Category Archives: Barbara Delinsky

May 17, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: A Week at the Shore by Barbara Delinsky

Title: A Week at the Shore by Barbara Delinsky
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 392 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

“A first-rate storyteller who creates believable, sympathetic characters who seem as familiar as your neighbors,” (The Boston Globe), Barbara Delinsky presents a captivating new novel about a woman whose unexpected reunion with her estranged family forces her to confront a devastating past in A Week at the Shore.

One phone call is all it takes to lure Mallory Aldiss back to her family’s Rhode Island beach home. It’s been twenty years since she’s been gone—running from the scandal that destroyed her parents’ marriage, drove her and her two sisters apart, and crushed her relationship with the love of her life, Jack Sabathian. Twenty years during which she lived in New York, building her career as a photographer and raising her now teenage daughter Joy.

But that phone call makes it clear that something has brought the past forward again—something involving Mallory’s father. Compelled by concern for her family and by Joy’s wish to visit her mother’s childhood home, Mallory returns to Bay Bluff, where conflicting loyalties will be faced and painful truths revealed.

In just seven watershed days at the Rhode Island shore, she will test the bonds of friendship and family—and discover the role that love plays in defining their lives.

Review:

A Week at the Beach by Barbara Delinsky is a heartfelt family-centric novel of forgiveness and healing.

Middle sister Mallory Aldiss finds herself returning to the hometown she left twenty years ago. Mallory and her thirteen year old daughter Joy are soon off to spend a week with her dad retired judge Tom Aldis and her younger sister Anne. Her decision is prompted by a troubling phone call  from her long ago boyfriend Jack Sabathian alerting her to possible trouble with her father. Anne is not exactly happy with what she views as her older sister’s interference but she is delighted to spend time with her niece.

Mallory still plays peacemaker, but she would like to understand why Tom always treated her differently than Anne and  their older sister Margo. She is also hoping to find out what exactly happened with her father and Jack’s mother Elizabeth who vanished during a boat trip with Tom. This long unanswered question is the catalyst that tore the family apart with two of the sisters took opposite sides. Mallory is the bridge between her sisters, but will the information they learn bring them together or widen the rift between them?

Mallory is a successful photographer who has blossomed once leaving home. She and Joy are close and she understands her daughter’s need to learn more about her family. Mallory hopes to get to the truth about her family’s past, but she is a little shocked at how fast her father’s health has declined.  She still pushes for answers about what happened the night Elizabeth disappeared but will Mallory be able to make sense of what he is telling her?

Immediately running into Jack again, Mallory realizes her feelings for him have not changed over the years. But as they spend time together, their troubled past looms large. Jack is much more settled than he was while they were growing up, but he still clings his version of what he believes transpired between his mother and Tom.  With their friendship renewed, will Jack be able to move forward if he does not learn the truth about his mother?

Mallory and Anne’s relationship is a little tenuous as they settle into an uneasy routine. Although completely thrilled with Joy, Anne is defensive and quick tempered with Mallory. She is also reluctant to face the truth about their father so their discussions about his health quickly devolve.  Can they move past old hurts and the delicate situation with their father’s failing health?

A Week at the Beach is a captivating novel with an idyllic setting and engrossing plot. The characters are multi-faceted and although imperfect, they are likable.  The storyline is interesting with fractured relationships to heal, secrets to uncover and an intriguing mystery to (hopefully) solve.  Barbara Delinsky brings this poignant novel to an uplifting and satisfying conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this charming novel to fans of the genre.

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Filed under A Week at the Shore, Barbara Delinsky, Contemporary, Rated B+, Review, St Martin's Press, Women's Fiction

June 25, 2018 · 11:57 pm

Review: Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky

Title: Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From Barbara Delinsky, the New York Times bestselling author of Blueprints and Sweet Salt Air, a brand-new novel about a woman in hiding finding the courage to face the world again.

