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Cedar Key #3
Sunrise On Cedar Key
Includes reading group guide/discussion
questions.
Set on the enchanting island of Cedar Key, Terri DuLong's new novel weaves a warm, welcoming tale of second-and even third-chances, of long-held secrets, and newfound loves... For the second time in ten years, Grace Stone is starting over on Cedar Key. Grace first moved to the serene island to escape a disastrous relationship. Now a visit with her Aunt Maude is interrupted by unwelcome news: Grace's apartment and coffee shop have been destroyed by fire. Grace is devastated, yet ever-practical Maude has a plan. While she helps Grace resettle, Maude even has a business venture in mind-weekend knitting retreats where women can craft, chat, and support one another. But other surprises await, including the return of Grace's estranged sister, and a tentative romance with the local bookstore owner. Knitting together her past and future will mean untangling the painful threads Grace left behind. But the result could be a vibrant new life-and the courage to live it fully. . .
questions.
Set on the enchanting island of Cedar Key, Terri DuLong's new novel weaves a warm, welcoming tale of second-and even third-chances, of long-held secrets, and newfound loves... For the second time in ten years, Grace Stone is starting over on Cedar Key. Grace first moved to the serene island to escape a disastrous relationship. Now a visit with her Aunt Maude is interrupted by unwelcome news: Grace's apartment and coffee shop have been destroyed by fire. Grace is devastated, yet ever-practical Maude has a plan. While she helps Grace resettle, Maude even has a business venture in mind-weekend knitting retreats where women can craft, chat, and support one another. But other surprises await, including the return of Grace's estranged sister, and a tentative romance with the local bookstore owner. Knitting together her past and future will mean untangling the painful threads Grace left behind. But the result could be a vibrant new life-and the courage to live it fully. . .
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Terri DuLong
22 books225 followersNY Times & USA Today bestselling author of the Cedar Key Series. Debut novel, Lost Souls of the Witches' Castle, was released by a small press in 2002. Based on the mental facility north of Boston where I did my Psychiatric RN training, it weaves the story of a love both past and present. Since the press closed, Lost Souls is no longer in print, but is now available in eBook on both Kindle and Nook.
Daughters of the Mill is a prequel to Lost Souls and focuses on the Mill girls in Lowell, Massachusetts and the lack of women's rights in that era. Also now available in Kindle and Nook.
On Feb. 26, 2008 I signed a two-book contract with Kensington Publishing in NYC. My first novel, SPINNING FORWARD, also women's fiction, was released October 27, 2009. CASTING ABOUT, book 2 in the Cedar Key Series was released Oct. 26, 2010, along with my Christmas novella, A CEDAR KEY CHRISTMAS, in the anthology, HOLIDAY MAGIC, with Fern Michaels headlining.
Book 3, SUNRISE ON CEDAR KEY hit bookshelves October 2011 and Book 4, POSTCARDS FROM CEDAR KEY, was released October 30, 2012. Book 5, SECRETS ON CEDAR KEY will be released Nov. 26, 2013 and book 6 in 2014.
I'm originally from the Boston area, but have resided in Florida for 26 years. Eight years ago we relocated to Cedar Key (the setting for my novels) off the west coast.
Daughters of the Mill is a prequel to Lost Souls and focuses on the Mill girls in Lowell, Massachusetts and the lack of women's rights in that era. Also now available in Kindle and Nook.
On Feb. 26, 2008 I signed a two-book contract with Kensington Publishing in NYC. My first novel, SPINNING FORWARD, also women's fiction, was released October 27, 2009. CASTING ABOUT, book 2 in the Cedar Key Series was released Oct. 26, 2010, along with my Christmas novella, A CEDAR KEY CHRISTMAS, in the anthology, HOLIDAY MAGIC, with Fern Michaels headlining.
Book 3, SUNRISE ON CEDAR KEY hit bookshelves October 2011 and Book 4, POSTCARDS FROM CEDAR KEY, was released October 30, 2012. Book 5, SECRETS ON CEDAR KEY will be released Nov. 26, 2013 and book 6 in 2014.
I'm originally from the Boston area, but have resided in Florida for 26 years. Eight years ago we relocated to Cedar Key (the setting for my novels) off the west coast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
November 27, 2020
Hızlı okunuyor, akıcı da ama çok yapay geldi nedense. Replikler özellikle öyle, her şey oldu bittiye geliyor kurguda. Çeviriden mi diye düşündüm ama bence yazarın tarzından. Bu tip romanları çok fazla okuduğumdan farklı olan gözüme batıyor sanırım. Daha derinlikli yazılmış karakterler görmek istiyorum artık.
September 18, 2012
This is the first book I've read by Terri Dulong, and probably the last. The story overall isn't bad. But this book wasn't a page-turner for me. I read it because I saw it listed somewhere (probably one of our professional book review magazines for the library) and the description sounded like it might be something we would want for our library system. However, having read it, I know I wouldn't list it as one of my go-to books when making recommendations to patrons. And with an extremely limited materials budget this year, I know I'm not going to recommend we purchase it for our collection.
So what's wrong with it? Well, nothing...nothing that I can put my finger on, that is. The characters aren't cliche, but they're also not as well-rounded as I would prefer them to be. There's some tension between characters, but again, not nearly as much as I had anticipated, especially where Grace and her sister Chloe are concerned. Most of the conflict arises in the last quarter of the book, and that's pretty late in the game as far as I'm concerned. Characters are introduced, and while not forgotten, aren't really there either. Sigh. It's so hard to explain this well!
