Serenity Bay [Paperback]

Story Description:

A charming island village in the Puget Sound seems like the perfect place to raise their children when Patricia Koehler and her husband move in. And the slow pace of life might be just the thing to bring the peace and quiet Patricia longs for. When she discovers a wonderful friend in Susan - a woman as outgoing as Patricia is shy - she knows she's made a friend for life.

Yet all is not as it seems, and the Koehlers are not a perfect couple. When Patricia shares her secret agony with Susan, she finds the courage to face the problem with the love and support of her friend...but neither woman is prepared for the consequences unleashed by revealing the truth.

This moving story deals with contemporary family issues that come straight from today's headlines.

My Review:

Ms. Nordberg introduces us to the sad subject of abusive relationships. Patricia was so happy and so in love with her doctor husband and he was the guy every girl would want. Taking Patricia on the most beautiful dates, attending to her every need, and lavishing her with flowers and words only endeared her more and more to this wonderful man. However, once married, the good doctor began to change and became an abusive and obnoxious man. I found it so hard to read through the beatings he laid on Patricia.

With the help of God, her good friend Susan and a new community, Patricia is able to begin life anew. There are so many twists and turns in the novel making for a very suspenseful read. People often assume because someone is a Christian and has a relationship with God that they would never be in an abusive relationship and that is just not true. You need more than a relationship with God you need courage and community as well to help you walk back into the light.

This was one book I just couldn't put down and ended up reading it in one sitting!! Don't miss out on this excellent book that provides us with a very important message.

This one was really tough to put down and I'm glad I didn't have a schedule to follow over the weekend that I was reading it. I had to make myself get to bed!

The authorï¿s style is such that you like the likable characters and dislike the dislikable. Once you get over the slow-moving 80 some-odd pages of preliminaries - the introduction to Patricia and her career, the introduction and reintroduction to Russell and his career, their courtship, wedding and honeymoon, it takes off and doesnï¿t let you down - not ï¿til the very end, anyway.

Despite Russellï¿s loving attentiveness, thoughtfully-planned dates and wonderful gifts during their courtship that would capture the hearts of many women, he undergoes a Dr. Jeckyl - Mr. Hyde personality once he and Patricia marry. Heï¿s cruel and viscious one minute but loving and doting the next when he acts like the ï¿uglyï¿ side of him never took place.

Patricia is frightened for her life as he usurps control of it more and more. She blames herself for his evil actions and denies them to others.

Patricia literally bumps into Susan at the hardware store and they become fast friends. Susan is the epitome of what a friend should be. It is she who discovers Patriciaï¿s secret and helps her anyway she is able and that Patricia will allow.

The end was more than a bit disappointing, but donï¿t let that discourage you from this well-written, suspenseful novel. Iï¿m hoping after the letdown, there will be a second part to this one.

Nordberg tells a haunting story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Handling an important social issue in a sensitive and well-researched manner, she has created an unforgettable family drama. The author's sense of place is one of the most notable things about this novel. I could feel the Pacific breezes and smell the rain through her prose. I will anxiously wait for her next novel.