Beach House Summer by Sarah Morganis a feel good book. It is a world and the way of friendship, love, and community that we would all like to believe possible. The characters and the situations could be real (okay, maybe not the super rich beach house vibe!). That means that the outcome could possibly also be real. A beautiful oceanside setting, a suspension of reality because life does not work out that easily, and a belief in the happily ever after - a perfect summer beach read.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/05/beach-house-summer.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and the HTP Books: Summer 2022 Beach Reads Blog Tour.

Joanna divorced her famous chef husband, Cliff Whitman, over a year ago, but that hasn’t spared her from the spotlight. When he dies in a car accident and the press finds out a pregnant woman was in the car with him, the media makes her life so unbearable Joanna decides to head back to her hometown. A place she hasn’t visited since she left twenty years earlier. She left her two best friends and seeing them won’t be easy. There’s a story behind that and why she took off in the first place.

Ashley is the girl that was in the car with Joanna’s husband and so she’s stunned when Joanna offers to give her a place to stay and hideout from the media. Ashley has her own history. She and Joanna get close while sorting through their problems.

Melanie married her high school sweetheart and never left Silver Point. Raising their daughter, Eden, in the small, beach town wasn’t how she thought she’d spend her life, but it’s been rewarding, that is until Mel and Eden started butting heads over everything. She and Joanna used to be best friends until Joanna took off with Cliff and never looked back, but is that how it happened? Questions come up when Joanna shows up in town again.

Beach House Summer had a few surprises. Not all is as it seemed just reading the blurb and I was happy both Joanna and Ashley each had their own romance, Joanna’s was more central, but both took a back to their problems. Joanna, Mel, and Ashley came to a point in their lives where they had to examine the past and figure out what they wanted and aim for happiness in the future. I enjoyed their journey so much! There were lots of layers and several little side stories and I was invested in all of them!

Joanna Whitman's ex husband Cliff is dead. He was a celebrity chef and his car went off a cliff. The paparazzi wastes no time and immediately start hounding her. She knows she must get away and plans on avoiding them at all cost. However, her husband was not alone when he died. A young woman named Ashley was in the car with him. While hospitalized, blessedly, ten-weeks pregnant, Ashley is unharmed. She is all alone and sees her face plastered all over the news since she was in the car.

Joanna decides to visit Ashley and offers her an escape from the public eye. She is planning to head to Otter's Nest at the beach and offers Ashley the opportunity to go with her. Since Ashley is pregnant and alone, she agrees. Joanna is helping her, but she is not sure why.

Joanna not only finds a strong community more than willing to back her while at her summer escape, old flame Nate just might give her a love she never expected to find again.

What a wonderful story! I love a book when you think you know a character and expect a story to go a certain way, only to find the story take a shift in an entirely different direction, drawing you even closer to the characters than ever expected.

Beach House Summer is the perfect beach read. A warm story with relatable characters that illustrated love, family and growth. The healing that was in this book truly warmed my heart.

Many thanks to HQN Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please also enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/RYvwNC5GYhY

Man, I love summer reading. All of these great books come out that I can absolutely fly through. Maybe it's the longer days, or the sudden influx of so many binge worthy books, but I always have so much energy for reading once the warmer weather comes.

This is perfect summer reading because the beginning is intriguing and by the end it's all the good feels. Made me want to go somewhere new and pursue my dream of working in a bookstore. Or be brave and face the fears that are holding me back everyday.

Beach House Summer didn't quite make it to 5 stars because the ending felt a bit rushed, especially the romance. I probably would have preferred less toiling in the beginning or an even longer book so that we could really explore the second chance relationship. The couple seemed to transition so quickly from remeeting to rekindling that I could have used some more romantic tension and build up.

The setting and the female bonding and growth more than make up for the lack of romantic development. In fact, I almost think that was the point of the book, women do not need to center their lives around romantic relationships, because our relationship with ourselves and each other can be more than fulfilling, as long as we put the work into them. Dare I say that I didn't even need the romantic twist as it was?

Perfect book to get beach reading into the swing of things. Now I need to go find my straw hat and flip flops. Anyone got any sweet iced tea?

