I love “the Cape” and can envision locations whenever a book is set in that area. The characters are well developed and I loved the relationships among them. It is a joy to read a story about people who develop and grow … discovering who they are deep inside. And the friendships help these people along the way. I loved the bookshop setting and café and how the women continued to work together to make it a success. Just a great heartwarming read that will leave you smiling while you lounge by the pool or on the shore at the ocean.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

A great beach read. Set in a seaside town with lots of atmosphere.

Best friends since childhood decide to take over a bookstore that is closing.

A story of mothers and daughters, best friend, new friends, breakups, new business owners, small town life, starting over and romance.

Very atmospheric and relaxing. A lot of characters to keep straight in the beginning.

I liked all the main characters and enjoyed getting to know them. Although many of them had similar things going on in their lives, they were all portrayed differently.I especially appreciated the friendships and sense of community among them.

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the arc.

The Bookshop by the Bay is a wonderfully uplifting story about new beginnings, personal growth and second chances. I loved the lifelong friendship shared between Alison and Jessica, how despite the miles they were there for one another, constantly supporting and lifting each other up. Despite the challenges they each were facing in their personal lives, they drew strength from the other, along with the courage to move forward. Watching the friendship bloom between their daughter’s, Caitlyn and Julia, was endearing.

Much of the setting takes place in and around the quaint Cape Cod town of Chatham, Massachusetts, as the two embark on a somewhat risky business venture purchasing and running a bookshop (with coffee shop), during a time when each is facing personal struggle in their lives. Having a home somewhat near Chatham, I loved the mention of the many restaurants and shops I’ve had the joy of visiting on Cape. Really made this extra special.

A truly special story about friendships, mother daughter relationships, listening to your heart, taking risks and new beginnings. I found it to be enjoyable even knowing the direction the story was going to take and enjoyed watching things play out. I couldn’t help but cheer on each of these ladies. When I’m sad to leave the characters behind at the last page, I know it was a great story. Fingers crossed we will visit these ladies again down the road.

Fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer will enjoy Pamela Kelley’s books. Her settings are quintessential Cape Cod, her characters are interesting, and the challenges they face realistic.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eGalley that is due to publish 06-June-2023. Be sure to add this to your summer beach read TBR. You won’t be disappointed.

This is a sweet mother/daughter summer story in the same likeness of Nancy Thayer and Mary Kay Andrews. I enjoyed the book store angle and loved watching the women thrive in spite of their situations.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

The synopsis of The Bookshop by the Bay enticed me. It gave off the contemporary beach vibe of a Elin Hilderbrand or Mary Alice Monroe novel and I was looking forward to the read.

The writing style is straightforward, the time line is present day so it flows easily on the eyes. The scenic descriptions were magnificent. I could easily envision the vivid scenes in my head as I read.

However, despite the flow of the book, I just found it was too much crammed into one book. To specifically elaborate, there were way too many POV's. I think it would have been a much better read for me to have focused on one or two POV's. I found myself confused for the first quarter of the book trying to remember who were the moms and who was the daughters. I think having the two J names (Jess and Julia) made it more difficult for me than it really should have been.

Because there were so many characters and POV's, the development of the characters was not as strong as it could have been. I did not connect with any of them, it felt rushed from one POV to another. All four of them were making big changes in their lives at the same time. This is a lot of information to cram into a 320 page book with all those POV's

The storyline was good, the execution could have been a lot better or made into a series ~ first book focusing on the moms, second on daughters.

2.5 stars from me but will round up to 3 for rating purposes. A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the electronic advanced reader copy of this book to review.

Bookstores, women’s fiction and romance? I’m there. This was a sweet story with lovable characters. I personally found the pacing very slow and a hard time staying engaged with the story.

This would make a great beach read!
A story about finding a new path to follow when life throws you all kinds of curves.
I enjoyed reading about the journey the characters go on.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a great beach read or palette cleanser. Light and entertaining, a quick and easy read.

It is about relationships: old and new relationships, mother/daughter relationships, and friend relationships. It's about looking forward and leaving the past behind. It's about taking chances.

Bonus points for having a bookstore as part of the setting. And, a beach and great restaurants. All things near and dear to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Life changes very quickly for Jess when she finds out that her husband has cheated on her. She decides to take some time off from the law firm owned by her husband’s family and trades in the bustle of Charleston for the serenity of Cape Cod. Her daughter, Caitlin, has recently lost her job and decides to join her since they haven’t had a chance to spend time on the Cape for a few years and both look forward to spending time with their mother/grandmother.

Alison has been an editor for a popular magazine for two decades, but with the changing tides of media, the company needs to downsize. When she hears that the owner of the bookstore on the Cape is looking to retire, she imagines what it would be like to run it, but fears that it may be impossible for her dream to become a reality since she knows that she can’t afford to buy it.

