Ethan Joella has done it again. He really hit it out of the park with this one! He has a way with words, and the character development was phenomenal. Such a beautiful story about love, life, family, and friends. I will continue to read everything Ethan Joella writes.

Ethan Joella writes so beautifully it’s a delight to read his warm heartfelt novels.A restaurant as the center piece of this novel characters that come alive a story that kept me turning the pages totally drawn in.I will be recommending this wonderful read.#netgalley #scribner.

“As long as we’re under the same stars, my dad used to say, there’s still a chance.”

I have and will continue to read everything Ethan Joella writes. He is such a master of portraying the lives of regular, every day people in small town America. In The Same Bright Stars, you come to care deeply for the average Joe (or Jack as the case may be), living his normal life as the proprietor of a restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, DE, while trying to ignore the pressures from a large conglomerate who wants to buy up his business. This is a story of lost family and found family, it’s a love letter to Joella’s hometown, and it is a story that will make you want to visit Rehoboth Beach to see if you can run into Jack, Deacon, Genevieve, and all the other characters you will fall in love with along the way.

My only caveat for sensitive readers is that there is a fair amount of strong language.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Read if you like:
Found family
Short chapters
Small town America

Thank you Scribner for a digital ARC through NetGalley.

SAME BRIGHT STARS is most certainly Ethan Joella’s best writing to date. It is a beautifully written story of the blending of characters and how the smallest of intersections in our lives can have a huge impact on our future.

The story begins following Jack Schmidt as he determines whether or not he’s ready to sell the small Rehoboth Beach restaurant his family has owned for 3 generations. He’s tired and while he loves the staff and the relationships he’s built with them, he contemplates what’s left of his future and whether or not to see out to a conglomerate (as is the question for many small beach town businesses.

The timeline spans decades, secrets, found family and a glimpse into seaside town life.

I loved the glimpses into the Rehoboth Beach tourist guide, and how these characters seemed to spark that guide to life. My family loves Rehoboth, so this was especially meaningful as read!

There are mentions of death, suicide, abortion, drug use, Alzheimer’s, so please reach out if you have questions.

The relationships, flawed characters, and the found family connections that rise from the pain is real and beautifully written. I loved it and highly recommend you read it!

Ethan Joella has a way of highlighting what makes us human. The missteps. The messiness. The beauty of coming together. THE SAME BRIGHT STARS wrapped me up like a warm hug.

We meet Jack Schmidt in the middle of his lackluster life running Schmidts, a restaurant that has been in his family for generations. While the off-season in Rehoboth beach is devoid of tourists, it sees it has its fair share of tension with the locals. Jack has loved and lost and wonders if it is time to sell Schmidts to a big corporation in search of more meaning and adventure.

As with his previous novels, Joella’s themes of finding hope through connection sparked a glimmer of joy in the midst of dreary days. With memorable characters and found family that will buoy your spirit, THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is not to be missed.

READ THIS IF YOU:
•adore the found family trope
•love the nostalgia of a mom & pop restaurant
•appreciate melancholy with a heaping side of hope

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
PUB DATE: July 2, 2024

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC via Netgalley.

This is a perfect summer/beach/pool read with a heartwarming and feel good story.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199797895

Ethan Joella is such a star writer and his other books were amazing. This book did not disappoint!
Jack Schmidt owns and runs a restaurant along the beach. It is in his blood, since he is the third generation of Schmidts to be running it - since his family opened it many years ago. It is who he is and what he has done since his father died years ago. And, while it defines him and he loves it, it has taken over who he is and what he does. He leaves a trail of broken relationships and lost opportunities, but he has always chosen to leave the legacy of the restaurant. But, now, he wonders if he needs to begin to focus on himself and the love that he desires.
DelDine, a group that is buying up restaurants along the coast and “mainstreaming” them. While the locals are seeing the mom and pop stores and restaurants disappearing - Jack takes a moment to wonder if it might be for the best. Would giving up the restaurant open up more opportunities for living his life than he is able to have now? Will he finally get to use the blue beach chair he bought years ago to sit and enjoy the beach that sit right outside of the restaurant door?
This is the story of someone trying to reassess what might be most important in a life. And someone who will have to take a leap of faith to find out.
Ethan Joella, again, assembles an amazing set of characters and each one is going to wrench their ways into your heart, even some you might be reluctant to let in. He somehow makes the reader feel a percentage of the hope and idealism and love that the characters feel within the tale. This is a gem and you MUST read it. That was The Same Bright Stars. It is the most recent of Ethan Joella’s books.
The Same Bright Stars comes out in July - so get on your library list or put in your pre-order! But, until then, if you haven’t already, read his first two STAT.

