Book by: Melody Carlson
What a sweet read.
This women’s fiction piece has a very light romantic thread woven into the life of 40+ year old Mallory Farrell. The opening finds Mallory an empty-nester, having married off her daughter and her sons living on their own, who is trying to figure out how to move on from being ‘Mom’. She receives an unexpected inheritance and travels to the beachside town to figure out what to do with said inheritance.
As characters are slowly introduced, it becomes evident that Mallory will re-invent herself elsewhere. She reacquaints herself with old friends, resuming friendships as if time hasn’t passed by. The description of Portside gives the reader a delightful image of this beachside town that hasn’t been touched by commercialism.
When it comes to romance, Mallory and Grayson are completely clueless, giving readers a break from a book focused solely on romance. It’s a sweet story of friendship that develops into something more.
The first half of the story takes readers through Mallory’s ups and downs in restoring the building she’s been given. The last half of the story finally brings readers some excitement and action when a famous home design show host wants to film an episode with Mallory. This incident forces her to reveal a secret she’s been keeping locked away from everyone.
Second Time Around is a story about friendship and community. How one person’s deed, or misdeeds, affects everyone around them.
I received an ecopy of the book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.