The Brighter the Light
- Downloads：2422
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-03 08:21:40
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Mary Ellen Taylor
- ISBN：B0998WPHDS
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Cheryl
，
Surprise， this is the second book I have been able to read and enjoy that goes back and forth in time。 Both books by this author。 Ruth in 1950s and Ivy in 2022。 Each story line held my interest， Ruths had more secrets being kept with only a few being shared。 Ruth is Ivy's grandmother。 Ivy goes back home to close things up after the death of her grandmother and starts finding things that start unraveling secrets。 Some of them in Ruths time were certainly doozies。 I was captivated in time with Rut Surprise， this is the second book I have been able to read and enjoy that goes back and forth in time。 Both books by this author。 Ruth in 1950s and Ivy in 2022。 Each story line held my interest， Ruths had more secrets being kept with only a few being shared。 Ruth is Ivy's grandmother。 Ivy goes back home to close things up after the death of her grandmother and starts finding things that start unraveling secrets。 Some of them in Ruths time were certainly doozies。 I was captivated in time with Ruth， seeing the tenacity and strength as she trys to be there for her mom and dad， and wow the twists kept on coming。 I felt Ivy's itch graduating from high school and moving on。 Who betrayed who？ The big secret of Dani going forward， was wow！ As they say one foot in front of the other。 This book was like a great big crochet blanket that different patterns，designs， incorrect stitches and smooth lines that covered me up， warmed me， intrigued me and made me sigh。 I truly am grateful for the arc and I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions。 Grab this book， indulge your heart and your mind。 。。。more
Susan
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Amazon First Reads for June 2022
Judy Morris
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Once again Mary you have a fantastic book。 This was the best of them all。Thank you loved it。
Paula Olsen
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I always look forward to reading another MET book。 Her ability to write dual storylines and seamlessly take the reader from one time period to another without losing the flow of that particular story， is a skill not too many people have。 It is like reading two individual stories at the same time。I found The Brighter the Light a little harder to get into than I have with previous novels from MET。 So saying， once my interest was captured I was lost in the storylines and I was finished it in a shor I always look forward to reading another MET book。 Her ability to write dual storylines and seamlessly take the reader from one time period to another without losing the flow of that particular story， is a skill not too many people have。 It is like reading two individual stories at the same time。I found The Brighter the Light a little harder to get into than I have with previous novels from MET。 So saying， once my interest was captured I was lost in the storylines and I was finished it in a short space of time。 Ivy and Dani and their story could be you and your best friend。 That's what reading a MET book does - sometimes it makes you feel like you are reading about yourself。 。。。more
Liz Mitchell
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Better all the time！Mary Ellen Taylor never disappoints， and she really continues to interest readers with detailed quality writing。 I'm familiar with her North Carolina settings and can easily fit myself into her stories， including the surfacing shipwreck remains and the clearing out of a family home。 The dual timelines are not usually my choice， but it's transitioned clearly from 2022 back through family history to 1950， and it's also helpful to have each chapter labeled with its main characte Better all the time！Mary Ellen Taylor never disappoints， and she really continues to interest readers with detailed quality writing。 I'm familiar with her North Carolina settings and can easily fit myself into her stories， including the surfacing shipwreck remains and the clearing out of a family home。 The dual timelines are not usually my choice， but it's transitioned clearly from 2022 back through family history to 1950， and it's also helpful to have each chapter labeled with its main character。You'll be glad to get into this book and won't want to put it down until finished。 。。。more
Trude
