This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Scribner and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A very true to the point, realistic take on illness, caregiving and the toll it takes. It’s a heavy read.

I feel pretty crappy after this novel, and not only because it’s an overall downer of a story. Brian and Margot as characters are highly unlikable, to the point where I didn’t even want to feel their love story. Granted, I understand that Brian is suffering but I do think time could’ve been given to actually show their relationship progression in a way that wasn’t from disjointed college emails; that technique didn’t work for me.

One of my biggest issues in the book is how time elapsed. We see Brian a shell of himself and then conveniently right after a doctor’s appointment where they are told it’s the end, he starts sleeping all day and is uncommunicative. It just seemed lazy that it wasn’t handled more progressively to show how it affected the family. Even if it started 3 days before it would’ve seemed more believable.

I could say a lot about Margot as a character but I truly cannot get over that a large chunk of the story revolves around her not looping her daughters in on significant life changes. The backstory we get makes it seem as if this was a pretty close family unit; I understand grief is unpredictable, but it seems completely out of character she would come to these intense conclusions without her daughters.

I wanted to like this one more, but as I reflect I’m just frustrated more than anything. I’ve read countless books about loss, even loss over a summer (I highly recommend Morgan Matson’s Second Chance Summer) that were much more touching and resonated with me long after I read them.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very vivid novel with compelling and realistic portrayals of illness and the stress of caregiving and disease on an entire family. But, in this time of pandemic, I must add, this is not a lighthearted or easy read for those looking for an escape.

Having dealt with the trauma of taking care of someone with brain issues, I found this hard to read. I liked tge writing and the concept and I certainly enjoyed the setting. I fear this was just not a good fit for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC, in return for an honest review.

Highly recommend this book! This was my first book to read by this author and I can't wait to read more! The characters and the story stay with you long after you finish the book. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

Brian and Margot Dunne live year-round in Seaside, just steps away from the bustling boardwalk, with their daughters Liz and Evy. The Dunnes run a real estate company, making their living by quickly turning over rental houses for tourists. But the family’s future becomes even more precarious when Brian develops a brain tumor, transforming into a bizarre, erratic version of himself. Amidst the chaos and new caretaking responsibilities, Liz still seeks out summer adventure and flirting with a guy she should know better than to pursue. Her younger sister Evy works in a candy shop, falls in love with her friend Olivia, and secretly adopts the persona of a middle-aged mom in an online support group, where she discovers her own mother’s most vulnerable confessions. Meanwhile, Margot faces an impossible choice driven by grief, impulse, and the ways that small-town life in Seaside has shaped her. Falling apart is not an option, but she can always pack up and leave the beach behind.