A Walk Along the Beach

Who doesn’t love a Debbie Macomber novel? And in “A Walk Along the Beach,” the writer doesn’t disappoint.

Filled with romance, familial love and relationships, learning how to be grown ups, dealing with loss – not just in relationships but in dreams, the pages of Macomber’s novel make a pretty blah day better,

Willa, Harper and Lucas lost their mom when she died, and their dad to his grief – he became the shell of the man he once was, and relied on alcohol. Then, Harper got sick, and Willa, well, Willa had to play momma to raise her, and help her through her illness.

A mosaic of emotions runs rampant like the Mississippi River flowing during a flooding rain all through each inked paragraph. Willa grew up before she needed to, and gave up her life to be who she needed to be for her dad, sister and brother. Harper, still young, healed and energetic never stops, trying things that she really is scared of – she is afraid of heights, and goes bungee jumping. Willa worries. Her brother tells her to stop.

But she can’t. not even when the handsome Sean O’Malley starts stopping by Willa’s coffee shop and bakery everyday. She can’t help but find him attractive in the beginning, and is surprised when he tells her, he is not a coffee drinker – he just wants to get to know her better.

Then, two events pop up when they all least expect it – and both play a key factor in causing the sisters and O’Malley to feel a little like a trio of fish ‘flopping out of water.’ Surprisingly, Willa and Harper’s recovering alcoholic father steps up to the plate, and brother, Lucas, and his fiancee, arrive to help.

Therefore, assuring the characters, and the readers, that when you least expect them to ‘show up’ for you, your family will.

Very nice read.

(c)EmpireRoad/BeckyHolland