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
