Customer Reviews

Fade to Blue: An Otter Bay Novel

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4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
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Julie Carobini is the queen of the summer romance - she writes the perfect books to read while laying out under the sun soaking up the rays. "Fade To Blue" is a fun book with a familiar setting in Otter Bay, California. As we revisit some old friends and meet some new ones I loved getting reacquainted with the fun world that Julie has created in Otter Bay. She doesn't let me down with this book and leads me on an adventure with Suz and Seth as they meet up with each other after 5 years apart. I wasn't sure how things would turn out and I enjoyed the lead up to the ending. What a great beach read!

Suz Mitchell and her four year old son Jeremiah settle in Otter Bay, California as the single mom obtains a position at Hearst Castle and moves in with her older brother Gage who is engaged to Callie (see A Shore Thing). Her plan is for her and her child to start fresh while she prays her ex Len, who lingers behind bars, returns to God.

Also employed at the castle is her former boyfriend Seth Russo. She is surprised that feelings she thought dead prove they were only hibernating as she is attracted to Seth. He reciprocates and wants second chance with Suz. However, she knows Jeremiah must come first as the lad needs to adapt to his father in jail and he and his mom relocating. Complicating matters is Len is free from prison and coming for his family as if nothing happened as he knows his former wife only sees the best in people.

Fade to Blue is an insightful contemporary Christian Otter Bay relationship drama. The cast makes the tale work especially Suz-Q whose belief in the Lord will soon be tested. With a profound underlying message that you can pray for others but like that proverbial horse not make them drink the water of faith. Readers will appreciate this strong drama.

Harriet Klausner

This is my first book by Julie Carobini and I loved it. This book was was extrememly hard for me to put down. I can't wait to read her other books. I received this complimentary book from B&H Publishing Group to read and review honestly.

Suz Mitchell is recently divorced and her ex is in prison. Jer is her four year old son. She moves to Otter Bay, CA for a fresh start. She gets a job restoring priceless art and lives with her brother, Gage. Much to surprise, her former boyfriend, Seth, has moved to Otter Bay, also. She is trying to sort out her feeling for Seth when her ex, fresh out of prison, shows up to complicate things even more. The characters in the book seem like old friends by the time you finish the book, it is so well written. I would definately recommend this book!

Single mom Suz Mitchell is an artist who most loves painting full wall murals-preferably of ocean life-but there's not much money to be made in that career in the small town of Otter Bay. She takes a job aiding in the restoration of the nearby famous Hearst Castle, though she finds the work tedious.

It's worth it, though, to build a future for her and her young son, Jeremiah, but two unexpected men show up in her life. One is her ex-con ex-husband who claims to have turned over a new leaf. The other is Suz's old boyfriend, whom she hasn't seen since she last chose between the two men years before. Shouldn't she give Jeremiah's father a chance to prove himself a good dad, even though she has no intention of allowing him back into her own life romantically? And what about Seth? It looks to him that Suz has made all the wrong choices. Is there any chance for her to find love again?

Fade to Blue is told entirely in Suz's first person point-of-view and gives a deep look at issues involved in divorce and single parenting. For all the less-than-fluffy material, this book is refreshing and genuinely sensitive. Recommended.

Hi all, today I have a book review of Fade To Blue along with an interview with the author, Julie Carobini. I have never read nay books by this author and it was a new one for me. I was pretty impressed and thought it was a very interesting book:)

Like I said above, I had never before read a book by Julie. I have seen her books here and there but just never found the time to pick one up and read it. I wish I had! This book, Fade To Blue, is part of the Otter Bay series. So I will be finding the other books. I believe a couple of the characters in this book, Gage and Callie, were in the previous one as well, as it alluded to their story a couple times. I do want to say there was one saying I did not care for. At one point Letty, her dear co-worker, makes a statement about the Man upstairs and his mother Mary and all the Saints. I didn't really care for this statement. This is the only thing in the book I did not care for but I wanted to mention it.

