I thoroughly enjoyed the author's charming YA novel To Night Owl from Dogfish, so I was excited to receive an advance copy of her first adult novel, a loving portrait of a family in flux. The Hills had gone through many changes as the father, Paul, became CEO of his own tech startup, then was disgraced as the company failed, and finally disappeared into the sea after a surfing accident.

Now the mother and their three children are in a remote corner of Oahu, with Lindsey having used Paul's life insurance money to buy a rundown motel sight-unseen, planning to restore it to a money-making business. She soon discovers she's in over her head, but a former guest volunteers to do some of the repair work in exchange for the use of one of the cabins. Meanwhile, 14-year-old Olivia, 12-year-old Carl, and 7-year-old Sena have varying levels of success meeting the challenge of being the "new kid in school."

What I particularly liked about the book were the immersion in small-town Hawaiian culture far from the big city of Honolulu, the distinctive and entertaining characteristics of each of the children, and the exciting scene toward the end of the story. I found the writing style to be very straightforward, reminiscent of YA writing, and a bit choppy. I would have liked the romance subplot to be better developed, and I couldn't figure out why Lindsey had to be originally from Wales--it really didn't have any significance to the story. But as this is the author's first foray into adult novels, and based on her success in the YA genre, I am convinced her style will further transition from YA to adult and will look for future books from her.

My thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This is a lovely novel with an atmospheric setting of Hawai'i - we get a bit of family drama, mystery, romance, and reinvention.

Lindsey and her three children have just moved to Hawai’i looking for new beginnings. After the death of her husband a couple of years ago, Lindsey has been lost. On a whim, she uses the payout from her husband’s life insurance to purchase a motel near to where they honeymooned together. When they were so happy. As Lindsey and the children scramble to renovate the motel, their lives are forever changed when a handsome stranger (with secrets!) pays a visit.

Pieces of Blue is told from the perspective of Lindsey, her three children, and a couple of other characters. The multiple perspectives enrich the story and create a sense of dynamism. The story unfolds beautifully and unpredictably. I had a great time reading this.

Thank you very much to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This is a lovely story about a family making new beginnings in Hawaii. Goldberg Sloan has great writing and creates great characters. The setting was great. We see a family learning how to adapt to so much change, but being better off from it.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.