A visit to coastal SC!
352335
I very much enjoyed the author's detail on the setting and scenery in SC as well as her great job building suspense for this murder mystery.  I have bought another kindle book of this series since reading the first one.
263694
Summer is almost upon us, and, if you are looking for a fun beach read, look no further!  The story takes place primarily in San Francisco, and the author makes you feel as if you are there, whether watching the sun set over the Golden Gate bridge or exploring the many neighborhoods and restaurants. There is one story line about a particular dinner at a famous Napa restaurant, and I could almost taste every bite of dinner and sip of wine!  Fun!  The characters are well developed, and you will definitely be rooting for them.  And the plot twists will keep you turning the pages.  This book is a wonderful combination of a business, relationships, passion and mystery!  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am excited for the next one in the series as I want to see what is next for our venture capitalists!
624097
OMG!!  You might need a fan or a wet towel nearby when you read this one!!  Love that Dawson shares on her website the possible actors and actresses she would cast as the leads.  She also invites her readers to send to her possible castings!  Set on the Gulf Coast of Florida, Atlanta, and middle Georgia, most Southerners feel very at home in the locations, and others would probably like to visit the settings-they are real.  Thankfully, Dawson is writing a sequel to "My Summer...", and I can hardly wait!!  Her characters are always complex but real.  Her descriptions are so vivid one can almost smell the smells and become hungry when the characters are eating.  Dawson could easily be our middle Georgia's Nicholas Sparks.  If you start with this book, you will surely want to go back and read her "Port Honor" series and her "When I was Green/ Wrightsboro" series. You won't be disappointed!
940198
I was born in South Carolina, raised in Southern California, and spent many summers visiting my mother's family in Surfside, South Carolina in the sixties.  This book took be back to my summers on the shores of SC, including Pawley's Island.  The characters were real, witty, and interesting.  A great summer or winter read.
108788
Loved the series and the final one did not disappoint. Love to read books from lowcountry authors and live vicariously through them. When I travel to the SC Coast I live to visit the places they discuss in their books. Keep them coming!
2557737
Just finished reading PORCH LIGHTS. Dorothea Benton Franks is one of my favorite authors and this book
a great read. I have been to Sullivans Island and could really picture myself on the beach.
I highly recommend this book. You just want to sit on a porch or patio with a tall glass of iced tea and read.
Looking forward to reading her newest book.

Sincerely
Karen L,
South Carolina
4837008
A display of emotions and life experiences true to the love of family...a book that I enjoyed reading while vacationing on nearby, Kiawah Island, SC.
3962141
Sand Dollar Cove is a standalone novel by romance author Nancy Naigle. I have enjoyed Nancy's previous books so I knew I would be in for a treat...and I was! Great book!

Sand Dollar Cove is set in the small coastal North Carolina town of Sand Dollar Cove. Charlotte realtor Elli Eversol returns to Sand Dollar Cove to oversee the installation of the fundraising recipient plaques for the funds raised to fix the town's pier. The pier had been damaged twice in recent years by storms. Elli had wonderful memories of the time she had spent there with her grandparents who had a shop on the pier. Lots of surprises were waiting for Elli in Sand Dollar Cove. Her grandmother is not doing as well as she thought and is ready to downsize.  She finds an old love of hers has returned to Sand Dollar Cove. And what about the handsome surf bum who is going to ready the plaques? Can the pier be saved? Will Elli find love amidst the sand dollars that line the beach in Sand Dollar Cove....

A heartwarming Southern, small town, fast-read romance! Another winner from Nancy Naigle!
4948764
Returning to Hope Harbor, Irene Hannon instantly transported me back to a familiar coastal town with a nice taco stand right on the beach. Returning characters made me smile, and I enjoyed seeing their continued lives in Sea Rose Lane. As for BJ and Eric, I enjoyed watching them leave the rat race and learn to appreciate what really makes them happy in a much slower pace of life.

The romance between BJ and Eric was slow in coming, but true to the contemporary romance nature, they do have a predictable ending. My favorite part was where Hannon dangled the happily-ever-after in front of BJ and Eric, but then ripped the carpet right out from under them. I enjoyed watching them grow and mature from their past hurts until they learned to allow the other one into their life. The spiritual side of learning to let go of the past and accept God's love and forgiveness is evident throughout the story in BJ and Eric's lives.

The story is completely predictable and non-original. It reminds me of every other type of romance novel that is published today. A couple meets, argues, and then starts to feel emotions toward the other person. Hannon knows what her audience wants in a contemporary romance, and she delivers the formulaic story.

