I could have sworn that I read part of the "Ten Beach Road" series before this book. However, when I checked it out, I had not. Apparently, these characters are so well written that I felt comfortable with them right away which just gave me the impression I had spent time with them before.

There is lots going on in this book which focuses on a group of five friends who have lots of problems that they help each other with and through. There are a lot of obstacles along the way which include a Hollywood leading man, a lying, thieving husband and a rehabilitated aging rock star who's making a comeback.

I loved the evenings when they get together to watch the sunset and take turns saying something good about their day. I think that's a great idea and hope to include at least the saying something good part in my future days.

I enjoyed spending time with these characters and wish that I had started with book one in the series. Not because this could not be read as a standalone, but because I would have liked to have been with them during earlier times and issues that were mentioned in this book. It is definitely a series that is going on my TBR list.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Madeline/Maddie asked William if they were there yet.In her former life it had been Maddie ‘s kids asking that question. Somehow her life had rearranged itself. One minute a suburban wife and mother facing the end of a marriage and the world she had known. The next she landed on Fantasy Island AKA Mermaid Point- a small  private island that belonged to the recently rehabbed rock icon “William The Wild”. Lifetime had sent Maddie, AveryLawford, Nicole Grant, and the crew of their renovation show turned reality - tv show- Do Over, to turn Will’s private island into a B and B. Will managed to turn it into a sober living facility. Maddie marveled at William’s strength , he had come out of rehab two years ago and reclaimed his life and rejoined the world. William brought out all kinds of things in Maddie that would have been shocking if she hadn’t been so busy enjoying herself. William mentioned he and the band were being sent out on a bigger tour to cover the album. When Maggie had met William he had been hiding out on Mermaid Point, his career in tatters, unable to make music. Then Willam had written “ Free Fall” and put together a band and started doing local gigs. His old record label came calling and they gave him enough to fund the sober living facility he named in honor of his younger brother who lost his life from partying. Maddie couldn’t imagine their relationship would survive with will going back to Rock God status. They were looking at three to four months non stop travel and performing. Then Will told Maddie he wanted her to come with him on the whole tour. He trusted himself more with her there. The mother in Maddie wanted to say yes but she had spent most of her life being there for others. Maddie said she didn’t think she could be away that long Maddie,Nikki, and Avery had left the Network so publicly they were being sued for breach of contract and claiming the name Do Over didn’t belong to them. Nicole no longer recognized herself being pregnant with twins. Special Agent Joe Girardi was the father. She had refused to marry Joe one too many times now it wasn’t brought up. Joe came from a big Italian family. Nikki’s childhood had been spent  in poverty, when her father had died her mother worked several jobs to keep a roof over their heads. Nicole had “ mothered” her brother Malcolm while their mom worked. He ended up in a correctional facility for the criminally greedy. Nikki had been bankrupted from her brothers Ponzi scheme. Nikki didn’t see how this could all work out. Not babies. Not Joe’s love. Not having a real family of her own. They were things she had only seen at a distance. Things other people had but she didn’t deserve with all her failings. Avery had grown up on her father's construction site. For her the aroma and sounds of construction were automatic stress busters. Sometimes with Chase near they were foreplay. Chase and Jason- his youngest son were having more and more blown ups. Bitsy’s husband decides to take her money and leaves her penniless and homeless. Bitsy is too proud to tell the girls what happened to her. Bitsy had been the girls former investor/sponsor and friend and she made a surprise visit looking for a place to stay with her dog. Bitsy assumes she can get the money back she had invested but the money's still tied up. Bitsy ends up moving in the small one bedroom Sunshine hotel college. William and Maddie are grabbing at the time they can together before he goes back on the road. Kyra had put the house up for collateral to have money for their projects until the cottages sold and the show they had filmed. The women hoped between selling the cottages and Beach Club memberships would help with their disappearing finances. Daniel is Kyra’s celebrity baby- Dustin- daddy and gave her the house to live in with her mother, dad, and Dustin. The only hope the women have is to sell the documentary of the renovation of the Sunshine Hotel featuring the reopened investigation into the mysterious death and disappearance that had taken place there.

