REVIEW: Holiday in the Hamptons by Sarah Morgan

In Holiday in the Hamptons (From Manhattan with Love #5) by Sarah Morgan, The last person in the world Fliss Knight ever expected to see in Manhattan was her ex-husband Seth Carlyle. But here he is, a handsome, confident veterinarian who can still turn her insides to mush after a decade apart. In a moment of panic Fliss flees to her grandmother’s beach cottage in the Hamptons. She’s there mainly to help Grams recuperate after a nasty fall. Or so she tells herself. But her first day back in the one place that has always calmed her down finds her bumping into Seth and his sweet dog Lulu. Fliss isn’t sure she can spend the next few weeks in such close proximity to Seth without losing her mind so she blurts out a tiny lie. Which soon snowballs out of control. But she’s not sure her fib or even hiding will keep her from falling all over again for the only man to ever have gotten behind her defenses.

‘No other man had ever affected her the way Seth did. He slammed through her willpower with his handsome face and his sexy smile, and he sneaked under her defenses with his patient kindness.’

At times Seth has felt like he’s spent the last ten years drifting even though he’s become a successful vet and is now having his own home built on the lush beaches of the Hamptons. He knows all too well what the issue is, though. He’s never gotten over his first true love, Fliss Knight. The way their relationship ended shattered Seth’s heart. And he’d give anything to make things right, to get another chance with his firecracker of an ex-wife. It seems his luck is changing when she comes to town for a few weeks to care for her ailing grandmother. Even if she isn’t honest with him. That’s okay. Seth knows how difficult it is for Fliss to talk openly about her feelings. Especially with how badly they were both hurt the first time around. So he begins to launch a full scale plan to slowly win back Fliss’s trust and–he hopes–her heart as well.

“I care about you.” She spoke softly. “I’ve always cared about you.”
There was so much he wanted to say, but he knew he had to take it slowly. “I always cared about you, too. Right from that first day…”

Holiday in the Hamptons was a second chance romance set in a beautiful location, filled with family, a good amount of angst, some humility and lots of internal struggles.

‘He couldn’t fall in love with Fliss again, because he’d never fallen out of love. He’d given her his heart at the age of twenty-two and he’d never taken it back.’

I’ve really been enjoying getting to know all of the couples in Sarah Morgan’s From Manhattan with Love series. Each book has had its own feel based on the characters it focused on, and with this one, it had a lot of bittersweet moments–but some truly lovely personal connections and resolutions too. And I have to say that Fliss and Seth’s background was sadder and a lot more complicated than I thought it would be. I figured they married too young then broke it off. But it turns out there was a tragic event that ultimately ended things between them when neither of them could deal with it emotionally.

That seemed to be a theme even in their adult lives, especially for Fliss, in avoiding their emotions as much as possible. Seth was a bit more open that way but then again, that’s how he was raised. My heart went out to Fliss, though, at having grown up with a father who manipulated every emotion she, her twin sister Harriet or even their mother showed him, making them think revealing their feelings made them vulnerable. A lot of time was spent with Fliss struggling over letting anyone in emotionally–even Harriet, her twin!–and although I empathized with her, it got to be a bit much at times. I wanted her to open her eyes and see how much everyone cared for her. I did love that Fliss’s awesome grandmother was able to slowly get her to open up and even divulged some family secrets to help Fliss understand her parents better.

Seth was a pretty great hero. I mean, he was a veterinarian so how bad could he be, right? (lol) In addition to his wonderful choice in a cute & talented canine companion named Lulu, he was just such a *good* guy. Seth was dependable, patient, loving and caring, and truly wanted the best for everyone. He was a nice balance to Fliss being so spontaneous and daring, keeping her grounded and safe in his own way. Seth had his own personal struggles along the way, of course. But it felt like he was in a better place emotionally to give a relationship with Fliss another chance. I had to admire his tenacity in drawing her out of her “emotional fortress” even if he did have a moment towards the end where I wanted to shake my head at him. But thankfully Seth proved that good guys don’t always finish last–and that they can get the girl after all.

I think Fliss and Seth will have readers laughing, sighing, sniffling, and feeling all the feels. Sarah Morgan’s storytelling abilities were on full display in Holiday in the Hamptons and I have a feeling our next story in the series, Fliss’s twin Harriet’s journey, will be every bit as wonderful.
 

Book Info:

Publication: August 29th 2017 | by HQN Books | From Manhattan with Love #5

The perfect summer escape?

Professional dog-walker Felicity Knight loves everything about New York…until her ex-husband starts working at her local vet clinic. She hasn’t seen Seth Carlyle in ten years, but one glimpse of him–too gorgeous, and still too good for her–and Fliss’s heart hurts like their whirlwind marriage ended yesterday. So when her grandmother in the Hamptons needs help for the summer, it seems the ideal way to escape her past.

Their relationship might have lasted only a few scorching months, but vet Seth knows Fliss–if she’s run away to the Hamptons, it’s because she still feels their connection and it terrifies her. He let her go once before, when he didn’t know any better, but not this summer! With the help of his adorable dog, Lulu, and a sprinkling of beachside magic, Seth is determined to make Fliss see that he’s never stopped loving her…

Sarah Morgan delights with more love and laughter in her acclaimed series From Manhattan with Love, which Publishers Weekly calls “engaging…[a] classic sweep-you-off-your-feet romantic experience.”