Now in My Bookbag: The Beach Bag Boxed Set

This is an entertaining collection of seven books, by seven different authors. These are complete books, not novellas. The books vary in style, but are similar in content. I enjoyed some books more than others. As a whole, this is a cohesive collection of stories that are great for beach reading.
Here are the links to my reviews for each, individual book:

Wet – by Stacy Kestwick
Eversea – by Natasha Boyd
Drops of Rain – by Kathryn Andrews
Diving In – by Gretchen Galway
Undertow – by Elizabeth O’Roark
The Hazards of Skinny Dipping – by Alyssa Rose Ivy
A Stone in the Sea – by A.L. Jackson

My process in determining the rating for the complete boxed set is this: I add the ratings of each book together, divide by 7, and use the average to express my overall enjoyment of the collection. The numerical value of the end result is 3.86 – therefore, the rating is rounded up to 4 stars. I recommend getting a set of your own.

Now in My Bookbag: Undertow (Book #5 in The Beach Bag Boxed Set), by Elizabeth O'Roark

I am thoroughly enamored with this story. It is well thought out and well written. Despite being written using flashbacks through the first part of the book, it flows well. The story brings a wide range of emotions and deals with love separated by time because of misunderstanding and others’ machinations.

Should the expectations of your family’s class (inner-circle), dictate behavior? Maura thinks so, especially after she believes her childhood ‘everything’ broke her heart. The truth is, she is afraid of turning her back on the familiar to have no one left. Author Elizabeth O’Roark deftly underscores the fact that the exceptionally wealthy can sometimes play by their own rules and pay their way to anything they want, including an extended sense of entitlement.

As O’Roark delivers Maura’s last summer at the beach, the book is as page-turning as it is frustrating, in a good way. I am compelled to see whether Maura leaves her world of privilege to work things out with Nate, or if she follows the future laid out for her by her family. You don’t want to miss the revelations as truths are uncovered and Maura’s decisions are finally unveiled. 5 stars

Waking Olivia, by Elizabeth O'Roark

Now in My Bookbag: Waking Olivia, by Elizabeth O'Roark

This exceptional, contemporary novel has elements of romance, mystery, and suspense.

The main characters are complex and relatable. Olivia is both damsel in distress and a strong, fierce female. Will is both prince charming and a cynic to whom life has dealt a raw deal. They are perfectly poised to rescue each other.

The story is well thought out, and the prose is perfect for the plot. The inclusion of Olivia’s mysterious past, and the suspense that it brings, adds just the right amount of excitement to this great read. This is now one of my favorite contemporary books. It hugs the line, between college romance and adult romance, very well. 5 stars