"He had the boarding-up routine down pat. But when it came right down to it, Mother Nature was always in control of the outcome."Sand Castle Bay by Sherryl WoodsMy review:The fact that I liked this book so much, was as much of a surprise as it was to see many DIDN'T love it on GR.The reason my liking it so much surprised me is because romance isn't a genre I read alot of. I did when I was younger although it never was my favorite. But this was such a pleasant surprise. I liked it-GREATLY.And I guess I can understand why some did not. What I liked was not just the romance which was believeable but the family aspect of it. This is a book about family as much as romance and I really took to that. I also LOVED the setting. I am addicted to the sea and books that take place there have an advantage for me. With Sand Castle Bay, the story takes place in a seaside coastal small town in North Carolina. Seriously, visiting North Carolina's outer banks has always been a dream of mine. Reading this made me YEARN to go there. And the book also made me feel like I was already there-not an easy thing to acomplish.Now-I can understand the dislike for Emily that many have expressed. The truth? She wasn't my favorite person either. She is not someone I would choose for a friend. She is also someone I basically have nothing in common with so there is that. I could not relate to her choices at all. I am not a person to put my job above everything else, I am not a big city person, and there was a corporate crispness to Emily's demeanor that I didn't love.But I did like Boone. And other members of Emily's family. And I did root for the romance. I got pulled in and that is something because this is not a genre I read much of anymore. Although maybe I will have st start.The romance wasn't corny either.To the contrary, the relationship portrayed here was very realistic. I did not know this was part of a trilogy when I first sat down to read this. (Three sisters and each book is about a different sister.). I have read one more from the trilogy but I prefer this one. I have not read the third.It is perfect beach reading with an engrossing story set against the beauty of a small southern beach town. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.