Photographing Kate

Laina Turner

Jul 2020 · Laina Turner

About this ebook

Can Kate heal her heart and forget the pain of her past?

After Kate’s husband of over twenty years is sentenced for embezzling and fraud, she loses everything and needs to start over. She decides to visit Moonshire Bay to regroup at the urging of her friend, Claire, who owns the diner there.

Knowing she needs a way to support herself, she rekindles her passion for photography and starts to think maybe staying in Moonshire Bay is her best chance at happiness.

Zach is the town attorney and a confirmed bachelor. After a scarring experience with love and almost marriage in his younger days, he vowed never to get any closer to a woman than a casual relationship.

When Zach meets Kate, the wounded look that lingers behind her smile grabs him and he wants to know her better, but Kate was burned by her lawyer ex-husband. Even if she wanted a relationship it wouldn’t be with a member of that profession.

Zach tricks Kate in order to get to know her better. When she finds out, will she understand and forgive him or will it push her further away?

previously published under author name Elle Sweet

“...masterfully weaves a tale so engrossing you won't be able to put it down. Fascinating premise and great characters!!” -Amazon

“Moonshire Bay is a wonderful small town, where everyone knows everyone and their business, and there are no secrets. People are kind and caring, and genuinely nice.” -Amazon

“The writing draws you in and keeps you involved throughout the whole story, I found myself in love with not only the characters but also the world that was created.” -Amazon

"...a real treat. From the writing to the characters, I was hooked... writes beautifully, almost lyrical and she drew me in from the first sentence." -Sucker for Coffee Book Blog

"...I was hooked by page 3. I thought the book was going to be good and cute just based on the cover. And it was, it was a really good story." -Purple Shelf Club

"My second book by this author, I was captivated by the writing. There was a healing touch in the words which bespoke of simplicity and finding oneself." -Shalani’s Books and Reviews

"From the charming descriptions of Moonshire Bay to the loyal and kind characters, Photographing Kate absolutely deserves all five of the stars I’m awarding it." -The Pensive Bookworm

Ratings and reviews

Another Good Middle-Aged Couple Romance I so love the idea of the series that features middle-aged couples. I don't think that age range is explored enough in contemporary romance, and people of a certain age certainly bring a lot more baggage to a new relationship, which can be such great fodder for a story. Plenty of baggage in this case. The book opens the heroine at her husband's sentencing hearing where she learns he's going away for 30 years because of embezzlement and fraud. Their divorce is nearly final as well, as his lawyer reminds her after the judge sentences him. The next day, the house she thought she would retire to and ultimately die in is foreclosed upon. A friend suggests she come for a long visit as she sorts out the next moves in her life. After some going back and forth, that's what she does. There, she literally runs into another man, though she has no interest in dating whatsoever. But fate has other plans, of course. I thought the author did a good job showing what it feels like when you have such a tectonic shift in your life like the heroine had. When I was divorced, I remember feeling some of the exact same things this character felt, like it wasn't just the dissolution of a relationship but of shared dreams and shared futures. I wasn't quite sure what I thought about the hero, though. Finally, I wish this cover truly reflected the age of the heroine. If you're going to have a middle-aged heroine, be bold enough to put a regular middle-aged woman on the cover, not someone who could pass for late thirties or early forties. This heroine is at least 50, actually having had a 28-year marriage. All in all, I enjoyed this book. I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

This book starts with Kate's ex-husband being sentenced to 30 years in prison and as a result of that Kate loses everything and must start over, so she finally decides to visit her best friend, Claire in Moonshire Bay. Shortly after arriving Kate is involved in a fender bender with Moonshire Bay's resident lawyer, Zach, needless to say things do not get off to a very good start. Kate soon finds out that she accidentally forgot to pay for her car insurance due to all the upheaval in her life lately and she tries to figure out how to tell Zach. In the meantime, Zach is taken with Kate and is trying to figure out how he can spend more time with her. He figures out why she looked so familiar to him and he doesn't plan to hold her ex-husbands actions against her. When he finds out about the no insurance deal and comes up with a plan that he thinks will "help" her, it just might backfire big time. Kate is so overwhelmed with everything losing her house, all her money (except for what is left in her kids' college fund) and all her friends but Claire; she decides to take her camera and shoot some photos of the beach. This action gives Kate an idea of possibly doing something with her photography which is then reinforced by Claire and her group of friends. You will need to read the story to see if Kate can find her way into a new life and see if Zach will be a part of it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This new addition to the series takes us back to Moonshire Bay. A town where many come to recover from their past and end up staying. In this story we have Kate Hamilton and Zach Elstoy. Kate’s friend Claire invites her to come for a visit and get away from New York after her ex-husband, a lawyer, is found guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to prison. On her first day in town she literally runs into Zach, the local attorney. Needless to say, Kate’s trust in lawyers and men is non-existent, but Zach is smitten by her. As a friendship develops, so do the lies by omission. When Kate finds out what Zach has done, will she be able to trust and forgive him? Or will the mistakes cost this couple their future? What I liked about this story was that it’s main characters were in their 50s. Mature individuals that even with the ups and downs of life, still had a future. It was also a reminder that one should not judge a person by the company they keep. What might seem on the outside of a relationship, isn’t always what is happening in the inside. Thought the story was good, for me it was just ok and not as good as the previous 2 books. It was more of a 3.5 stars . But I respect the efforts made by the author, and having loved the previous stories, I will give it a 4 stars rating. I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

About the author

I started writing ten years ago, and it was always my intent and desire to write romance. However, in my first book, someone died. It just happened and turned the romance into a mystery.

Twenty-some books later, and I decided enough was enough. I was going to do what I'd initially set out to do at the start of my writing journey. Write a book where no one died (It's not as easy as you think). 

I can't tell you how much fun I had with Finding Rachel and the three others set in the small town of Moonshire Bay coming out later this fall.

How did I come up with my pen name? Elle for the "L" in Laina and Sweet was my grandfather's last name. I wanted something that had a story. I originally wanted to call myself LuluBell after a pet cow I once had, but the family shot that one down.

Born and raised in the midwest, I live in Indiana with my husband, three amazing children, and our dogs, Duke and Macy.