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This is a compelling， intricately written story told in alternating time periods。。。1950 and present day， and in alternating POVs。 I loved Ruth as the child she was in 1950， and she plays such a huge part of the present day story even though she is no longer present。 All the characters of both time periods are well thought out and have interesting stories to tell。 Ultimately this book is about the strength of friendship and family， and coming home。I am a huge fan of Mary Burton's romantic suspens This is a compelling， intricately written story told in alternating time periods。。。1950 and present day， and in alternating POVs。 I loved Ruth as the child she was in 1950， and she plays such a huge part of the present day story even though she is no longer present。 All the characters of both time periods are well thought out and have interesting stories to tell。 Ultimately this book is about the strength of friendship and family， and coming home。I am a huge fan of Mary Burton's romantic suspense and this is only the 3rd or 4th Mary Ellen Taylor book I've read and I'm SO happy I discovered them！！ If you are a fan of historical fiction or women's fiction give this book a try。 I think you will fall in love with it。。。I did。Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Vickie
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Told in a dual timeline with multiple points of view， this book included one revelation after another about family secrets， heritage and friendships。 Ivy is the granddaughter featured in the present （2022） and her grandmother Ruth is the narrator for the part of the story set in the 1950’s。 In her story， Ruth was a pre-teen， helping her mom Edna run the Seaside Resort， a beach inn on the OBX。 When Ruth dies， Ivy returns home from NYC to sort through her things and to sell her cottage。 All of the Told in a dual timeline with multiple points of view， this book included one revelation after another about family secrets， heritage and friendships。 Ivy is the granddaughter featured in the present （2022） and her grandmother Ruth is the narrator for the part of the story set in the 1950’s。 In her story， Ruth was a pre-teen， helping her mom Edna run the Seaside Resort， a beach inn on the OBX。 When Ruth dies， Ivy returns home from NYC to sort through her things and to sell her cottage。 All of the gamut of emotions are part of the storyline， beginning when Ivy reflects back on her leaving Nags Head and her return to say farewell again。 Meanwhile， there are many characters involved in making the story work and tug at heart strings。 My favorite was Talley， a no-nonsense cousin who counts it a blessing to be working at the beach alongside Ruth。 Of course， I enjoyed all of the characters and how well-rounded they were。 As a child of the 50’s， I could relate to the small town feel and how Edna， Ruth’s mother， had so much influence in the little beach town。 The relationships were complicated， with a lot of forgiveness necessary in order for the people to move on in their lives。 I was amazed at how quickly Dani forgave Ivy for leaving her behind。 Matthew， Ivy’s love interest at one time， was the most shallow character and did not seem to add a lot to the story except for the conflict about Ivy’s choices in the past and what her choice will be for the future。 That was fine because he played only a minor role in unraveling the web of the tale。 Ruth， the most interesting character， was multi-layers， hiding secrets from the people closest to her and dealing with a secret past of her own。 I enjoyed this character-driven story set in an idyllic place， perfect for a vacation read to let your mind imagine those characters living where you are staying。 My mind was actively engaged from beginning to end， engrossed in the lives of each character and invested in their making good decisions for the future。 Oh， and the puppies！ Ivy found a mama dog， named her Libby and adopted her。 An adorable addition to the story and a welcome intermission from the human drama that unfolded rapidly and unceasingly。 With the fast pace of the plot and the human qualities of the characters， this is a wonderful story to read， enjoy and discuss in a book group。 DisclaimerDisclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author。 I was not required to write a positive review。 The opinions expressed are my own。 I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR， Part 255， “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising。” 。。。more
Renee
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The Brighter the Light is the type of book where I can see myself sitting by the ocean， feeling the breeze on my face and getting lost into it。 Simply amazing storytelling。 Mary Ellen Taylor is the only author I have found who can magically weave the past and present so effortlessly。ARC kindly provided by NetGalley for an honest review。
Cyndi
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A woman's journey into discovering who she is by not only learning of the women who came before her and the secrets they held， but also the strength that carried them through。 A woman's journey into discovering who she is by not only learning of the women who came before her and the secrets they held， but also the strength that carried them through。 。。。more
BookAddict
