One Good Thing: A Ten Beach Road Novel

By: Wendy Wax
Publisher: Berkley Books NY
Publication Date: June 2017
ISBN: 978-0451488619
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: June 14, 2017

Wendy Wax delivers yet another vibrant read in her latest title, One Good Thing.

Maddie, Avery, Nikki and Kyra were well on their way to getting their respective lives in order. Maddie’s love, William Hightower, has made a tremendous comeback with his music and is going on tour. Much to Will’s chagrin, Maddie can’t seem to pry herself away from the notion she is responsible for everyone else first before it is her turn. Nikki is pregnant with Joe’s twins; yet, Joe stopped asking for her hand in marriage after not one, two, but three definitive ‘no’s’ from her. In due time, perhaps. Avery has her own struggles with paramour Chase. While it’s abundantly clear their feelings for each other are true and deep-seeded, it would seem his teenaged son Jason has other plans for their happily ever after. To compound the friction, Chase seems quite comfortable when it comes to reminding Avery she is not a parental figure when it comes to raising his children. Kyra has her own tangled web to unweave. When baby (and somewhat absent) daddy, movie star Daniel decides he would like to play a more active role in his son’s life, Kyra isn’t so sure she likes what he has in mind. And last but certainly not least, when Bitsy Baynard arrives unannounced it’s more than strange that her hubby Bertrand is nowhere to be seen.

After the crash of Do Over (a cable do-it-yourself makeover show) and renovations of the Sunset Beach property, the ladies have quite the mountain to climb toward solvency. Condo’s aren’t’ moving and time share sales are non-existent. There is also that loan that Kyra took out (leveraging Bella Flora) that is about to become due and not only does she not have the balloon payment, but Maddie, Avery and Nikki have no idea they could potentially lose the property. Fortunately for all the ladies, there are the nightly spectacular sunsets on the Gulf and the commitment to share ‘one good thing’ about the day before the sun kisses it good-night.

In perfect Wendy Wax style, she has delivered yet another engaging and captivating beach read just in time for summer. Her characters continue to intrigue her audience and Ms. Wax is not at a loss throughout for the perfect teasers of drama to complement the wonderfully delicious flow of this novel. Her dialogue is believable and having read Sunset Beach, it was a wonderful treat to revisit with the women of Bella Flora. I applaud Ms. Wax for keeping her storyline ‘real’ within the premise of ‘fiction.’ It makes the story that much more enjoyable. I look forward to her next novel and (hopefully) the next chapter of the life and times of the women of Bella Flora. Well done Ms. Wax! I thoroughly enjoyed One Good Thing.

Quill says: One Good Thing is a delicious novel one can take along on vacation, sink down into a comfy chair, and enjoy the art of turning the pages of a truly terrific read.