The perfect book for a summer getaway! I love the way Meg Mitchell Moore crafts her characters and loving develops their motives and goals over the course of her books. Every time I pick up one of her novels, I am blown away by how attached I get to the characters. Despite the cover and synopsis of this one leading me to believe that it’s a fluffy beach read, I felt the depth of every single character. The setting felt real to me as well, and it was the perfect setting for a poolside read. Finally, the plot unfolded beautifully and had a few shocking reveals that I definitely didn’t see coming. Overall, this was a fantastic summer mystery! 5/5 stars!

This was a perfectly average book. It wasn't bad but I didn't think it was particularly good either. I enjoyed the author's last book so I suppose I was disappointed. I didn't really care for or about any of the adult characters, but I loved the children and found them entertaining and delightful.

It was hard to be invested in Louisa and Steven's marriage when you don't know much about it. And when there is a diversion to recount their history and getting together, it was written in such a different way from anything else in the book that I found it very jarring and out to sync.

This is mostly a story of two women who don't even realize they are on intersecting paths. Louisa is a privileged professor trying to care for her family and publish a book while her absent husband works overtime at his new start-up. Kristie is a struggling woman drowning in debt after her mother's death from cancer and a recent bad relationship. There were so many lines of conflict in this book between family members and other characters that it was hard to follow and there really wasn't much resolution in the end. It seemed as if everyone just decided in the end to accept everything as it was and just move on. The story was told from many points of view which made it all seem disjointed and seemed to keep all the characters separate when they were supposed to be interacting. The best part of it all were the kids. I found it super hard to connect with these characters and honestly didn't care all that much how they ended up in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for my Advance Reader’s E-Proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore is a fun beach read!

Vacationland follows Kristie Turner and Louisa Fitzgerald-McLean into the beautiful coastal town of Rockland, Maine.

Love how the story included tender, breathtaking, vulnerable, beautiful, and intense family dynamics. Three generations, a family’s home, and a milestone summer that would change their lives forever.

The adult characters are relatable and emotional, while the younger characters (Louisa’s kids) are unique and funny. I specially enjoy Claire, a very witty 7-year-old girl with a refreshing voice.

Vacationland’s cover is perfect as it gives you a peaceful view of the ocean. The same peaceful outlook the characters need to find to move on with their lives.

An easy reading beach book with a good storyline.

Louisa and her three children load up to spend the summer at her parent's summer cottage in Maine, leaving her husband behind to work. While there, she's supposed to be finishing writing a book on deadline. Her father has dementia and you see her dealing with that, and learning that her mother will be moving them in a care home after the summer and selling the cottage. Along the summer, old friends show up and a new girl comes into their lives. Lots of family dynamics, strong characters and a good storyline all tied up in a happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Louisa and Kristie are two women from very different backgrounds with a secret in common. What that secret is and how their lives intersect is the main plot of this story. Along the way, we are presented with various narrators and perspectives on live in the small town in Maine where Louisa's family owns a vacation home.

For me, this was a fast paced family drama, I enjoyed the multitude of perspectives and characters we met along the way. This one is definitely a beach read with some real substance to it, about how families work together and how secrets can either destroy us, or make us stronger as people. The character development of Louisa and Kristie in particular is very well done.

Thank you to William Morrow, Book Club Girl, and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Main Characters:
Kristie Turner – left a boyfriend and an alcohol addiction in Miami three years prior to be with her mother in Pennsylvania; after losing her mother to cancer, traveling to Rockland, Maine, with information about Louisa and her family
Louisa McLean – tenured professor of history at New York University, currently wrapping up a sabbatical and working on a book that she is hoping to finish over the summer at her parents’ home in Maine
Steven McLean – co-founder of a podcast startup in Brooklyn called All Ears; stays at home in New York for the summer to prime the company with the hopes of selling it in a couple of years
Matty, Abigail, and Claire McLean – Louisa and Steven’s children (12, 10, and 7, respectively)

I really enjoyed Meg Mitchell Moore’s Vacationland. I expected something volatile with a lot more conflict, but this story feels more like two women who find their truths.

