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    Beach Town: A Novel
    Beach Town: A Novel
    Beach Town: A Novel
    Audiobook14 hours

    Beach Town: A Novel

    Written by Mary Kay Andrews

    Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Greer Hennessy needs palm trees.

    As a movie location scout, picture-perfect is the name of the game. But her last project literally went up in flames, and her career is on the verge of flaming out. Greer has been given one more chance, if she can find the perfect undiscovered beach hideaway for a big-budget movie. She zeroes in on a sleepy Florida panhandle town called Cypress Key. 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 explosive climax.

    There's just one problem. Eben Thibadeaux, the town mayor, completely objects to Greer's plan. A lifelong resident of Cypress Key, Eben wants the town to be revitalized, not commercialized. After a toxic paper plant closed, the bay has only recently been reborn, and Eb has no intention of letting anybody screw with his town again. But Greer has a way of making things happen, regardless of obstacles. And Greer and Eb are way too attracted to each other for either of them to see reason.

    Between an ambitious director and his entourage-including a spoiled "It Boy" lead actor-who parachute into town, a conniving local ex-socialite, and a cast of local fangirls and opportunists who catch the movie bug, nothing is going to be the same in Cypress Key. Now Greer is forced to make some hard choices: about the people and the town she's come to care about, and about her own life. True love is only for the movies, right? Can Greer find a way to be the heroine in her own life story? Told with inimitable heart and humor, Mary Kay Andrews' Beach Town is the perfect summer destination.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateMay 19, 2015
    ISBN9781427261014
    Beach Town: A Novel
    Author

    Mary Kay Andrews

    Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels and The Beach House Cookbook. A former reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