This is such a special book. Ethan has a gift for writing about salt of the earth people, living ordinary lives but with extraordinary impact. While, yes, this book is about a restaurant in Delaware and the restaurant owner, it’s about so much more. It’s about being a decent human, about our connections, about disappointments and commitments, hope and grief and of course a story of love for Rehoboth Beach.

I had to message Ethan from the plane where I was reading and sobbing over a passage between the main character, Jack, and his mom. While our details might be different, he captured exactly what I felt when I was losing my mom. It’s a talented author that can take a unique situation but have it be so very relatable for his readers. Ethan is a master at highlighting the beauty (and pain) in our shared experiences.

Ethan Joella's books are like a warm, tight hug without being too sappy. This is such a great book--and it living up to the hype. I will recommend it to everyone when it comes out.

Joella is clearly an author that captivates your interest and keeps you turning the pages. Centered around a restaurant, we quickly fall in love the characters and plot.

I like when a book has past secrets and this one does! I also like when the main character is someone you cheer for and I did! The story of Jack and him selling the restaurant he owned for many years. The people that work there, Evie, Vivian, Sam and Genevieve. Plus Jack's longtime friend, Deacon.

Told in 2 parts, this book is about Jack, his decisions, and his past experiences. He pushes people away such as Kitty, his ex girlfriend, as they try and get back together. He regretted Kitty leaving and he wants to tell her that, as her sweet mother is dying.

During the summer, the town buzzes with people walking the streets and setting up chairs on the beach But in the fall and winter, it is just as fun to visit for events like the film festival or Halloween parade. That's Rehoboth Beach: A Guidebook.

Toward the end of the book, it is discovered what happened between Jack and Alexis many years ago. Alexis didn't mean for it to go on this long. She wishes they could all know that, especially J. and P. Flying home, the secret seemed too big to talk about, and she didn't know what to do.

A Sweet Story, Gem of a Character, and Uplifting!
3.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 7/2/24.

Ethan Joella books are the easiest five stars I ever give out. They feel like a warm hug. They feel like a summer day, where anything feels possible. They feel like “oh no I need to cry and this will do it.” I feel every single emotion reading his books. His latest is no different.

It follows Jack, a restaurant owner who is single with no children. His life is his restaurant. His employees are his family. His best friend Deacon (my god I want a friend like him) is always there to help pick him up. He is thinking about retiring and selling his restaurant.

Jack was an incredible character. I highlighted so many of his passages. But I can relate… I too am always expecting to be let down. That was a gut check.

This book is told mostly in the present, with glimpses of the past and a few letters here and there. This book doesn’t necessarily weave multiple stories together like his prior books do, but it packed that emotional punch I needed. I found myself blinking back tears multiple times while reading, but I let those tears fall for the last 20% or so of the book.

Truthfully, I’ve been feeling a little burnt out from reading. I chose to pick up Ethan’s book tonight because I knew without a doubt it would give me the spark to read. Absolutely, 100%, one of the best books I’ve read so far this month.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this novel by Ethan Joella. The characters were so real and so relatable, and I could easily imagine myself in this story from the first few pages. I was rooting for Jack, for sure, and his story didn’t disappoint. This was my first 5-star read of 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

5 plus stars-Jack is 52 years old, he is tired and wonders just how long he can hold onto his family restaurant. The restaurant is really all he has and all he knows, his employees his family. This is a story about things lost and found…heavy on heartache and grief, but also love…I love this quote, said by his best friend’s dad when his wife who had been in memory care passed away”Look what you got. Look what you got to have. There was never a good time for it to end. There was never a way of being done without it, but you got to have it. It was yours for a while. And that means something, you know?” I am a huge fan of Ethan Joella. He just has a way of making you feel like you are a part of his characters lives. (And a bonus, I was into reading this that I forgot tomorrow is back to school from break…) A huge thank you Mr. Joella, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc. The pleasure and honor was all mine.

I got a brief inside scoop of this book when I interviewed Ethan Joella for my podcast, and I was beyond excited when he offered me an advanced reader copy of it! I knew I wanted to save this book to be my first read of 2024 because there’s no better way to kick off the new year than with a five star rating and review.

