Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Sea Change by Karen White


"For Ava Whalen, a new marriage and a move to St. Simons Island means a new beginning. But what she doesn’t realize is that her marriage will take her on an unexpected journey into the deep recesses of her past that will transform her forever…

For as long as she can remember, Ava Whalen has struggled with a sense of not belonging, and now, at thirty-five, she still feels stymied by her family. Then she meets child psychologist Matthew Frazier, and thinks her days of loneliness are behind her. After a whirlwind romance, they impulsively elope, and Ava moves to Matthew’s ancestral home on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia.

But after the initial excitement, Ava is surprised to discover that true happiness continues to elude her. There is much she doesn’t know about Matthew, including the mysterious circumstances surrounding his first wife’s death. And her new home seems to hold as many mysteries and secrets as her new husband. Feeling adrift, Ava throws herself into uncovering Matthew’s family history and that of the island, not realizing that she has a connection of her own to this place—or that her obsession with the past could very well destroy her future."

(book description from Goodreads)


My thoughts:

What a surprise this book turned out to be!

 I wasn't sure if this was going to fall into the category of "beach read" as that is not the kind of book I typically read. Fortunately, I read a great review by Laura at Laura's Reviews  and she described Karen White as one of her favorite new authors. Intrigued, I kept on reading her review and was surprised to see that Sea Change is indeed right up my alley. It's actually a blend of a little history, suspense, layers of mysteries, love stories in the past and present, all blended against the backdrop of a lovely southern setting of St. Simons Island, Georgia.

Karen White's writing style is easy and breezy and she grabbed me from the get-go and kept me moving through the story, intrigued by the enigmatic characters and the secrets they were holding close to their hearts. I always enjoy a dual-time storyline as a plot device, and Sea Change has a compelling love story and mysterious legend from the 1800's that has significance for the characters in the present time. This is a heartwarming  story of families and  hope and second chances with  stunning revelations  that is sure to please fans of romantic suspense. Very reminiscent of Susanna Kearsley's style of novels.

Highly recommended! 

Karen White has a lovely book trailer that is worth checking out to get a sense of the beautiful setting.



5/5 stars



8 comments:

Gerbera Daisy Diaries said...

Completely agree about the cover...I would have skipped it entirely.

Joanne said...

I wish I could do a cover redo on this one and feature a charming southern mansion with dripping moss on trees with a sea in the distance.....would capture the essence of the book much better.

Staci said...

I loved your review big time. You have such a way with words and was really able to say what I wanted to when I reviewed this one last week. I have read several by this author and have enjoyed them alot!

Joanne said...

Thanks, Stac -- I've definitely added a few of Karen White's books to my TBR, and I'm glad you're a fan. Hope you've been enjoying time on your boat! :)

Marg said...

I really enjoy Karen White's writing. I have only read the Tradd Street books though, not any of the standalones. I intend to change that soon.

Mystica said...

Thank you for such a nice review.

Judith Starkston said...

Like you I would have passed by this book. Thanks for the engaging description of what you loved about it. You and I share some similar sensibilities in reading! I loved her book trailer. You are right that the setting she shows in it really works, but her commentary also is beautifully done. I'm glad to have seen it. Thanks so much for bringing this author to my attention.

Teena in Toronto said...

I finished it tonight ... great story!

http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2012/08/book-sea-change-2012-karen-white.html

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