Saying Goodbye at Ocean Isle, Kimberly Hunter

A lovely tale of two men in need of a second chance at love.

- Review by Kazza K

Well. It's official. I'm a big baby. I started crying at the beginning of chapter 1 and stopped...I don't know where exactly. I was all yukky and half blind with tears to tell you exactly when I stopped leaking. Okay, so maybe I'm more emotional at the moment, but this book was so heartfelt I couldn't help it.

Sean Pike lost his partner, and the love of his life, Ty, a year ago, after a rock climbing accident. In reality Ty didn't regain consciousness, but lately Sean is dreaming that Ty is talking to him whilst he's dying, telling him he loves him, but he needs to move on with his life -

"Listen to me,  Sean. No wallowing after I'm gone. You know how much I hate all that mourning crap. You're too beautiful, too vibrant to hide away. And most of all...if you find someone, don't be afraid to be with them. You know I never would begrudge you happiness."
"Christ, Ty. Please." Sean sobbed.
"I'm sorry I couldn't give you more time, honey."
"No, please. You have to stay with me, Ty. You have...."

On top of that Sean's sister Violet is supportive but urging him to move on as well -

"It's been a year, Sean," she said softly. You know he wouldn't have wanted you to go on like this."

"My God, Vi, there are some days when it feels as if I can't breathe without him here."

Violet convinces Sean to take a break and recharge, that it will be good for him. She organises Sean's holiday in a cottage at Ocean Isle Beach.

Laine Abernathy has also lost the love of his life, Derek, over a year ago in a an accident in Afghanistan. He's feeling it is time he let himself move on. His main support is his dead partner's mother who agrees and believes that hanging on too long after death doesn't allow a person's spirit to move on. Trapping the dead and the living in a spiritual void, so to speak. She encourages Laine in his goal to move on -

"You're lonely."
"Yes ma'am," he whispered looking away from her...
"Don't you dare feel guilty for wanting to move on, Laine Abernathy,... Derek may be gone, but that doesn't mean you need to spend the rest of your life mourning him. Not that he would want you too."
"No, he wouldn't." He smiled sadly as he fingered the dog tags in his hand.

Laine had me at his 'yes ma'am's.' Don't I love those two words. Anyway, I digress.

Laine has a property at Ocean Isle Beach, that once belonged to his grandparents; so he decides that it's a fitting place to go and say goodbye to Derek. He chooses to toss Derek's dog tags into the ocean as a means of saying farewell and symbolising a new start.

Needless to say, the two men meet at a particularly poignant moment and they form a connection over a month spent together. Will it be enough to create a new life, perhaps together? Or will the guilt associated with the loss of a loving partner prove to be too much? I loved the way they talked and found common interest etc.

Saying Goodbye at Ocean Isle is not a long book. So I won't go into more detail, but I could have. I clipped the heck out of it on my Kindle. I kept thinking, this is good, I'll put this quote in, ooh, this looks good, this too...If I put it all in there would be nothing left to read.

Good points - the women in this book aren't in it for long, but they are nice. No shrews here. They say what they have to, encourage, support and then it's up to the two protagonists to do their thing.

There's some poignant, sad, heartwrenching moments and they are nicely written, However, balancing this out there is also happiness, sweetness, hot sex, yes there is, and all the usual Kimberly Hunter nice-isms.

Okay, towards the end they get a little chick-with-dick, but I actually love that older, romantic sort of notion. I love a 'baby' being thrown out there by a guy, being the stronger one, and the other melting into the arms of his partner. It was so nice here. I loved it.

I liked both characters. A lot. Felt for them, cheered them on. Bonus for me when reading a book.

This is Kimberly Hunter's strongest piece of writing to date. It is a solid 4 star read all the way. I highly recommend Saying Goodbye at Ocean Isle for lover's of second chances, moving on after death, those understanding loss. Plus, anyone wanting to enjoy some lovely, well deserved romance complete with a HEA. Please write a sequel or follow up Ms Hunter.

The cover is fabulous it absolutely depicts Sean and Laine perfectly.