BEAUTIFUL STORY OF RESTORATION AND HOPE!

USA Bestselling author Nancy Naigle has provided readers with a wonderful gift in THE SHELL COLLECTOR. It is a beautiful story of restoration and hope. Naigle chose the small North Carolina beach town of Whelks Island for the setting (mostly two specific beach houses) and most people will find that factor very appealing. Her plot is well thought out and she unfolds her story in a very even manner by not revealing too much too soon. Her characters are fantastic! The three main characters are: 1) Amanda Whittier, a widow (for the last two years) and mom of two precious little ones. She must come to understand that her life did not end with death of her husband and that she has so much more living ahead of her. 2) Maeve Lindsay, the widow who lives next door to Amanda. They meet on the beach and end up forming a bond that is closer than family. She opens the door for Amanda to find healing and peace. 3) Old friend Paul Grant comes back in her life at just the right time. He has been grieving the loss of his best friend and he feels he let Amanda down in the past. He wants nothing more than a second chance to prove himself. Naigle uses these characters to paint her beautiful word story of restoration and hope and and it is one that will stay with you long after you have read the last word!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by WaterBrook & Multnomah. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

If I could give a character a hug through a book I would choose a character in this book.
This book is warm and welcoming. An excellent woman's fiction book that welcomes you in to Whelk's Island and you automatically will feel as though you've been a long time resident of the island. Widower Maeve Lindsay is a lifelong resident and this older woman will make you feel right at home just as she makes everyone feel comfortable around her with her gentle but spirited attitude.
Her life becomes intertwined with young Mom, Amanda Whittier mom of two who lost her military husband on his last mission.
Maeve and Amanda are kindred spirits and help each other out without even realizing they are doing so.
A must read that will give you that warm and fuzzy feeling!

Pub Date 11 May 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this game . Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.
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I picked up this book expecting a light and beachy read. While there is plenty of sunshine and joy that comes with life at the beach with young kids, I found so many poignant passages about navigating through grief and healing. I loved the friendship of Amanda and Maeve. I liked the concept of the Paws Town Square. It was a great story.

The afterword, gutted me. This book found me at the exact right time, much like Maeve's shells.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

The Shell Collector, by Nancy Naigle, tells the story of Amanda Whittier. Amanda is a young widow, who after the death of her Marine husband, is looking for a start-over in life with her two young children. Amanda decides to relocate her family to live in a cottage along the shores of a beachtown. Amanda will soon meet some interesting people in her new location who will help her on her journey of recovery!

First, Amanda meets Maeve Lindsay, an elderly widow, who has already walked this path of the loss of a spouse. The friendship that grows, not only touches Amanda's heart, but also that of her children. Next. Amanda encounters Paul Grant, a face from her past; not only is Paul a former friend of Amanda's, but also the best-friend of her late husband. You wonder how this friendship will affect her life now!

When seashells, with special messages, start showing-up at odd places in Amanda's world, you wonder who is the author of these gifts. When Amanda learns that multiple individuals in town have also received these shells, the mystery seems to deepen. Hang on until the final pages of this tale to learn not only the origin of these shells, but also how Amanda's life is touched by these special friendships in her life!

I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Publishers. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a sweet, but completely predictable love story that still made me cry and laugh!

Amanda Whittier thinks a change of scenery will help her and her two children push reset on their lives after her husband's death. They move to a small coastal town in North Carolina that will hopefully be a new place to create a life for their family of three. A widowed neighbor Maeve is the sweetest thing and her presence in this family's life was just so dear to read. And a former friend, Paul enters the scene and reminds them of the past, but may also be a hope for the future.

Although like in most romance books, I knew where this one would end, the journey was worth taking. This was one of those sweet books that is perfect to read on a summer weekend where you just want to feel hope and love. With it being Christian fiction, this is one of those romance where there are no sexy scenes or even much if any physical lusting, but there are still some sweet moments where this couple reunites and sees if there is still a flame.

I have been a Nancy Naigle fan for a long time. I love her sweet Christmas reads during the holidays that just lift the spirits and I loved this summer romance and would recommend you put this in your beach bag for a summer getaway.