Mackenzie Cooper took her eyes off the road for just a moment but the resulting collision was enough to rob her not only of her beloved daughter but ultimately of her marriage, family, and friends—and thanks to the nonstop media coverage, even her privacy. Now she lives in Vermont under the name Maggie Reid, in a small house with her cats and dog. She’s thankful for the new friends she’s made—though she can’t risk telling them too much. And she takes satisfaction in working as a makeup artist at the luxurious local spa, helping clients hide the visible outward signs of their weariness, illnesses, and injuries. Covering up scars is a skill she has mastered.

Her only goal is to stay under the radar and make it through her remaining probation. But she isn’t the only one in this peaceful town with secrets. When a friend’s teenage son is thrust into the national spotlight, accused of hacking a powerful man’s Twitter account, Maggie is torn between pulling away and protecting herself—or stepping into the glare to be at their side. As the stunning truth behind their case is slowly revealed, Maggie’s own carefully constructed story begins to unravel as well. She knows all too well that what we need from each other in this difficult world is comfort. But to provide it, sometimes we need to travel far outside our comfort zones.

From a multimillion-selling master of women’s fiction, Before and Again is a story of the relationships we find ourselves in—mothers and daughters, spouses and siblings, true companions and fair-weather friends—and what kind of sacrifices we are or aren’t willing to make to sustain them through good times and bad.

Review:

Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky is an emotionally compelling novel of forgiveness, love and friendship.

Five years ago, Mackenzie Cooper and her husband Edward have an idyllic life with their five year old daughter, Lily. Taking her eyes off the road for just an instant, Mackenzie  runs a stop sign which results in a horrific crash that kills Lily and the driver of the other car.  After losing her marriage and the support of family and friends, Mackenzie relocates to Devon, Vermont where she lives a quiet life as Maggie Reid. With a successful career as a make-up artist at an upscale inn, Maggie unexpectedly finds herself thrust in the spotlight after her best friend Grace Emory’s fifteen year old son Chris is arrested for computer hacking. Despite warnings from her probation officer to stay away from Grace and Chris, Maggie refuses to abandon them in their hour of need. Further complicating her peaceful life are the shocking arrivals of two people from her past. Will Maggie be able to protect her secrets from the people who mean so much to her? Or will the clash of her past and present provide Maggie the impetus she needs to forgive herself for the accident?

Although she has erased much of the person she was before moving to Vermont, Maggie never lets herself forget or forgive herself for causing the accident that killed Lily. She has locked her grief deep inside and while she has achieved a modicum of happiness, Maggie remains mired in guilt over her past. Her life in Devon is very different from the one she shared with Edward and she is content with the simple pleasures she derives from her beloved pets, friendships and career.  However, with the exception of her best guy pal, Kevin McKay, no one knows anything about her past.

The stunning arrival of two people from her former life sends shockwaves through Maggie and she has no intention of allowing them upend the life she has forged for herself. She is deeply troubled by these daily reminders of everything she has lost and she remains resistant to the idea of allowing either of them become a part of her present or future. However, their presence is the catalyst she needs to stop defining herself by the past and give herself permission to find happiness.

Maggie and the rest of the small community are shocked when Chris is arrested for the numerous hacking incidents that have recently occurred. Grace is a single mother who works at the Spa with Maggie and she works long hours trying to make ends meet.  Grace is an intensely private person who never speaks of her life before moving to Devon but in the face of overwhelming media scrutiny, she, too, will have to face the life she left behind.

Before and Again is deeply moving novel of healing that is poignant yet ultimately, uplifting. All of the characters are beautifully developed with frailties and stengths that will resonate will readers. The storyline is realistic and moves at an even pace.  I absolutely loved and highly recommend this incredibly heartwarming novel of compassion and grace to old and new readers of Barbara Delinsky.

