Beach House Reunion by Mary Alice Monroe - Reshevled Books

Guys, I love Mary Alice Monroe's The Beach House series.  I found the series years ago when my Grandma's friend gave her book #2 in the series, Swimming Lessons, which we both devoured.  So just like last year, when I heard that Monroe was coming out with yet another Beach House book, I just HAD to read it.  However also like last year, after reading it I was left little disappointed.  

So this latest installment is called Beach House Reunion, and it follows the story of Cara after her husband's death, picking up where the last one left off. The first two (even 3.5) Beach House books are WONDERFUL.  They don't have to be read in order, they teach you about sea turtles, they paint pictures of family and romantic relationships, they're just REALLY, REALLY good.  The last two.... eh :( 

Like last year's novel, Beach House For Rent, this new installment would be lost to a reader if they did not read the books prior.  I enjoyed reading the book, but it didn't leave me wanting more like the first few had, it left me... well it left me feeling like I had enough of the the whole Beach House story line, which made me kind of sad.  I was also disappointed to find some inconsistencies in the text.  Around page 100 (or it could be 200, I gave my copy to my Grandma so I can't look back and check) there's a young girl in the park.  In one sentence the girl is Maddie, then in the next she's Jessica.  Also, without giving too much away, one of the characters has a baby.  On one page the baby is five months old, on another she's screaming "mama," then she's almost a year old, and then on the same page she's being called a toddler.  

Ugh.  I love the Beach House and I love Mary Alice Monroe, but this one just fell flat compared to the others.  So I'm giving it 3 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  Any less would make me too sad. 

~Jessica 

P.S.  Did anyone watch The Beach House movie on the Hallmark Channel?