I suppose what I can say is this: I finished almost half of this book yesterday while I was home sick from work. It didn't take a lot of thought, or energy, to read it. I guess you could say it's like the yarn they describe at the knitting retreats - soft, or fluffy, or pastel. There's no "oomph" to this novel. Not even the romance lured me in, and he was French! And before anyone comes down on me for dissing the romance, no, I am not complaining that there aren't really any sex scenes here. What I am saying is that there is no heat to the romance, and you can write good love scenes without using sex. What it lacks is the sexual tension, the whole "will they or won't they" feeling. I'm fine with having that tension for almost the entire book, if it's written well and has me turning pages, hoping for the next kiss, the next caress.
Finally, I was really bowled over by how much people seem to love Cedar Key. It would appear that every person who sets foot on the island wants to relocate, which seems nice at first, but then it had a creepy, almost Stepford-like feel to it. And all these extremely successful business people! Granted, I don't read to be reminded of what's going on in the real world, but it would seem that everyone who opens up a shop on Cedar Key does just a bang-up job of it! That felt off to me, as well as how little it seemed to take to get said businesses open. That and the fact that other people fill in as needed when someone has an emergency, even if that person doesn't actually work at that shop. How does that work as far as taxes and such go? Is everyone an independent contractor? It just wasn't realistic, in my humble opinion. Surely someone has visited Cedar Key and thought it was too small for their liking, that with a town of only 900 or so, everyone would know your business. And with such a small community, again, how can all these businesses thrive as they do?
If you want a light read, something where nothing bad really happens, then this will be the book for you. But if you'd like a dash of reality with your fiction, I would look elsewhere. Cedar Key isn't for you, my friend. And it's not for me, either.
So what's wrong with it? Well, nothing...nothing that I can put my finger on, that is. The characters aren't cliche, but they're also not as well-rounded as I would prefer them to be. There's some tension between characters, but again, not nearly as much as I had anticipated, especially where Grace and her sister Chloe are concerned. Most of the conflict arises in the last quarter of the book, and that's pretty late in the game as far as I'm concerned. Characters are introduced, and while not forgotten, aren't really there either. Sigh. It's so hard to explain this well!
I suppose what I can say is this: I finished almost half of this book yesterday while I was home sick from work. It didn't take a lot of thought, or energy, to read it. I guess you could say it's like the yarn they describe at the knitting retreats - soft, or fluffy, or pastel. There's no "oomph" to this novel. Not even the romance lured me in, and he was French! And before anyone comes down on me for dissing the romance, no, I am not complaining that there aren't really any sex scenes here. What I am saying is that there is no heat to the romance, and you can write good love scenes without using sex. What it lacks is the sexual tension, the whole "will they or won't they" feeling. I'm fine with having that tension for almost the entire book, if it's written well and has me turning pages, hoping for the next kiss, the next caress.
Finally, I was really bowled over by how much people seem to love Cedar Key. It would appear that every person who sets foot on the island wants to relocate, which seems nice at first, but then it had a creepy, almost Stepford-like feel to it. And all these extremely successful business people! Granted, I don't read to be reminded of what's going on in the real world, but it would seem that everyone who opens up a shop on Cedar Key does just a bang-up job of it! That felt off to me, as well as how little it seemed to take to get said businesses open. That and the fact that other people fill in as needed when someone has an emergency, even if that person doesn't actually work at that shop. How does that work as far as taxes and such go? Is everyone an independent contractor? It just wasn't realistic, in my humble opinion. Surely someone has visited Cedar Key and thought it was too small for their liking, that with a town of only 900 or so, everyone would know your business. And with such a small community, again, how can all these businesses thrive as they do?
If you want a light read, something where nothing bad really happens, then this will be the book for you. But if you'd like a dash of reality with your fiction, I would look elsewhere. Cedar Key isn't for you, my friend. And it's not for me, either.
January 19, 2017
I just f'ing started the book. Page one or two. Hard to say since I'm reading this on a Kindle. Anyway. This person gets a phone call and the phone call goes like this:
"Miss Gracie...I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. We had a humdinger of a thunderstorm here on the island during the night. I hate to have to tell you this...but lightning struck the coffee shop, setting it on fire. The volunteer fire department got the call about three, and when we arrived, the building was fully engulfed. At three in the morning, with nobody out and about, it got a pretty good head start. That wind was blowing about twenty-five to thirty miles an hour, and that sure didn't help. I'm so sorry to call and tell you this."
Ellipses included in the original text. I didn't edit anything out. This is not an example of a natural conversation between a fire chief and a victim of a fire. This is info dumping.
After that, there's even more info dumping. Before Gracie even has time to process what's happening, she's telling her dog's whole life story. I'm not exaggerating. She's actually telling her dog's whole life story.
The dog's name is Annie. Annie was an orphan. Most of us would probably use the word "stray". But she has to be an orphan so Gracie can look at her tearfully and say "And now we're both orphans, Annie."
I'm done.
"Miss Gracie...I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. We had a humdinger of a thunderstorm here on the island during the night. I hate to have to tell you this...but lightning struck the coffee shop, setting it on fire. The volunteer fire department got the call about three, and when we arrived, the building was fully engulfed. At three in the morning, with nobody out and about, it got a pretty good head start. That wind was blowing about twenty-five to thirty miles an hour, and that sure didn't help. I'm so sorry to call and tell you this."
