NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two sisters must learn from each other’s strengths and trust in the redeeming power of love in a touching new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber. The Lakey sisters are perfect opposites. After their mother died and their father was lost in grief, Willa had no choice but to raise her sister, Harper, and their brother, Lucas. Then, as an … brother, Lucas. Then, as an adult, she put her own life on hold to nurse Harper through a terrifying illness. Now that Harper is better and the sisters are living as roommates, Willa has realized her dream of running her own bakery and coffee shop, bringing her special brand of caretaking to the whole Oceanside community.
Harper, on the other hand, is always on the go. Overcoming a terrible illness has given her a new lease on life, and she does not intend to waste it. When Harper announces her plan to summit Mount Rainier, Willa fears she may be pushing herself too far. Harper, for her part, urges Willa to stop worrying and do something outside of her comfort zone—like taking a chance on love with a handsome new customer.
Sean O’Malley is as charming as he is intriguing—a freelance photographer whose assignments take him to the ends of the earth. Soon Willa’s falling for him in a way that is both exciting and terrifying. But life has taught Willa to hedge her bets, and she wonders whether the potential heartache is worth the risk.
Life has more challenges in store for them all. But both sisters will discover that even in the darkest moments, family is everything.
more
Debbie Macomber is one of those authors who writes books that you know you are going to love before you even start reading. She always has wonderful, real characters to connect with and a plot that will keep you reading. Her books have a few laughs and a few tears; a little romance and a lot of positive changes in the characters. A Walk Along the Beach is way more than the simple romances that she used to write – this one definitely fits in the Women’s/Family Fiction category.
Willa’s mother died when she was 13 and she had to become the mother to Lucas and Harper. She cooked and cleaned and tried to protect her siblings. Their father coped with his grief with alcohol so he wasn’t helpful to the family at all. Now they are all grown up and Willa owns a coffee shop, Harper teaches yoga and Lucas lives with his wife. (Note – Lucas isn’t a major part of the story line which mostly concentrates on the two sisters.) Willa and Harper share an apartment and are each other’s best friend but are completely opposite – Willa is quiet and reserved while Harper is outgoing, happy and always looking for fun. Due to the cancer that Harper survived in her teens, Willa continues to try to be overprotective which results in some tension between them. Willa meets Sean at her coffee shop and soon they are dating. He is a free-lance photographer and is often away on photo shoots, not only in the US but in places like South America where it is difficult to find internet or cell phone availability. When Harper begins to get sick again and Willa needs someone to comfort her, Sean is out of the country and not able to communicate with her. She needs to decide if this is a relationship that she really wants or needs.
Debbie Macomber has brought her readers another wonderful novel with characters who are so well written that they seem like friends – characters that readers will laugh with and cry with and won’t soon forget. The plot is emotional and full of love. The scenery near the beach in Washington State is lovely. And the bond between the two sisters is incredible. This is a story about family and friendship, heartache and love, illness and happiness, happy tears and sad tears.
Note: Be sure to have tissues at hand for the last half of the book – you’re going to need them!
Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Sigh…this book had me at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Ugly crying at 3 am while my hubby slept soundly next to me.
Debbie Macomber has always delivered a touching romance that hugs at the heartstrings. A Walk on the Beach was no exception. A clean romance that can be shared with the teenage girl in your life.
No recipes at the end but you will be left with a craving for homemade cinnamon rolls and a cuppa hot coffee. Too bad I didn’t buy those cinnamon rolls I saw yesterday.
Curl up in your favorite reading spot and dive into one of the best romances of the summer.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Ballantine, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
Debbie Macomber has another amazing read in A Walk Along The Beach! This ebook that I received from my library has all the elements, a very emotional storyline, a devoted sister drama, a love story, a beach town read. Cancer is a very dreaded disease which I can attest to since I lost my husband to leukemia! Love abounds between the two sisters, Harper and Will a, and also between Willa and Sean! I fell in love with Sean, a very caring character, so like my husband. Thank you Debbie Macomber for writing such a riveting book!
This amazing book will stir your emotions, touch your heart, and keep you reading long after you should be asleep. A story full of hope and hurt, loss and love, the characters seem so real and the story is completely engaging. Another fantastic read from a phenomenal author.
A Walk Along The Beach
Debbie Macomber
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Two sisters must learn from each other’s strengths and trust in the redeeming power of love in a touching new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.
