Review: Sand Castle Bay – Sherryl Woods
Sand Castle Bayby Sherryl Woods
Series: Ocean Breeze #1
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: March 26, 2013
Genres: Romance
Pages: 384
Source: Library
My rating:
In a trade-off she's lived to regret, Emily Castle left home years ago to become an interior designer. The youngest of three sisters, Emily desperately wanted to prove herself. Success, though, came at the cost of leaving behind the man she loved.
For Boone Dorsett, losing Emily left his heart shattered, but another woman was waiting in the wings. Now a widower with a young son, Boone has a second chance with Emily when a storm brings her home. But with his former in-laws threatening a custody suit, the stakes of loving her are higher than ever.
Will fate once again separate them—or is the time finally right for these two star-crossed lovers?
Oh, the angst. Ten years may have passed since they last saw each other, but the main characters still act like emotionally immature teenagers. It felt like half the book consisted of each character whining “how can we make this work out?!?!? it’ll never work!!! but I love him/her so MUCH!!!” and the other half was highly unrealistic interactions with 8-year-old BJ (seriously, what does that stand for?) who apparently instantly attaches to Emily <spoiler>and, what, a year after his mom dies, decides he’s perfectly fine with a new woman in his dad’s life AND wants to call her “mom.”</spoiler>
Other characters, let’s see… Emotionally distant dad, two sisters <spoiler>(who freaking eavesdrop on a highly private conversation, what the heck?)</spoiler> and assorted friends who are ridiculously obvious series bait (along with associated subplots that take up several pages and then just get dropped), and, oh goodness, Cora Jane, whose meddling was just plain annoying. Seriously, you’ve barely seen your granddaughter in ten years and you think you know exactly what’s best for her?
The ending resolution felt abrupt and unrealistic, and there’s a whole twist in the plot that pops up, isn’t actually resolved, but supposedly we have a happy ending anyway? Super unsatisfying.
Two annoying sand-in-my-bathing-suit stars.
