In Melissa Foster's latest installment to her contemporary romance series, Love in Bloom: Seaside Summers, friends Jenna Ward and Pete Lacroux are forced to face tough decisions about their lives, their families and each other as they both realize living life means choosing to live it, not waiting for it to start.
Jenna, is one of a set of friends who spend their summers in the beach community of Seaside, a small community outside Wellfleet, Massachusetts. As Jenna's friends have found love, the group has grown and evolved. Jenna's life, however, is stuck. For years she has been in love with fellow group member and friend, Pete. However, Jenna's brain turns to mush and she becomes so shy when Pete is around that she can't tell him how she feels. Pete on the other hand, believing Jenna to be to quiet and reserved has ignored his growing feelings for her, not willing to risk her friendship to find out if his attraction is real.
As they watch life grow and change around them, both Jenna and Pete find themselves at a crossroads. Jenna, no longer satisfied with pining quietly for the `not-making-a-move-Pete' decides to move on and put her feelings behind her. She wants the love and affection she sees her best friends experiencing and decides if she can't have that with Pete, she'll find it with someone else. Adding to her struggle is her mother, who in an effort to move on after a mid-life divorce, has rediscovered the joys of youth. Jenna is caught in the middle of her newly-engaged father and her acting-out mother making her doubt that `happily ever after' even exists. Is Jenna's choice to let Pete go and create distance from her mother progress forward or will it only isolate her further?
Handsome business-owner Pete, who is struggling with caring for an alcoholic father, also longs for affection and companionship and decides to find it.....with a puppy. However, when Pete witnesses Jenna take her first confident steps toward her new life and, more importantly, away from him he sees her in a new light. When the shy, muted wallflower is replaced by a vibrant and sexy woman he finally admits to himself that she stole his heart years ago. It goes against Pete's alpha instincts and protective nature to just let life happen around him. He must now make the choice between allowing his father's illness to continue to rule his own life and fighting for the woman he knows he can't let go.
Foster continues the hot and steamy tradition of the Love in Bloom franchise with Seaside Summers. We are drawn back in to the community of Wellfleet with festivals, book sales and lazy days at the beach. Jenna's and Pete's struggles with the roles they need to play in each of their parents' lives are realistic and well developed. Foster also excels at giving us a wonderfully written glimpse at how two people choose to deal with devastating loss in their lives and how those choices affect those that they love most. As Jenna's mom and Pete's dad realize the sacrifices their children are making, both must decide what changes they must make not only for their children, but for their own happiness.
Series fans will be thrilled to get a little Braden action with a cameo visit from members of the Braden family. For fans of Foster, there is even better news when it is revealed that Pete has brothers and a sister. Yay! More Love in Bloom spin offs!
Seaside Hearts by Melissa Foster
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Another must read from Melissa Foster!
Rating: 4.5 StarsI have been looking forward in reading Jenna’s story. Wondering if finally she’d have the guts to ask Pete out or she’d remain all-flustered and shy when she sees him.Who wouldn’t love Jenna? She’s sexy, beautiful, smart and speaks her mind – that is when she’s with her friends. But with Pete, she turns into her shell. It was fun watching her actually being shy when you’re not used to her like that. Although in her own way, she tries to get his attention for years. You can’t blame her for waiting that long – Pete is a catch, he’s handsome, responsible and over-all a great guy.But this summer, it would be different. No more ogling and swooning after a man who didn’t return her attention (or at least she thinks so). As her mother tries to outdo her lifestyle, living way so much younger than she is, it was finally time to step outside her PETE-Zone and explore other man."I don’t share well. Not you, Jenna. I can’t share you."Pete wanted Jenna, he’d be blind not to – but with the baggage of his alcoholic father, he didn’t think he was ready to have a real relationship. He was looking forward in seeing Jenna, but when she picks up another man, jealousy sparked in him and he realized maybe it was time to act on the attraction he has for Jenna. But quiet, reliable, mr. nice guy Pete isn’t what he appears to be – he’s more of an alpha male which Jenna didn’t really expect. Can she handle Pete? Can Pete have a relationship without sacrificing his family?WHAT I LOVEWhat I love about these series by Melissa Foster is those tearjerker, heartwarming “family scenes” more than those sizzling, panty-melting scenes (that are great too by the way). She had a way of touching your hearts like no author can – each book, with each different scene. This time, two scenes had me close to tears, it was really beautiful I couldn’t help but to torture myself and reread it one more time.I adore Jenna’s ‘shyness’ when it comes to Pete, but I wished she had the same confidence in facing him the same way she faced other men and life. It was like seeing two sides of her, each one is as lovable as the other. She’s an amazing girlfriend too. Pete is so lucky to have her, because she’s the kind of girl who stood by her man no matter what the circumstances are.As for Pete, HE WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT, but one day more, I could have told Jenna to let him go and find someone who was willing to run after her and not the other way around. I like the fact that he chose honesty over keeping the secret of his family. He came clean with Jenna, and he was rewarded with support.Their relationship started with friendship, maybe that’s why it didn’t take that long for them to become comfortable with each other.Melissa foster gives us the perfect blend of love, sex, friendship and family drama. The wait for Jenna’s story was completely worth it. I was hooked from start to finish, giggling, bordering tears, and just plain swooning. I loved every page of it.•Complimentary Copy was given in exchange for an honest review.•More of my reviews at http://reviewsofabookmaniac.blogspot.com
Top reviews from other countries
Jo Venison
Now I really want to escape to the Cape
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 12, 2021