There can be a huge difference between the truth and “the story”. In this era of 24/7 “news” where everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinions using social media as a megaphone, it’s “the story” that keeps people interested and engaged – the truth be, well, not so much damned as ignored in favor of whatever slant gathers the most eyeballs and sells the most advertising.

So when celebrity chef and serial philanderer Cliff Whitman dies in a car crash with a young woman in his car, the media sharks already know where the story is, because “the story” of Cliff’s sexcapades has never been about him. The story has always been about his now ex-wife Joanna.

There’s way more interest in making her a victim yet again, ad infinitum, ad nauseum, than there is in finding out the truth about the crash. After all, Cliff was a celebrity, and let’s not forget male and charismatic. People are always willing to believe that whatever a famous man does wrong is somehow the woman’s fault. Even if they’re divorced. Even if she was nowhere near the place or the person at the time.

Even Joanna’s non-reaction is a story, and the vultures (read that as reporters) are more than willing to stake out her house and harass her neighbors to get it.

That there was a young woman in Cliff’s car when he crashed just adds fuel to the fire. After all, everyone knows that Cliff liked them young and younger as he got older. And the girl survived, which makes her fair game as far as the vultures are concerned.

Which is where the story gets interesting. Everyone assumes that the young woman, Ashley Blake, was Cliff’s latest fling. Or that she was about to be. She was certainly his type.

So no one expects Joanna Whitman to sweep into Ashley’s hospital room and rescue her from the schooling piranhas staking out the hospital just waiting for her to be discharged. They’ve already breached her privacy once, so it’s only a matter of time until they can find a patient, a visitor or even a hospital staffer to give one of them the juicy scoop.

Joanna, who has already evaded the swarm of stalkers outside her house, sweeps Ashley away to somewhere no one will look – at least for a little while. They both need a bit of peace, a time to heal, and a chance to figure out what happens next.

But the place Joanna has taken Ashley is her own hometown on the California Coast, to the beach house that sits on the land she once called home.

Joanna thinks she’s helping Ashley. And she is. But Ashley is also helping her. And by returning to her roots, Joanna finally gives herself a chance to take stock of her own life – and to explore the road not taken, the one that everyone, including Joanna herself, expected to take all those years ago.

Escape Rating A: Beach House Summer isn’t so much a romance as it is women’s fiction or relationship fiction. Not that a romance doesn’t eventually occur in the story, but the romance is not the center of the story.

The heart of Beach House Summer is in the relationship between Joanna and Ashley, and then Joanna’s relationships with all the people she left behind in Silver Point, especially her childhood best friend Melanie and Mel’s twin brother Nate – who was, once upon a time, the love of Joanna’s life.

More than anything else, though, the story is about Joanna’s hesitant reaching out to, well, anyone at all.

For the 19 years of her marriage, and the year of her divorce, Joanna has been the media’s punching bag whenever one of Cliff’s affairs was exposed. Which happened often. Extremely often. Even after their divorce, she was still the one who got stalked whenever he was seen with anyone. Because after each and every affair, she went back to him. Over and over and over. The speculation and innuendo, as occurs whenever a famous man is involved with a less famous woman, was vicious. Every single time.

And every single time Joanna’s response was “no comment” if she gave a response at all. She trusts no one because she knows they’ll either stab her in the back with the press or turn away from her in pity or even horror whenever the press comes stalking. Because they inevitably will.

Joanna’s reaction is to make like a turtle and hide all her vulnerable bits. Which is pretty much all of them. But bringing Ashley into her life opens a door that she realizes she doesn’t want to close. Letting one person in lets in others. Going back to her hometown lets her see that there ARE people who love her and people who can be counted on – no matter what her vicious stepmother used to tell her.

As much of the joy of this book is wrapped around Joanna’s relationships with both her new and her old friends, as lovely as it is that she does get back the friendships and the love she left behind, the part of the story that kept me turning pages in fury was the part about the relentless stalking behavior of the media.

