Shore Lights

Paradise Point NJ, Book 1

By: Barbara Bretton

Narrated by: LC Kane

There's nothing more dangerous to a woman's heart than a man who is single, straight, loves his kid, and doesn't kiss and tell...

Maddy Bainbridge left her Jersey Shore home town right after high school, determined to put as many miles as possible between herself and her many meddling relatives.

Now she's back in Paradise Point - an unemployed single mother whose only option is to accept her mother Rose's offer of a job and a place to live.

But it doesn't take Maddy long to discover that the things about your mother that made you crazy at 17 make you even crazier at 32. Rose's critical comments bring out Maddy's inner teenager and by the beginning of December, the end is in sight. Maddy would stay there at the Candlelight Inn, her mother's popular B&B, through Christmas for her daughter Hannah's sake, but once the New Year rolled around...

And then fate, in the form of an online auction battle over a Russian samovar that looks like Aladdin's lamp, brings home-town hero Aidan O'Malley into her life and suddenly Maddy begins to believe anything is possible.

A child's dreams, an old woman's memories, the joys and heartaches that come with being part of a family, the thrill of new love and the deep comfort of love that stood the test of time - it all comes together that one special holiday season when even the most battered hearts open just wide enough to let a miracle or two slip through.

USA Today bestselling author Barbara Bretton has been hailed as a "monumental talent" (Affaire de Coeur) and now she delves deeply into the mysteries of family and shows us that even the most independent woman is still a daughter at heart.

Home: it's where your story starts.

©2003, 2012 Barbara Bretton (P)2014 Barbara Bretton

Mothers and Daughters ...

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. At first you would have thought it would be a pure romance novel but instead is the story of a mother, Rose, and her daughter Maddy who left town as soon as she was able to. Maddy moved to the other side of the US to get away from a mother who, in Maddy's words, "didn't love me". After the relationship with her 4 year old daughter Hannah's father is over, Maddy is invited to come home to help Rose run one of the most successful B&B's on the Jersey shore. At first there is great tension between Maddy and Rose. But as time goes on the realize that they were both wrong about each other. Add in a subplot about a Russian teapot that leads Maddy to meet Aiden, a local, a you have the recipe for a story that is full of drama and love.

Ms. Bretton writes a lovely novel about the relationships between mothers and daughters and that over time some things can change. The way she portrays both Maddy and Rose makes them seem so real. As you listen to this book you feel for both of them and you are hoping that it will work out.

Ms. Kane is delightful as the narrator of this book. She brings each character to life and very pacing and intonations help to bring you into the story.

I would recommend this book to my friends who are looking for a book that is meaningful and has a little romance too.

Not just a romance

I received the audio version for free in exchange for an honest review, specifically regarding the narration.

Review
Revolving around an old Russian teapot, the story unfolds and you realize there is more than just the fruition of romance between the main characters, Maddy and Aidan. This book is about the relationships that didn't work, the love between a parent and child, the blossoming of young love, and the realization of love lost. I have to say, this is not my usual romance (I lean more towards the spicier novels), but I enjoyed listening to the story and seeing it unfold. There are breadcrumbs sprinkled about the story to help keep the reader engaged and a bit of magic to help bring the novel together in the end. Although I didn't really like the main female character because I thought she was immature at times, it wasn't a huge detriment because of an array of other likable characters in the novel.

What makes this romance different than others I have read is that the characters' personalities are both shown and told. You are given reasons for their current state of mind and then shown the effects of those events and their progression. Additionally, although this book lacks the heat [in the bedroom] than the other books I tend to read, this book is not timid. The characters curse in this book, and (not that I advocate for swear words) it made the story feel more authentic.

Narration
Narrator: LC Kane
Performance: 5/5
Speed: 1.25x

Kane did a fantastic job with this reading. Her voice is almost melodic and sweet which fit well with the story and the characters. She had great character distinction, so I knew exactly who was speaking during the dialogues. Her pitch and tones were perfect and I didn't have trouble with switching from speakers to earphones (sometimes if the narrator varies their pitch too much, I have to frequently adjust the volume because it hurts my ears). Also, she did a great job with intonations during a dialogue, not over-dramatizing the scene, but giving it more than if it was read without.

Sweet romance!!

This is what I have come to expect from Ms Bretton, a sweet romance with loads of family drama to sort out. I generally enjoyed the story behind this sweet romance. There are many levels to delve into.

This is more of a mature romance, not my typical fav. I like things with more action all around. Still a sweet single mom and a smexy fire-fighter single dad is a treat. There is much story here, so many wonderful supporting characters. While it is a romance there is a great deal of fiction in the story as well. It takes you on a slow ride through their lives.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by LC Kane, who is great. I love her sweet even tone, it really fits the read. Greta pace keeps the story moving along. I also like that she did not try to go too deep for the men. I enjoyed her energy throughout and the emotion she was able to convey. The only negative is that it gets breathy at times, I am not a fan of hearing the narrator take large breaths, but that is more of an editing thing. I will be looking for more of her work!

Overall this was a sweet book that kept me entertained at work. I was not over the moon in love with it, but that had more to do with my mood than the storytelling. For fans of inter-generational stories, and mature couples in romance, this will be a great read. The story continues in the second book of the series, following the same leads.

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, opinions and ratings are my own.

Lovely feel good novel about hearth and home

Any additional comments?

This is a lovely novel about family, frustrations, love, broken hearts and ultimately finding your place in your home town. I really enjoyed listening to this book, the characters are real and sad and funny and compassionate. Bretton does a nice job with interactions between family with so many frustrations and saddnesses between them with just a little bit of magic to bring it all together.

LC Kane does a lovely job as actor and disappears into the background, this is the best praise I can give a reader as it means I heard the story and not her voice. Her various voices are distinctive and not distracting and I am looking forward to listening to the next book in the series!

Over all a good audiobook

Any additional comments?

It was a delightful audiobook to listen to....I'm listening to Book 2, Chances Are. I love the characters and I think this author does a good job of developing the characters with realism ...especially the big family.
I can't wait to find out what happens with Maddie, Aidan, Rose, Gina, Hannah and the whole family and hopefully there will be a third book.
It's a great audio book to listen to at the beach or anywhere and I would recommend it to those who like a little romance.