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Depression era families were excellent secret keepers， and the smaller， more closely knit the community， the greater the chance of those secrets never seeing the light of day。 But when the grandmother who raised Ivy Neale leaves her seaside cottage to Ivy， generations of family's secrets are slowly revealed。Ruth Wheeler grew up working at her parents' Seaside Resort in Nags Head， NC。 Edna and Jake were always honest with Ruth about how they came to be her parents – thanks to a woman leaving a ba Depression era families were excellent secret keepers， and the smaller， more closely knit the community， the greater the chance of those secrets never seeing the light of day。 But when the grandmother who raised Ivy Neale leaves her seaside cottage to Ivy， generations of family's secrets are slowly revealed。Ruth Wheeler grew up working at her parents' Seaside Resort in Nags Head， NC。 Edna and Jake were always honest with Ruth about how they came to be her parents – thanks to a woman leaving a baby wrapped in a pink blanket at one of the resort’s cottages in the dark of night。Ivy Neale left Seaside Resort and Nags Head the day after her high school graduation。 Only after her grandmother， Ruth， dies does Ivy return home。 Ruth's cottage is cluttered with decades of jetsam from the closed Seaside Resort and personal effects collected over a lifetime。 As Ivy sorts through the remains of a bygone era， the secrets of her family’s past begin to unravel， binding Ivy to the home she abandoned in ways she never could have imagined。Told primarily from a twelve-year-old Ruth and current-day Ivy's perspectives， we learn about pivotal events from the summer of 1950 that significantly impact Ivy's life。 With shipwrecks， ghosts， and summer tourists， we find that family will go to greater lengths than we could ever imagine in the name of supporting and protecting each other。Once again， this masterful storyteller lures the reader in with a laid-back， comfortable style while doling out bits of information that leave the reader hanging on every word。 She makes us long for simpler times while illuminating the importance of keeping family history alive for generations to come。 Poignant， mesmerizing， and full of heart， this extraordinary saga of family， legacy， and home makes for an enticing reading escape and will be one of your absolute favorite reads this year。 。。。more
Yeni
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The Brighter the Light is a story about forgiveness， friendship， and strength。 Ivy is a young woman who made a decision that affected her and her loved ones。 Years later she returns to her grandmother’s home to face her past。 As she mends broken friendships and sees a future in Nags Head she must decide if she should return to the life she has or stay in Nags Head。 Ivy is a strong female character。 She does what she can for those she loves， while trying to mend the past。 I loved how the story we The Brighter the Light is a story about forgiveness， friendship， and strength。 Ivy is a young woman who made a decision that affected her and her loved ones。 Years later she returns to her grandmother’s home to face her past。 As she mends broken friendships and sees a future in Nags Head she must decide if she should return to the life she has or stay in Nags Head。 Ivy is a strong female character。 She does what she can for those she loves， while trying to mend the past。 I loved how the story went from the past to the present。 Her grandmother’s story was heart wrenching， but showed that no matter what life throws at you， the strength and love from one’s family can keep you strong even in life’s hardest moments。 As her grandmother told her story she was able to give Ivy the strength to forgive herself， but also realizes the choices we make are not always the wrong choice。 This is a story that will keep you reading late into the night， and will stay with you long after you have read it。 。。。more
Mary Carroll
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I always find Mary Ellen Taylor's books a pleasure to read。 The Brighter the Light is very relatable to me with the setting in the Outer Banks， NC， the family secrets， and the shipwreck on the beach。。。 Ivy Neale returns home to OBX from NYC after her grandmother Ruth's death and uncovers her art and old relics that ultimately reveal the true history of her family。 The storyline weaves between the present （and I mean right now） and 1950 at the Seaside Resort。 When a bad storm hits， the shipwreck I always find Mary Ellen Taylor's books a pleasure to read。 The Brighter the Light is very relatable to me with the setting in the Outer Banks， NC， the family secrets， and the shipwreck on the beach。。。 Ivy Neale returns home to OBX from NYC after her grandmother Ruth's death and uncovers her art and old relics that ultimately reveal the true history of her family。 The storyline weaves between the present （and I mean right now） and 1950 at the Seaside Resort。 When a bad storm hits， the shipwreck appears on the beach， and like it did in 1950， stirs up spirits， memories， and emotions。 Ivy yearns to make amends for her prior actions and move on with her life and career。 A few twists and turns reveal her true purpose。 It seems all the characters， past and present， assist her in deciding on her new resolution。 I recommend this enjoyable read。。。especially if you're sitting on the beach！ 。。。more
