Book Description:
When life gives you lemons… move to Maine, bake scones, and try not to fall for the wrong man.
At 68, Monique Lamond is tired of being told who she is.
Six years after her husband’s sudden death, she’s still defined by the echo of his voice—one that only grows louder when her eldest daughter drags her to Kennebunk, Maine for a ‘relaxing’ family getaway.
There, she finds herself navigating family tension, being the watchful eye of her rebellious granddaughter, all while playing into the polite expectations of widowhood. Monique feels more invisible than ever.
Then she meets Ben Cooper. Gruff. Unfriendly. Unapologetically blunt. Their encounters are friction at best—and yet, something about him sticks.
Determined to reclaim a piece of herself, Monique makes an impulsive decision: she rents a secluded beach house and begins baking for a local café. Flour-covered mornings, ocean air, and time alone bring her back to life. But behind the beauty of the coastal calm, secrets are stirring. Especially when she finds a journal hidden behind a panel in the house. The entries belong to a woman whose story is heartbreakingly familiar… and hauntingly unfinished.
Now, Monique must face the painful truth: if she wants a future of her own choosing, she’ll have to stop living in the shadows—of her husband, her family, and the town that may not be ready for the woman she’s becoming.
Set on the rugged coast of Maine, this is a story of the complicated kind of love that only comes when you’ve lived long enough to know better—but are brave enough to try anyway.
Although this book is marketed as a “Women’s Fiction,” I wanted to read it. I think the initial call to me was the cover. As a native beach guy, I’m a sucker for anything beach. But the story was what kept me turning the pages. Since I am not much younger than Monique, and though I am not a woman, I can honestly say that I could relate to many of the things she thought. I also felt that the author did a fantastic job of introducing the characters and allowing us to get a look into who they really were. I especially loved the way the dialogue drove these personalities home for me, the reader.
I will say that Book 1 just kind of stops, without any resolution. I know that one must read all three to truly embrace the story. But I can honestly say that I found it to be a good read. I recommend it if you can commit to all three books and I think you will enjoy the series. If you don’t want to read all three, then I’d probably pass this one by.
I rate it: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Happy Reading,
~Keith
