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Beach Town

Review

Beach Town

Greer Hennessy is used to pulling off the impossible. In fact, she does it daily in her job as a location scout for big-budget Hollywood movies. When she's directed to find a small Florida town that's off the beaten path, she springs into action and lands in Cypress Key, a tiny Gulf Coast town that has seen its better days.

As usual, it's up to Greer to schmooze the town's powers-that-be to persuade them to allow the production company to invade their area for several weeks to create its latest masterpiece. While that's usually not difficult to do, particularly when Greer points out the financial advantages, Cypress Key's mayor, Eben Thibadeaux, isn't so easily swayed. In fact, he's dead set against Greer's plans, which include purchasing an abandoned community casino in order to blow it sky high for the movie's final climactic scene.

"BEACH TOWN is the perfect summer read, particularly for anyone who harbors fond memories of childhood vacations spent in small Florida towns before big resorts and luxury accommodations took over the coastline."

What Eb doesn't know, however, is that Greer's professional future is at stake and her successful completion of her assigned task is crucial. Even though it wasn't her fault, she has been blamed for a public safety fiasco that took place on the set of the last movie upon which she worked and finally has been given a chance to redeem herself. She can't possibly allow anything to go wrong this time. The stakes are simply too high.

Unfortunately, no one has told Greer's libido that the smart, sexy mayor is strictly off limits. In fact, one might even say he's the enemy. So why does she keep finding herself melting whenever he glances her way?

In addition to the location-related hurdles, Greer must deal with a wayward leading man who's too fond of booze and bimbos. How will she manage to keep wildly popular rapper Kregg in line long enough to complete filming without landing himself and everyone around him in a public relations fiasco?

In her personal life, Greer faces pressure to get to know her estranged father, who just happens to live in the area. Having recently lost her mother to cancer, she is torn between closing off her heart to the man who seems eager to get acquainted with her and opening the door a crack to let him in.

BEACH TOWN is the perfect summer read, particularly for anyone who harbors fond memories of childhood vacations spent in small Florida towns before big resorts and luxury accommodations took over the coastline. The rundown Silver Sands Motel, run by Eb's plain-speaking Aunt Ginny, and the lone grocery store in Cypress Key easily evoke nostalgic feelings in anyone who loves the Florida of yesteryear.

In addition, characters who are far from cookie cutter populate BEACH TOWN to create a warm, homey feeling that will leave readers eager to immerse themselves in the story. They will keep reading to see if Greer returns to her superficial life in Hollywood or gives it all up in exchange for a fulfilling, yet gritty, existence in Cypress Key.

Reviewed by Amie Taylor on May 19, 2015

Beach Town
by Mary Kay Andrews

  • Publication Date: May 3, 2016
  • Genres: Fiction, Women's Fiction
  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
  • ISBN-10: 125006595X
  • ISBN-13: 9781250065957