The Consultant in Sea Isle City


Fiction - New Adult
46 Pages
Reviewed on 11/18/2022
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite

Terry Willoughby is disillusioned with life. She is engaged to a charming young man and works in the IT department of a good New York firm which is one of the best possible things that can happen to a young woman looking to settle down with the man of her dreams, but looks can be deceiving. She hates New York with a passion and cannot find the spark of satisfaction she ought to have at her job. A wrong turn down Maple Avenue leads her to a rundown house that will turn her life and everything around her upside down. New people, strange neighbors, and shady officials await her in The Consultant In Sea Isle City by LB Robbins, but will this be enough to turn it around for her?

The Consultant In Sea Isle City is a short story by LB Robbins with a homely, Christian feel to it. The storyline is one that I can identify with as it revolves around an individual who seeks the changes that come with fulfillment but for some strange reason cannot find it. The characters in the book do not have deep origin stories but make up for that with their quirks which LB Robbins utilizes to maximum capacity. There is also a beautiful love story embedded in the mystery and it is expressed in such an honest way that it will appeal to romance readers. This is a beautiful story about self-discovery. I would encourage every reader to give it a try.

Jon Michael Miller

In The Consultant in Sea Isle City by L. B. Robbins, Theresa Willoughby (Terry) is a young computer programmer in New York City. She doesn’t like the city but is engaged to Stephen, an advanced programmer, who does. One day, returning from Cape May, she happens to make a wrong turn into a decaying but once prosperous neighborhood with run-down Victorian homes. On impulse, she decides to buy one. Now a homeowner, she also decides to quit her job and move in, even though it costs her Stephen, who stays in the city. Terry’s new life begins in the slow-paced but complicated small south Jersey town where she encounters two situations that she regards as evil.

I was intrigued to find out how she would adjust to her new world. Besides renovating her new but decrepit home, she would have to find a job and adjust to the slow pace of her existence. Her motto is “Just keep walking,” meaning solving problems as they arise. First, she faces a puzzling programming snag that she must troubleshoot, with not only the company’s future at risk but her reputation. I was surprised at how she managed this challenge. The other evil is even more threatening. In the novella, The Consultant in Sea Isle City by L. B. Robbins, Terry’s character is the centerpiece. Resourceful and funny, she represents each of us who once dared to do something impulsive but true to our deepest nature.

Pikasho Deka

The Consultant in Sea Isle City is a novella by LB Robbins. Theresa Willoughby (Terry) had her share of expectations before her upcoming marriage to Stephen. A hyper-competent and successful programmer who had recently saved a company from downfall, all Terry wants is a Victorian home with a garage, like the one she dreamed of as a child in New Jersey. After spending a charming weekend with Stephen in quaint Cape May, Terry thinks she has found the house of her dreams on the way back home when she sets eyes on a Victorian property. What she didn't account for was that maybe her dream house was too good to be true, and not everything is what it seems on the outside.

The Consultant in Sea Isle City is a slice-of-life story that depicts how life can be full of surprises. This is a short story about a young woman's adventures while trying to acquire the house of her dreams, only to be mired in a situation that she has little control over. LB Robbins crafts a character-driven narrative with believable personalities finding themselves in extraordinary situations that make for plenty of dramatic moments. Terry is a compelling protagonist who usually gets her way wherever she goes. Her relationship with Stephen is one of the core aspects of the narrative, and how their dynamic evolves throughout the story was especially intriguing to read. I recommend this book to anyone who loves short stories.