Sunrise on Half Moon Bay

First book authored by Robyn Carr I have read. I'm hooked. Loved the characters and family dynamics. A really had some great healthy advice in it about relationships

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.

This book showed the many challenges that some people go through to find happiness. Sometimes happiness is right beneath us and we didn’t see it. Sometimes happiness comes after hurt, anger and growth take place!

This book has it all. Sisters born 20 years apart must learn to depend on each other. After the death of their parents and the demise of Justine's marriage, the sisters depend on each other to cope and move forward. Tough issues are tackled in the one; re-entering the workforce after an 8 year hiatus and the problems that can raise, domestic abuse where the female is the abuser and the male is the abused, as well as the issues of starting over, cheating and custody battles after a 30 year marriage. Robyn Carr tackles the real life issues and doesn't shy away. She keeps you connected to the story from beginning to end.

I had a hard time reading this book - it was not a typical Robyn Carr book. One example was the editing (as mentioned by other reviewers). I found at least one actual error ("He told them about a robbery he'd working"). Additionally, there were inconsistencies within the story. For instance, Justine at one point mentioned putting cameras in the San Jose house to alert her if Scott brought Cat into the house, thus violating the divorce agreement. Yet, when he begged for the sofa he hated because Cat wanted it, Justine never pulled up the camera footage to see if she had been in the house. Additionally, Logan urges Justine to tell her daughters and Addie to avoid Scott as long as he is with Cat (after Logan saw the police report of domestic assault call at Scott's house), but it never seems to happen. That seems like an important omission from the story, especially for Justine whom we are told is putting her daughters first. Another example, Addie asks Jake to do something with her the day after Thanksgiving - and seems surprised that he has to work at his store on Black Friday ("But Thanksgiving is over. Shouldn't it be quiet?". She's known Jake forever, he's owned the store for quite a while and it's mentioned that part of the way she survived her years of being a caregiver was her ability to find friends online and that she's fairly computer savvy, but has to have Black Friday explained to her.I don't know if publication on this book was rushed or what, but it doesn't match the quality I've come to expect from Robyn Carr's books.

Aside lost her baby and her parents. She found her brother-in-law kissing another woman. In a whim Addie found a job and went back to school. Though she loved her sister and nieces living with her, it seemed difficult at times. Great story with an unusual twist of fate.

I kept getting distracted from the story because the location was born and raised in the SF Bay Area--specifically in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. There is no way to actually commute between Half Moon Bay and San Jose, no matter which roads you choose--it's a minimum of 1.5 to 2 hours driving time each way--same with commuting between Cal Berkley and Half Moon Bay and/or San Jose--it's not the miles, but the traffic, which is horrible. Finally Half Moon is north of San Jose not south. It's at least 90 minutes on a good day between Half Moon Bay and San Jose, which is spralled out and another 90 minutes from San Jose to Carmel. So going from Half Moon Bay to Carmel and back for a street fair in one day is a bit far fetched. Unless, of course, this story was set in the 1950's which it was not.

Set in the small west coast town of Half Moon Bay, the story focuses on two sayers who are twenty years apart in age, but after going through life changing experiences together, realize the importance of family. Great characters!

She enjoys reading Robyn Carr series.

Having been divorced form a cheating husband I found this book painful. It brought back too many memories. This is not a happy read.