Two lifelong friends, Jess and Allison, are at different points of their lives and ready for change. They turn to each other, and their daughters, for a fresh start and new beginnings.

📚 What worked:
• Small town storyline
• Friendships
• second chances
• book about books
• audiobook

What didn’t work - This was a really slow-paced book with multiple POV’s, that were a bit confusing, and an ending that was too predictable for my liking.

Although this one wasn’t for me, it does make for a light beach read with feel-good vibes and the audiobook was great! I really did enjoy the narrator and she did a great job narrating multiple characters.

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress & @macmillan.audio for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jess’ world has just exploded. She is a well established lawyer in Charleston but her marriage has just blown up in her face. She heads to her home on Cape Cod to lick her wounds. She meets up with her friend, Alison. Well, needless to say, these two do not let grass grow under their feet. They end up buying a bookshop and their worlds change for the better.

These characters are such a refreshing change. I love Jess and Alison. Both have issues but they definitely overcome all that the world has stacked against them. Add in the setting and you have a great escape. Now, this tale is a bit long and could have been a bit shorter. In other words, there are several mundane details not needed. But the setting and the characters add to the charm!

The narrator, Stephanie Németh-Parker did such a wonderful job. She really made this tale come alive.

Need a sweet tale with a fabulous setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This was a cute and fast/easy read. It wasn't mind blowing in any way, and the characters were a little blah, but if you're looking for an easy beach read than this one is for you.

The story was ok but this will definitely be the last I read by this author. I found myself not liking any of the characters. Extremely snobby people who thought "having a degree" disqualified you from being a decent person. There were a couple of times I literally gasped. The worst one was when one of the main characters thought "why would someone with a degree be a plumber?"
I do not recommend. I only gave 3 stars because I'm nice.

The Bookshop by the Bay is a standalone novel by author Pamela Kelley. Two women, best friends since childhood, create a special summer for themselves and their adult daughters when Jessica Coleman, attorney, comes home to Chatham, Massachusetts, with her daughter, Caitlin, to spend some time with her mother and friends. Jessica’s marriage to fellow attorney and law partner Parker Coleman when his straying creates a new family, has run its course. This separation is the precursor for divorce.
Alison Page has worked as editor for a regional travel magazine for years. Having divorced many years before, Alison and her ex, Chris, have created a close friendship as they raised their daughter, Julia. Almost too close as neither date but they also have no intention to reunite. When Alison’s boss, Jim, confides that the magazine is in deep financial trouble that will necessitate layoffs, Alison volunteers to go part time. Working at the magazine is not her dream job. What Alison really imagines for herself is owning her own bookstore. When the local bookstore is up for sale, Jessica proposes she will purchase it and Alison will run it. The building also includes a defunct coffee shop, a big plus.
Alison will manage daily operations, Jessica will do bookkeeping and legal work, and unemployed Caitlin will manage the coffee shop. Julia is building her own high end jewelry store but will help with advertising and promotion. Hopefully, all will be running smoothly by the time Jess and Caitlin return to Charleston in midOctober.
This is a well plotted tale of second acts and friendships. With well drawn characters and a lovely coastal setting, Ms. Kelley returns her readers to the Cape Cod area in a dynamic story of moving forward. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

The Bookshop by the Bay is a feel good story about second chances. When Jess finds out her husband of 30 years is having a baby by someone almost the same age as their daughter, she leaves for the cape to spend some time with her family and friends. As she and her daughter Caitlyn spend time on the beach, they both discover that life has a way of turning out better than you expected. Thanks for the chance to listen to this audiobook from #NetGalley and the publisher.

The fact that I'm in the middle of opening a bookstore may have played a hand in my love for this book but I thought it was the sweetest summer read!

After finding out her husband cheated on her, Jess goes back home to Cape Cod to clear her head and make decisions. She takes her adult daughter, Caitlyn, with her. She ends up staying several months and invests in a bookshop with her long time best friend, Alison. Now she has to decide whether to go back to the law firm where her soon to be ex-husband is also a lawyer in Charleston or make a new life in her old town.

That is a quick synopsis but this book was so much more. It was a little coming of age for Caitlyn. It was a new friendship between Julia and Caitlyn. It was about second chances and changing paths. For all of them, it was deciding what's important.

I love books about books and bookshops. All of their concerns and ideas for the bookshop were things I'm thinking about now so it was fun to connect in that way.

I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. It would be a fantastic beach read this summer. It is a book that made me feel good and I loved the characters. I listened to it and I also liked the narrator.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @mcmillanaudio for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review!

I read this book in one day! It's the absolute perfect summer read :) Easy to read, lighthearted, with the perfect amount of drama and heavy stuff!

