Holly Chamberlin

Like Elin Hildebrand's Nantucket novels, Holly Chamberlin's Maine-set summer reads are perfect for the beach--heartwarming, engaging, and emotionally satisfying. In her latest novel set in the charming town of Yorktide, four older women come together under one roof for an unforgettable summer of self-discovery, renewal, and the healing power of friendship. A delight for fans of Nancy Thayer, Shelley Noble, and Pamela Kelley. A rambling house on the coast of Maine is the perfect setting for this poignant novel of self-discovery and renewal, as four strangers decide to spend a summer together . . . Sandra Pennington has lived through enough Maine winters to know how long they can be. Even in April, Yorktide is chilly and muddy, adding to Sandra's pangs of loneliness. It's been five years since her husband died, her dearest friend is in a care facility, her children are grown, and the big house is suddenly terribly empty. But Sandra has a plan: to rent out three bedrooms and set up a summer bed and breakfast of sorts. There will be challenges, of course, and Sandra's daughter is concerned. But Sandra is eager to try and build a community of like-minded, mature women for companionship and support. Soon, one by one, her chosen housemates arrive . . . Mary, recently retired, is ready to discard her tough lawyer fa ade. Patty refuses to reveal--or act--her age, but beneath her flightiness lies a deep vulnerability. High-school teacher Amanda feels uncertain about where her long-term relationship is going. But surely it's too late now to change course? Over arguments and laughter, these very different women get to know each other--and themselves. And while summer is always too short, there'll be time enough for reinvention, reflection--and realizing it's never too late to keep growing, changing--and making new friends . . .

For fans of Mary Kay Andrews and Elin Hilderbrand, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin sweeps readers to the Maine seaside in this touching story of three sisters--and one summer filled with revelations . . . When Poppy Higgins left Yorktide, Maine, for Boston, she pictured future visits home as brief diversions from her real life in the big city. Fate had different ideas, and at twenty-five, Poppy has been called back to care for her two younger sisters following their father's death. Sixteen-year-old Daisy resents Poppy's long absence and chafes under her sometimes fumbling efforts to be a parent. Violet, now thirteen, is a virtual stranger to her oldest sister. Once a happy, united family, the Higginses seem adrift, and Poppy longs to escape her responsibilities. But when Daisy befriends Evie, an enigmatic newcomer to Yorktide, the young woman will be an unlikely catalyst in the sisters' journey back to each other. For as Poppy discovers the deep loss in Evie's life, she awakens to the truth about her own, and about the town, and the people, she's tried to leave behind. Filled with the candid warmth of real sisterhood, Summer with My Sisters explores the many forms a family can take, and the unspoken ties that endure, season after season . . .

Summer in Maine means breezy, sun-kissed beach days, golden evenings, and, in bestselling author Holly Chamberlin's irresistible novels, a time for self-discovery and surprising connections... Like Elin Hildebrand's Nantucket novels, Holly Chamberlin's Maine-set summer reads are perfect for the beach--heartwarming, engaging, and emotionally satisfying. In her latest novel set in the charming seaside town of Eliot's Corner, the revelation of her mother's secret affair will turn one woman's world upside down--and bring new possibilities. A delight for fans of Nancy Thayer, Shelley Noble, and Pamela Kelley. Sometimes you sense something, deep inside, long before it's proven true. Thirty-year-old Petra Quirk has always felt as if a vital element of her life is missing. It's not until she moves back to the small town of Eliot's Corner for the summer that she learns why. Rummaging in the attic, Petra comes across a diary. The discovery prompts her mother, Elizabeth, to make a confession to her three daughters. Decades ago, she fell in love with her husband's best friend, Chris--and Petra is Chris's child... Elizabeth ended the affair before she learned she was pregnant, and Chris has no idea he's a father. Hugh, who Petra believed to be her dad, was a good-natured but self-centered, blustering man. He and Chris seemed to have little in common, though their friendship was genuine. Elizabeth loved Chris deeply yet refused to tear her family apart. Even since Hugh's death, she's resisted contacting Chris. But Petra, floundering and unsure of her path, is compelled to search out her biological father, though she knows it will complicate her relationship with her family. Over the course of two summers, decades apart, romance will be kindled and rekindled, life-altering decisions made, and secrets of the heart will come to light at last.

Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Maine coast, Holly Chamberlin's novels are a summer staple. Now she weaves a heartfelt story of past and present summers and new beginnings, as a mother and daughter reconnect after decades apart... There are moments that change your entire life's direction. For Arden Bell, owner of a cherished bookstore in the seaside hamlet of Eliot's Corner, one such moment comes early on a summer day when she opens the door to Laura Huntington--the daughter she hasn't seen in thirty-seven years. Not a day has passed in which Arden hasn't thought of the baby she glimpsed only once before her wealthy, powerful parents forced her to give her up for adoption. Shy and sheltered, Arden finally mustered the courage to leave her Maine hometown of Port George, changed her name, and has barely seen her parents since. Nor has she heard from Rob, the boy she was so passionately in love with. Now Laura's arrival, and her inevitable questions, will propel both women on a journey to forge a new relationship and unravel the past. Amid revelations and discoveries--sometimes painful, often unexpected--they will learn the truth about a long-ago summer, and about the risks we take and sacrifices we make for love.

In this smart, tender, insightful novel, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin introduces two very different women who, over the course of two unforgettable weeks, learn about unbreakable bonds, unshakeable love, and the chances that come once in a lifetime--and change us forever... When Elizabeth Caldwell planned a trip to Florence with her daughter, Marina, she secretly hoped for a warm, fuzzy bonding experience worthy of a Lifetime movie. But Marina--twenty-one, newly graduated, and close to her mom in many ways--has always been more the PBS type: dependable, practical, and completely in control. Elizabeth knows Marina wants to avoid the kind of "stupid mistake" that left Elizabeth a single mother at twenty-two, and she's bitten her tongue as Marina settles for a wealthy fianc who gives her everything, she thinks she wants. After all, Elizabeth--unable to bring herself to fully commit to the man she has dated for years--is hardly an expert in romance. Still, a lot can happen on vacation, especially in Tuscany, where every scent borne on the warm breeze inspires delight, and every view makes the heart soar. There, on streets once walked by Dante and Michaelangelo, Marina is blindsided by a gorgeous Italian named Luca who shows her how gloriously unpredictable passion can be. And Elizabeth finally lets go of the role that has defined her for so long to embrace her own uncertain future...

Against the picturesque coastal Maine setting that she evokes so well, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin creates a heartfelt story of family bonds and new beginnings . . . It came as no surprise to anyone in Yorktide when glamorous Carol Ascher fled the little Maine town for New York City. While Carol found success as an interior designer, her younger sister, Bonnie, stayed behind, embracing marriage and motherhood. She even agreed to take in Carol's teenage daughter during a tumultuous patch. Now both their girls are grown and Bonnie, recently widowed, is anticipating the day she'll retire to Ferndean House, the nineteenth-century family home on the rocky Maine coast. But forty-five years after leaving Yorktide, Carol suddenly announces that she's moving back--into Ferndean. Bonnie is indignant. She's the one who kept the homestead in order and tended to their dying mother. Now Carol expects to simply buy her out? As far as Bonnie is concerned, Ferndean is part of their heritage--not just another of Carol's improvement projects, to be torn apart and remade according to her whim. The entire Ascher family is in flux, uncovering secrets that upend their relationships. Carol's longing to be welcomed home is fueled by a painful truth she's carried for years. It will take an extraordinary summer--in a remarkable place--to lead these women back to each other, buoyed by the tides of friendship and forgiveness.

Set in a picturesque Maine beach town, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin's heartwarming and insightful novel delves into the choices and changes faced by two families over the course of one eventful summer . . . Everyone in Yorktide, Maine, knows sixteen-year-old Sarah Bauer. She's a good student and a dutiful daughter, as well as a beloved best friend to Cordelia Kane. So it's a surprise to all when sensible Sarah reveals that she is pregnant. Though shocked, Sarah's family is supportive. But while Sarah reconciles herself to a new and different future, the consequences ripple in all directions. Her father--a proud, old-time Mainer--tries to find more work to defray expenses. Her younger sister grapples with a secret she can't share. Cordelia feels abandoned, and Cordelia's mother faces the repercussions of a long-ago decision. As Sarah's mother, Cindy, frets about how she'll juggle childcare with her job at the local quilting store, she seizes on an idea: to band together and make a baby quilt. Piece by piece, a beautiful design emerges. And as it progresses, reflecting the hopes and cares of the women who create it, each will find strength in the friendship and love that sustains them, in hardship and in joy . . .

