Book Club Kit
Dear Readers, Picture it: the early days of the pandemic as two best friends daydream about book ideas to transport them out of the current reality. Actually . . . you probably don’t want to think about those dark days. Instead, picture the beach in Destin, Florida, where the sand is white and the water is emerald green. That’s the setting of our debut novel, The Beach Trap. The story began with a spark of an idea: a reverse version of The Parent Trap, where two girls meet at summer camp and discover they’re sisters. Halfsisters, in this case. But what if, instead of them trying to get their parents back together, it’s their father who brings them back together as adults by leaving them a run-down old beach house? Add in some home renovation drama, two summer romances, social media drama, and a cute dog, and the plot for The Beach Trap was born. You might be wondering how two people can write one book together. For us, it was an easy transition since we had been critique partners—reading and reviewing each other’s work—for years. When it came to writing together, we came up with the premise and plot of the story together over several Zoom calls (Alison lives in Chicago and Bradeigh lives in Utah).
We each took a character and wrote their chapters, and then the other one edited them—so we both had our hands on all the lines and all the pages. We think that’s why some early readers have said the book feels like it was written by just one person. (Another theory is that we share a brain, and sometimes that seems to be true!). One more big perk of writing a book with your BFF is that you can take vacations under the guise of “research.” Last summer, we took a trip down to Destin to make sure we captured all the beachy details—from the salty brine of raw oysters to buying boiled peanuts from a boat on Crab Island. Our goal was to write everything we love into the perfect summer read: laughter, sunshine, friendship, and romance. As you read The Beach Trap, we hope you’ll laugh and cry and swoon as the pages transport you down to the beach to feel the sand beneath your feet and the sun on your face. Just don’t forget your sunscreen! Cabin 10 Forever!
Ali Brady Alison Hammer & Bradeigh Godfrey
Discussion Questions 1.
What is it about summer camp that forges such close friendships? Are you still in touch with any of your camp or school friends from when you were younger?
2.
Why do you think Kat and Blake’s dad left them both the beach house? Do you think he wanted to bring them back together?
3.
Do you see Kat’s mom as a victim of her husband’s transgressions or as a conspirator? Why?
4.
Why and how do you think Blake’s dad was able to walk away from her for all those years?
5.
How do you think Blake felt about Kat never responding to her letters?
6.
Why do you think Kat held on to her anger and continued to blame Blake for so long?
7.
If you had to choose between the two love interests to take you out on a date, would you choose Noah or Henry? Why?
8.
What do you think of influencer culture and does it impact your life and the decisions you make?
9.
If you were a social media influencer, what type of influencer would you be (e.g., lifestyle, books, food)? What would your brand motto be?
1 0 . How
did your opinion of Kat and/or Blake change
throughout the book?
11.
What do you think of Kat’s decision to pay for Blake’s grandfather’s care without letting Blake know?
12.
Where do you think Kat and Blake are in another twelve years? How is their relationship?
KAT & BLAKE’S DAD’S FAMOUS
FETTUCCINI ALFREDO Note: There are no exact measurements for this dish, but that’s the way their dad made it—and you can’t go wrong if you keep adding more cream and more cheese!
IN GRE D I E NT S • • • • • • •
1 box of fettuccini noodles Butter Heavy cream Kraft Parmesan cheese Salt Pepper 1 pound of shrimp (optional)
IN S TR UCT I ONS 1.
Boil water.
2. Cook the pasta according the instructions on the box.
3 . Drain the noodles. 4 . Melt butter in the pan. 5 . Add the cooked noodles. 6 . Pour in heavy cream (enough so the noodles are coated).
7 . Let the cream come to a boil.
(If adding shrimp like Kat!) 1 . Peel shrimp. 2. Lightly spray with olive oil. 3. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Cook at 400 for 6 minutes.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste. 9 . Add parmesan cheese (the more the better).
10. Repeat with the cream and cheese until the right taste/consistency.
Listen while you cook! Kat and Blake’s Beach Day Playlist
THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND DESTIN If reading The Beach Trap whet your appetite for a beach vacation, here are some spots around Destin that we recommend checking out!
THE C RA B TRA P The perfect spot for sunset drinks on the beach. Be sure to try their famous smoked tuna dip! And if you see an open plot of land between two beach houses, that’s the spot where we pictured Kat and Blake’s beach house! Also a great spot to go to the beach!
SEA SI DE A picturesque beach town about twenty-five miles east of Destin—also known as the site of Blake and Noah’s first date! Grab some food from the vintage Airstream trailers-turned-food trucks and browse through Sundog Books!
O L D 9 8 , A . K . A . SC EN I C HI GHWA Y 9 8 A six-mile beach road in the heart of Destin, lined with palm trees and gorgeous vacation homes. Kat and Blake chase a runaway Max down Old 98 on the Fourth of July.
C RA B I SL A N D A large underwater sand bar just off the coast of Destin in the Choctawhatchee Bay, where boats can anchor in the shallow water and people can relax, play in the water, and enjoy the sun. Keep an eye out for the vendor boats, like the one Kat goes on with Henry to sell boiled peanuts.
H U N T’ S OYSTER BA R A family-owned restaurant located in Panama City, known as one of the best places to get oysters in the area. They don’t take reservations, so go early—but it’s worth the wait. This is the spot where Blake (and Bradeigh!) tries raw oysters for the first time with Noah.
B O S H A M P S S E A FOOD A N D OYSTER HOUSE Located on the beautiful Destin Habor, this is the spot of Kat and Blake’s big confrontation near the end of the book. Alison recommends the fried lobster bites and the True Alabama Feta Dip. So good!
C A MI L L E’ S One last spot we reference in the book is Camille’s. Kat and Blake get take-out from the restaurant, which is a go-to spot for both sushi and pizza. (If you try them both at the same meal, we suggest the seafood pizza!) There’s also a café downstairs, which is a great spot for coffee or lunch! I f yo u t a
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