Rhonda
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I really like Mary Ellen Taylor's books。 This one was no different。 We have the story of Ivy， told in current time and her grandmother， Ruth， told from the summer of 1950。 I found it interesting how the past intertwined with the present way more than I thought。 The only issue I had was I felt the relationship between Ivy and Dalton， which I was all for， was rushed。 would have liked more there。 I thank the author for the advanced copy to read and give my own opinion。 I really like Mary Ellen Taylor's books。 This one was no different。 We have the story of Ivy， told in current time and her grandmother， Ruth， told from the summer of 1950。 I found it interesting how the past intertwined with the present way more than I thought。 The only issue I had was I felt the relationship between Ivy and Dalton， which I was all for， was rushed。 would have liked more there。 I thank the author for the advanced copy to read and give my own opinion。 。。。more
Stacy Brown
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A lifetime of memories。 And now it was all gone。 This is the story of the Seaside Resort in Nags Head， North Carolina and the secrets it held。 Ivy Neale has inherited the resort and has been left with the job of cleaning out what is left of the family legacy which was wiped out in a hurricane。 A hotel reception book spanning the 1930's is among the belongings found in her grandmother's cottage。 But why was it kept at her cottage and not in the records room of the resort？ What was she trying to A lifetime of memories。 And now it was all gone。 This is the story of the Seaside Resort in Nags Head， North Carolina and the secrets it held。 Ivy Neale has inherited the resort and has been left with the job of cleaning out what is left of the family legacy which was wiped out in a hurricane。 A hotel reception book spanning the 1930's is among the belongings found in her grandmother's cottage。 But why was it kept at her cottage and not in the records room of the resort？ What was she trying to tell her granddaughter？ This and the many other mysteries surrounding this family resort will keep you guessing。 So dive right in and prepare yourself for an experience you'll never forget when you read "The Brighter the Light" by Mary Ellen Taylor。 。。。more
JoyceT
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I was so excited to read this book and my excitement was steadfast throughout the book。 I love how Mary Ellen Taylor created dual timelines in the story and how easily they flowed from one to the other。 Set in the Outer Banks， generations of women and their lives and giving Ivy the basis on which to answer questions she has about her family’s past。 Shipwrecks， murder， history， romance and more all combined in the great story that you will love！
Ann
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This is a wonderful story about families。 Ivy goes home after Ruth's death to clear out and sell the cottage。 Can you go home again after being away a decade？ While clearing out all Ruth's things， Ivy starts to question her family history。 The story then goes back to 1950 and tells the story of Ivy's family。 The jumping back and forth in time works well to tell the story。 This is a great read。 A wonderful story about people。 The style reminds me of Maeve Binchy。 This is a wonderful story about families。 Ivy goes home after Ruth's death to clear out and sell the cottage。 Can you go home again after being away a decade？ While clearing out all Ruth's things， Ivy starts to question her family history。 The story then goes back to 1950 and tells the story of Ivy's family。 The jumping back and forth in time works well to tell the story。 This is a great read。 A wonderful story about people。 The style reminds me of Maeve Binchy。 。。。more
Debbie Lyon
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Any book by Mary Ellen Taylor that I've read， I absolutely love， and this did not disappoint！This story does dual time frames - Ivy Neale's present life and her Grandma Ruth's life when she was growing up in the 1950s。Ivy goes back to her childhood home after Grandma Ruth passes away。 Ivy will inherit Grandma's house on her 30th birthday， which is just weeks away。 This is the house that Ivy grew up in as her Grandma raised her after her mother passed away。 Ivy's task is to get the house cleaned Any book by Mary Ellen Taylor that I've read， I absolutely love， and this did not disappoint！This story does dual time frames - Ivy Neale's present life and her Grandma Ruth's life when she was growing up in the 1950s。Ivy goes back to her childhood home after Grandma Ruth passes away。 Ivy will inherit Grandma's house on her 30th birthday， which is just weeks away。 This is the house that Ivy grew up in as her Grandma raised her after her mother passed away。 Ivy's task is to get the house cleaned out of all the stuff that Grandma brought in from the Seaside Resort， which was her business but she sold。 Ivy comes across items that raise questions about Grandma Ruth's life。 With the help of her old friend， Dani; Dalton， Dani's older brother; and friends of Grandma Ruth's; Ivy get the answers to the many questions that she has。An engaging and delightful read。I received an ARC for an honest review。 。。。more
