Review and GIVEAWAY – The Last Beach Bungalow by Jennie Nash
The winner of The Last Beach Bungalow, according to random.org is commenter #20, Anita Yancey! Congratulations, Anita! I’ve already emailed you for your address. 
Jennie Nash offered me a couple of signed copies of her book for October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Sorry, though…I’m keeping one for myself (which I read) and will be giving the other away.
The Last Beach Bungalow is about April who has just reached her 5 years cancer-free, which is a huge milestone for anyone who has had cancer. But she’s not happy, she’s restless, as the house her husband is having built is almost ready to move in to. April ends up hearing about this little beach bungalow in Redondo Beach that’s being offered to the right person for $300,000. The right person will be picked by the little old lady who is giving up the house to go live with her daughter.
April starts obsessing over this house, believing that the house is what will bring her out of this funk. She thinks this bungalow is the answer to all of her problems. And maybe it is, but she has to compete with thousands of people to get it.
This was a very nice, quick read. I don’t think that April really understands her husband and she hasn’t been working on her marriage, so it’s easy to feel the rift. Perhaps it was April’s insistence on studying her navel that made me feel disconnected from her, particularly when she’s one of the lucky ones who’s looked death in the eye and been able to say, “Not now. Not this time.” She knows what she needs to do to bring her marriage from tepid to hot.
It’s hard to remember that happiness comes from the inside, not the material things that we have surrounding us.
But I liked it. I liked the premise of someone essentially giving a house away to the most deserving person. I wonder, if I heard about something like that, what I might write? What do you think you would write?
Rating: 84 out of 100
Check out the author’s guest post over at Planet Books!
Here’s how you can enter:
- Leave a comment telling me whether you’d prefer a small(ish) older house with character or a big brand new house. That will get you one entry. Anyone who doesn’t do this will not be entered!
- To get three more entries, post about this on your blog with a link back to this post.
- If you don’t have a blog, email five friends telling them about this giveaway and cc me on the email so I know you’ve sent it. This will get you three more entries. If you have a blog and still want to email five friends, be my guest.
The whole wide world can enter, but if you win and you live outside of the US and Canada, please understand I will send this book the cheapest way possible. Meaning it’ll get on a donkey, reach the ocean, where it will then end up on a fish, which will deliver it to a whale, which will take it to the shore closest to you, so that some mangy mutt can grab it and deliver it to you, only for you to find that the mangy mutt won’t give it up without exchanging it for a little bit of meat. So beware.
Winner will be notified via email. Contest will close on October 19th.
| Tags: book review, Books, breast cancer, contest, giveaway, jennie nash, the last beach bungalow 29 comments »
October 9th, 2008 at 6:06 am
[...] Enter to win a signed copy of The Last Beach Bungalow by Jennie Nash. Contest ends October 19th. [...]
October 9th, 2008 at 6:27 am
I’d much prefer the smallish older house with character!
doot65{at}comcast[dot]net
Elizabeth
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October 9th, 2008 at 6:47 am
ROFL @ your shipping to outside US people [ that includes me ]
You have an awesome sense of humor
Like your review
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October 9th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Smallish with character (as long as it doesn’t have too many issues). I’m actually sort of ambivalent, although I prefer smaller with character, but I don’t care that much. My husband, however, would rather live in a box under a bridge than in a track home.
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October 9th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Sounds like a good book. I would prefer a smaller house with character, so long as that character does not include termites, rotten beams, or crumbling foundations…who the heck wants to clean that large house anyways! Although at this point my own house would be nice…lol
I’d like to be entered into the contest, which will be added to my sidebar contest feature!
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October 9th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I’m an eight year survivor…this book sounds interesting…would love to win a copy and I would want a brand new home! A big brand new home can also have character…just build it from the ground up.
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October 9th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I’m all for the small house with character. I’m blogging about it here:
http://writeforareader.edublogs.org/
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October 9th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Definitely the smaller, older house – like I currently live in. I’d feel lost wandering around a big house while the kids are in school, although it would be nice to have an office or studio.
Thanks!
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October 9th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Honestly? I’d love any house I can afford – which probably means a small-ish house with character. I’ve always wanted to fix up and old house anyway so it wouldn’t be so bad. Of course, if I ever won the lottery it might be a different story…
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October 9th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Okay, considering that I currently live in a smallish house whose character does not make up for my lack of space, I’ll have to opt for the large new house.
Now if this house you are having us pick is to be considered our”lake house” or weekend getaway, then by all means a smallish house with character is what I’d want.
I just have to much stuff ….or I have to many “collections”!
I’d love to read this book!!
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com
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October 9th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I would love a smallish house with character, though it does need to have at least three bedrooms. I gots kids. LOL!!!
This sounds like a great book.
angelleslament @ gmail.com
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October 9th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
now that i have a big house that is not brand new, but fairly new…..i’d give my left arm and right leg for an old house with character…i grew up in an old house on a calvery fort with lots of built-ins and 12 foot ceilings, radiators and a creepy basement….i miss it….
thanks for the giveaway!
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October 9th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Honey I can’t keep the house I have clean – I sure don’t need a bigger one. I’ll take the smaller one and pray we don’t ruin the character.
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October 10th, 2008 at 11:38 am
This sounds very intriguing…would love to read it!
A tiny old house on the beach? DREAMY…really, ive already started dreaming about it ….someday
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October 10th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I would love a old house near the ocean since it is my favorite place to be. New is not always the best!
Have a great day Trish
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October 10th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I would enjoy this novel. I love small, charming houses with character. Love the ocean and beach locales.
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October 10th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I’ll just have to go with one chance to win this wonderful book. I’d love any size house at the beach. Which house has the best windows? I want lots of big windows!
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October 10th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
a small older house with character —as long as it doesn’t have mice! I shudder at the thought~~~~~
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October 11th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Don’t enter me as I have a copy of this book, but just wanted to say that I’m planning on reading this as well this month. Thanks for the reminder that I need to get to it!
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October 11th, 2008 at 10:12 am
I would have to say that I would prefer the big brand new house. What can I say I love lots of space, and like new compared to old. I’ve lived in enough old houses, and there not much fun. Something is alway breaking or wearing out.
ayancey@dishmail.net
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October 15th, 2008 at 7:33 am
Actually, I’ll take either one. But if I had to choose, I’d take the older smallish house. I love charm and character and creaks of wooden floors in the night (okay, maybe not that last one).
Pick me, pick me, pick me! I want a new book!!!
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October 15th, 2008 at 9:29 am
If/when (ha-ha) I win the lottery I’d choose both ~ a small(ish) older house with character AND a big brand new house.
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October 15th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Definitely a small(ish) older house with character! This sounds like a good read!
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October 16th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
i much rather have a smallish cozy older house that has seen many days rather than a brand new big house!
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October 16th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
spellbound18@hotmail.com.
thanks
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October 18th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I always thought I wanted a brand new big house, but the older I get the more I think I’d just like a small house with lots of character, and a big ol’ stretch of beach outside my front door.
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October 18th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Sounds interesting! I’m more into a smaller house with character.
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October 20th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Prefer a smaller older house they tend to have more character and stories to tell.
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December 31st, 2008 at 11:43 am
I’m the author of The Last Beach Bungalow and I just wanted to say that I think the constest you did is SO COOL! Thanks for the review, too. I have a new novel coming out in February called The Only True Genius in the Family. If you’d like an ARC, let me know! Cheers and Happy New Year. Jennie Nash
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