Bestselling author Holly Chamberlin's touching and thought-provoking novel about a mother's struggle to reconnect with her long-lost daughter... Every year on March 26th, Verity Peterson visits Ogunquit Beach, where she puts a handwritten message into a bottle and launches it into the waves. It's a ritual of remembrance for the daughter she hasn't seen in sixteen years--not since her baby's father, Alan, took two-month-old Gemma and disappeared. Verity keeps searching and hoping, sustained by the thought that someday she might get to be a mother to her own child. And finally, one phone call may change everything... Verity learns that Alan is now in jail on abduction charges--and Marni Armstrong, born Gemma Peterson-Burns, is coming to live with Verity in Yorktide, Maine. But this isn't the joyful reunion Verity imagined. Gemma has been raised to believe Verity was an unfit mother who left Alan no choice but to take her out of harm's way. Over the course of one summer, Verity tries to reach a tough, wary young woman who's more stranger than daughter. And Gemma must reexamine everything she thought about her parents--and decide whether to trust in a relationship that, though delicate as a seashell on the surface, could prove to be just as beautiful and resilient.

Set in a picturesque Maine beach town, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin's heartwarming and insightful novel delves into the choices and changes faced by two families over the course of one eventful summer . . . Everyone in Yorktide, Maine, knows sixteen-year-old Sarah Bauer. She's a good student and a dutiful daughter, as well as a beloved best friend to Cordelia Kane. So it's a surprise to all when sensible Sarah reveals that she is pregnant. Though shocked, Sarah's family is supportive. But while Sarah reconciles herself to a new and different future, the consequences ripple in all directions. Her father--a proud, old-time Mainer--tries to find more work to defray expenses. Her younger sister grapples with a secret she can't share. Cordelia feels abandoned, and Cordelia's mother faces the repercussions of a long-ago decision. As Sarah's mother, Cindy, frets about how she'll juggle childcare with her job at the local quilting store, she seizes on an idea: to band together and make a baby quilt. Piece by piece, a beautiful design emerges. And as it progresses, reflecting the hopes and cares of the women who create it, each will find strength in the friendship and love that sustains them, in hardship and in joy . . . Praise for the novels of Holly Chamberlin "There is sure to be much clamor for this latest beach read. Recommend it to fans of Claire Cook and Elin Hilderbrand." --Booklist on Home for the Summer "Chamberlin's latest is a great summer read but with substance. It will find a wide audience in its exploration of sisterhood, family, and loss." --Library Journal on Summer with My Sisters

Set against the beautiful backdrop of coastal Maine, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin's heartwarming novel tells of friendship, family, lessons learned, and newfound love--all under a summer sky . . . Every June, the quiet beach town of Ogunquit is overtaken by wealthy families who hire local young women like Amy Latimer and Hayley Franklin to care for their children. Best friends since childhood, Amy and Hayley are eager to secure lucrative summer jobs. Amy wants to finance her upcoming move to Boston. Hayley hopes to squirrel away enough money so that her mom can finally leave her abusive husband. Amy is immediately in thrall to her dynamic boss, Cressida Prior, so different from Amy's mother, Leda. Though skilled at creating tapestries and rugs, Leda lacks confidence. But one thing she does know, after a painful summer long ago as a nanny herself, is how damaging a manipulative boss can be. Hayley's employers, Jon and Marisa Whitby, are loving parents to their two-year-old twins. Jon also has a grown son by a previous marriage. Ethan is kind, handsome, and not least, wealthy. For the first time, Hayley, usually so selfless, can't help seeing him as an opportunity. But the passing weeks bring complications and revelations, altering friendships, testing the bond between mothers and daughters, and proving that the ripples from a single season can last forever . . . Praise for the novels of Holly Chamberlin "There is sure to be much clamor for this latest beach read. Recommend it to fans of Claire Cook and Elin Hilderbrand." --Booklist on Home for the Summer "Chamberlin's latest is a great summer read but with substance. It will find a wide audience in its exploration of sisterhood, family, and loss." - Library Journal on Summer with My Sisters

