Memorable and promising title -
unfortunately, the silly Kyra loan thing detracted from the plot,
as did Nikki's endless Joe angst. ( )

I actually flipped to the flyleaf in this book because I came across transphobic comments, characters justifying their insecurities, etc. Not that it was ever OK, but this book was just published 4 years ago in 2017, so I was very surprised. This is my own fault, but I didn't realize this was a series and that I had picked up the 6th book. You open the book and there are a dozen characters you are supposed to know right away and a lot of reminiscing about past characters. I had a hard time keeping track of who is who. The story in and of itself as a concept was one I could get through just fine and possibly enjoy? But, the character groups who had their own storylines and their own group of characters mean I never really got to know anyone very well at all. Accept maybe Maddie, Kyra, and Nikki. The elderly formerly wealthy woman reminded me of the character, Bitsy, from the animated tv show, Central Park. I don't think there is any theft of ideas, but it just shows that the character was a caricature that anyone could pick up. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is my favorite book of the year so far and really does justice to the concept of the inner world and life of an elderly woman. I don't think I'd pick up any others in this series. ( )

I find myself looking forward each spring/summer to the latest installment from the do-over ladies. This time the story had a bit of a different formula that actually worked quite well for me. Instead of the usual, the ladies find a crumbling mansion, fix it up with the usual high drama and shoestring budget on a reality show, the story centered on the ladies lives and current situations. Don't get me wrong there was some construction talk, and a lot of drama. Nikki is pregnant with twins and in a foul mood, I found myself getting annoyed with Nikki constantly snapping at Joe and pushing him away and through most of the book I found myself wanting them both to come to a happy conclusion with their relationship. Maddie and Avery's relationships have some drama but I wasn't as annoyed with them as I was with Nikki. I will say though the relationship that sets my teeth on edge the most is Kyra and Daniel (the movie star), in my opinion Kyra is constantly falling for his self centered and ridiculous lines. I found myself wishing she will finally see him for who he is. The author does a good job though of making me wonder if maybe Daniel is really a good guy in a bad marriage to an actress from hell. In this installment we get to know Bitsy , who appeared in the previous book. Bitsy arrives looking for a place to live , unbeknownst to the ladies she has had a life altering event. Shake up all of these situations and out comes another great read by this author.

I enjoyed this latest story about the ladies and find myself wondering what will happen next in their lives.This review was originally posted on Cindy's Book Binge ( )

Oh Wendy Wax!! What a way to leave us high and dry, hanging in the air with a suspenseful ending! Well, not a who shot JR? ending, but the same for us Ten Beach Road fans that follow this group so closely for so many years. The book was up to snuff, although a little more renovating, or a new place to fix next book would be great too, but I love it and please please write fast!! ( )

Maddie, Avery, Nikki, and Kyra are all reeling from various events in their lives and have returned to their home, Bella Flora, a restored 1920s mansion in Florida, to lick their wounds. Their famous TV show, Do Over is in disarray, embroiled in legal battles with the network, who wants to take away the show and all the hard work they've put into it. They are busy trying to promote the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club, which they'd renovated in hopes of starting a similar Do Over show or documentary, but the network is saying no. The group hopes that the Beach Club memberships and cottages they are selling will help restore their plummeting finances, but, at the moment, it's not looking good.

In fact, the only cottage sold has been to Joe, Nikki's boyfriend, with the plan that they will move in after the birth of their twins. But Nikki is terrified to plan that far ahead, fearing it will jinx the health of her babies. Meanwhile, Maddie has returned to Bella Flora after a romantic relationship with Will Hightower, a famous musician and rock star. Will wants Maddie to go on tour with him, but Maddie's still trying to find her own self after her divorce from Kyra's father. As for Kyra, she has a secret about Bella Flora she hasn't told any of the women: one that could destroy the last few bits of financial security the group feels. She's also dealing with her feelings toward her young son's (married) father, a famous actor. And finally, Avery feels like her relationship with her boyfriend Chase is crumbling, due to their inability to agree on how to raise his teenage sons. When a former financial backer of the gang, Bitsy, shows up and demands a cottage in return for her financial investment, the women are at a loss: scrambling to find a place for Bitsy and wondering what happened to her wealth. It seems like everyone in the group has something to hide or fear; will their secrets bring them together or tear them apart?

So, full disclosure on this one: most--though not all--of my issues with this novel tend to revolve around the fact that this is apparently the fifth novel in a series for Wax entitled "Ten Beach Road." I had no idea when I requested the book and while I usually prefer to read series in order, it's certainly not an ironclad rule, as most seem to stand on their own. I think I would have definitely enjoyed this book a lot more, however, if I had read some of the previous books, as I found myself somewhat lost for almost the first half of the book. So much that I almost gave up and moved on, because I was just so frustrated. There is a a lot of backstory involved with these women, and while the author attempts to explain a little of it, much of it is simply alluded to, and it gets confusing quickly. There are a lot of people and details to keep track of and truly, by the end of the novel, there were still some ancillary characters that I still had not figured out exactly how/where they factored in. It also didn't help that, and perhaps this was just my ARC copy, the paragraphs would just abruptly switch over to varying points of view, causing you to have to double back and figure out who was now telling the story.

Perhaps because I hadn't read some of the earlier novels, it was harder to get into the characters and really identify with them; seriously, for the first half of the book, I was just trying to figure out who the heck they were and how they were all related/intertwined with each other. I probably related the most with Nikki--being a mother of twins myself--but seriously, her whining could definitely get on your nerves, even if you could identify with some of her fears. Other issues included the fact that the women simply wouldn't Google why Bitsy showed up at their doorstep (seems a bit of a stretch) and a few other places where a simple conversation could have easily resolved what then became a major plot issue. The whole "oh let's just not talk" issue in books is a big pet peeve of mine.

So, for a while, I was pretty frustrated. I had no clue who these people were, nor did I really care. The book was confusing, and the whole money aspect of the plot was stressful (I don't know what it is about my personality, but I get stressed when people stand to lose it all in books, especially when they just don't think clearly about the situation!). Still, I won't lie, as the book wore on and I figured out the basics about the relationships, the characters and the plot grew on me a bit. It helped that there was a Kinsey Millhone reference (main character in [author:Sue Grafton|9559]'s amazing series). It was sort of like a soap opera; you know it's all really fantastical, yet you can't help but watch. You need to be prepared for famous actors and musicians, allusions to some pretty crazy things that happened in previous novels, and some silly decision-making. But, I couldn't help but keep reading by the time I was about 3/4 through, and I even found myself smiling a bit (shhh, don't tell). I might even consider picking up the next book at some point to find out what happens to some of these characters, because it definitely didn't tie up all the loose ends.

Overall, if you like tidy plots that make sense, or if it bothers you coming into a series midway, this one isn't for you. But if you're looking for a fun, beachy read that can get your mind off things, and you've either read the earlier books in the series, or you can adjust to being confused for a bit, you might enjoy this silly, soapy tale.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 04/25/2017.

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