Families and sisters can be complicated…Jill Conroy is tricked by her sister into becoming the housekeeper and cook for the summer at Seashell Cottage where Greg Campbell and his nephew, Brody, have been hired to do maintenance projects on the house. Annoyed at first, Jill soon realizes how wonderful it is to be away from her home in New York and the memories of her deceased, emotionally … emotionally abusive husband.
Soon the magic of the beach heals Jill enough for her to decide to move to Florida permanently to make a new life for herself. Her part-time work at a summer camp and the promise of a new job as a third-grade teacher in the fall make it seem as if her future is set. But a visit from her sister, followed by her mother, reveals secrets that surprise them all. Jill learns to accept the idea of love not only from Brody but from his daughter, Kacy, as the summer brings even more surprises.
This book is a standalone novel that is one of others based at the Seashell Cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Different stories, different characters, same location.
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It was a fun book to read. Very entertaining.
Good story.
I just want to mention a very important matter that the book brings out. Children need positivity, caring , love etc. Their self esteem depends on this.
Loved the characters and it kind of showed a road map of self growth, setting boundaries and accepting yourself. I loved how the author wove kindness into so many characters and made it a positive thing rather than them getting used and viewed as weak. It was hard to put down. Cant wait to read more books.
Like how it kept me reading and not wanting to put it down.
This wa an entertain8ng book to read. I enjoyed the regular day to day characters and writing style.
I enjoyed reading this book. It’s a journey through the growth of at least four people over the course of a summer. Tear-jerking. Romantic.
I loved how the sisters interacted and reacted to each other. It was truly lifelike
What she thought was a house sitting job on a Florida beach for her sister’s friend, turned out to be a job cooking and cleaning. She was to cook and clean for the handyman, his nephew and his nephew’s daughter. They were good people and she did it willingly. Her sister returned from Europe early to get treatment for breast cancer. It all turned out well and I won’t spoil the ending for readers.
I enjoyed the characters a great deal and enjoyed seeing them make some changes in their lives. It was a good, easy read and I would definitely read a book by this author again!
Very easy reading … for everyone who has a sister …
Easy read for someone not wanting to just enjoy an easy read
Happy, feel good
Reading it now, loving it!
I didn’t think I would like this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I felt it was well written and the characters were well developed. I will certainly look for other books by this author. It was an easy summer read.
Great book
I loved this book, very inspirational.
The premise of the book was terrific. I wish the author didn’t tie all the interesting plots into a happily every after and that the story line was not so compressed into a couple of months. That made it unrealistic. It is a book worth reading because of the true struggles of life.
Jill is a kindergarten teacher whose abusive husband has recently died. Her sister Cristal talks her into house sitting at a cottage in Florida which is going through some renovations. Upon her arrival Jill finds she is in fact the housekeeper and cook for the renovation crew. This is the perfect summer beach read. A beautiful setting at the beach, a hunky guy doing renovations and a summer job at a campground. There is a bit of romance, a lot of family drama and a lot of changes for Jill during that summer. This is a great book with wonderful feel good characters who made me smile.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Book Review: A Summer of Surprises ~ A Seashell Cottage Book
by author, Judith Keim
From a quite little town in Upstate New York, to an unexpected destination… a beautiful little cottage on the Gulf Coast proves to be a place where life can begin again.
Jillian Conroy, is a woman full of heartbreak and disappointment. Now widowed by a man, laser-focused in directing his abusive behavior against her throughout their marriage and eloquently projecting himself as exciting, intriguing and passionate towards the community and those closest to them, Jill must now pick up the pieces as she finds herself alone, her self-worth shattered, and now preparing for an emotional journey in finding her true-self again. Add to the mix, a mother~ one who has chipped away at Jill’s self esteem since she was a very young girl, and Jill’s “golden girl” of a sister, Cristal, who might as well be labeled as the one able to walk on water, Jill is determined to shed the layers that have bound and trapped her for far to long in order to heal the scars… but in her own way, and in her own time. That is, until one day the phone rings, and she’s purposely misled on an unexpected path, one she will not find the true meaning of until she’s stepped through the front door of Seashell Cottage.
After being lured under false pretense as a house-sitter for the sumner, in a beautiful beach town she quickly becomes enthusiastic about, Jill finds her journey beginning to unfold with responsibilities and drama she didn’t sign up for. With the cottage now full of unexpected guests and having issues of their own, her hopes for a summer filled with the sounds of the ocean, a time to reflect, heal, and create a meaningful and peaceful place in her life, she now feels it slipping away with the tide. But what it brings back to her, is something she never imagined… a reason to open herself up to trusting, living and loving again.
Author Judith Keim has written an uplifting, and atmospheric story. It’s full of drama, secrets and yes, surprises which all lead to a satisfying and heartwarming read. I highly recommend this gem to anyone looking for a great book to get lost in this summer!
5 Stars
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#JudithKeim
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