I enjoyed this book. I loved how the women had worked together and still had their friendship. After all they had went through and were going through. I really liked seeing the women turning their lives around and still growing. I also really liked how Bitsy came into her own - even without a lot of money. I do advise you to read the other books in this series in order so you save yourself a lot of confusion and frustration . I felt this was a nice enjoyable read. Yes there was drama and problems but that’s life. I liked the characters and the ins and outs of this book. I recommend.

Ten Beach Road Novella

By:  Wendy Wax

ASIN: B0719NWD4S

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: 11/7/2017

Format: Kindle

My Rating:  5 Stars  

Wendy Wax returns with her popular Ten Beach Road Series, following (2017) One Good Thing with A BELLA FLORA CHRISTMAS. 

Read all my reviews of the Ten Beach Road Series 

Love catching up with my favorite gals in Florida for A BELLA FLORA CHRISTMAS. This go around Kyra has some difficult decisions to make and the adorable beach cottages at Sunshine Hotel are getting occupied quickly by the ladies for new beginnings. (Enjoy novellas and a fan of cottages).

Things are tense this Christmas season with the approaching deadline of New Years Day. 

Kyra is less than happy with the idea of Dustin (her son), portraying Daniel and his real-life moe star wife, Tonja Kay's son. There is no more time for hedging. She has to commit or refuse by New Year's Day.

She agreed to rent Bella Flora to a mystery tenant for an amount that gives Kyra the option of turning down the million dollars Daniel and his wife offered for Dustin to play their son. She does not want to ruin their holiday. 

The idea of strangers living in the house the women have worked so hard to hang onto is devastating; however, renting it out seems a better solution than losing her completely. 

The anonymity is making everyone anxious. 

If she cannot find a way to pay off the entire loan she took out, it could be the last holiday they would get to spend in Bella Flora.

Love these ladies and totally invested in the series. Best of all, we get a preview of BEST BEACH EVER Coming May 22, 2018 —with more Maddie, Kyra, Avery, Nikki and the crew! (Maddie is still my favorite of the women, even though I love them all.) 

Wendy Wax, "you are killing me!" Talk about tempting . . . I was swiping, dying to find out the mystery tenant of Bella Flora. Talk about a cliffhanger . . . . Could not pre-order this one fast enough. 

Please, someone, grant me an ARC for Christmas. Not sure I can wait until May for the unveiling. Seriously, I LOVE the cover and this series. Please do not let it end! 

Highly recommend (one of my favorite authors) — if you have not read the series, start with book one and read them all. Even though the author does a great job of catching you up, you do not want to miss a thing!

A special thank you as always to Berkley and NetGalley for an early reading copy. Also purchased the e-book and audible book narrated by Amy Rubinaqte.

JDCMustReadBooks

Praise for Wendy Wax and her novels 

 

 "[A] sparkling, deeply satisfying tale."—New York Times bestselling author Karen White
 
"Reading Wendy Wax is like discovering a witty, wise, and wonderful new friend."—New York Times bestselling author Claire Cook
 
"Fans of Jane Green and Mary Alice Monroe will adore Wax's lively characters, witty dialogue, and heartfelt prose."—Booklist
 
“Wax’s Florida titles [the Ten Beach Road novels] are terrific for lovers of women’s fiction and family drama, especially if you enjoy a touch of suspense and romance.”—Library Journal
 
"If you're a sucker for plucky women who rise to the occasion, this is for you."—USA Today
 
"[Wax] writes with breezy wit and keen insight."—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Southern storyteller, Wendy Wax returns following Sunshine Beach #4 Top Book of 2016 with my favorite summer series ONE GOOD THING (#5 Ten Beach Road). We continue the journey with the gals, each at a crossroad both personally and professionally, with critical decisions to be made.

A tale of four women trying to rebuild more than their lives. Before you can fix it up, you might have to tear it down…

From friendships, humor, loyalty, and self-discovery — each of the characters is looking for “one good thing” to be thankful for their nightly gathering discussion. However, with everything going on and so many unsettled issues, often they find it hard to think of the good, versus the bad happenings.

This time around, Maddie, Kyra, Avery, and Niki receive a surprise visit from their former investor/sponsor and friend, Bitsy Baynard (Palm Beach matron).

Unfortunately, her husband decides to take all his wealthy wife’s money and makes off with a younger woman, leaving her penniless and homeless. Bitsy is too proud to tell the gals what is going on in her perfect life and shows up looking for a place to stay with her dog.