My favorite character throughout this whole book was Seth. He has been through quite a lot and is still going through a tough time. Suz was an interesting person. She is tough and yet gentle at the same time. She has quite a time of choices and the future they will include. All the characters seem to be having some troubles, other than little Jeremiah:) He is quite a cutie!! At four years old he has a funny sense of humor and was very adorable. Letty was an added character. She has a tough exterior and then you find out that underneath she is such a sweetheart.

One of my favorite parts was when Fred is in a predicament and his wife appears. They are hysterical together! The comments and the running dialogue is quite funny. Very sweet couple and then you find out they have a past as well. The characters in this book just pull you in. They have you cheering for them in the good times and mourning for in the bad. A nice addition was Holly. I am not sure if she was in the previous book or not but it would be nice to have a book about her. One thing that Julie mentioned above was the Anemones. I really found this aspect quite fascinating and had to do a little research on them my own:) As you can see from the picture I found, they are unique and very beautiful in their own way.

Overall I loved this book. It was a nice change from the normal everyday plots. Great characters and a wonderful style of writing will keep you enthralled in the pages of this book!

I received a copy of this book for review purposes. I did not receive any monetary compensation and all thoughts are 100% mine.

I don't often have the opportunity to read contemporary fiction. With the time spent researching for my own historical novels and reading other historical novels to stay up to date on what's selling on the market, contemporary novels usually fall by the wayside. But with Julie's Fade to Blue, I took the time. And I'm glad I did.

Julie has a gift for making characters and settings come alive. Having spent most of my life on the East Coast and within an hour of sandy beaches, this book brought back a lot of memories and made me feel as if I were sitting in a lounge chair in that very same sand I once enjoyed.

This book is yet another perfect summer romance as the story of Seth and Suz unfolds. The five years they spent apart carries a lot of burden for both of them. With a divorce hanging on her belt and a young son to raise, Suz faces her hurdles and the hurts of her past with sometimes aching reality. Seth is there in an attempt to help pick up the pieces, but his presence only reminds her of the pain. And the memories of their mistakes makes them both real to the reader. As the flames of attraction are fanned yet again, the realization of second chances becomes a glimmering possibility.

Julie offers a delightful summer read, full of more than romance to satisfy your yearning for a good story. Perfect to escape into the fun and the sun. Be sure to take this book with you!

Fade to Blue by Julie Carobini

An Otter Bay Novel

c. 2011

B&H Fiction

ISBN 978 0805448740

Romance

As soon as I heard the music behind Julie Carobini's trailer for her new novel, I kept hearing it behind all the words in her novel. Fade to Blue is an art-and dream-lover's modern love story of second chances that sometimes work, and sometimes don't.

Suz Mitchell made some tough decisions when her world fell apart at her parents' death. Frightened by the direction her long-time love, Seth, was taking, she couldn't take the leap of faith with him, and settled for a man who made promises he had no intention of keeping.

Years later, Suz is divorced with a young son to care for. She picks up the coals of her life and moves to California to be with her brother while she gets on her feet. Her new job as an art restorer plays right into her talents. When Seth shows up, the flames are fanned anew. Only this time, Seth reminds Suz of all the mistakes she ever made, and invents some new ones. How can she defend herself against his accusations when half of them are true?

Suz's ex-husband plays the "got religion" card as an incentive to gain parole. Can Suz trust him? Just how far should faith and gullibility walk hand in hand?

I enjoyed Carobini's novel, especially the Hearst Castle, which I could have used a lot more visuals of, and life on the California coast. The story was fresh and nicely done in chummy first-person, although I had to take some time to sort out the multitude of characters introduced in the first chapters. An eclectic group of nice and not-so-nice people made for a sometimes heart-thumping read. A good mix of intrigue, caution, regret and determination make for a great beach read. Readers who are itching for a different kind of romance will enjoy Carobini's Fade to Blue.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the author for review.

