A Fall to Remember
Half Moon Bay #1
By Ellie Alexander
ISBN: 9781837006144
Website: elliealexander.co
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary:
Miranda Brown never meant to become famous. She just wanted a quiet vacation―a rare break from running The Green Grocer, the cozy market that’s been the heart of Half Moon Bay, California, for three generations. But when her spectacularly terrible travel photos go viral, Miranda becomes an unlikely internet sensation.
Now a major travel company wants her to cover her hometown’s beloved Fall Harvest Festival, sending the charming (and undeniably handsome) Jim Cole to help capture her authentic, imperfect magic on camera.
As golden leaves fall and the scent of apple cider fills the air, Miranda finds that being yourself is harder than it looks―especially when she’s falling for Jim. But when she learns his job depends on this campaign’s success, she must decide: are his feelings real, or is she just part of his marketing plan? (Goodreads)
Review:
A Fall to Remember is the first book in the new Half Moon Bay series by Ellie Alexander. I was cautious in reading a new series that was not a cozy mystery as this genre is a departure from two of my favorite series by this author. But it does a reader to stretch themselves upon occasion 🙂 .
Miranda Brown, is quickly approaching 50 years of age, has decided to take a small amount of time for herself on a wee bit of a vacation to Catalina Island (a three-day excursion). During the vacation she takes some truly horrible pictures (a photographer she is not!) and shares with her son Pete and niece Elise. Pete and Elise post them on social media and surprisingly, they catch the eye of a travel company. Miranda agrees to work with the travel company’s employees Jim and Shelby. What ensues is some truly laugh out loud moments.
The book did require some getting used to in that the story is told through a number of different perspectives – Miranda, Pete, Jim and Shelby. We got to experience their take on the events as they occurred and how they felt at the moment. Once I was comfortable with this – I was fully invested (though if truth be told – I did write out the characters and their relationships to each other through a diagram 🙂 – something I do not do very often!
I found the small town vibe really engaging, it felt as if I was a neighbour in Half Moon Bay. As Miranda interacts with Jim and Shelby to get perfect shots for the travel company, we are also taken through the beginning of a romance between Jim and Miranda. The ups and downs, misunderstandings and clarifications abound among all the players in the book and kept this reader on her reading toes!
A favorite quote of mine – whimsical and totally encompassed Miranda’s mindset at the time – she is reflecting and these are her thoughts (and I could so relate 🙂 ):
“It wasn’t like she was expecting the skies to part and a shaft of light to shine down on her from the heavens, illuminating the way forward. Okay, well, yeah, technically that would have been cool.”
It was a great read in anticipation of the coming fall. And who doesn’t like a well crafted rom-com? Did this heart of mine good!
Happy to report that I quite enjoyed this first book in a new series by Ms. Alexander. I shall wait with baited breath for the next book in this new series, while continuing to read her other titles, of course!
