Stevie‘s review of Tales from Sea Glass Inn (Sea Glass Inn, Book 2) by Karis Walsh
Contemporary Lesbian Romance published by Bold Strokes Books 12 Jul 16
It’s not often I pick up sequels without having read the first book, particularly not when the summary makes it clear that the original characters will be playing a major part once again. This story collection, however, was too tempting to resist and, it turned out, very easy to follow with no knowledge of what went before. Each novella follows on from the previous story, although all could stand alone quite easily; since most feature at least one newcomer to the area, the characters learn about the town, the inn, and the local population along with new readers. I suspect there are a few snippets in there to please fans of the first book too, but nothing jarred with me as being out of keeping with each story’s individual arc.
The book opens with Mel and Pam, owners of Sea Glass Inn, preparing to start their day as normal, only to discover that overnight an oil spill has washed ashore on the beach below their home, destroying their tranquillity, devastating the local wildlife, and jeopardising the area’s tourist trade. As the women and their guests summon the emergency services, then begin to do what they can to rescue stricken seabirds, they wonder how their lives will ever be the same again. Help is on the way, however.
Almost the first person to arrive from outside the area is Jenny, a wildlife officer, well used to dealing with natural – and man-made – disasters. The daughter of globetrotting emergency medics, Jenny has never found a place to settle down and feels pressured by her parents to change careers from helping animals and birds to helping humans. It’s obvious to those around her, though, that her work with animals has huge benefits for the people who care about them too. Jenny is soon befriended by Helen, the town’s baker and another relative newcomer. Helen fears that the drop in tourist business due to the oil spill will cause her business to fold before it’s had a chance to become established, and yet she brings food to the workers at the makeshift wildlife shelter and pays particular attention to Jenny. The two women are drawn ever more strongly to each other, and as the first stage of the clean-up comes to an end, they have to make decisions regarding how and if they are going to continue their relationship once Jenny’s work with the town’s wildlife is completed.
As parts of the beach open up again, a few visitors drift back to the inn, one of them being Ariana, an author suffering from writer’s block. She hopes to find inspiration from the sea and solitude, but also finds the promise of love from a local bookstore owner, Jocelyn, who has a talent for matching her customers to the perfect book for their character and current mood.
These two novellas, along with the two that followed them, were a delightful glimpse into US small-town coastal life, showcasing the various reasons people have for moving to a beautiful part of the world and what it is that makes them stay even when their peace is shattered unexpectedly. I definitely plan to read the novel that introduces us to Mel and Pam and shall look out for other books by this author too.
Grade: B
Summary:
Over the course of a year at Cannon Beach, tourists and locals alike find solace and passion at the Sea Glass Inn.
Melinda Andrews and Pamela Whitford own the Sea Glass Inn at Cannon Beach on the Oregon Coast. After an oil spill threatens their shore, Mel and Pam join members of the community as they fight to heal the beach and its inhabitants while finding creative ways to keep businesses alive until the tourist trade recovers.
In these four novellas, Pam and Mel’s guests and neighbors find healing for themselves as well. From local residents, including a baker and a bookseller, to a visiting author and a Department of Fish and Wildlife Officer, these women come to the ocean in need of comfort, inspiration, and renewal. They not only discover these qualities at the inn, but they also find what they need most: love.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