Ellipses included in the original text. I didn't edit anything out. This is not an example of a natural conversation between a fire chief and a victim of a fire. This is info dumping.
After that, there's even more info dumping. Before Gracie even has time to process what's happening, she's telling her dog's whole life story. I'm not exaggerating. She's actually telling her dog's whole life story.
The dog's name is Annie. Annie was an orphan. Most of us would probably use the word "stray". But she has to be an orphan so Gracie can look at her tearfully and say "And now we're both orphans, Annie."
I'm done.
June 4, 2021
“Aşk zamanla zarar görebilir, saldırıya uğrayabilir, yok edilmeye çalışılabilirdi ama eğer gerçek aşksa, her şeye dayanabilirdi. Her türlü fırtınaya rağmen ayakta kalırdı. Ne olursa olsun.”
✨
On yıl önce yaşadığı büyük kalp kırıkılığından sonra Cedar Key Adası’nda kendine yeniden bir hayat kuran Gracie, teyzesi Maude’nin taşınmasına yardım etmek için Cedar Key’den ayrıldığında evi ve kahve dükkânının bir yangınla yerle bir olduğunu öğreniyor. Maude teyze Cedar Key’e yerleştikten sonra ise Gracie’nin yıkılan hayatını düzene koymak için kolları sıvıyor. Hem birbirlerine komşu oluyorlar hem de birlikte örgü kursları verecekleri bir iş kuruyorlar. Gracie hayatını yola koymaya çalıştığı sırada Cedar Key’de bir kitabevi olan Lucas ile yeni bir ilişkiye başlıyor. Buradan sonra da neler yaşadıklarını, geçmişleriyle hesaplaşmalarını okuyoruz.
Bir Yumak Aşk, bu tarz bir kitaptan beklenen her şeyi okuyucusuna veriyor bence. Geçmişte yaşanan zorluklar, bu zorlukların üstesinden gelecek güçlü bağlar, hesaplaşmalar, ikinci şanslar, hızla ilerleyen kurgu, yüzünüzde tebessüm bırakan tatlı bir son... Beklenmedik bir kurgu değil ama zaman zaman böyle hikayeler okumak iyi geliyor bence. Siz de bu tarz hikayeleri seviyorsanız Bir Yumak Aşk’a şans verebilirsiniz bence.💖
✨
On yıl önce yaşadığı büyük kalp kırıkılığından sonra Cedar Key Adası’nda kendine yeniden bir hayat kuran Gracie, teyzesi Maude’nin taşınmasına yardım etmek için Cedar Key’den ayrıldığında evi ve kahve dükkânının bir yangınla yerle bir olduğunu öğreniyor. Maude teyze Cedar Key’e yerleştikten sonra ise Gracie’nin yıkılan hayatını düzene koymak için kolları sıvıyor. Hem birbirlerine komşu oluyorlar hem de birlikte örgü kursları verecekleri bir iş kuruyorlar. Gracie hayatını yola koymaya çalıştığı sırada Cedar Key’de bir kitabevi olan Lucas ile yeni bir ilişkiye başlıyor. Buradan sonra da neler yaşadıklarını, geçmişleriyle hesaplaşmalarını okuyoruz.
Bir Yumak Aşk, bu tarz bir kitaptan beklenen her şeyi okuyucusuna veriyor bence. Geçmişte yaşanan zorluklar, bu zorlukların üstesinden gelecek güçlü bağlar, hesaplaşmalar, ikinci şanslar, hızla ilerleyen kurgu, yüzünüzde tebessüm bırakan tatlı bir son... Beklenmedik bir kurgu değil ama zaman zaman böyle hikayeler okumak iyi geliyor bence. Siz de bu tarz hikayeleri seviyorsanız Bir Yumak Aşk’a şans verebilirsiniz bence.💖
December 22, 2012
This book, while light most of the time, felt like reading the script to a slow tv show. I enjoyed thinking about the women as entrepreneurs who make their own destinies, but most of the time, I was annoyed by the surface level character development and prose.
June 13, 2014
Okay, I hate to give not good ratings, as I'm sure the author is lovely, but this book wasn't for me.
I initially thought I'd like it because yarn on the cover!! But it wasn't what I expected.
The book felt too contrived, too predictable, too just sugary sweet.
Some of the dialogue felt so unreal to me.
Maybe I just read it at the wrong time. And I feel terrible, but this book and I - we just didn't mesh.
I initially thought I'd like it because yarn on the cover!! But it wasn't what I expected.
The book felt too contrived, too predictable, too just sugary sweet.
Some of the dialogue felt so unreal to me.
Maybe I just read it at the wrong time. And I feel terrible, but this book and I - we just didn't mesh.
October 18, 2012
Bleah! I read the first half and then skipped to the last chapter. Mediocre writing and dumb, predictable plot.
July 29, 2017
The Cedar Key series is perfect for a light hearted, feel good summer read. I love the characters and each of their unique, spunky ways that add to the endearing qualities presented.
The series is full of family, knitting, love, acceptance, and opening one's heart to endless possibilities. Sunrise on Cedar Key was no different. I really enjoyed hearing about Grace's past, the rift between her and her sister, as well as witnessing her and Lucas' blooming romance. 3 stars because of the jumpy, bumpy, lack-of-flow writing. Occasionally, out of no where I'd find myself asking "Where did that come from?" I also found a big discrepancy in the relationship Monica and Grace shared between each of their two books- in Casting About they were best of friends. In SOCK, Suellen had BFF status and Monica was hardly mentioned. She wasn't even in the wedding! Also off for me was the movement of G and L's relationship. Not enough feels. Any who- a sweet book but not my fave.
