Title: Beach Therapy: A Novel
Author: Madeleine James
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Book Blurb:
Beach therapy, they call it, with a twist of lime.
Six women return to the same beach house in Tuckaway Bay, the same week in August, for over twenty years, drinking and laughing their past year’s problems away. Beach therapy, they call it, with a twist of lime.
Lia contemplates a surprise marriage proposal from her long-term partner—one she doesn’t want. Maggie questions the arrangement she made with her husband years earlier. Julia fights depression after a horrible loss. Wren worries about the legalities of her sister’s business, while her twin, Willow, avoids a medical issue. And Alice? Her life is perfect. Right.
As their troubles escalate and beach week unravels, the women realize no amount of beach therapy will solve their problems this year.
Alice divulges a secret. Wren and Willow disappear. Maggie faces an impossible family situation. Julia confesses her addiction. And Lia wrestles with a twenty-year-old decision when an old summer love shows up at their beach house.
Can beach week, and their friendships, survive? Even with tequila?
Excerpt:
Lia glanced at her girlfriends gathered around the kitchen island in their beach house, Tequila Sunrise. The ocean was their backdrop, with sparkling waves glinting like diamonds in the bright morning sun. The full-length windows gave them a stunning view of the beach and ocean. The women were all dressed in beach attire. Suits and wraps were the mainstay wardrobe of the week—and while they may be covering a bit more flesh than they did twenty years ago, their wraps longer and their suits more substantial than the ones they wore in college, none of them truly gave a damn.
They were in Tuckaway Bay, which meant a no-stress, no-worry week for all.
That was the rule.
Tequila Sunrise was more than a summer getaway—it was beach therapy, with a twist of lime.
Five of them had arrived so far. They were still waiting for Julia.
Alice had opened the house yesterday. Maggie came with her, a last-minute change of plans. Wren and Willow took a red-eye from the west coast to Raleigh-Durham, then rented a car and drove to OBX crossing over at Roanoke Island earlier that morning. Lia thought they looked damn tired but who could blame them? Traveling from coast-to-coast always made her jet-lagged, groggy, and grumpy.
“Anyone heard from Julia?” Willow plopped down on the sofa in the great room. “When is she getting here?
“Talked to her earlier in the week,” Maggie said. “She’s not coming.”
“What?” Lia had looked forward to seeing her.
“I think she’s depressed,” Maggie added. “We chat occasionally.”
“Well, no shit. She’s had a rough year.” Wren moved around the bar and looked over Alice’s shoulder.
“I don’t know how she’s coped,” Willow added.
Alice looked up, joining the conversation. “Wait. Are you talking about Julia? She called yesterday. She’s coming, but not sure when she’ll get here.”
“Oh?” Maggie looked shocked.
“Yeah.” Alice nodded toward Maggie. “I forgot to tell you. So much went on yesterday. I was surprised too. I hope she’s okay.”
Maggie looked perplexed.
Alice added. “She’s taking two days to drive—to think, she told me. I hope all is okay with her.”
“Me, too.” Lia frowned. “It’s so good to see all of you.” She spanned the group. “But I have to say, Willow, you look like shit.”
“She’s not well,” Wren shot back.
Willow flipped her sister the bird. “I’m fine. It’s some stomach thing, probably my ulcer is back. No worries.”
Wren sat beside her sister. “But she’s right, Willow, you don’t look well, and we’re going to find a clinic or something after we’ve had a nap.”
“Good God, Wren. Quit mothering me.” She rolled her eyes.
“That’s right,” Alice piped up. “That’s my job.”
The women laughed.
“It’s the truth.” Lia poured a few glugs of tequila over the rocks in her glass, snatched a wedge of lime from Alice’s cutting board, and added it to the drink. “Even after all these years, Alice is still the mother hen.”
She tipped her cup to her friend.
Alice tipped hers back. “Touché.”
Lia anticipated that first crisp burn of alcohol on the back of her tongue. In Chicago, she was a wine or bourbon girl. At the beach, it was tequila all day, all the way. Unless the beverage of choice was coffee and it was morning, and then it might be Bailey’s. It wasn’t even ten o’clock yet and they had already started cocktails.
Glancing up, she caught Alice’s eye. “Wait. Did you bring a cooler? Someone usually does.”
To her left, Maggie piped up, pushing her sunglasses back up her nose. “Me. I usually do. But I didn’t have time to get as organized as I would have liked this year. So much going on with the kids and sports and getting Max ready to play dad for a week.” She glanced at Alice, her voice trailing off. “I can get one though.” She pushed away from the island and quickly stood.
“Good God, Maggie. No.” Lia slapped her palm on the bar. Maggie jumped like something stung her. “We don’t need it this minute. Sit tight. We can grab one later.”
Maggie eased back down and averted her gaze.
Lia studied her, frowning. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Maggie glanced again at Alice, her right leg shaking. Squaring her shoulders and sitting up straighter, she replied, “I’m fine.”
But something was off, and Lia didn’t know what. Maggie was usually bold and confident—but her subtle reaction to Lia’s cooler question was different, somehow.
Willow piped up. “Exactly. Let’s fuel up. I’m taking my red cup for a walk on the beach before it gets too hot. I plan to be either stoned or silly drunk within the hour. Anyone joining me?”
“Oh, my God, Willow. Did you bring weed?”
Willow tossed a sassy grin. “Just one blunt, sweetheart. I’ll have to find more around here, somewhere.”
Lia rolled her eyes. Willow, CEO of her own company, ever still the rebel.
“Oh, please, Lia. Don’t be a killjoy. We all smoked a joint occasionally back in the day. Besides, I’ve had a shit-hell week. I need this.”
Wren hooked an arm into her sister’s. “Seriously. We’ve had a freaking chaotic forty-eight hours.”
Lia shrugged. “Hey, I get it. If my last week is any indication of what this week will be like, I might join you.”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Universal Links: https://books2read.com/beach-therapy
What makes your featured book a must-read?
Beach Therapy launches the Tuckaway Bay women’s fiction series penned by Madeleine Jaimes. In this first book, you’ll get to know six women—best friends since college—now in their early forties. As the women navigate their chaotic lives, there is one constant—beach week, the last week of August, every year. Called a binge-worthy series by early readers, you’ll want to grab this first book ASAP! Come meet Lia, Maggie, Alice, Julia, and the twins, Wren and Willow.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $30 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally.
Runs June 25 – July 4, 2024.
Winner will be drawn on July 5, 2024.
Author Biography:
Madeleine Jaimes is the women’s fiction pen name for bestselling romance author Maddie James.
While Maddie dabbles with cowboys and small town happily-ever-afters, Madeleine explores the real-life, complicated relationships of women, their friends, and their families. Maddie also writes mainstream romantic suspense as M.L. Jameson.
Maddie James and pen names have published over 70 romance titles worldwide, and in a variety of formats (ebook, print, audiobook, and more). Affaire de Coeur says, “James shows a special talent for traditional romance,” and RT Book Reviews claims, “James deftly combines romance and suspense, so hop on for an exhilarating ride.”
Learn more at www.maddiejamesbooks.com
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