Showing posts with label Jennifer Vido. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jennifer Vido. Show all posts

Monday, November 17, 2025

A Hopeful Escape: Simplicity by the Sea by Jennifer Vido

MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Jennifer Vido to Muse Monday on Discover... She's got me hooked on wine and romance, city girl and small-town guy. See what you think!

I love that this book takes the familiar idea of a city girl meeting a small-town guy and gives it a new twist. By bringing together the Virginia wine scene with the coastal charm of Gull Island, I’ve created a backdrop that feels both romantic and fresh. For me, Delaney’s story is about those big life questions we all ask at some point—what does success really look like, and is the life I’ve built truly the one I want? I think that makes her journey very relatable, especially for women who’ve worked so hard but still feel like something’s missing. I had so much fun weaving in wine and seaside details. This story isn’t just about romance—it’s also about experiencing a sense of place, which I think makes it appealing to readers who love travel, food, and lifestyle angles.

Luke’s story brings another layer of heart to the book. He’s a single dad who’s built a steady life for himself and his daughter, and I think readers will connect with his devotion to family while also rooting for him to take a chance on love. Since this book is part of my Gull Island series, it carries forward the world I’ve already created while also welcoming new readers. It shows that Gull Island is a place worth returning to, filled with stories about love, second chances, and community. At the end of the day, I want this book to feel like a hopeful escape. With everything going on in the world, I think readers are craving uplifting stories that remind us love and new beginnings are always possible.

Book Blurb:

What if the perfect pairing isn't found in a bottle, but in each other?

High-powered marketing executive Delaney Huger thrives in Virginia's wine scene until a quick trip home to Gull Island for a wedding forces her to slow down. Suddenly, she's questioning the life she's built and what comes next. Can she uncork a new beginning or keep pouring into a dream that no longer fits?

Charter captain Luke Sullivan has built a quiet, predictable life on Gull Island, perfect for raising his daughter and growing his business. But when a captivating wedding guest stirs something he thought he'd buried, he wonders if it's time to change. Will he chart a new course toward love or stay safely ashore?

Excerpt:

A distant murmur of cheerful voices and melodic peals of laughter pierced the night air, drawing Delaney Huger closer to the illuminated lighthouse nestled on the South Carolina coastline. She sank onto a rock, twisting her dress in frustration. She’d let them down. Her partners-in-crime, notably her sister and best friend, were tucked inside the adjoining wedding tent, glasses clinking in joyful toasts celebrating the nuptials of childhood friends. The imaginary scene played out in her mind—her friends in summer cocktail dresses, heels clicking on the parquet dance floor, while she stumbled through apologies. “The traffic was terrible, and you’ll never believe what happened.” She could almost hear her voice faltering as she grasped for excuses for failing to arrive on Gull Island as scheduled.

The charming, small-town affair wasn’t just an ordinary island celebration with some random tourist couple exchanging vows in the lush Lowcountry amid crickets chirping and frogs trilling in the late May heat. The social event of the season—the wedding of the beloved Cate Ainsworth and Knox Price—witnessed by her childhood friends, extended family, and island neighbors, had unfolded nearly an hour ago at a picturesque sunset ceremony on the beach, painted in a vibrant palette of pastel hues. The town buzzed with excitement over their second-chance romance. 

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Jennifer Vido is the author of The Gull Island Series, sweet Lowcountry romances inspired by her love of coastal living and small-town charm. Serendipity by the Sea won Best First Book from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest, and Baltimore Magazine readers named her Best Local Author in 2024 and 2025. A Vanderbilt graduate, Jennifer traded in teaching French to follow her dream of becoming an author. She loves discovering and sharing literary gems through her Jen's Jewels column, celebrating the books that make her heart happy. Jennifer lives in Maryland with her husband and is mom to two grown sons. Her rescue dog, Fripp, is her constant companion, though he's better at napping than editing. When she's not writing, you'll find her at the beach with her toes in the sand, dreaming about her next romance.

