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.
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Amazing Story
What about a book by Ms Macomber?
She always manages to touch our hearts, even though the story has the most common plot possible.
This book is to make you think… about how important it is to enjoy every moment of our lives and that we should not be ashamed to show how much we love our family and friends.
Prepare the tissues because, at some point, you will feel your throat tighten and the tear down your face.
There is HEA, but there is also life, and with it, its ailments.
Meet Willa’s family, her sister Harper, her brother Lucas and her father, and how, in her workplace, at Bean There Cafe, she finds the great love of her life.
Touching.
5 stars
A heartwarming, heartbreaking story of love, loss, friendship, and sisterhood. Debbie Macomber never disappoints with her emotional, captivating stories.
Great book
Fantastic. A great love between two sisters. Keep the tissue box handy.
Love the author ! Her writing is descriptive! Usually read her books in two days!!
I am a huge Debbie Macomber fan and always look forward to new releases. Her books put you in the middle of families, give you new friends, and set you in the middle of small-town America. Usually, the sadness, when the book is over, is because you will miss the people and places that she has written about. When I finished A Walk Along The Beach I was kind of glad to be finished. This is an emotionally draining story. Maybe because I have been self-quarantined for 5 weeks (coronavirus) and am escaping through books, I’m being supercritical. The book involves cancer, death, alcoholism, and a shaky romance. Honestly, at a certain point in the story, I really did not want the couple to stay together! A Walk Along The Beach is no walk in the park. Macomber has written a heavy, emotionally draining story that was hard to put down. I literally cried while reading the story. Debbie Macomber has a gift. She can put us over the top with happiness or take us down to the depths with sadness. I do recommend reading the book and I am giving it five stars. But just be prepared. And that means you are going to need a box of tissues. I voluntarily received a copy of this book from netgalley.
I think I have read almost every book written by Debbie Macomber and always look forward to the next. This one was revolved around some difficult and emotional topics. Family, siblings, cancer, death, addiction, emotionally absentee parents, abandonment, hope and love. For the most part they were all handled with kindness, love and touched on reality. Once I had a moment to sit down to read it I was hooked. I enjoyed the relationships between the siblings and was proud of their dad for trying to become the parent he always should have been. Overcoming addiction is a daily fight and it was nice to read that his storyline was reality based. Willa was a pillar of strength and it was nice to read about a woman being able to stand on her own be a whole fulfilled person. Willa became the mother, caretaker and everything that she could to take care of her siblings after the death of her mom, when her dad was incapable of being the parent they needed when Harper got sick. She did this with a grace an maturity far beyond her years and used all of her energy to keep them all afloat and safe. She lives with Harper, runs her lovely coffee shop and seems to be holding her breath all the time awaiting the next disaster. She meets Sean, A seemingly lovely man and falls hard quickly. Then life take a turn and he just isn’t there for her. Okay, he leaves for work, but he knew he was leaving and waited for the last second so as to not upset her. He did this to not upset her, but really it was because he was a chicken and immature. And stayed away longer knowing her sister was so very ill. In my world that makes him a jerk. Yes, he does have a job to do and yet he thinks making a few phone calls and sending a few texts that all should be fine. And this is where I felt this book “jumped the shark” for me. Willa was going through the worst thing a sister could experience and he left. and then expected that a simple “I’m sorry” and things would be better. I was so proud that she was standing up for herself. I literally cheered that I was reading about a woman finally saying “I am worthy, I deserve better and I’d rather be alone than with someone and lonely ”. And then the last few chapters. it ends with a typical HEA which will definitely appeal to most. Who doesn’t want a lovely sweet HEA all tied up in a nice little bow? Sometimes that is nice, but I had much higher hopes for Willa. If you want a formulaic HEA, this is for you as it really is sweet and a nice read. I wanted a little more.
Beautifully written story about family, love, loss, and forgiveness. Debbie Macomber is a go-to author for me and once again, she didn’t let me down.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this digital book from NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an unbiased review.
Debbie Macomber never fails when it comes to a romantic feel-good novel that is not remiss of life’s traumas. A book about family, friends, love and grief. Willa Lakey has worked hard to fulfill her dream of owning a bakery/coffee shop in their Oceanside community. She has sacrificed over the years but never complains when it comes to her devotion to her family.
When Willa’s mother died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm her father drowns his sorrow in alcohol. Not being able to rely on her father Willa becomes a “mother” to her younger sister, Harper and older brother, Lucas. Just as they are healing wounds from the loss of their mother Harper becomes ill and is treated for leukemia. Willa remained at Harper’s side through chemotherapy and eventually the road to remission.
The Lakey sisters lived together in an apartment where Willa remains ever vigilant of her sister’s health. Harper is a free spirit woman who has survived the unthinkable. She is extremely health conscious and works at the health club. Willa is relieved that her sister is doing so well but still fears her sister pushes herself too far. When Harper announces that she is training to climb Mount Rainier, Willa’s maternal nature once again resurfaces.
Harper encourages Willa is stop worrying and start living her own life. It’s when a handsome man enters the café that Harper becomes matchmaker for Willa. It isn’t long before Sean O’Malley is seen daily buying a cup of coffee just to see Willa. Although they barely say much to each other the chemistry is obvious to everyone but them. They eventually begin a friendship that is easy and comforting until a long assignment overseas puts their relationship to the test.
Life is always about taking chances and expanding out of our comfort zone. Throughout the grief and sorrow, the Lakey family has remained supportive and close. This will prove important as they are once again dealt some unexpected news which will change their lives forever.
Sometimes books hit really close to home, to a reader’s life or simply the ups and downs of anyone’s life – no one is without tragedy or emotional events in their lives – no one. ‘A Walk Along the Beach‘ is proof of that universal fact. Make certain you have tissues close at hand, especially the latter part of this one for you will need them.
