Whisper Beach: A Novel

I gave it four stars because it was a slow start but once it grabbed me, I'm so happy I stayed with it! I could relate to the hurt from teenage years and the problems with family issues. Van is such a strong woman but perceives that it's because of the walls she built around herself were needed for continued success. Suze came from money but couldn't live up to her mothers expectations, this would've been a great addition to the story. Was that true or just how she felt and don't we all at sometime feel we let down our parent. I love her clumsiness, it added a relief to the storytelling. Gigi and Dana's characters are both similar and sadly relatable to everyone's life. Teenage years are hard and trying to find where we belong or we think we belong can have long lasting effects on our lives. I'd love to see if any of the characters or storylines continue in any of her other books. One it hooked me, I couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed reading most of this book and would have rated it a “5” except for the disappointing ending. It seemed like the author just got tired of writing so she quickly put together a couple of paragraphs that resolved all of the issues being dealt with by the protagonist.

When I order books on my Kindle, I read the blurb and if sounds good and the price is right, I order. So, as I read I began wondering if this was self-published.The writing was choppy, often I didn't know who was speaking and had to back up. I was confused about the setting. Were they in NJ? Why is she staying in Rehoboth Beach (or wants to) which is in DE and when Ocean City is mentioned does she mean MD or NJ? I am from this area and was very confused as to who was where and really where in the world was the book set? I think it was in NJ...There was a lot of internal thoughts between a character's ? and an answer, so many in fact I skipped a lot of those internal thoughts. I didn't really need to know why she felt one way as the author already managed to portray her anger or confusion in just a few simple lines of text.Also, the characters were 1-D to me. I have no idea what Joe looked like except cute with no receding hair line. Van had short dark hair and was a bit shorter than 5'7" and was slender. To me it's important to have a visual of a person in my head and the only one I did was Van's friend, Suze.Once I finished, with an ending that seemed to be only the end of a chapter, I went back on my Kindle to the beginning and looked for the publisher. An imprint of Harper Collins, a well known famous publisher put this book out there. And all I could think of was "this book needs an editor." Not sure how it got out there, probably because many of her other books are great, but since this was the first one I read I won't read another. It was difficult to get through when you have to go back and re read to understand the dialogue and setting!

I really enjoyed most of the novel. I liked the storyline, the realistic characters and the location. It kept me interested and turning pages. I hoped for a better ending to the relationship between Van and Joe. I liked them as a couple and felt the story was leading towards a fulfilling ending for both. Instead I felt the ending incomplete, leaving me hanging, expecting more. I kept looking for a sequel. It ended too quickly after such a long involved plot of character's problems that we wished concluded satisfactorily. What happened to each of them? What happened to the lonely boy who became attached to Joe? I expected a more satisfying tying up of the character's problems. To me, I felt Van and Joe were almost as confused at the finish of the novel as before they found each other after years of a longing, painful separation. It could have been more satisfying with a little more explanation of the characters endings. A sequel concerning the relationship between Van and Joe would be welcome. I felt Van would be content but felt sorry for Joe who needed Van to help fulfill his lonely existence. CLB

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were really brought to life. Kind of disappointed in the ending though. Lots of things left unfinished. But all in all a good story.

Van Moran is coming back to Whiskey Creek where she grew up and ran away from twelve years ago. Pregnant and alone she goes to Manhattan and lived through a miscarriage with her friend Suze's help. Now they are back for the funeral of her cousin's husband.Van was just going to slide through and go to Rohobath beach for vacation but her old boss where she worked at the Crab cafe guilts her into staying for a couple of days to get answers on why she disappeared without telling anyone.A story of family, sad memories, and old friends reacquainting as well as old boyfriends. Keeps you on your toys going from one situation to another.

First, let me start out by saying this is not a romance; it's realistic women's fiction with characters and situations drawn from real life. If you're looking for a Harlequin type romance that is tied up with a sparkly pink happily-ever-after bow, this is not the book for you. However, if you enjoy well-written books about genuine people dealing with the realities of life, I highly recommend Shelley Noble's Whisper Beach. Ms. Noble knows how to draw characters who come to life. And boy, does she ever bring back memories of high school and the scars those memories often leave on us. Her characters are not perfect, but neither are we, and I dare you not to see yourself or people you've known in the characters who inhabit Whisper Beach. The uplifting message of this book is that people can learn from their mistakes, forgive and be forgiven, and move forward toward a better life. Ms. Noble leaves us feeling glad we spent time visiting Whisper Beach and getting to know the people who call it home.

Loved the read....wish the ending could have been better

Good read

Excellent book, loved everything about it.