The View from Coral Cove, page 27
She leaned into him. “I love you, Brody.”
“And I love you, Maya,” he said, his voice a little husky.
She pointed to Tinker Bell. “And to think we owe all this to that little cat up there.”
Brody grinned. “Thank goodness for that little calico.”
Maya grinned back. Her future was here, and she couldn’t be happier.
Discussion Questions
Maya is shocked to learn that her father didn’t abandon her and had hoped to find her someday. She fosters a close relationship with him and is happy to learn she also has an aunt and cousins she never knew. Do you have special family members with whom you’re close? If yes, why are you close with them?
Throughout the story, what does Brody learn about himself? How does his past influence his desire to be the best father he can be for Ashlyn? How does that desire influence other areas of his life?
Maya’s mother, Vickie, kept the truth about Maya’s father from her. Do you think Vickie’s reasons were valid? Why or why not? Would you have made the same decision?
When Kyle arrives in Coral Cove, Maya is in an extremely vulnerable place and tries to give him the benefit of the doubt. How would you have felt and behaved in Maya’s shoes?
By the end of the story, Maya finally believes she’s worthy of love. What do you think caused that change?
When Maya finds the letter detailing facts about her father, she’s shocked to learn her great-aunt knew about him but kept the truth from her. Why do you think CeCe wrote the letter but didn’t share the truth with Maya while she was still alive? Would you have made the same decision? Why or why not?
Ashlyn lost her mother when she was a toddler and so has no memory of her. As a result, she dreams of having a mother figure in her life. Were you close to your biological mother? If not, did you have another mother figure in your life? What difference did your mother or mother figure make?
Have you ever visited a place like Coral Cove? If you could go anywhere for vacation this weekend, where would you choose to go?
Maya moves to Coral Cove after her great-aunt, her last living relative, passes away. Have you ever experienced an overwhelming change in your life? If so, how did you adapt to that change?
Maya and Kiana have been friends since their freshman year in high school. They’re each other’s support, especially during tough times. Do you have a special friendship like that? If so, what do you cherish the most about that relationship?
Acknowledgments
As always, I’m thankful for my loving family, including my mother, Lola Goebelbecker; my husband, Joe; and my sons, Zac and Matt. I’m blessed to have such an awesome and amazing family that puts up with me when I’m stressed out on a book deadline.
Thank you to both my mother and my dear friend Maggie Halpin, who graciously read the draft of this book to check for typos. I’m so grateful for your precious friendship!
To my dear friend DeeDee Vazquetelles—our lunchtime chats were such a tremendous help as I plotted out this story. I appreciate how you always listen to me talk on and on about my books. Thank you also for volunteering to proofread. I’m sorry for all of the horrendous typos. Your friendship is a blessing! I don’t know what I’d do without your daily texts and endless emotional support.
To my dear friend Kris Matthies—thank you so much for your help with my research. You are a blessing to me!
To Mikala Steele—thank you for taking the time to tell me about your cat and dog rescues! You are the coolest “crazy cat lady” I know! I’m in awe of all you do for the Lancaster (SC) SPCA. I truly appreciate the time you took to share information, and your stories inspired Brody’s cat rescue.
To Melissa Rios, DVM—thank you for taking time out of your busy day to answer my questions. You are a blessing to your patients at Sun Valley Animal Hospital, especially my herd of crazy cats! We all appreciate you so very much.
I’m so grateful to my wonderful church family at Morning Star Lutheran in Matthews, North Carolina, for your encouragement, prayers, love, and friendship. You all mean so much to my family and me.
Thank you to Zac Weikal and the fabulous members of my Bookworm Bunch! I’m so thankful for your friendship and your excitement about my books. You all are amazing!
To my agent, Natasha Kern—I can’t thank you enough for your guidance, advice, and friendship. You are a tremendous blessing in my life.
Thank you to my wonderful editor, Laura Wheeler, for your friendship and guidance. Thank you for all you’ve done to help me improve this book. I’m so excited to work with you, and I look forward to our future projects together.
I’m grateful to editor Jean Bloom, who helped me polish and refine the story. Jean, you are a master at connecting the dots and filling in the gaps. I’m so thankful that we could work together on this book.
I’m grateful to every person at HarperCollins Christian Publishing who helped make this book a reality.
To my readers—thank you for choosing my novels. My books are a blessing in my life for many reasons, including the special friendships I’ve formed with my readers. Thank you for your email messages, Facebook notes, and letters.
Thank you most of all to God—for giving me the inspiration and the words to glorify You. I’m grateful and humbled You’ve chosen this path for me.
About the Author
Photo by Dan Davis Photography
Amy Clipston is the award-winning and bestselling author of the Kauffman Amish Bakery, Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel, Amish Heirloom, Amish Homestead, and Amish Marketplace series. Her novels have hit multiple bestseller lists including ChristianBook, CBA, and ECPA. Amy holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan University and works full-time for the City of Charlotte, NC. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and six spoiled rotten cats.
