Sunrise on Half Moon Bay

So many timely topics! Sisters, a generation apart. A cheating husband. Reverse domestic violence. Caring for invalid parents. Unplanned pregnancy. Teenage angst. Personal fulfillment. Career change. Any one of these could have been the basis for a novel; all of them together made you really think!

Justine the older sister and her ‘perfect in her parent’s eyes’ younger sister Adele, are pleasant to each other. There seems to be no real familial bond other than genetics. Over the course of the book, becoming closer knit as a family, being able to help each other, understand each other, learning to love each other and themselves, while acknowledging their personal faults, seems to be the overarching theme.

I enjoyed the book. As a Northern California resident, I did find discrepancies in the location, but I also understand this is a novel and knew I would have to get past that to enjoy the story.

I live in the Bay Area and have spent a lot of time in Half Moon Bay. I’ve never read a Robyn Carr story before. I borrowed the book on my Kindle because of its setting. This is the fictional story of two sisters. This is also fictional Half Moon Bay—there is no sunrise on this west facing beach, no pool, no movie theater. The story goes downhill from there. I skimmed most of the book. I definitely do not understand the positive reviews. Disappointing. Don’t waste your time.

I always like her story lines and characters.

Adele and Justine are sisters that were born 20 years apart, I think that is why I felt a disconnect between them. Adele has spent many years putting others before herself and putting her plans on hold. She didn't mind doing it, but lost herself in the process and doesn't know how to get her life on track now that she can. Justine is going through a life change, not of her own choosing, and must figure out what she wants out of the next phase of her life. In both of these parallel stories the characters have to find their own way with the support of their family and friends. I liked the direction that the story took, with both women realizing their own strength and their ability to make good decisions. Overall I thought it was a good story.

Great read. Robyn Carr does not disappoint.

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay is a tale of two sisters born twenty years apart. I thought my own kids, born five years apart, had a lot of years between them but twenty is an entire generation! Needless to say, the sisters had very little, if anything, in common. Addie, the younger sister, dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents while Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement for all concerned but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both sisters. With a future filled with uncertainty and change, the two will need to find a way to come together to solve both of their problems and, perhaps, to find love along the way.

I have found that Carr is a master at creating characters that the reader will care about and relate to. Both sisters, although light years away from my own lifestyle or concerns, still resonated with me. The challenges they were facing were those that many of us will face at some point in our lives. I also found the secondary characters to be a tad bit more interesting than the sisters themselves and I hope that in future books we will see them again.

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay is well written women’s fiction and perfect for Carr’s fans as well as new readers to this genre, especially those who are new to Carr after watching Virgin River.

I picked this book to review mostly because Half Moon Bay is one of my most favorite places on this earth. I haven't read this author before so I really didn't know what to expect. I'm happy to say that this book was fabulous! I may have to read it again.

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay is the story of two sisters at a crossroads in their lives. Adele has spent the last eight years in the Half Moon Bay home where she grew up taking care of her two parents in the last years of their lives. She's basically put her life on hold to take care of them. When both pass on, she's left wondering what she will do with her life. Her sister Justine, twenty years older and an accomplished corporate lawyer has taken care of her financial needs for the last eight years, and the college degree she once started is still unfinished. She has a lot to think about, but Adele is a bit averse to decision making and is so fearful of making a mistake, she's almost paralyzed until she gets herself together and slowly starts to build her life.

Justine thought her marriage was solid and that she was going to grow old with her college sweetheart and husband. But when that doesn't quite work out as planned, she too has a life to rebuild.

I loved how this story is told in dual point of view between the two sisters. The pace of this book was amazing. I was pulled in immediately to the story and then kept on the edge of my seat wondering how these two sisters were going to navigate the challenges in front of them. But most of all, there were some fascinating themes to this book -- sisterhood, friendship, finding yourself, finding love and the one that really had be glued to the pages -- love in a long time marriage and how that changes over the course of a thirty years.

I really loved this story. I need to read more from this author as I really liked the writing in this book. Overall, I recommend this standalone if you like a book that has something to say about life and love through the eyes of two sisters who find their friendship in the process.

An ARC was provided for review.