The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelley is a wonderful beach read.

Pamela Kelley is one of my favorite women's fiction authors and I have been highly anticipating this new book.

The story is about mothers who have been friends for a long time and their daughters. I loved each of the main characters, Jess, Caitlin, Alison, and Julia. The characters are well developed, complicated and well fleshed out.

The story is set in Chatham where this is a coffee place and a bookshop. The description of the town transported me right to this seaside town.

A well written story about finding yourself with the help from family and friends.

Highly recommend!

This multigenerational story is my pick for beach read of the year! It is a great example of finding your way whether you are young and starting your life, middle aged and needing to start over or more mature and finding your way in later years. The friendships that are woven throughout this story are aspirational and wonderfully encouraging. I truly hope the author decides to give us more glimpses of the people in this book with a follow-up as one visit to this Cape Cod setting is not nearly enough! Anyone who has ever desired a fresh start or been wondering if they could start something new at a more mature age, needs to read this book for inspiration! I absolutely devoured this book as I completely relate with the need to find a new beginning. In my case, my husband and I are both looking for something different to do as we have both become somewhat disenfranchised with our current careers and after 30 years, it may be time for us to find a different career as a second act. This book inspires you to live your life to the fullest and find that place with the help of friends and family to truly be happy. The plot is incredibly well written. It drew me in and kept me enraptured for an entire day! Good thing I had a day off today!

The Bookshop by the Bay is a heartwarming story and perfect for readers who love books that are chalk-full of characters who love books as much as they do. I found this book easy to read and a nice way to spend my Sunday. The characters are real and complex, and the story will take you on a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride.

Best friends Allison and Jess, along with their adult daughters, reconnect and discover new directions for their lives during summer in Cape Cod. A multi-generational story that shows that it is never too late to start again.

The Bookshop by the Bay is my first book from Pamela Kelley. She ranks right up there with the Queens of Beach Reads - Nancy Thayer, Debbie Macomber, Mary Kay Andrews, and Anita Hughes. This won't be my last book by Kelley - I'm adding her to my list of must-read authors. (When I finish with this review, I'm going to see what books my library might have).

What avid reader doesn't dream of owning a bookshop? Some of my favorite beach reads are set in Nantucket, but Cape Cod is almost as good of a setting (Kelley does have a series set in Nantucket). It's on my bucket list to one day visit the New England coast, but until then I will keep visiting in the pages of books.

I loved the characters. I was a little shocked that Allison's and Jess's daughters still lived at home (though Allison's daughter Julia had recently gotten her own place), but Cape Cod isn't cheaper and neither is Charleston, SC where Jess and Caitlyn live. I have read other beach reads with well-off characters and sometimes I get annoyed with the characters as they "struggle" financially because of a change in marital status because I can't relate to their struggle as it is usually a loss in social status (country club membership, McMansion home) rather than a true financial hardship. That wasn't the case with these characters. They felt very real and down-to-earth.

Julia is the owner of a custom jewelry store where she makes her own pieces. She is concerned about making enough to cover costs - she even bounces a check for insufficient funds - all real possibilities for a small business owner, especially one in a tourist town. Caitlyn can't seem to keep a job. While her situation is the most difficult for me to relate to, I know a lot of people now in their late 20s and early 30s are struggling to find a good career fit. Allison works for a magazine that is falling on hard times as more people turn to the internet for their news. She's facing a layoff. Again a reality for people in the publishing industry. Jess knows her marriage is over but it is easier to just go through the motions rather than initiate a very difficult conversation until she can no longer ignore the situation. As she works in the same law firm as her husband and whose family founded the firm - it's not just a change in her marital status that will change, she will also need to make a career change.

With the freedom to do so, Jess and Caitlyn decide to spend the summer in Jess's hometown of Chatham where her mother, Allison, and Julia still live. For the four women, summer is going to be a time of change and if they are open to it it might just put them on the path to their best lives.

I'm usually very disciplined about going to bed at a decent hour. A book might keep me up an hour or two past my bed time (if it is the weekend) but it has been a long time since I've stayed up reading until 2 am. My Kindle said I still had 1.5 hours left but I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer otherwise I probably would have kept reading until I finished the book. The story flows really well making it a fast read and adding to the difficulty of putting it down.

