After Eliana Quinn’s ex-husband left her for another woman, she traded in the snowy mountain tops in Vermont for an outdoor Tiki Bar in Jupiter, Florida. She’s determined to make it on her own, but when she sees her purchase for the first time, she worries she may have sunk every penny she had into a business that she might never get off the ground. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the contractor … contractor she hired to do all the work, took her deposit and ran. She needs nothing short of a miracle if she’s going to pull off a holiday opening. However, she hadn’t expected it to come in the form of her super sexy, but gruff and aloof neighbor.
Levi Grayson spent twenty years serving his country as a Navy SEAL. An injury forced him into an early retirement. Shortly after that, his wife left him and for the last two years, Levi has been licking his wounds. He’s angry, bitter, and the last thing he needs is a new sexy neighbor making him question his life decisions. He does whatever it takes to avoid Eliana until a shady businessman runs off with her money. Levi will help her any way he can, but as soon as she’s got her business up and running, he’ll go back to being the cranky captain of a fishing charter.
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A wonderful story about blossoming with the right kind of love. Eliana Quinn left her controlling ex-husband to seek a new life on her own, only to find her dreams may not be fulfilled. She discovers she’s tied up in a money pit and the contractor ran off with her money. She feels a failure and the last thing she needs is another controlling man. Levi Grayson is bitter towards women but decides to help Eliana in order to circumvent the destruction of the waterfront. Their attraction helps ease each other souls and restore their faith in the opposite sex. I recommend this fun read.
This novella is a cute Christmas romance where both main characters swear off love after heartbreak. A business partnership might just be the thing to change their minds. Great storyline!
This is a quick, sweet read that starts with us meeting Eliana as she is starting her life over after leaving her abusive ex behind after divorce. She has moved from Vermont all the way to Florida in the hopes of making a bar that she purchased into a success and finding happiness in her life. She wasn’t planning on meeting Levi. Levi is an ex SEAL whose whole life changed after an injury. Not only did he have a forced retirement, but his wife left him while he was trying to heal. Now he is in Florida taking things a day at a time but still angry and bitter over what happened to him. He certainly wasn’t planning on questioning everything he thinks is true when he meets his new neighbor. Or for both of their lives to change.
I really liked this one. Eliana went through a crappy marriage and divorce but even though she has issues that she needs to work out on her own, she is trying not to let them drag into every facet of her life. She is sweet and kind with a backbone of steel. Levi also went through something no one should ever have to face and was hurt even more by the person who should have stood by his side. But even while he is still angry-he has this sweet side that can’t help but to help someone who truly needs it. I loved how they came together over time and that they truly just understood each other. I would love to see a story about Levi’s friends and maybe a joint epilogue further into the future for both!
This was a quick, fun, sunny, Christmas in July story! Eliana and Levi are our two main characters. They are in their thirties and love has not been kind to them the first time around. They have both ended up in sunny Florida for a second chapter in their lives. Eliana has purchased a local beachfront bar sight unseen and Levi owns a fishing charter that docks in front of it. When Eliana’s plans for her property doesn’t go as she’s hoped for Levi offers assistance. Eliana and Levi both have major trust issues that they’re going to need to work out if they want the business to succeed. As I said this was a cute novella. It was told from dual POV and there are a couple of typos/grammatical errors but nothing to detract from the story.
Wow! I couldn’t have loved this story more! I could so relate to Eliana, it IS always harder to ask for help, but I like that the author showed that this actually shows greater strength. Eliana and Levi have both been burned which makes them both gun shy of a new potential relationship or even trusting someone new. Watching them face obstacles together while they also navigate their own demons makes for the perfect story!
A great second chance! Both these characters have suffered terribly in their past relationships and have the physical and emotional scars as well as a huge distrust of the opposite sex. Thrown together by happenstance these characters get a second at life and love. I enjoyed the chemistry between Eliana and Levi as well as their growing relationship. I did feel that she shortchanged him a bit in some situations and overreacted but I did like seeing her find her footing and her inner strength after ex. The characters were great and the storyline was engaging and it was overall a wonderfully sweet, feel-good story.
Elaina just wanted away from her abusive husband and to have a business she could run without interference from dominating men. She bought a Tiki Bar in Florida by looking at a few pictures. She hired a contractor for the renovations but was worried that he never sent progress photos. Now that she is in Florida, she knows why. He took her money and the materials she paid for and disappears. She’s not the only one who was scammed. Now she has to decide on trying to fix the bar herself or sell to the developer who is buying up all the property.
Levi is her marina tenant. A medically retired SEAL who wants nothing to do with women. He just wants to run his charter boat. When he sees what Elaina is dealing with, he pitches in to help…and get no thanks from her. She thinks he is trying to tell her what to do.
They manage to work through their insecurities and work together to start fixing the bar. Then comes trouble in the form of Samantha trying to buy the property for her developer client and her claims that she and Levi are together. Elaina has some thinking to do. The story eventually has an HEA but its a bit bumpy before they get there. I’ve read almost all of Jen Talty’s books and haven’t found one that I didn’t like. Many interesting series by her.
A good read. Really enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. Eliana has brought a bar but the money she gave to a contractor is gone as he has done a moonlight flit. Levi works his boat for charters and is happy with what he has. Both have bad relationships being them. I loved them both for what they had been through and how strong they had become. They definitely had chemistry but I did not like Stephanie at all. A good overall read.
