Monday, September 6, 2021

Review - - The Cafe at Sugar Sand Inn and Birthday Giveaway #6

The Cafe at Sugar Sand Inn
by Leigh Duncan
Sugar Sand Beach - Book 3
Publisher: Gardenia Street Publishing
Release Date: August 13, 2021
Reviewed by PJ
 


Escape to Sugar Sand Beach with Nina Gray and her best friends for a second chance at all life has to offer.

At forty-five, Chef Nina has all but given up on her dream of having a kitchen of her very own. Once hailed as the fresh, new face on the restaurant scene, she saw her hopes for the future fall like an overbaked soufflé after the man she loved betrayed her and destroyed her reputation. For ten years, Nina has worked hard at regaining the trust of the top chefs in the DC area. But opening a restaurant of her own? That dream went up in a puff of smoke a long time ago.

Or she thought it had…until, thanks to the best friends a girl could ever want, Nina gets one more chance to make her dreams come true. While Michelle, Reggie and Erin concentrate on converting a run-down beach house into an inn, Nina tests out new dishes and recipes for the soon-to-be-opened Cafe at Sugar Sand Inn. But when rumors of Nina’s past threaten the Cafe, will diners and guests patronize the beautiful restaurant she’s always wanted? Or will history repeat itself?

Join Nina, Michelle, Reggie and Erin as they build new lives in Sugar Sand Beach, where fresh opportunities for life, love and happiness are as limitless as the blue Florida skies.


PJ's Thoughts:

Leigh Duncan continues her Sugar Sand Beach series with another heartwarming story about second chances and mature women who are at a crossroads in their lives. I'm really enjoying this new women's fiction series and the four women at the heart of it. This time around, it's Nina's turn to take center stage as she prepares for the opening of her new cafe. 

In this book, Duncan skillfully weaves the threads of all four women's lives together as they move forward with their new lives, strengthen the bonds of their already strong friendships, work together to open their new inn, and conquer the unexpected challenges thrown into their paths. Even though Nina is the primary focus of this book, we still watch the continuing growth of the other women, the new people entering their lives, and the progress toward making their dreams a reality. Nina is in for a rocky road with the appearance of the man who destroyed her career and seems determined to do so again. There's a bit of a mystery to solve while dealing with her adversary, an intriguing contractor who may play an important role in her life going forward, and a point where Nina has to decide if her dreams are worth fighting for. 

It's another page-turner that has me even more deeply enmeshed in the lives of Nina, Michelle, Reggie, and Erin along with the residents of their sleepy beachside town. Forty-five year old, world traveler Erin is next and I'm eager to find out what Duncan has in store for her. Her book, The Reunion at Sugar Sand Inn is scheduled to release October 15, 2021. I already have it marked on my book calendar. 

This is a series where I recommend reading the books in order. They are The Gift at Sugar Sand Inn, The Secret at Sugar Sand Inn, The Cafe at Sugar Sand Inn, The Reunion at Sugar Sand Inn (10/15/21), and Christmas at Sugar Sand Inn (11/19/21). While all five books have romantic threads, they are chaste women's fiction (no love scenes).  


Michelle, Nina, Reggie, and Erin are all starting over in a small beach town in the Florida Panhandle. If you were starting over with a group of girlfriends, where would you choose? The beach? Mountains? Country? City? Somewhere else? 

Birthday Giveaway #6

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, September 8 will receive a book from my home library (U.S. only). If the winner is international, you will receive one book of your choice (value not to exceed $10 U.S.) from bookdepository.com.

*Must be 18
*Void where prohibited






32 comments:

  1. I had to make that decision 7 years ago and I chose the city. However if I had to do that again, I will choose the mountain or ocean - city life is tough

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    1. I hope you're able to find some good parts too.

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  2. I would definitely choose to live at the beach since the beach is my favorite place to visit, vacation and relax. The beauty of the ocean and the life there is perfect.

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    1. I love visiting the beach but I don't know that I'd want to live there full-time.

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  3. I've lived in the same place all my life so a hard question. I'm use to the suburbs but a small town appeals to me right now.

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    1. If my parents hadn't moved while I was in college, I probably would have spent my entire life in one place too. At this point in my life, I'm happy for all the different experiences I've had.

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    1. I have to say, a small town was a great place to grow up.

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  5. I would choose a city with an ocean nearby and beaches :)

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  6. Since city living has been my life, I would want a complete change for a lovely beach which would provide me with the surroundings I need and crave.

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    1. I wouldn't mind splitting my time between city and beach. They both have a lot to offer.

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  7. Leigh Duncan is an excellent writer! You can't take a girl away from the mountains..you can't take the mountains away from the girl.

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    1. I find mountains, especially the Great Smokey and Blue Ridge Mountains, to be very soothing to the soul.

      I love losing myself in Duncan's stories.

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  8. I have the first 2 books on my Kindle. You have made me realize what I am missing.

    Thanks for the review. Hope everyone is well and safe and happy.

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  9. I find the mountains of East Tennessee to be my second home.

    Denise

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  10. I would start over in the country. I grew up in the country but have lived in bigger cities since adulthood (50+ years). I would love a small cabin with a few acres of woods to retire on.

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  11. We would definitely choose the beach.

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  12. I would love to live at the beach, that would be a dream come true.

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  13. It would have to be the beach. While I love the mountains, I don't want to deal with the snow.

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  14. If I were starting over, I think I would head to the mountains. I grew up in the Adirondacks of Northern New York, lived in the Colorado Rockies for several years, and now live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I do like the mountains of the Northeast (they don't get as hot as it does here in TN, but anymore, who knows what the weather will be like.). I can see having an inn or hostel for hikers, a craft and supply store, and a cafe. Good home style cooking with good desserts would appeal to hikers, travelers, and locals and not have to be too costly. Having an outlet for local crafters and a supply store for hikers and campers is something these areas can always use. Concentrating on necessities of good quality and not high end fashion pieces makes sense. There are some lovely old inns and Victoria houses in those mountains that could be converted to an inn. It would be awesome to have a sugarbush, but adding agriculture is a major extension and requires more money and knowledge. Partnering with a local farmer as an outlet and showplace for their wares would be a nice extension of what the inn and shop had to offer.

    I will have to put this series on my wish list. I have read the reviews of the books and the theme appeals.

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  15. I love reading stories girlfriends having each other backs. I also love a good second chance book. Thanks for the review PJ.

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  16. I love the mountains but am worried that things might be too inaccessible from there, so I would likely start over in the countryside but not too far from a city…I rather sound like I would be more of a suburb person with a very large garden. I and my friends who would be starting over with me am likely to start up a well curated plant nursery with an attached coffee/tea shop.

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  17. Starting over by the beach sounds ideal.

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  18. As I get older I find I prefer warmer temperatures. I would like to live near the water with access to a city.

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  19. The beach would be a great place to start over.

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  20. If I was going to start my life over with my girlfriends, it would have to be at the beach. The beach is my happy place and I love to go there with friends.

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  21. I really enjoyed this book and I will recommend her books to anyone who loves romance novels. She is a wonderful writer.

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