ISNB #: 13:0778312380
Publisher: Mira (June 28, 2011)
# Of Pages: 512
BOOK Description
Former socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she's formed with her tenants. Wanda, wise waitress turned popular pie-shop owner. Janya, the young Indian wife whose arranged marriage surprises her every day. Alice, a widow raising her complex tween-age granddaughter. And Maggie, Wanda's daughter, a former Miami cop with a love life as complicated as Tracy's own.
The new man in Tracy's life hasn't mentioned love or commitment— and Tracy has just discovered she's pregnant. Janya longs to be a mother—and suddenly has two young siblings in her care. Maggie helps out at Wanda's Wonderful Pies…but is the kitchen big enough for both Gray women? And Alice may lose her beloved granddaughter to someone no one expected….
As a tropical storm brews, the wind carries surprises and secrets over the bridge to Happiness Key. Now, more than ever, five friends will discover just how much they need one another.
MY REVIEW:
I was totally mesmerized by this story and it had me sucked in from beginning to end. I loved all the characters and the story is so well written that I had a vivid picture in my mind of what the community of Happiness Key looked like. I really felt like I was welcomed into the story by the characters and was right there with them.
Wanda’s pie shop was especially intriguing to me and I loved the bantering back and forth between Wanda and her daughter Maggie, it made for great entertainment! Although you get the impression that Wanda seems to grate on Maggie’s nerves with her forthcoming attitude and verbal challenges, you also know that deep down, Maggie loves her mother very much. I could picture perfectly in my mind one of those old-fashioned bakery shops and could almost smell the flavour of the pies Wanda was baking. At one point, I even begged my husband to go to the store and at least buy me some butter tarts! I’m not kidding, that’s how much the writing in this story affected me.
The mixture of ages and the different backgrounds of the 5 women involved played well in this story and the addition of 70-something Alice rounded out the cast quite well. (I’m so partial to the elderly!)
As this wonderful group of women get together they share each other’s trials and tribulations always willing to pitch in and help with each other with their problems, and their concern was genuine. Isn’t this the same type of caring we women seek from our own community of friends?
Finally, when a hurricane threatens their community of Happiness Key, this band of women will discover just how much they really do need each other. Ms. Richards has written a novel filled with love, humour, caring and shows us the fantastic relationships we women carve out for ourselves. We all strive for that best friend feeling, the people you can really count on and shows us that although there are many facets to a friendship and many ups and downs, true friendship will weather any storm and last forever.
This was my first Emilie Richards novel and I plan on purchasing the other 2 books in this Happiness Key series, plus all the novels in the Ministry is Murder series.
Thank you Ms. Richards for providing me with a few hours of friendship with the wonderful women of Happiness Key. This story will stay with me for a long time to come.
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