Pamela Kelley’s books are easy to read and enjoyable! This is probably my favorite by her so far. This book has a little bit of everything. Small town by the ocean, a bookstore, friendship, relationships.
Jess is a devoted lawyer, wife, and mother. When she finds out her husband is cheating on her and knocked up her receptionist she decided to take a leave of absence and head to her hometown of Chatham, MA (Cape Cod). Her daughter Caitlin decides to join her and visit her grandma (Jess’s mom.) The best part is Jess gets to spend time with her best friend Allison.
The local bookstore owner is ready to retire and that gives Jess and Allison and idea. They have always dreamed of going into business together.
The story follows Jess, Allison, Caitlin, and Julia (Allison’s daughter.)

If you are a Pamela Kelley fan she is delivering exactly her style of beach read book. It is going to be clean or behind closed doors, cover multiple characters with some drama, and one or more will get a romance. And she will never miss the opportunity to describe every appetizer, entree, desert or drink that everyone orders. Also her setting will be somewhere on Cape Cod. All of that is true for this book.

Jess is a successful lawyer in Charleston working with her husband at his family firm. Her world falls apart when she realizes her husband has cheated on her with an assistant who now is expecting his child. She takes a leave of absence returning to her childhood home to stay with her mother in Chatham on the Cape. Her daughter Caitlin (30) decides to join her after getting let go from her latest job. Once in Chatham Jess reunites with her lifelong best friend Allison works as an editor for a local magazine. Circulation is down and layoffs are coming. Allison’s daughter Julia is a jewelry designer and has a new shop in Chatham. Even though their mothers have been BFs forever, Caitlin has lived her whole life in the south, but Julia befriends her.

The story covers the few months on the Cape as Jess and Allison makes decisions about their careers and futures. I actually thought there may be a romance between the daughters, then realized that would be an unlikely choice for Kelley. LOL. All four women get a romantic interest that feels organic and easy going.

This is easy reading, women’s fiction and just as the cover suggests perfect for by the pool or beach. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

I liked all of the characters in this book and how each one had their own storyline but it all worked well together too. I love a summer read where I feel transported and this one took me to Cape Cod. The mother daughter storylines and the bookstore that they own were all things I loved and I literally didn't want to put the book down and I read this quickly!

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. This is the first time that I have read this author and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is a wonderful story about five women and how they find their purpose and their "home". The characters are so heartwarming that you wish nothing but good things for them. As they are all in different stages of their lives, the author manages to have each of them work out their issues and of course end happy. This book is set in Cape Cod and the descriptions of the towns, the food and the beaches make you want to visit there. It will be a great beach read!

Wow do I have a lot to say about this one. Let me start with this: it’s a good women’s fiction book. If you were looking forward to reading it, don’t let me discourage you. This is much longer of a review than I normal write because I do have some serious issues with certain aspects that didn’t make any sense. However, if you’d like to stop reading here because you plan to read the book, go for it. If it interests you, read it.

Now. Let’s get into it.
There are plot holes GALORE in this read and they were very difficult for me to look past. I think the story had so much potential and it just didn’t get fully realized. There was also a lot of potential for conflict which didn’t go anywhere. Everything was very chill and peaceful. We’ll go through my issues by character. Some of these points may be mild spoilers so BE WARNED.

Julia. We start off her portion of the story seeing she’s just turned down a proposal from Kyle. She tells him “not yet” and doesn’t give us an inclination that she plans to end things. Just that she’s not ready to get married. When Kyle begins to display personality traits she doesn’t like, for the very first time in their long relationship might I add, it’s immediately no I must leave him. Okay that’s fine but….you just said you planned to marry him. There was a lot of potential for conflict with Kyle and then he just lets it go, which was rather boring.

Caitlin. I swear if I had to hear one more time her explaining to someone that she’s just in town for the summer and going back to Charleston…talk about repetitive. Her storyline overall was repeating after repeating after repeating. There was also nothing unique or special about her character arc.

Alison. Probably my favorite character, and I can’t think of too many issues I had with her part of the story. Maybe just that she relied so heavily on her daughter to provide inspiration for things to make the store successful. Like you’re the one who wanted this, get creative yourself.

Jess. Oh, Jess. Where shall I begin? It is absolutely completely MORONIC to impulsively but a bookstore WHILE YOU ARE STILL MARRIED TO THE MAN YOURE ABOUT TO DIVORCE. Not I don’t know about the laws in South Carolina, but where I live if someone is buying any property they must disclose it to their spouse and the spouse has to sign a paper at closing stating they are aware. I’ve done this myself. It’s law. Maybe it’s different in SC, probably, but regardless it is absolutely ridiculous to do that when you’re getting a divorce. I have no doubt the previous owner would’ve been more than okay with waiting until the divorce was final to sign the store over. Now, that gets in the way of the summer story, doesn’t it? Yes, but it makes way more sense. Also, we see her husband saying he wants to work things out, meanwhile buying a condo and taking his mistress go dinner? Like it doesn’t add up? When Caitlin goes back to visit why would he volunteer information that he’s hanging out with baby mama if he is seriously trying to get Jess back? Doesn’t add up. He again also just lets things go way too easily at the end so that everything stays peaceful.

