Zusatztext Praise for A Walk Along the Beach You can always trust Macomber . . . to tug at your heart strings and keep you turning pages. AARP Macomber scores another home run with this surprisingly heavy but uplifting contemporary romance between a café owner and a photographer. Eloquent prose . . . along with [a] charming supporting cast adds a welcome dose of light and hope. With this stirring romance, Macomber demonstrates her mastery of the genre. Publishers Weekly (starred review) Highly emotional . . . a hard-to-put-down page-turner, yet, throughout all the heartache, the strength and love of family shines through. New York Journal of Books Praise for Debbie Macomber No one tugs at readers' heartstrings quite as effectively as Macomber. Chicago Tribune The reigning queen of women's fiction. The Sacramento Bee It's impossible not to cheer for Macomber's characters. . . . When it comes to creating a special place and memorable, honorable characters, nobody does it better than Macomber. BookPage CHAPTER 1 Willa He's cute. My sister Harper stage-whispered when I joined her at the table in Bean There, my small coffee shop in Oceanside along the Washington coast. I knew exactly who she was talking about and refused to look. I really shouldn't pay him any mind. I shouldn't look. Shouldn't look. I looked. Who? I asked, doing my best to hide my interest. I'd noticed the tall, lean man with sandy-colored hair who stood at the counter with regularity. My sister was right. He was cute. Not the drop-dead gorgeous of a cover model, though. His appeal was subtle, understated. His hair fell haphazardly across his forehead and his blue eyes were warm. Some days they were a deeper shade than others, depending on what he wore. He had a small cleft in his chin with a single dimple on the right side of his cheek. I knew his first name was Sean for the simple reason I'd written his name across the cup. He'd corrected me the first time he ordered when I spelled it S-h-a-w-n and explained it was spelled with an e. Don't be coy, Willa. You know exactly who I mean. That man is gorgeous. Admit it. Shrugging, I acted disinterested. If you say so. Does he stop by often? Harper leaned forward, as if to get a better look. My sister was an outrageous flirt. She always had been, although her relationships never seemed to last more than a few weeks. She was the outgoing one in the family, while I was the introvert, the shy, retiring one. Harper taught yoga classes at the Oceanside Fitness Center two blocks over from my coffee shop. She was their most popular instructor, and with good reason. Everything was fun with Harper, even exercise, and that was saying something. What's his name? she pressed, unwilling to drop the subject. Normally I would suggest she introduce herself, and she would make sure she did. For my own selfish reasons, I didn't. I knew that within minutes they would likely be involved in a friendly conversation. That was Harper. She was blond, beautiful, physically fit, and the kind of friend everyone hopes to find. It rarely took more than the fluttering of her stunning blue eyes for a man to be captivated and fall under her spell. Sean, I answered, and immediately felt guilty. It wasn't like I had a claim on him or that he'd be interested in me. We'd shared only a few brief exchanges. His smile was warm and engaging. I hesitated for more reason than my own interest. I knew if Harper went for him the relationship wouldn't last. None ever did with her, and I didn't want to see him hurt. He seemed the sensitive type. Oh heavens, what did I know? I was being ridiculous. Sean. Harper slowly repeated his name....

Praise for A Walk Along the Beach

“You can always trust Macomber . . . to tug at your heart strings and keep you turning pages.”**—AARP
 
“Macomber scores another home run with this surprisingly heavy but uplifting contemporary romance between a café owner and a photographer. Eloquent prose . . . along with [a] charming supporting cast adds a welcome dose of light and hope. With this stirring romance, Macomber demonstrates her mastery of the genre.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“Highly emotional . . . a hard-to-put-down page-turner, yet, throughout all the heartache, the strength and love of family shines through.”****—New York Journal of Books
 

Praise for Debbie Macomber
 
“No one tugs at readers’ heartstrings quite as effectively as Macomber.”—Chicago Tribune
 
“The reigning queen of women’s fiction.”—The Sacramento Bee
 
“It’s impossible not to cheer for Macomber’s characters. . . . When it comes to creating a special place and memorable, honorable characters, nobody does it better than Macomber.”—BookPage**

Autorentext
Debbie Macomber, the author of Window on the Bay, Cottage by the Sea, Any Dream Will Do, If Not for You, and the Rose Harbor Inn series, is a leading voice in women's fiction. Thirteen of her novels have reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and five of her beloved Christmas novels have been hit movies on the Hallmark Channel, including Mrs. Miracle and Mr. Miracle. Hallmark Channel also produced the original series Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove, based on Macomber's Cedar Cove books. She is also the author of the cookbook Debbie Macomber's Table. There are more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide.

Zusammenfassung
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two sisters must learn from each other’s strengths and trust in the redeeming power of love in a touching new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

The Lakey sisters are perfect opposites. After their mother died and their father was lost in grief, Willa had no choice but to raise her sister, Harper, and their brother, Lucas. Then, as an adult, she put her own life on hold to nurse Harper through a terrifying illness. Now that Harper is better and the sisters are living as roommates, Willa has realized her dream of running her own bakery and coffee shop, bringing her special brand of caretaking to the whole Oceanside community.

Harper, on the other hand, is always on the go. Overcoming a terrible illness has given her a new lease on life, and she does not intend to waste it. When Harper announces her plan to summit Mount Rainier, Willa fears she may be pushing herself too far. Harper, for her part, urges Willa to stop worrying and do something outside of her comfort zone—like taking a chance on love with a handsome new customer.  

Sean O’Malley is as charming as he is intriguing—a freelance photographer whose assignments take him to the ends of the earth. Soon Willa’s falling for him in a way that is both exciting and terrifying. But life has taught Willa to hedge her bets, and she wonders whether the potential heartache is worth the risk.  

Life has more challenges in store for them all. But both sisters will discover that even in the darkest moments, family is everything.

Leseprobe
CHAPTER 1

Willa

“He’s cute.” My sister Harper stage-whispered when I joined her at the table in Bean There, my small coffee shop in Oceanside along the Washington coast. I knew exactly who she was talking about and refused to look. I really shouldn’t pay him any mind. I shouldn’t look. Shouldn’t look.

I looked.

“Who?” I asked, doing my best to hide my interest. I’d noticed the tall, lean man with sandy-colored hair who stood at the counter with regularity. My sister was right. He was cute. Not the drop-dead gorgeous of a cover model, though. His appeal was subtle, understated…