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Greer Hennessy is a struggling movie location scout. Her last location shoot ended in disaster when a film crew destroyed property on an avocado grove. And Greer ended up with the blame.
Now Greer has been given one more chance-a shot at finding the perfect undiscovered beach town for a big budget movie. She zeroes in on a sleepy Florida panhandle town. There’s one motel, a marina, a long stretch of pristine beach and an old fishing pier with a community casino—which will be perfect for the film’s climax—when the bad guys blow it up in an all-out assault on the townspeople.
Greer slips into town and is ecstatic to find the last unspoilt patch of the Florida gulf coast. She takes a room at the only motel in town, and starts working her charm. However, she finds a formidable obstacle in the town mayor, Eben Thinadeaux. Eben is a born-again environmentalist who’s seen huge damage done to the town by a huge paper company. The bay has only recently been re-born, a fishing industry has sprung up, and Eben has no intention of letting anybody screw with his town again. The only problem is that he finds Greer way too attractive for his own good, and knows that her motivation is in direct conflict with his.
Will true love find a foothold in this small beach town before it’s too late and disaster strikes? Told with Mary Kay Andrews inimitable wit and charm, Beach Town is this year’s summer beach read!
1) Who did you find yourself siding with over the issue of blowing up the casino—Vanessa and Greer or Eb? Did your feelings change as the story progressed? Why or why not?
2) Greer suggests that Eb has a “messiah complex”. Did you agree or disagree with her? What do you think it is that drives Eb to do what he does for Cypress Key?
3) When Greer and Vanessa first meet Vanessa says, “You’ve probably been in a similar situation, where there’s this one guy—the only one you think you want, and the only one who doesn’t even know you’re alive. So it’s like a challenge—to make him want you.” Can you relate at all to that? Have you ever been in a similar situation?
4) Even after Greer learns that things were more complicated than she had always believed, and that her dad didn’t just abandon her and Lise, she still doesn’t want to see Clint. Why? How would you feel if you were in her shoes?
5) Why is it so hard for Greer to face her love for her father and her feelings for Eb?
6) Why does Greer feel a connection with Allie? In what ways are their lives and experiences similar?
7) In the novel we see as Greer pulls back from focusing solely on her career to letting other people into her life. What are some of the key moments when we see a shift in her?
8) When Greer first sees Allie and Kregg together on set she is worried but decides against saying anything to Eb. What do you think she should have done? Would you have told Eb? Do you think Eb was too hard on Allie in the way that he responded to the photos of her and Kregg on the jet ski?
9) What is it about the way they approach their lives and the people around them that cause Greer and Eb to butt heads? In many ways their approaches to life are oppositional at the beginning of the novel, and they force each other to examine their own ways of thinking. How are Greer and Eb different and what do they learn from each other?
10) What do you imagine the future to hold for Greer and Eb? What about for Allie, Clint, Jared?
“Andrews expertly combines an intriguing love story with small-town quirkiness and cinematic action to highly entertaining effect. This enticing romance arrives right on time for summer’s lighter reading season.” —Booklist
“Andrews masterfully creates an entertaining story filled with likable characters and a few lightweight, havoc-wreaking troublemakers…it’s entirely fun. A perfect fit for the romance lover’s beach bag.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Could Beach Town be the summer beach read of the year? Featuring a bevy of memorable characters, as well as Andrews’ attention to detail and distinct wit—along with her proven summer beach read track record—it very well could be. Andrews has penned another entertaining Southern romantic romp sure to be a certified hit. Readers will eagerly devour this novel and be left wanting more. This just might be one of her best to date!”
— RT Book Reviews, 4.5 star TOP PICK
“Ready to kick off beach-read season? Look no further than Mary Kay Andrews’s aptly titled Beach Town.”
—InStyle.com