Again, heart ache has brought her back to Edisto. At a tender age, Mary Helen Avery’s mother moved her and sister Suki to Edisto Island for a summer. 

Uncle Parker, who had experienced their state of grief, offered his quaint beach house to Claire and her daughters.  Seeking to bring peace and balance to their lives, Claire accepted. 

One summer turned into much more for Mary Helen’s family as we learned in Claire at Edisto, the first book in the Edisto Island series from author Lin Stepp.

The More We Change. . .

Mary Helen had been eager to move on to college and a highly professional position as a retail designer.  Personal relationships suffered by her distrust for men.  Soured by grim experience on Edisto Island when an unscrupulous neighbor romanced Claire and her daughters. He led the vulnerable trio to believe he would be their relief from sadness and grief to future love in their lives.

As we meet up with grown-up Mary Helen, she flees to Edisto and the family cabin. Another unscrupulous and vile proposition has led to resignation from her dream job.

She wants time and peace to work out future moves. Should she have run? Should she have stayed to fight? Can she return to fight?

Crossing the causeway between the South Carolina coast and Edisto Island, Mary Helen planned her trip through the quiet island roads. She would need to stop at Helton’s Grocery for some supplies as no one knew she planned to be at the cabin.  Kizzy Helton, a dear, but candid woman gave her young friend a warm greeting.

Continuing on her way, Mary Helen didn’t think about the effect seeing the New Jersey plates on her Camry would have on J.T. Mikell.  Years ago, J.T. advanced from childhood playmate to special guy to ex-special guy.  Any hope for a romantic relationship met the wall of Mary Helen’s disappointment expectations.

The Comfort of Stable Community

J.T. knows there won’t be another woman for him; Mary Helen won his heart long ago.  Can they overcome the challenges thrown at them by history, conniving competition and blasted-out pride?  Should they?  Edisto is in J.T. blood, a condition he is as peace with. Mary Helen has tasted the big city life with a successful reputation which brings dazzling offers.

The ‘family’ village at Edisto, each and every one, who came to love Mary Helen, her sister, Suki and mother Claire steps up with support again. They would gladly do that over and over.  Will they be enough to help our young friend stabilize and make choices that give her joy? 

On the Scene at Edisto Island

What did I like about this book? Edisto! The characters have a supportive community. They do not pull punches when someone needs to hear truth. Their faith is a solid part of their life, while not over the top doctrinal. 

Giving readers views of the charm to be found in Edisto Island along with glimpses into the pain, maturing and strengths of her characters, Lin Stepp spins another successful story.

She makes readers want to put a vacation on Edisto Island up a notch on the bucket list!

Real people like us experience times in our lives when our expectations are distorted by the past. Maturity comes when we take a good look at ourselves and our expectations. The characters in Return to Edisto bring maturity forth in their story.

Good Writing = Good Reading

No cookie cutter formula writing! Yet Lin Stepp brings another novel filled with faith, common sense and a dash of mystery or drama while popular with both women and men!  Descriptions of geography, careers and lifestyle make her novels rich in reading possibilities! 

Somehow, the author manages to write a novel that keeps readers intrigued, yet can avoid profanity, extreme sensuality, excessive repetition.

Return to Edisto is the second book in Lin Stepp’s Edisto series following Clair at Edisto in 2019.

Edisto offers such a magical promise of a beach without the massive chaos of the typical ocean beaches. I enjoy following the local news on social media pages, even though I am many miles away.  With only a fantasy of being there, I will enjoy vicariously through these stories. Exactly what books are supposed to do for readers! 

As you read the books, you can savor the atmosphere of Edisto Island through Edisto Island Bookstore and Edisto Island Museum.  Or get the latest community plans at the Edisto Chamber of Commerce. Each of these opportunities, plus more are active on social media for even more contact.

There’s More to the Story

Additionally, Lin and her husband, JL write about their Smoky Mountain home country. Discovering Tennessee State Parks is a delightful hiking guide. 

Savvy marketers, the Lin Stepp website includes information about her amazing array of novels and the guide books, blog posts about new books and other authors AND a recent addition of a NEWS LETTER. 

 You can learn more of the books written by Lin and J.L. Stepp, both fiction and non-fiction at their website, LinStepp.com.

Remember our author friends benefit from reviews about their art. Subscribers can download their free copy of Book Notes to keep track of review notes. And have ongoing access to other new things that will be coming to the Resource Library at Cardinal Bluff.