When Elaina finally divorces her husband who mentally and physically abused her for over 10 years, she is determined to get as far away from him as possible and make a success out of a Tiki Bar and Marina that she purchased site unseen in Jupiter, Florida. When she arrives a month before it is scheduled to open, only to find that the contractor not only didn’t do any work, but vanished with all of her money she paid for equipment and the work to be done she is devastated, and the property is in shambles. She is determined to Find a way to succeed.
Enter Levi who leases a slip in the Marina from Elaina. When he learns that she is one of many people who lost a lot of money to the contractor who skipped town, he starts cleaning up the property. Elaina no longer wants to be under the thumb of any man , and Levi has his own issues with an ex who left him when he was severely injured while serving as a navy seal. Loved how each is leery of the other, and how they work through his offer of help to get her place up and running. Loved it. Quick read about following your dreams and being open to second chances.
Another brilliant read from this very talented author She has the ability to make her characters so human that you usually are thinking of them as friends before you are very far into the book This is a prime example with both of her characters having damaged souls from what others have put them through but finding redemption with one another They also learn the lesson that some times it takes more strength to accept help than to do something by oneself
Eliana Quinn is finally getting he life on track she has finally got rid of her cheating ex husband and has bought a tiki bar in Florida where she intends to start a new life She has even paid the contractor to do the work for her so when she arrives she will be ready to open her new business. Only problem when she arrives in Jupiter Florida the Tiki bar is still am mess and the contractor has taken off with all her money. The man who has to break all this to her is Levi Grayson the retired Navy Seal who has his boat tied up at her marina. Levi is a protector who only left active service due to an injury and he immediately wants to jump in and help Eliana but she has had enough of controlling men and wants to do this bu herself. Can they find common ground to work with and what about the attraction that is blooming between them Can they have a future together if they both will let their walls down
A read that leaves you smiling
I found Eliana’s character hard to like in this book, which surprised me. Her jerk ex-husband, though, explains a lot of her behavior. As always in a Jen Talty book, the story is fast-paced and enjoyable, and the bad guys get their comeuppance. The bad guys here are slightly different from the usual suspects, and I just wish we’d had a chance to see them led off in cuffs! And Levi – I’d have Christmas in the sand with him anytime; he’s one of my favorite characters in all Ms Talty’s stories
I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily.
Our past experiences shape us, and Eliana and Levi are prime examples of this. Their chemistry draws them ever closer while all their instincts, burned by previous bad experiences, are screaming “run away”. I loved watching Eliana find her strength again after having had so much of it taken away. And I particularly appreciated the author’s message that it’s a greater act of strength to accept help than to stand alone. I thought Levi got a little shortchanged in a lot of Eliana’s treatment of him. I fully understand why she reacted the way she did, I still just thought a lot of her knee-jerk reactions weren’t always fair to him or his motivations. And I adored that Levi’s story shows us that even in the face of insurmountable odds, miracles are possible. You may not wan or be able to pay the price they ask, but they are still possible.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.
What a beautiful story! Eliana Quinn has divorced her controlling husband and headed to Jupiter, Florida where she has purchased a Tiki Bar. She is shocked at its run-down condition as the contractor she hired to do the renovations has absconded with her money. Former Navy SEAL Levi Grayson has been renting her dock area and realizes that Eliana is in trouble. Attracted to her from the first time he saw her, he begins to offer her help with the bar. Levi has worked hard to recover from his divorce and the severe injuries that made him leave the Navy. Does he have a chance with Eliana? Can Eliana get over her feelings towards assertive men and accept Levi’s help? This story is packed with emotion, love, hope and second chances. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation from the author. (by paytonpuppy)
Christmas in July is so much fun and in some the snow can help cool you off. This book however takes place in Florida, so cooling off isn’t an option.
Eliana has big plans now that she’s away from her controlling now ex-husband. She’s purchased a property that is perfect for her business. A restaurant/bar and marina she intends to make a success. She’d done everything long distance and now she’s about to see the progress made by the contractor she hired. Unfortunately that progress doesn’t exist and it’s her one marina tenant who breaks the news about the fraud and disappearance of said contractor.
However, Eliana has a problem with men who seem to take things into their own hands. She has to do this on her own, at least she thinks she does.
Eliana’s meeting with Real Estate Agent Stephanie, just proved Levi’s point about her. This makes Eliana even more determined to make this venture a success.
There is a process for both Eliana and Levi to come to terms. Their pasts are defining their actions where relationships are concerned. Being together in the process of getting the bar ready to open just increases the heat between them.
The help she gets from Levi and his friends isn’t going to be enough and the option proposed to her is going to be hard to turn down.
Fun, snarky and romantic with some suspense and sizzling heat.
Christmas in the Sand:A Holiday Novella
Jen Talty
Determined to be a success Eliana travels to Jupiter, Florida to reopen a restaurant she bought. Obstacles seem to be around every corner. Can she overcome them? With the help of Levi and his friends she just might.
A great sweet second chance romance for two deserving souls.
First read this story in the box set Unforgettable Christmas Dreams. A nice story about a youngs lady starting over after divorce to open a tiki bar, but when she gets there her contractor hasn’t done any work. She meets an ex seal who has been paying rent to use her boat dock. It seems she’s been scammed and now she needs help to get her piece of heaven going. HEA