Cliff is the one who cheated, Cliff is the one who lied, Cliff is the one who crashed his own car because he thought the speed limit on a cliffside road was a suggestion and not a warning. But Joanna is the one who suffers for it. Every. Single. Time. Even after their divorce. He’s the guilty party but she’s always the one to blame because that’s the story that people want to read.

It reminds me of a story going on right now that seems to be distracting the entire country from pretty much every substantive issue that should be getting more attention. So I wasn’t surprised at all that Joanna did her level best to hide and hope it would all blow over, and I saw so many parallels with the way she was treated and the way that the sharks circle any woman who speaks up about rich and/or famous men. What did surprise me was that when she finally stood up and refused to be a victim any longer, that it actually worked. I wish that was true in real life – at least more of the time.

Wrapping up, I loved Beach House Summer for its story about love and friendship and second chances. But its ripped from the headlines background is what really put it over the top for this reader.

I have loved all Sarah Morgan’s book and this is no exception. I loved all the characters and the beach setting. The only thing that was disappointing to me was that there was no epilogue. I would have love to see what occurred in a couple of years. Great book.

Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan is going to be categorized as a “beach read” but I feel like it’s so much more. There are so many emotions throughout the entire book and each one is felt deeply. It was very easy to connect with the characters and Joanna is a truly good person. If you enjoy second chances, this is the book for you.

When Joanna learns her famous, and notoriously unfaithful, ex-husband died in a car crash and a young woman was in the car, she knows the press will stalk her again. Tired of being trapped in her home she sneaks out, taking the young woman with her, and returns to her ocean-side home. Returning to a small town and the people you ghosted for twenty years has its own challenges.

Morgan captured my interest with a few early twists and the characters kept me engaged through the satisfying end. This is a great book for your beach bag - an easy read, uplifting and with strong female leads. Themes including what makes a family, how do you trust once hurt, and moving on are handled in such a way you’ll close the book with a smile. Recommended.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan is a delightful summer read. It draws the reader in with a bit of a small mystery at the beginning about Ashley and Cliff. 

Joanna begins out as a person in hiding - mostly from the press. She has had a few bad experiences in her earlier life and that plus the present pressure of the press hounding her has made her want to curl up into herself. But... her personal assistant and later Ashley have things to say about that.

Ashley is pregnant and alone, or so she thinks. She has fled from an unsure situation into the fire. When Joanna takes an interest in her, things look up for her. Together both of them support each other and help build each other up into stronger women.

This is a story about small community, second chances, growing up, friendship, sibling relationship, parenting and of course some romance. The characters had me on their side and I loved the setting of the house, and the way things all get sorted out, mainly by talking things out and finding what is important in each person's heart.

When Joanna Whitman's ex-husband, Cliff, a celebrity chef, is killed in a car accident, she isn't surprised by the reports that a young woman was in the car with him. Cliff had cheated for most of their marriage, but now he's gone. And now there's this young girl, Ashley, who is in the hospital, on her own, and pregnant! The reporters are relentless, hounding both Joanna and this poor girl. But Joanna has a plan to help them both, but it will mean returning to her hometown and the memories she ran from.

𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 is true to its title, a perfect beach read. Joanna is a likable character with a generous heart and a caring spirit. She takes Ashley in, which many wouldn't, and they form an unlikely friendship. My favorite part was when Joanna and Ashley arrived back in Silver Point, a small California seaside town. This is where her best friend and her childhood sweetheart live, the very ones she left twenty years ago. There are a few surprises, but for the most part, this is just a feel-good, sweet story about second chances and strong community.

If you love second chances, in both love and friendship, plus a great seaside setting where you can feel the sand between your toes, then pick this one up today!

Thank you to @harpercollins and @HQNbooks for a spot on tour and an ebook.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book. As usual with Ms. Morgan's book, I thoroughly enjoyed it!! This book takes you through a roller coaster ride of emotions, love, regret, forgiveness, anger, and many more. There are twists within the story that keep you captivated and the way the characters work through their feelings is a joy to read about. I also love the way Ms. Morgan talks about love for family even when some are not "official" family. She shows that love and respect for each other can be strong whether you are tied by family, history or some type of odd connection. This book was an enjoyable read from start to finish and a great read to take to the beach or anywhere!

