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When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside,
Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have
mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected
property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move
in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves,
even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local
craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even
registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there
permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to
sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to
resist.
Genre: contemporary romance
Publication date: September 2018
Mature content: no
Mature content: no
Review: A Christmas by the Sea is a sweet holidays romance. Wendy is a single mother trying to make ends meet and when she inherits her grandfather's beach house in Seaside, Maine she believes selling the cottage is the best way to solve her problems. But of course things don't work out exactly that way and Wendy and her son Jackson end up way more attached to Seaside than they expected.
I liked the subtle Christian undertone and the message that God always has a plan even if we, mere mortals, are often blind to it. I also liked the rest of the messages in the story and the general uplifting tone.
I did find a couple of flaws. First, Jackson comes across much more like a boy in his late teens than a twelve year old. Having a son almost the same age, I wasn't very convinced. And then I think the end is way too rushed. Sure, Caleb and Wendy had been going along, they'd even exchanged a kiss, but from that to the way the book ended was such a huge leap I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. Yes, I was expecting a happy ending, but not such an exuberant one.
In any case, A Christmas by the Sea is still a nice, feel good, clean holidays romance. It's a quick read, too (I read it in one day), so if you love the genre and want to get into the Christmas spirit you should give it a try.
I liked the subtle Christian undertone and the message that God always has a plan even if we, mere mortals, are often blind to it. I also liked the rest of the messages in the story and the general uplifting tone.
I did find a couple of flaws. First, Jackson comes across much more like a boy in his late teens than a twelve year old. Having a son almost the same age, I wasn't very convinced. And then I think the end is way too rushed. Sure, Caleb and Wendy had been going along, they'd even exchanged a kiss, but from that to the way the book ended was such a huge leap I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. Yes, I was expecting a happy ending, but not such an exuberant one.
In any case, A Christmas by the Sea is still a nice, feel good, clean holidays romance. It's a quick read, too (I read it in one day), so if you love the genre and want to get into the Christmas spirit you should give it a try.
Happy readings,
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