Same Beach, Next Year

Set along South Carolina's Lowcountry, this novel follows a friendship between two married couples that begins on a summer visit to the Isle of Palms, near Charleston. Adam Stanley and Eve Landers, who were once sweethearts, meet by chance on the island and catch up on their lives. Their spouses, Eliza and Carl, feel a flicker of jealousy at the thought of an old flame being rekindled, but the pair soon form a bond of their own, with a hint of unexpected attraction.

Each year the four return to Wild Dunes, a condominium complex at the island's far end, and their friendship deepens with every visit. Over the decades it is tested by money trouble, a family tragedy and deep heartbreak, yet it holds. Their shared loyalty helps them through the changes of time, as their children grow up and leave home and their later years draw near.

The book evokes the Lowcountry's hot sunshine, cool sea breezes, iced drinks and star-filled nights, and it brings a warm, down-to-earth humor to its story of marriage, family and enduring friendship. It suits readers who enjoy character-driven summer fiction about long-lasting bonds.