Miranda Liasson became an autoread for me after I read her Angel Falls series, so when I saw her latest title, Coming Home to Seashell Harbor, of course, it went right on my TBR! Even as a new series, picking this book up made me feel like I was catching up with old friends. When Hadley returns to Seashell Harbor to recover from a very public breakup, her world is thrown upside down after she finds that her grandmother is contemplating selling her doggy daycare. And to Hadley’s high school ex-boyfriend, no less. Who broke up with her - via a Post-it Note!
This setup was fun from the get-go. Hadley and Cam’s animosity drips right from their first meeting, but it has nothing on their chemistry. Hadley may have moved on with her life, but it doesn’t mean she’s ever gotten over the way Cam broke up with her or how it seemed to come out of nowhere. I also love how much Hadley adored her gram and the pet shop, and how she was a big softy when it came to the dogs. Cam’s not a character to feel sorry for; he may have lost his football career, but he’s still kind and very driven and has a lot going for him. But it did break my heart the way he thought he was truly doing Hadley a favor by letting her go because he didn’t think he was good enough. There was some reflection on their shared past, but I really appreciated how the author focused on the present and building Hadley and Cam’s connection right before the reader’s eyes. The past wasn’t a crutch for they felt about each other; instead, the author laid it all out for the reader in the present.
The secondary characters in this story were fantastic. I enjoyed Hadley’s friend group; they’re ferocious when it comes to being there for each other, and I look forward to seeing Kit and Darla’s love stories unfold in future installments of Seashell Harbor. Kit’s son, Ollie, was so adorable, and I especially can’t wait to see that story play out. I also liked Hadley’s parents, and how she sees their love story as so inspiring and something she might never have. Cam’s family was also great. I love how they all work together and are constantly ribbing each other; the sibling relationship was fantastic, and the way Nick was constantly trying to get Cam’s goat about Hadley (and the way Cam returned the favor by ribbing Nick about Darla - SAY WHAT?) was a definite highlight. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the dogs in this book. They obviously become a central point in Hadley’s life, and they had such great parts in the story.
As you can tell, I enjoyed Coming Home to Seashell Harbor from the very first page. It was a fabulous introduction to her Seashell Harbor series, and I cannot wait to read the next book!
An emotional novel about first love, second chances, and what it means to follow your heart from this award-winning author who "writes with humor and heart" (Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author).
Hadley Wells swapped her dreams of saving the planet for the glamour of Hollywood. But when a very public breakup reveals cracks in her not-so-perfect life, she returns to her hometown to reassess what it is she truly wants. Unfortunately, Seashell Harbor has some trouble of its own—including the first man to ever break her heart.
A serious injury forced footballer Tony Cammareri into early retirement—now he’s determined to reboot his life with a splashy new restaurant venture. He knows better than to expect a happy reunion with Hadley, but he’s determined to make up for the way things ended between them. Yet when Tony and Hadley end up vying for control of the town’s future, they find themselves once again on opposing sides.
As their rivalry intensifies, they must decide what’s worth fighting for—and what it truly means to be happy.
Excerpt
Cam stood under the leaking ceiling, soaked to the skin. “You should get out of those wet clothes.”
Hadley stared at him.
Oh, geez. “I mean, when you get home. Because you don’t want to get sick.” He emphasized his intention, then turned to go dump the bucket before he said something else equally stupid.
Suddenly, another enormous chunk of the cheap, soaked ceiling cracked open. Instinctively, Cam dropped the buckets and grabbed Hadley by the arm, pushing her—and himself—out of the way. But he overshot, driving a little too hard to get them clear and lost his footing on the slippery tile.
He managed to cushion her fall as they went down, so Hadley landed on top of him. His arms were suddenly full of warm, soft woman, and the pure pleasure of being next to her—touching her, their limbs intertwined—took away all his sense. He started to untangle himself, but then he made the terrible mistake of looking up.
One glance at Hadley, soaked to the bone, a little dazed and stunned, made something turn over in his chest.
Maybe it was the primal memory of being like this with her a long, long time ago. Or the shock of being thrown together suddenly, against their will.
He meant to let go, but in her pretty, expressive eyes he saw…something. A flash of feeling. A spark of heat. A challenge. He couldn’t move his hands or look away. And he knew, sure as the electricity coursing hot and quick between them, that she felt it too.
He wanted her, as loud and demanding as his pulse throbbing at his temples, as certain as the fire coursing through his veins.
“Hadley, I—” He stopped, unable to put into words all that he was feeling. Finally, he tore his gaze away, looking up at the terrible mess of a ceiling.
“Please don’t tell me there’s another leak,” she whispered.
“No, I…I mean, I don’t know. It’s a wreck.” He was a wreck. A wreck of desire for her. Yet he was paralyzed in place, holding on to her soft arms, one heartbeat away from dragging her lips to his.
Another waterfall suddenly burst down from a new hole, close enough to splatter them thoroughly.
And then she laughed. A slow giggle at first—and then the unladylike one he remembered so well.
It was just as ridiculous and incongruous and—okay, snorty—as before. And then he laughed too.
“Had, that laugh,” he said softly, shaking his head. His voice sounded too quiet, too tense. Unnatural. “It’s…exactly the same.”
“Hey, I owned my laugh a long time ago,” she said, starting to roll off of him.
“No, I—” He held on to her arms, preventing her from leaving. “I wasn’t being critical,” he hurried to say. Her eyes, bright and assessing, were wary. But was her heart beating as his was, fast and steady in his chest, like his entire body was on alert? “I missed it,” he blurted out.
“Oh.” She looked puzzled. Surprised.
A slow, aching heat rose up inside him, and suddenly he knew the truth. He’d missed more than her laugh. He’d missed…her.
His gaze dropped to her lips, full and lush and open in surprise. And then he bent his head and kissed her.
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