Bayside Romance (Bayside Summers, #5)

by Melissa Foster

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

3.5 stars

Bayside Romance is a story about second chances. A second chance to experience love and a chance to revamp career goals. I accepted this book for review because one Melissa Foster wrote it and secondly it was a second chance romance.

Gavin and Harper met at a music festival one year ago, where they engaged in intimacy for one night. It would appear they made an impression on each other, but miscommunication led to them separating after that blissful night of passion. One year later, Harper disillusioned by her experiences in Los Angeles returned to Bayside, where she encountered the one person she never expected to see again. Old feelings reignite, Gavin, and Harper embarked on a passionate journey of rediscovery, forgiveness, healing, and love.

This was a well-written story, which came as no surprise, and the characters were well developed. However, I had a hard time with Gavin and Harper as a couple. I did not feel their chemistry, and I had a hard time buying into their relationship. I believe it was because most of the time was spent on Harper trying to find her footing career wise and her fears of failure. They spent time as a couple and did things couples would, but for me the chemistry was non-existent.


Gavin proved to be a caring person with a take the bull by the horn personality. The person Harper needed in her life to show her that one failure does not mean all is lost. He encouraged her and in the process, her confidence grew.

Melissa’s stories are usually angst free, so I was surprised by the conflict that appeared unexpectedly near to the end of the story. It wasn’t anything major, and they resolved the issue in matter of minutes. It would great if there was a little more drama in this regard

I found the pacing to be slower than the other stories I have read by the author, and it was not as exciting either. I struggled to read the story.

I enjoyed the family and friends dynamics of the story. I loved the rapport and loved how supportive they were of each other.

Conclusion/Recommendation
I know there are die hearted fans who would love this installment more than I did. It was not a bad read, but when compared to the previous books in the series it fell short.