Ten Beach Road

The Money Pit Meets The Desperate Housewives!

What would you do if one day you were looking forward to your empty nest and finally starting a life for yourself after kids. Yet on that day, you get a phone call from the hospital notifying you that your mother-in-law has been taken to the hospital due to a fire in her kitchen. She's OK, but needs to have someone come pick her up. In the process of calling your husband of twenty-five years, you reach his office and find out he no longer works there. In fact, he hasn't worked there in six months. When you confront him, he tells you as an investment banker he has lost all your money due to some bad investments and now you are flat broke. Oh and by the way, can his mom move in forever?

What if you found yourself a successful matchmaker for millionaires and one day you find out when you call your office that your number has been disconnected and your offices have been cleared out. That all your accounts have been liquidated and the only money you have left is the check you have in your hand from your latest client who is asking you to set him up on a date. What would you do?

How about being a successful partner in a home improvement series that was inspired by your idea to create a video showcasing your home remodel from start to finish, only to find out that your husband is divorcing you and the show isn't interested in having you be a part of the show any longer?

Meet the women who are about to be drawn together in an extraordinary way through their linked circumstances that leave them all virtually penniless, yet neither of them are quite willing to admit to one another that they are broke. Keeping their facade up, they all find out they are joint owners of a property on Ten Beach Road. Each is hoping for a quick sale will get them out of their financial jam, until they learn the property is protected as a historical landmark and they can't level it. They also can't sell it in the condition it's in. If they are all willing to put in some sweat equity, they may make more than they dreamed possible and along the way may find more than they ever hoped for.

I received Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax compliments of TLC book Tours for my honest review and LOVED it! Couldn't put it down til I knew how it would all turn out. This in my opinion is another great summer read and as my hubby calls it a Chick Lit book!! This one rates a true 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to share it with you. This is available in paperback and eBook formats.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

8 out of 10 stars!

Wendy Wax understands the most difficult of dilemmas regarding family, secrets, undying passion, and inner turmoil, and that makes her stand out as a writer. Carefully, she identifies three women with three different concerns and takes readers on a journey that highlights not only on how their problems are solved, but also the struggles the three women go through, in order to get there.
A headlining Ponzi scheme involving Malcom Dyer leaves Maddie, Avery, and Nikki (among hundreds of others) abruptly penniless; they each now only have a beach house -- actually not even, since they each own a third of the beach house -- to their name. Bella Flora was once a majestic mansion overlooking the shore and the sunset, but today, its grounds are nothing short of ancient ruins.
To destroy the house, or to rebuild it are the only options the three women have, so they decide to take the risk and spend one summer making Bella Flora beautiful again.
Maddie needs to hang on, or else the rest of her family will fall apart. She's got an unemployed and quite depressed husband, an unmarried pregnant daughter, a college dropout son, and a ruthless mother-in-law on her hands. She needs to prevail with Bella Flora; it may be her last chance.
Avery is famous for her looks as a Vanna White on her ex-husband's home improvement television show -- but she's the one with the architecture degree. Every cent her late father left her is gone, thanks to Dyer's theft, and having been abandoned by her biological mother as a young child, she's not sure where to turn. But suddenly, her mom and a childhood crush are both back in her life to offer help with Bella Flora, though Avery is certain she doesn't need it. Determined to fix the house and fight on her own, just the way she's been her whole life, Avery learns the lessons of forgiveness and honest love, both strong parts of her that could either lift her up or bring her down.
Nikki's taking the loss the hardest, not only because no money means no more designer dresses and pretty car, but because Malcom Dyer is her brother. How can the man she's raised from a little boy (since their parents' deaths) commit such a monstrous act against her? Her fortune is gone and she is torn, but more importantly, she doesn't know how she'll cope with this ultimate betrayal.
Ten Beach Road is the perfect summer beach read, but not because it's fluffy and romantic. Ten Beach Road weaves a complicated story that brings the lives of three prominent women together, and changes them forever as well. In each of the characters, Wax depicts expert emotion; she everything, from an adoring mother, to a frightened lover, to a self-conscious "power woman" who knows exactly how to personalize each of her characters.
Relationships between mother and daughter, old acquaintances, and siblings brings sentiments of the breathtaking human life together, in Wax's novel. While reading, you feel like each of the characters are your own mother, your own sister, your own best friend. And by the end, you wish they actually were.