While everything is written in the third person, the perspective shifts primarily between Kristie and Louisa with a few chapters from Matty’s viewpoint as well as a couple other characters. Louisa’s summer should be spent finishing her book before her sabbatical ends. Instead, she finds herself coming to terms with her father’s Alzheimer’s, her mother’s future plans for his care, her lack of support from her husband Steven, and eventually Kristie’s appearance on the scene.

Kristie arrives in Rockland, Maine, with an interest in Louisa’s family but unsure what she wants to do once she arrives. It’s relatively easy to figure out why she’s there, but before she can take any action, she meets Danny, one of the gardeners for Louisa’s parents. She’s secretive about who she is and why she’s in Maine, saying that she just needed a change. We all know how that’s going to come back around for her, don’t we?

I found myself completely caught up in this book. Moore’s descriptions set the scene and allow the reader to picture the beauty of the town and the ocean views. Her characters are amazingly written. Matty is almost 13, and while he’s planning to spend the summer improving his time for cross-country, he finds himself in the throes of a first crush. Ten-year-old Abigail’s letters to her father become increasingly urgent as the summer progresses and she feels the tension in the house even though she doesn’t understand what’s causing it. And Claire is just a typical youngest child, a seven-year-old with no filter and no fear.

I almost knocked this down half a star because there were a couple of sections that felt really choppy. A character would be thinking about something from the past, and their thoughts were clipped and erratic. I also would have loved an epilogue. But in the end, I decided that these didn’t take away anything, and certainly not enough to knock the rating down.

This is a story about home and healing and relationships and learning that what feels important in the moment may be the most unimportant thing of all.

A novel of family mired in deep dilemmas told in rotating perspectives with engaging characters and captivating plot. Kristie is searching for a connection to a father she never knew about. Louise is trying to cope with marital discord and an unfinished manuscript. Pauline is burdened by sadness. The three children offer delight to offset the heaviness of the story. The summer in Maine will disrupt everyone.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this title before publication. This is my first book by this author. The description of the book reminded me of Elin Hilderbrand but set in Maine, and it sounded like the perfect summer read. This is family drama at its best, set in a sleepy coastal town during the summer. I loved the shifting POV, even among the children in the main family. We get to know people in the town in various levels of society, and each character was distinct - I could see more novels written about different characters in town. While the plot and resolution were predictable, I loved being in this world. I am really interested in reading more by this author - this was a sold 4-star read for me.

Louisa is thrilled to escape New York to spend the summer at her parents home in Maine. What she isn't thrilled about is her unfinished book and juggling the lives of her three children while her absentee husband stays in the city for work. To make matters worse, Louisa's father is battling Alzheimer's while her mother is struggling to cope, concerned about money, and tired of carrying family secrets. One of those secrets rolls into town with $761, a suitcase full of grief, and a lifetime of questions.

This was the perfect summer read and just what I needed to pull me out of my reading funk. The characters are all quite unique and lovely, but above all else -- they are human. They have a lot of feelings and they transfer onto you as the reader. Full of heartwarming memories, this book has it all -- relationship drama, family secrets, grief, and personal growth. It was truly beautiful.

If I could change anything at all, it would be the last chapter. It felt forced and underwhelming (and a bit unrealistic + tacky, tbh). Oh, and it is worth noting for anyone who hasn't read Bridge to Terabithia (like me), spoiler alert. Bright side: I no longer want to read it.

Loved it. Many of life's issues are addressed in this story. From someone with Alzheimers to a young child's first kiss and everything in between for various individuals and couples. Quite the family saga. Many tears were shed. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

I just self elected myself to be the official spokesperson for Vacationland.

If I only get to recommend one book for the rest of my life it will be this book. Wow! Wow! Wow! It is one of the hardest things in the world to leave me speechless (I have a gift to gab) BUT I am officially left speechless. This book is absolutely amazing.

I am going to give it my very best to put my feelings into words....

This is an emotional character driven novel that will leave you hanging on each and every word. The family dynamic was raw and genuine. I felt as though I knew each and every one of them personally.