Two strong female protagonists find their strength in supporting each other when they try to leave the spotlight behind and move to Joanna’s former hometown. Joanna Rafferty Whitman has been divorced from her philandering celebrity chef husband for over a year when he is killed in an auto accident. Unfortunately, he has a young woman, Ashley Blake, with him in the car. From the beginning of the book, Joanna shows her heart for other people and how much she sincerely cares about their troubles. She unexpectedly shows up at the hospital and offers to shelter Ashley from the unscrupulous media pursuing both of them. Together, they go to Silver Point and Otter’s Nest, Joanna’s renovated childhood home that is a dream on a beach waiting for occupants. The story is fast-paced and totally engaging, with characters that were fun to get to know. By the end of the book, I was completely invested in happy endings for all. This is a book about second chances, new beginnings, misunderstandings and friendship that endures. I loved the messages and the way the story moved seamlessly between the lives of the characters, showing their weaknesses as well as how they could bond and help each other. The setting is scenic, the story is memorable and the characters are my new friends. Fans of romance with a little steam (not too graphic, though) will enjoy this sweet story of finding yourself again after two decades of floundering.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Joanna’s husband has just been killed in a car accident. He had a young girl with him. But this is nothing new. Their marriage has been over for quite a while. Joanna soon pieces together who the young lady was in the car with her husband. Joanna takes this young lady under her wing and takes her to her remote beach house to escape the press.

Joanna’s beach house is located off the beaten path in her home town. She has a past here and an old romance she would like to forget. But, this has to be her safe haven right now. Can she manage all the emotions and insecurities?

I needed a good book to take me away. And this one hit the spot! I loved Joanna and Ashley. They compliment each other and even though she doesn’t know it, Joanna needs Ashley more! I really think Ashley is my favorite character in this book. She is quirky, funny and in need of help.

This novel gave me all the feels! I adored all the characters and especially the location. I could just picture this luxurious house. This is a great getaway read!

Need a good read to take to the beach…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I've gotta say this book was definitely not what I was expecting and thus I didn't overly care for it. The cover, the title, the previous books of Sarah's that I had read, definitely led me to believe I was going to be reading a light and breezy summer romance and that was just not what I got. I do believe the synopsis is quite accurate but the title and the cover (especially the cover being shown on her personal website) leave you thinking it'll be a much lighter read.

Different covers for different places but still take a look
For this is another fantastic read, a brilliant book!
Joanna Whitman's ex-husband is a celebrity, its true,
But that shouldn't mean the media want to follow her life, too.
However, when he dies in a car accident the media frenzy starts
Anyone would think that for more than a year they'd been apart.

The fact that a young woman, Ashley, is in the car at that time
Isn't a shock at all and it definitely isn't a crime.
But what was she doing there, especially as she's pregnant, too?
She obviously needs help but what can Joanna do?
They've never met before so can they learn to trust?
And is return to her hometown what Joanna must?

What a lovely read this proved to be
With family drama, history and mystery.
A story of decisions made that you learnt to regret
And a first love that you'll never forget.
Their reactions to intrusive media play their part
In these characters learning to follow their heart.

However, the community shines through
Looking after their own is just what they do.
Learning you're actually loved can be a surprise
Especially when you've been facing so many lies.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
Such a gorgeous read and this is my honest review.

Enjoyed this! A very easy story that grabs you with heart. Sweet Joanna and her lonely life trying to stay out of the public eye finds herself tangled with another lonely soul in the form of a young pregnant girl. I love that what could have been a contentious relationship is different because a person puts aside their feelings for another human being who needs help. Just a great escape.

BEACH HOUSE SUMMER has got to be the best feel good story I have read in a long time. Hang on to your seats, it’s a crazy rollercoaster ride! At first, the story is painful and tragic. Then it takes a turn and gets emotional and deals with many different heavy situations. Joanna has just learned that her ex husband has died in a car crash. She also learns that there was a survivor….a very young and pregnant female. Joanna doesn’t know what else to do except go and help the girl, Ashley. She knows Ashley has no one and Joanna knows exactly what that feels like. After reading BEACH HOUSE SUMMER , I want to hang out with Joanna and Ashley.

