Review: Return To Sullivan's Island

I recently received an advance copy of Return to Sullivans Island for review from Mother Talk. I was looking forward to reading the book because I love the beach, and living in a beach house, in a beach community, is a dream of mine.

This novel is the 2nd in a series, and the waiting list at our library was longer than the time it took for this second novel to arrive at my home. The book stands on its own, and I will probably read the first one as soon as it becomes available. I would like to learn more about the family this series is based on, and find out more about the various personalities of the characters.

I would characterize this book as a good beach read. While I was looking forward to reading about the main character's year housesitting a beach house, unfortunately the main character wasn't very excited about it. She's a typical, self-absorbed, young woman and I confess I didn't care much for her character. I knew I was in trouble when the first few pages had her treating her small dog with as much deference and care as a small child -- a personality trait that I don't find attractive in anyone.

I had high hopes for this book that were not met -- but that's likely because I was thinking how absolutely wonderful a year at the beach would be -- with plenty of opportunity to write and enjoy the peace and quiet. Instead, I found myself reading about a character who I felt needed a good shake most of the time! Perhaps I'm just too old to find her attitude appealing.

Of course, there were conflicts in this book, and romance, and discoveries. The book wasn't awful, it just wasn't delightful.

* In exchange for my honest review, I received a free copy of this book and a small gift certificate in compensation.*