Sue
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This dual time line novel gives us Ruth's story in 1950 and her granddaughter Ivy's story in 2022 and they center around the Seaside Resort in Nags Head， North Carolina。 Both time lines are very interesting and well written and blended together perfectly。Ruth is 12 years old and living in Nags Head。 Her parents own a small motel and she works hard to keep the rooms clean and the renters happy。 She's an only child and lonely but this summer， her 14 year old cousin， Tally， has come from the mounta This dual time line novel gives us Ruth's story in 1950 and her granddaughter Ivy's story in 2022 and they center around the Seaside Resort in Nags Head， North Carolina。 Both time lines are very interesting and well written and blended together perfectly。Ruth is 12 years old and living in Nags Head。 Her parents own a small motel and she works hard to keep the rooms clean and the renters happy。 She's an only child and lonely but this summer， her 14 year old cousin， Tally， has come from the mountains to help out at the Seaside Resort and they become friends。 That summer of 1950 was totally booked at the Seaside resort and even though Ruth and Tally work hard， they always find time for adventure。 This summer is different from previous years - an old shipwreck appeared on the beach after a big storm。 Plus a beautiful singer， Carlotta comes to the hotel to be the entertainer for a few weeks。 Ivy has returned to the Outer Banks after the death of her grandmother， Ruth。 Her plan is to clean out Ruth's house， sell the cottage and go back to New York。 She had lefts Nags head right after high school graduation and left behind her two best friends with no explanations of why she was leaving。 They haven't forgiven her for leaving them and she knows that she'll need to face them。。 After a large storm， the same shipwreck is washed up on the beach and creates a lot of interest for people in the area。 As Ruth goes through her grandmothers piles of junk， she finds some gems that help her understand the mystery of her grandmother's early life。Both Ruth and Ivy were braver and more tenacious than they realized。 They both spent their childhoods working at the Seaside Resort and they are both trying to uncover secrets from past generations。 Ruth wants to find out who her birth mother is and thinks it may be Carlotta。 Ivy wants to find out about her grandmother's life and finds that Ruth has left her some hints in the stacks of stuff that she had in her home。 Ivy also has to contend with two old friends and a potential romance when she is forced to decide whether to go back to NYC or stay in the Outer Banks。What can be better than a southern fiction novel to read during a cold and dreary winter day。 Southern fiction is my favorite genre and somehow I missed Mary Ellen Taylor's books。 She's now on my list of favorite southern authors and I won't miss another one of her books in the future and plan to order some of her earlier books。 This book is full of secrets， family， lost friends and missed opportunities over two generations of the same family。 If you enjoy a great book with likable characters， you don't want to miss this book！Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Marj Ward
，
Another wonderful story of generations of women。 The setting is a beach in North Carolina。 The time period runs from the 1950s to 2020。 Ivy who was the granddaughter of the owner of the Seaside Resort returns to sell the cottage after her grandmother’s death。 The Resort was lost to a hurricane。 Ivy must face the friends she abandoned。 We learn many things about the lives of the people who live at and visit the Resort。 This might be my new favourite book by this Author。 Thanks to NetGalley， Montl Another wonderful story of generations of women。 The setting is a beach in North Carolina。 The time period runs from the 1950s to 2020。 Ivy who was the granddaughter of the owner of the Seaside Resort returns to sell the cottage after her grandmother’s death。 The Resort was lost to a hurricane。 Ivy must face the friends she abandoned。 We learn many things about the lives of the people who live at and visit the Resort。 This might be my new favourite book by this Author。 Thanks to NetGalley， Montlake and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book。 。。。more
Elsie Broadbent
