My Rating: 5 Stars
Five Stars for After All (Cape Harbor #1) by Heidi McLaughlin
Synopsis: “From New York Times bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin comes a heartfelt story about overcoming great loss and forgiving past sins to find happiness again.
Brooklyn Hewett hasn’t set foot in Cape Harbor for fifteen years—not since an accident claimed the love of her life, Austin Woods. Desperate to move forward, Brooklyn has focused on raising her daughter for the past fourteen years. But when the opportunity comes along to renovate the old Driftwood Inn, Brooklyn knows it’s time to go home.
But it won’t be easy. For one, Austin’s best friend, Bowie Holmes, still lives in Cape Harbor. Brooklyn hasn’t quite been able to forget him: not since the night they spent together—the same night they both lost Austin. Separated by tragedy and guilt, they’re brought together by the Driftwood project. And as they rebuild the inn, they discover they’re also rebuilding something else.
Brooklyn’s always been desperate to move on, not knowing that she first needs to reconcile past transgressions. She can’t forget, but she can forgive—Austin, Bowie, and herself—on her way toward long-awaited happiness”
Author Heidi McLaughlin sends the readers and the characters on a journey to finally deal with what exactly happened on a stormy night fifteen years ago that sets the story in motion in ‘After All’. We’re given bits and pieces and it draws you in to the circumstances of one fateful night that changes the futures of everyone in Cape Harbor and beyond.
This captivating book is a beautifully written story of overcoming grief in a myriad of ways, some good and others bad; of the lengths people will go to for love and to overcome guilt and obtain forgiveness; of a small fishing town in the Pacific Northwest that is so finely wrought that you can practically smell the sea and feel the grit of the sand under your feet. All of the characters are compelling and I was completely drawn into their lives. I read ‘After All‘ in one sitting.
‘After All‘ leaves you with some questions that may make you ready to go to your book club and discuss this book until you run out of wine. Mainly, you might have opinions on what motivated certain characters to do things. I would like to attend all of those book club meetings! I look forward to more of the Cape Harbor series from Heidi McLaughlin!
Goodreads
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