Christmas by the Sea Book Review

I picked up Christmas by the Sea by Melody Carlson from the new release section of the library because the cover looked good and the author sounded familiar.  I think that I have read something by her before and I realized that it just came up as a new book to be released that I might get to review.  I was excited to read this book and see what it was about.

When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to resist.

Wendy inherits a beach house that she used to go to as a child.  She decides that she is going to fix it up and sell it in order to pay off her husbands debts from his long illness.  Her son, Jackson, gets very excited about leaving the town that they are in and starting over in the beach town.  Jackson enjoys everything about the small town and makes friends quickly.  He registers himself for school so that he can convince her to stay.  Wendy enjoys being in the small town and fixing up the house but she knows that she just can't make it work without a job.  She meets Caleb when she is in town and he runs his own small business.  Caleb says that he is going to show her arts at his shop so that she can sell them so she makes a driftwood mirror and Christmas ornaments and more.  After a few things sell, she thinks that might help carry her through the renovations but things change quickly.  I thought it was a great story but it ended quite abruptly and I would have liked a little more story at the end.  I hope that you check out this book and tell me what you think. I don't want to give away any secrets but I hope that you pick it up and let me know what you think.