16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber

Do you/have you had a loved one in the military? How has the military affected your life?

16 Lighthouse Road is book #1 in the famous Cedar Cove series. Cedar Cove series is a secular series, and I chose to read these books because so many people have been gushing about how wonderful the Cedar Cove series is on the Hallmark Channel. I have not seen the TV series, though.

Cecilia and Ian Randall have not even been married for a year. During that time, they’ve been mostly separated because of Ian’s Navy duties. Cecilia gave birth their baby daughter, who died, and Ian was not there to help her through her grief. Due to no fault of his own, Ian didn’t know about the premature birth and death of their baby, but Cecilia blames him for not supporting her. Now, Cecilia wants to divorce him.

Judge Olivia Lockhart has been divorced for fifteen years, and she’s falling for Jack, the new newspaper editor. He’s funny and thoughtful, but, she finds that Jack is somewhat secretive. Olivia has a son who drowned several years ago and she still thinks about his all the time. She’s also worried about her 28-year-old daughter, Justine, who is dating a rich man who is ten years her senior.

There’s also Charlotte, Olivia’s mother. Charlotte is active in the senior citizen’s group and she befriends a kind, mysterious man named Tom. Tom has some shocking secrets about his past.

There’s Grace, Olivia’s best friend. Grace and her husband, Dan, are having marital problems. Why is Dan so distant? Does he no longer love her?

This was an interesting book with a large cast of characters. I noticed the military played a big role in the story. Military duties greatly affected Cecilia and Ian’s lives, making you wonder if the commanders in the military are fit to make familial decisions for their subordinates.

I enjoyed reading about all of the characters and I can understand why this was made into a series. The story was told by at least six points of view, which made it interesting. The few times I’ve read novels with this many POVs, I usually had a hard time keeping the people straight. But, I didn’t have that problem with this novel.

I enjoyed the Cedar Cove setting because it was refreshing. Cedar Cove is a small waterfront town and many of the inhabitants know one another. I enjoy reading small town stories where people care about one another.

Do you/have you had a loved one in the military? How has the military affected your life?