‘A stunning, perfect novel – it literally took my breath away.’ The Writing Garnet, 5 stars Home is where the heart is… Holly doesn’t have time for a holiday this year. But when her job threatens to send her over the brink, her boss insists she take a sabbatical. So she packs her bags and escapes to her beloved grandmother Gigi’s house on Wishington Bay, which has sat empty since Gigi passed … empty since Gigi passed away.
But Holly’s dreams of a coastal escape take an unexpected turn. Holly didn’t expect to spend time with any man this summer – let alone an Aussie Adonis…but when she meets her next door neighbour Gabe and his little dog Bryan, it’s clear her quiet summer of strolling along the sand and wandering through the seaside village’s tiny streets on her own will come with a hefty dose of distraction.
With a summer to fill and Gigi’s wonderful and surprising house to sort through, Holly knew it would be a summer packed with old memories. She just didn’t expect to make so many new ones…
Coming Home to Wishington Bay is the new gorgeous uplifting rom-com from Maxine Morrey, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Tilly Tennant!
Readers LOVE Coming Home to Wishington Bay!
‘I loved this gorgeous, warm, funny romance and cannot recommend it enough.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
‘I want to move to Wishington Bay!’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
‘A warm hug of a book.’ Rachel’s Random Reads, 5 stars
‘A charming story filled with fun, romance and love!’ Rae Reads, 5 stars
‘A fabulous read… Had me laughing out loud throughout.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
‘Just gorgeous!’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
‘A delightful warm read that wrapped itself around my heart… Simply perfect.’ Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
‘Full to the brim with uplifting energy, feel-good beach vibes, and characters you fall in love with; guaranteed to put a smile on your face.’ Gem Bee Reader, 5 stars
‘Wishington Bay is the perfect place to wrap yourself in Maxine Morrey’s witty sense of humour and snuggly warmth.’ Victoria Cooke
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Two workaholics find themselves sharing an isolated beach house and the love of an adorable dog.
We can see where this is going, right? But it is the journey there that is so delightful.
Holly has devoted her life to work and getting ahead professionally. She gave away her heart once, against her intuition, and it lead to disaster not only for her personally but also damaged her at work. She began to have panic attacks and was forced to take a break, at least the summer off.
Her aunt had died the previous year and this gave Holly the time to get the house she had inherited sorted for sale.
Although she knew a respectable doctor lived on one half of the beach house, neither was prepared for the impactful way they first met. Gabe looked more like a surfer dude than doctor, and was acting like neither that fateful morning. Happily he turns out to be a stand up guy (until tackled on the beach) and close friends with Holly’s brother and pregnant sister-in-law.
Wishington Beach is a colorful and close community. I enjoyed the shops and the neighbors, but this is really a family-centric romantic tale. A clean read with some very humorous moments and a very sweet and endearing dog.
Holly’s troubles are her addiction to work plus the panic attacks she struggles to control. Gabe is enjoying life, but when his parents surprise him with an extended visit, he has to act fast. He sort of told his parents he was in a long distance relationship with Holly, never imagining they would meet. This came as a last minute shock to Holly and her family as well.
The story of one interesting summer and two people finding what they need close to home.
It has just occurred to me that I have now read all of Maxine Morrey’s gorgeous books and now I am sitting here twiddling my thumbs feeling a little deflated that I have to wait for her next one. Like, what am I supposed to do with myself?!! I need Maxine Morrey books in my life always!!!
Oh my goodness, where do I even start with ‘Coming Home to Wishington Bay’? I adore Maxine Morrey and only a couple of weeks ago was gushing over her latest read ‘No Filter’ (which is also a must read) and now I can’t stop smiling as I get to talk about Wishington Bay!
Right off the first page I adored Holly. I loved her independent, determined attitude and the way she didn’t want anyone to worry about her. I loved that she worked so hard and that she loved her family, but that with all her strength that she held a vulnerability to her and was such a sweet, kind and lovely person. Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoyed being alongside her as she let her creativity unfold and started working on new projects that bought out her passions and made her happy. I couldn’t wait to see what she did next with her imagination and I just loved following that part of her journey.
Hands down, I don’t know how Maxine does it, but with every leading man she writes I send up a silent prayer for them to be real. Gabe was no different, uh, he was utterly lovely and kind and funny and sweet and gorgeous and I loved him. Honestly, his caring nature and banter with Holly melted by heart. I adored how they fell into a natural pattern of looking after each other. The nights where Holly cooked for him and they chatted with ease sounded incredibly delightful, but they weren’t without their bumps and awkward moments. Oh my goodness, Maxine had me laughing out loud at one point, all I can say is rugby tackles on the beach, you will have to pick up a copy of the book to find out what happened, but I kid you not I giggled aloud.