Where Stephanie Got It: Directly from publicist via Romancing the Book for review.

Radical Rating: 8 hearts- Would recommend to lots of really good friends.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Every Challenge is an Opportunity!

Three families' lives are shattered upon discovering that the money they thought was wisely invested is gone via Matthew Dyer's Ponzi scam. Maddie Singer's husband, Steve, loses his job because he has invested his client's money in Dyer's scam, and Steve simply quits mentally and spends his days wielding the remote control on the living room couch. Maggie is determined to find out if the mysterious "mansion" in Florida on the Gulf side has any potential as their last hope for financial survival.

Avery Lawford is a co-host on the popular TV home and garden show, "Hammer and Nails." Little by little, her role in that show is reduced to smiling and looking pretty, until the day comes when she is sacked and without any help from her ex-husband host, Trent. She also is absolutely stunned on realizing that what she thought was her nestegg is gone into Matthew Dyer's illegal financial dealings. All she has left, as well, is a share of ownership in this Florida "mansion."

Nikki Grant, a professional matchmaker, discovers that the brother she herself raised has turned out to be the man who has duped not only individuals but also charities and other needy institutions out of their principal funds as well as interest. In fact, he has even left his own sister nothing to grasp for living on a day to day basis except for a third of a share this unknown Florida residence, Bella Flora.

These three woman, plus Avery's mother and Maddie's daughter, slowly arrive to discover their seaside Florida home is nowhere near sellable status. The story begins as they begin the grind of restoring this architectural masterpiece, disguised as a broken-down shack, with the hopes of thus recouping at least a small portion for their financial survival.

The story evolves with wonderful descriptions of restoring and decorating this beautiful home, with the assistance of many unexpected sources and experts. We share the strengths and weaknesses of these women, who carry unique stories of betrayals and secrets but manage to transcend them to complete the task at hand and forge friendships that are both priceless and eternal.

The Chinese call every challenge an opportunity, refusing to be daunted by the ferocity or formidable quality of any problem. That attitude becomes the lodestone guiding these women, as well as a sense of thankfulness. When the task is finally very near total completion, more dark revelations and storms threaten it all. That is when we see and come to love the feisty, caring characters of these women forging new lives and refusing to surrender to anything or anyone.

Funny, heart-breaking, romantic, and so much more, Ten Beach Road is a superb read that depicts all facets of women in distress and woman who exponentially grow as they learn to trust one another and reinvent the rest of their lives. This story about recovery and restoration on so many levels is just delightful!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Perfect for the beach!

Three strangers are united in the most unlikely of ways. Madeline, a wife and stay at home mother, doesn't really have a life of her own and just when she thinks she might follow her own dreams, everything comes crashing down when she finds her financial-planner husband has been laid off after investing all of his clients' money in a Madoff-like fund. He even invested their own money there and lost everything. Avery has lost her job as the host of a cable home renovation show when she divorces her husband after being reduced to a sidekick and being outmaneuvered by her boss with her ex's help. Her father left her an inheritance which was invested in the same Ponzi scheme. Nikki, a matchmaker, also lost all of her money to her brother, the mastermind behind the fraud fund.

The three are thrown together when they learn that they are co-owners of a historical mansion in Florida. Each of them make their way and with Avery's connections and knowledge of home and design, they decide to spend the summer there renovating the house in order to make a larger profit. Not only do they rebuild the house, but themselves both emotionally and financially although there are plenty of twist and turns to get to that point. Kyra, Maddie's daughter comes to help out as well, when she finds herself pregnant by a movie star while she is working on one of his films. I think Kyra, even though she is a minor character, became one of my favorite people in the group with her quiet prodding to get the best out of each woman and frame their developing friendship on film. Even though these women start out on shaky ground, they quickly become true friends and learn the value of themselves and friendship.

I just adored this book and the writing. It is the perfect book for sitting on the beach with something cold to drink and never wanting to get up until you are finished. It is the perfect length to last all day. Each woman offers a different perspective on betrayal. Maddie realizes that she can stand on her own two feet and is much stronger than she thinks. Avery learns that she has more than good looks and can take care of herself as well as that a relationship should be a partnership. Nicole just does the right thing, but I won't tell you what that is, you will have to read the book to find that out. This would also make a wonderful book club selection since there are many dynamics that can be explored. I received this book from the author at no expense in exchange for my honest review.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Perfect vacation read!

