Member Reviews

Melanie Simpson's grandmother passed away and her will instructs Melanie to use her inheritance to buy a crumbling house in Rosemary Bay. Melanie and her grandmother visited this town in the summers. They would daydream about turning the place on the corner into a bed and breakfast. Fulfilling her grandmother’s legacy, Melanie decides to restore the beach house to its original glory.
When Melanie runs into local carpenter, Josh Claiborne, whose eyes match the dazzling sea, she jumps at the chance to ask him for help. As they work together, Melanie tries to ignore their undeniable chemistry and how Josh’s rare smiles take her breath away––
Josh has made it clear that he is moving to New York and wants to become something and make more money. He is carrying baggage from a divorce and sounds like his ex was a cruel bitch.
Hiding in a closet is a yellowing stack of letters that Melanie finds. They are from the owner of the house to the love of his life. Which opens up questions and a whole can of worms.
I loved the chemistry between Melanie and Josh. He has mixed emotions because of his divorce and just when you think he is warming up to Melanie he turns cold again.
Will the letters secrets bring Melanie and Josh together or tear them apart?
This book was well written and even though we didn't get to meet Melanie's grandmother you could feel the love between the 2 and the special bond that they had.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the book to review.

Was this review helpful?

Fun contemporary romance about an girl, Melanie who uses her inheritance to buy an old Florida beach house her grandmother always loved. Once she buys the house, she meets Josh, a Contractor who helps her with the house but he has his own plans to get out of town. The story is written in current time, but there is Definitely some mystery in the past. Such sweet love stories intertwined together.
Jenny Hale really did an awesome job writing! The writing keeps you turning pages so fast!

Was this review helpful?

After Melani’s grandma passed, she decided to buy the beach house to honor her grandma’s will. However, it was not a fancy vacation house, more like a haunted house that's been empty for a long time. While looking for a contractor, she ran into Josh who was an excellent contractor at his farewell party and soon would be moving to NYC. He decided to help Melani only till his moving day, but as the date got closer, the to-do list was growing too and so was their longing for each other.

I really liked how they tied the stories about the previous homeowner to Melani and Josh. It kept me guessing and wondering and I couldn’t put down the book! All the twists and turns and surprises that I didn’t catch till later!! I didn’t see it coming!!! Wow! Brilliant!

I also liked how Melani grew to be confident as the story goes and found her own path through the difficulties. It felt real and my heart was aching with her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. After seeing the beautiful cover, not knowing anything about the author or her other book, I took a chance and it was such a warm, heart pounding, romantic love story of two heart broken people with mystery and twists. I would totally recommend it!!

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for approving my request for ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I love it when someone you love and care for leaves this world but still finds a way to be part of yours, as you navigate this new life without them.

Melanie losing her grandmother, buying the fixer upper, and then falling for contractor Josh… such a sweet love story… I’m really loving the summer time romance right now.

Great job!

Was this review helpful?

Melanie’s life is turned upside down with her Gram’s passing, her will leaves an intriguing inheritance and gives Melanie renewed hope. A childhood dream takes shape but then a curious discovery leaves more questions! I loved the sense of hope that comes with small town life, a feeling of belonging and turning dreams into reality, a warm cuddle when you need it!
A fabulous page-turner that takes the reader on a wonderful journey of romance, discovery and new beginnings!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Melanie Simpson feels completely lost and unsure of what life holds for her after her gram passes away. After the reading of her Grandmother’s will, her life’s purpose is revealed to her. Melanie and her Gram used to visit Rosemary Bay every year, sit on the beach, and dream about turning Ellis House into a bed and breakfast. When her Gram leaves her an inheritance, she gives Melanie explicit instructions to buy the Ellis House in Rosemary Bay and fix it up. Melanie finds herself heartbroken to go back there by herself without her Gram, but finds strength from within to return to Rosemary Bay and carry out her gram’s final wishes. Ellis House is a disaster and needs a tremendous amount of work. When Melanie meets local carpenter Josh Claiborne, he is the perfect person to help her renovate the beach house. During the renovation, they find a stack of old yellowing letters in a closet, some written in her gram’s handwriting. The letters affect all the residents of Rosemary Bay in one way or another, as well as revealing the true history of the old house. Will the secrets in the letters bring Josh and Melanie closer together? The mystery of the letters and secrets they tell, will have you devouring this amazing story. If you are heading to the beach this summer, this is the one and only book you’ll need in your bag. But if you can’t make it to the beach, this story is sure to make you feel like you had a beach vacation. The portrayal of the characters will have you including them in your circle of friends, and the detailed description of Rosemary Bay will have you packing your bags ready to move there. What a fantastic escape.

