That Thing You Do (Whispering Bay Romance Book 1)

Settling into reading "That Thing You Do" was like settling into a week long vacation at my family's favorite beach getaway. First you get together with familiar family and friends. Then you venture out meeting new people. Then boom, HE shows up, the guy you have a "history" with, and you just KNOW you have this one week with, but could there possibly be more than that??? Maria Geraci skillfully brings you along for a fun ride with characters that feel like old friends as soon as they appear on the page. A young, hard charging journalist Allie, looking for her next BIG story gets thrown a curve-ball as she comes face to face with her high school love, the rugged Tom Donalan.. What makes this romance even more poignant is he was also her best friend. They are surrounded by characters that make re-gaining that friendship easy, but re-kindling the flickering romance a little more risky. Her journalistic assignment reveals twists and turns in this Gulf seaside town . As that plot develops, so do the supporting cast of characters in this love story. This Whispering Bay romance will draw you in and make you want to stay. I can't wait to read the next book in the series! Ahhh, I can almost hear that screen door slamming on the back porch....

This is a fabulously fun read! The author does a beautiful job of creating characters we can all relate to, fictional people who feel like personal friends by the end of the book. I almost hated to finish this book because I knew I would have to wait for the second part of the trilogy to come out!

A wonderful story about second chances these types of books I love. It is so wonderful to see two people who loved each other when life gets in the way they lose so much more. Allie and Tom get their time in the sun with a love that never died. Nothing is more touching and grabs your heart more than second chances.

Both are back in the same town with a past standing between them. Allie is a woman after my own heart with all her sassiness. Tom is a true gentlemen but a little on the alpha side. Due to things out of their control they have to go their separate ways. Allie was broken hearted and doesn’t plan on going down that road again with Tom. On meeting again sparks fly and heads butt. You have to respect Tom for who he is which is a stand up man. He takes on his responsibilities even if they might not be what he truly wants. Allie might be hurt but she understands the issue she might not like and it hurts.

I love how the author bring humor into play giving you a wonderful read that keeps you entertained as she pulls you in with a wonderful plot and a twist or two. You have a story inside a story with wonderful characters you can relate to. These are normal every day people that could be your friends or family. I love how this author spins her story making it a very believable read you can really get into. I was hooked from the first page and could not put it down. Ms. Geraci has fast become one of my go to authors knowing when I pick up one of her books she will deliver the read with humor as she grips my heart with a touching read as she has done in That Thing You Do. I hope you pick up this wonderful read or any of this authors book you will not be disappointed.

What a fun book! I love stories about second chances and this one didn't disappoint at all. Allie Grant returns to her hometown to follow up on a lead for her big break as a permanent writer for Florida! magazine. Following an anonymous tip that ghosts are haunting the soon-to-be demolished senior center Allie throws herself into the story with a lot of help from the quirky inhabitants of Whispering Bay. What she doesn't count on is a run in with her former high school sweetheart, Tom Donalan. Newly divorced Tom has also recently returned to town and is now the project manager for the development of a town center where the senior center now stands. Tom broke Allie's heart twelve years earlier to do the right thing by marrying his pregnant ex-girlfriend. With the help from some unlikely sources, sparks fly again between Allie and Tom.

Readers will remember Whispering Bay from Geraci's previous titles. This is the first book in this particular series and I can't wait to read more. As a reader, I loved how the author deftly handled Tom and Allie's relationship, both present and past. Both made human mistakes and both atoned for them. There were also several surprising plot twists in the book that keep the reader guessing. Some secondary plot issues were not fully resolved in book 1, leaving the door wide open for more books featuring the quirky townspeople.

Readers who enjoyed Kristan Higgin's Blue Heron series of books will love visiting Geraci's Whispering Bay. I know I did.

By Sara Steven

That Thing You Do combines a not-so-traditional love story with metaphysical elements, creating a phenomenal book that was difficult to let go of! I found myself sneaking in a few pages whenever I could find a moment to do so, because I didn’t want to put it down. I wondered what would happen next for Allie Grant, a freelance journalist who was given a tip on a haunted community center in her hometown. What an interesting and unique plot line!

When Allie heads to Whispering Bay, intent on researching the community center and finding out if it’s indeed haunted, she’s visited by her own ghost from the past, Tom Donalan. Deep down, she’s always felt that he’s the one who got away, before they were ever able to really begin their love story. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t harbor some serious resentment for the way things went down all those years ago. Tom hasn’t been able to let it go, either. When he finds her snooping around the community center, a building he’s purchased in order to tear it down and build a new rec center for Whispering Bay, he’s flooded with emotions, old and new. Will she ever be able to forgive him? Will he ever be able to forgive himself?

Along with the push and pull from Allie and Tom, there’s an undercurrent of unusual phenomena happening around town. Strange sights and sounds, interesting smells and some serious spirit vibrations. Is the town really witnessing a ghost sighting? For Allie, she doesn’t believe in ghosts, not really. Especially not the living ones who suddenly appear like a mirage, like Tom. It’s best to leave the past in the past and move on, so why is she having such a hard time letting him go?

I really enjoyed That Thing You Do. It reminded me of my own teen years. While I don’t feel as though there’s anyone from my past who could be categorized as unrequited love, I can still relate to those incredible highs and roller coaster lows that come with young love, when you feel as though that person you’ve given your heart to is the end all and be all of everything. And, how crushing it can be when they break your heart. In the end, ghost story aside, the big question is: Will Allie and Tom be able to pick up where they left off, and would it be worth it, even if they did?

This story touched my heart. It is filled with small town atmosphere, family connections, second chances, teenage angst, and love in all forms. And it all started with a ghost story.
Allie is trying to settle down in life, and reach her next life goal, full time job with benefits, after all, thirty is right here. She is sassy, and smart, loyal and kind, long legged beauty, journalist, waitress, and in trouble: she needs this article to get the full time job.
Tom is all around a good man. He is successful in his career, he is a great father, kind man with a big heart, and hot as all get out. The connection between Tom and Allie is bittersweet. The history they have is heartbreaking, and now the sexual tension is so tight, you can feel it in the air. They seem like the couple you want to cheer on, to do anything to make it work out.
The story is filled with compelling characters. I loved that they were so real, they had problems, nothing was perfect, but their life was like it is, some great things, with some failures, some heartbreak, some happiness, overall satisfying lives of the chances given to you. This tender story made me smile, it made me sigh, and it gave me some tears, and the tale will surely stay with me for a time
~ Five Spoons!

When journalist Allie's latest assignment takes her back to her hometown of Whispering Bay, she's looking forward to seeing her family again and maybe writing an article that will eclipse the one she wrote about Perky the resurrected Duck. Getting this next one right will require an actual ghost haunting the building that once housed the local seniors' home, but it will also secure her full-time position at Florida! Magazine, netting her goal number 3 on her life's to-do list. But family isn't perfect, the meddling townsfolk are making things difficult, and the man who broke her heart twelve years ago is back in town. And in her way.

The Verdict: I love stories that reunite first loves, probably because the history is already established and therefore more believable when things move a little fast, and That Thing You Do was exactly what I was looking for.

Twelve years ago, Allie and Tom were pretty serious. In the end of their senior year, he was the big man on campus, and she was the best friend that could never live up to his perfect girlfriend. But when said perfect girlfriend broke up with Tom, his friendship with Allie grew into something more, and in true first love fashion, Allie thought it would last forever. But their perfect relationship abruptly came to an end, leaving Allie heartbroken and Tom starting a new life without her. Now a freelance writer for a respected magazine, Allie's chasing her latest story assignment, hoping this will be the one to set her career aflight, and she has no intention of revisiting the Great Humiliation she experienced with Tom all those years ago. Even if he is divorced and back in town again. Of course, that wouldn't make for much of a story, so Tom is the man responsible for the pending demolition of the very building rumored to house the ghost that Allie is chasing for her story. The only way she's going to get access — or get the demolition delayed — is by making nice with the man who broke her heart.

The key to a second chance romance is that the first chance was ruined somehow, and while each author tries to put a different spin on it, it generally boils down to one thing — a giant misunderstanding, severe lack of maturity, or malicious manipulation. That Thing You Do bucks the general trend, though, and serves up a plot twist that is actually believable. While Tom and Allie were certainly in things for the long run, they hadn't been together terribly long when his ex-girlfriend discovered she was pregnant — just far enough along to make it Tom's. And since she's a (gasp!) truly decent human being, this isn't some evil plan she's enacted. Allie's devastated, of course, when Tom breaks things off with her by announcing his plans for marriage to this other girl, but he's trying to do the right thing for his sudden family, and as awful as the whole mess is, I really couldn't blame him. Now, though, Tom is divorced, co-parenting with his ex-wife who is still just a genuinely good person, and when Allie crosses his path again, he can't fight his attraction to her.