Review by Stephanie: Wendy Wax understands the most difficult of dilemmas regarding family, secrets, undying passion, and inner turmoil, and that makes her stand out as a writer. Carefully, she identifies three women with three different concerns and takes readers on a journey that highlights not only on how their problems are solved, but also the struggles the three women go through, in order to get there.

A headlining Ponzi scheme involving Malcom Dyer leaves Maddie, Avery, and Nikki (among hundreds of others) abruptly penniless; they each now only have a beach house -- actually not even, since they each own a third of the beach house -- to their name. Bella Flora was once a majestic mansion overlooking the shore and the sunset, but today, its grounds are nothing short of ancient ruins.

To destroy the house, or to rebuild it are the only options the three women have, so they decide to take the risk and spend one summer making Bella Flora beautiful again.

Maddie needs to hang on, or else the rest of her family will fall apart. She's got an unemployed and quite depressed husband, an unmarried pregnant daughter, a college dropout son, and a ruthless mother-in-law on her hands. She needs to prevail with Bella Flora; it may be her last chance.

Avery is famous for her looks as a Vanna White on her ex-husband's home improvement television show -- but she's the one with the architecture degree. Every cent her late father left her is gone, thanks to Dyer's theft, and having been abandoned by her biological mother as a young child, she's not sure where to turn. But suddenly, her mom and a childhood crush are both back in her life to offer help with Bella Flora, though Avery is certain she doesn't need it. Determined to fix the house and fight on her own, just the way she's been her whole life, Avery learns the lessons of forgiveness and honest love, both strong parts of her that could either lift her up or bring her down.

Nikki's taking the loss the hardest, not only because no money means no more designer dresses and pretty car, but because Malcom Dyer is her brother. How can the man she's raised from a little boy (since their parents' deaths) commit such a monstrous act against her? Her fortune is gone and she is torn, but more importantly, she doesn't know how she'll cope with this ultimate betrayal.

Ten Beach Road is the perfect summer beach read, but not because it's fluffy and romantic. Ten Beach Road weaves a complicated story that brings the lives of three prominent women together, and changes them forever as well. In each of the characters, Wax depicts expert emotion; she everything, from an adoring mother, to a frightened lover, to a self-conscious "power woman" who knows exactly how to personalize each of her characters.

Relationships between mother and daughter, old acquaintances, and siblings brings sentiments of the breathtaking human life together, in Wax's novel. While reading, you feel like each of the characters are your own mother, your own sister, your own best friend. And by the end, you wish they actually were.

Quote: "The words settled over her. [Madeline] hadn't thought in those terms, she'd just been plowing ahead trying to hang on. But Kyra's recognition was like a balm to her soul; one she hadn't realized she needed.
'[I didn't realize how strong I was, either],' Maddie said. 'You don't really know what you're made of until things fall apart.' "

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Summer Fun and Fantastic Friends....This is a MUST read!

Wow! Wendy Wax has earned herself a spot at the top of my awesome authors list! She is a fantabulous author with terrific writing skills. She really blew me away with her characters, her wit, and her plot line. It is wonderful book to get lost in to past a beautiful summer day with!

Imagine this: life is great. Life is everything you wished it to be, with a few minor bumps along the way. Then you get a phone call. A devastating call that tells you you have absolutely no money left, save for a summer mansion in a remote little Florida town. I could feel myself so totally engrossed in this awesome read, that I felt like I was one of the 3 women who's lives were forever changed by this phone call.

Maddie, Avery and Nikki all get a terrible phone call saying they have no money, save for this summer mansion I mentioned. What in the world will they do with it?! They meet for the first time at the viewing of this said mansion, and immediately, all are thinking that if they just sell it out right, they'll each make 1/3 of the sales and gain their monies back. But, what happens when, through the forged friendship, they decide to keep it and renovate it???