This unputdownable must read is one that will pull at your heartstrings. Hale’s books just keep getting better and better, with each one better than the last. This author needs to be on your auto-buy list, with this must read, first on your list. Thank you Jenny Hale for such a wonderful, wonderful book. This extraordinary and engaging story is sure to resinate in my heart and soul for years to come.

Was this review helpful?

The Beach House by Jenny Hale is a lovely story embracing today and years gone by. Melanie Simpson has spent the past three years caring for her dear grandmother as she battled cancer but lost the battle. In her Gram’s will, she is asked to purchase the desolate house sitting beachside in the tiny gulf town where she had grown up. On previous trips to the area she and Gram had fantasized how they would restore the home and turn it into a bed and breakfast. Now Gram is asking her to follow through with the dream. But is that the only dream Gram wants fulfilled?

Melanie’s sister Katherine accompanies her to take position of her new purchase. The house may be in worse shape than she realized, but it doesn’t matter as she is now in over her head. On one of their first nights there, as they have dinner in a local pub, they encounter a group of dart players that Katherine challenges. The lead player is a local contractor closing down business to pursue a new opportunity in New York. However, he loses the dart game and is then committed to helping Melanie restore her home.

With many twists and turns, secrets from the past, scary storms, and deceit from others in this era, this story is enthralling. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

Was this review helpful?

Jenny Hale is well-known for writing Hallmark Channel Movie worthy women's fiction romance novels. She's a go-to author for me; I don't need to read what her book is about to know that I'll enjoy it!

As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! What a sweet story and yes, it would make for a wonderful book to Hallmark Channel movie adaptation. I loved the progression of Melanie and Josh's relationship amongst other relationships that grew. Many aspects of the story were done as you would expect (hello happily ever after!) but there were a few surprises thrown into the mix that kept me drawn in and excited to know what would happen next. I loved the characters written throughout the story and I would say this was a wonderful women's fiction novel with a hint of romance.

Themes: losing loved ones, starting new adventures, discovering old secrets, family history/heritage, hidden secrets, adoption, illness, everlasting love.

My Review Rating: ♥♥♥♥.5 | Recommend for: romance lovers, fans of Hallmark Channel movies.

Was this review helpful?

The Beach House by Jenny Hale is a novel that brings you on a journey about families. Melanie Simpson put her life on pause to take care of her grandmother. After her grandmother's death she found that her grandmother had left her enough money with the suggestion to buy a specific house that they always saw when they were in Florida. The house needs a great deal of work but Melanie is hoping that it can be turned into a bed and breakfast. However, there are few things getting in the way like a huge storm, difficulty finding someone who can do the work, and Melanie just being overwhelmed.

Josh Claiborne is a builder in the area. He has decided it's time to move on and has found a job in New York City in order to earn a great deal of money. Money, he needs to move onto his family land and build a home. Due to a series of happenstances, he ends up working for Melanie even though he keeps telling her he's getting ready to leave.

Melanie has found a series of letters that were left behind as well as a key. The more she learns about the recluse who lived in the house the more she becomes curious especially after reading some of the letters. Under the heading of no good deed goes unpunished, Melody inadvertently stumbled over a secret that could cause Josh's family everything. And everyone knows there is no secret in small towns that cannot be found out!

The beach house by Jenny Hale was a novel about two people finding each other but not meshing easily due to secrets. I didn't like Melanie in the first couple of chapters; she was a little whiny for me. But once she seemed to get her act together and realized that she needed to move on and take this opportunity, I began to like her better. There were some other fun characters that made the story interesting. The Beach House by Jenny Hale was a good read.

Was this review helpful?

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Beach House' by Jenny Hale.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jenny Hale, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 9th June 2021.

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beaitiful cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Susan Mallery, Pamela Kelley, and Mary Alice Monroe will adore this romantic page-turner'. I am a huge fan of 'Susan Mallery' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 35 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

The storyline is set in Florida, USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Melanie Simpson. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

OMG!!! Well Done Jenny!!! An absolutely stunning addictive page turner!!! Beautiful!! This is a beautifully written story with vivid descriptions. The synopsis, title and cover suited the storyline perfectly.

