Welcome to Beach Town
by Susan Wiggs
Pub Date: June 20, 2023
William Morrow (imprint of Harper Collins)
Every town has its secrets...

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
In idyllic Alara Cove, a California beach town known for its sunny charm and chill surfer vibe, it’s graduation day at the elite Thornton Academy. At Thornton, the students are the worldly and overindulged children who live in gated enclaves with spectacular views. But the class valedictorian is Nikki Graziola, a surfer’s daughter who is there on scholarship. To the shock of everyone in the audience, Nikki veers off script while giving her commencement address and reveals a secret that breaks open the whole community. As her truth explodes into the light, Alara Cove will face a reckoning.Not my favorite book by this author. I ended up skimming through.
There were a lot of pages on surfing. I would have liked more dialog and less rumination. 3 stars

This was a love story, but the true love wasn’t between people, it was for surfing. There were a lot of pages devoted to surfing in this book!
Nikki stood up for her best friend which lost her everything, even after the truth came out to back her up. Then she met Johnny and ran away but tragedy bought her home to finally deal with her childhood issues, her relationship with her father and reignite her love for her beach town.
This had more substance than most beach reads. I would have liked more dialogue and less rumination. I did find myself skimming lots of sections. It is an easy way to tell the story but isn’t the best for readers (in my opinion).
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Few authors hold your attention and devotion for an ineffable number of years. Susan Wiggs is definitely one. Haven’t met a Susan Wiggs book that isn’t dog eared from multiple reads. WELCOME TO BEACH TOWN is fated to become the latest in that category.

Visions, Susan Wiggs books create visions with her use of scenery, of course, but more so with her use of thoughts and dialog. You would be amazed at what her characters think about, these are the insights into who they are, what they have experienced and possibly what their future looks like.

Small examples of lines that just make you smile. For example. A bookstore in this small town The White Rabbit Bookstore with signage that says feed your head. You are probably smiling already.

Beach Town is small but pretty mighty when you consider its history and attractions especially for those that love anything surf related. Nikki and her dad Guy have made it their hometown. Life has given both of them some major heartaches, but they have learned to keep their heads above water. The surf is their life blood. And in WELCOME TO BEACH TOWN Susan Wiggs tells the story of this father and daughter duo that have something incredibly special. Not a demonstrative love like some families. A unique bond that has stood the trials of life and time.

Folks make mistakes, take risky chances but in the end, it is those that form the basis of their true character. Nikki and Guy are great characters, and candidly great folk. They don’t see how wonderful they are. But we do.

WELCOME TO BEACH TOWN is a look at Nikki’s life starting as a teen, high school, young girl with a single dad. It was as unconventional as could be and yet Nikki was a star. Independent as could be. Devoted friend. Intelligent and committed to being number one. Competition was in her veins. But the one thing she couldn’t do was change her status in Beach Town. She was a townie. No wealth, no important name, no status.

In short Nikki was always looking for a way out of this town. But as luck would have it, she short circuited her one golden ticket. She took a risk. And it totally changed the trajectory of her life plan. Time for a new one perhaps.

Life sometimes moves in a circle bringing you back to the beginning and hopefully directing you to new chances. In WELCOME TO BEACH TOWN by Susan Wiggs we get to watch the lives of several folks that live in this small shore town as they experience many life altering events.

Simply wonderful tale of keeping your eye on the prize and at the same time accepting unforeseen circumstances. In short life. Positively masterfully crafted by Susan Wiggs.

Sometimes you just need a book written from the point of view from a young adult to take you away from midlife or late adult issues. This is one of those books - a quick, enjoyable read set in sunny coastal California. Was life ever this simple?

Welcome to Beach Town was a fairly good book. It read fast with no unusual surprises. Just a good story that doesn't require you to keep track of 100 characters or plots. I enjoyed it (always enjoy Susan Wiggs' books) and recommend it.