Jess and Alison have been best friends for years and are cherishing the time they are now getting to spend together on Cape Cod. Alison has a dream of owning the bookstore and Jess has money saved, so just like that a partnership is formed.

This is a novel of second chances and newfound opportunities. Sometimes we don’t take time to assess what is important in life and what we may be missing, but Jess and Alison along with their daughters have decided to take chances to help them grow in life and love.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheBookshopbytheBay

Pamela Kelley has written a really good book. All of her books are good, but I especially liked this one. Maybe it was the setting of Chatham Massachusetts, maybe it was the book shop, maybe the coffee shop… Definitely all three put together were a great setting. I liked the stories of each of the characters. I liked the way new characters were introduced. I like the ending. I read every word.

The Bookshop by the Bay
Author: Pamela Kelley
St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: June 6, 2023

The power of female friendship shines in the setting of the Cape Cod village, Chatham, Massachusetts. Bookshop by the Bay is a multigenerational story of two mothers, their daughters, and new beginnings. I always love a book featuring a bookshop, and when a coffee shop is included too, it is a winner for me. The sense of gathering in these places of books and beverages serves to connect the characters and make the reader feel part of the scenes.

This book transports me into the lives of Jess and Alison as they take chances, focus inward, and learn to seize the moments of opportunity. Lots of sensory details make the tastes, smells, and sights come alive. Kelley makes sure that as a reader, I was able to see, smell, taste, hear and feel the atmosphere of friendship, food, books, coffee, and coastal setting. I felt a sense of relaxation while reading this book, loving the escape and tranquility that it brought me.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the advance reader's copy. My review is my own.

This is my first book by Pamela Kelley, and I really enjoyed it.

This book is about Jess, a lawyer in Charleston, and her daughter, Caitlin, taking an extended summer trip to the Cape where Jess grew up to get time away when life throws them curveballs.

Overall, it was a really sweet story of family and friends, of dealing with trials of life. This was a perfect book to read as it gets closer to summer. Loved the story and the characters. There were quite a few characters in the story, although the focus was on the mother and daughter, but all the characters had a part.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and I'm glad I did.

This book is basically my dream - to open a bookstore in a quaint beachy town. Please give me all the bookstores. I loved reading this book, the setting on the Cape, the mother-daughter relationships and the idea of starting over and bringing your dream to fruition.

The Chatham, Cape Cod setting is luxurious! Moreover, this book is about mothers and daughters, mother/daughter relationships and starting over. It's about finding what fills your cup and doing it, not worrying about status, etc.

The Bookshop by the Bay was a pleasant, entertaining story about friendships and new beginnings. Two long time friends end up buying a bookshop together after one woman leaves her husband and needs to start over, and the other decides to fulfill a long time dream. Their adult daughters are also an integral part of the story. It is a very readable and charming tale with a satisfying ending. I will read more of Pamela Kelley's books. Thank you to Net Galley for letting me read this book for my honest review.

Many thanks to St Martin's Press, St Martin’s Griffin for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I binge-read this book in one day - I just loved the story and could not put it down! A story about friendship and family and dealing with changes in life, The Bookshop by the Bay includes excellent descriptions of food, clothes, jewelry, and scenery. I felt like I could smell the beach - that’s how well the atmosphere was set.
Overall, this book made me READY for summer (4 weeks of school left…) and helped me dream about moving to Cape Cod, particularly Chatham, and running a bookshop/coffee shop. This would be a great book to read on the beach this summer - especially with some cold wine, as the characters tend to be drinking icy wine throughout many key scenes. While this isn’t the Whispering Angel or La Crema that they enjoy, it’s the white wine I sipped on while reading the book this weekend. This is my first novel by Pamela Kelley but it won’t be my last.

Pamela Kelley’s books are easy to read and enjoyable! This is probably my favorite by her so far. This book has a little bit of everything. Small town by the ocean, a bookstore, friendship, relationships.
Jess is a devoted lawyer, wife, and mother. When she finds out her husband is cheating on her and knocked up her receptionist she decided to take a leave of absence and head to her hometown of Chatham, MA (Cape Cod). Her daughter Caitlin decides to join her and visit her grandma (Jess’s mom.) The best part is Jess gets to spend time with her best friend Allison.
The local bookstore owner is ready to retire and that gives Jess and Allison and idea. They have always dreamed of going into business together.
The story follows Jess, Allison, Caitlin, and Julia (Allison’s daughter.)