****~*~* MY OWN NOTES, SPOILERS*~*~****
While away visiting her aunt Maude, Grace's coffee shop and upstairs apartment go under in a fire. Grace rebuilds her life by moving in with her aunt who also moves to CK, and starting a business with her hosting the blue moon knitting retreats. Her and Lucas fall in love and get married, (WAY TOO QUICKLY and without any emotion in my opinion) Sister Chloe comes to the Island after her divorce and becomes part owner of Yarning Together with Dora, and Grace's past with Beau is finally put behind her .
The series is full of family, knitting, love, acceptance, and opening one's heart to endless possibilities. Sunrise on Cedar Key was no different. I really enjoyed hearing about Grace's past, the rift between her and her sister, as well as witnessing her and Lucas' blooming romance. 3 stars because of the jumpy, bumpy, lack-of-flow writing. Occasionally, out of no where I'd find myself asking "Where did that come from?" I also found a big discrepancy in the relationship Monica and Grace shared between each of their two books- in Casting About they were best of friends. In SOCK, Suellen had BFF status and Monica was hardly mentioned. She wasn't even in the wedding! Also off for me was the movement of G and L's relationship. Not enough feels. Any who- a sweet book but not my fave.
****~*~* MY OWN NOTES, SPOILERS*~*~****
While away visiting her aunt Maude, Grace's coffee shop and upstairs apartment go under in a fire. Grace rebuilds her life by moving in with her aunt who also moves to CK, and starting a business with her hosting the blue moon knitting retreats. Her and Lucas fall in love and get married, (WAY TOO QUICKLY and without any emotion in my opinion) Sister Chloe comes to the Island after her divorce and becomes part owner of Yarning Together with Dora, and Grace's past with Beau is finally put behind her .
January 15, 2023
The 3rd book in this addictive romance series set on Cedar Key is about Grace, owner of Coffee, Tea and Thee. As with everyone on the small harbour town, she's friendly and loved by all, but she has a past and has dealt with some tough times.
She's helping her Aunt move from Georgia to Cedar Key when disaster strikes and her coffee shop, as well as her living accommodation, burns down. So, she has to start again.
This is her story, of rebuilding her life; learning to trust again; learning to love again and building bridges with her estranged sister. Maybe things happen for a reason, who knows, but can something beautiful come from a tradegy?
I've fallen in love with this series, to be honest I fell in love with it from the first chapter of the first book. Each book makes me cry happy and sad tears, but each book captivates me so I can't put down until I've finished it.
The books are standalone stories but are best read in order of publication to preserve continuity of the characters and series.
I'll be so sad when the series comes to an end, this may well be a set I'll buy as I'm reading them on kindle unlimited just now.
She's helping her Aunt move from Georgia to Cedar Key when disaster strikes and her coffee shop, as well as her living accommodation, burns down. So, she has to start again.
This is her story, of rebuilding her life; learning to trust again; learning to love again and building bridges with her estranged sister. Maybe things happen for a reason, who knows, but can something beautiful come from a tradegy?
I've fallen in love with this series, to be honest I fell in love with it from the first chapter of the first book. Each book makes me cry happy and sad tears, but each book captivates me so I can't put down until I've finished it.
The books are standalone stories but are best read in order of publication to preserve continuity of the characters and series.
I'll be so sad when the series comes to an end, this may well be a set I'll buy as I'm reading them on kindle unlimited just now.
October 22, 2018
Another beautiful Cedar Key novel that I just loved reading, giving me that cozy feeling inside of wanting to live on a picturesque island filled with kind and encouraging people. From the start, I fell in love with the characters of Grace and Lucas, feeling their love bounce-off the pages as they began their romantic escapades, specifically when they became more intimate with one another. I absolutely loved the connections that each of the characters made with one another, and the ways in which they helped each other out when needed. I felt that Grace's past with Beau wasn't explained in as much detail however, I suppose the author may have felt the events with Beau didn't need to be rehashed considering Grace's new romance with Lucas. I was thrilled when all of the pieces fell together in regards to the development of the knitting retreats, and Lucas' coffee shop beside the bookstore. I could clearly picture all of the characters and their daily lives, as they went from one shop to another. The author made it easy for us as readers to clearly engage with the characters, and to see their development from one point to the next. There were a few parts that were somewhat predictable however, the story left a positive imprint on my heart, one that will be bring me back for more Cedar Key love in the near future!
September 9, 2018
Grace Stone is starting over her life in Cedar Key. Grace has settled in to a routine when she decides to visit with her Aunt Maude. An unwelcome phone call informs Graced that her coffee shop and apartment have been destroyed by fire. Once again Grace has to start over but Aunt Maude has a plan and wants Grace to help her with a new business venture - a weekend knitting retreat where women can come together to share talents, chat and support one another. As they begin their venture Grace's estranged sister shows up for an unexpected visit - will this be a time for reconciling?
November 19, 2022
Reading all the other comments I see how this book really didn't move some folks. I enjoyed this book because it felt real with all the twist and turns of human emotions and what we all go through in life with family, with lovers. Maybe I just read this book at a time that hit my emotions. So I think this was an enjoyable book and someone else will see what I saw and felt with this book. So enjoy either way....love it or think nah!....ha ha ha
July 11, 2021
Another lovely novel about love and family, some knitting, and even a little genealogy. Grace has had trouble moving forward after the end of a bad relationship ten years earlier, but when both her aunt and her semi-estranged sister move to Cedar Key, things change. Uplifting and enjoyable. Recommended.