This story was so beautiful and special. The bonds between Holly and her brother and sister in law warmed my heart. They all teased each other but took care of each other fiercely and that connected with me and made me smile. Being there with Holly as she went through her Grandma’s things was heartbreaking, but I loved that she wanted to celebrate her Gigi and make her proud. Grandparents are special and can guide us if we simply listen and I really enjoyed that about this book; being so close to mine.
If you’re looking for a romantic, swoon-worthy, make your heart happy kind of read, then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this wonderful book today!
Liked the book. Well written. Would read her other books
easy read for a lazy day.
As the cover says, Coming Home to Wishington Bay is “an uplifting rom-com,” and it’s a great one at that…a perfect read for the beginning of summer!!!!
Holly is ALWAYS busy, working herself to the bone, and especially after a bad breakup with her ex. Her boss insists that she take some time off to re-group. She knows the perfect place, the place she always felt safe, happy, and loved…her grandmother’s home. It has been empty since her grandmother’s death. She is looking forward to some rest and relaxation. All that is turned on its head when she finds a strange man outside her window on a ladder. Turns out, he is her neighbor, the one her grandmother, Gigi, was always talking about. What turns out to be a rough introduction soon turns into something magical, something Holly definitely wasn’t expecting!
Holly and Gabe are PERFECT for one another. Both are independent and both can be sassy, especially with each other. However, they really come to like and respect one another. Their road to a real romance is a bumpy one, but it’s one I’m so glad I got to take with them. There are some funny, sweet, and romantic moments. Those three are my favorite ingredients for a good rom-com!
On top of a great storyline and a great cast of characters, the setting was just gorgeous. The writer did a great job of describing everything. I felt as I was there and a part of the story!
I highly recommend reading if you are a fan of rom-coms!!!!
Favorite Quotes:
Although, if I’m honest, ever since I found out that the man I’d been dating thought girlfriends qualified as a “two for the price of one” deal, batteries were something I tended to keep a stock of.
No, I promise this time, it’s most definitely not a set-up. I’m pretty sure you’re not his type anyway. His last girlfriend was an absolute stunner.’ My brother was, as always, the epitome of tact.
It was at least a week before I could even look at chocolate cake again but, as I wasn’t a quitter, I’d forced myself to beat that particular problem.
I was civil at work because I had to be, Paul! What I really wanted to do was grab your nuts and rip them out through your throat, but I was reliably informed that HR would most likely frown on something like that. More’s the pity.
Who cares if you can bounce a pound coin off her arse? … Mine would probably just eat it like a money box.
Some days are better than others. Some days I still want to kick him in the nuts so hard his grandchildren would be sopranos– but apart from that.
My Review:
This was a fun and amusing read with frequent spikes of wry wit and clever banter. I enjoyed the liberal levity, sassy teasing, and flippant quips that regularly marked the characters’ verbal exchanges and inner musings. Ms. Morrey’s application of humor alternated between feisty and mischievous to wry and ironic, and I reveled in it all and jonesed for even more.
Cool new additions to my Brit Word List include gobby – British slang for talking in a loud and offensive manner; snaffle – steal or nab; caught on the hop – being surprised or unprepared; boot sale – pop-up markets involving selling goods from the trunk of cars; and fizzog – face.
Okay, I said it before and I’ll say it again, I really liked this book! The characters were memorable, the story layered just so, the romance there but not overpowering, the dialogue witty but clean…I mean, it was enough to make ME want to go to Wishington Bay because honestly it sounds like THE place to be! Oh and yeah, I’d be TOTALLY COOL having a pretend boyfriend like our resident Aussie. I mean, handsome, “healthy”, and a gentleman to boot, but still a whole lot of fun. I can’t blame Holly for her slip of the tongue, nor her unbidden desire for it to be something more. There is one character that was awesomely good at stealing the show, and that would be Bryan. What can I say? He gave Gabe and Paul (the ex, nuff said) a run for their money! I mean he’s ADORABLE, FUNNY, easy to please, and always down for a snuggle. Okay, so he’s a dog most the time…well, ALL of the time seeing as he IS actually a dog, but what a dog he is! Really, it was enough of a reason to make friends with the doc in the first place.
All in all, I wholeheartedly agree with the statement of it being perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan…because honestly, I AM one of those fans, and I LOVED THIS BOOK! From cover to virtual cover, it combined the best elements of Women’s Fiction, and Contemporary Romance with a dash of humor to spare, making this a wonderful addition to your summer reading list, or a perfect staycation option.
**ebook received for review; opinions are my own