An enjoyable summer tale of romance, redemption and starting over all in a lovely beach setting. The characters feel like old friends and you want the absolute best for them.

This book was phenomenal. A book about a bookstore, coffee shop and the beach. Who could ask for more? Oh yes… romance!
I loved the local flavor as my husband and I frequent Chatham. It’s quaint and we love that it’s close by to where we live. Thank you for the adventure…. I loved it! By the way… great white shark sightings are frequently seen …
I highly recommend the audiobook… the narrator was pleasant to listen to.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for my complimentary arc. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook.

Grab a glass of your favorite wine and get cozy. The Bookshop by the Bay is a great afternoon beach read.
It is full of dreams, family, best friends and the possibilities of second chances.

I paired the audiobook and the physical arc. It was the perfect listen on the airplane.

Jess is a lawyer in Charleston. Her childhood best friend, Allison, is an editor for a magazine in Chatham, Cape Cod. When Jess finds out that her husband, Parker, has been cheating on her with his assistant, she decides to spend some time back home in Chatham and figure things out with her daughter, Caitlin. Allison's editing job is struggling as the magazine's circulation is not doing well. Allison's daughter, Julia, is also in Chatham and has an artisanal jewelry shop.
Feeling they have nothing to lose and wanting to make a change, Jess and Allison decide to take a leap into ownership of a beloved local bookstore and coffee shop, with the support of their daughters.

As the narrator introduced each character and this dreamy beach town with a cozy bookshop, I couldn't help but be drawn farther into the story. It made me wish I was relaxing on the beach with a cold drink! The Bookshop by the Bay is the perfect read to add to your bag this summer.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to The Bookshop by the Bay, which was published on June 6, 2023. I was provided with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions above are my own.

- This was a cute and fast read. Love the idea of friends running a bookstore together and while the writing wasn’t outstanding by any means it was certainly fun and easy to listen to.

While I was looking forward to reading this story, I found it to be a bit predictable and felt there were too many characters.

The story's central figures are a mother and daughter, Jess and Caitlin, who are both fleeing Charleston to Jess's hometown in the aftermath of Caitlin's father's poor choices. Caitlin recently lost her job and is at loose ends, while Jess is trying to figure out what comes next in her life. And since her best friend Alison is also on the Cape, it just makes sense to go there.

The three end up going into business together but as they are each navigating career and life changes, we follow along as they figure out what they want (and don't want) in their lives moving forward.

When you factor in their Charleston friends and Cape Cod friends, there's a huge cast of characters to keep straight.

Unfortunately, while the narrator is very skilled, I found her vocal choices a bit hard to follow. Alison sounds very young compared to Jess (her contemporary), so I was continually confused by who the daughters were.

Ultimately, the story just didn't keep my interest. I pretty much knew what the ending would be long before it came. It's not that I disliked it. But there's not a lot to recommend either.

Thank you to Pamela Kelley, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

Title: The Bookshop by the Bay
Author: Pamela M. Kelley
Genre: Women's Fiction
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: June 6, 2023

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies of this book from St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Refreshing • Cozy • Forgettable

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Jess loves her work as a high-profile lawyer in the respectable and austere city of Charleston. But when she finds her husband, Parker, has been cheating on her with his assistant, she retreats, with her thirty year-old daughter Caitlin for support, to her childhood home on Cape Cod. Caitlin has always been bright but directionless, looking for her passion but keeps coming up blank.

Jess' best friend Allison's career has hit a low. After twenty years as an editor for the Chatham magazine, circulation is dwindling and though her boss and long-time friend, Jim, does everything to keep her, she has no choice but to take a step back. With a career on hiatus and her main relationship being with Chris, her ex-husband who is still a good friend, Allison is at a pivotal point in life. Her daughter Julia opened her own artisanal jewelry shop a year prior, and she has the kind of day-to-day fulfillment Allison yearns for.

When Allison stops into her beloved local bookstore, she learns that the owner wants to sell. Allison and Jess set a plan in motion and what was once a place that held warm childhood memories is now theirs to run. As the two friends, along with the help of their daughters, reopen the doors of the cherished bookstore and adjacent coffee shop to the community, they also open themselves up to the possibility of romance, the bonds of mothers and daughters, and the magic of second chances.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I requested this book on a whim from NetGalley because it seemed like a feel-good summer read and, of course, because it involved a bookshop. The Bookshop by the Bay was my first foray into Pamela M. Kelley's work, and while it was enjoyable, it was also highly forgettable.

What I like:
• the setting. There are so many descriptions of places throughout that I just wanted to head to Cape Cod on vacation. Of course, there is also the bookshop.
• middle aged characters. It's refreshing to read a book involving middle aged characters and their older children. As you can probably guess there are lots of second-chance opportunities happening here.
• multi-generational. Similar to above, I really liked how the pair of mother/daughters came to work together and rebuild their lives.

