Ginger Walsh is busy. Whether it involves taking care of her sister's children or trying to keep up with her eccentric dad who is always on the move, her days are quite filled. The only problem is that her life is completely chaotic. At forty-one, she thought by now she would have been happily married with a family and kids of her own. If nothing else, she was certain that at least she would have a flourishing career to fall back on. Unfortunately, all she has is her loyal cat and boyfriend who seems to have an immense fear of the word commitment.
Geri is the typical over-achiever whose primary purpose in life is to straighten out her younger sister's mess. With a high-powered job that occupies every waking hour, her wonderful life consists of the perfect house, husband, and three beautiful children. For all practical purposes, she certainly has what every woman only dreams of, but for Geri, it just isn't quite enough.
When the opportunity arises for Geri's son to play a part in a Hollywood movie, she must lean on her little sister Ginger to fill in the void and become his temporary guardian on the set while she stays behind and continues with her busy life. Then all of a sudden, Geri loses her job and she winds up searching out her younger sister in a sort of reversal of roles to help put her life back together. Will these two polar opposites learn to appreciate their differences and be able to move forward as equals without losing their own identities? Or has time put a wedge between them which forever will remain?
Claire Cook's fourth novel is as entertaining and uplifting as her previous three releases. This romantic comedy has just the perfect blend of emotion and laughter to keep the reader turning the pages and wanting for more. Humorous, light, and at times touching. Cook once again hits the mark.
When
Must Love Dogs was published, the
Chicago Tribune called it "pitch-perfect" and the
Washington Post declared, "Readers will hope that Claire Cook will be telling breezy summer stories from the South Shore of Massachusetts for seasons to come." Luckily for her legions of fans, Cook returns with another sparkling romantic comedy that's reminiscent of
Must Love Dogs in all the right ways, but very much its own animal -- about a relationship-challenged single woman, her quirky-to-put-it-mildly extended family, and the summer the shark movie came to town.
Life's a bit of a beach these days for Ginger Walsh, who's single at forty-one and living back home in the family FROG (Finished Room Over Garage). She's hoping for a more fulfilling life as a sea glass artist, but instead is babysitting her sister's kids and sharing overnights with Noah, her sexy artist boyfriend with commitment issues and a dog Ginger's cat isn't too crazy about. Geri, her BlackBerry-obsessed sister, is also nearly over the deep end about her pending fiftieth birthday (and might just drag Ginger with her). Toss in a dumpster-picking father, a Kama Sutra T-shirt-wearing mother, a movie crew come to town with a very cute gaffer, an on-again-off-again glassblower boyfriend, plus a couple of Red Hat realtors, and hilarity ensues. The perfect summer read, Life's a Beach is a warm, witty, and wise look at what it takes to move forward at any stage in life.
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