Author: Jenny Bayliss
Publication Date: 19 October 2021
Publisher: Putnam
Page Count: 448
Reading Method: Physical [Thank you to the publisher!]
Dates Read: November 28 – 30
Review
Bayliss is at it again with another Christmas romance! This one focuses on Annie Sharpe as she tries to rediscover herself following the end of her long marriage. When she sets out on her own, Annie escapes to a quirky sea-side town that takes their holiday traditions very seriously.
This story isn’t exactly what I was expecting it to be. I was a little let down that this book is marketed as a holiday romance but we don’t even meet the love interest until halfway through the book. I kept waiting and waiting for him to show up and it just wasn’t happening. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot going on in the meantime to keep the reader engaged. The story is surprisingly hilarious and sweet. The side characters set the whole tone of the story and bring about endless laughs. Annie’s book club friends are the absolute best and I found myself wishing I could join in on the fun. Not to mention the delightful lady that Annie rents the place from. I would almost rather not even have a love interest and just let the story be about Annie and all the fabulous ladies surrounding her.
In the end, this was a story about finding yourself, learning how to be on your own, and the power of a loving community.
About the Book
Annie Sharpe’s spark for life has fizzled out. Her kids are grown up, her restaurant is doing just fine on its own, and her twenty-six-year marriage has come to an unceremonious end. Untethered for the first time in her adult life, she finds a winter guardian position in a historic seaside home and decides to leave her city life behind for a brand-new beginning.
When she arrives in Willow Bay, Annie is enamored by the charming house, the invigorating sea breeze, and the town’s rich seasonal traditions. Not to mention, her neighbors receive her with open arms—that is, all except the surly nephew of the homeowner, whose grand plans for the property are at odds with her residency. As Christmas approaches, tensions and tides rise in Willow Bay, and Annie’s future seems less and less certain. But with a little can-do spirit and holiday magic, the most difficult time of her life will become…a season for second chances.
About the Author
Jenny Bayliss lives in a small seaside town in the UK with her husband, their children having left home for big adventures. After having been a professional cake-baker for many years, she went back to college at age thirty-nine to study part-time for a degree in Creative and Professional Writing. Bayliss likes long walks, baking days, stationery, and shamelessly wearing party dresses to the supermarket. She is also the author of The Twelve Dates of Christmas and A Season for Second Chances.
