About the Book
Two best friends torn apart by a life-altering secret. One summer to set the record straight.
When twelve-year-olds Kat Steiner and Blake O’Neill meet at Camp Chickawah, they have an instant connection. But everything falls apart when they learn they’re not just best friends—they’re also half sisters. Confused and betrayed, the girls break off all contact.
Fifteen years later, when their father dies suddenly, Kat and Blake discover he’s left them a joint inheritance: the family beach house in Destin, Florida. The two sisters are immediately at odds. Blake, who has recently been demoted from regular nanny to dog nanny, wants to sell the house, while social media influencer Kat is desperate to hold on to the place where she lived so many happy memories.
Kat and Blake reluctantly join forces to renovate the dilapidated house, with the understanding that Kat will try to buy Blake out at the end of the summer. The women clash as Blake’s renovation plans conflict with Kat’s creative vision; meanwhile, each sister finds herself drawn into a summer romance. As the weeks pass, the two women realize the most difficult project they face this summer will be coming to grips with their shared past—and learning how to become sisters.
My Review
There was so much I liked about this book. When I first started, I was a little worried I couldn’t get into it because the main premise of the storyline is why Kat and Blake had a falling out at just twelve years old – Kat’s line of thought really baffled me, especially that she continued it through adulthood, but I guess we can convince ourselves of anything if we really want to – and if we’re trying to avoid the painful truth. Once I decided to see past that, I was sucked into the book and it became hard to put down. I want to describe The Beach Trap as a rom com because it has that feel to it, from the cover to the untraditional meet cutes, but really this is more of a story about sisterhood and self-love, which I appreciated. Kat and Blake are both interesting to follow, and while I was usually Team Blake, as a social media influencer myself, I was able to connect with Kat and her desire to share only her life’s highlights online – until she realizes that isn’t really helping anyone, including herself. I liked the HGTV feel to some of the story as well with the sister’s fixing up their beach house, and also the dog moments sprinkled throughout. I really loved the ending, which I think some might not, but it was adorable to see things wrapped up so smoothly and put a real smile on my face as I read about the sisters and how their lives were shaping up. A heartwarming story about second chances in life, love and even family, and one I highly recommend!
5 stars
