This set of four shorts was loosely linked by some elements of the beach in each. The first story, "June's Lace" by Cathy Lamb, was my favourite - a five-star outing for those who love romantic comedy. Reese rescues June from a rogue wave on the beach and, despite the initial attraction, June fights the urge to get closer to this interesting visitor because, well, it's complicated. She's still in the process of divorcing a real weasel while getting her one-of-a-kind wedding dress business off the ground and is there room for a cowboy-cum-country-music-writer in her life? You know there is and, despite a lot of obstacles to a happily-ever-after, June and Reese find it. The zaniness along the way, from June's friends, divorce lawyer and hippie family? They're well-written and a real hoot.The second and third stories were both enjoyable, three to four stars. "Second Chance Sweethearts" made a bit too much of the sad mystery in Thea's life while she recovers in a small Maine tourist town. But the rekindled romance with her high-school sweetheart, Hugh, was written with great sensitivity and beauty. I quite enjoyed the honesty that underlay their rediscovery of each other, particularly as they came to acknowledge that, in their teens and early twenties, neither really had the strength of character to overcome the obstacles they'd faced.I really loved Rosalind Noonan's "Carolina Summer" which had aspects of a romantic thriller/suspense to liven the on-the-run storyline of "Miss Jane" who falls into Avon, South Carolina and, pretty much literally, into the arms of its sheriff, Cooper, who helps to protect her from some bad guys chasing her down. This story was both enjoyably romantic and well-paced enough to keep my interest, along with the wonderful cast of supporting characters, including the Carolina beaches which Noonan obviously knows well and loves.Last in the collection was "The Brass Ring", apparently a reprint of an older category romance by Jackson. It's melodramatic (she's a doctor, he's a former tennis pro turned coach) to an extreme (he's badly injured in a car accident that kills his protege and leaves the hero with amnesia) that only ramps up (a strange young woman inserts herself into the hero's and heroine's life when she claims he got her pregnant before the crash). There's not even much of a beach element to this West Coast mountain-country story until the last section when Shawna and Parker head off to the beach to wrap up their improbable storyline. I'd rate this a two out of five. The stories mostly center around second chances with a beach background.Lisa Jackson gets top billing here, but I didn't like her contribution. The heroine is annoying. And why would a physician push her injured/amnesiac fiance to the point of hurting his recovery? The hero is wooden and flat. Cardboard is more exciting. And hearing the inner thoughts of a man complaining about his erections just isn't sexy. Sorry.Cathy Lamb's story was a hoot. LOVED the heroine, want the hero as my next hubby, and adored even the bit characters. I want to meet June in real life. That's the sign of a really successful romantic story. And I'd love to read more about her crazy family!Holly Chamerlain's story reminded me of the old 80's harlequin romances I used to read...schmaltzy, but mild, unreal, and a little boring. Not really my thing. The characters were flat. I think it's hard for some of the full-length novelists to change course and do shorter stories.Rosiland Noonan did a decent job of her story. I liked the hero, he had depth. The heroine was a little overdramatic...but this is a beach read romance, I can be forgiving if the story is interesting. And it was. Loved the townspeople...and I enjoyed reading about a place I had vacationed in. All in all, it's an easy beach read with little that challenges you, but enough fun to make it worth the read.
What do You think about Beach Season (2012)?
First two stories were dull. The ones by Rosalind Noonan and Lisa Jackson were the best.
—Volleyballgurl
excellent book and I discovered 3 new authors that were really good.
—Alz
Great beach book! Four stories in one book.
—animefree
