4 Smooches!
Synopsis
“Love is a messy thing. That hopelessly devoted, deep-in-your-bones kind of love we used to dream about when we were kids—it turns out that it’s hard. It aches. It takes time. Like a house that weathers the ages, it must be built, brick by brick.”
Snarky and ambitious Dawn Campbell almost had it all: a job producing lavish celebrity events, a hip downtown apartment, and a studmuffin of a boyfriend. But after losing all three in one fell swoop, Dawn finds herself resorting to the unimaginable: returning home to Bridgeport, an oceanside town where the air smells sweet but not much happens.
When a chance encounter brings her into the sturdy arms of John Brown, her childhood best friend, old feelings come rushing back. As the sparks fly, life finally starts to look up for Dawn…until she meets his wife.
Marguerite Brown has everything that Dawn doesn’t: a killer fashion sense, a breathtaking beauty, and a French accent—oh, and the kind of temperament that makes great white sharks seem docile in comparison. Determined to release John from an unhappy marriage, Dawn turns on the charm and makes a plan to finally win back her one-that-got-away.
But after Dawn stumbles upon a secret that, up until now, Marguerite has meticulously kept hidden, the two women are thrust into an unexpected friendship. An Imaginary House by the Sea follows Dawn’s journey towards self-rediscovery, finding purpose, and building a more complex, steadfast kind of love than she could have ever imagined.
“Cecily’s writing reads like a snarky Nicholas Sparks. An Imaginary House by the Sea is an emotional rollercoaster grounded by her uniquely wry voice.” – India Lee, author of HDU and the Hidden Gem series
Review
Dawn Campbell had it all….well almost. When the axis tilted and Dawn found herself going back to her hometown of Bridgeport, she didn’t think she could have it any worse. Until she met her best friend growing up and unrequited love, John Brown, shortly after moving home, she knew that love and romance was on her side…until yet again, it wasn’t.
I can honestly say that at the beginning of this book, I had prejudged and decided I hated it. I didn’t like Dawn’s selfish, shallow, self-absorbed attitude or behavior. If it wasn’t about or for Dawn, she wasn’t having it. However, the more I read, the more I began to enjoy the story, as well as the characters.
The story line reminded me somewhat of the movie “Stepmom”. I fell in love with Marguerite when she challenged Dawn to be herself and face her dreams. I laughed and boy did I cry (So have the tissues ready)!!!!!
Cecily Gates did a great job in making you connect with the characters and feel what they were. The way she did the snippets of the past really helped to understand the characters and where they were coming from, without bogging down the story. She could be a sassy Nicholas Sparks .
All in all, I’d give An Imaginary House by the Sea by Cecily Gates 4 SMOOCHES!
Tricia Phelps
