Books & Spoons Review for HOLIDAY IN THE HAMPTONS by Sarah Morgan

The perfect summer escape…?

Professional dog-walker Felicity Knight loves everything about New York…until her ex-husband starts working at her local vet clinic. She hasn’t seen Seth Carlyle in ten years, but one glimpse of him – too gorgeous, and still too good for her – and Fliss’s heart hurts like their whirlwind marriage ended yesterday. So when her grandmother in The Hamptons needs help for the summer, it seems the perfect way to escape her past…

Their relationship might only have lasted a few scorching months, but vet Seth knows Fliss – if she’s run away to The Hamptons, it’s because she still feels their connection and it terrifies her. He let her go once before, when he didn’t know any better, but not this summer! With the help of his adorable dog Lulu, and a sprinkling of beachside magic, Seth is determined to make Fliss see that he’s never stopped loving her…

---

From Manhattan With Love is the one series this year that I have bought all the paperbacks for, addition to having the ebooks because I love the series so much that I wanted to have them visually present on my bookshelves, as keepsakes. I guess that is a true book-girl thing... 
Why do I love the series - and Holiday in the Hamptons -so much? 
The characters are real, they are like us, like the people we meet every day and spend our time with. They live in this fairytale, yet they have real problems, real issues, relationships that are challenging, and families that not only drive them mad but shaped them to be the people they are today. 
The dialog is lively, it is sassy, and borderline bantering even when talking to and with their grandmom. And the dialog is refreshing, it is fun, and it is built such way that it keeps the plot flowing forward and the moment alive and vibrant, keeping the energy elevated in every scene.
Each story in the series has had me completely lost in the tale, right there with the characters, feeling and experiencing life with them. I love the closeness of the friends they have, the love and support for their siblings are admirable. 
Felicity 'Fliss' Knight is a bit of a drama queen, she is a woman with big emotions. Fliss is the most loyal, protective, and loving to those she cares about, yet she is the master of hiding her feelings and running from the emotions that tumble inside of her heart and mind. Coming from a dysfunctional family, she is used to protecting her twin sister, she is used to standing in front of any threat towards her, might that be bullying, hurtful words, or painful emotions. At the same way, she has learned to protect herself and her feelings, hiding from the possible pain a rejection and dismissal might bring. 
Seth Carlyle is the golden boy, the successful, friendly, kind, considerate, handsome vet of the town, that everyone admires. He is open, honest, and a loving man and recent loss had made him realize letting Fliss go ten years ago was the biggest mistake of his life. Determination and patience are Seth's strengths, and he is going to need them to convince Fliss that trusting him, opening up to him, and learning to love him are going to be a worth the risk of pain.
As much as this is a story of second chance romance, this is a story about families, the influence the growing up years has on us, and how it shapes us as people. There is always more going on behind the closed doors than anyone outside can know, there is no such thing as a perfect family. Yet the love and caring are there, the loyalty, and protectiveness is strong. Fliss has a lot to learn from the broken family of hers and she has much more to offer to people around her that she might give herself a credit for.  Holiday in the Hamptons is a story about learning to trust, to be open, to share the deep, dark, scary thoughts and emotions that most would rather run away from. It is a story about learning to be vulnerable and exposed to loved ones to make the relationship work and last a lifetime.
While this was a fun, entertaining, and witty story of love, trust, and families, it also has life lessons embedded in it that made me take a notice. A cleaver, smoothly flowing, humorous, and delightful tale to continue the brilliant series
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

---

---