Dune Road by Jane Green

Synopsis:

Set in Connecticut's tony Gold Coast town of Highland, Dune Road tells the story of Kit Hargrove, whose divorce has granted her a new lease on life. No longer a Wall street widow with the requisite diamond studs and Persian rugs, Kit revels in her clapboard Cape with the sea green shutters and sprawling impatiens. Her Kids are content, her ex cooperative, her friends steadfast, and each morning she wakes up unable to believe how lucky she is to have landed the job of her dreams: assisting the blockbuster novelist Robert McClore.

A mysterious tragedy drove this famous writer into seclusion decades ago, and few besides Kit are granted access to his house at the top of Dune Road, with it's breathtaking views of Long Island Sound. But all that is about to change. At a rare appearance at the local bookstore, McClore meets Kit's new friend Tracy, whose weakness for older men rivals her powers of self-reinvention. Are the secret visits of of her boss's new muse as innocent as Kit would like to believe? When a figure from her mother's past emerges with equally cryptic intentions just as the bear financial market is upending her best friend's life, Kit discovers that her blissfully constructed idyll - and gorgeous man who has walked into it with creamy white roses - isn't as perfect as she'd thought. Ties to friends and family are further reaching than she had realized - and more crucial than ever before.

Warm, witty, and gloriously observed, Dune Road is Jane Green at her best, full of brilliant insights into the challenges that come with forging a new life.

My review:

Early in the book, I found it quite difficult to follow the plot. The author flowed back and forth between the past and present, that I wasn't sure if the next scene is taking place now or had already happened. It was quite unsettling for me as I thought the storyline was very choppy.

Around page 150 or so, I found my groove and plowed right through it. As I was reading, I thought the plot was very predictable (I knew how Kit's story would end within the first pages of the book) and I didn't find the "mysterious" characters to be all that mysterious.

As Kit struggles with building a new life post divorce, she's also questioning the intentions of those who claim to have her best interests at heart. Ms. Green does an excellent job of reminding the reader that not everyone is as perfect as he/she may appear. Inviting someone new in your life may come with consequences. That being said, one must continue to move forward and not allow others to derail you from doing so.

I've been anticipating reading this book for awhile now, as I've read and heard great reviews about Ms. Green's books. Although this was an okay read for me, I have added The Other Woman, Swapping Lives, The Beach House and Second Chance to my TBR List.

Recommended for: readers who enjoy a light read on a lazy, summer day.

Book details:
ISBN-13: 978-0-670-02086-7
Pages: 341
Year Published: 2009
Genre: Women's Fiction
Date Finished: July 17
Rating: C+