Seahaven Sunrise Series Book 1
Gilmore Girls meets This Is Us
Savor a breath of fresh salty air in this feel-good story about one woman’s journey to believe she deserves happiness.
Single mom Tess Gilmore has been moving so fast to keep her life together that she’s hardly had time to notice how unhappy she is, and how distant she’s become from Eva, her preteen daughter. An unexpected job opportunity offers a chance to leave her Connecticut home for Seahaven, the idyllic coastal Maine town where she spent her childhood summers.
With a reluctant Eva in tow, the two begin to carve out a new life in Seahaven, surrounded by colorful, quirky neighbors and soothing sea breezes. Within weeks, Eva begins to discover mysterious, brightly-colored feathers in surprising places.
As Tess and Eva are embraced by their new friends, they begin to work through their mother-daughter growing pains, but a surprising run-in with Tess’s first love, Luca, has the potential to re-ignite their interrupted romance . . . or destroy her new and improved relationship with Eva.
Will Tess have to choose between Luca and Eva? Where are those beautiful feathers coming from? And how can Tess redefine her life in a way that includes true happiness?
Perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls and loaded with relatable mother-daughter moments and family drama, Feathers in the Sand delivers a sweet escape to charming small-town Maine for a second chance at happiness.
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Editorial Reviews
FROM AUTHORS READING.COM
This empowering novel is much more than a “summer beach read.” Soul challenges, as well as new beginnings, are treated with realism and respect for unusual relationships. In addition, the author uses synchronicity to enable the reader to recall and appreciate similar occurrences in her own life. This is the first book in a proposed series and includes suggested book club discussion questions. Read entire review here.
FROM MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
Readers of women’s fiction and literature who look for stories that represent a sense of place (Maine) and change, with flavors of mystery and romance tossed into the mix to spice the results, will relish Feathers in the Sand.
Anne Marie Bennett creates a moving story filled with candid introspection, revelations, and several unexpected twists and turns. Through it all, Tess is a likeable character whose journey feels realistic and compelling. Bennett takes the time to explore family relationships from different perspectives.
Readers seeking women’s fiction that is delightfully evocative and gently compelling will relish the moves that Tess makes and the discoveries that stem from it in Feathers in the Sand, a novel which should be in library collections of contemporary women’s fiction. Read entire review here.
FROM SUBLIME BOOK REVIEWS
Anne Marie Bennett writes a heartwarming novel that beautifully portrays love and new beginnings.
The show “Gilmore Girls” is referenced multiple times throughout the book, and both the show and the book highlight inter-generational relationships. The mother and daughter relationship portrayed in the TV show is the kind of relationship Tess has always dreamed of for her and her daughter. The story follows the family as they move through life while faced with personal challenges along the way. It is during these challenging moments where Eva finds mysterious feathers around her new town that appear to be leaving messages.
This story is about family bonds and the building and rekindling of new and old relationships. Although the story does not end on a cliffhanger or a tease, the character development is a good lead-in for the next novel. This comforting book can be enjoyed by a wide range of readers, especially those who like to get lost in a good summer read. Read entire review here.
FROM READERSFAVORITE.COM
This is a fascinating romantic story where the setting plays an integral part in the entire plot line. Anne Marie Bennett’s narrative evokes the sensory details necessary to transport you to Seahaven. You can feel and taste the fresh salty air and the blazing sun striping the horizon with intricate shades of russet, raspberry, and gold. Feathers in the Sand is charming and whimsical, and Tess reigns as the profile of a modern woman searching for happiness. She didn’t find it; it found her. You will enjoy this novel on its own sweet level in the way it explores the difference between maternal and romantic love. It is filled with simple moments that carry weight in how the characters interact with each other, especially Tess and Eva. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for good women’s fiction. Read entire review here.
FROM INDIEREADER.COM
… a gentle, easy-going read centered heavily on the substance and emotion of some generally fairly everyday changes, and their life impacts. The effect is one of relaxation: the kind of book that perfectly suit sun-lounging weather, without ever approaching a straining of the synapses. The characters are likeable, conventional types living a life that’s described in subtle tones and through the lens of both mother and daughter’s various stresses and strains. It is soulful, slightly melodic in tone, and fluently easy going.
What the text does, in essence, is portray a thoughtful but conventionally lived life and lightly suggest there can be something better if we explore our options, a little bit of magic, and a little bit… more. Throw in elements of ‘coming of age’ and vibrant characters, and this is a very pleasant, small-town ‘vibe’ of a read . . . It’s a book for a certain type of reader: a slow, gentle piece of writing with a light air of mystery and a real sense of place. FEATHERS IN THE SAND feels like a delicate break with many novels’ pacier side, a kind of ‘easy listening’ of the literary world. Read entire review here.