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Anonymous
Posted May 4, 2012
Wonderful story of love surviving the impossible.
Loved this story. Love the author. It is great how she reveals God's love through human interactions.
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Anonymous
Posted March 29, 2012
A good read
It was a good book, but was not as good as some of her other books.
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Fabulous!
I could not put this book down! It had everything: romance, suspense, humor, conflict, life lessons. I breezed right through it, wondering what would come next the hero and heroine!
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LOVED it!
Seaside Letters was everything I want in a romance. It grabbed me from the first chapter with angst and emotion and kept me glued to my seat until the book finished some three hundred pages and a couple of hours later. I did not get up to get a drink, I did not get a snack. I did not answer my cell phone. I just sat there and read the entire novel in one sitting.
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This is the kind of book that makes me LOVE romance (and yes, all caps required). The heroine was vulnerable and wary. The hero was resourceful and extremely patient. Their relationship was a cat and mouse game where the stakes rose as each chapter passed.
There is some suspension of disbelief required of the reader to get through the middle plot twists, but really, romance lovers like myself are used to suspending disbelief in order to enjoy the story (Twilight, anyone?).
Shout out to Denise Hunter...you've just made another slightly obsessed book blogging stalker...er, fan. I'll be tracking down everything you've written! -
Anonymous
Posted May 3, 2010
Great Book.
Great book.
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Love it!
Don't you just love it when a book keeps you up all night? I'm not usually one to stay up late reading a Christian romance; it's not exactly the most suspenseful genre. Last night, however, I couldn't sleep. I was too busy reading Denis Hunter's "Seaside Letters."
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Hunter takes the age-old "pen pal" story and makes it her own with waitress Sabrina and her customer, Tucker. Sabrina suffers from a lack of confidence because her fiance broke up with her six days before their wedding. An online relationship seems like the only safe relationship. That relationship is put in jeopardy, however, when Sabrina finds out Tucker's her man... and he wants her to help him find his secret pen pal. Little does she know that Tucker invented the relationship as a way to break down her barriers and to get to know her. Now, Sabrina must invent a way to keep Tucker from discovering the full truth, a truth from her past that could ruin both her pen pal and her real-life relationship with Tucker.
Hunter makes the classic "You've Got Mail" story and makes it her own with lovable characters and surprising plot twists. Above all, she touches the heart with her message that true beauty is found in the heart. Hunter's writing, while not descriptive, is compelling. She keeps the reader in suspense to the very end, revealing tid bits of important information as she goes along.
The thing I love most about Christian romances is that there's always a character with a history that inhibits her from having confidence and taking on a new relationship. Hunter's "Seaside Letters" follows this formula to a "T," using her characters to show the unending love of God. It's a beautiful story. -
A Powerful Story of Pursuit
In this powerful story of love and redemption, Denise Hunter exemplifies God's unrelenting love for us through Tucker's love for Sabrina.
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Sabrina grew up in the shadows of her beautiful cousins and when her fiance leaves her, it strengthens her belief that she's unworthy of love. Tucker meets her at the cafe where she works and seeks her out.
His pursuit mimics the way God seeks out His people. This romantic tale will take you on a journey of sadness, romance, despair, redemption and joy.
Hunter creates characters that come alive and invite you to join them on their journey of God-seeking. I hurt when Sabrina hurt and rejoiced when Tucker finally got to kiss his girl.
This is a must-read for anyone looking for a little romance and a reminder of God's grace. -
Hunt4Books
Posted October 26, 2009
Great!
While the sea laps to shore along Nantucket Island's coastline, two people search for love through a maze of betrayal, mystery and brokenness. Grab your coffee, pull up a chair and settle in to a heaping serving of romance as you consume the pages of "Seaside Letters." But beware. This poignant story will have you searching for more of Denise Hunter's books!
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Wonderful allegory
This story did just what I expected. It showed how we try to hide the truth about ourselves when all along Jesus knows who we are and He's just waiting for us to be real with Him and trust Him. And like Sabrina in the story, we don't understand how we can be forgiven. Yet, Christ woos us and tries to show us by His gentle love that He longs for a relationship with us. He understands our weaknesses and reaches out to us despite the barriers we often erect to surround our hearts.
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Like Tucker, the hero, Christ knew us long before He reveals Himself to us. He sought us out because He loved us first and just wants us to love Him back. Despite her past, Sabrina longed to be loved for who she was even though she'd never felt good enough or pretty enough to deserve it. And being betrayed by her fiance right before their wedding was more proof that she was unloveable, in her estimation. I loved how this story showed occasional pain-filled situations from the past and did so in the "moment" as if it was happening right then. Wow.
I found the conflict and tension very enjoyable and loved how the relationship between the characters slowly developed. I kept wanting her to just let him love her the way Jesus wants us to let Him love us. But because this is a romance, the kind of love is different in this story...it's romantic. And as expected, there are some heartpounding moments that seem so real that I was pulled totally into the setting and the moment. I have to say that Denise is one of the best romance writers when it comes to setting up the situation for the perfect romantic first kiss. Heavy sigh. That was so awesome.
Bottom line, if you enjoy allegories with spiritual depth and meaning, you'll love the Nantucket series. If you are just looking for a romance without the underlying message, you will probably miss it in this story. But because I'm a Believer, it really warmed my heart. I highly recommend it. -
Seaside letters
This novel grabbed me from the first few pages and I did not want to stop reading. The outcome is predictable but it is still a cute love story where I had to know what happens next and how Sabrina wiggles herself out of the situations she gets herself into. Sabrina was dumped by her fiancée and betrayed by her cousin six days before her wedding and ran off to Nantucket to work in a diner as a waitress. She met Tucker online and started corresponding with him under an alias name. Things began to spin out of control when Sabrina told her first lie- sending a photo of her cousin Arielle to Tucker.
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I recommend this book to anyone who likes love and romance. -
Just Another Love Story
I loved this story's message that there is no sin God can't forgive. I will quite happily read another of Denise Hunter's books. Her writing is suburb. By page five she had sucked me into Sabrina's fear and suspense. I was gripping the book with both hands and holding my breath as I read - unfortunately my suspense didn't last.
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About halfway through the book I became irritated with Sabrina for sparing her own feelings at the expense of those around her, and I was irritated with Tucker for watching her do so and not calling her on it. I felt the whole scenario was a bit too "woe is me." Yes, Sabrina's parents died young. Yes, her former fiancé is about to marry her cousin. Yes, she put herself in an untenable situation. She has been hurt and clearly has reason to fear trusting again, but she indulges her fear to the extreme of hurting others, and that's when she lost me.
I am not and never have been a fan of helpless females. If you don't need a "take charge" kind of heroine, and you like stories where the white knight swoops in to the rescue, you'll love this book. Me, I want to read about women who overcome their own fears and don't wait for some big strong man to rescue them - and I want to read about men who admire strength in their women.
I am a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program at: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ -
Seaside Letters, just like You've Got Mail?
"Sabrina never intended to fall in love with Tucker McCabe, the man she serves coffee to every morning at the Nantucket Café - especially since he's unwittingly tied to a past she deeply regrets. But she has fallen hard, though she's kept her feelings a secret.
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When Tucker learns Sabrina is the research assistant for a local mystery writer, he asks Sabrina to help him with a little sleuthing of his own.locating an elusive woman he's fallen for online.
If Sabrina accepts the job, she'll spend her evenings in close proximity to a man that can never be hers. If she turns him down, he'll hire someone else - and that would be disaster. Because if someone else sifts through all those letters and finds out the truth, Tucker will discover her secret.That the person he's trying to find is her."
This is such a great, feel good, romance story. If you are a fan of such movie classics as You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle or even When Harry Met Sally, you will love this book by Denise Hunter.
This is a classic romance novel woven around the story of mistakes, love, and forgiveness coupled with the love of God. Once I received it from Thomas Nelson Publishers, I couldn't put it down. I was immediately drawn into the story of Sabrina and Tucker and whether or not, theirs would lead to the classic, Happily Ever After Ending.
The story in set in Nantucket during the summer, as Sabrina is a waitress who has fallen for a man she doesn't really know who she has been emailing for over a year. Tucker is pretty much a captain of a tour boat operation that provides the local tourists with boat trips around the island, who has fallen in love with a woman he has meet in Nantucket Chat room. Once you pick this book up, you won't want to put it down until the very end. -
Seaside Letters, A Nantucket Love Story by Denise Hunter, Thomas Nelson Publisher
This is a about Sabrina. A young woman who falls in love and hides her feelings from the very one who could give her the love she so desperately wants.