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Monday, August 7, 2023

Inspiration by the Sea by Jennifer Vido

MUSE MONDAY

Please join me in welcoming Jennifer Vido to Discover... She has a great post for Muse Monday on the inspiration for her sweet romance.

Serendipity by the Sea

Will her wanderlust ex-boyfriend’s return allow a hopeless romantic a second chance at love? 

Cate Ainsworth is poised to land her dream job when an ex-boyfriend—the guy she once loved who left town without explanation—returns to their Lowcountry hometown. Their long-denied attraction tugs her in a new direction, but will she risk everything for a second chance at love? 

A freelance photographer, Knox Price seeks adventure, not commitment. Back in town to care for his uncle gets complicated when he crosses paths with Cate, igniting a spark he can’t ignore. But can he confess the truth about why he walked away?

The inspiration behind the Gull Island series came from a family vacation to Fripp Island, South Carolina. As a frequent visitor to coastal Carolina, I am fond of the Lowcountry, especially the people who call it home. Fripp Island is a small barrier island, rich with natural beauty and history—the perfect backdrop for my fictional town, Gull Island. My childhood experiences growing up on the Jersey Shore filled in any missing blanks about living near the sea. 

The importance of community is the common thread weaving the Gull Island stories together. The series consists of three novels: Serendipity by the Sea, Serenity by the Sea, and Simplicity by the Sea. These standalone books are interconnected with recurring characters, familiar faces searching for their happily-ever-afters. The series features three strong women, each at a crossroads in life, both at work and in love.  

I hope readers will gain an appreciation for small, coastal towns—tight-knit, Lowcountry resort areas
like Gull Island—where kindness is the heartbeat of the community. When I visited Fripp Island, I was struck by the island’s warm hospitality and how locals seamlessly interacted with visitors, sharing the island’s history and natural beauty. Gull Island has a story, including historical landmarks and meeting places where the locals like to gather. Each of the three books introduces the reader to a different part of the island, providing a glimpse into Lowcountry living at its best.

Excerpt:

Cate maneuvered into the parking lot adjacent to the main road, jumped out of her car, and headed for the employee golf carts used as a means to get around the grounds. Taking the first available, she hurled the little cart in the direction of Guest Services. Whizzing past beachgoers sporting island T-shirts, she spied customers coming out of Novel Ideas, the island’s long-standing, secondhand bookstore. 

Slowing at the curve in front of Island Scoop, Cate wished for a cool treat to reward her sweet tooth. The strong aroma of steaming coffee alerted her to a few visitors coming out of The Wise Owl, sipping cups of morning brew. Blocking her view, they strolled along the path toward the boardwalk. Their telltale bronzed skin and relaxed demeanor signaled the end of their stay. Cate couldn’t blame them for wanting to linger, but she was in a hurry. 

When they finally set out, she zipped her cart into the only open parking spot. Cate entered the building and scooted by the buzzing groups now congregating in front of the shiny Guest Services counter, careful not to make eye contact. She shifted her belongings to cover up her navy polo embroidered with the Gull Island insignia to ward off unwanted conversation until she could get settled and prepared to offer assistance.

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Bio:

Jennifer Vido is the author of Serendipity by the Sea, the first book in the new Gull Island sweet romance series set in the Lowcountry. An avid booklover, she interviews bestselling authors in her Jen’s Jewels weekly column on FreshFiction.com. A longtime Arthritis Foundation advocate, she’s been featured by Lifetime Television, The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, Redbook, and Arthritis Today. Recently, she was named a finalist in the Best Local Author category in Baltimore Magazine’s 2023 Best of Baltimore Readers’ Poll. Currently, she serves as the executive director for a legal non-profit in her community. A Maryland resident, she and her husband are the proud parents of two grown sons, two rescue dogs, and a finicky calico cat.

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