I liked the beginning of this book, three mature female friends handling life's drama together. There was a lot of potential in not only the relationships but in how their lives changed as they transitioned from New York City to Nantucket. But, it didn't pan out.

We find out the these "dear, best friends" are really just surface friends because none of them want to share their actual lives with the others. They lie to each other about everything important.
And for a book dealing with the realities of life, fifty percent into the boo there is a witch. Um, what??! Totally lost me with this character and the ensuing plotline.

Sorry, this book was just not my cup of tea. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. It took me a long time before I picked this one up, it's been out for a while now.

Quick, enjoyable read about a woman in her fifties who is starting over after losing her job as well as her husband. After moving to an inherited property on Nantucket, she reconnects with her estranged daughter who is struggling with her own marital issues. I really enjoyed reading Ava and Charlotte's struggle to reconnect amid turmoil and devastating illness.
Thank you Ainsley Keaton, Debra Moore and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

THE NANTUCKET BEACHFRONT INN: 'Sconset Beach - Ainsling Delaney

Scattered - 3 stars

Plot - 3 stars - After leaving her job as NYC lawyer in less-than-ideal circumstances, Ava finds her feet when a former client leaves her a multi-million-dollar beachfront property. With her friends and her family beside her, she decides to renovate and open it as a luxury B&B.

Writing - 3 stars - The story moved forward quickly, and I was immediately grabbed by the characters right from the first page. However, the writing seemed uneven, meaning that there would be moments throughout the book that seemed silly or unbelievable, taking me out of the story.

Characters - 4 stars - Although Ava has some issues (denial, hiding her thoughts and ideas from her friends, estrangement from her family), I found her appealing. She tries hard and has a surprising lack of self-confidence even in her 50's. Her friends, Quinn and Hallie, also tend to keep things to themselves, but they are also pleasant. Daughter Charlotte and son-in-law Matthew's issues seemed like they would have been handled much more effectively without the family's interference. Both were frustrating, with self-inflicted problems. Son Jackson was a good supporting character to add a bit of stability to this scattered family, although his obsession with Willow detracted from his personality. Hero Deacon is attractive, but ended up causing quite a bit of friction. And Willow (the resident witch) was an unnecessary paranormal element, although she had a prominent role.

Title - 2.5 stars - Clear, concise, describes the location but nothing about the story or what to expect.

Cover - 4 stars - Beautiful beachfront cover with gentle lines and a calming color.

Overall - 3 stars - This book started out great and captured my attention right away. But then it seemed to travel in ups and downs. I liked that each chapter covered a different character, and we knew right away which point of view we'd see. But I felt that some characters and plotlines were an unnecessary complication to the story. For instance, Willow's spells added a paranormal element to a story that was clearly chick lit, and I thought it took away from the family dynamic that I wanted to hear more about. And while I was interested to learn more about Hallie, her illness didn't seem to be an integral part of the story and just slowed things down while we were sent off on that tangent. To compound that problem, Willow's "healing" of Hallie took up a lot of time, and it felt like a soapbox to talk about women's rights. And between Willow's preaching and Sebastian's cannibis cooking, there was way too much discussion about internal chakras and personal mellowness. Too much woo-woo for me. Focusing on the main characters and the family's interactions would have been more appealing to me and would have kept the story more on track. As it was, it seemed pretty scattered. I'm not sure if this is a new author or not, but I'm hoping that she'll settle down in future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Great for fans of Nancy Thayer and Elin Hilderbrand, set in the picturesque village of Sconset on Nantucket this is a light beach book to throw in your bag with your sunscreen. Ava is a likable, burnt out attorney and single mother of grown triplets. She gets fired from her job with a high powered NYC law firm for speaking her mind about the tax evaders they represent. Luckily, a previous (and honest) former client left a beach house on Nantucket that is begging too be converted to a bed and breakfast. Imagine if such good fortune happened in real life? But fiction can have a little fairy tale and escapism to be entertaining. Ava and her friends hightail Manhattan for a low key, slower paced beach life style.

There is A LOT of drug use, grated it's medicinal but the CBD feast goes on longer than it truly needs to as do some of the passages about witchcraft and spells, but it's still an enjoyable read.

In the last few pages, several new characters are introduced setting the stage for the sequel and ultimately a seven book series.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of The Nantucket Beachfront Inn by Ainsley Keaton.