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    Reviews for Beach Town

    4/5

    160 ratings18 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 2/5
      Like others, this is getting a lower rating yet it was not bad. It was just what it was. I found it very slow at times and too detailed. There were times I found the plot standing still and I was ready for something to happen to move the story forward. I liked the characters and the actual idea of the story, but wanted more around everything.
    • 3/5
      I actually finished reading this two days ago, but I've recently become insanely obsessed with a silly game on my iPhone, and I've been ... distracted  Luckily, I remember enough about the book to clearly remember that for the most part it was ... ok.  Actually, probably not quite as good as ok, but the setting fed my optimism bias enough that I'll remember it as being an ok read. The MC is a location manager for the film industry, tasked with finding the perfect "Old Florida" town: run down, palm tree laden, white beach bordered.  This mandate was arguably the most interesting part of the writing for me; as a Florida cracker myself, I actually remember "old Florida" and genuinely wish we could bring it back.  And I have to say, Andrews nailed "old Florida" in a way that's startling, especially given that Andrews is a Georgia girl.  Cypress Key (which I'm assuming is fictional), is described as just outside of Gainesville and Alachua, so definitely in the northern part of the state, but her description of it so closely mimics my own home town - right down to the old casino at the end of a pier and a decrepit boathouse at the base of the bridge, that I felt right at home. The rest of the story though, was just plain average.  The romance didn't spark, the lack of reality in the timelines, and complete absence of the red tape involved in filming a movie; the complete cliche of the 'star' being an out of control coke head.  All of this just felt dialled in and lacked any of the complexity that I've found in Andrews' earlier work.  It was ok enough that I don't regret buying my copy used, but had I bought it new I would definitely have felt underwhelmed with Andrews' effort.
    • 4/5
      Beach Town is an easy read that makes you want to move to the coast and sit on the beach immediately. Throw in a Hollywood movie and hard to control actors and actresses and you have all kinds of drama happening on the peaceful coast called Cypress Key. I enjoyed this book immensely and would highly recommend it. As usual Mary Kay Andrews doesn't disappoint!
    • 4/5
      'Beach Town' has a strong understructure that carries several plot lines. One deals with the headaches of trying to manage a location shoot for a movie that -- even to the non-movie person -- shows signs of trouble from the very beginning. There's the too-famous-too-soon rapper making his film debut, the alcoholic script-writer floundering to produce a shootable script, the director with delusions of grandeur and dreams of an unlimited budget, not to mention missing port-a-potties and disgruntled locals.And while location manager Greer Hennessy tries to keep all these plates spinning, she's also dodging her long-lost father who seems to want to re-connect, dickering for the rights to blow up a long-closed casino that holds treasured memories for many of the townspeople, and flirting cautiously with the sexy mayor.There's nothing wrong with this good-hearted romance, and lots of backstage information about the myriad details that go into movie-making. But readers hoping for another one of Andrews' screwball he-done-her-wrong-and-now-she's-going-to-make-him-pay comedies will be disappointed.
    • 4/5
      This is an entertaining beach read, perfect for lazy summer days. Greer is a movie location scout, and has found the perfect place in Florida for this big-budget movie. Except that it’s hot, the locals aren’t too friendly yet, especially the mayor, and pretty much everything that can go wrong, does. But Greer soldiers on, fixing one problem after another. But one of her biggest problems is connecting with her long-estranged father who just happens to live close by the place where the movie is being filmed. This novel may not be everyone’s ideal book, but if you are looking for a tale to while away a few hours, with flawed and quirky characters who still manage to be endearing, then this story is for you. There’s romance, humor, some suspense, and a lot of sunrises.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this novel. I would always select anywhere with a beach as my location for a vacation so I'm quite familiar with a reader's phrase of "beach read" or "beach book." As with any book, the beauty of the book or meaning of the book that brings a reader joy is from that reader's view which may also be a culmination of their personal life history, experiences, reflections, and enhanced by books previously read. From my view, ”Beach Town” has everything I enjoy in a ”beach book.” It started with a title to pique my interest and especially as I couldn’t wait to discover the setting of this particular beach town. Next was an array of characters and interpersonal relationships that led to family drama including a daughter estranged from her father, another father in prison, boyfriend/girlfriend drama, exes, and it was hard to resist celebrity drama especially when the celebrities came to their small town. Add the spice of romance and sex with good dialogue and a great beach book is created.I have absolutely no familiarity with the dynamics of a movie set so it was fun to travel with Greer Hennessy as she began the search for the perfect beach town to suit the producer/director’s requirements. From the job title of movie location scout I confess that I thought Greer’s job would be finished when the producer/director arrived on the scene and the location was approved. I couldn’t have been more wrong.If you want to pack one more book for this year's beach vacation, I highly recommend "Beach Town" as you won't want to miss a visit to this coastal town.Although I no longer go to the beach every summer, I know I’d like to read another title by Mary Kay Andrews at least every summer. I don’t choose a book by cover art but the covers on her website look like an open invitation that this reader won’t be able to resist.
    • 3/5