I had no doubt that this book would be a five star read for me. Ethan’s writing just does it for me! He could take a mundane task, such as a person walking down the boardwalk, and turn it into a beautiful and scenic description.

Ethan’s previous novels, A Little Hope and A Quiet Life, were two of my tops reads from last year. Those books have a special place in my heart, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Ethan went from writing several POVs in his first two books, to writing a primarily sole POV in this book. All three books were exceptional, but it was cool to see him take on this different style of perspective.

If you haven’t read any of these three books yet, I highly encourage that you add them to your list!

Ethan Joella has written another extraordinary novel about ordinary people and their lives.

Jack Schmidt runs the local restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, DE, that he inherited from his father and grandparents. Never married, Jack lives alone and spends all of his time at the restaurant where is looks after his staff and customers. Now in his fifties, Jack is starting to question the choices he has made and what his future might bring. An offer by a large chain to buy the restaurant adds to the weight on his shoulders as he ponders what it might mean to him, his staff and the town he loves.

Joella has a way of making the reader become totally invested in the everyday people and regular lives that they lead. The characters could be any of us. It is a simple yet remarkable book.

In beautiful Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Jack runs the restaurant that has been in his family for years. The restaurant is his life and he isn’t quite sure who he is without it. And now, DelDine group is eager to get their hands on the restaurant and Jack is wondering if this might be his chance to do more with his life. As the offer takes shape, Jack receives startling news from his past that reshapes everything he thought he knew.

Ethan Joella is a master at crafting character and setting. All throughout this book you can get glimpses of his beloved Rehoboth Beach as he puts you on the boardwalk, as we sit in the sand, and as we walk amongst the stores that make up this nostalgic piece of the country. You can picture this area so vividly which only adds to the feelings as you get to know Jack and the people in his life.

Jack, himself, is a character you just want to root for. He’s devoted his life to running Schmidt’s restaurant but you can feel that he wants to know what else might be out there for him, while at the same time caring so deeply about what happens both to the restaurant and to the people who work there. They are his family, the restaurant is his life, and if he loses it (and them), will he know what to do next?

As we dive deeper into Jack’s story, and his past, we explore grief and loss in the way only Ethan Joella can do it - with hope at its center. While he takes us on heartbreaking turns, and shocking revelations, he does so with love and care for his characters, and while giving us as the reader a bright spot to cling to.

The Same Bright Stars has one main character at its center, which differs from his previous books, but he brings in the side characters so seamlessly that you feel as if you’ve gotten to know them, too.

Ethan Joella has already cemented himself as a comfort author for me - one I can turn to whenever I want that jolt of humanity - and this book is another incredible addition to his career.

I have read the other two books by this author and had high expectations of this new title as I loved the others. This one shattered my expectations as this was his best yet. I feel in love with all the characters, and the setting was perfect for the release date. I cried several times, and immediately hit 5 stars on the rating. I hope this becomes a huge bestseller.

The biggest thank you to Scribner books for allowing me to read this book early!

There has never been an Ethan Joella book I didn't devour in one day and there has never been an Ethan Joella book that hasn't stayed with me long after that day. His characters find their way into my heart and never leave.

I like a lot of books and even love a lot of books, but not many books deeply effect me emotionally the way Ethan's do. He just gets it. It being the thing that makes us all human and ties us all together in a million intricate ways.

I feel like this story was written for me as I relate to it even more than probably the average reader would on a couple different levels. One being the fact that I was a restaurant manager for over 5 years and understand how the people you work with in a restaurant become family. It's different from any other job I've ever worked and only those who have had a restaurant family can truly understand the bond. The employees in Jack's restaurant, Schmidt's, are the employees in every restaurant across America.

I further relate to this now as I work in M&A (mergers and acquisitions) and daily have a front row seat to businesses changing hands and all the emotions (fear, anxiety, excitement) that come along with that. I just had a recent restaurant sale that was so similar to the situation in the book!

Jack Schmidt is truly a gem of a character. He gave me slight Luke Danes (Gilmore Girls) vibes if Luke were nice all the time (lol). I'm not sure how a fictional character can make me want to be a better person, but Jack did. I think we need to see a sequel with some more Jack; he has so much story left to tell and so much life left to live!

I'm sad that this is over, but will be ready and waiting for whatever he writes next!

This book will be available for purchase on July 2, 2024!

Ethan Joella has become one of my favorite authors. This was about a restaurant owner deciding if he will sell the family business - and so much more. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.