October 29, 2022
I don’t understand sibling rivalry. Chloe treated her sister abominably and in my opinion should not have been allowed back in the family so quickly. I love the friendship with Suellen and how she treats her friend…always there for her and others. The setting is a place I dream of.
July 26, 2017
It was a good read. A lot happening.
January 2, 2018
I enjoyed this book.
March 17, 2020
A great addition to the series.
May 10, 2023
Enjoyed this one the most! Relating to characters!
January 8, 2024
This was my favorite in the series.
August 13, 2024
It has romance, a wonderful community of women and knitting. There are issues in the past that need to be faced and forgiven.
May 18, 2021
Too Pollyanna for me.
March 7, 2017
It was pretty good. Once again, somewhat disjointed. Also, every book has the protagonist falling in love. Overall, a good story.
June 22, 2018
The book takes the reader on a journey of forgiveness and reminds us that the way someone acts always has a story behind it. Get to know the story before judging the person.
March 1, 2016
This is the third novel in Terri Dulong's "Cedar Key" series. All of her novels take place on the island of Cedar Key off the coast of Florida.
I did enjoy the first two novels in Ms. Dulong's series, Spinning Forward (Cedar Key) and Casting About. Though I enjoyed the characters I thought Ms. Dulong needed to include more information on knitting since that was the part of the plot in both stories.
In her latest, this novel focuses on Monica Brooks best friend Grace Stone. From the last novel we know that Grace has a coffee shop that she managed to hold onto when developers did their best to drive her out of business. However, due to a lightning storm she loses her entire store and her apartment. Luckily her Aunt Maude is moving to Cedar Key and Grace moves in with her and begins a new business that will focus on knitting retreats for women. Grace's estranged older sister, Chole, also ends up moving to Cedar Key and the two women start to tentatively form a relationship with one another.
I wish that I could recommend this novel but this is definitely the weakest, in my opinion, of the series.
First, as was the problem with the other two novels though the characters mention knitting, cabling, etc. it is left vague with no details about how one does the knitting and what is the difference in the types of materials. I think that if Ms. Dulong is going to have knitting in this novel then you must describe it to the reader. I have no idea what knit one, pearl one is or about the fibers that the women were using and styles.
Second, Grace was just not a character that I cared for at all in this novel. She is at terms selfish, delusional, and angry. The author goes into Grace's past and you found out more about her previous relationship and why she has a hard time forming relationships. However, readers finding out about her previous relationship made her even less sympathetic to me as a character. Her interactions with her sister also I found sorely lacking.
Third, all of the other secondary characters except for Luc were cardboard cut-outs to me. Previous protagonists Sydney and Monica show up, but say very little. Considering that Monica is Grace's best friend they barely interacted in this novel. Sydney's, Nick never shows up at all in this novel which is very odd since we know from "Spinning Forward" that his mother lives on the island and he has a home there. The same thing happened with Monica's husband Adam, he just became a non-entity in this story.
Fourth, there is a plot development dealing with Monica Brook's yarn store that stretched credibility to me. We know from the last book that money is tight for the family and would be more so now so the resolution with the yarn store made no sense at all.
Fifth, to me the main focus of this novel kept shifting around so much. I started to just start to rush through the novel to just finish it already.
I would only recommend to readers who read the previous two novels who may want a peek (and I mean peek) at former characters.
I did enjoy the first two novels in Ms. Dulong's series, Spinning Forward (Cedar Key) and Casting About. Though I enjoyed the characters I thought Ms. Dulong needed to include more information on knitting since that was the part of the plot in both stories.
In her latest, this novel focuses on Monica Brooks best friend Grace Stone. From the last novel we know that Grace has a coffee shop that she managed to hold onto when developers did their best to drive her out of business. However, due to a lightning storm she loses her entire store and her apartment. Luckily her Aunt Maude is moving to Cedar Key and Grace moves in with her and begins a new business that will focus on knitting retreats for women. Grace's estranged older sister, Chole, also ends up moving to Cedar Key and the two women start to tentatively form a relationship with one another.
I wish that I could recommend this novel but this is definitely the weakest, in my opinion, of the series.
First, as was the problem with the other two novels though the characters mention knitting, cabling, etc. it is left vague with no details about how one does the knitting and what is the difference in the types of materials. I think that if Ms. Dulong is going to have knitting in this novel then you must describe it to the reader. I have no idea what knit one, pearl one is or about the fibers that the women were using and styles.
Second, Grace was just not a character that I cared for at all in this novel. She is at terms selfish, delusional, and angry. The author goes into Grace's past and you found out more about her previous relationship and why she has a hard time forming relationships. However, readers finding out about her previous relationship made her even less sympathetic to me as a character. Her interactions with her sister also I found sorely lacking.
Third, all of the other secondary characters except for Luc were cardboard cut-outs to me. Previous protagonists Sydney and Monica show up, but say very little. Considering that Monica is Grace's best friend they barely interacted in this novel. Sydney's, Nick never shows up at all in this novel which is very odd since we know from "Spinning Forward" that his mother lives on the island and he has a home there. The same thing happened with Monica's husband Adam, he just became a non-entity in this story.
Fourth, there is a plot development dealing with Monica Brook's yarn store that stretched credibility to me. We know from the last book that money is tight for the family and would be more so now so the resolution with the yarn store made no sense at all.