It is also the perfect novel for relaxing. Yes, there is some light conflict but it isn't anxiety-inducing and resolves itself pretty quickly. It is kind of like a daydream where you know everything is going to work out perfectly. I definitely recommend this for a lazy weekend or your vacation trip.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday, June 6 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/06/the-bookshop-by-bay-by-pamela-kelley.html

With THE BOOKSHOP BY THE BAY, Pamela Kelley has shared the story of a woman facing betrayal in a carefully constructed marriage and lifestyle, retreating to familiar, beloved Chatham, MA, and ultimately building a new, genuine, and rewarding life for herself with old friends and new joys. I deeply enjoyed the Cape Cod setting and the total immersion in a relatable story. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. A woman starting over with a bookshop and coffee shop with her best friend’s and daughter’s help in the town she grew up in. This was a light beach read where everything seemed to be positive and predictable, which I don’t have a problem with. It just felt a bit anticlimactic and like there was zero conflict throughout the story even though it was actually there. I enjoyed how everyone found their way in the end, but it seemed unrealistic and didn’t grab me like most books.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Give me a book that has best friends, daughters, and Books and I am all for it. This book is the perfect summer read. We meet Jess who is going through a divorce, so the scandal is a wild one. Her best friend Allison tells her to come back to her hometown to visit and get away, and she does just that with her own daughter Caitlin. While there and trying to process everything she does the wildest thing ever with her best friend. Each character has their own struggle which I loved and the author did her thing with character build up. But I love how these best friends were able to rebuild their lives all over again, fall in love again, and even start a new business together, it was a huge lesson on "its never too late" and I loved that.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this gem.

I read this book as well as listened to the audiobook.

This is a wonderful story about two married friends and their daughters and how after heartbreak you can make a life that is fulfilling and holds the promise of love once again for all 4 women. This book is a quick and easy read. Great book to listen to while on the beach or while on holiday. A very heartwarming relationship shown with all 4 women.

I voluntarily received an advanced copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own..

I would recommend this book to my family friends and my book club

✨ARC Book Review: The Bookshop by the Bay✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Pub Date: 6/6/23

Talk about a beautiful, idyllic setting for a book! The Bookshop by the Bay had me picturing the sandy shores of Cape Cod from start to finish.

Jess is a high profile lawyer living in Charleston until she discovers her husband is cheating on her. She and her daughter, Caitlin, decide to escape to Chatham for the summer to get away. Allison, long time best friend of Jess, lives in the small Cape Cod town with her artsy daughter, Julia. What brings them all even closer together? Buying a bookshop!

“Mothers and daughters and best friends forever.”

I loved the relationships in this book! Two childhood best friends who lean on each other through good times and bad. The mother/daughter connections were each unique and very sweet. It was also fun to watch their daughters, Caitlin and Julia, form a similar bond as their mothers. I felt like I was a regular at their coffee shop getting a front row seat to their lives.

Overall, the book is a pleasant, feel good read. The plot may not be the most memorable for me in a few weeks or months, but I enjoyed escaping to the beach for a few days while reading The Bookshop by the Bay!

I listened to some of this as an audiobook and felt the narrator did a terrific job.

Thank you @netgalley for an advanced copy of this book and audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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I love books that are set by any kind of water add a bookstore and I'm gonna read it. This is the perfect book to get your summer reading started if you havent already.
Pretty much sums up the story from the sysnopisis: possibility of romance, the bonds of mothers and daughters, and the magic of second chances.

Out June 6th wherever books are sold

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jess. a high-profile lawyer in Charleston moves to her childhood home on Cape Cod to lick her wounds and regroup, when her marriage implodes, Her thirty-year-old daughter, Caitlin, joins her, as she is having problems of her own that she has to recover from. Jess has always dreamed of owning a bookstore, and when the owner of the local bookstore announces she is retiring, she along with her longtime best friend, Alison, decide to buy the bookstore and make that dream a reality. This is going to be a summer of second chances for all of them.

I had hoped this would be an enjoyable beach read, but it fell short of my expectations. All of the characters just felt one dimensional and their storylines were, and I hate to say this, boring. It was mainly a lot of them going out drinking and trying to find a new love interest or divest themselves of an old one, and a LOT of Caitlin talking about moving back to Charleston in October and not knowing what she was going to do with her life. Maybe this book just wasn't for me, but I really didn't enjoy this one at all.

The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela M. Kelley is an easy summer read of women and relationships. Jess returns for the summer to Cape Cod along with her grown daughter. Together with lifelong friend Allison and her grown daughter a bookshop and café is bought restored and opened for business. A lot for these women to take on suddenly. However, sometimes change is needed in one’s life.

For Jess that couldn’t be more true with a cheating husband and divorce coming. An interesting woman that rolls with life’s punches. In fact, there is drama, some angst but not as much conflict that would have probably been normal for a couple of these women with the men in their lives at the beginning of this book.