Bitsy assumes she can have the money back she invested in the project, which of course is still tied up. Her pampered rich lifestyle is no longer and she is forced to move into the small one bedroom Sunshine Hotel cottage, which is quite small since meant to be a vacation cottage, not for year-round living, especially someone like Bitsy.

She had an Ivy League education and has volunteered to coordinate galas and events over the years and she knew how to hire help. However, she has no marketable job skills. At her age, was going to be hard to start over with nothing.

All the characters’ lives are up in the air. They are unsure what is going on with the TV show, and at the same time, they need to sell off the last real estate design project/real estate to pay their debts and not risk losing Bella Flora.

Madeline Singer and William Hightower (age 62) are back. William is on the road with his music career and wants Madeline to come along as they continue their relationship. However, she has her own life even though it is difficult to spend time apart.

However, she worries about him out of the road without her and all the women and his addiction; and having to communicate with his new assistant. They are trying to grab any time they can to be together. (love this couple)

They all had suffered from the Malcolm Dyer’s Ponzi scheme; however, they had become stronger and bonded when they started over with their TV show, Do Over. Rebuilding their lives. However, life has its ups and down.

The ladies had recently renovated the Sunshine Hotel and hoped would be their own version of Do Over. They had quit the network publicly and they were being sued for breach of contract and claiming that the name Do Over does not belong to them.

Kyra has put up the house as collateral to have money for their projects until the cottages sold/and the show they had filmed. Daniel, her celebrity husband gave her the house to live in with her mom and dad and son, Dustin. She has kept this as a secret until things worked out. Plus he wants to turn Dustin into a Hollywood star.

Their only real hope of income was finishing and selling the documentary of their renovation of the midcentury Sunshine Hotel, featuring the reopened investigation into the mysterious death and disappearance that had taken place there. They were all under a lot of pressure, which did not make for a whole lot of creative thinking.

Nikki is pregnant with twins and is miserable with her hormones, weight gain, and the summer heat. Joe (FBI) and Nikki have moved in together in one of the new cottages at the Sunshine Hotel. However, he and his family are pressuring her to get married before the babies are born. After the problems with her brother, she is unsure of her capability of being the perfect wife and mother.

Avery is dealing with her boyfriend, Chase’s teenage son’s drinking problems, and his erratic behavior. Maddie’s ex-husband Steve is still hanging around; however, has his real estate license now, and trying to help sell the cottages.

However, the gals will need to pull together and utilize all their creative skills in order to survive the storms and surprises of life. They each must be strong and be able to always come up with a least One Good Thing!

PS This series reminds me a little of Schitt's Creek which I love, and cannot wait for Season 4! (watched every episode). Both are about having it all, losing it, and starting over in an entirely different direction. Humorous and heartwarming.

Love these ladies. This time around the gals have more challenges than usual and have not moved on to a new exciting project yet, dealing with things left over from the last book.

Even though this installment did not offer the same excitement as the others, I enjoyed it and again found Maddie to be my favorite character. However, also nice to see Bitsy realize her worth when having to do without money. A good example of the resilience of women when faced with challenges of life, mixed with humor.

My #OneGoodThing is being able to live in South Florida overlooking the water; work from home office in a T-shirt, leggings, and flip flops!

Highly recommend this talented Atlanta Southern Author and all the books in the series. A perfect beach read. As always love the Florida coastal setting and familiar places. Looking forward to seeing what is coming next for these four ladies!

Ten Beach Road #1
Ocean Beach #2
Christmas at the Beach #2.5
The House on Mermaid Point #3
Sunshine Beach #4

A special thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an early reading copy. (cover love)!

A special thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Talented Southern storyteller, Wendy Wax returns with my favorite gals and summer series, following the last wild renovation adventure, The House on Mermaid Point (2014) with her fourth installment of the Ten Beach Road series:SUNSHINE BEACH.

This time around, the gals, are on to the next exciting boutique hotel renovation project, while stumbling upon a mysterious past. A quaint 1952 Gulf Coast, historic seaside, Old Florida family owned hotel with plenty of dark mysterious secrets, and an unsolved old murder case.

