Quick Pick: Breakwater Bay, by Shelley Noble

• Opening lines: Alden wasn't supposed to take the dinghy out today. That's the last thing is dad said when he left for work that morning. "Don't go on the water. There's a bad storm brewing."
• Reason I picked up the book: It seemed like a fun "beach read," and it also takes place in Rhode Island, where my relatives live and one of my favorite places.
• And what's this book about?
An abandoned baby, a glorious old Newport mansion, and awakening romance combine in Breakwater Bay, an engaging story that echoes the flair, humor, and emotional depth of Kristin Hannah's popular novels.

Preservationist Meri Hollis loves her latest project, restoring one of Newport's forgotten Gilded Age mansions. And with summer approaching, she'll be able to spend more time with her Gran on the Rhode Island shore. She has a great job, a loving family and she's pretty sure her boyfriend is going to propose on her thirtieth birthday.

But everything Meri believes about family, happiness, truth and love is shattered when her family's darkest secret is exposed.

Thirty years before, Meri's neighbor and friend, Alden Corrigan, took his father's dinghy out to fish. In a sudden storm, he rushed to help a woman stranded on the breakwater. She was just a girl . . . a very pregnant girl who disappeared soon after they reached safety-But not before she left behind a very special gift.

Now that the truth it out, life will change for everyone in Breakwater Bay, and Meri and Alden will have to make decisions that could insure their future together . . . or separate them for good.
• Favorite paragraph:
Meri hesitated when they reached the kitchen door. Alden opened it and nudged her inside, shutting the door behind her. Then he shoved his hands int he pockets of his rain slicker and began his solitary walk home.

Was his promise to that poor girl fulfilled now that Meri knew? And when had his promise changed from obligation to joy?

• Recommended for: Anyone who enjoys a quick read. Also anyone who knows/loves Rhode Island; most of the book takes place in Newport, which I had visited in October 2013, and I loved reading the descriptions of the mansions and the Cliff Walk, since I had been there ... funny, too, since I had just published this guest post about using real locations in novels.
• Something to know: The author, Shelley Noble, mostly writes "beach reads" - I reviewed another of her books, Beach Colors, back in 2012.
• What I would have changed: I hated the ending. It was way too short ... you can extrapolate what happens after, but I wanted to know more. This is the type of book where you know the ending almost from the beginning, but I still am interested in seeing how the characters get there. 
• Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
• Where can I find this book? Click here.
  
  *Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.