At Lighthouse Point // My first blogger book review!!!

At Lighthouse Point 

Back of the book: 

"Blaine Grayson returns to Three Sisters Island with a grand plan--to take Camp Kicking Moose to the next level. Her dream starts to unravel when she discovers Moose Manor's kitchen has been badly remodeled by her sister, Cam, who doesn't know how to cook. Added to that blow is the cold shoulder given by her best friend, Artie Lotosky, now a doctor to the unbridged Maine islands.

As old wounds are opened, Blaine starts to wonder if she made a mistake by coming home. Little by little, she must let go of one dream to discover a new one, opening her heart to a purpose and a future she had never imagined. 

Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the coast of Maine for a story that reminds you to release what doesn't matter and cling to what does: faith, family, and friendships."

My Review: 

★★★★☆

3.5 stars! 

At Lighthouse Point was a heartwarming story about the Grayson’s family journey to finding what truly matters—each other. The setting was a quaint little island with saltwater vibes, a old fashioned community, and realistic main characters who got to call this Hallmark setting “home.” The takeaway message was multi-layered and light enough for most all audiences. I really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to read book one and two, but I felt like this book could also be read as a standalone as most backstory was talked about and I didn’t feel like I missed much except for a couple mentions that were probably discussed in the previous books. 

Characters: 

Paul Grayson—Paul is the father of three adult children. From his POV, we see him struggle with his relationship with his own father, the somewhat loss of his voice which cost him his career, and witness a budding romance with a dear friend. (Which he somehow manages to keep a secret from his daughters? Knowing those three, I think they would have figured this out sooner rather than later!)

Camden (Cam)—Ah, Cam had quite the uptight, micromanaging side yet she was truly the oldest sister and from a readers perspective, we can see how much she cares and puts a lot of effort into all that she sets her mind to do. I love the slight plot twist to her pregnancy and how her husband (Seth) lovingly brings to her attention some areas that she needs to give to God.

Maddison (Maddie)—Maddie is the middle daughter and I not only can relate to her on that level, but she is also the peacemaker in the family, the quiet one, and the one who worries. I only get a small glimpse of her character but from what the reader does see of her in book three, we can see how she really struggled with letting fear cloud her faith that God would take care of her little family.

Blaine (MC?)—Although Paul, Cam, and Maddie had POV’s, Blaine’s was the most prominent story and the reader also got a special glimpse into her past with small “flashback” stories. We see Blaine grow from being the “baby” of the family into a independent adult who yes, made mistakes, but learned her way through them just like the rest of us. She came back home to find her dream and that she did! She struggled with depression and also with anger towards her siblings (holding grudges from the past). However, with the help of her friend and with some time on her own, she was able to overcome some of those challenges. Her friendship/romance with Artie wasn’t what I was expecting… I’ll touch on that next. 

Artie—Sadly, Artie was my least favorite character! This was totally unexpected as all the points added up for him to be a great guy. Supposedly good looking, great career, dedicated to his patients, easygoing name… but his personality was totally buzzkill for me. He was flat out rude and irritating. Maybe in the other books there was more to his character but in what I read, their relationship just wasn’t working. And at the end…. OK, that was too fast.

Peg—She was the typical older lady (with not so typical pigtails!) who offered advice and ran Lunch Counter. She also had a side political role for the Three Sisters Island. Her opinions were much valued with sound reasoning. She actually reminded me a lot of one of the characters I wrote for my WIP. 

Jean-Paul—Poor Jean Paul!! The accident prone couch potato with a life coaching side gig. Need I say more? 

Concluding Thoughts: 

I love all the food talk! Like, coming from a girl who took a cooking class and has 8372021 pins on her Menu Plan Pinterest board, you could say I’m somewhat of a foodie. So having Blaine whip up any of her culinary creations had me craving to do some cooking myself! The grilled peaches and the breakfast omelet especially stood out to me. Great, mouthwatering descriptions! I’m also familiar with Maine’s potato candy (but still a skeptic of it!).

Honestly, this book was on the slower side with small plot twists here and there. It gave me major Chesapeake Shores vibes with family drama and complicated character arcs. However, I did still enjoy these stories and I look forward to future books by this author!

*Thank you Revell Reads Blogger Program for a complementary copy of this new release! These thoughts are my own.

Does this look like a book that you would want to read? Do you like lighthouses?? Have you watched Chesapeake Shores? What are you currently reading? Comment below! 

Many Blessings, 

Brooklyne Elysse