Willa has always been mother/nurturer/sister to her sister, Harper and brother, Lucas since their mother’s death and their father’s dive into alcoholism as he mourned and never got over the death of this beloved wife. She also saw her sister through a very serious illness, while now recovered, Willa always has an eye on Harper’s health.
These days she owns and operates a coffee shop (and I love the name of it – you’ll see) with Harper occasionally helping out, and Lucas married and off on his own life. Willa is content and doesn’t expect romance to fall at her feet but then who really ever does see love before it arrives. When a handsome stranger becomes Willa’s best customer – well, Harper will do a bit of matchmaking.
Although Willa is in love she’s also so leery of trusting in that emotion since Sean is a photographer who travels the world and is often out of touch because of the lack of internet or cell phone coverage. She’s holding part of herself back – and she’s also always waiting for the other shoe to fall concerning Harper’s health. And when fears become a reality, life for them all will change in a heartbeat.
‘A Walk Along the Beach‘ is a love story – although not always in the romantic sense. Yes, we have Sean and Willa falling in love in spite of the odds. We also have a strong love of family, the belief that anything is possible, the knowledge that life can change in an instant, and how we handle that defines both ourselves and our relationships.
I smiled, laughed at times… and I cried throughout this story. I cried for the characters, and for myself as memories of family members who have gone through something similar flooded my mind and heart. ‘A Walk Along the Beach‘ is emotional, realistic, and will stay with you long after the final page.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Life Is All About Love
This is a very emotional story about love. All types of love; family, friendship, romance, and even pets. There are tons of ways to express your love, but being there when you are needed is truly a gift. As with all of this author’s books, This story just sucks the reader in and you can’t put the book down. It is an all-encompassing story that I will be turning over in my mind for quite a while. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
I love this author’s stories and this one is true to her style.
Two sisters Willa and Harper share an apartment, have always been there for each other, be each others haven in a storm. Harper however has gone through so much for being so young and Willa is constantly worrying over her like a mother hen. Their brother Lucas is around but he hasn’t been able to be as hands-on in their lives.
After Harper is given a clean bill of health she makes plans however that do not include big sister Willa. So Will takes a bit of time for herself and falls madly for a man who keeps entering her coffee shop. Will he be her light in the upcoming storm? Absolutely heartfelt, gut-wrenching story. I love the journey the story takes us on. It truly could happen to anyone of us.
If you are looking for a feel good book, this is not it. Experiencing a very trying time in my life, I was happy to reach for a Debbie Macomber book. I don’t even look at descriptions of her books before I pick them up. I should have this time.
The characters were well developed and the story was interesting. The romance in the book definitely took a backseat to the drama of the illness of one of the sisters in the story and there is tremendous sadness and lots of different forms of grief throughout the story. It’s very much the personal journey of Willa.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.
I loved this book! A romantic tearjerker that had me reaching for the box of tissues..Family is everything in this book.This book was well written with well developed easy to understand characters Great read!
This is a wonderful emotion charged story of family, love, fear, and acceptance. Grab a tissue or two for this one. The first part of the book is an easy read as we get to know the characters and the town. Then the second half will have your emotions all over the place and take you on one heck of a roller coaster ride. This was one of those books that once I started reading I had to keep turning the pages to find out what happened. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Debbie Macomber’s latest book is a roller coaster ride of emotions. Willa Lakey had to take on the responsibility of her siblings after their mom died suddenly and her father went into a spiral that basically made him useless. Willa had no problems with Lucas, the brother who took care of himself. But Harper was another story since she ended up with an illness that could kill her. I really enjoyed the family feel of the story. Then the love interest entered the scene, in the form of Sean O’Malley, a travel photographer who falls hard for responsible Willa. Sean begins to teach Willa how to have fun and leave a little of her burdens behind. When the conflict comes, which is inevitable in Macomber’s contemporary romances, I thought that I was ready for it. I began wringing my hands and hoping for the best. The situation was not what I had expected so I was caught off guard with this surprise plot element. The book was an excellent example of contemporary romance and had me crying and cheering in just the right places. The ending, however, seemed just too fast and not satisfactory for me at all. This abrupt ending left me wanting more of the story and for everything to be wrapped up with a bow, which did not happen. Fans of Macomber and contemporary romance will enjoy the book, but keep a box of tissues handy.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
A moving story about sisters, Willa and Harper, who have to face insurmountable obstacles. I would have given this 5 stars but I felt that the hero, Sean, was too timid and willing to do anything Willa wanted. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my honest review.
“A Walk Along the Beach” by Debbie Macomber
An emotional read for sure. A family story of losses and recovery. I didn’t find as much joy in this story as I expect from a Debbie Macomber book. Maybe that is why I found this to be a very long read and only awarded 4-stars.
Note: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher with the proviso of writing a review.
FAMILY BONDS
Debbie Macomber has a reputation for writing novels that touch reader’s souls and A WALK ALONG THE BEACH is another perfect example! She introduces readers to the Lakeys, a family that has had its struggles. In spite of it all the three siblings are close, with sisters Willa and Harper still living as roommates. Willa feels protective after Harper’s near death bought with leukemia. Willa has always been the steady sibling; Harper has always been the thrill-seeker. Willa is always worried about Harper. Until Sean O’Malley gives her something else to think about! He seems perfect until Willa finds out he is a PhotoJournalist and his work often requires that he travel to remote areas for weeks or months at a time with no internet or cell service. Not so great when you think you have met the love of your life! Macomber keeps readers on the edge of their seat with this novel. It is a story of family, pain, loss, angst, forgiveness and love.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this novel by Random House, LLC and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.