Sandover Beach Melodies

by Emma St. Clair

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She broke her own rules: you can’t fall in love when you’re on the run...

Sandover Island seems like the perfect place for Mercer to escape her past, but she knows it's only a matter of time until it finds her. She isn't safe, not even in Beau’s strong arms, as tempting as they are.

The harder Beau pushes at Mercer’s walls, the stronger they seem to be. She gives him an inch, then steps back a mile. He knows she's worth the fight, if only she will give him her trust.

Just as Mercer finally starts to give in, the truth of her past barrels into her present. The question isn’t whether their love will survive, but will Mercer…

Trigger warning: This book deals with the topic of past domestic abuse, with little graphic detail.

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Book Details

Genre

Inspirational / Faith-Based Romance

Subgenre

Beach, Christian, Destination / Vacation, Faith Journey, Inspirational, Small Town

Series

Sandover Island • Book 3

Audience

Adult

Bell Peppers

🫑🫑

Profanity

2 Mild

Violence

2 Mild

Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco

2 Mild

Publication Date

July 18, 2019

Language Versions

English

Narration Type

Human

Fiction Form

Novel

Sensitive Themes

Domestic violence, Stalking or harassment

Representation

Depictions of prayer, worship, or scripture, Explicitly faith-based content

Intense Read

Yes, Sandover Beach Melodies is a sweet romance. But don’t let that fool you. Emma St. Clair addresses real, and sometimes frightening, situations. Be prepared to spent some time on the edge of your seat.

Handover Beach

I got to 32% through this story and had to give it away. There was so much negativity and rehashing the cause of the negativity, it became depressing and excessive. I'm a victim of domestic abuse and it didn't consume my every thought.A first Emma St Clair read for me & not likely to read more.

WARNING!! Very Triggering Book for Abuse Victims!

This book is well-written, is compelling, disturbing, & gripping. On one hand, I applaud the author for tackling the subject in such an honest way. Especially for the sake of those who know nothing about domestic violence... Because those who don't know anything about it, it's red flags or understand the upside down world of DV are most at risk of being targeted by an abuser... just because they don't know any better.Statistically, 1 out of every 3 women will be affected by domestic violence in their lifetime in America. You cannot apply conventional logic to domestic violence situations or abusers, it just doesn't work. So I DO NOT RECOMMEND this book to abuse victims.I am an abuse survivor who happens to be going through trauma therapy right now so this was not a great book for me to be reading during this vulnerable time in my life. I found most of it to be terribly triggering. And somehow I missed the trigger warning for this book in the summary. I would've skipped it had I known before I started reading. But once I started reading it, I think It would've bothered me more if I hadn't finished the book to its resolution.It was very triggering for me (and not just mildly triggering as the warning suggests) because of the events portrayed and the thought processes of the victim (Mercer) which rang true... I could tell that the author had either done alot of research on the subject or knew about DV from personal experience.(SPOILERS!!) It wasn't just the graphic violence in the one fight scene that was hard to read either ... it was the language of the abuser (even when we are just told of what he said by Mercer), the depictions of the cruel things he did, the humiliation of the arrest scene in the church, the HORROR when Beau posts her videos on social media compromising Mercer's safety, the messed up shame & guilt ridden thinking of the abuse victim, the total acceptance of all blame by the victim & lack of self-compassion and the general cluelessness of the people around her. Because most people don't know what to look for & wouldn't know a DV red flag if it was hanging off their nose.When an abuse victim reads a story like this, they may not have had those same exact experiences as the abuse victim in the book but it triggers their own memories of violence, humiliation, cruelty, blaming, being misunderstood, feelings of powerlessness, etc.And of course, in a book there's the luxury of a happy ending. In real life, Mercer hanging around town and not leaving right away once she knew her safety was compromised would've very likely cost her her life and more than likely the life of her roommate Emily and her boyfriend Beau. 😢

A very captivating read

Mercer has been on my mind since the first book in this series, so I was glad to finally have her story. Unfortunately, too many vulnerable women find themselves in the clasp of an abuser. It’s insidious and encompassing, and I can’t imagine being a victim. However, Mercer has escaped and begun a new life on Sandover. Beau is just the icing on the cake. He is a sweet, devoted man who is enthralled with Mercer. This relationship is fraught with many land mines. They have to find their way through them all before they get their HEA.I thought the author did a really good job of depicting what I thought were realistic scenes, situations and reactions throughout this book.

Tough topic handled well

Mercer aka Lisa ran for her life from an abusive relationship. She finds herself surrounded by wonderful people on the coast of North Carolina. People who care about her and want to be friends with her just because they like her! Her co-work and new roommate Emily is full of life and won’t let Mercer hide behind closed doors. Mercer shares her musical talents with the worship group at the local church and meets Beau. Beau is a strong, good looking fireman who is very interested in Mercer. Mercer is learning to trust again; just as she’s ready to make the leap, her old life makes a violent appearance in the form of her former fiancé and abuser.Trigger warning: If you’ve been abused there are some scenes, while not over the top in themselves, could be triggering. St. Clair shares her own experience in the author’s comments as the end of the book and offers help to those who may need it. Kudos to her for tackling a tough topic in both a sensitive and hopeful romantic context.