NO CONFLICT!!!! None. Overall as you can tell, I have a lot of issues. Maybe it’s because I don’t read a ton of women’s fiction so I am used to a more interesting and difficult road to the happy ending. This whole book was like mild conflict at beginning, then road to happy all the way to the last page. I was missing the near end conflict.

Sometimes, something bad happening will put you on a new path, and that is what has happened to Jess and Alison. Jess, after discovering that her husband cheated and got the girl pregnant, decided that she would spend the summer with her mother on Cape Cod, Her thirty-year-old daughter, Caitlin, decides she will take the summer off and go too.
Jess's best friend, Alison’s just found out that after twenty years as an editor for the magazine Cape Cod Living, she would only be working part-time. When Alison went to her favorite bookstore, she found out the owner wanted to retire and was going to sell the bookstore.
That set things in motion, that changed their course again. That is what I loved about this book, life has its ups and downs, but if you keep moving forward in your journey, you don't know where you will end up. But it could be, finding where you really belong.
I received an ARC from St. Martin's Griffin through NetGalley.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Jessica and Alison. They have known each other all their lives. The are best friends. They are going to life’s many changes. One is going through a divorce and one is going to be let go at work and having to decide on her future. But through it all they both support each other.

This was a cute story of resilience during tough domestic times. If I were Jess dealing with Parker I don’t know that I’d have the grace that she did. I mean…total jaw drop moment.

I loved all of the characters (less Parker and Kyle) and how they grew throughout the book.

I liked how the women found their way back to each other and how everything came together in the end.

I was so excited about this book because I love books about books and bookstores, but there was no pizazz to this and it left me feeling bored throughout.
Jess and Caitlin are a mother daughter duo who live in Charleston. Jess is an attorney and Caitlin is a sales associate. They both receive (different) devastating news on the same day and decide a trip to Cape Cod is in order. Jess is from Cape Cod and her mother and best friend Alison and Alison’s daughter, Julia, still live there. Alison’s job at a magazine is looking at being cut and she mentions how her dream is to buy a bookstore. Jess has the money, so she purchases the bookstore and the adjacent coffee shop and the 2 women, plus Caitlin, go into business.
The romance part of the story is milder than mild. Each of the women meet a guy but their relationships with the men stay mostly friend status throughout. The biggest climax of the book is the debate Jess and Caitlin have as to whether or not they should move back to Charleston.
As for my positives: I really enjoyed all of the main characters and I especially loved the setting of Cape Cod. Pamela Kelley did a fantastic job setting the scene and I found myself wishing I could be there too. The food she described was mouth watering and her description of the book store and the customers warmed my bibliophile heart.
I was shocked to see this isn’t and. Kelley’s first book and while I wasn’t thrilled with the execution, I’ll definitely read more of her work since her characters and settings are so charming. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this. You can find yourself transported to Cape Cod on June 6.

This is a wonderful book with outstanding writing by author Pamela Kelley. The perfect beach read for your summer by the pool reading. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. The author knows Cape Cod and the atmospheric coastal setting is sublime.

This is a story told in multi generational stories about independent women following their dreams. It is a story of endearing women friendships and how friendships survive through the years. Of two strong women friends who change their lives with a leap of faith and find their happieness is different then they imagined. This is a love letter to books set in a charming bookstore. It is featuring the beauty and wildness of Cape Cod. I loved it and highly recommend this for your reading enjoyment.

When I read the synopsis for The Bookshop By the Bay I knew it was a book I wanted to read. It features middle-aged female protagonists, personal growth, friendship and a well-described beach setting in Cape Cod. It did not disappoint.

Jess is a respected lawyer working in the same practice as her husband when she learns he has had an affair with his assistant who is now pregnant. Their daughter Caitlin is thirty and has recently lost her job and ended a relationship. Jess decides to take some time off to think about her next steps and go visit her mother in Cape Cod. She invites Caitlin to accompany her and she accepts.

Jess is no stranger to Cape Cod. She grew up there. Allison is her lifelong friend and also resides on the peninsula. Her position as editor of a local magazine is being threatened and she knows she needs to look at making a change. Allison’s daughter is an artisan with her own shop in the area.

Throughout the summer, each of these four women experiences challenges and opportunities. I appreciated that the focus of the book is on change and personal growth along with the strength of friendships. It was interesting to observe Jess and Caitlin’s recognition of the opportunity to discover what brings them joy at this point in their lives. There are several romances that I enjoyed which develop but are not the focus of the book.

