I’m delighted today to be joining the blog tour for Waves of Change in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen – the sixth book in this really enjoyable series – and sharing my review. Published on 5th August, it’s now available for kindle (free via Kindle Unlimited) and in paperback. My thanks, as always, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog tour and for her support, and to both Rachel and Maggie for my advance reading e-copy.
I really love my regular visits to Pelican Crossing – and when I’m there I always feel I’m among friends with whom I have so much common ground, being allowed to share their lives for a while. The series started with The Restaurant in Pelican Crossing, which was Poppy’s story – finding romance with Cam, dealing with so many family complications along the way (you’ll find my review of that one here). And the series then went on to focus on each of her closest friends – Liz, Gill and Rachel – as they made their own fresh starts and found happiness (to find my reviews, just put the author’s name in the search bar). The last book – Safe Harbour in Pelican Crossing – saw the return of mayor Joe’s sister, Erica, slowly learning to trust again and put her many problems behind her, and was such a satisfying read (review here). And, if you enjoyed it too, you’ll remember she was staying in Olivia’s cottage while she was on an extended visit to family in the UK – and now she’s coming home, so I was very much looking forward to getting to know her…
Sad to leave her daughter and granddaughters behind in England where she has been visiting for the past year, Olivia Grace is excited to return to her hometown of Pelican Crossing and resume her life as a counsellor. But a shock awaits her, threatening to destroy her future and forcing her to make changes she’d never anticipated.
Dan Parker has moved to Pelican Crossing with his teenage daughter after the death of his wife, intent on making a fresh start. Now, having fulfilled his long-held dream of opening a Wellness Centre, he confronts an unexpected challenge.
Faced with an unforeseen situation and frustrated by her friends’ relentless matchmaking, Olivia finally admits her attraction to Dan and agrees to a date. But real life isn’t a romantic novel, and things don’t go smoothly.
Can these two lonely people find a future together, or are they destined to grow old alone?
For fans of heartwarming small-town romances, this is a must-read. With vibrant descriptions of the charming coastal town and two endearing characters who struggle with loss and loneliness, this book will tug at your heartstrings.
Expecting to step back into her former life, Livvy finds that she needs to start again – the counselling practice at the health centre is no longer hers, after a particular act of betrayal by someone she thought of as a friend. And that proves a challenge – but the newly established Wellness Centre looks like the perfect place to try, if she can convince the owner that what she offers would be a good fit. They start off on the wrong foot – owner Dan is distracted by issues of his own – until friends intervene to ease the way.
Dan moved to Pelican Crossing after the death of his wife – a marriage that was falling apart, but that’s something he always kept from teenage daughter Kim. And, although he’s pleased with the success of the Wellness Centre, he’s struggling a bit with single parenthood – his daughter is making a life of her own, on the verge of adulthood and going off to university, and he has good reason to worry about some of her life choices.
During her absence, all Livvy’s friends – except Rhana, content with the company of her dogs – have found happiness with new partners, and their well-meaning attempts to push her and Dan together at first only have the opposite effect. But their relationship builds – only to hit fresh barriers, when they realise the impact on his daughter who cherishes such fond memories of her mother and really isn’t ready to move on. And Livvy’s own life doesn’t go smoothly – there are more repercussions from that betrayal that leave her very much in need of her walks on the beach to replenish her reserves.
This was a read I very much enjoyed – the tentative steps towards a relationship for two lonely individuals who really deserved some happiness, the very real obstacles in the way. The friendships, as always, are particularly well drawn – and it’s always good to catch up with the lives of others whose stories I’ve enjoyed, although others could equally enjoy the book as a standalone read. The idyllic setting is somewhere I now feel entirely at home, and I love the warmth of the community and its many gathering places – although this time there are reminders that unpleasantness can sometimes lurk beneath the surface. The developing romance is wholly convincing, the many stumbling blocks and emotional issues very real – and I really hoped this lovely couple would eventually find their own path to happiness.
This was another delightful read in a series I’m thoroughly enjoying, filled with people whose life journeys I always find it so very easy to identify with. I’m already looking forward to the next book…
And there’s not too long to wait – A Family for Christmas in Pelican Crossing is already available for preorder, out on 4th November. Lou at Books & Coffee has been in the background of all the earlier books, and it’ll be good to find out her story…
About the author
After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea – warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.
From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!
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Thanks so much, Anne. I’m so glad you enjoyed Livvy’s story.
Always a pleasure Maggie – and what a lovely story!