The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown

Kimberly

Dec 7

Sophia Rose is here with a fabulous review of The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and read her thoughts on this delightful women's fiction romance.

Sophia Rose's Review

While reading this was a bit on the nose since I was reading it during hurricane season and a hurricane was indeed pelting Florida as I finished, I found Carolyn Brown's usual country charm, sweet family and friendship, multi-generational characters, and a dash of romance quite the thing.

The Sandcastle Hurricane begins when Hurricane Delilah slams into the south Texas gulf coast and the little coastal town of Sandcastle. New inn owners, cousins Tabby and Ellie Mae, find themselves hosting four feisty older folks from the senior living center and a local handyman who once swapped kisses as teenagers with Tabby.

Tabby and Ella Mae are inheriting an old family home turned in from the great- aunt who has high-tailed it to Colorado, where there aren't any hurricanes. Thank you very much. The chance came at a time when both needed a reset on life. Ella Mae's partner has just past leaving her at a loss and Tabby's out of a rough marriage. They're fixing up the inn and hoping to make a success at it, grow closer to each other and get beyond the hurts of the past. Alex, and later his friend Ricky, are a part of that.

But, there are also a few animal strays and four older folks, Vietnam War vet best buds, Frank and Homer and two fierce old gals who can't get along, Maude and Cleo to make it all interesting when they have to extend their stay at the end while the town rebuilds. Quite the surprise comes about Maude and Cleo, but the stay at the inn for all of them, including the cousins, works its magic on repairing their pasts.

I've come to really anticipate and enjoy the down home feel-good style Carolyn Brown writes and makes the reader relax and be part of a nostalgic setting and group of people that come to be 'found' family. Comfort reading at its best. I like getting all the point of views in the narration and seeing the women old and young (not to mention the men) find their way and figure out a happier life as a result. Not that there aren't any conflicts to get past, but the low angst style appeals to me, as do the relaxed small town coastal Texas setting there at The Sandcastle and the environs.

So, a natural disaster brought a new engaging cast of characters, a plot and a setting from a favorite author and I enjoyed it thoroughly. While there is plenty of romance and a bit of snappy dialogue and spice, I would still say this leans more toward women's fiction and recommend it to both crowds.

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