A summer read that highlights childhood forever friendships, close mother-daughter bonds and that it is never too late to start anew.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the focus on the importance of believing in yourself and the trusting your friends. The characters were interesting and relatable. The story drew me in right away. Thanks #NetGalley

Just great!!

This book is another terrific read by Pamela M. Kelley. I've enjoyed her previous series', and while I'm not sure if this is a stand-alone or the start of a series, either way it was really good.

Allison and Jess have been friends for a long time, so when Jess' marriage falls apart suddenly, she and her adult daughter Caitlin decide to spend the summer in Chatham, Massachusetts, recovering from their breakups . All 4 women (Jess, Caitlin, Allison and her daughter, Julia) are all at a crossroads in their lives, and spending time together is good for them all. Opening the coffee shop and bookstore are icing on the cake!

Women supporting women is usually a strong theme in this author's books, and this is no exception. The four of them, plus Jess' mother, all pull together and are there for each other over this life-changing summer. Fingers crossed this will become a series and we'll see more of these 4 in the future!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This book was the epitome of all the summer/beach vibes. I mean, look at that cover!! 😍

There are multiple pov in this novel — the moms and their daughters. Jess, Caitlin, Alison, and Julia. I loved seeing the two best friends Jess & Alison together. They have such a solid friendship!

But each of these women go through hard challenges. Breakups, divorce, and even losing their jobs. But they all come back stronger from it and find their true happiness. I wish I was able to visit the bookstore & coffee shop and also Julia’s jewelry shop!

Plus, I loved the romances that happened. So sweet to see them all find someone to love. ❤️

Overall, a charming and heartwarming women’s fiction novel. Make sure to add this book to your summer reading TBR! ☀️

[ Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

Bookstore by the Bay

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4 ⭐️

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Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

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Jess recently found out her husband was cheating on her, and her daughter Caitlin just got fired from another dead end job. The two women take off for Jess’ hometown of Chatham, MA for the summer to relax and reconnect. While there, Jess decides to invest in a local bookstore and coffee shop, which she will leave in the hands of her best friend Alison when she returns home in the fall. With the help of Caitlin and Alison’s daughter Julia, the four women work together to try to make their dreams come true. Along the way they face setbacks, new love, and old flames. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same…

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💭 Thoughts 💭

This is one for fans of Elin Hilderbrand! I loved the Cape Cod setting since we live just off the cape, so it was fun reading about someplace local. This book had 4 different perspectives, one for each woman, so it helped to see all sides of the situation and I liked seeing the mother/daughter connections. Some parts were definitely fluffy, but overall a fun and easy summer read.

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⌛️ Favorite Moment ⌛️

When Jess decides to buy the bookstore! Taking on an investment is a big risk, but I think owning a bookstore would be so cool! It was fun to see her grow the business through events and loyalty cards.

The Bookshop by the Bay is such a fun summer read! I immediately wished I was at the Cape and able to visit this cute bookshop!

This is a book about friendship and taking chances set in a bookshop/cafe on the Cape. I loved the friendship between Jess and Allison and their daughters becoming friends too. The theme of stepping outside your comfort zone was a big part of this book for multiple characters!

This would be the perfect poolside or beach read if you're looking for a great book about friendship. Who doesn't love a bookstore setting?

I listened to this, thanks to @macmillan.audio. It's just under 10 hours and I enjoyed the narrator!

The Bookshop by the Bay comes out June 6th! Highly recommend it if you want a great audiobook about friendship!

2.5/5⭐️

When Jess’ marriage disintegrates, she and her 30-year-old daughter decamp from Charleston to her Cape Cod childhood home for support from her mother and bff.
She and her bff (who is also at a crossroads) decide to buy a local bookstore. As they work toward business success, their daughters pitch in as well.

OK, this just not work for me. First, the writing felt simplistic and just not up to par. The characters had no depth, therefore I wasn’t invested enough. They felt like they were simply reacting to situations (my marriage derailed, I’ll impulsively buy a bookstore, etc.) without planning ahead or making thoughtful decisions. It felt like there wasn’t much of a storyline either…end of a marriage, returns home, new investment, new life. And all five women (mothers and daughters) end up with pretty perfect lives…somehow.

Sorry, but it just didn’t work for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing the free early arc of The Bookshop by the Bay for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Great beach read about two best friends and their daughters. Jessica and Caitlin Coleman, and Alison and Julia Paige are all at a crossroads of some sort—work, relationships, or both. Old friendships were solidified (Jess and Alison) and new ones were made (Caitlin and Julia). Although I prefer first person POV, this book told in third person POV made it easy to keep track of which character the chapter was about.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

This was a book about Mothers,daughters and friends.
It’s also about new beginnings and starting over.
It’s a really good book that I read in one day!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy