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"No matter where you are or how long until we can be together, I'll keep searching for you." -Tucker
Sabrina never intended to fall in love with Tucker McCabe, the man she serves coffee to every morning at a Nantucket cafe-especially since he's unwittingly tied to a past she deeply regrets. A past that is so riddled with mistakes, it has separated her from God. But she's fallen hard and isn't sure how long she can hide her feelings.
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 who can never be hers. If she turns him down, he'll hire someone else-and that would be a 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.
An inspiring Christian romance that reminds us that love covers a multitude of sins.
She grabbed the fresh pot, turned toward the tables crowding the Cobblestone Café, then headed straight to his table—might as well get it over with—table seven, a two-topper near the front.
He would be seated against the beadboard wall, facing the kitchen, unfortunately. He would be wearing a blue "Cap'n Tucker's Water Taxi" cap, a light-colored T-shirt, and a crooked grin. She would offer him coffee, he would accept, then he would spread open The Inquirer and Mirror and take thirty minutes on all twelve articles while she waited on other customers, her bony knees knocking together like bamboo wind chimes.
"Evan," Gordon called from the kitchen. "Table twelve needs to be bussed."
Evan's blond ponytail flipped over his shoulder as he turned and wiped his hands on his stained brown apron. "Right, dude."
Sabrina stopped a foot from the scarred maple table, avoiding eye contact, looking only at the fat rim of the ivory mug as he slid it toward her.
How many words had they exchanged in the year he'd been coming to the café? One hundred? Two hundred? Couldn't be much more than that.
As always her expression was free of emotion, though a powerful hurricane brewed inside. It was a skill she'd learned early, perfected well, and if that had earned her the title of Ice Princess, so be it.
"Morning, Sabrina." Tucker's deep voice was raspy. And, as usual, he cleared his throat after the greeting.
Was she the first person he spoke to each morning? The thought made her hand tremble. A stream of hot coffee flowed over the cup's rim and onto Tucker's thumb. He jerked his hand back.
Idiot! Her first spill in months and it had to be Tucker. And with hot coffee.
"I'm sorry. Let me fetch a towel." She turned toward the kitchen, heat flooding her face.
He stopped her with his other hand. "I'm fine." He wiped his thumb on a napkin and held it out. "See?"
Sabrina made the mistake of meeting his eyes. Oh, yes. She saw, all right. Under the brim of his cap, his blue eyes contrasted with his summer-brown skin. One strand of dark hair curled like a backward ITLITL, nearly tangling with his eyelashes. He disliked his curly hair, but hated going to the barber so much that he procrastinated until it was an unruly mop. He wore contacts because he was nearsighted and because glasses would blur under the sprays of water as he guided his boat.
He was still looking at her.
She was still looking at him.
Look away. Say something. "Anything else?"
"A smile?" Tucker's own grin lifted the tiny scar near the corner of his mouth—a souvenir from the time his twin sister dared him to jump from his second-story bedroom window when he was nine.
But Sabrina wasn't supposed to know about that. She pulled at the tip of her ponytail with her empty hand.
"Give it up, McCabe." Behind her, Oliver Franklin's voice was a lifeline. "Top me off, Sabrina?"
She turned, grateful for the distraction, and filled his cup. The sand-colored coffee darkened to caramel as she poured, the rich smell of the brew drifting upward on wings of steam.
"Not feeling particularly efficacious this morning?" Oliver tilted his round head, his hairline receding another inch as he hiked his bushy gray brows. He gripped the mug with fat hands calloused from garden tools.
"I'm as efficient as always, just a bit clumsy today." Sabrina took his egg-streaked plate and stacked a smaller plate on top.
"Dagnabit, Sabrina," he said as she walked away. "Is there a word you don't know?"
She deposited the plates into Evan's tub, set the pot on the warmer, and loaded a tray with table five's food. Was Tucker watching her? She always felt like he was, which was ludicrous. Still, it made her stand a little straighter, smile a little more—at other customers. He was good for her tips.
You're just some server he toys with. Nothing else.
When she turned with the loaded tray, her eyes pulled toward him. Don't look. Just walk. Look at the sun streaming through the glass front. Look at the family at table four, the toddler, crouched in the wooden high chair, letting loose a wail that could be heard clear down at the wharf. Sabrina pulled a packet of crackers from her apron pocket and slipped it to the mom as she passed.
When she reached table five, she served the food, then tucked the tray under her arm. "Anything else?"
"Tabasco sauce?" the mother asked. "Oh, and he needs a refill of juice." She handed Sabrina her son's cup. The overhead lights sparkled off a huge diamond.
"Be right back." She had to pass Tucker's table on the way.
He turned as she passed, his sandaled foot sliding into her path as he shifted into the aisle. "Sabrina. I know you're busy, but I was wondering if we could chat a minute."
The request stopped her cold. Sabrina didn't chat with customers. Char chatted with customers, even the rich ones. Evan chatted with customers too. But not Sabrina, and certainly not with Tucker. It broke her unspoken line between customer and server, and that line was the only thing separating her from disaster."I—I have too many tables."