Against the irresistible backdrop of Christmas in New England, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin creates a heartfelt and memorable novel--a story of reunited family, new beginnings, and unconditional love--the best gift of all. To outsiders, Appleville, New Hampshire, is a storybook small town complete with a little white church and a gazebo on the village green. To Gincy Gannon Luongo, it was a place to escape from as quickly as she could. Since she moved away twenty years ago, Appleville has been her hometown in name only. But at her brother Tommy's urging, Gincy is coming back to visit their recently widowed mother in the weeks leading up to Christmas--and she's bringing her teenage daughter, Tamsin, with her. Ellen Gannon, once feisty and strong-willed, is mired in depression. Tommy isn't doing much better. Gincy starts restoring order to the household in her usual practical way, but it's clear that imagined slights and lingering resentments have created deep chasms between them all. With each day, she realizes she has seriously undervalued her mother and her brother. Only now, with the support of her husband, daughter, and best friends, does she see how much she may have missed. For beyond the surface of every family and every picturesque town is something more complicated but infinitely more rewarding--a tapestry of those small acts of acceptance, love, and loyalty that could transform this Christmas into the best Gincy's ever known.

In bestselling author Holly Chamberlin's poignant new novel, a mother and daughter escape to a beautiful coastal town in Maine to find healing in the wake of heartbreaking loss. The journey to Yorktide, Maine, was always a happy one for Frieda and Aaron Braithwaite and their two daughters. Frieda loves her mother's old farmhouse, and the girls have grown closer there, sharing a bedroom and spinning stories into the night. But that was before--when tragedy was something that happened to other families. Since the car crash that claimed the lives of her husband, and their younger daughter, Frieda has struggled emotionally and financially. Bella, now seventeen, is withdrawn and wary, and Frieda fears losing her too. At her mother's urging, Frieda decides to return to Yorktide with Bella for the summer. Bella gets a job in a local shop, and little by little edges her way back into the world. But it's the unexpected connections they make--with a former schoolmate, a troubled teenage girl, and Frieda's estranged father--that will spur them to find healing amid bittersweet memories, and discover if their bond is strong enough to guide them back to hope once more. Praise for the novels of Holly Chamberlin "Chamberlin's latest is a great summer read but with substance. It will find a wide audience in its exploration of sisterhood, family, and loss." - Library Journal on Summer With My Sisters "Nostalgia over real-life friendships lost and regained pulls readers into the story." --USA Today on Summer Friends

That summer feeling: sun-filled days, warm nights, and the sweet expectation that comes with finding--or rediscovering--love His Bride To Be Lisa Jackson The job perks: a two-week luxury cruise in the company of one of the most eligible bachelors on the West Coast. But posing as Hale Donovan's fiancee to finesse a takeover deal will challenge all of Valerie Pryce's resolve to keep business and pleasure separate You Again Elizabeth Bass A group yoga tour to Peru is the last place Meredith expects to see her workaholic ex-boyfriend, Sam. Seven years have changed everything--except Meredith's regret at abruptly running away. Yet amid the magnificent views and ancient ruins, a new chance may be waiting Return To Hampton Beach Mary Carter Jacob was the shy, kind twin. Chris was wild and dangerous. As a teenager, Celia Jensen was a little in love with them both. Now Celia is coming back to Hampton Beach for a summer, where she'll untangle the lie that broke her heart. Summer Memories Holly Chamberlin There's nowhere Ellen would rather nurse her wounds after her ex's betrayal than Ogunquit, Maine--a little beach town where she spent idyllic childhood summers. Then Ellen meets a charming local artist who challenges her to create new memories "

From bestselling author Holly Chamberlin comes a smart, clever novel about love, marriage, and growing up--not necessarily in that order Anna Traulsen, of Anna's Occasions, an elite Boston event planning company, has never been impetuous. At thirty-seven, she's never had a one-night stand, crammed for an exam, or made an extravagant purchase. Now she's engaged and preparing for an occasion of her own. But another event just might trump her wedding, one that she and her future husband weren't expecting: Anna is pregnant. From her dress fitting to the timing of the honeymoon, for Anna, one question quickly leads to another--about work, the future--and why she finds herself thinking so much about her colleague, Jack, a tousled, talented artist who is the polar opposite of her comfortingly conventional fiance. As Anna searches for answers among her friends, she may ultimately discover there's only one place she'll find the truth: in her own heart--and that no matter what she decides, she'll never be the same Praise for the novels of Holly Chamberlin "A dramatic and moving portrait of several generations of a family and each person's place within it." --"Booklist "on "The Family Beach House" "Nostalgia over real-life friendships lost and regained pulls readers into the story." --"USA Today "on "Summer Friends""

