Saving Sandcastles by Meredith Summers

A breezy feel-good beach read about trust and friendship set in a quaint seaside town on the coast of Maine.

Claire Turner finally has everything she wants. A successful business, a small bungalow near the beach, and the camaraderie of her two best friends. She’s successful and independent—something she would never have thought possible before her husband’s midlife crisis and their subsequent divorce.

When a rival business opens across the street, Claire worries that she could lose everything she’s worked for. Her entire sense of self-worth is tied up in her bakery and café, Sandcastles, and she suddenly finds herself taking desperate measures to make sure she doesn’t lose business to the newcomer. Is Claire overreacting? Her friends think it’s possible, but will they be able to talk her off the ledge before she does something drastic?

Her friends are dealing with their own problems. Jane’s beloved mother, Addie, has dementia, and it’s getting worse. Jane has her hands full trying to run the family inn and keep Addie safe. When Addie wanders away from the inn, Jane faces the hardest decision of her life.

And then there’s Maxi. On the surface it appears as if she has an idyllic marriage, but does she really? Now that she and James are empty nesters, things aren’t the same, and Maxi worries that James may not be interested in staying married. But Maxi has dreams of her own, dreams that she had to set aside while she was caring for her husband and children. Now that she has an empty nest, will she be able to find the courage to turn those dreams into reality?