Seaview Inn

This reviewer has wanted to read a book by Sherryl Woods for quite some time, and now got the chance to review SEAVIEW INN, Woods’ latest novel for Harlequin’s Mira imprint. A pleasant surprise, the story was filled with a number of interesting characters that shared nearly equally billing with the main character, Hannah Matthews. While in some novels too many characters can overwhelm a reader, in SEAVIEW INN there is no such problem. The length of the book allowed the author to create a number of vital characters that were pivotal to the plot without fashioning them into flat one-dimensional people whose only purpose was to add to the story line. Each character was as well rounded and real and absorbing enough to sustain interest for the reader.

SEAVIEW INN revolves around Hannah Matthews, a single mom who is in remission from breast cancer. Her mother had just died from the same disease, and it's not surprising that Hannah is a little scared, wondering if the cancer is going to reappear just like it did for her mother.

Besides dealing with cancer, Hannah needs to take care of her elderly grandmother. Grandma Jenny is getting on in years, and Hannah believes that Grandma needs to be placed into a home where people can look out for her. In the mean time, they need to sell the old Seaview Inn that has been in the family for generations. Grandma refuses to cooperate, and instead is trying to reopen the inn, to Hannah’s frustration.

To complicate matters, Luke Stevens is back in town. Luke was at one time Hannah's best friend's boyfriend, but Hannah had always had a big crush on Luke, never letting anyone know because she didn't want to embarrass herself or ruin her friend’s happiness. Luke doesn't tell anyone that he has just returned from Iraq some six months ago, and is still dealing with the injury he received in his leg, as well as the pain in his heart.

Hannah's college age daughter Kelsey is also having problems. She's announced to Hannah that she is pregnant, but she does not want the baby, nor does she want to marry the father, Jeff, despite the fact that she loves him. Kelsey returns to Seaview Inn to be with Hannah and Grandma Jenny to sort things out.

Grandma Jenny makes good use of Kelsey and Luke, as they help Grandma by getting the Inn back in shape in time for the grand re-opening. Hannah hopes this will help them sell the inn faster, but Kelsey has other plans - to run the Inn that she will eventually inherit after her Grandma Jenny passes away.

And now that Luke is back in town, Hannah's old high school crush has returned, but she thinks that her life will be cut short with the return of the cancer. She refuses to make any commitments to him, or anyone else.

SEAVIEW INN moves at a moderate pace, but has a lot of important subplots that keep the book moving along. What this reviewer felt while reading the book was that it was almost like a ‘cozy’ read. This doesn’t mean that there weren’t any conflicts or climatic scenes. The theme of cancer and death was very evident in Hannah’s story line; however, with Hannah’s focus on the here and now, the reader will often forget she is recovering from a devastating illness. It is only when Hannah starts to contemplate her mortality, and her doctor and best friend constantly call her from New York to find out when she is returning for her follow up exam, that the reader is reminded that she is still not safe from the cancer.

This reviewer really enjoyed the book. The characters were natural and fit in well with the story. The setting, a beach side inn in the Florida Keys, was perfect. SEAVIEW INN is recommended for all readers who love contemporary women's fiction and want an escape. But be warned: there still may be a few tears while reading this book, but overall, SEAVIEW INN is a pleasant enjoyable read.

March 2008