Fifth, to me the main focus of this novel kept shifting around so much. I started to just start to rush through the novel to just finish it already.
I would only recommend to readers who read the previous two novels who may want a peek (and I mean peek) at former characters.
March 1, 2017
The Cedar Key series of books is not great literature. But then, it doesn't claim to be. So far, each book has highlighted a different character who lives in Cedar Key. They all tie together in the way of small towns and family, yet making room for new people in their close-knit community.
October 5, 2011
“A Not-To-Be-Missed Yarn of Friendship and Romance”
Grace Stone relocated to Cedar Key, Florida ten years ago, to heal and begin a new life—one without ex-love, Beau Hamilton!! After much worry and coaxing, she finally convinces her Aunt Maude; the special lady who raised her from pre-teen to adult, into moving from Brunswick to Cedar Key, so they could be closer in her declining years. While Grace is in the process of helping Aunt Maude pack for the move, she receives a life-altering phone call. Her beloved coffee Shop; “Coffee, Tea and Thee” had been destroyed by fire along with her apartment and just about everything she owned. After the initial shock has passed, it is Aunt Maude to the rescue with a solution, by offering Grace a home in the historic “Coachman House” that Maude had purchased, with an idea, that with the resurgence of knitting, she will turn the accompanying cavernous carriage house into a weekend haven for knitters named “The Blue Moon Knitting Retreat” and asks Grace if she would be her partner in the venture. Grace agrees to both and this change in her life is accompanied by the renewal of old friendships and making new ones, especially Lucas Trudeau; the handsome Frenchman, who is about to open a Book Shop in Cedar key. Despite the hectic schedule of getting the retreat advertised for bookings and her jumbled life settled in the extra apartment in the “Coachman House”. Grace’s past seems to haunt her day and night and cause her unrest. Secrets hidden deeply within her, begin to surface both in her dreams and in the tarot cards. Calm, ordinary days turn into a “roller coaster ride of life”, for just as Grace thinks it could be smooth sailing—her snarky, older, soon-to-be-divorced sister, Chloe; shows up in Cedar key! Grace is sure Chloe will throw their lives into turmoil, as they never got along when they were younger. We all go through changes in our lives; some, good…some, not so great. You will follow Grace as she deals with what life hands her, complete with truths, lies, misconceptions and doubts. But above all, as Aunt Maude so succinctly put it, “Love follows us in death as it does in life”. And Love does conquer all! I haven’t had the pleasure of reading this author’s previous works yet, but I hope you’ll enjoy this continuation of characters from the series as much as I did. It is one that should not be missed and I can only hope Ms. DuLong has a sequel in the works in the not-to-distant for us to enjoy. Nancy Narma
Grace Stone relocated to Cedar Key, Florida ten years ago, to heal and begin a new life—one without ex-love, Beau Hamilton!! After much worry and coaxing, she finally convinces her Aunt Maude; the special lady who raised her from pre-teen to adult, into moving from Brunswick to Cedar Key, so they could be closer in her declining years. While Grace is in the process of helping Aunt Maude pack for the move, she receives a life-altering phone call. Her beloved coffee Shop; “Coffee, Tea and Thee” had been destroyed by fire along with her apartment and just about everything she owned. After the initial shock has passed, it is Aunt Maude to the rescue with a solution, by offering Grace a home in the historic “Coachman House” that Maude had purchased, with an idea, that with the resurgence of knitting, she will turn the accompanying cavernous carriage house into a weekend haven for knitters named “The Blue Moon Knitting Retreat” and asks Grace if she would be her partner in the venture. Grace agrees to both and this change in her life is accompanied by the renewal of old friendships and making new ones, especially Lucas Trudeau; the handsome Frenchman, who is about to open a Book Shop in Cedar key. Despite the hectic schedule of getting the retreat advertised for bookings and her jumbled life settled in the extra apartment in the “Coachman House”. Grace’s past seems to haunt her day and night and cause her unrest. Secrets hidden deeply within her, begin to surface both in her dreams and in the tarot cards. Calm, ordinary days turn into a “roller coaster ride of life”, for just as Grace thinks it could be smooth sailing—her snarky, older, soon-to-be-divorced sister, Chloe; shows up in Cedar key! Grace is sure Chloe will throw their lives into turmoil, as they never got along when they were younger. We all go through changes in our lives; some, good…some, not so great. You will follow Grace as she deals with what life hands her, complete with truths, lies, misconceptions and doubts. But above all, as Aunt Maude so succinctly put it, “Love follows us in death as it does in life”. And Love does conquer all! I haven’t had the pleasure of reading this author’s previous works yet, but I hope you’ll enjoy this continuation of characters from the series as much as I did. It is one that should not be missed and I can only hope Ms. DuLong has a sequel in the works in the not-to-distant for us to enjoy. Nancy Narma
November 2, 2011
Sunrise on Cedar Key
By: Terri Dulong
Copyright: November 2011
Publisher: Kensington Fiction
For the second time in ten years, Grace Stone is starting over on Cedar Key. Grace first moved to the serene island to escape a disastrous relationship. Now a visit with her Aunt Maude is interrupted by unwelcome news: Grace's apartment and coffee shop have been destroyed by fire.
Grace is devastated, yet ever-practical Maude has a plan. While she helps Grace resettle, Maude even has a business venture in mind—weekend knitting retreats where women can craft, chat, and support one another.