Warning: Make sure you have plenty of Kleenex handy because you'll need them! This beautiful story is so poignant, emotional, filled with the love of good friends, and coming out of the other side of grief. You'll not walk away from this unaffected!

You’ll journey with Amanda Whittier and her children Hailey & Jesse as they start over in Whelks Island, NC two years after the death of her husband Jack. But what you'll find at the end is so much more than the beginning! They soon meet Maeve, the beloved lifelong town resident, and an instant friendship is struck. I see her as a very wise woman who's lived life to the fullest in spite of hardships, an eccentric older lady who loves fully, and gives of herself completely. I almost see her as an angel sent by God to Amanda and her children, touching their lives when they most needed it. I seriously wished she was real! I think in a way, she plays as big of a role in this story as Amanda does, their lives intertwined so much.

Then there's Paul, best friend of Amanda's husband Jack who also started over in this small town with a business that benefits it's residents, including the four-legged kind. He literally runs into this family while jogging on the beach & things get very interesting from there. All in a good way! It's a chance for him and Amanda to catch-up on old times & the possibility of a new love adds an extra spark. I really loved Paul, he lived through his own hardships and came out the other side better than he was. He's sincere, steady, rock solid for Amanda & the kids, unselfish, and an all around nice guy.

The end gutted me & that's where I needed my own Kleenex the most! The author wrapped this story up so incredibly beautiful, in spite of my heart feeling like it broke into a thousand pieces. But she didn't leave me without hope, because there's a sweet promise at the end that made me smile & know everything will work out as it should.

As I was reading this, it reminded me so much of Irene Hannon's Hope Harbor series of books. The small town feel, tight knit community of people, and the beach setting added so much character to this. If you're a fan of hers, I think you will enjoy this just as much. Make this is your next beach read because I highly recommend it!

In the endorsements, author Debbie Macomber describes this book as “A beautiful story full of love, loss, and second chances” and I think this perfectly sums up The Shell Collector.

*I received a complimentary early copy from the author and was not obligated to leave a favorable review. All opinions are mine. *

This is a delightful and emotional story of loss, love, and healing. Nancy Naigle makes the characters so real and lovable. They jump off the page. When Amanda loses her Marine husband and is left with two small children, she moves to a lovely island on the North Carolina coast where they got married for a new start. She soon meets Maeve, an older widow, who is wise and a great listener. Maeve falls in love with the small family as they do her. She is able to minister to Amanda because of her own loss. This has a great setting with the beach and shells playing a big part, including shells showing up to people with messages that they need at just the right time. A lovely story that pulls on the heartstrings but a message of hope, knowing that God is in control and watching over us. I enjoyed the secondary characters in this close knit town. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC from WaterBrook & Multnomah through NetGalley. All thoughts an opinions are mine onl

This is an emotional read. I really like how Amanda and Maeve became friends. As Maeve and Amanda's lives parallel each other, I liked how Maeve helped Amanda overcome some things. Maeve is such a bright light that it's hard not to like her. This book is about overcoming terrible loss and moving on with life, to starting fresh. This will be a great beach read.

I’m such a fan and completely honored to be a member of her Launch Team! Thank you, Nancy, for including me & sharing an advanced copy for me to read & give my honest review! This book touched my heart, just as all of your novels do. I’m hoping #hallmarkmovies will make this one for me to watch on TV!

Before I type this review I want to state a disclaimer. This is not my most favorite genre. I felt it read more like a Christian romance so it was squeaky clean. I have spoken to the author on my podcast and she stated it was more of a woman's fiction. I can see that.
Here's the thing with the book. It's all happy, except for the fact her husband goes out for 6 months as part of the Marines and dies. There's no spoiler there. It's mentioned in the book synopsis. I just felt it was slow and everything was just upbeat and positive. There's nothing wrong with slow and positive, I prefer more action and I kept thinking, "I get it, move it along." The other day (before pub day) I was on bookstagram and someone was looking for a book that was an easy read and was uplifting and I thought about this book. So, there is a place for this book. There are women who I can see would proverbially eat this book up, but I wanted more. The romance was too perfect. The relationship with the women was too perfect. The kids were too perfect. I need more pathos in my books.
If you are looking for uplifting, then you have come to the right book.