Visit her online at AmyClipston.com
Facebook: @AmyClipstonBooks
Twitter: @AmyClipston
Instagram: @amy_clipston
BookBub: @AmyClipston
Praise for Amy Clipston
“Amy Clipston writes a sweet and tender romance filled with a beautiful look at how love brings healing to broken hearts. This small-town romance, with an adorable little girl and cat to boot, is a great addition to your TBR list.”
—Pepper Basham, author of The Mistletoe Countess and the Mitchell’s Crossroads series
“Grieving and brokenhearted, novelist Maya Reynolds moves to Coral Cove, the place where she felt happiest as a child. An old family secret upends Maya’s plan for a fresh start, as does her longing to love and be loved. The View from Coral Cove is Amy Clipston at her best—a tender story of hope, healing, and a love that’s meant to be.”
—Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of On a Summer Tide
“The Heart of Splendid Lake offers a welcome escape in the form of a sympathetic heroine and her struggling lakeside resort. Clipston proficiently explores love and loss, family and friendship in a touching, small-town romance that I devoured in a single day!”
—Denise Hunter, bestselling author of The Bluebell Inn series
“A touching story of grief, love, and life carrying on, The Heart of Splendid Lake engaged my heart from the very first page. Sometimes the feelings we run from lead us to the hope we can’t escape, and that’s a beautiful thing to see through the eyes of these winning characters. Amy Clipston deftly guides readers on an emotionally satisfying journey that will appeal to fans of Denise Hunter and Becky Wade.”
—Bethany Turner, award-winning author of Plot Twist
“[Clipston] gives us all we could possibly want from a talented storyteller.”
—RT Book Reviews, 41/2 stars, TOP PICK! on A Simple Prayer
“Amy Clipston’s characters are always so endearing and well-developed.”
—Shelley Shepard Gray, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author
“Revealing the underbelly of main characters, a trademark talent of Amy Clipston, makes them relatable and endearing.”
—Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of On a Summer Tide
“Clipston’s heartfelt writing and engaging characters make her a fan favorite.”
—Library Journal on The Cherished Quilt
“Clipston delivers another enchanting series starter with a tasty premise, family secrets, and sweet-as-pie romance, offering assurance that true love can happen more than once and second chances are worth fighting for.”
—RT Book Reviews, 41/2 stars, TOP PICK! on The Forgotten Recipe
“[Clipston] will leave readers craving more.”
—RT Book Reviews, 41/2 stars, TOP PICK! on A Mother’s Secret
Other Books by Amy Clipston
Contemporary Romance
The Heart of Splendid Lake
An Amish Legacy Series
Foundation of Love
Building a Future (available August 2022)
The Amish Marketplace Series
The Bake Shop
The Farm Stand
The Coffee Corner
The Jam and Jelly Nook
The Amish Homestead Series
A Place at Our Table
Room on the Porch Swing
A Seat by the Hearth
A Welcome at Our Door
The Amish Heirloom Series
The Forgotten Recipe
The Courtship Basket
The Cherished Quilt
The Beloved Hope Chest
The Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel Series
A Hopeful Heart
A Mother’s Secret
A Dream of Home
A Simple Prayer
The Kauffman Amish Bakery Series
A Gift of Grace
A Promise of Hope
A Place of Peace
A Life of Joy
A Season of Love
Young Adult
Roadside Assistance
Reckless Heart
Destination Unknown
Miles from Nowhere
Story Collections
Amish Sweethearts
Seasons of an Amish Garden
An Amish Singing
Stories
A Plain and Simple Christmas
Naomi’s Gift included in An Amish Christmas Gift
A Spoonful of Love included in An Amish Kitchen
Love Birds included in An Amish Market
Love and Buggy Rides included in An Amish Harvest
Summer Storms included in An Amish Summer
The Christmas Cat included in An Amish Christmas Love
Home Sweet Home included in An Amish Winter
A Son for Always included in An Amish Spring
A Legacy of Love included in An Amish Heirloom
No Place Like Home included in An Amish Homecoming
Their True Home included in An Amish Reunion
Cookies and Cheer included in An Amish Christmas Bakery
Baskets of Sunshine included in An Amish Picnic
Evergreen Love included in An Amish Christmas Wedding
Bundles of Blessings included in Amish Midwives
Building a Dream included in An Amish Barn Raising
A Class for Laurel included in An Amish Schoolroom
Patchwork Promises included in An Amish Quilting Bee
Nonfiction
The Gift of Love
Copyright
The View from Coral Cove
Copyright © 2022 Amy Clipston
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Clipston, Amy, author.
Title: The view from Coral Cove / Amy Clipston.
Description: Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson, [2022] | Summary: "When a jilted romance novelist returns to the small beach town she once loved, she discovers not only inspiration but also a romance to call her own"-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021047919 (print) | LCCN 2021047920 (ebook) | ISBN 9780785252931 (trade paper) | ISBN 9780785252948 (ebook) | ISBN 9780785252955 (downloadable audio)
Subjects: LCGFT: Novels.
Classification: LCC PS3603.L58 V34 2022 (print) | LCC PS3603.L58 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021047919
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021047920
Printed in the United States of America
22 23 24 25 26 LSC 5 4 3 2 1
Amy Clipston, The View from Coral Cove