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This is another of Mary Ellen Taylor's delightful dual timeline stories。 This time the story switches between the 1950's and the present day， telling the story of Ivy （in the present） who fled Nags Head village and the Seaside Inn 12 years ago dumping both her boyfriend and her best friend Dani and all their plans for the future。 Ivy has returned to her Grandma's beachfront cottage to empty and then sell it after a bad hurricane blew the Seaside Inn into pieces。 She is dreading running into her This is another of Mary Ellen Taylor's delightful dual timeline stories。 This time the story switches between the 1950's and the present day， telling the story of Ivy （in the present） who fled Nags Head village and the Seaside Inn 12 years ago dumping both her boyfriend and her best friend Dani and all their plans for the future。 Ivy has returned to her Grandma's beachfront cottage to empty and then sell it after a bad hurricane blew the Seaside Inn into pieces。 She is dreading running into her old boyfriend and Dani as she feels she let them both down， but she is now a first class chef and determined to hold her head up。Memories surface， along with the bones of a shipwreck which rises out of the sand。 The lore says that when the shipwreck appears， memories do too， good and bad。This is a family story of strong women， （there is more of the 1950's than the present） and the people who stayed at the Inn over the years。 There is a gentle background romance， and secrets emerge from the sand about the Seaside Inn and it's visitors over the years。 Stories and people intertwine and I got pulled in and really enjoyed it。 I love these dual timeline books。Thanks to Mary and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Margaret Hejmanowski
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I received an advanced readers copy， and could not put this book down。 Read this in one sitting！！ A very emotional book about family， love stories that are cross generational。 Do all families have secrets whether good or bad？
Patricia Sherman
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I enjoyed this book very much。 Mary Ellen Taylor is one of my favorite authors。 Set n the Outer Banks of North Carolina， it involves a family that owned the Seaside Inn。 A family that until the destruction of the Inn and the struggles of a family to cope with the loss。 A family with secret kept for years， and the journey of a granddaughter。 I liked the way she goes back to the 1950's and brings you into the 2020's。 A young girl who has to make decisions to leave her roots and spread her wings。 Y I enjoyed this book very much。 Mary Ellen Taylor is one of my favorite authors。 Set n the Outer Banks of North Carolina， it involves a family that owned the Seaside Inn。 A family that until the destruction of the Inn and the struggles of a family to cope with the loss。 A family with secret kept for years， and the journey of a granddaughter。 I liked the way she goes back to the 1950's and brings you into the 2020's。 A young girl who has to make decisions to leave her roots and spread her wings。 Yet returns to find the depths of her legacy， and all the mystery。 The was a sweet book and very touching。 A lot of history and interesting facts of the long ago ship wrecks。 The history that is so interesting and yet ghostly。 I think you will love this book as much as I did。 。。。more
Jennifer
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3。5 stars。 I always get drawn right into Mary Ellen Taylor's writing and this book was no different。 I loved the OBX setting of this story; the seaside feeling， the tourist season from the townie pov， etc。 All of it evoked lovely memories of spending summer vacations by the shore。 I guess there were townies who probably thought I was annoying！ What I really enjoyed about this was the relationships between the women both in the modern day timeline and in the past。 They weren't perfect or anything 3。5 stars。 I always get drawn right into Mary Ellen Taylor's writing and this book was no different。 I loved the OBX setting of this story; the seaside feeling， the tourist season from the townie pov， etc。 All of it evoked lovely memories of spending summer vacations by the shore。 I guess there were townies who probably thought I was annoying！ What I really enjoyed about this was the relationships between the women both in the modern day timeline and in the past。 They weren't perfect or anything close。 But they were portrayed in a very realistic and relatable way; ultimately， they conveyed that true friendship sometimes demands unapologetic fierceness and that was something I found refreshing in the days when it seems like much of what's considered "women's literature" revolves around a man。I also enjoyed the gentle and behind the scenes romance between the modern day heroine and her guy。 Some might've found it a little too understated， but I went into this having read almost all of MET's dual timeline fiction stories， and I was expecting it。 I appreciated that the hero was a very decent man and didn't seem like man about town。 The heroine also had her own past and wasn't some virginal saint waiting for her prince charming。 Again， the realism was refreshing。So why not more stars？ I guess I found the historical premise to be a little sad。 I also did want just a tad more backstory and page time between the modern MCs。 Overall， this was an enjoyable read。 。。。more
Gabriele Schickedanz
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