Book Review: Sunshine Beach

By Annell Gerson

In USA Today bestselling author and long-time Marietta resident Wendy Waxs newest summer read, Sunshine Beach, Maddie, Avery and Nikki become friends out of necessity, as each has lost everything in a Ponzi scheme masterminded by none other than Nikkis own brother. Prior to this economic hurricane, Maddie was a happy, suburban, stay-at-home mom. Avery, worked with her husband on a home improvement TV show, and Nikki was a jet-setting, upscale matchmaker. Now, without the curtain of financial security hiding the reality of their emotional lives, each must examine who they really are, and how they will survive.

Despite their diverse backgrounds, or perhaps because of them, the women forge a tenacious friendship and work doggedly to rebuild not only their economic stability, but also their shattered emotional lives.

Sunshine Beach finds the three friends and Maddies daughter, Kyra, in Pass-a Grille, Florida, anxiously hoping to begin their fourth restoration. This time, theyve found a beachfront hotel left neglected since its heyday in the 50s. The owners of the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club are still living, but have left the hotel abandoned, partly because theyre haunted by childhood memories surrounding the tragedy that occurred there many years ago, and partly because they hope that modern science will one day help solve the mystery surrounding that same tragedy.

Maddie, Avery and Nikki must first figure out a way to convince the owners to allow the renovation then raise the money for the construction. Then, they must find workers and a designer willing to work for almost nothing and hopefully, convince a television network to purchase the filming of the restoration. Theyre talented, optimistic, creative and determined, but will it be enough to pull off their biggest restoration yet?

Sunshine Beach is the fourth book in the Ten Beach Road series; however, each book easily stands on its own.