Sunshine Beach: Ten Beach Road, Book 4

I have been waiting for this Ten Beach Road installment and preordered to be sure I didn't forget to download it when available. Well, there was no hurry. The characters were the same, of course - Maddie, Avery, Nicki, Kyra, Joe, Jeff etc. - and they didn't change or grow much. While a revisit to Bella Flora was pleasant and the Do Over of a mid-century motel had real promise, the sub-story of the mysterious death of Renee and Annelise's father (who "happen" to be the wife and sister-in-law of their original realtor, John) didn't add up. Dates were off when you consider that WWII was over in 1945. Some of the characters, including the sisters, would be elderly to decrepit. Annalise, especially, seemed like a caricature in the vein of Baby Jane. Joe and Nicki's love spat was over the top and got pretty boring with page after page of angst. One reviewer suggested that there was a publishing deadline - perhaps to become this year's best beach read? - and that may be so, given the lack of plotting and character development. I hope that Ms. Wax will return to the story development as evidenced in the earlier books.

As our old friends gather once again to plan another renovation, I was all set to curl up and enjoy the adventures in  Sunshine Beach (Ten Beach Road Novel Book 4) . The characters have tentatively landed a renovation of an old mid-century beach hotel.I loved reviving old friendships with the characters while they planned the new project. They settle in at Bella Flora, the home Kyra, Maddie’s daughter, now owns, thanks to her son’s father. As usual, Avery is all set with her construction crew; Kyra is ready to film, and eager to do the project independently after the disaster of the Do Over show. A wrinkle in the production had morphed that experience into a reality show.Nikki has some issues with her boyfriend, FBI agent Joe Giraldi, while her brother Malcolm, the one responsible for all of their financial worries, has reached out to her.Maddie is still feeling bliss about her new romance with the rock star William Hightower…but insecurities threaten that bliss.When Maddie’s ex, Steve, shows up and seems ready to make himself at home, they all feel the irritation born from his laziness and his inability to effectively help them.What will happen to threaten the project? How will a mystery from WWII add conflict? How will they rise above the threats of their former bosses? Can they move beyond the challenges and find gratification once again? A very satisfying new chapter in the life of the characters, and enjoyable to this reader. 4.5 stars.

Wendy Wax write a fun read, and I turn to her when I want a break from reality and a good laugh. I've really enjoyed the Ten Beach Road series, but this was not my favorite in the series. This book was more about dealing with various damaged relationships than moving the Ten Beach Road series forward. And the actual renovation in this story was really downplayed and, frankly, didn't make sense to me from the beginning. (The property sounded to me like a tear-down from the get-go. While I know the whole premise is a series of fantasies, I didn't see any way that the property could be turned into a going concern, and I remained skeptical through the end of the book.)Tip: This is a series that really needs to be read in order. This book picks up on past relationships without a lot of exposition. So if you haven't ready any of the Ten Beach Road books, don't start with this one.

Overall, I enjoyed this fourth book in the series. The back story of the unsolved murder of one person and the disappearance of another was an interesting addition. And I do find the characters like able - for the most part. However, I just wanted to reach into the pages and shake the Nicki character. Her over the top insecurities and treatment of Joe became extremely annoying. No matter how he responded to her ridiculous behavior- it was wrong. I know the author wants to leave some loose ends for the next book, but this was just too much "nobody could really want me I will just be a disappointment boo-hoo" behavior. Thank goodness the author was not as heavy handed with Maddie's twinges of insecurity regarding Will. I never would have finished the book. I do hope there is a 5th book, but I also hope the author gives the characters more backbone in the relationship department to match their strong determined business personas.

I like the series. I dislike that the author has Dustin talking at seven months of age, even putting a couple words together and that at two and a half years of age, he still has the same vocabulary and enunciation of words from two years earlier. It's just not believable and really annoying. More child development research was needed before writing this series.

I have enjoyed all of the previous books in the 10 Beach Road series, but this one is a stinker. There is no action and almost no renovation going on, Maddie's rock star boyfriend disappears after the first few chapters, the mystery of what happened to Renee & Annelise's parents is boring, and worst of all, Nikki acts like a complete idiot throughout the book. Ugh! I couldn't wait for it to end.

it took me a while to get into this one. I am a fan of rehabbing old houses, and this was a motel type rehab. The same characters, and i love these ladies, joe and “dustbin”. Not sure i want this series to ever end. This one had a murder mystery involved, and that kept my attention as much as the romances.

Maddie, Avery, Nikki & Kyra begin their next do-over close to their first. I love this series. I enjoy that lives get do-overs while the women & supporters renovate the current property. I won't share details bc it's just better not to have the story spoiled. These are great beach reads or in my case a great Covid-19 stay in your house read. I'm on to Book 5.

The Ten Beach Road series is perfect if you’re looking for an interesting read with some mystery, romance, drama & comedy. The women are very real. They are strong, resilient, determined, clever & talented. However, they do have their weaknesses, which are important to the story. This book in the series takes the characters in unexpected directions. Big personal challenges resulting in big personal gains. An uplifting read.

Seems I was rereading the previous books all over again. Could not stand Annelise character. I guess the author wants her books to be stand alone for new readers, but I found it a bit tedious..let's see the next one.

Another great Wendy Wax book...

Loved it and read it in 2 days