New love. Old flame. Boy toy.
Who said starting over in your fifties wasnât complicated?
Fueled by unrealistic expectations of Nicholas Sparks' novels, Scarlet moves across the country to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, after her thirty-year marriage ends. Seeking like-minded women, she joins a divorced women's book club only to discover they may not be so alike after all. She is befriended by Missy, who becomes a welcome ally as she navigates life in a small town. Scarlet's dormant desires are awakened when she meets Ben, an attractive younger man. But Beau, the self-assured, age-appropriate man, opens her heart to love. The unexpected arrival of the man who nearly broke her adds a complication she could not have anticipated. âThe Scarlet Dâ follows Scarlet as she dissects her past, embraces new friendships and second chances, and finds herself open to the complications of starting over in her fifties. A later-in-life coming-of-middle-age romance.
New love. Old flame. Boy toy.
Who said starting over in your fifties wasnât complicated?
Fueled by unrealistic expectations of Nicholas Sparks' novels, Scarlet moves across the country to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, after her thirty-year marriage ends. Seeking like-minded women, she joins a divorced women's book club only to discover they may not be so alike after all. She is befriended by Missy, who becomes a welcome ally as she navigates life in a small town. Scarlet's dormant desires are awakened when she meets Ben, an attractive younger man. But Beau, the self-assured, age-appropriate man, opens her heart to love. The unexpected arrival of the man who nearly broke her adds a complication she could not have anticipated. âThe Scarlet Dâ follows Scarlet as she dissects her past, embraces new friendships and second chances, and finds herself open to the complications of starting over in her fifties. A later-in-life coming-of-middle-age romance.
I know why Nicholas Sparks sets all his books in North Carolina. It is beautiful, romantic, and full of hopeâmaybe false hope, but hope. Thatâs exactly why I chose South Carolina instead. It was equally beautiful, but it did not evoke the same sense of romanticism that I associated with North Carolina. It did not set me up with unrealistic expectations like North Carolina did.
Yes, I chose South Carolina because Nicholas Sparks ruined North Carolina for me. Although not all his books ended with a happily ever after. Mostly, they ended in tears for me. Love stories with sad endings. Or happy endings from sad beginnings. But I couldnât escape the beauty of the coast he described.
After years of reading his books as a sort of guilty pleasure, I had developed an image in my mind of a perfect place to live. Endless beaches and majestic sunrises and sunsets. When it came time for me to choose where to begin anew, in my fifties, it was the first place I considered. However, I was imperfect and did not want to start over with expectations too high. Thatâs how I rationalized it. I did not have the same expectations of South Carolina. I could have my own story there without any shadows being cast by another Nicholas Sparks novel.
When asked why I would leave the comfort of my life on the West Coast, I tell people that divorce drove me away; I wanted and needed a place to begin anew. Itâs a half-truth.
I was dying to leave my Southern California home most of my life. People spend their entire lives in one place, and I never wanted to be that person. I often felt like I was suffocating in one spot, knowing a world of experiences was just around the corner. Or maybe I was just anxious, knowing there was so much to see and do outside of my lifeâs bubble.
Most people consider Oceanside a perfect place to live. It morphed from a military seaside community to one of the largest suburbs of San Diego. My dadâs military service first brought my parents here. They fell in love with the proximity to the ocean and the affordable home prices. It was idyllic, and over time, it began to outgrow its military town label and become an actual tourist destination.
I was a lifeguard at the city beaches in the summer during high school and college. Back then, the beaches were covered in white sand. Erosion has given way to rocks, less oceanfront land, and the annual dredging project, an effort to add back sand. Oceansideâs pier boasts being the longest wooden pier on the West Coast. I had a front-row seat as Oceanside grew into a tourist destination over the years. But I often felt like an outsider looking in, trying to find my place there.
The fact I raised my family in a place I never felt part of brings me no sadness. Their experiences growing up were so much less dramatic than mine. Of course, thatâs perceived drama. Self-inflicted mostly. I never felt like I personified the California girl people saw me as. I was insecure. Never felt pretty enough. Never quite embodying the stereotype I drank like Kool-Aid: blonde, skinny, perfect figure in an itty-bitty bikini, ditsy, carefree, sun-loving. The idealized girl from movies and magazines. I knew no one like that. I knew that then. But even so, my home never quite felt like a place I belonged.
My decades-long marriage is over. My children were raised and live life mostly on their terms. I embrace that before I become too old or bitter or resentful for a life not fully lived, itâs time to try the unfamiliar parts. I want green and the ocean. I want history at my doorstep. I want weekend trips to Europe.
On my own. Divorced. God, thatâs such a strong word. I would say it was mutually earned, but, in the end, I deserve more credit for the demise of my marriage than he ever did, acknowledging that no marriage solely ends at the hand of one person. Both are complicit. Maybe we share credit. But the blame is on me.
In search of a fresh start, Scarlet uproots herself from California and moves to South Carolina. Sheâs determined to find herself after recently ending her thirty-year marriage. She joins a divorced womenâs book club, has a fling with a younger man, and unexpectedly finds another man who shows her that finding new love might be possible after all. While the circumstances that brought her here were not ideal, it quickly becomes apparent that starting over might have been the key to Scarletâs happiness.Â
This story is a perfect example of self-discovery. While I donât relate to the story in the same way as Scarlet, I was still able to feel the emotions and appreciate the courage it took for her to start over. I probably should have disliked her, given the reason that her marriage ended in the first place, but I found myself empathizing with her. Itâs always easy to judge someone for their actions, but you never really know what is going on behind closed doors. And the fact that Scarlet was so open and took ownership of her actions made me feel a sense of respect for her.Â
While I really liked Beau, I canât help but feel that their relationship moved a bit too quickly. I would have liked their timeline to have been shown across a year or two. While I do recognize that they are both older and both getting their second chance at love, it seemed like their relationship was a bit rushed and perhaps a bit unrealistic.Â
Overall, I appreciated the clear message that it doesnât matter what age you are - itâs never too late to start over and find the happiness you deserve.  This is the second book by Kirsten that I have read, and I really enjoy the refreshing take on the journey of starting over later in life.Â