I thought the story would be sweet, but it was also incredibly funny. Allie is easy to like and relate to, and her observations of the people and situations around her are thoroughly entertaining.

"Her last thought before hitting the floor was that ghosts weren't supposed to make physical contact. They needed Whoopi Goldberg for that."

I also loved that the secondary and background characters were not just filler. They were people with their own problems, making their own mistakes, and living their lives around Allie but not centered around her. As much as her story might have piqued the small town's interest, Allie wasn't the only thing happening, and it made for a much livelier version of events than would have taken place if she and Tom had simply existed in some little bubble. From the drunken Bunko ladies to the insane ghost hunter to the lonely widower, Whispering Bay was filled with interesting characters and slices of real life that so many fiction stories simply forget about. That Thing You Do is the first book I've read by Maria Geraci, but I can tell you it certainly won't be the last. After falling into a kind of funk with romances that all sort of blend together, the Whispering Bay series is an awesome and refreshing change.

***FicCentral received this book from TKA Distribution (via NetGalley) for free in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book in return for an unbiased review

After twelve years of trying to forget Tom Donalan Allie never thought she would run right into his project while trying to get the story of her life. She is trying to right a story about the supposed ghost living in the senior center that Tom is trying to tear down. He decides to postpone it so he can spend time with Allie and let her get her story. While Allie is trying to not let her true feelings show. This is a second chance love story. I was laughing out loud reading some of the things she did to try to avoid him. Not only is Allie trying to get her story she is also dealing with her teenage niece, and realizing things in he family are not as they seem.
This is the first book I read by Maria Geraci I found it easy to read and not easy to put down.

If you like books about second chances then you will LOVE this book! Really, honest to goodness LOVE it! This is the 1st Maria Geraci book I have read and I will absolutely be reading every single book she has written! Her writing is fabulous, the story line flows nicely, not to fast & not to slow! Her characters are very well developed, there is enough humor to make you giggle and enough romance to make you sigh! After reading this book I want to live in Whispering Bay and be neighbors and friends with these characters! Love the small town and down to earth people! Read this book……you will connect with the characters, you will cheer them on, you will laugh out loud, and you will smile through the entire book! This is a fabulously fun read!

Allie is going back to her hometown to, hopefully, get the story that will give her a big promotion at work; all she has to do is rely on a ghost and an ex-boyfriend. Tom is surprised when Allie the girl he briefly dated in highschool and had to suddenly cut ties with shows up at a building demolition site of his and begs him to hold off on destroying the building. There's talk of a ghost but all Tom can hear is Allie saying he owes her and his guilt has him giving her 48hrs to investigate her ghost. With help and hindrance from family and town members, Allie and Tom might just discover a spark still burning.

With a fun and flirty cover, That Thing You Do, definitely followed suit with some cute and adorable moments in the actual story. Overall, I'd have to say this read a little more like women's fiction than a straight contemporary romance, though. The bulk of the book focuses on Allie's interaction with the array of townspeople characters while her and Tom's romance gets pushed to the side a bit until towards the end. The ghost story plot seemed weak (Allie has one night to investigate the ghost and she goes to sleep for the majority of the night when her job depends on it?) as there just wasn't enough to hold on to, while the relationships and interactions Allie formed because of investigating were more solid; characters were this story's strong point. The middle and towards the end sagged for me as we spent too much time with the seniors and other offshoot groups of the town, it all seemed like a lot of filler.

Allie was a great lead character to follow around; the directionless she exhibits in the middle I think can be tied to how the story was stretched out and the various filler (Allie’s roommate that seems like she is scamming her but nothing comes of it?) I mentioned. She was extremely likable and had some funny inner monologue moments that will endear her to many readers. Tom didn't quite show up as strongly, he disappeared too much as Allie got lost to the townspeople. He also had such a nice guy persona that it had him coming off as one dimensional. In the beginning, Tom and Allie had a sweetly shy and anticipatory air about them that never quite caught fire. They have their smile inducing moments but there just wasn't enough one on one interaction between the two to make them a truly memorable couple.

As I mentioned, the strength of this novel is the townspeople as a whole, the author created a wonderful cohesive and interesting group. From the small town feel, to how fast the gossip mill can run, to the real feeling of how families and friends interact, secondary characters here are topnotch. The drama between Allie's brother Zeke and his wife Mimi sucked me in, I in fact found myself way more interested in their story than Tom and Allie. Their relationship issues felt raw, real, painful, and passionate. Their story will be third in this series and I am definitely marking my calendar for when that book comes out.