"Miss, some decaf, please?" An elderly tourist, seated at the table behind Oliver's, corroborated her excuse.
"Of course." Sabrina went to fill the cup with juice, grabbed a bottle of Tabasco and the decaf pot. What could Tucker want? As far as he knew, she was only a server at the café.
Maybe he knows.
But he couldn't. She'd been so careful.
Yeah, so careful she'd lost her heart to the man.
I have not lost my heart. He's just a friend. A dear friend who would be lost forever with one little slip of the tongue. The relationship was hanging by a thread and she knew it.
Sabrina dropped off the two items for the family, then poured the decaf. She'd no sooner turned the carafe upright when Tucker stopped her again. His cup was empty. "I'll be right back with the regular," she said, even though she knew it wasn't coffee he wanted. It was a feeble stall that would buy her thirty seconds.
She stopped on the way to the coffee station and took the orders of a middle-aged couple, buying herself a few more minutes. Maybe if she took too long, Tucker would leave.
Sabrina put the order on the wheel and reviewed the lunch special with Gordon. She filled glasses with orange juice and ice water, set them on a tray, and delivered them to the table. In her peripheral vision, she saw Tucker waiting, his arms folded across the newspaper, rooted like a hundred-year-old oak tree. He wasn't going anywhere.
Reluctantly, she retrieved the coffeepot and returned to his table, filling his cup carefully.
"How about after work?" he asked, picking up the conversation as if it were only seconds later.
What did he want? Maybe he wanted to ask her out. The thought filled her, expanding her lungs like an inflated balloon. Then she felt the prick of jealousy. Pop.
She nearly rolled her eyes at the irony. "I have to be somewhere."
Behind her, Oliver chuckled, and Tucker shot him a look. He gave the brim of his hat a sharp tug.
Sabrina walked away. Her second job had flexible hours, but he didn't know that. Besides, Renny was expecting her. She had to find the perfect poison, and that would take a while.
The bell at the kitchen window dinged.
She was at the coffee station before she realized Tucker had followed her. His large frame made her feel small and cornered. He'd never gone farther than his table, and the fact that he did so today confirmed her suspicion that he wanted something more than idle conversation. And he wasn't giving up.
The rubber heels of her shoes brushed the wall behind her, and she straightened, meeting his gaze.
"Just a few minutes, all I'm asking."
His nearness sucked the moisture from her mouth and the thoughts from her head. She smoothed her thick hair toward her low ponytail. Say something. Anything.
"All right," she blurted. Anything but that.
His mouth relaxed, and the relief in his blue eyes made something twist in the pit of her stomach. "Thank you. I won't take much of your time. I'll meet you out front if it's all right with you? There's a bench down the way ..."
She nodded, all at once relieved and disappointed they were meeting someplace so public. What is wrong with you?
His lips quivered at the corners, and the faint lines around his eyes relaxed. He touched his fingers to the brim of his hat and retreated.
"What was that all about?" Char was a veteran waitress at the diner. Though not as efficient as Sabrina, her affability scored points with the regulars. "He finally making his move?" Her blonde hair had kinked into poodle curls, forecasting the day's weather.
Sabrina turned and put two slices of bread in the toaster. "Don't be ridiculous."
The kitchen bell dinged twice.
"Char, you want to stop your gabbing and come get this food before it turns to rubber?" Gordon called through the window, wiping the back of his hand across his fat jowls.
"Don't say I didn't tell you so." Char winked a wide green eye, the mascara-thickened lashes fluttering.
Sabrina watched her walk away, wondering if Char was right, hoping she was, then hoping she wasn't. She gave her head a sharp shake. She had five hours and four minutes to get her act together, and suddenly that didn't seem like nearly enough time.
I could really use some help here, God. Can you hear me?
But no, why would he? There's been nothing but silence on that front in months.
* * *
Sabrina threw her apron in the laundry bin and pulled her bag from the cubby in the break room. At least, Gordon called it a break room. It was more of a large closet with a table, two chairs, and enough wattage to light up Main Street at midnight.
The five hours since Tucker left had dragged by. She told herself she was dreading the meeting, but if that were the case, time would've raced, wouldn't it?
She slid the purse onto her shoulder and met her own gaze in the black-speckled mirror Char had perched on a shelf. Bending her knees so she could see her face, Sabrina pulled the rubber band, loosening the ponytail, and freeing her brown hair. She raked her fingers through it, wishing for smooth, glossy strands like her cousins', but her fingers worked fruitlessly.
Giving up on her hair, she rubbed at a fleck of mystery food that clung to her temple. Maybe she should splash water on her face. She stood back and surveyed her reflection. Her brown eyes gazed back, her best feature, framed with dark lashes thick enough to make Char jealous.
What could Tucker want with her? Her respiration quickened at the thought of him. What if he knew? What if she'd slipped and said something that would ruin everything?
Char's words tweaked at the corners of her mind. "He's finally making his move ..."
Oh, for Pete's sake. He is not making his move. Sabrina grabbed the rubber band from her pocket and gathered her hair. He owns a company. Maybe he's hosting some event and wants you to serve.
"Better not keep him waiting." Char's voice sounded from the doorway.
