The Beach at Painter’s Cove: A Novel
Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Setting – Connecticut
William Morrow Paperbacks (June 13, 2017)
Paperback: 432 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0062439079
Kindle ASIN: B01M1GTQ4O
The Whitaker family’s Connecticut mansion, Muses by the Sea, has always been a haven for artists, a hotbed of creativity, extravagances, and the occasional scandal. Art patrons for generations, the Whitakers supported strangers but drained the life out of each other. Now, after being estranged for years, four generations of Whitaker women find themselves once again at The Muses.
Leo, the Whitaker matriarch, lives in the rambling mansion crammed with artwork and junk. She plans to stay there until she joins her husband Wes on the knoll overlooking the cove and meadow where they first met. Her sister-in-law Fae, the town eccentric, is desperate to keep a secret she has been hiding for years.
Jillian, is a jet setting actress, down on her luck, and has run out of men to support her. She thinks selling The Muses will make life easier for her mother, Leo, and Fae by moving them into assisted living. The sale will also bring her the funds to get herself back on top.
Issy, Jillian’s daughter, has a successful life as a museum exhibit designer that takes her around the world. But the Muses and her grandmother are the only family she’s known and when her sister leaves her own children with Leo, Issy knows she has to step in to help.
Steph, is only twelve-years-old and desperately needs someone to fire her imagination and bring her out of her shell. What she begins to discover at the Muses could change the course of her future.
As Issy martials the family together to restore the mansion and catalogue the massive art collection, a surprising thing happens. Despite storms and moonlight dancing, diva attacks and cat fights, trips to the beach and flights of fancy, these four generations of erratic, dramatic women may just find a way to save the Muses and reunite their family.
Muses by the Sea is a special place, a mansion and grounds open to artists for years. But the family has all gone their separate ways leaving Leo (Grammy) and her sister-in-law Fae all on their own. Until a phone call from the police brings 4 generations of women home.
This was the summer beach read I have been waiting for. Family drama with mystery and romance too.
Issy had not been back home in years, she even missed her grandfather’s funeral, which was not her fault. But when she gets a call that her Grammy has fallen and there are 3 children without anyone to watch them, she quickly hurries back to the Muses by the Sea. When she gets there she finds things are even worse than she imagined. But she connects with an old friend and her brother who rush right in to try to bring a little order to the chaos.
Shelley Noble has created such a wonderful cast of characters and through the course of the book the vast difference in personalities emerge and collide. A very dysfunctional family, everyone is coming from a different place in their lives. Most only concerned about themselves. As the story continues they grow and evolve in a delightful way.
Grammy was a character I was so drawn to. The love of her life, Wes, has passed away as has one of her sons. She is at the age where she can remember the past vividly but current time is not always so easy. She finds comfort sitting on a bench near her loved ones graves, talking things over with them. Alzheimer’s may just be starting but she is a strong woman and she will fight to stay in her home until it is time to join her husband. I have known several woman like Grammy in my lifetime.
The location at Muses by the Sea is a character in itself. In addition to the mansion that just needs a little work and deep cleaning sounds like such a wonderful place. So many rooms and even a hidden elevator. If you would like to stay somewhere a little more rustic like Fae, there are several cabins on the property. Many haven’t been used in years but again a little TLC would go a long way. Surrounding the buildings are woods, meadows and coves.
The author also gives us a couple of mysteries to solve. Secrets, lies, a couple of missing persons, and theft are all found in this family saga.
I don’t want to give anything away but what I need in a summer beach read is a happy ending and this story did not disappoint. Love blooms, sacrifices are made, and those that need to pay do. You are going to want to pick this book up for your next summer getaway.
About The Author
SHELLEY NOBLE is the NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of the women’s fiction novel BEACH COLORS
As SHELLEY FREYDONT she is the author of the CELEBRATION BAY FESTIVAL MYSTERIES 
A former professional dancer and choreographer, she most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa Smile and The Game Plan. Shelley lives near the New Jersey shore where she loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and vintage carousels.
Writing as Shelley Noble
Writing as Shelley Freydont
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
