The Sand Dollar

The Oregon Coast Series, Book 1

By: Maggie Christensen

Narrated by: Gail Hedrick

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

What if you discover everything you believed to be true about yourself has been a lie?

Stunned by news of an impending redundancy and impelled by the magic of a long-forgotten sand dollar, widow Jenny Sullivan retreats to her godmother in Oregon to consider her future. What she doesn't bargain for is to uncover the secret of her adoption at birth and her Native American heritage. This revelation sees her embark on a journey of self-discovery such as she'd never envisaged.

Moving between Australia's Sunshine Coast and the Oregon Coast, The Sand Dollar is a story of new beginnings, of a woman whose life is suddenly turned upside down, and the reclusive man who helps her solve the puzzle of her past.

©2014 Maggie Christensen (P)2018 Maggie Christensen

This was a very predictable story with characters whose feelings seemed to ping pong with inconsistencies.

This was a very predictable story with characters whose feelings seemed to ping pong with inconsistencies. They also drink a lot of coffee! The reader has decent enunciation but forced, unnatural intonation. I was not impressed with the reader or the story but enjoyed the story setting—the Oregon coast.

The Magic of Second Chances

Having gone through significant changes, Jenny Sullivan decides to move to Oregon to live with her godmother and contemplate what is next in her world as life events have presented many changes.
Mike Halliday, enduring the loss of a spouse, retires from teaching and moves to his cabin in Oregon. to seek solitude,
As both characters succumb to very challenging life events each experience losses that draw them together. Both seek answers for past occurrences or events while trying to accept changes and looking toward the future.Together each discover the magic of the “Sand Dollar” and are able to secure a second chance at love.
This audio is very different from many contemporary romances in that the characters Jenny and Mike are mature ( sixtyish) and have different values and life experiences when compared to most common novels about 20-30 year olds characters. Mature characters thrown in with a little “sand dollar magic” and some surprising story events and you’ve got the making of a great read. Characters are well developed, easily identifiable, and demonstrate the need that all human beings need for comfort, love, and the ability to accept life changes no matter the age.
I received a free copy of this audiobook however, the review given is honest and voluntary.

Great story!!!

I really enjoyed the first in the series. It’s hard to find a good book that keeps your attention, and this one kept me guessing as well!!! I am looking forward to my follow up with the sequel.

“I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request, and have voluntarily left this review”

Very good story and very good narration.

Very good story and very good narration.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The Sand Dollar

This was a nice way to spend a day. The writing is nice, the narration is nice, the characters are nice, the setting is nice... there is nothing earth shattering about the book, but sometimes that's, well, nice! Will your world shift on its axis after listening? No, probably not. Will you be sorry you took the time to listen? No, probably not that either. I liked it, and feel it's worth a listen. You should give it a try! I requested a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

Never Give Up

Jenny Sullivan decides that after getting ready to be laid off from her job in Australia that she will go visit her godmother, Maggie (her deceased mother's best friend), as Maggie is getting up in age and the time spent with Maggie reminds Jenny of her mom and the wonderful memories that they had together. While visiting her Godmother in Oregon, Maggie's neighbor, Mike, is also visiting his property in Oregon after his wife recently passed away. While helping her Godmother clean up her home and get rid of clutter, she comes across a letter that falls from its hiding place. Curiosity gets to her so she reads the letter, only to find out that who she thought was her mom, is really not her mom and her birth becomes a mystery to her. Left with concerns she talks to her Godmother about the letter, who explains to her about her biological mother and father, in which Jenny tries to meet the bio-dad's side, but is not accepted. Mike, the neighbor, becomes the shoulder for her to cry on and the ear that she needs for a sounding board....but, could it be something more???


Great narration!

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom

Magic

The Sand Dollar
The Oregon Coast Series, Book 1
: Maggie Christensen

This is book 1 in this series. I listened to book 2 before this one, and felt the need to listen to this one. I was drawn in and was hooked. I stayed up half the night to find out if a second love after 50 could happen. There were plenty of twists and turns and drama. Now I need to find the third book.



The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed by Gail Hedrick.



I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Yes, Virginia, there is love after 50!

A round-up from a solid 3.5, this book's description was inviting, and by the time I had finished, I felt like I had been a guest at one long but enjoyable tea party. Or coffee klatch, since the characters never seemed to stop drinking coffee. The story was rather predictable, in that Jenny leaves her home in Australia to spend time with her Godmother in Oregon but dreads encountering the crotchety old neighbor who lives down the road. He, of course, turns out to be neither all that old nor all that crotchety! This silver age romance takes place against the backdrop of Jenny's life-shattering discoveries about her own history and a rather odd last minute plot twist involving neighbor Mike that ends up going nowhere. I received a copy of this audiobook from the author via AudioBoom in exchange for an objective review. The story was good, the narration was fine, and I don't regret the time I spent listening. If another volume ends up crossing my path, I'll probably listen, but I won't interrupt my queue to hunt down other books in the series.