Review: Cottage by the Sea

Cottage by the Sea

About the Book:

Annie Marlow has been through the worst. Rocked by tragedy, she heads to the one place that makes her happy: Oceanside in the Pacific Northwest, the destination of many family vacations when Annie was a teenager.

   

Once there, Annie begins to restore her broken spirit, thanks in part to the folks she meets: a local painter, Keaton, whose large frame is equal to his big heart—and who helps Annie fix up her rental cottage by the sea; Mellie, the reclusive, prickly landlord Annie is determined to befriend; and Britt, a teenager with a terrible secret. But it is Keaton to whom Annie feels most drawn. His quiet, peaceful nature offers her both comfort and reprieve from her grief, and the two begin to grow closer.

Then events threaten to undo the idyll Annie has come to enjoy. And when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in her lap, she is torn between the excitement of a new journey toward success and the safe and secure arms of the haven—and the man—she’s come to call home.

In this heartwarming tale, Annie finds that the surest way to fix what is damaged within is to help others rise above their pain and find a way to heal.

My Comments:

I'm a long-term Debbie Macomber fan who has been disappointed in some of her recent works.  Luckily, this one was not a disappointment.  Annie was charming and the story was not overly sweet.  I cheered for her and her friends as they learned to make life go their way.  

Thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B. 

Book Quotes: Map of the Heart

Map of the Heart

I'm not prone to read sophisticated literature known to be filled with quotes that end up in famous anthologies.  However I recently read Map of the Heart and wanted to share this quote with you:

No wonder real life seemed boring.  In the screen world, all a person had to do was watch.  Participation was optional--the screen created a shield or barrier.  You could observe things at a safe distance.  If your world inhabited a tiny screen, you didn't have to be scared or out of control .  You didn't have to deal with the real world around you. 

Question for the bookworms among us:  Do books allow the same thing?