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.

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.