Friday, June 15, 2012

Beach Colors by Shelley Noble

Book description:
While renowned designer Margaux Sullivan was presenting her highly praised collection during New York City's Fashion Week, her husband was cleaning out their bank account. A week after he disappeared, the bank foreclosed on Margaux's apartment and business. Suddenly broke, betrayed, and humiliated, Margaux has nowhere else to turn to but home: the small coastal town of Crescent Cove, Connecticut, where she once knew love, joy, and family before she put them behind her on the climb to fame. When she's stopped for speeding by local interim police chief Nick Prescott, Margaux barely remembers the "townie" boy who worshipped her from afar every summer. But Nick is all grown up now, a college professor who gave up his career to care for his orphaned nephew, Connor. Though still vulnerable, Margaux is soon rediscovering the beauty of the shore through young Connor's eyes . . . and, thanks to Nick, finding a forgotten place in her heart that wants to love again. But as she continues to work on a bold new line that will get her back into the game, Margaux realizes that soon she will have to make the most important, most difficult decision of her life...

This story of a woman struggling to rebuild a life after her husband runs out on her with all of their money made for an enjoyable read for the most part.  Margaux and Nick were both interesting characters for most of the book, though at the end I didn't find either of them particularly sympathetic.  The book is well-written and the setting delightful.  The minor players- Margaux's mom, Nick's landlady- are engaging though I felt more of their story could have been told throughout the narrative.  I won't spoil the ending, but I did find the last few chapters frustrating and it altered my view of the book, costing 1/2 a star in the rating.    A fairly enjoyable summer read, this book ultimately failed to live up to its early promise.

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