I debated for a couple of days before finally deciding to post a review of this book. I’ve seen posts about Karis Walsh‘s books on Twitter and Facebook and, I think, Google + but never took the time to look at any of them with the intent to buy or read. I decided to give Sea Glass Inn a shot when I won a free book from Bold Strokes Books in a drawing.

The story is about a recent divorcee, Mel, who buys an old, rundown bed & breakfast on the Oregon coast. She’s looking for a fresh start and has no desire to ever give up control of her life to another person again. Pam was devastated by a break up several years earlier and won’t let anyone get close enough to hurt her again. While we see this sort of thing in romance novels regularly, we also know that it’s how the author gets us to the other end of the story that counts.

I thought that the traumatic experiences that brought the two women to this point in their lives were believable and, while I felt bad for Mel, Pam’s story broke my heart. I think the author did a great job of revealing Pam’s pain and, even though I was ready for her to get over her objections and baggage much sooner than she did, it felt genuine. I do want to say that probably 1/2 – 3/4 of the way through the book, I just wanted Pam to finally get on with her life. I’m not sure if that was due to drawing the drama and angst out too long or my impending PMS. You’ll have to post comments after you read it and let me know.

All in all, I liked the writer’s voice and felt like a mature, skilled writer was telling me the story. The town, the inn, and the ocean were fantastic backdrops and I enjoyed the scenes that involved them. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romance with a medium to high level of angst. I’ll certainly give another of the author’s books a shot.

Click here to buy or get a sample of Sea Glass Inn