Got a kick out of the third book in this series. Kate Hewitt looks at an estranged mother/daughter named Abby and Laura Rhodes. I was more intrigued with the chapters that featured Laura, but Abby was compelling in her own way. I think that Hewitt smartly didn't have everything end up hearts and flowers since her books take a realistic look at things, while still simmering with a bit of romance in the background. The characters/relationships between 6 sets of women through the past 3 books is what is most important. Having a guy in your life is just gravy.

"A Mother Like Mine" has Abby and Laura Rhodes trying their best to have some sort of relationship with each other after Laura has left Abby's care to Laura's mother. Laura had Abby when she was 16 and two years after that moved to Manchester to work in a night club, eventually ending up in America (New York). After being fired from her job for being too old, (she's 42 people) Laura returns to Hartley-by-the-Sea realizing that if she never tries to have a relationship with Abby, all of her sacrifices she did will mean nothing. Abby rightfully so is angry her mother has returned, and her home life has turned upside down. Abby has a young son named Nath that she is trying to raise solo while also running her grandmother's shop. It's not what she dreamed of doing with her her life, but she's content, or so she thinks.

I am not going to lie. I did not care for Laura at all when she swanned in. She demands that Abby sleep with her young son so she gets a bedroom and seems reluctant to even talk to her. If you don't get her side of things via her chapter POV you wouldn't even know how much pain she is in at times. What I loved the most about Laura is she owns the mistakes she made and what she has done. There is no trying to make excuses or anything else. But she's not a saint, she gets frustrated with Abby and seems quite perplexed by children as a whole.

Abby has some issues with being abandoned by her mother and dealing with a boyfriend who died while she was pregnant with their child. It's not said out right, but the boyfriend's parents just left her to her own devices and wanted to pretend their precious son had nothing to do with her. Abby is reluctant to move forward at times and it's great that Laura is there to push her along the way. When Laura is genuinely happy she is now able to read her daughter at times, it will make you smile.

There's a hint of a romance for Laura in this one which I am curious if it will be discussed in the next book (if there is one). And though Abby has a crush on someone, it's not the most important thing in the world. For both women, the business the run, and Abby's son is important.

I loved we got to see updated on previous characters and there's a shocking reveal about someone close to one of our characters too. We do get a wedding (no spoilers) that made me happy to see as well.

Hartley-by-the-Sea has grown on me through three books and I can't wait to see what Hewitt has up her sleeves next.

Going to count this towards The Mostly Dead Writers Society 52 week challenge: Romance. ( )

4.5 stars.

A Mother Like Mine by Kate Hewitt is a captivating novel of healing, forgiveness and new beginnings. Although this newest release is the third installment in the Hartley-by-the-Sea series it can easily be read as a standalone.

Abby Rhodes is a single mom to five year old Noah and she lives and works with the grandmother who raised her after her mother, Laura, abandoned her. So, just imagine her shock when she discovers Laura has returned after a long absence and plans to remain in Hartley-by-the-Sea permanently. An unexpected turns of events finds mother and daughter trying repair their fractured relationship as they work together to make the family cafe a success. Laura wants nothing more than forge a relationship with Abby, but can they repair the rift between them when she is not willing to answer her daughter's questions about her painful past? Can Abby risk trusting Laura's assertion that she wants to be a permanent part of her and Noah's lives?

Abby is quite upset over Laura's sudden reappearance and she has every reason to be skeptical that her mother will be content to stay in their small hometown. Although she tries to put aside her bitterness toward Laura for her beloved Gran's sake, their discussions are often filled with anger and resentment. Abby really is trying to make an effort to be friendly, but with so many unresolved issues simmering between them, it is virtually impossible for her to remain cordial during their conversations. She is quick to distrust Laura's motives and with her mother's track record for leaving, Abby cannot bring herself to believe Laura won't disappear if the opportunity presents itself.

Laura initially comes across as quite self-absorbed and rather superficial. She refuses to provide Abby with her reason for abandoning her nor does she appear to realize how her desertion emotionally scarred her daugher. Laura's expectation to let bygones be bygones without any explanation is unrealistic and makes her appear somewhat indifferent to Abby's very real need for answers. Laura's expectation for Abby's gratitude after she makes a self-serving decision is rather incredulous and highlights exactly why her daughter finds it difficult to trust her.

The changes in the relationship between Abby and Laura do not happen overnight. Abby remains skittish and doubtful Laura is sincere about staying in Hartley-by-the-Sea. Laura is impatient with Abby's hesitation to take chances of any kind. Abby slowly relaxes her guard where her mother is concerned but things between them remain fragile since Laura is so reluctant to discuss the past. Will Abby and Laura's relationship truly heal without an open and honest conversation about their unresolved issues?

A Mother Like Mine is a very moving novel of redemption, forgiveness and starting over. Kate Hewitt brings the setting and the eclectic cast of characters vividly to life. The storyline is emotionally compelling with realistic issues to overcome. An absolutely marvelous story that old and new fans of the very charming Hartley-by-the-Sea series are sure to love!
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This is a wonderful book about a mother-daughter relationship and how they learn to care for each other after being apart for 25 years. Laura left when Abby was 2 leaving Abby with her grandma to raise her. Now Laura is back in Hartley-by-the-Sea to stay and they need to learn how to live with each other again and how to find each other again on several different levels. This shows how different relationships are between mothers and daughters and how it can change over time. The descriptions were great. I felt like I was there at Cliff Cafe and watching the different characters. Kate Hewitt does a great job fleshing out the characters and making the reader care for them.

Thanks to Penguin Random House First to Read Program for a copy of this book. ( )

Abby Rhodes returns to her hometown of Hartley By The Sea in England as a widower with her young son. She has dropped out of college to help her ailing grandmother run their family owned beach cafe. She has a deep connection with her grandmother since she raised her after her mother left. Abby’s sole focus has been her son since her fiance died.

One evening, Abby’s mother Laura returns after being away for twenty years. Laura was fired from her latest job and she has financial problems. She has decided that her return is permanent which agitates Abby. In the beginning, the situation is tense between the two since Laura refuses to explain why she abandoned her. As they begin to work together in the cafe a relationship develops and the reasons for Laura’s past actions are revealed.

This novel is about the healing that happens when two parties work together to repair a gap in their relationship. This is book three of a series by Kate Hewitt, and it can be read as a stand alone story. ( )

I enjoyed this one very much, although I have to admit that it was a little slow to hook me. This story is high on character development and lower on action. Abby and Laura, mother and daughter, have a lot in common, but they don’t know it until they get to know one another. And that isn’t easy, because Laura abandoned Abby when she was a toddler, and Abby doesn’t trust her not to abandon her again, so she tries to maintain a distance from Laura.
Both women became pregnant without that ring on their finger and so had a difficult time of it as single mothers. They both also grew up in the small community of Hartley by the Sea, where gossipping was a way of life. Both tried to escape the small community and the gossip, only to return to face the wagging tongues because they were out of options.

There isn’t much about this book I didn’t like. The setting by the sea was calm and beautiful, and I liked the characters, particularly Abby and Laura. Laura refused to reveal the father’s name when Abby was born, but that came out towards the end of the story, and I found out my ‘inkling’ was right. And the story had a happy ending!

This could make an interesting book club selection. I breezed through the book, but I think that there is a lot that book clubs could discuss; mother-daughter relationships, the stigma of single parenthood, forgiveness, and others. There is a set of discussion questions in the back of the book.

This is the third book in a series, but I did not read the previous books and I can tell you it definitely works as a stand alone!

This book review is included in a tour by TLC Book Tours. I was provided a copy for review purposes. ( )