When you read as many books as I do its hard to remember specifics on each one of them but I can tell you without a doubt this book changed me and I will forever remember every word I read and the feelings I had when I concluded. I feel as though I got a lesson in forgiveness while reading and its pretty amazing when you can take something away with you after concluding a book .

Please, please, please, If you value my awesome little reviews, listen to me when I tell you, you need to own this book.

Vacationland is an engaging story about family, secrets, betrayal, finding your true self.
With an interesting plot, great characters, stunning setting: this book has it all, and was such an amazing read.

The characters I felt to be very real, very human and their feelings are true and deep, I believe each of us has experienced at some point... So that the story itself is one that draws you in and keeps you hooked until the very last page.
They are so relatable and likable you can't help but tear through this book to see the ending results.

The brilliant writing is superb and instantly pulls you into a beautiful setting you'll quickly find it hard to get out of. I didn't want it to end and it seemed like it went by fast and I wanted to stay with these characters for a little while longer.
Moore can weave together a gorgeous display of storytelling and honestly I think this tops TTAAL (Two Truths and a Lie)

I devoured this in two days. The novel is as beautiful as it is delightful, perfectly structured, delicately plotted, flawlessly written and an empowering storyline, I couldn't have loved this special book more than I did!

An exquisite summer read set in Penobscot Bay, Maine. A stunning story that readers will go nuts for. It was the perfect book. I wish I could give this one every star rating possible because it deserves it.

This is the second Meg Mitchell Moore book that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and I can't wait to read The Islanders.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

William Morrow,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

This is the first time I have read a book by this author and it definitely won't be my last. She has written a book with so much heart and the characters are so believable that it just propelled the story along. Yes, they all had their flaws but who doesn't? Forgiveness and love was shown throughout this novel as they each found ways to help one another. Descriptive settings made it easy to visualize the surroundings. The author dealt with many issues such as young love, marital discourse, past secrets and expertly handled the Alzheimer's portion. Well written and a lot to ponder for book clubs! Highly recommend!
#Vacationland #MegMitchellMoore #NetGalley

This is a really captivating story. The characters all seem like people you know and all of the family issues seem incredibly truthful. I found myself quickly getting lost in this novel. I’m still thinking about it even though I’m done reading it. Highly recommend!

Vacationland is a great novel about family, flaws, and forgiveness.
Louisa is spending the summer at her family's house in Maine with her three children while her husband stays in Brooklyn for work. Her father is suffering from Alzheimer's and her mother has been keeping a big family secret.
I LOVE the picturesque Maine setting and the characters are well-developed.
A great pick for book clubs!
Meg Mitchell Moore is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors!

This engaging, family-centered story takes place in a picture-postcard beach town, and will be the ideal recommendation for readers looking for the next perfect "beach read."

I have been a long time reader of Meg Mitchell Moore and her new book does not disappoint. A mother and her three children return to their family summer home in Maine for their yearly vacation. . What is new this year is that family secrets change the dynamics of their reunion. A unknow daughter, marital discord and growing children all add to a wonderful told story. I love the descriptions of the towns in Maine. Will strongly recommend.

Sometimes a book is so lovely, it not only entertains but totally engages the reader with the characters. The setting is beautiful Maine in the old family home, where their daughter Louisa has come up for the summer with her three children, while her husband remains in Brooklyn. At the same time, a young woman gets from a bus from Pennsylvania with her own agenda in coming to Maine.

The book tells the story of a remarkably decent group of humans. They are fallible but, at the core, uniquely honest and forgiving. The family must deal with long hidden secrets swirling around the strange visitor. The children are just delightfully described, going through their own summer issues.

I fell in love with every character, young and old. Since I had a husband with Alzheimer’s, I was especially touched by the family adapting to growing fog surrounding the grandfather. I was so charmed by the many kinds of love, young, old, middle aged. This book is simply filled with love, and I felt uplifted by the story and the author’s ability to bring to a satisfying closure. I highly recommend this novel to reading groups. There are many questions that will encourage discussions. I think the issue of FORGIVENESS will provoke a great deal of thought.

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