From wit, romance, cocktails, summer fun, and redos— plus plenty of their own personal and professional drama, and action! They all need a Do Over to pour themselves into, after being let down at the network. There was no reward without risk, and certainly not without hard work. The gals are ready for the fight!

From living together in one house, a business; taking on challenges, of restoring historic Florida seaside properties, aDo Over TV Show—while all the while developing bonds of strong friendship, and reinventing themselves even better the second time around. (some romance involved, as well).

The book opens with a brief Prologue, July 1952 at the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club at Pass-a-Grille, on the Gulf coast of Florida. A young five-year-old girl, wanting to show off for her parents with her superb swimming skills. The place was almost empty, since the summer season and the winter folks had left the small family owned hotel, and cottages. She liked to stay under water and surprise everyone. However, she only found her know-it-all sister watching.

Flash forward to the present - catching up with gals from the Florida Keys with their last project from Mermaid Point in Islamorada, Florida.

Madeline Singer (51 yrs old, mother of two, and grandmother of one) former divorced suburban housewife, now officially dating live rock star William Hightower (age 62). They are at Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana Bar (one of my favorites when I lived there), and all the women are flocking over the older star, the musician who is making a comeback with his new song, “Free Fall”.

The crew formerly, was to turn Hightower’s private island into a high-end bed and breakfast, which ultimately turned into a sober living facility. They were there celebrating his first song he had written in more than a decade without the benefits of drugs or alcohol. He only has eyes for Maddie; however, does not stop women from throwing themselves on him, making her feel some insecurities.

Maddie and William are heading up to the famous Bella Flora, (Historic, Pass-A-Grille, the southernmost end of St. Pete Beach), to their first renovation; the house, she Nichole and Avery had nursed back to life which had now become their new home on the West Coast of Florida. They would have to figure out what to do about the show they had created, lost control of, and then quit publicly—a wreckage.

Kyra (Maddie’s daughter) and grandson, Dustin (2 ½ yrs. old) live in the Bella Flora house after her ex-boyfriend and her son’s father, Daniel (movie star) bought the house for them (worth millions). They put their heart and soul into the house and are looking forward to coming together once again.

Maddie, Nikki, Avery, and Kyra had become close friends, and all the gals still love to hold their nightly happy hour with cheese doodles and cocktails, in between hiding out from the cameras, media and paparazzi.

Daniel still comes to visit in an array of disguises from Hollywood. The cameras are always rolling. Now they have another star, William to link to, plus the media always wants to get glimpse of Dustin- and get the scoop on what the gals have planned, next. (and catch them at their worst). Not a lot of privacy. . .

The gals had lost everything due to Malcolm Dyer’s Ponzi scheme and now two years later than had managed to stay afloat with their renovation projects—from filming, seeking sponsors, and a lot of down and dirty hard work for their show Do Over.

They have also lost one of their team, beloved Deirdre (Avery’s mom) a top designer on Do Over, and now things will be sad, when they all return to Bella Flora. She had been full of life one minute, and dead the next. She and daughter had only just found their way back to one another. Who could replace her?

Malcom, Nichole’s (Nikki) brother put her in a bad place, from earlier books. She is still dating the Joe—the hunky FBI, she met during the investigation, out of Miami. He wants to take their relationship to the next level. However, she is not so sure, since their careers are up in the air, plus she feels like she failed with her brother Malcolm.

The gals have to decide where to go from here, since they worked too hard to lose it all now. They need money coming in. They want to find a project, get sponsors and start filming. Hopefully they could pitch to other networks since they have a track record and possibly HGTV would be a good fit.

Their old network which handled their renovation show turned it into a mean-spirited reality TV show. They want to produce something of their own, if they can make it work. Their relationship with the current network is under review. They need to find a new renovation project close by in order to stay in Bella Flora house, rent free.

While they are looking at all their options, they stumble upon an older small family owned hotel, Sunshine Hotel, not too far from Don CeSar Hotel (I love). The property was rundown and closed, but no For Sale sign. It would have plenty of history and they are intrigued. After research, they find a man had died there under mysterious circumstances in the early fifties. The main suspect disappeared the same day, and was never found.