Fade To Blue is Julie Carobini's third title in her Otter Bay Series and continues with the light-hearted romance we've come to expect from this author.

The "beach" theme that Julie incorporates into this series makes the readers feel like they are right there with the waves, the sand and the seagulls. When you open her books you can almost feel the cool ocean breezes.

In this book, Suz Mitchell is a divorced mom who is trying to start over and raise her young son away from his father who is in prison. Her brother Gage has graciously taken her in and Suz is determined to get back on her feet and make a new life for herself and young Jeremiah.

Just as life is starting to feel peaceful again and Suz is finding her place amidst the beautiful California coast, she runs into an old flame who is working at the historical Hearst Castle. Seeing her first love Seth Russo unnerves Suz and stirs up old emotions both good and bad. Her decision to break off her relationship with Seth and marry another man was a bad one and Suz finds herself wishing she could go back in time.

And just as she's caught off guard by meeting up with Seth, the drama goes up another notch when Suz receives a letter from her ex-husband Len, who wants to reconnect with her and Jeremiah when he's released on parole. He claims he's a changed man and wants a second chance. Suz is a mass of confused, swirling emotions and has no idea what she should do. She feels conflicted as a Christian and has to figure out what it means to walk in love and yet guard her heart. Len has lied to her so many times before yet for the sake of their son, Suz wonders if he deserves a second chance. With Fade To Blue, Julie Carobini offers up another heartwarming summer time read, perfect for vacation when you want to escape and soak up the sun.

Suz Mitchell was hoping for a fresh start away from her past. In moving into her brother's home on California's central coast, just within view of the famed Hearst Castle, along with her young son Jeremiah, she thought all her past was behind her. Until the day, he showed up quite literally right in front of her eyes.

Working as an apprentice restoring historic art for Hearst Castle, she looks up one day at the window washer who looks eerily familiar. It's Seth, her ex-boyfriend that she broke up with when he presented her with fleeting ideas to traveling the US and visit places while making a living wherever life took them. Wanting just a bit more stability in her life with the recent death of her mom, she found it in the arms of Len.

At first life was perfect, with a man who loved to wine and dine and spoil her with everything money could buy. She should have seen the signs that when things appear to be too perfect, there might be something too it. Her new husband found his life would soon be placed behind bars after finding out, the way he was making his money was through illegal drug deals.

Now she wants nothing more to do with either of them, but when the parole board announces that Len is heading her way with his new found faith in Christ and the re-appearance of Seth, Suz begins to wonder just what she should do and how to protect her son, Jeremiah from it all.

I received Fade To Blue by Julie Carobini compliments of Christian Blog Fiction Blog Alliance and B & H Books for my honest review. This book is such a treat as we see the restoration efforts set amid Hearst Castle and the Pacific Coast while love finds a way into the heart of Suz Mitchell. This is a story about second chances and being willing to open your heart again with the help of God. It's the ultimate story of restoration of the heart and soul and will captures a 5 out of 5 stars!

Reading "Fade to Blue" was like slipping into a comfortable setting with characters that quickly become your friends.

There is an ease to the story and the characters that walk across the pages are fully dimensional. But I loved how, while the book is easy to slip into and hard to leave, there is an underlying depth. A depth of character growth, plot dimension, and a cast of secondary characters that don't lack personality.

Often my biggest struggle with first-person contemporaries is the lack of the story really going anywhere. There are often "blocks" of writing that lulls, but I didn't have that problem with "Fade to Blue". There is continual forward motion in the course of the story - plot change, character development or a physical change in the characters and I really appreciated that about the reading - it never lacked my attention.

The characters are well defined, Suz, Seth, Lettie, Len, they all had their own personal struggles, adding layers of plot structure, making the novel a continually interesting read. (Oh and the ending...great story elements, take my word for it, it's a GREAT ending!)

I thoroughly enjoyed my first trek into Otter Bay and look forward to going back again.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publisher through CFBA for my copy to review.