I have never read a Shelley Noble novel before, but I sure am glad I gave WHISPER BEACH a try. The story takes place in the small New Jersey shore town of Whisper Beach where everyone knows everyone else, and they are all in each other's business. I grew up in a small town in New Jersey, and I know exactly how that feels. Vanessa survived a rough childhood and as soon as she could, she left and never said goodbye to anyone. No one knew where she went or why. Some people thought she had died.

Fast forward, twelve years later and Van is back in WHISPER BEACH for the funeral of her cousin's husband. She thinks she can just sneak in and out and no one will say anything to her. She couldn't be more wrong. Her past is coming back in a big way. Before she left, something tragic happened and she knew she had to get away. She left behind her boyfriend Joe, and while she has supposedly gotten over the past, Joe has never really let her and their memories go.

My heart was breaking for Joe and at times I wanted to shake some sense into Van. How could she leave someone as perfect as Joe behind? Dorie, who was the woman Van always ran to when things got tough, invites Van to stay for a few days and work through some issues. Dorie's husband has blown through all of their money from the restaurant Dorie owns, and she is now nearly bankrupt. Van decides to help Dorie get her finances in order and begin making money again, all the while trying to hide from Joe, and it is not going well.

WHISPER BEACH is a wonderful story of friendship but also about learning to let go of the past and moving on. Each of the characters come to terms with their memories and take a second look at their loyalty and friendship to one another. I love how Shelley Noble described life in a small town because she is spot on. Please do not think WHISPER BEACH is your typical beach read. It is so much more and as soon as you start reading you will find the hours slipping away, and you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough to see what is going to happen next. I can't wait to read more by Shelley Noble.

Book Summary

When a group of friends reunite in the idyllic beach town where they grew up, they must reevaluate their loyalty to one another or lose their friendship forever

Twelve years ago, Vanessa "Van" Moran fell in love and lost her virginity—but not to the same boy. She fled Whisper Beach desperate and pregnant, never telling a soul about her secret. Now a professional Manhattan organizer, she must return home for the first time to attend the funeral of her best friend's husband. Van intends to only stay for a weekend, but her plans fall by the wayside as the troubles of this coastal town draw her in.

Dorie, the owner of the pier's infamous Blue Crab Restaurant where Van and her friends worked as teenagers, enlists Van's help to save the nearly bankrupt eatery. While Van throws herself into this new task, the man she once loved reenters her life, willing to pick up where they left off.

As the restaurant begins to thrive and Van reconnects with old friends, trouble comes from an unexpected source and she realizes she must face the decisions of her past or sacrifice this new life she has so carefully built.

For Van, this summer will test the meaning of friendship and trust—and how far love can bend before it breaks.