The Lakey sisters are perfect opposites. After their mother died and their father was lost in grief, Willa had no choice but to raise her sister, Harper, and their brother, Lucas. Then, as an adult, she put her own life on hold to nurse Harper through a terrifying illness. Now that Harper is better and the sisters are living as roommates, Willa has realized her dream of running her own bakery and coffee shop, bringing her special brand of caretaking to the whole Oceanside community.
Harper, on the other hand, is always on the go. Overcoming a terrible illness has given her a new lease on life, and she does not intend to waste it. When Harper announces her plan to summit Mount Rainier, Willa fears she may be pushing herself too far. Harper, for her part, urges Willa to stop worrying and do something outside of her comfort zone—like taking a chance on love with a handsome new customer.
Sean O’Malley is as charming as he is intriguing—a freelance photographer whose assignments take him to the ends of the earth. Soon Willa’s falling for him in a way that is both exciting and terrifying. But life has taught Willa to hedge her bets, and she wonders whether the potential heartache is worth the risk.
Life has more challenges in store for them all. But both sisters will discover that even in the darkest moments, family is everything. (Goodreads)
Review:
Willa has been a mother to her sister, Harper, ever since their mother died. Her dad fell apart and started drinking, so Willa picked up the responsibility for her sister. She has gotten Harper through cancer, and it seems like things might be working out. But Willa cannot help but being worried about Harper and prays that everything will be good from here on out.
Willa owns her own bakery/coffee shop and it is working out well. She has met Sean, a customer, that seems to be interested in her. She is definitely interested in him and they start hanging out together. But his job takes him away a lot and she has a hard time adjusting to that, and does not know if it will work out.
When tragic and traumatic events start happening, it will take all of Willa’s strength and faith to get through it. It will not only effect
Willa but all of the characters in the book.
This book made me laugh, cry and appreciate all of my loved ones. This book is very emotional and very well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written women’s contemporary book. I know when I get a book from this author I am in for a good read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber
Love the dedication to a fellow author and how hard it must have been to take a whole year off from writing.
This book restarts where the author left off. Willia is a baker and lives with her sister Harper who has just finished going through chemo for leukemia and goes through testings every 6 months.
Sean shows up in town and he’s a professional photographer. Love the parts of this work and where it leads him as I recall seeing the building murals in WA. He travels a lot overseas and when he returns once he has developed typhoid.
WIllia had taken care of him til he contacts his parents and he’s on the mend. Her brother has proposed to Chantelle and they are to be married, women have been fitted for dresses the bride will design for them all. This sounds so cool!
During his recovery they are able to discuss his past life in baseball and she recalls the scene he had gotten injured.
Very emotional and sad book but things keep them both going. Very descriptive details going through cancer treatments.
Received this review copy from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#AWalkAlongtheBeach #NetGalley
A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber takes readers to Oceanside, Washington. The Lackey family has had its share of tragedies over the years and now they are all on the right track. Willa has the bakery/café she has dreamed of and it is popular with the locals. I liked the strong characters the author created for this story. Willa became the “mother” of the family after their matriarch died when she was thirteen. She was there for her younger sister, Harper when she received her treatment for leukemia. Willa worries that Harper will have a reoccurrence and tends to hover. Harper is full of life and always on the move. She is training with a group to climb Mt. Rainier at the end of the summer. Harper pushes her sister into dating freelance photographer, Sean O’Malley. Loving someone is a risk because you never know how it will turn out. A Walk Along the Beach is an emotional novel. I thought it was well-written with steady pacing. We see a close-knit family and community that rally around each other. I found it to be a realistic novel. Life is never smooth sailing and that is true for our characters in this story. The developed characters had good traits and weaknesses. Alcoholism, illness, long distance relationship, and financial troubles are some of the problems our characters deal handle in the story. I did feel that it was rushed at the end and I would have liked an epilogue that showed how the family was doing in a year or two. A walk Along the Beach is a lovely story, but I do not feel it compares with some of Debbie Macomber’s other novels (especially A Blossom Street Novel series). I did like how Willa enjoyed walking along the beach to clear her head and how it felt soothing to the soul. I know I find looking at the Gulf of Mexico to be soothing. A Walk Along the Beach is a poignant tale with a cute kitten, a clever canine, a preoccupied photographer, a fraught father, and a caring community.
A Walk Along The Beach by Debbie Macomber made me cry! This heart-crushing story about family love, support, and grieving had me glued to my Kindle and reading all night. I found myself smiling, laughing, crying, and then having to pull myself back together again.