This book is beautifully written and I was completely absorbed throughout and was devasted when I came to the last page and realised I had to "unpack my suitcase" as it genuinely felt like I had been whisked away to Florida. The vivid descriptions made me feel the sun on my face and the sand beneath my feet and times and cowering in the wind and rain at others. Jenny emerges her readers into the storyline as well as the settings and actions and emotions of the characters. This book is fascinating and gloriously intriguing, a devastating, beautiful, heartbreaking, compelling and riveting page turner. It is packed with love, family, secrets, shocks, surprises, friendship, sadness, happiness, joy and loss with a few twists thrown in. The ending was absolutely perfect!!! It is perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks stories. I for one am looking forward to reading her previous and next books!!!

The characters are absolutely fantastic as well as intriguing, unique and realistic. I loved discovering and delving into their history and background. I loved watching Melissa and Josh's relationship develop as well as discovering Eloise, Alfred and Vera's history along with other friendships between Melissa and other characters such as Suzie, Eric. Addie and many more. Without forgetting the sweet and wonderful Cole, I am so happy how it all turned out for him!! All of the characters in this book are well defined, realistic and will stay with me for a long time.

Congratulations Jenny on a stunning novel and here's to many more!!! Welcome to my favourite authour list!!!

Overall an absolutely gorgeous, heartwarming while heartbreaking yet uplifting page turner that will whisk you away

Genres covered in this book include Romance Novel, Domestic Fiction, Contemporary Romance and Holiday Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks and anyone looking for a heartwarming getaway.


322 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews

#TheBeachHouse #Bookouture #JennyHale #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@JennyHale @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86

https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

Was this review helpful?

This book actually made me feel that I'm on a beach house!
Perfect Summer read and I bet anyone will love the book <3

Was this review helpful?

This was such a fabulous summery story, I'm a huge fan of Jenny Hale and have never been let down by her stories. If you are looking for a lovely romance story with meaning then this is the book for you!

Was this review helpful?

The Beach House is the type of book that I feel like is a perfect summer read - a fairly quick read, a touch of the beach, and a story with likeable characters that will keep you engaged with the story. This is a book filled with some missed opportunities, twists and turns, and new beginnings. There are some aspects to the story that just didn't seem fully thought out, but it really didn't bother me too much.

After 3 years of taking car of her grandmother, Melanie's grandmother has lost her battle amd Melanie is feeling lost herself - not quite sure where to go, she takes her Grandmother's last piece of advice and buys an old house with the intent to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast. When she arrives in town right before a hurricane, she quickly realizes she is in over her head and turns to a very reluctant local contractor, Josh, who has decided to start a new life in NYC.

I recommend this book to the reader looking for a lighter beach read, and not someone who is going to get caught up in some of the missing details.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

“When you can’t leave something, your work isn’t done.” The Beach House by Jenny Hale

3 stars. First of, I love the cover. It’s so...beachy. 😂 That blue and pink are just pretty.

Secondly, that quote I got from this book, is sort of answering a question that’s been on my mind for awhile now. Got mixed feelings about that.

Anyway, to the book. It’s nice romance, drags a bit in places, and the flashbacks - at first I thought it would continue throughout the book. It didn’t. And it felt like...it should’ve since there were a few. Either have or have none.

Melanie just bought a run-down house. Josh is the handyman who’s helping her, because he lost a bet. But he’s on his way out of town while she’s putting down roots in it. Add their grandparents’ history in the mix. And you’ve got this book.

Unresolved for me is why was Josh’s grandma so bitter about Alfred Ellis? To the point that it tickled down to her grandchildren. Or maybe I just missed it?

Was curious about what would happen to Josh and Melanie and the house to read it to the end. So thank you NetGalley and Bookoutoure for the arc of this book. Finished it before release day but just posting now.

Was this review helpful?

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this advanced reader’s copy in return for a fair, frank, and honest review.

This was a really fun book to read. Loved the characters. I read this in one evening curled up with a blanket and a never-ending hot chocolate. It has everything you would want in a good rom com; love, relationships, intrigue and just the warm and fuzzies. I do not want to wax lyrical too much as I want everyone to get the chance to read this book with no prior plot twists on my review.

Was this review helpful?

The Beach House
By Jenny Hale

Melanie grandmother passes away after three years of taking care of her. Her last instructions are to go to Rosemary Bay, where her grandmother grew up and restore the Bed and Breakfast that she always dreamed of doing. The place is rundown and needs lots of work. She is recommended to a local carpenter, Josh Claiborne to do the work only problem is he is leaving the area soon and doesn’t want to work on her house. With a bet on the line a storm coming and old letters, could this make him want to stay?