Setting is important to me when reading a novel. I have to feel like I'm there in the place and in the moment. I have to know what season it is and what my surroundings look like, so I can imagine my characters roaming through the story. Hannon does a good job at bringing to her story's setting to life. It shows that her visits to a small coastal town has paid off.

Sea Rose Lane is a sweet, enduring show of how love can heal hurts from the past. This book is a good summer read, so be prepared to sit under a shade tree with a cup of lemonade and lose yourself for a couple of hours. I think fans of Becky Wade, Melissa Tagg, Beth K.Vogt, and Susan May Warren will happily spend a couple of hours with BJ and Eric.

I received a complimentary copy of Sea Rose Lane from Revell Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.
881884
I purchased this CD at the visitor center at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on our trip to the Outer Banks.  I think this CD is amazing and reminds me of our trip when I listen to it.  It has ocean sounds, but it also has thunderstorms and birds and just a slight bit of sounds from people who are on the shore.  The sounds were actually recorded by the National Park Service to accompany the relaxing music.  I am excited to see there are more recordings available by Orange Tree Productions with the assistance of the National Parks.  Definitely good recordings for relaxing and stress reduction.
1208736
This books presents a thorough look at the breweries in the region, giving a bit of history for each one in an area where the craft brew scene has exploded in the past decade.  I particularly love the suggested pub crawl itineraries with associated maps.  There is also a calendar of beer festivals provided along with some food recipes at the end that incorporate the local craft brews.  There are even some clone beer recipes provided for the homebrewer courtesy of some of the breweries.  I will say much of the focus is on NC rather than SC though.  However, this was to be expected given the vast number of breweries in that state.

Overall, a very enjoyable read that I highly recommend for any beer enthusiast especially new transplants and tourists.  This book will definitely be riding along with me during my next visit to my home state!
1215475
I loved it! I read Choosing Charleston, and wanted to read more from this author.  I look forward to reading more of her books!
3075275
Cape Le Chat Noir, a little town off the South Carolina coast, that's rich in folklore. Lea Sutter a wife and mother of two, works as a travel writer/blogger; hears stories of how the dead inhabit this quaint little town from a previous storm that all but leveled it. Wanting to know more about the town and its folklore Lea wants to see for herself. She finds the woman she's been corresponding online with and they attend a sacred ceremony. Witnessing first hand some of what she's heard. But as a storm approaches will she get more than she bargained for?

Mark Sutter, a Psychologist touring with his controversial new novel, has a signing at a bookstore on the same night the storm/hurricane is approaching. When he receives an anguish call from his wife, just as the storm/hurricane hits and the call drops. Distraught, he nervously tries to reach her, but to no avail. He begins his agonizing wait to hear from her.
As Lea roams the remnants of the storm/hurricane, death and devastation surrounds her. The blood rain soaked Lea see's twin boys emerge like a curtain opened up for the stars of the show, and immediately she is drawn to them with an overwhelming need to help them. Almost trance like she makes plans to become the mother of these now homeless, parentless, storm/hurricane survivors. With suspicion surrounding these two innocent looking blue eyed angels, what is the secret they hold behind the eyes that no one is prepared for? The Sutter family will soon find out!

This was a very interesting read. The first I've read by this author. The visualization created by the author had me a little scared, and the twins WHEW, they were something else! I love a good mystery and Red Rain didn't disappoint.

A complimentary copy of the book was provided from the author for the purpose of this review
3760255
Perfect for locals and also for visitors with time to enjoy the day!
493704
I love traveling in the low country of South Carolina.  This great collection of community recipes brings the taste of Edisto home.  Some adjustment is needed if you tend to avoid butter and rich foods, but if you like the richness of cream sauces, southern fried food, and great seafood recipes you will love this book.
411574
On a recent visit to Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island  I saw this book (and the Sable iIsland book  I reviewed) at a BnB and was caught up in the beauty of Canada's Maritime provinces.
This is a photographic tour of some of Newfoundland's remote ports and while the book is inexpensive it could end up costing you a lot more; you might decide, as I have, that you must personally visit there. And I already know that a large part of the experience will be the friendliness of the Canadians you will meet.
4472757
For those of us with low country roots, this book is a travel back home! For those of you who are not, this will make you want to hop a plane and to taste the salt air and load up on shrimp! There is deep emotion in this book and I was sad to lose Miss Josie, the lovely, fragile steel magnolia of a true Southern lady. Her sense of humor and earthy wisdom will be sorely missed. However, I can hardly wait to see what happens to the rest of the family next time - and there will be a next time because Dottie Frank must keep writing!