Review of "The Big Beautiful" by Pamela Duncan

The Big Beautiful by Pamela Duncan

Ok, I admit it. I’m a sucker for romance. You can have the chills and thrills, give me love and kisses. Pamela Duncan’s book, The Big Beautiful, has both, along with a plot that takes off running and characters you want to adopt for your own family.

At forty-five, Cassandra Moon thinks she’s been given a last chance at love and marriage with Dennis, but as she heads down the aisle, she realizes that something just isn’t right. She runs out of the church, jumps in the waiting limousine, cranks it up and burns rubber in front of the crowd gaping on the front steps.

When the limo runs out of gas Cassandra is rescued by a mysterious man in uniform who turns out to be closely acquainted with Cassandra’s Aunt May. Cassandra has fond memories of summers spent with May and Walton in Salter Path and, having no other plans, decides to spend the summer in May’s cottage.

Dennis reappears, having resolved to win her back, and he and the mysterious rescuer Hector set about competing for her attention. Along the way, Cassandra falls in love with Aunt May’s motley crew of salty friends, including twelve-year-old Annie Laurie, Hector’s motherless daughter. Cassandra also enjoys several unexpected and exciting adventures before coming to the ultimate and satisfying conclusion.

This exuberant tale is set against the backdrop of the North Carolina coast, a setting Pamela Duncan weaves into the narrative with a deft hand. There are quite a few moments of pure joy, such as this one:

“This must be how turtles felt, coming back into the water after laying their eggs, the

exhilaration of weightless freedom after being so heavy and burdened on land. Naked as the day she came into the world, nothing between her skin and the water, she became part of the big beautiful…”

Cassandra struggles with her self-worth, determined to find meaning in life and finds all that and more in some surprising places. The book is a fun and entertaining read with surprising depth. And who couldn’t use a nice vacation at the beach? I’ll take one, even if it lies between the covers of a book, especially if it’s a really good book.

This review was written by Beth Browne. Visit her blog at:http://bbwomenswrites.blogspot.com/