This was a lovely little book. It's an easy breezy summertime book where all the characters have a happy ending. The plot is follows any book lovers dream, when the main character buys a bookshop on cape cod with her best friend! This book made me nostalgic for summertime and the warm months ahead.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

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.

This is the perfect beach read - especially for those readers that adore books.! This is a feel good story of mothers and daughters, life long best friends, and the desire to pursue their dreams all while over coming life’s obstacles. I loved the idyllic Cape Cod setting, the bookshop and coffee shop, and the very real challenges each of the women face. Through all the twists and turns life has thrown at these ladies, they’ve come together, their bonds stronger than ever, and each of them following their dreams. Five stars! I can’t wait to share this with the women in my life!

I love a good wholesome book. I listened to this one and enjoyed it every step of the way. Each woman has hurdles to overcome and I enjoyed "seeing" their strengths shine through. I'd highly recommend!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This book was a fun new title by author Kelley. I hope that this is the start of a new series, because I really want to know what happens to some of the supporting characters from this story.

Cute story loved the way the characters support each other. Fun and light beach read for the almost summer time.

Slow burn,very predictable beach read. If you want a book you can put down and pick up without missing anything, this is it. A lot of characters to keep up with. Women just toddling along in their lives and then all make life changes over the course of a summer. I kept waiting for something to happen or for some "meat on the bone" but it just isn't there. Her cozy mysteries minus the cat animations are much more fun.
The narrator is excellent. Enjoy with a nap or a swim between chapters. I was provided an advanced reader audio at my request and was under no obligation to leave a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to to author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity. Thanks to the narrator for a nice listen.

This was my first Pamela Kelley book. I enjoyed this feel good fiction. The multigenerational story about two lifelong friends really entertained. Enjoyably narrated! Great beach read just in time for summer.

Thanks NetGalley and McMillan audio for this advanced copy of the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Two lifelong friends, a bookshop by the bay. Infidelity and jobs lost, bring these two friends back together and for taking chances. Jess and Allison take a chance on a local bookstore and re-opening a coffee shop that didn't do very well the first time around. Will their bookshop and coffee shop in Chatham, Cape Cod fail or will it thrive.
This is a great beach read about lifelong friendship, loss and taking a chance. You will get wrapped up in this book and won't put it down until the very end and will leave you wishing there was more. This book will be released in June 2023.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for giving me the opportunity to listen to this great audiobook.
#netgalley, #Macmillanaudio, #friendship, #secondchances

Goodness I love a book set on Cape Cod in the summer. I mean...instant summer vibes.
This was a great story, enjoyed the narration, enjoyed everything!

Such a great read for summer.

The narrator had a pleasant voice, sometimes I found it difficult to follow the different character plotlines since they were all pretty similar.

This is your typical beach read, where they all decide to create a new life for themselves in the end. It's very PG and would share with my mom.

A perfect Beach Read! A lovely easy fun story about a relationship between a Mother, Daughter, Grandmother, Friends, & Family. A feel great story about following your dreams & second chances when things & life are falling apart all around you. A story about sticking up for your happiness & moving forward to achieve it. The characters are real & very likable. You will be cheering them on. Women supporting each other & encouraging each other to find their happy place. A charming summer vacation book read.

Thank you Netgallery for gifting me the opportunity to enjoy this book.

Hooray to fresh starts & falling in Love!

This was a perfect low key, non-stressful listen. The characters were different ages, so it was relatable for different readers. Sometimes I need an audiobook that I can just listen to and enjoy without having to follow every detail. There was just that, as well as having a strong sense of place and lots of food descriptions. Who doesn’t love a coffee shop / book store setting?

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this eAudiobook, The Bookshop by the Bay.

This book was a lot of fun to listen to, I loved the story of Allison and Jess, Also, the story of their parents added a multi-generational spin that I was not expecting but enjoyed very much. Once good friends that were separated by dreams and aspirations. The setting in Cape Cod was a great additive to the story, because I could easily picture myself by the cape many times throughout the novel.

This was one of those novels that was easy to escape reality and live at Cape Cod. The good friends had a great dynamic and business future together for the book store and put those ideas into a reality. Sometimes we think we know what we want in life and something barrels in and makes changes for us. It is always better to be happy than comfortable and that is what I loved while reading this novel.

