Do you trust yourself and your own judgment? That is basically the premise of this book. The journey to fulfillment was an interesting one.

Jess finds that her husband of 30 years has had an affair with his assistant and now that assistant is pregnant. She takes a trip with her adult daughter, Caitlin, to her home town of Chatham.

Her mother lives there. So does her best friend Allison along with Allison’s daughter, Julia.

These 4 women all are facing changes in their lives. Jobs lost, or changing, relationships that not longer work and major choices which can change lives.

First I liked the mother daughter and friend relationships in this book. It was nice to see people supporting their loved ones. I liked the four leading characters. Each of them were nice women who were intelligent, humorous and strong. At times they felt ambivalent, but in reality we knew where things were going.

In reality, at times there was not much reality. Everything worked out easily for each of them. Businesses opened up and were nearly immediately successful. Solutions to problems appeared. Perfect men were right there when needed.

I was not fond of the descriptions of food. It seemed that the food was more important than the interactions with the characters eating the food. I wanted a little more personality of the person they were sharing a meal with rather than what the meal was.

I know this is just me, but I really wanted more emotional activity.

Ms Kelley is a new to me author. I will look for some of her other books to read. She is talented and her female characters drew me into the story. I just wanted something more and I believe I will find it with Ms Kelley.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are complete

This one was tough for me because the actual storyline was good, had enough sub plots and side characters, and did keep me wondering how it was all going to turn out.
However, a few things made me rate this lower -
1- The character names were really tough for me.. the younger girls were all Sue, Nancy, and Beth. Which to me are older names, and not something I would associate with 20/30 somethings, so I had a hard time with their association. Then Jess was an older character, which is also a younger name, and threw me off a lot.
2-The dialogue fell really flat and felt unrealistic. A lot of times when I'm reading I can really see and hear the fluctuation of people's voices and how that goes along with their personality, and all the characters in this book were flat and had no personality. Alison, Jess, Caitlin, and Julia all had somewhat unique qualities but their conversations never showed me who they truly were. For example when Julia was leaving for Nashville, Caitlin said "I hope it’s a fun trip for you. Take lots of pictures.” Most girls that age would say something more like "Have so much fun in Nashville! I neeed to see pictures when you're back."


Overall I would not recommend but if the characters had more personality, especially in their dialogue, I could have gotten behind it more. Really appreciate the advanced copy and opportunity to review!

“The Bookshop by the Bay” by Pamela M. Kelley
A Choice: the Catalyst of Change
Yes, there was one really big surprise that changed several lives, but ultimately everything turns out for the best. After all it is fiction, and why we love to read it. I really did enjoy this story and its twists and turns. A story about life and choices, with a touch of romance, and all sweet and clean too. A worthwhile read. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: This review expresses my honest opinion.
I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. The book's plot seemed to have a lot of potential to begin with, but then it all got jumbled together. There were so many characters that the author bounced around to that it was difficult to keep track of who was who. It also seemed like each character had a love interest or two and that got confusing as well. It seemed like it was necessary for every female character to be on the prowl. The outcome was very lackluster as well, I think anyone could have predicted it. This was not for me.

The Bookshop by the Bay
by Pamela Kelley
I have read a number of books by this author and my favorites are the books in the Beach Plum Cove Inn series. That said, this book was good but maybe a little too long. Most of the books I have read or listened to by this author are pretty short, seven hours or less and I think that’s a good length for this kind of story. However, it was enjoyable and I liked the main characters and as always in a Pamela Kelly book, the talk about food and wine. And of course, the location.
Thanks to Netgalley.

🌞Book Review🌞

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free digital copy for an honest review.

Pub date: June 6, 2023

Read this if you like:

❤️ Mother/daughter stories
👭 Friendships
🌴 Beachy scenes
⛪ Small town vs city
😊 Feel-good story

This book was a wholesome, feel-good story with a "you can change your life no matter what your age" theme.

Jess and her daughter, Caitlin, move to Cape Cod for the summer after a secret changes the direction of their lives.

Jess's best friend, Alison, has always dreamed of owning a bookstore. When the opportunity arises, Jess and Alison take it.

A bookstore and coffee shop near the beach, what's not to love!