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I read the first third of the book in one sitting. I was drawn in by Ms. Hunter's original plot with its many subtle twist and turns. She built the plot up layer by layer with the usual premise of a woman falling in love with a man, named Tucker, whom she met on line. Nothing different about that, however Ms. Hunter introduces her first twist in the introduction when Tucker approaches Sabrina with an offer. Please help me find the woman I have fallen in love with on line. It doesn't take long before Sabrina realizes Tucker is looking for her. Sabrina however doesn't want to be found and does everything she can to stay hidden.
There were points in the book I wished Ms. Hunter had flushed out a little more, such as Sabrina's insecurities about her appearance. Also I would have appreciated more details on the background of her family and landlady mystery writer, Renny. Those things would have added more definition and substance to the story and made it more believable. These characters have a profound impact on Sabrina's life, but the reader comes away knowing little about them. That said I would have no problems reading another book by this storyteller. I am member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger. http://brb.thomasnelson.com -
Tangled Webs but Engaging Story
This week I'm reviewing a fiction book by Denise Hunter called "Seaside Letters." It's the story of Sabrina and Tucker, who live on the small island of Nantucket. Sabrina works as a waitress and serves Tucker (a captain of tour boats) every morning at precisely 7:10. It also happens that they have a vibrant email relationship, but under pseudonyms. Sabrina knows its Tucker she's communicating with, but doesn't think that he would like her as much if he knew it was her.
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Yes, it sounds confusing. And if you're me, you think, "Golly, why don't you just say, "its me!" And frankly, a few times during this story, I wondered that. Stop messing around people. Let's just get honest with each other and tell what we know! Because of this, the story seemed a little slow to me (which sometimes can happen when the reader is in on the secret). But the characters are well-written and Tucker especially, is an engaging and worthy "hero" of this story. And in fact, after a couple chapters the story picks up and it turns out there are many more secrets the reader has to discover. Most of the plot twists are surprising and inventive. In all, I enjoyed the book - it was a quick, fun read that took my mind off my own life; just what I want a romance novel to do. It had a pleasant amount of romance without being trashy, and I thought the chemistry was well-written between the characters. Four seashells out of five. -
fascinating inspirational romance
On Nantucket, Sabrina Kincaid works at the Cobblestone Café where everyday she serves Tucker McCabe his coffee. Although attracted to him to distraction that she spills coffee, the only relationship she accepts is one in cyberspace as she was hurt badly once before when she lived in Macon, Georgia by her fiancé and her cousin.
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Tucker has fallen in love with his email pen pal Sweetpea, but though he believes she is attracted to him and even sent him a photo of her; she refuses to meet him in person. He has heard that Sabrina is good at puzzles so he wants to hire her to find his Sweetpea. Sabrina knows that would be extremely easy to achieve. The hard part would be to tell her beloved email buddy that he just hired Sweetpea to find his Sweetpea as the picture he has of her is actually that of her seditious cousin; so expecting rejection if she tells the truth she schemes to conceal her identity. She is unaware that Tucker is hiding information from her.
Sabrina is a fascinating character as she feels her transgressions compound her feelings of plainness so that Tucker and God will reject her. The more lies she weaves and he by omission, the more complicated unraveling the truth becomes though her friend Renny the wannabe writer insists honesty is the only policy. Fans of inspirational romances will enjoy the second Nantucket romance (see SURRENDER BAY; not read by me) even if the island community never comes into focus. Two people in love find redemption by taking a chance on honesty with themselves, each other and God.
Harriet Klausner -
Garridon
Posted September 26, 2009
Too much lying and not enough romance
Seaside Letters by Denise Hunter is a romance novel set in Nantucket. Tucker McCabe has been emailing a woman named Sweetpea for a year and has fallen in love with her. But Sweetpea refuses to meet with him, so Tucker asks Sabrina Kincaid-known for her research skills-to find the woman. The problem is that Sabrina is the mystery woman .
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The story missed for me in a couple of places. The first was setting. I've never been to Nantucket, so I wanted to see how the setting was brought into the story. Unfortunately, the setting didn't have much of a role.