They meet with Franklin Realty and John’s wife, Renee (who had helped them with the gardens and restoration at Bella Flora). They laid out their plan, after doing research—and let them know their interest in renovating the Sunshine Hotel. It originally opened in 1942 and was owned by a man named Ezra Handleman. He died there in the early fifties. His wife disappeared the same night. The police named her as the main suspect.

The gals are shocked to learn the hotel belongs to two sisters. They are not interested in a renovation project. One sister says tear it down and bulldoze the hotel, and the other wants to keep it alive- hoping they will reopen the case of the unsolved mystery.

A sore subject since everyone thought their mother killed their dad. They had not heard of her since, being raised by their grandparents, having inherited the old hotel. It was sitting there, untouched in all these years, sitting on prime real estate. They were only young girls, ages five and eight years old at the time.

The gals want this project desperately for their show. Obstacles and tension are mounting, while they use every trick in the book to change the minds of the owners. This would be the perfect project to get them back on track!

They can see a retro look with a nice beach casual vibe (less showy than South Beach or Ft. Lauderdale). They have to be careful so as not to exploit the women, the way they were done. It has more than sixty years ago, and the tragedy was still a reminder of their parent’s death. They get the police and FBI involved to reopen the case.

They want to bring back the property to its heyday. Quaint and laid back. (You have to love those old 1920-1950’s Old Florida style motel/hotels– family owned). With cottages, pool, and a perfect prime location to relive a scene fromHappy Days. A prime example of mid- twentieth century architecture which is hot, or a remake of Psycho after they fumigated. They are up for the task. This is not their first rodeo!

The family lived here after the war while Renee’s father was helping to run the hotel. The girls were young, and lived on property with their parents. They never have gotten over the tragedy. They had no closure. The sister does not think her mother did it. She thinks an intruder killed their father and abducted their mother, even though there was no evidence. Renee wants it torn down.

While the team continues working on a compromise, trying to attain the Sunshine Hotel for their Do Over project, they have the job of replacing Deidre. (This part was hilarious, with the interviews and look a likes). Love Ray! (hope we see more of him).

Between all the mystery around the project and its past, the renovation, Maddie’s ex-husband Steve shows up, since he lost his money in the same scheme, and does not like his ex-wife dating a rock star. He is being a freeloader and not pulling his weight. Maddie and William are trying to see each when they can. Daniel is trying to wear down Kyra (filmmaker), Nichole is having issues with Joe, since he wants a family and marriage. Avery is still dating Chase, who shares her love of historically interesting structures, he and his father and sons are dropping in and she is missing her mom, especially when they see the last show.

Plus, there is still money missing and unaccounted for-- and her brother is in prison and wants to see her. Does he have money hidden somewhere and probably expects her to find it? How can she see him after what he did to Avery’s father, Maddie and her family, and Nikki herself?

From challenges, and obstacles---full of life, wit, design, history, renovations, romance, chick-lit, summer beach fun, ex’s, concerts, with a cast of characters I have adored since Book #1! This time, they get a new added twist from forensics, crime scene, mystery, suspense, and an old murder when they find more than they expected when they begin their renovation. They may become a part of solving a mystery, and helping this family move on—and hopefully a hotel brought back to life. And possibly a new show for next series? Can't wait.

I loved catching up with Bitsy Baynard from my neck of the woods (Palm Beach), Enrico, the roofer, and love Maddie and William's romance, Nikki and Joe, Avery and Chase, Dustin and Kyra, and as always lots of charm. Plus in this edition, someone has some news at the end, which hopefully we will learn more with the next installment.

One of my favorite summer covers! So nice to catch up with the gals, their lives, and the new exciting Florida renovation project. Sunshine Beach has non-stop action and adventure. It makes you want to join them for their nightly cocktails overlooking the sunset.

Wax's passion is reflected throughout the pages with her vivid Florida settings, as characters come alive. (great job with construction, renovation, and design). I love the west Gulf Coast area as much as the east coast (actually beaches are prettier). My Gulf Coast favorite hidden spot.

Please do not let this series end! Where Memories are made!Each can be read as a standalone, (but why limit yourself)? Highly recommend reading ALL the books. My favorite summer beach series. Fun, fun, fun!

Ten Beach Road Series (All 5 stars)
Ten Beach Road #1
Ocean Beach #2
Christmas at the Beach #2.5
The House on Mermaid Point #3