If looking for a story that is more benign, the central focus is not a romantic relationship, and wanting to read about a larger group of characters, then this would be a worthy pick up. I would have liked more focus on Tom and Allie's building relationship and feelings but I and I know others, will appreciate the overall cast of characters.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I think I have found my favorite book series after Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor Series! This is such a feel-good book that will make you want to stop doing whatever you're doing and read it in one seating. Potty break be damned!

Allie Grant and Tom Donalan are best of friends. Tom is a good guy, outstanding student who is dating the most famous girl in high school, and a star Quarterback. Allie is your ordinary student, and is secretly in love with Tom. It was a huge surprise to everyone in Whispering Bay when they started dating, but that did not deter Allie's love for Tom, and vice versa. Everything was going fine until that one dreadful night when both their lives will drastically change forever. Fast forward 12 years, Allie had come back to Whispering Bay to investigate reports of unusual paranormal activities in Margaret Handy Senior Center, a local recreation center in Whispering Bay. And it is imperative that someone must get to the bottom of this before the abandoned building gets torn down! To Allie this would be a mad idea, a hoax, but for her boss at Florida! Magazine, this is a potential goldmine! And Allie loves her work as a journalist for that magazine, and wants to prove to her boss that she's a top notch journalist and one of the best. So, she ventures all the way to Whispering Bay and get the story that she needs. What she didn't expect upon her return is the sight of Tom Donalan. The boy (well, man now. A handsome, sexy man) who broke her heart into a million pieces. Things went a bit crazy after their first meeting, and even had gone a bit too far when the citizens of Whispering Bay got involved. In the span of five days, Tom and Allie's world have gone from normal to cockamamie. An absolute treat for readers, of course.

'That Thing You Do' is a second chance romance with a mixture of paranormal, humor, and sweetness all over! It's not your typical second chance romance that has lots of sex in it. The book delves deeper into the characters psyche by retelling the events that happened during that night.

The first book of Maria Geraci's Whispering Bay Romance. An absolute delight to read, and a series to look out for. Oh, and this is a stand-alone as well, guaranteed happy ending.

Allie Grant is a writer for the popular Florida! magazine. She's sent to her hometown when her editor receives a curious email about a ghost residing in an old senior center. Little does Allie know that she'll come face to face with Tom, her high school sweetheart and the one that got away. Tom is seemingly inserting himself into her investigation and Allie can't decide whether that is a good thing or a bad thing because her ex is too tempting to just ignore and she doesn't have time to be distracted.

That Thing You Do is a book by an author I haven't had the opportunity to hear of before and I was pleasantly surprised. Geraci writes a great sassy main character and the male counterpart was great as well with his quick comebacks. Speaking of these two characters, I think one of the things I liked the most was the relationship development between the them. As a reader, it's always difficult to be dropped into an existing relationship in a book because sometimes the author has all of this background info in their head and it never really translates onto the page. But that wasn't the case with this one. I didn't find that I was wondering about anything with these two and their past. The great thing is that it wasn't thrown at you all at once, you're given just tidbits at a time and that helps the anticipation mount. All of that makes for a great read.

Since you're back in Allie's hometown, there are quite a few characters to contend with but I didn't have any difficulty in keeping everything straight. It was actually interesting to learn about everyone and I'm hoping that their sub-plot stories will continue in the next installments of this series. There were quite a few endearing moments and I found myself smiling at some of the things Allie and Tom went through. This was a really good book and I'm definitely keeping my eyes open for the next one.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

Loved this book. Allie seems like such a fun person. I would have loved to read her story about perky the duck. Tom is such an awesome guy who does the right thing even though it might hurt someone. Their history twelve years ago was sad but they still have feelings.for each even now Loved the different songs that were included in this book. The ups and downs of emotions in this book made me want to keep reading. This was a wonderful book about small town life. Loved it all

This contemporary romance is the first in the author's series Whispering Bay. I read the second in the series first and had to back up and read this. I strongly recommend reading in order.
I loved finding out the beginning to the story. That Thing You Do is about high school sweethearts Allie and Tom, long separated when Tom married his first girlfriend, who had gotten pregnant. Now Tom is divorced and Allie, a writer, is in town for a story. Tom has an extremely amicable divorce, which, honestly confused me mightily in the second book, which is about Tom's ex. If I had read this book first I would have been less confused at how friendly this divorced couple is.
I loved that Allie talked nonstop when she got nervous. And Tom got that. I loved that Tom and Allie had "that elusive thing that not only drew two people to one another, but kept them together, as well." And I loved the way the author evoked scents - Jean Nate was Allie's long dead grandma's scent.
I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review. And I look forward to reading the rest of the Whispering Bay series.

