Wednesday 8 January 2020

Guest Review: Coming Home to Wishington Bay by Maxine Morrey

Home is where the heart is…
Holly doesn’t have time for a holiday this year. But when her job threatens to send her over the brink, her boss insists she take a sabbatical. So she packs her bags and escapes to her beloved grandmother Gigi’s house on Wishington Bay, which has sat empty since Gigi passed away.

But Holly’s dreams of a coastal escape take an unexpected turn. Holly didn’t expect to spend time with any man this summer – let alone an Aussie Adonis…but when she meets her next door neighbour Gabe and his little dog Bryan, it’s clear her quiet summer of strolling along the sand and wandering through the seaside village’s tiny streets on her own will come with a hefty dose of distraction.

With a summer to fill and Gigi’s wonderful and surprising house to sort through, Holly knew it would be a summer packed with old memories. She just didn’t expect to make so many new ones…

Review: Although I am unfamiliar with this author’s work, when I spotted this audiobook on offer at my local library, I was attracted by the cover and synopsis. I am very glad that I was, as I was quickly immersed in this summery tale and kept coming back, eager to continue until it reached its conclusion.

The principal character in the story is Holly, who has been forced to take leave from work when she seemed on the brink of a breakdown. She decides to spend her summer sabbatical sorting out her late grandmother’s house on Wishington Bay, a place filled with happy memories for her. The house has been left to her to do with as she wishes, but comes with a sitting tenant next door who she has never met, but who her grandmother referred to fondly. It turns out that he is a rather gorgeous young Australian doctor by the name of Gabe who lives there with his cute little dog, Bryan. After a rather fiery first meeting, the pair begin to find common ground and he helps Holly begin to realise that there is more to life than her job.

I thought that this was a charming tale full of humour and promised romance that leaves a warm feeling inside. Of course, it’s not all laughs, but in spite of Holly’s circumstances and sadness at losing her beloved grandmother, the surprise neighbour seems to know just how to turn things around for her. There are only a few characters in the story, but those that there are are well written and entertaining. The setting sounds absolutely gorgeous and I envied Holly and Gabe taking walks on the sand with little Bryan. Although this heart-warming story would make a marvellous summer read, it was just as good reading it in winter in a break from Christmas preparations. I shall be on the lookout for more books from this author. 


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