Welcome to Beach Town
Susan Wiggs
336 pages
William Morrow
published June 20, 2023
What says summer read more than a book with beach in the title? And this beautiful cover! I believe this is my first read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. I expected a summer fluff read and I got more than that.
Nikki’s life has been tough and just keeps getting a little tougher. The reader get the parts of her life that were impactful before telling the story in the present day. It was an interesting choice to show Nikki’s school and graduation and then jump ahead 15 years to another tragedy.
Nikki is a resilient woman. She is forced to have courage but rises to the occasion.
No matter what you love in a read, this one has a little bit of that for you. Some romance, coming of age, friendship, and parent child relationships.
This is very much character driven and mostly from Nikki’s POV. She makes tough choices and pays any consequences. And bounces back from anything thrown at her. I became very invested in Nikki and rooted for things to turn her way.
What a great read about second chances.
Thanks Uplit Reads, Susan Wiggs and William Morrow books for including me on the tour and my gifted copy.
About the book
Every town has its secrets…
In idyllic Alara Cove, a California beach town known for its sunny charm and chill surfer vibe, it’s graduation day at the elite Thornton Academy. At Thornton, the students are the worldly and overindulged children who live in gated enclaves with spectacular views. But the class valedictorian is Nikki Graziola, a surfer’s daughter who is there on scholarship. To the shock of everyone in the audience, Nikki veers off script while giving her commencement address and reveals a secret that breaks open the whole community. As her truth explodes into the light, Alara Cove will face a reckoning.
Nikki Graziola’s accusation shakes the foundation of Alara Cove, pitting her against the wealthy family whose money runs the town. Her new notoriety sends Nikki into exile for years, where she finds fame—but not fortune—overseas as a competition surfer…until a personal tragedy compels her to return to Alara Cove.
As Nikki struggles to rebuild her future, she finds that the people of the town have not forgotten her. But time has changed Alara Cove, and old friendships, rivalries, and an unexpected romance draw her back into the life of the beach town she’s never quite forgotten, and where joy and redemption may be possible after all.
Pamela J. Hench
Loved the book
Is it the first of a series?
Sherry Rehbock
I don’t think it’s a series. Or if it is they can stand alone. It’s the first book I’ve read of hers and enjoyed it.