I wanted to read this book because it takes place on Cape Cod and I love to read about places I know, but this story could have taken place just about anywhere. It was an OK story--I could see where it was going before I got there, the characters were sort of interesting, although maybe a little one dimensional and everything seemed to happen according to plan with few bumps in the road. It was a pleasant enough read and sometimes that is enough--I always enjoy a book about bookstores and libraries...

Colleen Chi-Girl
My rating: ****
Shelves: 2023, audio, carolinas-n-s, contemporary, crime-mysteries, feminism, massachusetts, netgalley, read, us-no-amer, women-centered.

This was my first novel by the author Pamela M. Kelley and I enjoyed the premise and the strong female characters. I rated this 3-1/2 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC, which was narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker.

There are 2 main characters, women in their 50's, who have adult daughters and are going through changes in their attitudes, careers, and lives, in general. There are also many secondary characters. It's set in Cape Cod and I could picture the beautiful, windswept beaches, and lovely stores. I loved that the 2 leads saved a bookstore but had issues with how it quickly it came about and was fixed, then successfully launched. I kept wondering how the female lawyer could take the money out to finance it before her divorce, etc., etc.

There was also something just a little lackluster for me and I've waited to review this so I could pinpoint it. However, it's still unclear. I'm not sure if it was the narrator that others loved or just the semi-predictability and way-too-easiness of the story.

Regardless, an enjoyable cozy read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced audiobook. The book's plot seemed to have a lot of potential to begin with, but then it all got jumbled together. There were so many characters that the author bounced around to that it was difficult to keep track of who was who. It also seemed like each character had a love interest or two and that got confusing as well. It seemed like it was necessary for every female character to be on the prowl. The outcome was very lackluster as well, I think anyone could have predicted it. This was not for me.

What a fun, light, summery read!
Perfect for an escape from day-to-day humdrums. The setting is charming, and the characters are likeable (even those who are not supposed to be likeable have good characters). The pace is good - not too fast to be overwhelming even though a lot of relationships begin to develop in quick succession. Somehow it seems natural and as it should be.
What better setting than the beach AND a bookshop? It sounds like the perfect place to be!
I felt a little confused about the relationships with both Kyle and Peter. They absolutely served as a foil for the life that Julia and Caitlin now wanted, however they both seemed to be an afterthought. I would have liked to know more about how they helped to change the girls minds.

Title: The Bookshop by the Bay
A Novel
Written by Pamela Kelley
Narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker

I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this audiobook through Netgalley.

This is a good book about love, loss, starting over, and finding your bliss.

There are 4 main characters - Jess, Allison, Julia, and Caitlyn

Jess’s life goes from stable but unfulfilling to chaos fairly quickly.

Allison’s life goes from stable and good to rocky and uncertain

Julia’s life goes from getting by to learning how to navigate newly single life

Caitlyn’s life goes from optimistic but just okay to a completely different lifestyle

Each of these women is strong, smart, kind, and desperately in need of change - whether they realize it or not

All 4 find themselves together in Chatham, Massachusetts one summer

Jess and Allison have been best friends since they were children where they both grew up in Chatham.

When Jess’s life is thrown into chaos mode - her daughter, Caitlyn, decides to join her for the summer

Allison’s daughter, Julia, is an artist with a shop that is doing okay and is in a relationship without sparks.

These 4 women experience some ups and downs, but together they find a way to help each other as they each navigate the waters to make their lives better.

This is a heartwarming story that I recommend to people who love beach reads, books about mothers and daughters, books about starting over, books about bookstores, and books by Danielle Steele.

Stephanie Németh-Parker is a fabulous narrator - she does a fantastic job bringing all of the characters to life!

The Bookshop by the Bay
by Pamela Kelley
Narrator, Stephanie Németh-Parker
I have read a number of books by this author and my favorites are the books in the Beach Plum Cove Inn series. That said, this book was good but maybe a little too long. Most of the books I have read or listened to by this author are pretty short, seven hours or less and I think that’s a good length for this kind of story. However, it was enjoyable and I liked the main characters and as always in a Pamela Kelly book, the talk about food and wine. And of course, the location.
The narrator was good at both male and female voices and made the story an easy listen
Thanks to Netgalley.