I would suggest that readers start with "Stargazey Nights: A Novella" since it does provide readers with a glimpse at the majority of the characters that will appear in Stargazey Point. I for one was really happy to follow back up with Cabot Reynolds who was introduced in that novella.

The main character in this novel is Abbie Sinclair. Abbie after recovering from a devastating loss is shooed off to her best friend Celeste's family's plantation at Stargazey Point, South Carolina. The idea is that Abbie will get some much needed rest and also let her friend know if she should be concerned about her elder relatives who are doing their best to support themselves. Abbie after meeeting the Crispin family (consisting of sisters Marnie, Millie and brother Beau) falls in love with them and Stargazey. Readers also get to catch back up with Cabot Reynolds who is doing his level best to help bring back life at Stargazey and keep the town out of the hands of land developers who would destroy their way of life.

I have to say that as sad as I was to see that Ms. Noble would not be re-visiting her characters at Crescent Cove it was very nice to sink into a new series.

Ms. Noble's writing of South Carolina was lyrical and all of the discussions of the Gullah culture were very interesting. I would hope in future novels she expands a bit more on the Gullah culture since I was totally fascinated with how that subset of southern culture has been incorporated.

I also really loved reading about the Crispin siblings and hope we that Ms. Noble one day revisits their story in a standalone novel or prequel. Readers are able to guess about events that are alluded to in the past with the ending and I have to say that made me happy. I don't like it when the authors have to force feed the readers some things should be left to the reader's imagination.

The character of Abbie is at times heartbroken and stubborn. I did like her becoming more involved with the community, but it wasn't as if Abbie spent millions of dollars to fix Stargazey. I liked the realistic portrayal of a small town that is slowly dying out and trying to find its way back from that. Things of that nature are just not suddenly fixed and I am glad that Ms. Noble did not throw out some huge money gift from the gods that fixed Stargazey or had Abbie acting as some great white hope that made things better overnight.

I definitely recommend! ( )

An endearing read making you want to re-live days gone by and become involved in a small historic town restoration --nothing more charming than a carousel.

I enjoyed the talent and passion which existed in this town and especially the drive, determination, and vision of these strong characters. This is not your typical beach read, as it was so much more – with carefully developed characters and a heartwarming town full of people with a past full of sorrows, hearts to be mended, and dreams which have yet to be fulfilled.

Shelly does a wonderful job of pulling you into the storyline and loved the novella Stargazey Nights which is a great into to Cab Reynolds. I immediately started reading Stargazey Point. (great cover). It was a joy seeing Abbie and Cab from different walks of life come together and you will fall in love with Beau! Millie reminds me so of many southern women who are not very realistic and all about putting on appearances, when they have no money. Loved Ervina and Sarah as both very independent women with wit and strength – always keep you laughing.

Would love to see a Stargazey series and sequel --as this cast of characters are too good to end! I could see some romance for Bethane and the new wedding business, and possibly some more history from Beau, a new relationship for Sarah, and of course more to come for Abbie/Cab in this charming town as it continues to come alive and make dreams come true.
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Another feel good Southern charmer with some bite. After a traumatic event in her life Abbey Sinclair escapes to Stargazey Point, to the relatives of her best fried, hoping to reassess her life and recover from her heartache. Here she meets three charming, gentile elderly southerns and a wonder Gullah woman who tires to help her. Stargazey Point has seen better days, once an amusement park and boardwalk, it never recovered from the hurricane that leveled the same. Cab, had spent every summer here with his uncle and he wants more than anything to refurbish the old carousal.

The characters and the place are the stars of this novel. They are all so wonderful, and the place just seems for the most part so peaceful and beautiful, I would love to visit. This is a comfort read, a place for second chances, with the unscrupulous land developers providing the tension. The only little complaint is that there is quite a bit of dialogue in this novel, maybe at times an excessive amount, that can get somewhat repetitive. Good summer read. ( )

Documentary filmmaker Abbie Sinclair is deeply damaged after her latest project ended in tragedy. Luckily for her, her best friend stateside has a few elderly relatives who are happy to host Abbie in their crumbling seaside mansion while she figures out what comes next. Cabot Reynolds the Third is a man who gave up a promising career as an architect to return to the down and out South Carolina beach town of Stargazey Point to restore his uncle's carousel and, hopefully, breathe new life into the town before its natives are forced to sell out to developers. The elderly Crispin siblings are Stargazey Point's old money, but their funds are quickly disappearing. The three have fallen to selling off their belongings to pay off their taxes. Despite their troubles Abbie finds a home with Millie, Marnie, and Beau, and before long she finds that she doesn't have to jet around the world to keep up with the deeds of her over-achieving, do-gooder family members, there's plenty of good to be done right in Stargazey Point. (Desc. yourotherleft, 9/13

Stargazey Point was an enjoyable read with likable characters. There were several sub-plots with just enough suspense to hold my attention from start to finish. ( )

Documentary filmmaker Abbie Sinclair is deeply damaged after her latest project ended in tragedy. Luckily for her, her best friend stateside has a few elderly relatives who are happy to host Abbie in their crumbling seaside mansion while she figures out what comes next. Cabot Reynolds the Third is a man who gave up a promising career as an architect to return to the down and out South Carolina beach town of Stargazey Point to restore his uncle's carousel and, hopefully, breathe new life into the town before its natives are forced to sell out to developers. The elderly Crispin siblings are Stargazey Point's old money, but their funds are quickly disappearing. The three have fallen to selling off their belongings to pay off their taxes. Despite their troubles Abbie finds a home with Millie, Marnie, and Beau, and before long she finds that she doesn't have to jet around the world to keep up with the deeds of her over-achieving, do-gooder family members, there's plenty of good to be done right in Stargazey Point.

What to say about Stargazey Point? It's a stereotype in the best possible way. It's a town that has been plunged into hard times by a few too many storms, where taxes are still sky-rocketing forcing natives out in favor of soulless, big-money resorts. It's peopled by a pack of well-intentioned, incredibly meddlesome southern ladies who are at the ready when it comes to pushing this damaged stranger to rediscover her purpose. All it takes is a little boost from a guy who favors his small-town roots to his big-city career and a woman who seems to know how to draw out the best in people even when she can only see the worst in herself, to give the struggling natives of Stargazey Point the incentive they need to embrace their town's heritage and make it new again.

The plot is a little too contrived, most of the characters are a little too saccharine, the "deep, dark" secrets are little too close to the surface, and the cynics are a bit too easily won over, but Abbie's story is addictive nonetheless. There's always something compelling about a person finding healing, redemption, and love after tragedy, even more so when she's entwined in a town filled with exaggeratedly loveable characters finding its feet again. The town of Stargazey Point jumps off the page, and Abbie's story is just the sort of easy-reading, satisfying tale that reads best on a lazy summer day. ( )