REVIEW: Dreaming at Seaside by Addison Cole

Dreaming at Seaside by Addison Cole: Always the stable one, Bella has decided to be not-so-stable. Instead, she’s decided to quit her job, swear off men, and move to her summer home in Seaside and finally start running the student work program she’s always wanted to do.

Single father and officer Caden has recently moved to Seaside after his partner and best friend of many years was killed in the line of duty. His son definitely isn’t so happy with the move and is making that very clear to Caden.

Caden’s focus has always been on work and his son, but when Bella enters his life, he has to figure out how to balance both, especially when his son seems to be going down a dark path and Caden feels he needs him more than ever.

I did like Caden and Bella together. Also, Bella with his son Evan was great. I loved how she was able to bond with him quickly. But I can’t say I liked either character very much.

Bella was odd. There’s no other way to say it. She was just odd. I liked her goals and the things she did, but her behavior was kind of weird and I just couldn’t get into it. And Caden. While I appreciate a father who cares, he went way overboard. The stories general attitude towards teens and parenting was weird to me. It felt suffocating and uncomfortable, and I just felt bad for Evan for having to deal with his dad.

Also, the conflict between the two was absurd. The final issues with Evan were silly. And overall I just had a hard time taking this story seriously. I really wanted more from it.

I really do like the Seaside community. The friendships are strong and there’s still a good deal of sexy despite the lack of sex scenes. For those who love a father romance, I recommend Dreaming at Seaside.
 

Book Info:

Publication: June 14, 2017 | World Literary Press | Sweet with Heat #2

In DREAMING at SEASIDE…
Bella Abbascia has returned to Seaside Cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, as she does every summer. Only this year, Bella has more on her mind than sunbathing and skinny-dipping with her girlfriends. She’s quit her job, put her house on the market, and sworn off relationships while she builds a new life in her favorite place on earth. That is, until good-time Bella’s prank takes a bad turn and a handsome police officer appears on the scene.

Single father and police officer Caden Grant left Boston with his fourteen-year-old son, Evan, after his partner was killed in the line of duty. He hopes to find a safer life in the small resort town of Wellfleet, and when he meets Bella during a night patrol shift, he realizes he’s found the one thing he’d never allowed himself to hope for–or even realized he was missing.

After fourteen years of focusing solely on his son, Caden cannot resist the intense attraction he feels toward beautiful Bella, and Bella’s powerless to fight the heat of their budding romance. But starting over proves more difficult than either of them imagined, and when Evan gets mixed up with the wrong kids, Caden’s loyalty is put to the test. Will he give up everything to protect his son–even Bella?