      A good beach read. I knew where the story was going, but enjoyed seeing it unfold through the character's eyes.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. I listened to it on audible and loved the narrators voice. The story was fun and engaging. A perfect summer read/listen to vacation.
    • 4/5
      excellent book. LA location scout goes to Podunk FL town for filming. Meets jack of all trades guy and after a lot of push and pull and a hookup, they eventually get together.
    • 4/5
      Beach Town is a fast and delightful summer read. In a lightheaded manner the topics of money and power, commercial development, environmental protection and governance are all addressed. Combined with friendships and a bit of romance, this book was an easy to read and enjoy and I would recommend. I give it a 3.5 stars.
    • 4/5
      Beach town by Mary Kay AndrewsHave liked the author's other works. Greer Hennessey is a ocation scout finds the perfect spot. Her mother also wants her to contact her father as she know with her health she won't be around much longer.Her father had skipped out on them when Greer was a baby....Ebin Timonio is the mayor and he's not really up on what they want to do with their movie. money talks though...The movie event is leaked out to the reporters and she thinks the mayor did it, but they talk....Anything that can go wrong does, even the weather. They each still stand strong about the casion building ...Hot sex scenes. Good fun combination of characters that keep the action rolling...she's leaving early with the film crew and he knows she will never return...I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 5/5
      There's nothing bad to say of MKA and her outstanding, entertaining books year after year. I never miss one and it never sits on my TBR shelf for long. This year I let two friends read it before me and I still finished before the summer faded!
    • 4/5
      Perfect summer read. One of the things I love about MKA is that I can count on feeling like I'm down South, usually around a beach almost tasting the fresh caught shrimp and the ice cold liquor. Light, breezy read with just enough drama to make a good story.
    • 4/5
      I liked Greer, whose backstory turns out to be much more involved that it appeared on the surface. As we learn about her family, her friends, her relationship with her divorced parents, and disastrous ex-boyfriend, her complex personality evolves. Add in a varied cast of lively characters in Cypress Key plus a movie crew, and it makes for a fun time as crisis after crisis occurs and is resolved.This was a nice, leisurely read for summer afternoons and evenings. Perfect for when I wanted to pick up a book for a few minutes and relax, joining the crew in Cypress Key. The pacing was good, the story was fun, I learned a bit about the movie industry, and the romance wasn’t overdone. And— not really a spoiler here—a happy ending for most of the characters
    • 4/5
      As always, Mary Kay Andrews doesn't disappoint. Beach Town is a perfect summer book - a little suspense (will Greer get to permission to film everywhere she wants to), a little dysfunctional family life (Greer's parents), friendship and of course romance. Add to that some laugh out loud moments for the reader. What more could you ask for from a summer beach book. This one is a definite winner in my book.
    • 4/5
      Greer is a location scout for a new, hopefully blockbuster, movie that needs an authentic Florida town to shoot in. Enter Cypress Key, a little town that time forgot after the closing of the paper mill. Eben, not just the mayor, but wearer of numerous hats in town, is wary of the big plans and money promised by the studio. There are a lot of family dynamics and coincidences going on as well. Eben and his aunt are raising his niece, his brother is in jail. Greer's mother recently passed away and her estranged stunt man father lives an hour north of Cypress Key. There was almost too much story to give all of them justice, but is was a fine book for a beach read this time of year. The descriptions of the heat and the bugs sure made you feel like a resident of southern Florida.
    • 4/5
      It's not truly summer until Mary Kay Andrews releases her newest book. Well, it's here - Beach Town has just released!Andrews has set her latest on the Florida Gulf Coast this time. Greer Hennessey is a film location scout. Her latest search turns up sleepy Cypress Key - a run-down, sleepy little town off the beaten path that is just what the director is looking for. Cypress Key won't be sleepy much longer with the influx of the movie stars and crew. But not everyone is happy that they're there.....Beach Town captures all the elements of a chick lit novel - love found, love lost and perhaps found again - Eb, the mayor of Cypress Key is quite attractive.... Complications in the form of misunderstandings, family and self sabotage - Greer has unresolved family issues.....And of course, there needs to be a sidekick friend, always a little 'out there' - CeeJay, hair and makeup maven. A dastardly boss with unrealistic expectations - movie director Bryce is definitely demanding. And lots of supporting players with their own issues and story lines.I always look forward to the latest from Mary Kay Andrews - I like her warm, humorous storytelling. But, somehow this latest fell a little flat for me. It took a bit to figure out what it was that stopped Beach Town being another great read for me. And upon reflection - I didn't like Greer. Despite plot line developments that are meant to endear her to the reader, I just never warmed up to her. I found her self-serving and insensitive and I never felt like cheering her on.Although there are lots of details about the movie biz, I found I wasn't overly interested - I prefer the books set on Tybee Island and the Outer Banks. Books that feature more 'everyday' people and situations. In Beach Town, those are the characters I enjoyed the most - Eb and his aunt Gin, residents of Cypress Key.This latest just wasn't as heartwarming, heartfelt and humorous as I wanted it to be. Still, that being said, Beach Town was an entertaining read, light fare for beach chair perusing. And I will still be looking forward the the next MKA.
    • 4/5
      This book was written by one of my favorite "fun" authors. The story was lite and fun. The character were true-to-life. Some of the characters were so selfish that I wanted to slap them silly. The story did hold this reader's attention. I will seek out this author again in the future.