This story has everything you are looking for in a great read. Relationship, mystery, love and even some surprises. I found it to be a page turner, and one I wouldn’t soon forget.

I received this temp e-book from Bookouture and NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I would highly recommend this great story for anyone who wants to curl up with a terrific read.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley, author Jenny Hale, and Bookouture publishing for giving me for a free arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
If you are looking for an emotional heart warming romance that stretched across generations, this book is for you.
This book follows Melanie, who ends up buying an old run down beach house due to her grandmother's wishes, Then Melanie happens to met Josh, while playing a game of darts. After winning the bet, Josh begins to help Melanie work and repair the beach house. As they begin to work, they discover some old letters that were written by the former owner of the house. Each letter contains the love and desires for a mystery woman. Drawn into the mystery of the letters and the person to which they were meant for, Melanie sets out to get to the bottom of the secret surrounding the house and its previous owner.
The writing, setting, and characters had me hooked from the very beginning. I loved how well the characters well developed and demonstrated growth throughout their journey. I was not completely sold on Melanie's and Josh's romance. There chemistry was a little off for me. I would have liked to have seen a deeper emotional connection to Melanie on Josh's part. I enjoyed reading the love letters from the previous owner. You could really feel the love, heartbreak and longing for what could have been in every line. Cole was such a darling child. I enjoyed getting to know him and was really excited for his HEA. The ending was well done and wrapped up everything nicely! Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will look out for new releases by this author in the future. I would highly recommend this book to those who love romances that tug at your heartstrings.

Was this review helpful?

This is such a perfect summer read! There are so many different levels to this book and I loved every one of them. Add some romance with a dash of history and it is the perfect combination! I absolutely loved the letters and history portion of the story and I only wish we got more of that! I thought it was a great way of connecting everything throughout the story.

This was a very quick read, perfect for the beach. The romance was there but I wish you got to see a bit more of it as well. This was my first Jenny Hale book but this will definitely not be my last!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

When Melanie Simpson discovers a box of letters at a house she bought with hopes of turning it into a bed and breakfast, she discovers secrets that were buried long ago. Her beloved grandmother has passed away. Melanie took care of her for a few years before her death and the two became quite close. Her grandmother left her an inheritance and this led to Melanie buying a house in Rosemary Bay per her grandmother's request.

The house is falling apart and is in need of more than a bit of work. The residents of Rosemary Bay say that there is one man perfect for the job, and that is Josh Claiborne. However, there are some hiccups. For one thing, Josh is set to leave for New York in a week's time. What is more is that he is diehard set against offering any assistance, and proves to be bitter to the core.

While out for drinks, Josh loses a game of darts. His price? To offer at least a quote and recommendations for the dilapidated house Melanie has purchased. The two have a strong chemistry. Of that there is no doubt. However, Josh proves quite harsh any time he is around Melanie. Why the contradiction? What does it really matter anyway, as Josh will soon be moving away?

Meanwhile, Melanie has the stack of letters that she has discovered. These letters hold clues to a past that in some way connect Melanie and Josh. However, the more letters she reads, the more conflict is raised in Josh. Why is this so? What is the connection of the letters, Melanie's grandmother, Josh and the person who actually wrote the letters?

I so loved this book! Both Melanie and Josh were wonderful characters and I really wanted them to find love, despite the obstacles that faced them. I also loved how strong Melanie was for her grandmother, even though her grandmother was not actually in this story. But, it was easy to see their strong connection. Meanwhile, as the story itself started, there was something that occurred that was truly heartbreaking, and it was this very event that just might ultimately tie Melanie and Josh together. The Beach House was a touching, memorable read of two souls find a chance at love and dealing with the obstacles that could lead to broken hearts. Instead, fighting those battles led to a wondefullly happy ending,

Msny thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

First, I want to thank Jenny Hale, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

Ohh Jenny Hale didn’t waste anytime in The Beach House pulling on my heartstrings. This was a truly beautiful story of the special bond that a granddaughter and gram shared with eachother. Reading their story and how special they were really made me miss my late Gram.

Melanie had a huge heart of gold with a lot of compassion and empathy to put her life on hold for three years to take care of her Gram who was going through Cancer. I give her so much credit for staying by her side through the good and bad. She is an amazing granddaughter! She was lucky to have Melanie in her life.

Gram leaves something to Melanie that she is not quite expecting nor really wanting. In time revelations hidden deep in the past come to the surface beautifully and surprise some characters.

Was this review helpful?