Her eyes tilted coyly, and Sabrina felt heat flooding her face at being caught primping in the mirror like some pathetic adolescent. How many times had she found Jaylee and Arielle artfully applying makeup in front of their mirrors? Of course, it had paid off for her cousins.
"Oh, no, you don't." Char reached behind Sabrina and freed her hair.
"What are you doing?"
"Wear it down. Why do you always wear this infernal ponytail?"
Sabrina shifted as Char fluffed her hair. "We work in the restaurant industry."
"If I had hair like yours ..." Char leaned back. "There. Much better. No street clothes, huh? Well, I guess your uniform will have to do. At least you have nice legs. Now, go, before he thinks you chickened out."
She squeezed past Char.
"Good luck, honey."
Luck. She'd need it if she hoped to hold it together. She exited the café, blinking against May's bright sunlight. Her feet navigated the bumpy brick sidewalk, and she fell in step behind a cluster of tourists. If only she could squeeze into the middle and sneak past Tucker.
The bench was only three stores from the diner and, over the bobbing heads, she saw Tucker sitting there, elbows propped on his knees, staring across the street. There was no backing out now.
When she approached the bench, he stood. The group of tourists deserted her, leaving them alone on the sidewalk. In the distance, the ferry horn sounded, announcing its arrival at the wharf.
"Hi. Thanks for meeting me." He gestured toward the bench.
She lowered herself onto the wooden seat and set her bag in her lap. "You're welcome." Act normal. This is nothing out of the ordinary. You are a server and he is your customer. Nothing more.
"I know you have another job to get to, so I'll make this quick."
Quick would be good. Merciful. She gripped the leather handles of her purse and pulled it into her stomach.
"I was hoping to hire you for a project."
A curious mixture of relief and disappointment flooded Sabrina. She told herself it was relief that tightened her stomach. Now it's just a matter of listening to his proposal and saying no. I can say no, then go home. She envisioned the cozy loft above Renny's garage as if she could beam herself there. She pictured her favorite quilt spread across the bed, the built-in shelves brimming with novels, the antique desk in the corner where her computer awaited her.
Focus, Sabrina.
"Go on." Sabrina crossed her legs. A pedestrian passed with a golden retriever on a pink leash, and she shifted to make room. The movement left her facing Tucker. He had one elbow propped on the back of the bench, his hand curling dangerously close to her shoulder.
"Well, the idea came to me when Renny Hannigan contacted me about a trip to Tuckernuck Island. We started talking about her stories, and she told me you're the mastermind behind the mysteries she writes—"
Sabrina shook her head. "I just do a little research for her."
"You're being modest. Renny told me about the twists you come up with. She raved that the stories are unsolvable because you find fresh angles and innovative ways to confuse the reader."
If Sabrina were that good, Renny's stories would be published by now. It wasn't lack of writing skill that kept her from publication. But what did her work for Renny have to do with Tucker?
"The things Renny said about you, combined with what I already know, made me think you were the perfect person for this project."
"I already have two jobs. Between the diner and my research for Renny ..." Her words petered out as he held up his hand.
"I know you're busy right now, but Renny said in another couple weeks you'd be finished with the book she's writing now, and that she'd need several weeks of editing time before she'd need your help again with her next story."
Renny. Sabrina clenched her teeth together. Why'd the woman have to go and tell Tucker that? Maybe she should close the door on this conversation before it went any further.
"I don't think—I was looking forward to the time off when I finished the research. I think it would be best if—"
"Just hear me out, okay? If you don't want to do it, that's fine."
His hand spread across his thigh. He had big hands with long fingers that tapered down to squared-off fingertips. He liked working with them. He carved wooden animals in his spare time and gave them as gifts to his family. He'd once wanted to give her a seagull he'd carved, but she'd refused the gift.
"Sabrina?"
She cleared her throat and watched a family of four squeeze into a taxi across the street, the brother and sister fighting over the middle seat. "I'm listening." Please just say what you have to say and let me go home where my heart rate can return to normal.
"Well, as I was saying, I have this project I need help with."
His voice was so deep it seemed to rumble through her body. Practice saying no. It's not my cup of tea. I don't have time, but thank you for the offer.
"It's kind of embarrassing, but here goes."
Now he had her attention.
"There's this girl—this woman, I mean."
Sabrina thought her heart was already in her toes, but it didn't quite hit the tips until then. She reached for the end of her ponytail but found her hair loose.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Seaside Letters by Denise Hunter Copyright © 2009 by Denise Hunter. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.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.
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.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.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."
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.
In this powerful story of love and redemption, Denise Hunter exemplifies God's unrelenting love for us through Tucker's love for Sabrina.
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
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!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.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.
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.
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.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes love and romance.
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.
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/
"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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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 .
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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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Overview
"No matter where you are or how long until we can be together, I'll keep searching for you." -Tucker
Sabrina never intended to fall in love with Tucker McCabe, the man she serves coffee to every morning at a Nantucket cafe-especially since he's unwittingly tied to a past she deeply regrets. A past that is so riddled with mistakes, it has separated her from God. But she's fallen hard and isn't sure how long she can hide her feelings.
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 . . . ...