In this poignant, evocative novel, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin sweeps you into the picturesque town of Ogunquit, Maine, where a family in flux explores their ties to a beautiful beach house, and to each other. Some houses have a personality of their own. Larchmere is that kind of place--a splendid, sprawling home with breathtaking views that open to briny Atlantic air and seabirds' calls. It's the place where Tilda McQueen O'Connell grew up and now vacations each year, and where she and her three siblings--Adam, Hannah, and Craig--have gathered to commemorate the tenth anniversary of their mother's passing. But instead of the bittersweet but relaxing reunion Tilda expected, she finds chaos. Her father's plan to marry a younger woman has thrown the fate of the beach house into uncertainty. For Tilda, the stakes seem the highest. Alone and vulnerable two years after her husband's death, she sees Larchmere as not just a cherished part of her history, but her eventual refuge from the world. Faced with losing that legacy, Tilda must embrace an unknown future. And all the McQueens must reconcile their shared, sometimes painful past--and learn how to love one another even when it means forging a life apart. . . "A dramatic and moving portrait of several generations of a family and each person's place within it." --"Booklist" "An enjoyable summer read, but it's more. It is a novel for all seasons that adds to the enduring excitement of Ogunquit." "The Maine Sunday Telegram""

At Blueberry Bay Bed and breakfast in Maine, Louise Bessire and her daughter, Isobel, are both anticipating an exciting summer. Louise is hosting an important wedding that could make her business. Isobel is looking forward to writing her style and fashion blog and getting to know charming nineteen-year-old Jeff Otten. As the wedding draws closer, Louise has little time to focus on her daughter. Feeling isolated, especially when her father cancels a long-awaited visit, Isobel falls under Jeff's dynamic spell, with dangerous results. And soon, mother and daughter must find the courage to overcome unexpected challenges through the strength of their shared bond.

Jess Marlowe always sensed her marriage had a limited run. So when a reckless mistake ended it, she was hardly shocked. But since her divorce became final, the surprises have been coming fast and furious. It seems no one in Jess' life is having an easy time adjusting to her newly single status. Most disturbing of all, Jess has no regrets. She knows nobody promised relationships lasted forever. But she wonders if it's ever right to promise anyone anything. Yet despite Jess' resolve to act with her head from now on, she may just have to accept the heart has a say of its own...

At twenty, singlehood is a lifestyle choice. At thirty-two, it starts to feel like an affliction. Erin Weston has a rewarding PR career, loyal friends, and a wonderful Boston condo. But in between weekend brunches, farmers' market forays, and dinners in Cambridge and the South End, Erin can't shake the sense that something's missing. The traditional ideal - husband, house, clothing-coordinated children - once seemed too obvious, and pride in her accomplishments doesn't keep the loneliness at bay. Now, ready to venture into uncharted territory, Erin is going to claim the life she thinks she wants. And in the process, she might just figure out exactly what - and who - she really needs...

Gincy Gannon isn't exactly an easy fit with the upper crust Vineyard scene. Raised poor and precocious in Nowheresville, New Hampshire, she escaped to Boston after high school. Now a career at PBS fills her days, while her freewheeling sex life keeps her otherwise stimulated. Commitment is definitely not her thing. So why, when Gincy's supposed to be reeling in lifeguards, is she getting hooked on a single dad? Life is good for Danielle Leers. She's got a close-knit family, a killer wardrobe, and a job that keeps her in manicures and massages. As far as Danielle's concerned, pampering is a right, not a privilege. Besides, now that she's set her sights on settling down, her good grooming will attract great husband material. Which should mean a well-heeled Jewish professional. Not a townie who fishes for a living...Blueblood Clare Wellman doesn't worry about keeping up appearances - her boyfriend, Winchester Carrington, III, is in charge of that. Actually, he's in charge of pretty much everything...and never lets Clare forget it. Some time on her own is just what Clare needs to get to know herself again. Then Win proposes.An engagement ring shouldn't feel like an albatross - and this summer may be Clare's last chance to see what could be - before what is ties her down for good...