What I didn't like:
• the pacing. At times it dragged. At times it felt like everything was moving way too quickly. And still it somehow felt longer than it needed to be.
• Four POVs. It took me quite awhile to get everyone sorted out, but I still don't think each perspective was necessary. It would have been fine with just two POVs.

The audio read by Stephanie Németh-Parker was decent and helped me get through this one quicker than I would have had I simply been reading with my eyes. Overall, an okay read but nothing extraordinary. This is just your average feel-good summer read.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• anyone in need of a new start
• readers who love literary elements in their books

⚠️ CW: infidelity, pregnancy, divorce, alcohol

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"There’s nothing like browsing a bookstore. Smelling all those books, flipping through the pages and choosing the perfect one for your mood at that moment."

The Bookshop by the Bay
Pamela Kelley

This book was the perfect back yard read for my Memorial Day Weekend. This is a sweet book about mothers and daughters, life challenges and changes.

Jess and Allison have been best friends for years and find themselves with changes in their lives. Jobs are lost, relationships end and begin. Not only do these two friends find life changes but their daughters do too. Caitlyn and Julie slowly find themselves becoming friends and starting over too. This all happens in the small Cape Cod town of Chatham.

I enjoyed this book but it did take a little while to get use to all the different characters. I found this book to be the typical read. I did wish there was a little more drama with the main characters. I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a fantastic job with the various character voices. The book was an easy listen and I sure it is a great read. This author did a great job in the detail present for this small town, the bookstore and coffee shop. This is a well “written” book and I do recommend it.

For me it was a great book about the power family, friendship and second chances.

Thank you to NetGalley, St.Martin Press and Pamela Kelley for the ARC of a this book.

Pamela Kelly's THE BOOKSHOP BY THE BAY is a charming summer beach read featuring two friends, two daughters, a book and coffee shop, and a summer of change and new beginnings!

Set in a quaint seaside town of New England —Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a heartwarming generational tale of mothers, daughters, friendship, and strong women.

Jess is a high-profile lawyer in Charleston. Her husband, Parker, has been cheating on her with his assistant, and she is pregnant.

She accompanies her daughter, Caitlin, age 30, to the childhood home on Cape Cod in Chatham. Caitlin has not found her passion, so she and her mom, Jess, are here for the summer.

Allison is Jess's friend, and her career takes a hit when her editor's job at a Chatham magazine goes part-time and is ultimately cut due to the economy and online business. Her daughter Julia has her own jewelry shop that she loves.

Allison discovers her local bookstore wants to sell, which has been her big dream. Jess helps her with the financial end, and they go into business together—a place of fond memories of their childhood.

With the help of these friends and their daughters, they open the bookstore and the adjacent coffee shop with new ideas and new beginnings.

No matter your age, it is never too late to start over. The women come together with new friends, new business, good food, and wine—finding Cape Cod the perfect place for second chances. These women drink a lot of WINE!

THE BOOKSHOP BY THE BAY is a light, breezy beach read about mother-daughter relationships, friendships, family, romance, and taking chances.

Who doesn't love quaint bookshops, coffee shops, and charming beach towns?

For fans of Sherryl Woods, Viola Shipman, Susan Wiggs, Mariah Stewart, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Debbie Macomber.

I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker for an engaging beach escape.

Thanks to #Macmillan Audio #StMartinsPress #StMartinsGriffin #NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC for review purposes. #SMPInfluencers

Blog review posted @

JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: June 6, 2023
June 2023 Must-Read Books

The Bookshop by the Bay - Pamela Kelley
Average rating on GR: 4.04/5
Thoughts
Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC!
The story was really cute. It had a cozy beach read type of vibe.
The book follows several different people and shifts perspective (third person) from one person to the next mid chapter, which could get a little difficult to follow as an audiobook. There were a lot of characters and sometimes trying to remember who is who got a little overwhelming.
With that said, the actual plot was really cute and I enjoyed it a lot. I just think this one was better read as a physical/ebook instead of audiobook.
The narration was really good, but I think if she had been able to change her voice for each character, it might have made the story easier to follow.

The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelley is the perfect summer read. This book made me want to travel to Chatham right away and visit the town and shops mentioned. ( I know they are fiction! ) I also enjoyed the different mother/daughter bonds throughout. Loved the journeys there women go on and the message that you are never too old to follow your dreams!

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a light, fun summer read. The Bookshop by the Bay will give you all the summer vibes and what better location than a bookshop/coffee shop in a small beach town?!?!?!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Hallmark, feel good story about big life changes, how relationships change as we grow older, and figuring out what makes you happy.