A beautiful story of second chances, full of love and loss and healing. A story of a rich friendship that crosses generations and each learning how the smallest gift can change a life. Amanda, recently widowed and her children move to Whelks Island, North Carolina two years after the death of her husband. They meet Maeve, a lifelong resident of the island and immediately strike up a friendship. The Shell Collector will capture your attention from page one, the story brought tears as I was the caregiver for my grandma and saw her through Maeve.
The Shell Collector is a beautiful story of second chances, the power of hope and restoration.

A beautiful story of love and loss and most of all of friendship. The kind of friendship that overcomes barriers of age and background and lets you see them for who they truly are.

When a widowed mother of two, Amanda, moves to live on the beach where she and her husband had their honeymoon, she meets a much older widow and they start to be there for each other. Their friendship brings so much healing and new hope and touches the lives of other people in their circle and community.

The secret messages in the shells add to the beauty of this story – people seeming to get the right message at the right time.

This book made me smile, brought a tear and most of all was full of hope for second-chance love and life-giving friendship.

This was a touching story that was at times sad then made me smile as Amanda's children stole the show. They were my favorite characters as their antics were so amusing. I enjoyed Maeve and the encouragement she gave Amanda and how she really wanted to give back to people. I also liked that Amanda tried to focus on being grateful for what she had and to work on moving on from her grief. Paul was such an amazing guy, noble and giving. I wished for more to the romance as he didn't show until later in the story. I also liked that prayer and faith were important to Amanda and Maeve but sometimes their beliefs weren't from the Bible, like thinking Jack was now possibly a guardian angel watching over her or that babies came from Heaven before they were born. The shells with their encouragement were a neat idea and I wished that had been a bigger part of the story. If you like touching stories of moving on, you should check out this book!

I received a free kindle copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

This is the most amazing story of loss and love. Naigle carries you through the thoughts and fears of losing someone and figuring out if you can love again. Wonderfully written with fantastic characterization. A beautiful and fulfilling story. Highly recommend.

I was given an ebook ARC by Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

Nancy Naigle is a new-to-me author, and I am happy to have discovered her with such a poignant story. She says by way of an introduction that this story is one that was birthed the year she lost her husband, but only recently was she able to bring the words to the page. It is a story of grief, of love, and of coming alongside one another to walk the path of grieving and to living. A, if not unlikely then unexpected, relationship develops between a young widow with two children and an octogenarian who has been widowed for some time, and who had no children, although she mothered many in the small town of Welk Island. Each bring special gifts needed by the other. Not only is this story an enjoyable read, but it inspires readers to look at their personal interactions with others and to seek ways to make them more meaningful as well as to be open to those unlikely and unexpected relationships.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Shell Collector from WaterBrooke via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

If you are anything like me you will need a lot of Kleenex before are done with this story especially towards the end. This book is very emotional from start to finish. This shows how different people handle grief. I love Amanda, Paul, Maeve, Hailey and Jesse. I could not put this book down. I recommend this book to anyone who has lost someone. I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook and Multnomah for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Beautiful and emotional this story is about the ability to move on after loss, and about learning to deal with the pain that comes with that loss. The journey to forge new friendships and find love again. Nancy Nagle has given us a wonderful warm, inspirational story of love and hope. I highly recommend this book.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This emotional, amazing, unputdownable, and unforgettable read will stick with long after you finish the book. This must read novel is sure to become one of your all time favorites. I loved every bit of this book.

Amanda Whittier lost her Marine husband two years ago and she is still trying to find her way in life. She is a single mother to two amazing kids, Hailey and Jesse. Amanda decides to make a fresh start and move her kids to Whelk’s Island, North Carolina, and she purchases a fixer-upper cottage by the sea. While on the beach Amanda meets Maeve, who has lived in Whelk’s Island her entire life. She is an older woman, also a widow, and every morning of everyday Maeve goes down to the beach and collects seashells. The friendship that develops between Amanda and Maeve is so amazing, uplifting and encouraging. Maeve helps Amanda through the lingering grief of loosing her husband. Maeve becomes Amanda’s best friend and the perfect support system that she didn’t know she needed. This story of family, love, overcoming grief, second chances, old and new friendships is one that you can’t help but read in one sitting. But keep the Kleenex box nearby because there is no way to escape the flow of tears while experiencing this wonderful story. I loved the well written description of the seashore and the amazing and well developed characters, I couldn’t help but make a connection with each and every one of them.