As much as I would love to tell you the answer to that, I will not. I want you to grab a copy of this 5 star, humorous, yet fulfilling story of hope and friendship, and become friends with these ladies on your own. You'll lose yourself amongst the pages, and sadly, before you know it, it will be over with and you will be anxious for another fantastic summer beach read from Wendy Wax! Awesome job, Wendy!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great Read

Three women. One house. Lots of money down the drain. What's a girl--or three--to do? Renovate!!!

This is a delightful read. The characters are vivid and feel like they could be my friends. The writing flows well and grabbed my attention right away. I read this book in one sitting and with over four hundred pages, that's quite an undertaking. As soon as I started the tale, I had to know what would happen next. Ms. Wax kept me guessing throughout. Every time I thought one thing would happen, the book took a different course I didn't expect but loved. This book, while cute, is complex as well. There are a couple interwoven storylines that are both gutwrenching and sweet. Really, it's a must read.

There's quite a bit of character in this book as well as a lot of characters. Nikki is the princess, but she was relatable. I could see why she acted the way she did and even when I wasn't terribly fond of her, I still respected her. Avery was a tough nut to crack. I enjoyed reading about her, but there were moments I wanted her to just come out and say what she felt. Then again, her reluctance was what really made her believeable. Then there's Maddie. Of the three, she was my favorite and the one I wanted to smack. I got the most emotionally involved with her portion of the story. I loved her strength. Give the woman kudos for finding and displaying her backbone. I also really got into the emotional play between her and Steve as well as her and Kyra. I could totally see myself in her shoes and reacting in the same manner. Oh, and give her additional props for doing all that window glazing...tought stuff she handled with grace.

If you want a great beach read, this book should do the trick. It's got warm and fuzzy moments, moments to make you laugh, and moments of introspection. All in all a great read.

Originally posted at the Long and Short of It Romance Reviews

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great read

Enjoyed this book quite a bit! It makes you laugh and cry, characters were real and story line made you woder what you woud do in sme situation-good read

Great story! A must read..

Loved the story. Three women with very different issues and yet, one common goal.

Best book I've read this summer!

Great story with such diverse and interesting characters. Loved the story so much I took the book on a 12 day cruise to France, Italy and Croatia. Just couldn't leave it home for the duration.

Very enjoyable book!

This is the first book written by Wendy Wax that I have read and I'm glad I did! Love finding new authors (new to me) and her writing was very descriptive of both characters and setting. It had enough story twists to keep the story interesting. four stars!

Slow....

Half way through...this book is extremely slow. A book should grab early on. It's dull and the characters unimpressive.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Long and boring

I just did not get into this book at all. It was long and boring. There were too many details of how the house looked and not enough on characters.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Full of friendship and triumph...

Three women from very different backgrounds find themselves thrown into a common situation after they all become victims of a Ponzi scheme and lose everything, except for a single rundown beach house in south Florida of which they learn they are co-owners. Knowing this is their only shot to survive, they work together to renovate Bella Flora and get her ready for the market.

I liked this book. It was a simple story- there weren't any great mysteries to keep me on my toes- but the characters were relatable, with interspersed moments of emotion and levity.

There is something for everyone to identify with in this book: painful childhoods, the trials of motherhood and marriage, loss, heartbreak, sexual tension that expresses itself in a combative nature, economics, strained family ties, and on and on.

This book is written in an easy-to-read style. There's no need to interpret the meaning of things, no symbolism to unravel. It simply gets to the heart of the matter.

There was some occasional vulgarity, but it was far and few between. Mild sexuality. I'd give it a strictly PG-13 rating.

The only real "negative" that I have (which wasn't significant enough to really be a negative) is that while I enjoyed the story, I found the ending slightly less than satisfying. I can't get into "why" without involving spoilers, but suffice to say that the ending was "okay", but not totally fulfilling for me.

If you like stories of small towns, friendship, family and trials and tribulations (or if you like the works of Karen White), give this one a try. This was my first experience with author Wendy Wax, and I would be happy to give another of her works a shot in the future. It's a solid story, and a fine read!

Best One Yet

Was going to save this book for summer reading, but couldn't wait. Have read all Wendy Wax's books and this is the best one yet.These women meet due to financial setbacks, their friendships grow and are tested while they rebuild an old house in Florida. Love, faithfulness, trust are woven throughout the story. Surprise ending which fits beautifully with the story.

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