Hello, Cozy Wallflowers!
Welcome to our very first book club gathering! Today we're going to chat about July's book by Jenny Hale, The Beach House.
To begin, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Jenny Hale has become a go-to author whose books never let me down. If I want something light and sweet and heartwarming, she is an author I know I can turn to. And this story was no different.
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If I had to name three things I loved most about this book, they would be...
Firstly, I loved the beginning of the book and how it basically began with a hurricane. I'm a bit of a weather nerd, and I love tracking and watching hurricanes unfold. I would never, ever live somewhere that experienced hurricanes, but I do find them incredibly fascinating. I really loved that that's how the two main characters, Melanie and Josh, began to get to know each other.
I also really loved the way Jenny Hale brought the setting to life. In each of her books that I've read so far, the setting always feels so real. It is though I am on the beach, toes in the sand, under a beach umbrella, listening to the crashing waves. She really brings a place to life. I love the side and background characters in the story as well and how much even a very minor character can add to the story. Jenny Hale does a great job with this, always.
And finally, I love how this story had a bit of romance, a bit of mystery, lots of family legacy and drama throw in, and all the things that make for a feel-good story. (Spoiler: This book does have a happy ending.) I spent a good majority of the story trying to piece together everything from Melanie's Gram's past and it wasn't until right as it all was unfolding that I figured everything out. I love how Jenny Hale doesn't make everything obvious from the start.
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To continue our conversation, I grabbed a couple discussion questions from Jenny Hale's website...I'm going to share my answers below.
~ What were your first impressions of Josh?
Being totally honest, I wasn't a huge fan of Josh. At moments, there were things that I liked about him, when he would do something sweet and caring for Melanie, when he spent time with the foster son of his friends, and how he was known as such a good guy around town. But I did not like how he would turn his kindness on and off. Despite experiencing the things he did with his ex, I do not believe that is an excuse for the way he would just turn on Melanie. One minute, he's going above and beyond to help her, and he is genuinely kind to her and the next, he's turned into a grumpy, hard-hearted, harsh, insensitive jerk. He honestly got on my nerves a lot.
As a little side note, the little foster boy in this book spoke far too maturely for his age, in my opinion. Did anyone else think that about him or am I the only one? Super small criticism of the book, but it really annoyed me. Ha!
~ Do you believe we’re all a part of a greater purpose? Why or why not? And did the story change your view at all?
I do have the belief that we all have a greater purpose, in that I believe that legacy matters tremendously. I believe that our choices not only affect us and the current generation, but those that come after us. I believe this in the sense of living consciously with serious consideration towards our descendants. This book just reiterated my views on the importance of legacy, as Melanie felt a strong connection with her Gram's story, even though it obviously took place long before she was even born. I believe every generation of a family is forever connected and to live without those considerations is to miss the mark completely and entirely.
As I said at the beginning of this chat, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. The only criticisms I had were really about Josh being a total Mr. Jerk and the foster boy talking like he was in upper elementary or middle school most of the time, when, if I remember correctly, he was only 4 or 5 years old.
I loved that it was a feel- good, light-hearted read with meaningful moments and sweet romance thrown in (when Josh wasn't being a jerk). I loved visiting Rosemary Bay and getting to know the people of that seaside town, both past and present. I loved unraveling bits of the mystery of Gram's past and the stack of old love letters and finding out if the house that Melanie had bought to restore into a Bed and Breakfast was indeed truly haunted. I loved that it had a happy ending and that this story warmed my heart in all the right ways...it is just the kind of book to make you feel content while reading it and hopeful long after you close the cover. And it was definitely the perfect summertime read, as well!
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Your turn:
If you read "The Beach House" with me, please share your thoughts in a comment below, or you can also use the contact form on the sidebar.
*P R O M P T S*
~Tell me your favorite things about this book. And anything you didn't like, too, if you want.
~Then share your answers to the two discussion questions.
To receive a small bookish gift, in appreciation for you joining me this month in the book club, send me a message using the contact form on the sidebar and tell me the name of the foster boy in the story. Bonus if you can tell me his foster parents' names, too. Once I receive your message and confirm your answer is correct, I'll send you a reply asking for your mailing address so I can send you a small bit of bookish happy mail.
You must have first participated in the discussion of this book, though. Do that by following the prompts directly above this paragraph, then send me a message. 🙂
DEADLINE TO RECEIVE THE BOOKISH GIFT IN THE MAIL IS:
AUGUST 1st.
So send me a message before then!
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Thank you to those of you who joined me this month! I really enjoyed this chat and can't wait to continue it in the comments below.
And for August, we will be reading The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Our book club chat will be on Thursday, August 29th. Do let me know if you'll be joining me in reading this story! I can't wait!
Until next time, dear readers,
may your day be filled with magical moments!
♥