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Filed under Barbara Delinsky, Before and Again, Contemporary, Rated B+, Review, St Martin's Press, Women's Fiction

June 8, 2015 · 11:58 pm

Review: Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky

blueprintsTitle: Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Length: 417 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Blueprints, the new novel from bestselling author Barbara Delinsky, is the story of two strong women, Caroline MacAfee, a skilled carpenter, and her daughter Jamie, a talented architect. The day after her 56th birthday, Caroline is told the network wants Jamie to replace her as the host on Gut It!, their family-based home construction TV show. The resulting rift couldn’t come at a worse time.

For Jamie, life changes overnight when, soon after learning of the host shift, her father and his new wife die in a car accident that orphans their two-year-old son. Accustomed to organization and planning, she is now grappling with a toddler who misses his parents, a fiancé who doesn’t want the child, a staggering new attraction, and a work challenge that, if botched, could undermine the future of both MacAfee Homes and Gut It!

For Caroline, hosting Gut It! is part of her identity. Facing its loss, she feels betrayed by her daughter and old in the eyes of the world. When her ex-husband dies, she is thrust into the role of caregiver to his aging father. And then there’s Dean, a long-time friend, whose efforts to seduce her awaken desires that have been dormant for so long that she feels foreign to herself.

Who am I? Both women ask, as the blueprints they’ve built their lives around suddenly need revising. While loyalties shift, decisions hover, and new relationships tempt, their challenge comes not only in remaking themselves, but in rebuilding their relationship with each other.

Review:

Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky is a very charming novel about a mother and daughter whose close relationship becomes strained due to a job conflict. Their professional issues are further complicated by unexpected changes in their personal lives which puts even more distance between them. Although a bit of a slow starter, this compelling story quickly gains momentum and thunders its way to a delightfully unconventional conclusion.

Caroline MacAfee and her daughter Jamie are more than mother and daughter, they are also best friends. Both work for the family owned company, MacAfee Homes, and they also star in a popular reality show, Gut It!. Not long the current season draws to a close, Jamie learns that the show’s producer wants her to replace her mom as the show’s host when filming resumes in the fall. Jamie delays telling her about the switch and when Caroline learns the news from someone else, not only is she devastated but she also feels betrayed by her daughter. Before the pair can repair the rift between them, Jamie’s father and stepmom are killed in an accident and she becomes the guardian of her 2 year half-brother, Tad. While Jamie is struggling to cope with her new role, Caroline begins taking over more duties at MacAfee Homes and the gulf between them widens when the two begin keeping secrets about their personal lives.

Caroline’s marriage was doomed almost from the beginning but her divorce still did a lot of damage to her self-esteem. It was not until she took over hosting duties on Gut It! that she finally began to believe in herself and finding out that she is being replaced by Jamie really shakes her self-confidence.  After her ex-husband’s death, Caroline finds herself turning to her old friend Dean Brannick for comfort and when he reveals he would like more from her than just friendship, her long dormant libido comes roaring back to life. While Caroline is willing to give in to her newfound desire, she is in no hurry to give up her independence when Dean admits he would like to make their relationship permanent.

Jamie is way out of her element when she becomes Tad’s guardian and she quickly discovers her fiancé Brad is unhappy with this unanticipated change in her life. Feeling like she cannot turn to Caroline for advice, Jamie gets helpful advice from single dad, Charlie Kobik. This new friendship forces Jamie to confront some unpleasant truths about her engagement and she impulsively makes a few decisions that shock everyone she knows.

There are numerous story arcs in Blueprints but all of the threads tie neatly together in the end.  The change in dynamics between mother and daughter is necessary for them to grow in both their personal and professional lives.  The romance aspect of the storyline is very sweet and although a bit rushed, the relationships are believable. Barbara Delinsky closes the novel with a lovely epilogue that is very heartwarming. All in all, an enjoyable, thought-provoking story that I highly recommend to anyone who reads contemporary women’s fiction.

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Filed under Barbara Delinsky, Blueprints, Contemporary, Rated B+, Romance, St Martin's Press, Women's Fiction