It’s beach season, and there’s no better beach read than a book that takes place at the beach. There’s something special when that book is set in the town where you’re vacationing; it’s even more special if you’re lucky enough to live in that beach town. Wendy Wax is a St. Petersburg, Florida native; her popular Ten Beach Road series is set on Pass-A-Grille (part of St. Pete Beach). I live in St. Petersburg and was married on Pass-A-Grille. Naturally, when she released her latest beach read, Just Beachy, I scooped it up. Just Beachy isn’t part of the Ten Beach Road series, but some of the series’ characters pop up.
When actress Sydney Ryan’s police officer character is written off her show in an embarrassing way, she decides to leave Hollywood and join her grandmother on Treasure Island, Florida. Right away, there’s romance in the air for both women—Grand starts dating her neighbor Brian, and Sydney hooks up with police officer Luke, her old crush from grade school. But when someone breaks into Grand’s house, Sydney’s grandmother admits to involvement in an art scandal. Could Brian be involved? Can Sydney use her TV detective skills to find out the truth?
Despite its mystery spine, Just Beachy is written in a breezy, humorous tone that plays down conflict. Constantly stymied by people who think she’s her TV character, Sydney goes on embarrassing auditions and spends a lot of time helping Grand’s friend Myra open a bookstore on Pass-A-Grille. The relationship with Luke happens quickly, so it’s missing a lot of the tension and build-up that romance fans expect, while including several clinically descriptive sex scenes. The climax is unsurprising, and the denouement is almost a fairy tale.
For me, the highlight of Just Beachy was Wax’s frequent name-dropping of popular St. Petersburg spots—the Don Cesar Hotel; Paradise Grille and Hurricane’s on Pass-A-Grille; Larry’s Ice Cream shop on St. Pete Beach; Central Avenue; Gulf Boulevard. As Wax mentions in her author’s note, the book takes place in an alternate timeline in which two hurricanes did not decimate this area. In the real world, Paradise Grille was closed for several months; thousands of homes along the beaches and in St. Petersburg flooded, and many businesses were destroyed. The Don reopened at the end of March. I was lucky enough that my home didn’t flood, but many of my immediate neighbors did, along with friends and my real estate brokerage.
I can’t blame Wax for wanting to ignore the disaster, and I hope Just Beachy inspires people to visit the Gulf Beaches. There’s nothing better than spending the afternoon reading a book on St. Pete Beach, watching the sunset at Paradise Grille, eating a cheeseburger, and ringing the sunset bell.
Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
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