Willa is concerned about her younger sister Harper, but she always worries each time the schedule for blood tests is looming. Harper had been in remission from leukemia for three years and every six months which passed with good results was a victory. Their brother Lucas was a big support for the girls, especially when their father seemed to turn to alcohol to help him cope with grief.
Harper’s latest blood tests are all good and she is determined to live a fulfilling life, even though Willa is constantly ‘mothering’ her and questioning her choices. What must she do to prove she is ready to grab every experience she possibly can and enjoy adventure? Maybe she will start by adopting a kitten.
Sean is a photographer who is getting his business off to a great start. He enjoys the travel and cultures he has experienced when researching subjects for documentary submissions. Sean never planned to become attracted to the owner of the local coffee shop. Even though he does not like coffee, he goes into the shop and buys an Americano just in order to see and possibly talk to Willa.
I won’t post spoilers, but the story is layered with family drama, new love, and also more grief. A wonderful summer read!
Publication Date: July 14, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
First things first: I am not an avid Macomber reader. I’ve only read one of her books before picking up “A Walk Along the Beach” but I can now tell you, I am loving her writing style and will be reading more of her work ASAP.
McComber gives her readers comfort of home feelings with a focus on family and community in this wonderful story. The banter and talk between characters draws you in, making you feel as if you are part of the conversation and not just someone reading a book.
While the storyline in this book might be heavy at times, I feel as if everyone can relate to battles of their own and wondering who will be by yourself as you take them on.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book. You’ve made me a fan of Debbie Macomber for sure.
This was one of the strongest, most compelling Debbie Macomber books that I’ve ever read.
Willa happily runs her coffee shop, Bean There, on the beachy shore of Oceanside. Harper, her sister/best friend/roommate, often hangs around the coffee shop, often stepping in to assist Willa when Willa is short-staffed. Harper is happy and she embraces life to the fullest. Harper is also beautiful and has her share of male admirers. Willa is not as pretty as her sister and is often in the background as Harper embraces the spotlight.
Harper and Willa have an unusual relationship because Willa is more of a mother to Harper. Their mom died when they were younger, and Willa stepped in as the role of the mother – especially since their father suffered from alcoholism.
When handsome Sean comes into the coffeeshop, Harper feels that he is the perfect match for her sister. Willa is leery about Harper’s matchmaking skills as she spends time with Sean.
But, when drastic, traumatic and tragic events occur, the lives of all of the characters are drastically altered. Reading this book will make you appreciate your friends and family – be grateful for these relationships because things can drastically change in a short amount of time.
This was a strong, emotional book that I’m sure will be the number one beach read for the summer.
Two sisters who love each other dearly will learn lessons in life. A new man will change the life of Willa. In Debbie Macomber fashion she will draw you into their story from the beginning. As always the plot is family oriented and clean! Enjoyable read!
Trials of family. Love of family. Love of a community. Heartbreak and joy. Laughter and tears.
I was reading something else and I just wasn’t into it at all. This came along and I grabbed it. I love the author and the only thing I have to watch out for is whether I have already read it or not. I’ve read so many of her books, I can’t remember all the titles…. LOL It was very hard for me to put down!!!
It is a wonderful book, if you have someone who died of cancer, you will definitely cry.
The story is beautiful, sad, and inspirational.
As always Debbie Macomber works her magic in this wholesome book of life. Willa and Sean are a made for each other couple that you will enjoy.
I just finished this book. I loved everything about it. Hated to put it down, but didn’t want it to end.
I truly enjoyed this book. It had lovable characters and many moments of joy and laughter but also tears. The characters were developed beautifully and I was rooting for each of them throughout! Debbie M never disappoints!
I found this book relatable as one who sat by the bedsides of, first, my best friend and then my sister–both now passed on to heaven–as they waged their cancer battles. What I enjoyed most about this story is the perspective that grief is real and powerful, but so his hope. And that life after loss can be full and good.
There’s one aspect where Debbie Macomber’s books remind me of Jan Karon’s. The people in the books deal with real life problems and consequences without all the graphic details having to be spelled out for the reader.
This was such a good book, it makes you feel every emotion, you will laugh, sigh, get mad, sad and yes even cry. Just love Debbie Macombers books!
While the premise of this book is good and the writing style is done well, this is just not my cup of tea. It’s all a little too syrupy sweet and I could have guessed what would happen from start to finish. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of books that follow a specific formula. I know that there are plenty of people who appreciate this type of book and would encourage them to give it a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.