Book Review: The Beach Trap by Ali Brady

About the Book:

Title: The Beach Trap

Author: Ali Brady

Page Length: 352

Publication Date: June 14, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Books

Synopsis: Two best friends torn apart by a life-altering secret. They have one summer to set the record straight.

When twelve-year-olds Kat Steiner and Blake O’Neill meet at Camp Chickawah, they have an instant connection. But everything falls apart when they learn they’re not just best friends—they’re also half-sisters. Confused and betrayed, their friendship instantly crumbles.

Fifteen years later when their father dies suddenly, Kat and Blake discover he’s left them a joint inheritance: the family beach house in Destin, Florida. The two sisters are instantly at odds. Blake, who has recently been demoted from regular nanny to dog nanny, wants to sell the house, while social media influencer Kat is desperate to keep the place where she had so many happy childhood memories.

Kat and Blake reluctantly join forces to renovate the dilapidated house with the understanding that Kat will try to buy Blake out at the end of the summer. The women clash as Blake’s renovation plans conflict with Kat’s creative vision, and each sister finds herself drawn into a summer romance. As the weeks pass, the two women realize the most difficult project they face this summer will be coming to grips with their shared past, and learning how to become sisters.

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon, and I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through my links.

My Review:

I loved this story! It’s fun and funny and moving, and the messages are wonderful. This is the story of Kat and Blake, estranged half-sisters who inherit a dilapidated beach house together and have to face their shared past while renovating the home. The story is told from both sisters’ points of view, and each has a strong and unique voice.

I like that both women learn a lot about themselves and grow over the course of the story. Their individual journeys are as important and interesting as their journey together. It’s also really interesting how their relationship and experiences with their father were so vastly different and really affected so many aspects of their life, from their feelings of worthiness to their relationships with others. I love that both women learn so much about themselves and each other as they deal with anger, resentment, jealousy, and so many other feelings about the past, their father, and each other.

The story examines all kinds of relationships and the different ways these connections change and define people. Family pressures and expectations, budding romances, new friendships, second chances, and more are introduced. Of course, my favorites are the love stories, which are fantastic. Noah is super swoon-worthy, and his and Blake’s flirty banter and explosive chemistry are amazing. Kat and Henry have a slower building, opposites-attract relationship that is equally layered and interesting. I love that as these women are finding themselves, they are also learning to let others in and take a chance of love.

The Beach Trap is a wonderful story about sisterhood, family, letting go of the past, and forging a new future. It’s about finding love, acceptance, being true to yourself, learning from the past but not letting it define you, and taking chances, especially in relationships. The story highlights the weight of keeping up appearances and the importance of living an authentic life.

The story also explores the complexities of grief and loss in an honest and thought-provoking way. Neither woman had a good relationship with their father, so losing him caused a whole range of feelings, which they both struggle with. I thought this was a really powerful aspect of the story. Grief is complex and messy and not the same for everyone, which Kat and Blake learn.

Special thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

---

https://media.giphy.com/media/IzRWsOco0Zp7woExht/giphy.gif

Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The romances.

• Blake and Kat.

• The messages.

Recommendations:

I would definitely recommend The Beach Trap to readers who like contemporary fiction or contemporary romance!