If you are a Pamela Kelley fan she is delivering exactly her style of beach read book. It is going to be clean or behind closed doors, cover multiple characters with some drama, and one or more will get a romance. And she will never miss the opportunity to describe every appetizer, entree, desert or drink that everyone orders. Also her setting will be somewhere on Cape Cod. All of that is true for this book.

Jess is a successful lawyer in Charleston working with her husband at his family firm. Her world falls apart when she realizes her husband has cheated on her with an assistant who now is expecting his child. She takes a leave of absence returning to her childhood home to stay with her mother in Chatham on the Cape. Her daughter Caitlin (30) decides to join her after getting let go from her latest job. Once in Chatham Jess reunites with her lifelong best friend Allison works as an editor for a local magazine. Circulation is down and layoffs are coming. Allison’s daughter Julia is a jewelry designer and has a new shop in Chatham. Even though their mothers have been BFs forever, Caitlin has lived her whole life in the south, but Julia befriends her.

The story covers the few months on the Cape as Jess and Allison makes decisions about their careers and futures. I actually thought there may be a romance between the daughters, then realized that would be an unlikely choice for Kelley. LOL. All four women get a romantic interest that feels organic and easy going.

This is easy reading, women’s fiction and just as the cover suggests perfect for by the pool or beach. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

I liked all of the characters in this book and how each one had their own storyline but it all worked well together too. I love a summer read where I feel transported and this one took me to Cape Cod. The mother daughter storylines and the bookstore that they own were all things I loved and I literally didn't want to put the book down and I read this quickly!

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. This is the first time that I have read this author and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is a wonderful story about five women and how they find their purpose and their "home". The characters are so heartwarming that you wish nothing but good things for them. As they are all in different stages of their lives, the author manages to have each of them work out their issues and of course end happy. This book is set in Cape Cod and the descriptions of the towns, the food and the beaches make you want to visit there. It will be a great beach read!

Wow do I have a lot to say about this one. Let me start with this: it’s a good women’s fiction book. If you were looking forward to reading it, don’t let me discourage you. This is much longer of a review than I normal write because I do have some serious issues with certain aspects that didn’t make any sense. However, if you’d like to stop reading here because you plan to read the book, go for it. If it interests you, read it.

Now. Let’s get into it.
There are plot holes GALORE in this read and they were very difficult for me to look past. I think the story had so much potential and it just didn’t get fully realized. There was also a lot of potential for conflict which didn’t go anywhere. Everything was very chill and peaceful. We’ll go through my issues by character. Some of these points may be mild spoilers so BE WARNED.

Julia. We start off her portion of the story seeing she’s just turned down a proposal from Kyle. She tells him “not yet” and doesn’t give us an inclination that she plans to end things. Just that she’s not ready to get married. When Kyle begins to display personality traits she doesn’t like, for the very first time in their long relationship might I add, it’s immediately no I must leave him. Okay that’s fine but….you just said you planned to marry him. There was a lot of potential for conflict with Kyle and then he just lets it go, which was rather boring.

Caitlin. I swear if I had to hear one more time her explaining to someone that she’s just in town for the summer and going back to Charleston…talk about repetitive. Her storyline overall was repeating after repeating after repeating. There was also nothing unique or special about her character arc.

Alison. Probably my favorite character, and I can’t think of too many issues I had with her part of the story. Maybe just that she relied so heavily on her daughter to provide inspiration for things to make the store successful. Like you’re the one who wanted this, get creative yourself.

Jess. Oh, Jess. Where shall I begin? It is absolutely completely MORONIC to impulsively but a bookstore WHILE YOU ARE STILL MARRIED TO THE MAN YOURE ABOUT TO DIVORCE. Not I don’t know about the laws in South Carolina, but where I live if someone is buying any property they must disclose it to their spouse and the spouse has to sign a paper at closing stating they are aware. I’ve done this myself. It’s law. Maybe it’s different in SC, probably, but regardless it is absolutely ridiculous to do that when you’re getting a divorce. I have no doubt the previous owner would’ve been more than okay with waiting until the divorce was final to sign the store over. Now, that gets in the way of the summer story, doesn’t it? Yes, but it makes way more sense. Also, we see her husband saying he wants to work things out, meanwhile buying a condo and taking his mistress go dinner? Like it doesn’t add up? When Caitlin goes back to visit why would he volunteer information that he’s hanging out with baby mama if he is seriously trying to get Jess back? Doesn’t add up. He again also just lets things go way too easily at the end so that everything stays peaceful.

NO CONFLICT!!!! None. Overall as you can tell, I have a lot of issues. Maybe it’s because I don’t read a ton of women’s fiction so I am used to a more interesting and difficult road to the happy ending. This whole book was like mild conflict at beginning, then road to happy all the way to the last page. I was missing the near end conflict.