But other surprises await her, including the return of Grace's estranged sister, and a tentative romance with the local bookstore owner. Knitting together her past and future will mean untangling the painful threads Grace left behind. But the result could be a vibrant new life—and the courage to live it fully. . .
Gracie is visiting her aunt Maude to help her with her move to Cedar Key. She is awakened at 5:30 am by the insistent ringing of her cell phone. She is barely awake when Jim Jacobs the town’s Fire Chief informs her that her apartment and the coffee shop under it have been totally destroyed by fire. This is NOT what she wants to hear this early in the day. All she has left are the clothes she brought to her aunt’s house. She is distressed and overwhelmed by the enormity of this abrupt change to her life.
Aunt Maude offers to let Gracie live in the upstairs apartment at her new house until she finds other quarters and also explains that she wants Gracie as a partner in her new business venture. So with all these things reverberating through her head, she and her aunt finish packing aunt Maude’s belongings and hit the road for Cedar Key.
Grace and her sister have not and do not get along. Finding out that Mrs. Perfect is separated and getting divorced, AND moving to Cedar Key is putting a lot of strain on Gracie’s ability to plan what and how she is going to get things back on track.
This is a story about family, reconciliation, love, new business ventures, and a large box of tissues. Terri DuLong has the gift for pulling you into the world of her story with her storytelling. I felt like I was in the room with the characters and witnessing their lives first hand.
FTC Full Disclosure: This book was supplied by the publishers in hopes of a fair and impartial review.
By: Terri Dulong
Copyright: November 2011
Publisher: Kensington Fiction
For the second time in ten years, Grace Stone is starting over on Cedar Key. Grace first moved to the serene island to escape a disastrous relationship. Now a visit with her Aunt Maude is interrupted by unwelcome news: Grace's apartment and coffee shop have been destroyed by fire.
Grace is devastated, yet ever-practical Maude has a plan. While she helps Grace resettle, Maude even has a business venture in mind—weekend knitting retreats where women can craft, chat, and support one another.
But other surprises await her, including the return of Grace's estranged sister, and a tentative romance with the local bookstore owner. Knitting together her past and future will mean untangling the painful threads Grace left behind. But the result could be a vibrant new life—and the courage to live it fully. . .
Gracie is visiting her aunt Maude to help her with her move to Cedar Key. She is awakened at 5:30 am by the insistent ringing of her cell phone. She is barely awake when Jim Jacobs the town’s Fire Chief informs her that her apartment and the coffee shop under it have been totally destroyed by fire. This is NOT what she wants to hear this early in the day. All she has left are the clothes she brought to her aunt’s house. She is distressed and overwhelmed by the enormity of this abrupt change to her life.
Aunt Maude offers to let Gracie live in the upstairs apartment at her new house until she finds other quarters and also explains that she wants Gracie as a partner in her new business venture. So with all these things reverberating through her head, she and her aunt finish packing aunt Maude’s belongings and hit the road for Cedar Key.
Grace and her sister have not and do not get along. Finding out that Mrs. Perfect is separated and getting divorced, AND moving to Cedar Key is putting a lot of strain on Gracie’s ability to plan what and how she is going to get things back on track.
This is a story about family, reconciliation, love, new business ventures, and a large box of tissues. Terri DuLong has the gift for pulling you into the world of her story with her storytelling. I felt like I was in the room with the characters and witnessing their lives first hand.
FTC Full Disclosure: This book was supplied by the publishers in hopes of a fair and impartial review.
December 17, 2014
Meh. The characters are thin and flat, the story predictable, the surroundings lifeless, the homespun wisdom pretty trite.
The dialogue was poor. Stilted, a little too formal, it generally sounded far more like people reading cue cards than people actually chatting together.
Apart from that, there were two things that annoyed me. First was the main character (Grace's) tendency to make instantaneous negative decisions about people, and, without any attempt to even discuss it with the person who'd offended her, cut them out of her life for weeks, months, even years. The flip annoyance was the repeated, near-instantaneous healing of lifelong wounds and heartache.
Example: Grace's estranged sister, Chloe, shows up. They've never gotten along, always been resentment between them. But that's okay! After 15 or 20 years of bad blood, it's a matter of one 20-minute conversation to clear the air and everything's fine. They love each other. They are glad to be sisters!
Completely unrealistic.
And then, having healed the rift with her sister, having experienced increasing love, affection, and respect for her, after several months of sisterly affection, Grace discovers a hurtful thing Chloe did ten years prior. And that's that! Instant hostility. Instant withdrawal of all affection and contact. Without a conversation, without trying to find out why, without giving her the benefit of the doubt, and certainly without even considering forgiving the sister she has grown to love and admire, she cuts Chloe out of her life. This did not warm me to Grace so very much.
So much for all that love and affection they'd discovered. So much for the joys of having a sister, huh?
Eventually all the loose ends are tied up, everyone gets their happy ending, but I can't say I enjoyed the book. I won't be reading any more from this series.
The dialogue was poor. Stilted, a little too formal, it generally sounded far more like people reading cue cards than people actually chatting together.
Apart from that, there were two things that annoyed me. First was the main character (Grace's) tendency to make instantaneous negative decisions about people, and, without any attempt to even discuss it with the person who'd offended her, cut them out of her life for weeks, months, even years. The flip annoyance was the repeated, near-instantaneous healing of lifelong wounds and heartache.
Example: Grace's estranged sister, Chloe, shows up. They've never gotten along, always been resentment between them. But that's okay! After 15 or 20 years of bad blood, it's a matter of one 20-minute conversation to clear the air and everything's fine. They love each other. They are glad to be sisters!
