Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan

Beach House Summer is more than just an entertaining seasonal romance novel. Oscillating between suspenseful language and dazzling prose sections, Sarah Morgan tells the enthralling story of the entanglement of three women’s lives from each of their perspectives. It’s a perfect summer read that will certainly not remain on bookworms’ lounge chairs; rather, its messages about forgiveness, self-discovery and the complexities and complications of the passage of time will stick with readers. 

Without revealing too many of the twists and turns that propel the novel forward, Beach House Summer follows Joanna, the ex-wife of celebrity chef Cliff Whitman, the latter being immediately killed off, as she journeys to her past with co-narrator Ashley, the woman who survived Cliff’s crash. Along the way, Joanna confronts her history of relationships, specifically with Mel, another narrator and Joanna’s childhood best friend, and Nate, Mel’s twin brother and Joanna’s long-lost love. The women grow together, leaning in to each other in their troubles as they grapple with the demands of fame, family tension and past drama.

As the two build relationships and deal with mounting crises, the reader begins to see the threads that tie all of us together through life, for better and for worse. Thought-provoking narrations of the ways in which time changes us, contemplations of  love (both young and adult) and messages of the importance of moving on are interposed between lush diction and scandal.

For all its merits, Beach House Summer is somewhat predictable at times, with challenges arising and solving themselves almost too perfectly, which makes for an uplifting if unsurprising read. Yet, the characters still feel very much alive, with engrossing problems and passions that will keep the pages turning well into the night. 

Over the course of the book, readers may find themselves wishing to stay in the beachside town of Silver Point, and for good reason: the nearly 400 pages of loveable characters, gorgeous scenery and romantic escapades create a vibrant, vivid atmosphere. With heaps of character development and a satisfying ending, Beach House Summer is brilliant summer fiction, through and through. 

Laura Boyle
Photo: Ev Sekkides

Beach House Summer is published by HarperCollins at the hardcover price of £18.99, and is available in the UK on 26^th May 2022. For further information visit here.