Kathy Branfield
4.5 stars. A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber is a poignant novel of family and love. Willa Lakey is the owner of a popular coffee shop and shares an apartment with her younger sister, Harper. The girls’ mother passed away when they were young and Willa becomes the family caretaker. Their dad falls apart and after graduation, older brother Lucas joins the Army. Willa takes on more of a mother role after Harper’s leukemia diagnosis and although her sister is now healthy, she cannot help but worry about her. Harper is living life to its fullest and she tries to play matchmaker for Willa with coffee shop customer Sean O’Malley. Willa is resistant at first, but she finally decides to give Sean a chance. But their budding romance is challenged by Sean’s long stretches away from home due to his career that occur just when Willa needs his support the most. Can Willa overcome her fears and give her relationship with Sean another chance? Willa is quiet and works long hours at her coffee shop. An introvert, she has forced herself out of her comfort zone and she enjoys her daily interactions with her customers. Willa has not had much time for dating and she is very resistant to Harper’s attempts to convince her Sean is interested in her. She is a little shy and unsure of herself but she cannot deny she likes Sean. But will he convince Willa to give him a chance? Sean is a passionate freelance photographer who has worked hard to establish himself. Although photography was not his first career choice, he is much happier with his new life. Sean has not dated for quite some time and he is very nervous about asking Willa out on a date. Surprised when she finally says yes, Sean is not quite as forthcoming about his past as he should be. Sean and Willa’s relationship is surprisingly laidback and quite comfortable. They spend quiet evenings together and talk for hours. Willa is not happy when Sean must leave for weeks at a time but she understands this is part of his career. However, Sean is not always great at communication and he tries to avoid conflict. A family crisis becomes a pivotal point for Willa and Sean is regretful but will his remorse be enough for Willa? A Walk Along the Beach is a heartfelt novel that tugs on the heartstrings. Willa, Harper and Sean are vibrantly developed with relatable flaws and strengths. The storyline is well-developed and moves at a brisk pace. Debbie Macomber brings this deeply affecting novel to a bittersweet yet heartwarming conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this captivating novel. I received a complimentary copy for review.
Kristina Anderson
A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber takes readers to Oceanside, Washington. The Lackey family has had its share of tragedies over the years and now they are all on the right track. Willa has the bakery/café she has dreamed of and it is popular with the locals. I liked the strong characters the author created for this story. Willa became the “mother” of the family after their matriarch died when she was thirteen. She was there for her younger sister, Harper when she received her treatment for leukemia. Willa worries that Harper will have a reoccurrence and tends to hover. Harper is full of life and always on the move. She is training with a group to climb Mt. Rainier at the end of the summer. Harper pushes her sister into dating freelance photographer, Sean O’Malley. Loving someone is a risk because you never know how it will turn out. A Walk Along the Beach is an emotional novel. I thought it was well-written with steady pacing. We see a close-knit family and community that rally around each other. I found it to be a realistic novel. Life is never smooth sailing and that is true for our characters in this story. The developed characters had good traits and weaknesses. Alcoholism, illness, long distance relationship, and financial troubles are some of the problems our characters deal handle in the story. I did feel that it was rushed at the end and I would have liked an epilogue that showed how the family was doing in a year or two. A walk Along the Beach is a lovely story, but I do not feel it compares with some of Debbie Macomber’s other novels (especially A Blossom Street Novel series). I did like how Willa enjoyed walking along the beach to clear her head and how it felt soothing to the soul. I know I find looking at the Gulf of Mexico to be soothing. A Walk Along the Beach is a poignant tale with a cute kitten, a clever canine, a preoccupied photographer, a fraught father, and a caring community.
12 people found this review helpful
Carvanz
A beautiful story of family and love! I absolutely loved this emotion filled book. From light humor that made me smile, to heart break regarding what this family has already survived, to destruction at what they currently face, I experienced every emotion as each of these characters struggled along this journey. Willa won my heart almost immediately as she has lived a life that the faint of heart would not be able to endure. As the rock of her family, she doesn’t ask for more, but when the opportunity for more in her life presents itself in the shape of Sean, she takes the chance. Initially, I was rooting for Sean, but this is not your typical sweet and easy romance. He makes decisions that I struggled with along with Willa. And while she definitely made him work to resume his place in her life, I was unsatisfied that nothing had really changed in that department as these are actions he continues to make. I did love the way he “courted” her which is why his decision seemed to be against the very character he was created to be in the beginning. This has multiple layers to the plot that calls into play a variety of choices each of these characters must make and the consequences of those choices. I recommend that you have a box of tissues handy as you’ll definitely need them. This is basically steam free although this couple do have a few moments together that will allow the reader to recognize they have chemistry between them.
1 person found this review helpful