A Sea for Summer (Places in the Heart Book 1) by Shelley Kassian

A touching reflection on family, motherhood, identity, and forgiveness, A Sea for Summer by Shelley Kassian is a tenderly penned exploration of love, and a superb first installment of her Places in the Heart series. Peter and Claire are two stubborn and deeply tangled partners, but the author sets the perfect beachside scene for redemption, recognizable conflict, and thought-provoking conversations that may encourage readers to do more work on their own close relationships. The prose is stylishly straightforward, rarely relying on complex turns of phrase, which not only makes the book a quick and easy read, but also lends the characters a raw simplicity that makes it hard not to root for a happy ending.