Don’t pass up this charming and heartwarming story with all the feels. It is sure to pull at your heartstrings and is an absolute must read. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it. Thank you Nancy Naigle for such a wonderful story, I wish I could give ten stars.

Excellent story of love, loss, friendship, and second chances. The story opens with an emotional scene as Amanda bids farewell to her Marine husband, Jack, as he leaves on another deployment. Fast forward two years and Amanda still struggles with the grief of losing her husband. Tired of being the object of pity, Amanda takes her children and moves to Whelk's Island in North Carolina, looking for a chance to start fresh. She buys a fixer-upper cottage on the beach, puts aside her home-based business dreams for a teaching position, and concentrates on her children Hailey and Jesse. Then a chance encounter with long-time resident Maeve changes her life.

Born and raised on Whelk's Island, octogenarian Maeve is like the matriarch of the island. She loves her community and is actively involved in all aspects of it, including attending town council meetings. She carefully considers supporting new businesses such as Paws Town Square, looking for ones that will serve the community best. Maeve spends hours each day walking the beach and collecting unique shells. There she meets Amanda and her children, and their connection fills a hole she didn't know she had.

Owner of Paws Town Square, Paul is one of the many people Maeve helped. After leaving the Marines, Paul searched for a purpose in his life and found it helping military working dogs and veterans suffering from PTSD. Having lost the woman he loved to his best friend, he is content to focus on his business instead.

I ached for Amanda as the story opened. Though her grief is better than it had been, Hailey and Jesse are still her reasons for getting up in the mornings. Constantly missing Jack makes it impossible to feel joy in her life; she survives each day instead of living it. From the moment Amanda and the kids met Maeve, that grief began to lift. Because Maeve had experienced a similar loss, she was able to help Amanda by sharing her own story. She didn't lecture; she simply led by example. Amanda slowly regained her desire to live life fully again.

Through Maeve, an old friend comes back into Amanda's life. Paul's appearance, jogging on the beach, stunned Amanda. Paul had been Jack's best friend, whose friendship had spilled over onto Amanda and the children. Jack's death hit Paul hard also, sending him into a spiral of grief that ended when he found a purpose in helping the dogs and veterans. After her grief-stricken breakdown and screaming accusations at him, Amanda never thought she'd see Paul again. Amanda never knew that Paul had fallen in love with her the first time he met her, as he refused to come between her and Jack. Paul sees their reunion as a second chance to win the woman he still loves. I loved watching the development of their relationship as Amanda works past the guilty feelings of loving again. I enjoyed seeing Paul become part of their lives. There were sweet scenes with the children and emotional ones as Paul and Amanda dealt with their memories of Jack and their growing feelings for each other.

As the summer turned to fall, the secret Maeve has hidden all summer becomes painfully apparent. I hurt for Amanda and the kids, who face the loss of the woman who means so much to them. I loved watching Maeve face what's coming with the serenity she demonstrated throughout the book. The depth of the bond between Maeve and Amanda is beautifully illustrated in the trip they took together. I loved the ending and how the connection between the women lived on.

I loved the use of seashells in the story, both as a way to connect people and as inspirations. The seashells with the inspirational quotes made significant impressions on those who found them. I loved the one that Paul found and how it ended up having double meaning to him. Amanda's discovery was the catalyst that started her moving forward. Eventually, the story behind them was revealed, and I loved how they came to be and that they continued to live on.

What a fun book! I've always loved picking up shells on the beach when I visit, but now I'll always remember this book when I do!

Easy read, great story. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll be glad you read the book!

I highly recommend the book - it has all the feels.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of the book from the publisher with no expectation in return. The comments above are my own.