Holiday in the Hamptons
Author: Sarah Morgan
Reviewer: Jen Twimom
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
Fliss and Seth share a history that was left in the past ten years ago. He broke her heart, she broke his, and they walked away from their brief but passionate love. However, now Seth is in Manhattan, working at the vet office Fliss and her twin/business partner, Harriet, frequent with the animals they care for. Since talking to Seth would be too difficult for Fliss, she flees the city only to end up in Seth’s arms.
Right from the start, Holiday in the Hamptons sets the stage perfectly for the emotional journey that is Fliss and Seth, and I fell in love with the idea of Fliss and Seth. Teenage crushes, first loves, broke up for all the wrong reasons. This second-chance romance brings together two people who have always been in love, but lack of communication and some other external issues tore them apart. The opening prologue set the stage for what I knew would be both a heart-wrenching and heart-warming story. I love that their relationship brought readers some of both. This is probably the slowest slow-burn romance I’ve read, but it’s just marvelous. The emotional connections are worth it.
I was concerned with Fliss’s idea of pretending to be her twin, Harriet, as I am not a fan of the mistaken-identity trope. But my worries were for naught, because the author has fun with the situation, yet never lets it get out of hand. I mean… if you are related to someone, can you really fool them by pretending to be another? There are several silly moments, but there is a larger benefit to Fliss’s efforts. When pretending to be Harriet, Fliss doesn’t have to have her walls up, and she can talk to Seth. While they don’t share anything earth-shattering, it creates the foundation for their new friendship, something that wouldn’t have happened without the protection of pretending to be Harriet.
Fliss had a rough childhood, and many of her issues with personal connections stem from her upbringing. I admire that the author demonstrates how tough it was through flashbacks and ties it into her difficulties as an adult. I also love that Fliss is a work in progress – committing to changing, and that there is no pretty bow put around her issues. We know there is still work ahead. Which is also why I had a big issue with a very small scene at the end of the book when Seth says something to Fliss that is intended to be sweet and funny; however, with her history, and the care Seth has for her feelings, was the exact wrong thing to say. Most readers will probably gloss over it and never have an issue, but it pulled me right out of the happy moment. It wasn’t a game changer in this otherwise amazing romance, but it did give me pause right near the end of the book.
In the end, Holiday in the Hamptons is another wonderful story from the talented Sarah Morgan. She creates characters that I care about – ones I can relate to in some way and I want to befriend. Such is the case of Fliss and Seth. Their second-chance is full of ups and downs, and I enjoyed taking the journey with them.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
About the Book:
The perfect summer escape…?
Professional dog-walker Felicity Knight loves everything about New York…until her ex-husband starts working at her local vet clinic. She hasn’t seen Seth Carlyle in ten years, but one glimpse of him – too gorgeous, and still too good for her – and Fliss’s heart hurts like their whirlwind marriage ended yesterday. So when her grandmother in The Hamptons needs help for the summer, it seems the perfect way to escape her past…
Their relationship might only have lasted a few scorching months, but vet Seth knows Fliss – if she’s run away to The Hamptons, it’s because she still feels their connection and it terrifies her. He let her go once before, when he didn’t know any better, but not this summer! With the help of his adorable dog Lulu, and a sprinkling of beachside magic, Seth is determined to make Fliss see that he’s never stopped loving her…
Release Date: August 29, 2017
Publisher: HQN Books
Series: From Manhattan with Love #5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (416 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon
Reviews in the Series:
Sunset in Central Park by Sarah Morgan (From Manhattan with Love #2)
Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan (From Manhattan with Love #3)
New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan (From Manhattan with Love #4)