The Nantucket Beachfront Inn was a quick read for me. Full of realistic family drama, I was all for it. I liked that our main character, Ava, was a bit older. Most books seem to revolve around those in their twenties and early thirties. Which is fine. But it was a nice change of pace to have a fifty-something's point of view. This was a great "beach-read" type of book and the start of a series too! Looking forward to the next installment from Ms. Keaton.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Fluff read. Fortunately it is short. Sets up for a series but too many undeveloped characters and a lot of story lines. Good way to spend a mindless afternoon.

Ava is burnt out she didn't know it until she reaches tipping point with a client and just when she thinks she made the worst decision fate intervenes and she is left a large house that gives her the chance of a fresh start.


If you like Danielle Steel, you'll probably like this one. I loved how Ava's friends Luna and Mila want to help her turn the house into an Inn and we learn not only about the dynamic between the three but learn more of what's going on in their lives and learn that no matter how put together on the outside people look there can be a lot going on inside.


This is a perfect quick summer read for everyone, but especialy for Danielle Steel lovers (like myself).

This was a beautiful tale of friendship among three women.   It was also about family, work, love, and dealing with life.  I really liked all of the connections to the different characters and learning about their lives.  It was quite interesting how Ava came to own the Nantucket beachfront house which she later named the Sconset Inn. I was so excited to learn this is book one in a seven book series because I did not want the story to end as I had gotten attached to the characters and their interesting, dramatic lives.  I want to find out what happens next.This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed her writing a lot.  I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

Free copy received for an honest review-thank you publisher and Netgalley. This was such a poorly done book, I could not recommend this to anyone. It is 262 pages and has so many characters and half-baked story lines, it's insane. The dialogue is so unbelievable, fake, and caricatured that you're left with no one to root for. This reads like a Saturday night writing project that shamelessly wants to get to print and join the Nantucket club. I really hope an editor is involved before this copy goes anywhere. Repeated words, contradicting descriptions, and ridiculous typos abound. The author also treats suicide very lightly in this book, throwing it unnecessarily into multiple scenes that don't call for it in any way, shape, or form. Nope, this book ain't it. It's the first in a series of seven. She hasn't captured my interest with this one; in fact, I'll be staying far away from her and her 'pen names' to the best of my ability.

This book was very pleasant but I would classify it as light and fluffy. It reminded me of a Danielle Steele or a Harlequin romance in that the characters would not very 3-dimensional or even developed on a deeper level. Personally, I prefer realistic fiction with more intense characterization but many people enjoy lighter fare. This book is perfect for them.

This is a perfect poolside or beach read! Quick and interesting, it’s the beginning of a 7 book series. I wish it had been a little longer and gone more in depth into the characters, but knowing it’s an introductory novel makes sense.

Ava is a successful lawyer that represents billionaires being sued in court on tax charges. It’s up to her to negotiate terms for their tax settlements. She hates it.

When Ava unexpectedly inherits a large home in Nantucket, she knows it’s time for a change. With strained relationships with her mom and daughter, maybe this is a chance to reconcile, too.

I’m looking forward to book two in the series!

Great beach or anytime read. Looking forward to the sequels. No book report, read the jacket cover or other review. I gave 4 stars due to a little more magical, white witch detail than I cared for, so I did not try to understand any of it. I believe it could have been done without all that and just had the girl be psychic. Otherwise, has good bones for the beginning of a good family saga. Enjoy.
I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to the author, publisher & NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Laying the groundwork for a new series; happy-for-now ending ahead...
I only gave this book four stars because when I accepted it for review, I was unaware that it was a series and there would be more books to follow. All the main female characters find a happy-for-now in this book. They have sloughed off an unappealing life and followed Ava to Sconset Beach where she miraculously is bequeathed a solution to her current NYC problem.
Ava Flynn is a high-powered tax attorney for the rich and obnoxious; now wants out!
Hallie Gleason for the past 20 years has been a wife and mother but not happily.
Quinn Barlowe is just tired of the constant go-go-go and rush-rush-rush of NYC.
Sarah Flynn has nowhere else to go.
Each realize they can start a new life in this little Nantucket village that time has not altered, by design.
Colleen Flynn is a Federal District Judge, mother to Ava and Sarah. I feel there will be a lot more about her in a future book but in this book, Ms. Keaton has focused on Ava, Hallie, Quinn and Sarah. You will feel heartache with some of these women along with anger possibly but you will also see a future that none of them had expected too. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

Ava Flynn was a lawyer and she was always fighting for the billionaires that didn’t want to pay their taxes. She hated her job with a passion but she needed it badly. Then one arrogant client made Ava lose her patience with him and she ends up jobless. At 53 years old who would hire her making the money she was accustomed too. Her first husband had been killed before she gave birth to her triplets. Then her second husband basically screwed her over royally. But she finds her way along with the help of her two best friends, her mother and her children. All of them have secrets but feel as if they tell them out loud they will be judged. Friendships, secrets and new prospects made this book so enjoyable!

