Just A Wish Away Book #2, Wish Series by Barbara Freethy
ISBN: 9780985199739
As kids: Alexa was back at Sand Harbor for the summer months again as in previous years.
Braden lived there year round and was so sad his dad was being postponed from coming home from the war.
Love the descriptions of the seaglass, glassblowing and looking for seashells along the shore.
Adult life: Twenty or so years later Alexa was back in town to help her dads sister Phoebe with her antique shop as she had gotten robbed.
Braden is back after the military and divorced and he's got a background in investigating. The local sheriff talks him into checking things out at the store that got robbed, see if he can find any leads.
Something they had seen on one of their last nights as kids could also be the clue to the breakin.
They are both determined to solve both mysteries.
Love the direction this book takes and the ending was just perfect.
The places, details this book took me away to are awesome. ( )

Just a Wish Away
Wish Series Book Two
By Barbara Freethy

Every summer for twelve years Alexa’s Parents would take her to Safe Harbor, WA. On the last summer she was able to visit her friendship with Braden had started to turn into something else. Now fifteen years later Alexa’s aunt has been attacked in her antiques shop and Alexa returns to Safe Harbor to help her aunt with her store while she recuperates. At the same time recently divorced, and recently discharged from the military, Braden is asked by his longtime friend to investigate the burglary gone wrong.

This was such a great romance novel; Barbara Freethy certainly knows how to bring to life not only an absolutely palpable romance but an intense mystery. I loved the characters Alexa is a strong independent woman and Braden is a damaged warrior and as the two investigate not only the burglary but also a mysterious incident that took place on their last night together fifteen years ago the romance that slowly blooms, or should I say comes back into focus, is absolutely beautiful. However if you are expecting lots of highly intimate situations you will be greatly disappointed, but I think this just adds to the charm of the novel.

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Courtesy of Barbara Freethy through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

The moment the story started, it felt like something beautiful and magical. At the beginning I was introduced to Alexa and Braden as twelve year old kids, summer time friends. Alexa's parent's would rent a house for the summer in Sand Harbor each year up until the last year at twelve years old when her parents divorced soon after and it was the last time she really saw Braden. I thought the story started up beautiful. There was something magical about a kids dream and the fact that Alexa wanted to collect sea glass and make beautiful figures out of it. It made me almost jealous, since living away from the ocean, I have never seen sea glass before. But at the same time I found myself cut up in her little girl dreams.

Alexa is an easy character to like. When she comes back to visit Sand Harbor after her aunt on her father side lends in the hospital because of a break in at her store, Alexa finds herself running into Bradon and reconnecting with her childhood self. Bradon who served in the military and is now going through a divorce has a hard time not getting lost in the mysteries of the town with Alexa. The book is nice, I like it. It was a lovely love story about childhood friends that found themselves meant for a each other in a world where faith still bought them together.

It had a bit of mystery, thought the way it ended the mystery felt a little flat. But it was all about the connection and dreams that two people had once shared and the baggage they both carry and have to work through. The ending ended up a little open ended, which I didn't mind. It really was a cute little love story with likeable characters and enough to keep my interest going. I did like the authors writing and think I will be getting book one in this little series. ( )

BLURB from Goodreads
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Barbara Freethy, takes us back to the beach in an emotional love story between two best friends who have been separated for a very long time.

Alexa Parker and Braden Elliott fell in love when they were twelve years old. On a summer day, while searching for sea glass on the beaches of Washington State, they discovered an unusually shaped blue bottle. The ever-imaginative Alexa declared it a genie’s bottle. Popping the cork, they were surprised by a rogue wave that sprayed them with a fine, cool mist. Closing their eyes, they each made a wish …

Before their love had a chance to grow, life, family and tragedy separated the two best friends. Now fifteen years later, Alexa returns to Sand Harbor after her aunt is injured in a mysterious break-in at her antique store. Braden is also back, but he’s not the innocent boy Alexa remembers. His military service has left him with physical and emotional scars.

Can the sweet love of youth be recaptured by two now cynical souls? Can solving the mystery of the past bring them to a new future? Or will it take a wish, maybe two …

Ena's Review
So the cover does depict the book but I have to admit I am not quite as keen on this cover as I was for the BK 1 in the Wish Series.
This book is the story of Alexa and Braden who have been friends forever, well they "fell in love" when they were just twelve years old. It tells how they find the "genie bottle" both make a wish. They eventually grew apart due to their families and certain events that I won't go into, you will have to read the book! This book tells the story of what happens when they meet back up years later....
I did enjoy this book as much as book one in the Wish Series it kept me interested all the way through, I didn't like having to put it down to even eat! I love the style in which Barbara Freethy writes too. The only disappointment I had was I didn't want it to end!!
So did I enjoy it? Yes. Do I want to read more of the Wish Series ? Yes, of course. Do I want to read more by Barbara Freethy? Definitely!

Available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk £2.52 (a fairly reasonable price, I'd say!) ( )