I received this free from the author in exchange for a honest review.

An absolutely beautiful story. What an enjoyable book, I found myself laughing and tearing up throughout the book. I need to check out more by this author whose writing was fantastic.

Great story! The author kept me turning the page to see what happened next. The only issue I had while reading was there was too much filler story. That, in no way, made me want to put the book down. I loved the sexual tension between Emily and Tom. All those years, thinking you might have made a mistake. Tragic! The relationship between Tom and Lauren was a little strange. I'm so happy that Roger Van Cleave and Allie are taking over the Whispering Bay Gazette. Now he won't be so lonely.

This was a great book that contains some humor, marital issues, teen problems and second chances. All in all this was a very enjoyable read. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

While reading Maria Geraci's book, I immediately felt as if I knew the characters. Those of us that grew up in a small town will definitely feel at home here! Tom and Allie are high school sweethearts that were separated by unforeseen circumstances, but an opportunity to revisit their feelings arises. This book will make you laugh out loud, take your breath away, and maybe even tear up a little. It's the perfect beach read or a rainy day comfort!

When allow and Tom run into each other again after 12 years there are lots of emotions. Tom is now divorced and in charge of demolishing the senior center when Allow comes to town to find out if there is ghost there. There are lots of things going on in the story with both of their families and interesting ups and downs in relationships.

Allie Grant is sent back to her hometown of Whispering Bay when her editor for Florida! magazine is contacted about a supposed haunting in the local senior center that is scheduled to be torn down. She has no idea when she returns that the man in charge of tearing it down is her high school sweetheart, Tom Donalan. Tom was the one who got away. I laughed out loud too many times to count during this book. It was a fantastic kooky story of true love reunited 12 years later. All of the secondary characters were just as big as the main hero and heroine, not to mention the supposed ghost. It was a fantastic story and I cannot wait to read more set in this small town.

This contemporary romance is the first in the author's series Whispering Bay. I read the second in the series first and had to back up and read this. I strongly recommend reading in order.
I loved finding out the beginning to the story. That Thing You Do is about high school sweethearts Allie and Tom, long separated when Tom married his first girlfriend, who had gotten pregnant. Now Tom is divorced and Allie, a writer, is in town for a story. Tom has an extremely amicable divorce, which, honestly confused me mightily in the second book, which is about Tom's ex. If I had read this book first I would have been less confused at how friendly this divorced couple is.
I loved that Allie talked nonstop when she got nervous. And Tom got that. I loved that Tom and Allie had "that elusive thing that not only drew two people to one another, but kept them together, as well." And I loved the way the author evoked scents - Jean Nate was Allie's long dead grandma's scent.
I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review. And I look forward to reading the rest of the Whispering Bay series.

I received this free from the author in exchange for a honest review.

An absolutely beautiful story. What an enjoyable book, I found myself laughing and tearing up throughout the book. I need to check out more by this author whose writing was fantastic.

Great story! The author kept me turning the page to see what happened next. The only issue I had while reading was there was too much filler story. That, in no way, made me want to put the book down. I loved the sexual tension between Emily and Tom. All those years, thinking you might have made a mistake. Tragic! The relationship between Tom and Lauren was a little strange. I'm so happy that Roger Van Cleave and Allie are taking over the Whispering Bay Gazette. Now he won't be so lonely.

This was a great book that contains some humor, marital issues, teen problems and second chances. All in all this was a very enjoyable read. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic feel-good story! Allie is so hilarious and refreshingly relatable to any love confused woman which, face it, most of us are or have been. Tom, her old boyfriend, is the guy most of us can picture as that guy. I loved Tom and Allow and everyone in the town. This book reminded me, in ways, to Janet Evanovich's Plum series. Good humor and not being able to put the it down. Definitely recommend.

Received copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

While reading Maria Geraci's book, I immediately felt as if I knew the characters. Those of us that grew up in a small town will definitely feel at home here! Tom and Allie are high school sweethearts that were separated by unforeseen circumstances, but an opportunity to revisit their feelings arises. This book will make you laugh out loud, take your breath away, and maybe even tear up a little. It's the perfect beach read or a rainy day comfort!