Completely unrealistic.
And then, having healed the rift with her sister, having experienced increasing love, affection, and respect for her, after several months of sisterly affection, Grace discovers a hurtful thing Chloe did ten years prior. And that's that! Instant hostility. Instant withdrawal of all affection and contact. Without a conversation, without trying to find out why, without giving her the benefit of the doubt, and certainly without even considering forgiving the sister she has grown to love and admire, she cuts Chloe out of her life. This did not warm me to Grace so very much.
So much for all that love and affection they'd discovered. So much for the joys of having a sister, huh?
Eventually all the loose ends are tied up, everyone gets their happy ending, but I can't say I enjoyed the book. I won't be reading any more from this series.
December 1, 2011
Sunrise on Cedar Keys by Terri Dulong
Such tragedy at the very beginning of this story: Grace not only loses her coffee shop but her apartment in a fire while she is picking up an aunt that is relocating to the island. To make matters worse as she's settling into the new house with her and they discuss a new business venture that both are really excited about: knitting weekend retreat. Sounds like heaven to me along with the local yarn store providing yarn, etc but a call from her older married sister makes her become very angry.
She's had everything she's ever wanted in life and now it's all crumbled and Grace is allowing her to come live with them til the divorce. And her best friend Suellen also wants to relocate to the island.
I'm in love with this seaside town. They take care of the stray animals with donations.
Love the idea of their business and wish it was real-it'd be an ideal vacation spot.
Like the intrigue of the tarot cards, quite interesting along with island folklore and the history.
Now Grace has cravings of having a child before she's too old because another friend is having a baby.
Having the cleaning womans' child with them all at the holidays really shows the cheer on the island.
some old things are brought up and they can destroy many lives. Just when they had found one another.
I rate this book a 5 for the different point of view-it's refreshing. The characters are just so huggable.
The scenery and comfort you can find on the island is just precious.
Closeness and the ability to talk to one another to work through problems really got to me.
And another book in this series is in the works. I hadn't realized there were 2 other books prior to
this one. I will have to go get them and read them.
Such tragedy at the very beginning of this story: Grace not only loses her coffee shop but her apartment in a fire while she is picking up an aunt that is relocating to the island. To make matters worse as she's settling into the new house with her and they discuss a new business venture that both are really excited about: knitting weekend retreat. Sounds like heaven to me along with the local yarn store providing yarn, etc but a call from her older married sister makes her become very angry.
She's had everything she's ever wanted in life and now it's all crumbled and Grace is allowing her to come live with them til the divorce. And her best friend Suellen also wants to relocate to the island.
I'm in love with this seaside town. They take care of the stray animals with donations.
Love the idea of their business and wish it was real-it'd be an ideal vacation spot.
Like the intrigue of the tarot cards, quite interesting along with island folklore and the history.
Now Grace has cravings of having a child before she's too old because another friend is having a baby.
Having the cleaning womans' child with them all at the holidays really shows the cheer on the island.
some old things are brought up and they can destroy many lives. Just when they had found one another.
I rate this book a 5 for the different point of view-it's refreshing. The characters are just so huggable.
The scenery and comfort you can find on the island is just precious.
Closeness and the ability to talk to one another to work through problems really got to me.
And another book in this series is in the works. I hadn't realized there were 2 other books prior to
this one. I will have to go get them and read them.
June 8, 2013
Sunrise on Cedar Key is the third installment of DuLong's Cedar Key series. Grace, who is Monica Brooks's best friend on the island. She has been very supportive all through Monica's trials in Casting About. Grace is a single woman who owns the coffee shop on Cedar Key. The book opens with her at Aunt Maude's home up north. Aunt Maude is moving to Cedar Key to be nearer to Grace and to start a business featuring weekend knitting retreats. Immediately prior to the move, Grace finds out her business has burned to the ground. She becomes involved with her aunt's business as well as helping the new bookstore owner with establishing a coffee store area in his store. It doesn't hurt that he is a handsome French man.
Sunrise on Cedar Key involves the relationships of all who Grace loves the most: Monica, Aunt Maude, and her best friend from childhood. Cedar Key also becomes the setting for new beginnings. Both Grace and her new beau have deep seated hurts and secrets that have to be discussed before their relationship can grow further. Trust, forgiveness, love, marriage and friendship are all essential ingredients to this tale.
Grace is a lovely person. She is very free spirited, well-traveled, loving and sincere. I am not fan of tarot cards and spiritualism. These are very important aspects of her life. I also wish there was more of Monica in this book. She and Grace are entwined tightly in book two. Also, when Grace's childhood friend relocates to Cedar Key, it seemed Grace does not have much time for Monica. I needed more of a segue from book two to book three.
Sunrise on Cedar Key involves the relationships of all who Grace loves the most: Monica, Aunt Maude, and her best friend from childhood. Cedar Key also becomes the setting for new beginnings. Both Grace and her new beau have deep seated hurts and secrets that have to be discussed before their relationship can grow further. Trust, forgiveness, love, marriage and friendship are all essential ingredients to this tale.
Grace is a lovely person. She is very free spirited, well-traveled, loving and sincere. I am not fan of tarot cards and spiritualism. These are very important aspects of her life. I also wish there was more of Monica in this book. She and Grace are entwined tightly in book two. Also, when Grace's childhood friend relocates to Cedar Key, it seemed Grace does not have much time for Monica. I needed more of a segue from book two to book three.
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