ISBN: 0062319167
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Publication Date: 6/16/2015
Format: Other
My Rating: 4 Stars
From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Colors and Breakwater Bay comes this unforgettable story— reminiscent of Kristin Hannah’s beloved novels—of friends, loyalty, and love as three women, who are reunited in the idyllic beach town where they grew up, are forced to re-evaluate their bonds.
Fifteen years ago, seventeen-year-old Vanessa Moran fell in love and lost her virginity but not to the same boy. Pregnant, desperate, and humiliated, she fled friends and family and Whisper Beach, New Jersey, never breathing a word about her secret to anyone. She hasn’t been back since. Now a professional Manhattan organizer, she returns to the funeral of her best friend’s husband. She intends on just paying her respects and leaving—though she can’t deny she also wants the town to see how far she’s come as a successful business woman. But her plans to make this a short visit fall by the wayside when her girlfriends have other ideas.
Dorie, the owner of the pier’s Blue Crab Restaurant where Van and her friends worked as teenagers, needs help. Dorie’s roving husband spends every penny they make and now their restaurant is failing.
Joe, the boy Van left behind without an explanation, has never stopped loving her. While he’s wary of getting hurt again, he also can’t help wondering what would happen if they took up where they left off.
As the summer progresses and the restaurant takes on a new look, trouble comes from unexpected sources. For Van, this summer will test the meaning of friendship and trust—and how far love can bend before it breaks.
About the Author
Shelley Noble is a multi published fiction author whose books have been translated into seven languages. She writes women’s fiction as Shelley Noble and is also the author of several amateur sleuth mystery series, written as Shelley Freydont.
A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. She also consults on various dance and theatre projects, most recently the world premiere of a full length Tom Sawyer ballet commissioned by Kansas City Ballet.
Shelley is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and Liberty States Fiction Writers.
She lives near the New Jersey shore. In her spare time she loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and boardwalks with vintage carousels. Website Twitter Goodreads Blog
My Review
A special thank you to LibraryThing and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. A long-time fan of talented Shelly Noble, she once again delivers a story from the heart, WHISPER BEACH, an ideal summer beach read of complex relationships and friendships. Vanessa (Van) lived at Whisper Beach, an idyllic beach town, growing up with a difficult childhood-- her dad an abusive alcoholic and in addition, she blamed him for her mother’s accidental death. A cousin, Gigi gave her money to escape the town and she moved to Manhattan, attended school, and later she became successful with her own business as a professional organizer. She never wanted to return to this place of bad memories. Now, she receives the news from Gigi, her cousin’s husband has died and she returns after fifteen years to Whisper Beach to support her cousin. She plans for a quick visit to Jersey Shore; however convinced by Gigi and her friends Suze and Dorie to spend her vacation in Whisper Beach. While in town she stays Dorie, owner of Blue Crab Restaurant, where she worked as a teen at the famous pier restaurant. Dorie was always there for her when she was younger. Van intends to only stay for a weekend, but her plans fall by the wayside as the troubles of this coastal town draw her beach, so she stays to help repair the restaurant before it goes into bankruptcy. As they begin repairing the restaurant, she runs into her ex-boyfriend and he is ready to pick back up where they left off. Something happened years ago—the night when she saw Joe and someone else in his truck. Soon memories will return of the anger and rage she has pent up. Vanessa will need to face her past, as we meet all the people who crossed her path. As the restaurant begins to thrive and Van reconnects with old friends, trouble comes from an unexpected source and she realizes she must face the decisions of her past or sacrifice this new life she has so carefully built. Lots of drama as each of the friends have issues; however, everything may not be as it appears. Can each of them move on and leave the past behind? Noble sets the mood for an intriguing and mysterious story of something happening years ago. Slowly each character and a story unravels as we come to terms with the abusive memories from the past. A heartfelt story of friends, reuniting in this idyllic beach town on the Jersey Shore, as they reevaluate their loyalty and friendship to one another. The books sets itself up for a continuation, so hoping to see more to come!
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