A Christmas by the Sea

Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Revell, 2018
Pages: 176
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. Her twelve-year-old son Jackson sees it as an exciting new start in a life that has grown rather gray without his father.

Before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. Wendy and Jackson move in - temporarily, she reminds him - in order to fix the place up before Christmas. But the charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on Wendy. She knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea - and a fresh start - is hard to resist.

Review: In a word, disappointed. I loved Carlson's book, The Happy Camper, so much that I sought out other books she had written. Even my fluffy, light books need to be able to draw me in and have some substance. This was humming along just fine, and then bam, it just ended in the most ludicrous and unbelievable of ways. There were still so many unanswered questions and undeveloped thoughts.

On another note, I can't believe it's already January 14, and I've only read one very short book so far this year. I have to get moving to hit my goal of 75.