I have only read Sarah Morgan three times before but after reading BEACH HOUSE SUMMER I know I will be reading everything by her that I can get my hands on. She hooked me from the very first page. Joanna returns to her old hometown and figures no one will bother her since she has been away for twenty years. Boy was she wrong. She figured she burned all her bridges when she left and is completely shocked to know they all still care about her and are eager to help. I found myself totally absorbed in this story and I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters within this heart tugging story. I found all of the characters very real and relatable and it was interesting to read how they are all dealing with their troubles in very different ways and it takes a summer away to try and help them.

BEACH HOUSE SUMMER has it all, adventure, heartbreak, great dialogue, and awesome characters. Once I started reading, it was very hard to stop! I have made it a quest to catch up on the rest of Sarah’s books because her writing is just that good. She makes her readers feel every emotion her characters are feeling to the point where you feel as if you are right there, riding along with them. Joanna lives a quiet life, except for one thing. She has no privacy since she was married to a famous TV chef, one who cheated quite a bit. Joanna has gotten used to a life spent with cameras following her every move, and even after her divorce, they still won’t leave her alone. My emotions were on a wild roller coaster ride from the first page all the way until the very end. At first I really tried to read it slowly and make it last, but soon I was so caught up in everyone’s lives and business, I was flipping the pages like a mad woman.

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

Joanna Whitman has been divorced from celebrity chef Cliff Whitman for a few years, but is still a partner in his business as well as being dragged through the gossip mill whenever he does something stupid or "newsworthy". When he is killed in a car accident with a young female survivor, Joanna is dragged into the fray again. Joanna heads to the hospital to support the young and pregnant woman. They manage to sneak out and head to Joanna's childhood home in a secluded beach town. Joanna has a past there, an ex-boyfriend and his twin sister that used to be Joanna's BFF. There are secrets to be revealed, reconciliations and new beginnings that will bring this unlikely group together in a wonderful way.

This was such a beautiful story. I felt bad for Joanna. She has a lot of baggage that set her on a path that has her lonely, with a lot of acquaintances but no real friends. She was so fearful all the time and I wanted her to get a backbone, but I understood why she acted the way she did. The one area where she was strong was in her support of Ashley. I loved how they bonded and supported one another. The other storyline involves twins ate and Mel. They have a lot of history, but also misunderstandings and secrets that need to be dealt with. The rest of the town's residents were amazing. They did everything they could to support Joanna while she worked through things and decided what she was going to do next. This book had me laughing, sniffling and smiling at various points. It gives a realistic look at how the paparazzi can cause issues where they really should just butt out! This is a women's fiction story with themes of family, friendship, honesty, forgiveness, love, community second chances and romance. Once again, Sarah Morgan has penned a wonderful summer story. I definitely recommend this book.

Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan

This book starts off with Ashley, a young woman with a secret getting into a car with a famous chef. Told from her perspective as well as the chef’s ex wife Joanna, and a woman from Joanna’s past, this is a complex emotional story about relationships and missed opportunities.

This was a great vacation read. The characters were likeable and I really enjoyed how the friendships and relationships were explored. I did find that the second half started to drag on and got too repetitive for me. But overall I still liked the storyline and would recommend this one if you are looking for a light and easy beach read.

Thank you to @harlequinbooks for my copy! This one is out on Tuesday!

What are you up to this weekend? We are visiting family in BC at this gorgeous spot.

Is Joanna a glutton for punishment? Her ex husband perished in a car crash and the pregnant young woman who was also with him survived. Joanna takes Ashley to her secluded home, a place she hasn’t visited in 20 years. There’s a lot to unpack in the story. Both Ashley and Joanna’s stories are not what they appear.
I liked the people Of Silver Point. They welcome Joanna back,into the fold and even discover some truths about what caused her to leave two decades prior.
It’s a good beach read to kick off summer.