which of course was upsetting because I wanted to spend just a little bit longer with these characters. Otherwise, this was a solid book which had me reaching for the Kleenexes and wishing I had on my waterproof mascara.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I love Debbie Macomber and am always thrilled with her books. Willa and Harper are two very different sisters, and when their mom died Willa took over parenting her siblings. This story is mainly about the two sisters, the love and friendship they share and the relationships that intertwine with them. The characters feel like you family or dear friend and you can't help but feel all the emotions they go through. This is a book full of emotion making you smile and cry throughout. I of course recommend this!

In review: Changing tides complicate and console in Debbie Macomber's 'A Walk Along the Beach'

(review to appear in Mountain (Boone, NC) Times on July 22, 2020

With more than 170 million books in print, Debbie Macomber didn’t need to write another word, and in fact, had resolved to do just that.

After the death of a close friend to cancer, Macomber writes by way of introduction in her recent novel, “A Walk Along the Beach” (Ballantine Books, July 14), “I decided I needed a break from writing. I told my agent I was taking a year off.”

After all, after such a loss how could a romance author famous for happy endings find a happy ending to the tragedy that was consuming her life?

But as with so much of that life, writing would prove to be the balm. After several weeks had elapsed, Macomber realized that “I thought perhaps the best way I could remember my friend wasn’t to stop writing but instead do the opposite.”

So she did, and the result is this sparkling, multifaceted love story that explores the bonds between two sisters, parent and child, and finally — because this is a Debbie Macomber novel — a relationship tested not only by time and place, but the ability, or lack, to mature in romantic love.

Returning her readers to Oceanside, Macomber introduces us to the Lakey sisters — perfectly opposite housemates who share a tumultuous past and everything else about their lives. Following the death of their mother, Willa found herself sometimes more mother than sister to Harper — a role that intensified as Harper developed and worked through leukemia while their alcoholic father was physically and emotionally absent.

Ever afraid that the cancer would one day return, Willa sometimes smothers her sister to the point that Harper will eventually feel the need to break free. Complicating the story is Sean O’Malley, who, unusually for the sisters, is smitten not by the outgoing, beautiful Harper, but Willa — beautiful herself, but driven by her work, familial responsibilities and the fear of losing those she most loves.

Writing through her grief, Macomber’s “A Walk Along the Beach” is a gift, and the timely beach read we need in today’s global climate of pandemic uncertainty.

Right now, many of us can only long for that beach — not to mention face-to-face romance — but here Macomber offers a respite from our own complicated lives, and a visit to the sea with its ever-changing tides.