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Return To The Beach House LP: A Beach House Novel (2014)

by Georgia Bockoven(Favorite Author)

3.69 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0062326899 (ISBN13: 9780062326898)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

HarperLuxe

series

The Beach House

review 1: Toss this book into your beach bag and head towards the water! If ever there was a perfect beach read, this is the one. I felt so relaxed while reading it.What I really liked about this book was that it was 3 separate stories that all revolve around the beach house. There's a little intermingling between characters, in one or two stories, but other than that, everything is separate.The first story is about Alison and her grandson Christopher. Both find love at the beach house in unexpected ways. I really felt that both of them deserved a bit of happiness too. Alison's husband and son (Christopher's father) died on 9/11. Of the three stories, I think I liked this one the best, because even though you had the sadness of the lost loved ones, it was the happiest of all the sto... moreries, and I'm big on happy.The next story is about college friends. I wish I had friends that I could go off to a beach house with one summer. Ah bliss...even though these friends have secrets from one another. Some of these secrets are pretty big too. I enjoyed this story, but the nature of the lives of these for nearly 40 year old women, made it hard for me to identify with themLastly is a story about two lovers that are drifting apart. They are both extremely gifted photographers, one of nature and the other of wars/conflicts. I liked that Georgia gave the role of war correspondent to the woman. It is their careers and some of the pitfalls of their work that are pushing them apart.This was a wonderful read. I also loved the little bits of Julia's life that we saw in the book. (She's the owner of the house)Everyone gets a happily ever after, which is a little bit difficult to fathom when they are only spending a month at a beach house, but this is summer reading, anything can happen then!If you are going to the beach, don't forget this book. The short story format is perfect for lazy reading in teh shade.
review 2: Three different stories in one beautiful setting; each one explores loss, love, and discovery. At the root of each story is a character or characters aching for something.In the first story, Allison lives for her grandson and has forgotten many of her own needs. Christopher, who adores his grandmother, can't get out from under the expectations of his family; he needs to come out of the shadows of his father and grandfather and figure out his own way.College friends come together in the second story. As close as they are, they've been keeping things from each other. Story after story is revealed in their time together, and their bond tightens. In the final story, Matthew and Lindsay have been leading separate lives. Although they love each other, they've grown apart and Lindsay is struggling with something. Can they find their way back?I loved the idea of three separate stories, really short stories, in a common setting especially with such similar themes. However, it did feel disjointed, and I found myself wishing I could read three novels instead. Georgia Bockoven does an excellent job of character and story building in few words. My favorite story was the one about the college friends coming back together, but I suspect different readers would have different favorites. Fans of short stories and readers who want to jump right into the characters' lives will appreciate this charming and well-told collection.Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes; a positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own. less

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