Blue Christmas by the Sea: A Small Town Beach Romance

Tamsyn Lee, bookworm extraordinaire, is working toward her master’s in literature. Reading makes her world a better place. She’s working part-time as a waitress at Village Grill on the Florida coast, as well as a librarian at the local public library. She has become disillusioned with life since her parents announced they are getting a divorce after forty years of marriage. Tamsyn is smart, witty, and sarcastic. This announcement has thrown a wrench into her favorite holiday coming up: Christmas.Evan Hawke, a one-hit-wonder mystery writer has lost his muse and doesn’t know how to get the magic back. His second novel received lukewarm reviews and his deadline for book three is coming up fast. In dire-straits, he decides to go back to where he wrote his first book: the Village Grill in Florida. Perhaps if he tries to reenact everything he did back then, he can get his mojo back.Evan and Tamsyn get off to a rocky start. He is a rude, arrogant snob and Tamsyn, dealing with her own problems, isn’t having anything to do with him. The other employees of the Grill are all well-developed, diverse, and fun. Their dialogue is realistic and it’s easy to believe they are friends as well as co-workers. The plot has a steady pace and it was easy to get drawn into the story. The way Ms. Hall worked Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” into the story made me giggle a bit and then swoon. I found Evan and Tamsyn’s journey unique and enjoyable. The twist at the end made me smile and believe in Christmas magic. I found no significant proofing issues.“Blue Christmas by the Sea” is the ninth story in Traci Hall’s “By the Sea” series. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** November 14, 2016