Ocean Beach

I’m sure everyone has a different idea of what makes a good beach read – some like bodice-ripper romances, others might prefer a good hard-boiled detective novel. For me, a good beach read has romance, conflict, maybe a side mystery thrown in, and of course, a beach setting. Wendy Wax’s Ocean Beach, the sequel to last year’s summer hit Ten Beach Road, has all of those in spades.

Nicole, Maddie and Avery, along with Maddie’s daughter Kyra and grandson Dustin, and Avery’s mother Deirdre, have a new house to renovate, this time for the a new TV show called “Do Over.” When the ladies arrive at the historic home in South Beach, owned by legendary comedian Max Golden, things are not quite what they expected. “Do Over” will be more reality show than home renovation show and there’s a camera crew following their every move. They work out a deal with the network to allow for private moments and agree to keep the fighting and personal conflict to a minimum as the renovate The Millicent, named for Max’s recently deceased wife and comedy partner, Millie.

Each of the women is struggling with their own inner demons. Nicole is still reeling from her brother’s betrayal and trying to maintain her matchmaking business, so when a mysterious and supposedly rich man contacts her to find him a wife, she thinks nothing of it at first. Maddie’s marriage is on the rocks and her husband is not as supportive of her presence at The Millicent as she would like him to be. Avery is still trying to prove herself as an architect while managing her romance with the contractor and childhood friend who helped the ladies renovate Bella Flora, while Deirdre works hard to earn Avery’s forgiveness for abandoning her as a child for a career in Hollywood. Kyra is battling the camera crew for her own footage of the renovation while dealing with the movie star who fathered her child, who is trying to worm his way back into her life.

So that covers romance, conflict, and the beach setting. While helping Max clean out his closets, Maddie discovers he had a son who disappeared from their front yard when he was 3 years old. The friends agree to find out what happened to Max’s son, adding a nice little side plot to the story.

Ocean Beach is a fun summer diversion, whether you’re actually at the beach or just wishing you were.

We have a copy of both Ten Beach Road (linked to my review) and Ocean Beach for one winner, U.S. addresses only. To enter, leave a comment and tell us what you think makes a good beach read. The winner will be announced on July 11. This giveaway is closed.

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Check out these other beach reads:

• The Orchard
• Yankee Doodle Dixie
• Sweet Waters