About the Author
Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author
of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women's fiction such
as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and
the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan's Crossing
series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las
Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at www.RobynCarr.com.
Author Links
![Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by [Robyn Carr]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/419busCbI1L.jpg)
About the Book
Sometimes the happiness we’re looking for has been there
all along…
Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.
When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.
Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.
Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.
Set in the stunning coastal town of Half Moon Bay, California, Robyn Carr’s new novel examines the joys of sisterhood and the importance of embracing change.
Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.
When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.
Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.
Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.
Set in the stunning coastal town of Half Moon Bay, California, Robyn Carr’s new novel examines the joys of sisterhood and the importance of embracing change.
My Thoughts
Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr has Adele Descaro contemplating what she wants to do with her life
now. She has spent the last eight years
caring for her parents. Adele had been
halfway through her master’s degree when her mother needed her to care for her
father. Adele and her sister, Justine
Somersby have never been close because of the twenty-year age difference
between them. Adele is thankful for
Justine covering the household expenses plus providing her with a stipend. Justine is a successful lawyer with a house
husband and two teenage daughters. Now,
though, her marriage is falling apart, and Justine has a chance to start
anew. Both sisters are unsure how to move
forward. But together they can figure it
out and be better for it. Sunrise on
Half Moon Bay is a heartwarming story.
Adele and Justine are getting a chance to change their lives. The hard part, of course, is figuring out
what you want to do and getting the courage to do it. I thought the characters were realistic along
with their situations. Both sisters must recover and learn to trust again. Only when they decide what will make them
happy, can they be open to a new relationship.
I thought the story had a good flow and moved along at a steady
pace. I did feel that there was too much
repetition. The same details would be
repeated two to four times. I liked
seeing the sisters get to know each other.
I can see many women relating to the two main characters. I
could have done without the foul language (mild) and a graphic, intimate scene
(it did not go with the rest of the book).
I do want readers to know that there is a domestic violence situation in
the story. My favorite phrase from the
book is “Out of the ashes comes the beauty.” Sunrise on Half Moon Bay is an uplifting story
that is perfect to read on a stormy afternoon or while sitting poolside. Sunrise on Half Moon Bay is a story about second chances, family and happiness.
Excerpt
“Has it ever occurred to Scott to get a
serious job?” Adele asked. “I mean, forgive me, since I haven’t had a serious
job in my life.”
Justine smiled
patiently. “Your jobs have all been serious, and without you we’d have been
lost. If you hadn’t dedicated yourself to Mom’s care, it would have cost our
whole family a fortune. We’re indebted to you. And I agree it would help if
Scott worked more than part-time, but I think that ship sailed years ago. He’s
only worked part-time since Amber and Olivia came along.”
Adele adored her
nieces, ages sixteen and seventeen. She was much closer to them than she was to
Justine. “I’m sorry you’re
going through this,” Adele said. “I wish there was something I could do.” “Well, the thing is,
the future is looking very uncertain. I might need your help,” Justine said. “What could I do?”
she asked.
“Adele, I don’t like
to push you, but you have to get it together. We have to make some decisions
about what you’re going to do, what we’ll do with the house. I realize what I’ve
given you for your hard work hasn’t been much, but I don’t know how long I can
keep it up—paying for the maintenance on this house, the taxes, a modest income
for you… I don’t want to panic prematurely,” Justine said. “Maybe I’ll be able
to work everything out without too much hassle, but if I run into trouble…
Money could get very tight, Addie. All those promises I made—that I’d help
financially while you fix up the house, that I’d give you my half of the
proceeds when and if you sold it… I might not be able to come through. I know,
I know, I promised you it would be yours after all of your sacrifice, but you
wouldn’t want me to ignore the girls’ tuition or not be able to make the
mortgage…”
“But Justine!” Adele
said. “That’s all I have! And I was considering finishing school myself!”
Though if she was honest, she had no plans of any kind.Justine reached out
to her, squeezing her hand. “We’re a long way from me needing money. I just
felt it was only fair to tell you what’s going on. If we’re in this together,
we can both make it. I swear, I will make this all work out. I’ll make it
right.”
But as Adele knew,
they had never really been “in it together” in the past, and they wouldn’t be
for very long in the future. Addie’s dedication to their parents allowed
Justine to devote herself to her career. For that matter, it should be Justine
and Scott shoring each other up. At least until Justine had a better idea. But
where was Scott today? Golfing? Biking? Bowling?
 |
Adele realized she
had some difficult realities to face. When she dropped out of school to help
her mother care for her father, she wasn’t being completely altruistic. She’d
needed a place to run away to, hiding an unplanned pregnancy and covering her
tattered heart. She’d never told her family that her married lover—her
psychology professor—had broken down in tears when he explained he couldn’t
leave his wife to marry Adele, that the college would probably fire him for
having an affair with a student. For her, going home was the only option.
At the time Justine
and Scott had been riding the big wave and didn’t lust after the small, old
house in Half Moon Bay. That house was chump change to them. So, they worked
out a deal. Adele had become her mother’s guardian with a power of attorney.
But the will had never been adjusted to ref lect just one beneficiary rather
than two.
In the case of the death of both parents, Adele and Justine would
inherit equal equity in the eighty-year-old house and anything left of the life
insurance. At the time, of course, neither Adele nor Justine had ever
considered the idea that Adele would be needed for very long. But before Adele
knew it, eight years had been gobbled up. She was thirty-two and had been
caring for her parents since she was twenty-four.
Adele, as guardian,
could have escaped by turning over the house, pension, social security to a
care facility for her mother and gone out on her own, finding herself a better
job and her own place to live. She wasn’t sure if it was her conscience or just
inertia that held her in place for so long.
“I just wanted to
make sure you understood the circumstances before anything more happens,”
Justine said. “And since you don’t have any immediate plans, please don’t list
the house for sale or anything. Give me a chance to figure out what’s next. I
have children. I’ll do whatever I can to protect them and you. They’re your
nieces! They love you so much. I’m sure you want them to get a good education
as much as I do.”
Does anyone want me
to have a real chance to start over? Adele asked herself. This conversation
sounded like Justine was pulling out of their deal. “I’ll think about
this, but Scott has responsibilities, too,” she pointed out. “He’s been out of the
full-time workforce for so long…” Justine said.
“Just the same, we
all have to live up to our adult commitments and responsibilities. And you’ve
had a highfalutin job for a long time. You’ve made a lot of money. You can
recover. I haven’t even begun.”
“I need your help, Addie,” Justine said. “You need to come up with
a plan, something we can put in motion. Make plans for your next step, put a
little energy into this old house, make suggestions of what we should do with
it, everything. Let’s figure out what to do before I find myself short and
unable to help. I’m sorry, but we have to move forward.”
Are you ready to read Sunrise on Half Moon Bay? Sunrise on Half Moon Bay is available from Amazon*, Harlequin, Indiebound, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Target, Walmart, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo. Thank you for joining me today. I will be back tomorrow with Amish Country Murder by Mary Alford. I hope you have a cheery day. Take care, stay safe and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This
post contains affiliate links.
No comments:
Post a Comment