Happy Release Day!
Southern Fiction, 304 pages
Published October 8, 2024 by She Writes Press
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Published October 8, 2024 by She Writes Press
For fans of Mary Alice Monroe’s The Beach House comes a heartwarming story from women’s fiction author Diane Owens Prettyman about second chances as two people find a pathway out of their grief—directly in the aftermath of a hurricane.
The Texas beautiful yet unpredictable.
A beach town destroyed. Her mother’s candy store swept away. This is what Teddy Wainsworth faces when she returns to Bird Isle. Meanwhile, Jack Shaughness, owner of a popular barbecue restaurant chain and widower still grieving the death of his wife, receives permission to cross over to the island with a smoker full of brisket to feed hurricane survivors. Soon after arriving, he meets Teddy and immediately finds himself drawn to her—which makes him feel he is betraying his wife. When the two find a lost dog, Jack convinces Teddy to take the dog home while they attempt to find the owner, creating a bond that brings them closer.
In the wake of the hurricane, Bird Isle residents fear the Aransas Wildlife Refuge will not be ready for the whooping cranes’ annual migration south. Seeing that Jack has important connections and a love for the island, they enlist him to help restore the habitat of the endangered cranes before they fly to Padre Island for the winter. With their rescued dog always nearby, Teddy and Jack work side by side to rebuild Bird Isle for the return of the whooping cranes. But Jack is harboring a secret that may ruin everything he and Teddy are creating—and he won’t be able to keep that secret forever.
My thoughts about Love Is for the Birds ~~
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)
First line—""Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path.' So said Anonymous, who was obviously not convinced enough of this truth to claim it."
Love is for the Birds took me to the ravaged little beach town of Bird Isle. Buildings and home were destroyed, as well as its people being broken. As these broken people come together to save and rebuild the town, they find ways to heal themselves.
I loved the characters of Teddy and Jack, both of them being caring and compassionate people who are just treading water, trying to get through the day-to-day lives they are in. They both have issues that make opening their hearts challenging. It was gratifying to watch the two of them try to heal each other.
I truly enjoyed Love is for the Birds and will definitely be watching for more books by this author. This is a fabulous story by Diane Owens Prettyman.
I received a copy of Love Is for the Birds for review and this is my honest opinion of the book.
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“Love, grief, secrets, and finding one’s place in the world are combined in this debut novel. This sweet book is brimming with small-town Texas charm!”—Catherine Drake, author of The Treehouse on Dog River Road
“A charming story as sweet as fudge and as tangy as barbeque about two people struggling to move past loss to find happiness.”—Risa Leigh, author of Surrender at the Border
“The author's effortless prose, gift for characterization, and genuine affection for the Texian littoral will satisfy her faithful fans and win new readers.”—Bill Cotter, author of The Splendid Ticket
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About the author
Diane Owens Prettyman is the author of the romantic adventure story Thin Places and the twentieth-century historical novel Redesigning Emma. She is also a frequent contributor to the Austin American-Statesman. She stays true to her belief that every story has a happy ending, though perhaps sometimes, maybe even often, one has to wait for the perfect finale.
Diane lives just a few hours’ drive from the Texas Gulf. She is an avid boogie boarder and spends her summers in the water. Her husband and two black standard poodles provide her room and board in Austin, Texas.
Connect with Diane
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