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Nantucket Beachfront by Ainsley Keaton

Published: March 1, 2022
Ainsley Keaton
Pages: 273
Genre: Women’s Sagas
KKECReads Rating: 3/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Ainsley Keaton lives by a beach with the love of her life and her two fur babies, Annie and Bella. She writes heartwarming fiction that focuses on universal concepts like forgiveness, loyalty, redemption, love, reconciliation, and family value, both biological and chosen. Her themes are realistic - getting older, starting over, mother-daughter relationships, adult children issues, schisms between family members, sibling rivalry, overcoming adversity, and dealing with insecurities. If you like your beach fiction with a lot of humor, spice, and a touch of magic, you'll love Ainsley's books!

"Live and learn."

Ava was recently fired from the job she’s had for 23 years. Her husband stole all her savings and abandoned her. She’s estranged from one of her daughters and has a difficult relationship with her powerful mother. When a surprise presents itself, Ava finds a new opportunity in her lap. Maybe her life is about to begin truly.

This was not my typical read. On the one hand, I found how this book was written was truly clever, as it served as an introduction for the remainder of the series. On the other hand, it felt like things were rushed, and a lot happened that didn’t necessarily make sense.

There were elements of this novel that I found truly beautiful. I love that there were older women (in their 50’s) navigating their lives. But I also felt as though these women were described as old, and 50 isn’t old by today's standards.

Several characters, and I didn’t feel they were fully developed. There are six other books on this series, so I am thinking this book was simply to introduce the players and insert some drama.

There were elements of this story that I think weakened the plot, which makes me sad because this could have been a beautiful story of redemption, forgiveness, family, and friendship.

I don’t think I will be continuing the series; I didn’t feel engaged with the plot. I wanted to like this story, but it wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced Ereader. I loved The Nantucket Beachfront Inn by Ainsley Keaton. I didn't know until the end of the book that this was going to be the first of a series of 7 books. I am hooked and can't wait to read book 2! The characters are all believable and likable. I also love the magic mixed into the story. This is a fast, fun and uplifting read. I will be recommending it to my friends and bookclub. I'm anxiously awaiting book 2.

The description of this book intrigued me and I really liked the beginning with Ava's story and being middle-aged and losing her job -- so off to a really interesting story. As I continued reading some of the twists and turns and layering in of other people's stories made me lose interest quickly. I think the challenge was trying to fit too many strange sub-plots into one book and it felt like a soap opera (and coming from me that is not a compliment). At the end, the author notes this will be part of a series -- I think it would be more interesting to center the story around one of the characters and have the other characters interact with the main character from their perspective as opposed to introducing too much in the story.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy.

I love that the main character is on their 50s who are going through life stuff. There’s love, grief, laughter and a bit of tears. The story was predictable but I still enjoyed it. It’s a quick read and a good choice for your beach read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Characters are well defined and feel like friends by the end of the book. A few surprise twists added to my enjoyment. Despite the fact that there is mention of April 31st (loc 2511) which obviously does not exist, I would still highly recommend this book.

Whenever I read a book like this one, I tend to get a bit envious of the lifestyles that some people live and wish that I could be so lucky to inherit a mansion on Nantucket Island like Ava did. Yet I am not a lawyer and haven’t been practicing as a criminal tax attorney for billionaires for the past 24 years. Maybe that’s what I need to do…

I loved when we first met Ava and saw how brutally honest and confident she was, especially because she was telling a client she didn’t want to be his lawyer because she didn’t agree with what he does! I love it. She has so much going on in her life and being left a beachfront mansion by a client was exactly what she needed. It ends up being a full house with lots of drama, a soap opera as she refers to it as. There is love, grief, friendships, romance, laughter, and tears. It was a bit predictable but still a great novel.