I recommend this book to those that enjoy Women’s Fiction or General Fiction.

I received an ARC of this ebook from the publisher, but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelley was a wonderful read about best friends, restarting their lives with help from each other.   The book takes place during the summer in Chatham, Mass which is located on the Cape.  There is nothing like warm beaches, with a great book sitting in the sun as far as I am concerned (although I need to stay under umbrellas).  

Jess  and Allison were best friends growing up.  Life took Jess to Charleston, a marriage and a daughter, Caitlin. Allison also married, but divorced young and also had one daughter Julia.  However Allison stayed in Chatham.  All of them are in the midst of changes - not all expected.  

Jess found out her husband had an affair and she realized that her marriage was done - and maybe had been for years.  She decided to head to Chatham for the summer, both to see her mom, but also to spend time with Allison, her best friend.  Jess knew there were some big choices coming up.

Allison found out that her job at a magazine was turning into a part time job.  She realized that she had allowed her relationship with her ex husband to have stopped her from moving forward and it was time to move on.  There is so much to think about and plans to make.  Jess coming for part of the summer helped Allison take a new perspective.

Caitilin lost her job and her boyfriend on the same day.  She went to the Cape with her mother to allow herself a break.  The time in the summer helped Caitlin realized it was time to make the right decision for her, not the expectations of others.  Too long Caitlin had lived under the expectation of others.

Julia opened her own shop and looked forward to the growth of her business.  She had a steady boyfriend and their relationship seemed to be solid. Until his company moved to Nashville and he expected her to go with him.  

All four women found their strength to grow and change. I enjoyed the storyline and all the characters. The Bookshop on the Bay by Pamela Kelley was a great read.

Book Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓹 𝓑𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓪𝔂
Author:
Pub date: June 6, 2023
Publisher: St Martin’s Press
Genre: 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝙰𝚍𝚞𝚕𝚝 𝙵𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗/𝚆𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚜 𝙵𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

What a great book to review for Mother’s Day!

This is a novel about Mothers and daughters and how they move through some tough life challenges.

Jess, a lawyer at her father in laws firm, and Allison, an editor, are lifelong friends. After Jess discovers her husband cheating she decides to spend the summer at home, with her Mom, in Cape Cod to decide what she wants in life. Her daughter, Caitlin, having not much luck with her boyfriend or career is spending the summer as well.

Allison, divorced for years but good friends with her ex, always dreamed of owning a bookstore. Her daughter, Julia, owns an eclectic jewelry shop and is in a relationship, although there’s something not quite right about it.

Caitlin and Julia become friends, they haven’t always been, and build their relationship making their Mothers happy.

Jess and Allison decide to purchase a well known bookshop and coffee shop. They both explore dating and navigating obstacles and joys in life.

This was a cute happy novel with many characters and relationships. It was a good easy read.

Thank you @netgalley @pamelamkelley @stmartinspress for an electronic book ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

#pamelamkelley #stmartinspress
#womensfiction
#literaryfiction #fiction #NetGalley
#reviewer #bookstagram #bookreview #bookreviewer #kindlebook #ebook #arc

This is a solid beach read. The characters are 2 mothers who are best friends and their daughters. It’s a book of discovery in some ways, but there’s not much plot or character development. It was a fun quick read though.

A woman finds out her husband is cheating on her with the secretary in their law office. She decides to take a break and with her out of work daughter heads to the beach to visit her mother and best friend. This is a story about her decision making process, what she ultimately decides to do, how it works out and how it affects her family and friends.

I was so excited when I was approved to read this novel. Pamela M. Kelly is one of my favourite authors. Perfect novel for the summer! Definitely recommend.

I found this book to be ok. Overall I liked the story but it just felt flat. One reason is that there were too many characters and they all seemed like the same person. Another reason is that there was nothing exciting in the story.

I found this story to be charming and heartwarming. While this story doesn't contain a ton of depth, it would make a lovely beach read.

This story showcases two moms who are best friends along with their grown daughters as they navigate changes they weren't expecting. At its core, this book is about friendship and family, and how important close relationships can be, especially when life throws you curveballs.

Read if you enjoy:
✔️ Female friendships
✔️ Idyllic coastal settings
✔️ Bookshops
✔️ Light, easy reads

3.5
This was a great, heading into Summer, read. I loved the idea of heading off to rest and recharge after experiencing a life changing event. Realistic? Definitely not; but that’s what sometimes makes a good story.

I did struggle with keeping the names and storylines of all of the straight in my head. Now, that could be a me problem, but I did want to mention it. It felt a bit like the Who’s Who of Cape Cod with all of the names that I had to keep straight.

Ehhh this one was not really for me. As other reviewers have noted, it's very PG and lacks the kind of small-town drama one would relish in a beach read. It also bothered me throughout the book that Jess's mom was just "Jess's mom" and didn't have a name of her own.
I probably would not recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!