Customer Reviews

Beach Town

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book really ended up annoying me. Mostly because I felt obligated to finish it. It didn't make me angry enough to stop reading (which would have relegated it to one star), but was just good enough to string me along, without ever getting better. And I had hopes for that. The first half or so of the book we breeze through. I thought that the set-up of having each chapter be from a different character's point of view, as titled, was interesting. I was able to forgive the dreadful lack of thought in any character's head, their thoughtless changes of mind and personality, the random moments thrown in clumsily because I thought it likely based on the description Flynn and Kira would fall in love initially, have a period of estrangement, then reconnect at a later time. So the beginning of the book would be just set up, and forgivably rushed in order to get to the good stuff later on.

Sadly, the book gained no additional depth. If they'd been more richly constructed, the characters could have been likable, but as it was, I didn't even sympathize with them, and often found them outright ridiculous. They were like a collection of outlines or stick figures, each with a bit of a quirk added to give them individuality, but still with no depth. I had no idea what was going to happen from one second to the next, and that wasn't because the author was being tricky, but because she created no structure on which to base any follow-on moments. The end result was an extremely frustrating and random book to read. I find it really hard to understand how this was written after "Brilliant." That book wasn't perfect, but the characters were much better constructed that those here.

I guess if you want a book you can breeze through in an afternoon without putting any thought into it then this book is for you. Like I said, the story had its moments. The cover was beautiful. But I think we need to demand better from this genre. I can't account for this author's slide back from servicable to unreadable, but would regretfully not recommend this book.

It was actually the cover of Beach Town that enticed me to buy it! So, Kudos to the cover artist as well! It just made me feel nostalgic for my younger days going "down the shore", that's a term commonly used in South Jersey and Philly, and also made me extra excited about the upcoming season. The story, thankfully was even better and made me feel even better. It had plenty of angst but quite enough positive and fun goings on to make up for it! The characters were so individual...even minor characters, you felt as though you knew them by the end of the book. Finally, I'll just say I couldn't put the book down and I LOVED the two main characters, Kira and Flynn! Lisa

I hadn't read any of Ann Roberts books before, but the storyline tag caught my eye and seemed promising, so I bought the book -- turns out to be a great choice.

Ocean Beach is a laid-back community sandwiched between the big of San Diego and the rich/trendy of La Jolla and is quite to content to march to its own drum. Central to the community is the pier and cafe owned by the McFadden family, a female clan of Irish descendants who love the community and the ocean, and in return, are loved and nutured by the community.

Flynn is a surfer and veterinary student, restless as the ocean and yet has a heart as broad and deep. Into her life comes upcoming actress Kira who longs for the freedom that is Flynn. It doesn't take long before the two are engaged in a passionate affair and Kira relishes the chance to free herself from her domineering agent and mother. Alas, Kira ultimately must choose between her career and Flynn, succumbing to outside pressures.

Fifteen years later and the two are pulled together again with their inner lives having evolved quite differently, maturing and marking their personas. The question is -- can magic happen twice?

Roberts devotes each chapter to a character, main or supporting, whose view and background adds another piece to Flynn and Kira's journey. The supporting characters are richly fleshed out and their interaction with the protagonists are natural and organic. The uniqueness of Ocean Beach isn't a plot setting but part of the landscape of personalities and becomes an environment ripe for the romance that ensues for many characters. Conversations are realistic and unforced. I ended up caring about everyone in this story and longing to become a part of Ocean Beach.

I recommend this book as a delightful read and a journey worth taking.

Beach Town spans fifteen years in the lives of two women. Kira Drake is a rising star in Hollywood. She knows that an actress only has a certain number of years while she can enjoy real box office success and she's determined to stay there as long as she can. Her dedication to her career puts her at the mercy of her ruthless mother and manager, either of whom is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Kira at the top so that they can benefit from her popularity. Things threaten to derail when Kira goes to Ocean Beach to film a movie and meets Flynn McFadden. Flynn is the local surfing phenomena and a veterinary student. The McFadden family is at the heart of the community and she has never known anything but total acceptance for her "out" lifestyle. There is an instant attraction between Kira and Flynn that makes Kira daring and reckless. When her career is threatened by tabloid stories, her manager shows up to wrench the women apart and Kira lets him do it. The story then leaps forward to when both women have moved on with their very different lives. When a surprising turn of events brings Kira back to Ocean Beach, she has to face Flynn and deal with what she did to both of them. An attraction is still there, but the obstacles are huge. Kira still has a successful career that she may lose and Flynn isn't sure if she wants to expose herself to the kind of pain that Kira inflicted before. The people of Ocean Beach rally to protect Flynn while they watch to see if the women can resolve the situation in a way that will make both of them happy.

Beach Town takes an interesting approach to a standard story. The women meet, fall madly in love and, if it were the usual romance, overcome all the odds, but they don't. The separation allows each one to develop as she thought she wanted to and, when they come back together, the reader knows that it isn't a given that the situation will end happily. The characters stay true to who they are. Kira may be in love, but she wants her career more than anything and that makes it possible for her to be selfish and cruel when she is younger. Flynn grows the most of the two characters, but she maintains that wild spirit encased in responsibility that draws people to her. The interesting part of the book is the second half when it's obvious that the attraction is still there, but life has taught both women that love isn't everything. More important at that point is being able to trust and rely on the other person and the women may not have enough of either trait to be able to let their love reassert itself.

Roberts has created a pleasant romance. The reader can easily feel Kira's desperation and Flynn's pain. There is also humor in the story and a good cast of supporting characters. The book can easily be read in a few hours and should provide good entertainment.

I liked the concept of this story ' love doesn't immediately overcome all obstacles. What didn't really work for me is the point of view Ann Roberts used. Each chapter is told from a different point of view, and even some of the minor characters get a chapter, which made it harder for me to identify with the main characters since we spent little time in their point of view.

The language of the dialogs is so annoying that I just can't go on. Giving up in chapter 3.

The characters seem likeable and quirky, but the dialog, supposedly British and Irish English respectively is so, so, so way overplaying the characteristics of these languages.

A little bit of a sleeper, Ann Roberts consistently delivers well-written novels with very likable characters and believable plots. That sounds boring, I know. However, in `Beach Town' her imagination soars and she has written, in this reader's humble opinion, her best book yet.

Kira - Successful actress under the thumb of her controlling mother and agent. Her father goes along for the ride, enduring a loveless marriage to be involved in his daughter's life. Kira is not free to live her own life and gets solace in the shadows. Kira is shooting a movie in Ocean Beach. Specifically, they are using a local café as one set.

Flynn - Lover of animals, vet student, surfer-extraordinaire, local playgirl and daughter of the owner of the café where the movie is shooting. Flynn is hired to teach Kira how to surf and falls deeply in love with the actress almost immediately. Although the actress shares Flynn's feelings, she isn't free to explore them. This is especially true when her mother and agent find out about their affair and literally rip them apart.

Fast forward several years... Both women have lived their own lives. Kira has been married to a man and has a solitary life on another beach. She focuses on surfing and acting, but is not truly happy. Flynn has opened a vet clinic and concurrently mourns her late wife and rejoices in her young child. Little do Kira and Flynn suspect they will meet again due to an upcoming wedding. Their trust in each other is tested, but will their love overcome? That's for you to find out when you read this fantastic tale of twists and turns.

Bottom Line - Way to go, Ann!