I also found Sabrina to be unlikable. She swears off relationships-but starts one through email. When Tucker asks her to find Sweetpea, she lies, feels guilty, worries, and continues to lie. The attempts to cover up the lies don't come across as believable-instead, I wondered why she just didn't tell the truth. And how come Tucker kept tap dancing around everything without telling her the truth either? I understand that theme of the book was lying, but the lies felt more like they were for the story to happen than a logical development of the characters. -
ibrand
Posted September 24, 2009
Unusual Twist to A Modern-Day Romance
In Seaside Letters, Denise Hunter gives an unusual twist to a modern-day love story. Sabrina and Tucker are involved in an internet friendship, which eventually turns into a romance. When Tucker wants to meet Sabrina in person, she's terrified because she knows how closely horrific incidents in her past intertwine with Tucker's family. In spite of her efforts, Tucker eventually learns the truth about Sabrina's one mistake.
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With a Nantucket seaside setting, the author takes her readers on a breathtaking, emotional rollercoaster ride before the way is paved for love on the closing pages of the book. Seaside Letters is a sure bet to capture the reader in an absorbing love story. The book is a charming tale of the power of love overcoming the odds. This unusual romance will tug at the readers' emotional heartstrings and leave them with the satisfaction that true love overcomes all difficulties. -
Seaside Letters....
Sabrina, a waitress with a past, falls in love with a man who has been sending her emails. Then she realizes the writer is someone she knows. He can NEVER find out who she is because of a major secret. Now he has approached her to hire her to find the "secret lady." Both of them have no idea what "secrets" are yet to be revealed.
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This book would be good for a trip with a lot of interruptions. I didn't have to finish the book to know what was going to happen at the end. Even though it was a story that could easily be followed, I felt that it left me wanting something else with more substance. Maybe a sequel is in order to finish some substantial issues.
The setting of the book also lacked many details. I was rather saddened not to feel the presence of the salt water from Nantucket or the smell of pie at the diner. The cover was the only object that had details that made me want to go there.
The story itself did not really inspire me. Although, I understood redemption and the power of honesty, it made me feel blah.
Sometimes a person might want a book that can be put down without rushing back into the room to read it and this might be just the book.
Being a reviewer for Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program, at http://brb.thomasnelson.com/ these have been my thoughts. -
Seaside Letters
Seaside Letters
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A Nantucket Love Story
Denise Hunter
Thomas Nelson
2009
Fiction/Christian/Romance
Reviewed by Cindy Loven
Betrayal, has driven Sabrina away from her family and her home in Macon. Betrayed by her fiancé, Jared and her cousin, Jaylee six days before her wedding, she has little trust for anyone. She finds herself on the island of Nantucket, spending her supposed to be honeymoon alone and decides to stay.
Waiting tables and researching plots and facts for a local mystery writer, keeps her busy. She soon strikes up a friendship online through the Nantucket Chatroom, where she finds herself falling for a local man. Horrified to discover he is one of her customers at the cafe', she knows she cannot reveal who she truly is. A deep shameful secret paralyzes Sabrina, she knows that if Tucker knew who she really was, he would hate her.
Renny, Sabrina's friend and boss, the local mystery writer, has written nine novels, none of which have been published yet. Sabrina does not understand, why these novels haven't been published. Renny is an awesome author. Poor Renny, on the other hand, is always questioning if it is good enough. Self-image problems threaten to destroy a talented author. Sabrina tries to help Renny past these issues, even though she herself has some of the same issues.
This romance, filled with amusing twists and turns, also has a very serious side, concerning betrayal, and the redemptive power of God. Denise Hunter has written an awesome story of love. A discussion guide at the end really drives home the redemption angle of the story. 314 pages $14.99 US -
Seaside Letters is "note"worthy
As a reviewer for Thomas Nelson's Book Review Bloggers program (http://brb.thomasnelson.com/) when this book became available I grabbed it. Having read Denise Hunter's Surrender Bay and The Convenient Groom I knew Seaside Letters would be terrific. I was not disappointed in this story in the least. I love books where strangers fall in love through letter writing, be it historical mail-order bride stories or modern day romances like this one. I also love stories that include "real" characters, those with sordid pasts who go on to find love when they thought they were unlovable. Even though Seaside Letters got a little slow for me towards the middle, the ending made up for it! It was so romantic and reminded me of the last scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's. I will definitely be adding this book to my keeper shelf right beside The Convenient Groom.
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