The ending of this book is predictable, but I needed something light-hearted and sweet. This was my first Pamela Kelley book and I look forward to trying more of her books.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

A feel-good beach read with mothers and daughters, good friends, new beginnings, and a little romance. The writing is a bit stilted, but the storyline flows nicely nonetheless. The characters are fun, and the setting was cozy and inviting.

I liked the theme of mothers, daughters and new relationships. I felt that there were too many characters and storylines to keep up with. I enjoy stories about bookshops but I had a hard time getting into this one .

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I loved this book and also listened to the audiobook version as well. Once you put the different storylines together it is a great read. This is one of those nice feel good reads. Perfect for the beach or relaxing on the porch. I loved the characters and I also loved the decisions they made in the end.
I definitely want to read more like this from this author.

I love books about bookshops so I really enjoyed this one! I liked that there were story lines about middle age women and as well as younger women all in one book. And it was set in both Cape Cod and Charleston!

Jess is a lawyer in her husband's family's law firm. She enjoys working there, but when her marriage falls apart, she wants to get out of Charleston for a while. Her daughter Caitlin has her own reasons for wanting a change of scenery so they both head to Cape Cod. Jess grew up in Cape Cod and her mom and best friend, Allison, are both still there.

Allison's career at Cape Cod magazine is at risk as the circulation has been falling. When she walks into her favorite bookshop, she learns the owner is looking to sell. Allison can't help but get excited - if only she had the financial resources.

Well she doesn't but Jess does and Jess is looking for something to distract her. Soon the two friends are running the bookshop. With the help of their daughters, they may just turn things around!

The different storylines had a little something for everyone!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the early read! This was my first read by Pamela Kelley- and what a fun beach read it was! This story was a bit predictable, but the fun summer-y setting and details were just right for an easy summer read! Also, who doesn’t love a book shop/coffee shop combo? I enjoyed that each of the characters worked through a turning point or reroute in their life and made decisions that bettered their own situations. Definitely a quick and easy uplifting read!

I love this beachy novel, make you want to go spend time at the beach town. Jess leaves Charleston to go to her hometown of Cape Cod, once she learns her husband has cheated on her. She take her 30 year old daughter to spend summer to see her best friend and mother. Her best friend, Allison, is Magazine editor. Her boss is having difficulties with his business and must make some changes. Allison has always wanted to own a bookstore. The lady who owns the bookstore is wanting to retire. She tells her best friend, Jess, who has come up to visit her tells her about the bookstore. It is a venture the friends want to take on themselves and inclued their daughters. This includes a coffee shop right next door too. What a journey these friends take together. They meet many friends and enjoy the company of friends by getting together and enjoying the Cape Cod area.

I really wanted to read this book as the title and the cover attracted my attention. The cover makes you want to relax at the beach. I am so looking forward to reading more of Pamela Kelley's other novels. For me, it was a book that was hard to put down.

💭Thoughts:
I loved this sweet, heart warming story! I really fell in love with the characters. I found myself really engaged and looking forward to their new starts and second chances at love and life.

I think because of some current situations in my life, this book really spoke to me. I love the idea of starting over with a beautiful bookshop in a small town. Maybe one day.

I highly recommend this fun, clean, engaging story. It definitely put a smile on my face.

The Bookshop by the Bay
Pamela Kelley
4⭐️

“To mothers and daughters and best friends, forever.”

My first read by Kelley and it won’t be my last. The Bookshop by the Bay was a fun and enjoyable escape read. The writing was wonderful, the characters were all lovable, and the Cape Cod setting was dreamy.

A sweet story about mothers, daughters and friendship. No angst, no drama. Just love, second chances, and books. 🥰 It was just what I needed.

The Bookshop by the Bay publishes 6/6 and it will make the perfect beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy of this delightful beach read and this review is my honest opinion.
Although I read this book in late January, I could definitely see my self stopping into this wonderful bookshop any time of the year.
Jess has been blindsided by her husband’s affair.
Her 30 year old daughter, Caitlin can’t seem to find a job she likes and Allison, best friend of Jess, is having a career crisis of her own.
What’s not to like about this book? A beach town with a book and coffee shop run by two savvy women, a second chance at a very satisfying career and quite possibly a little love along the way.

The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelley is a heartwarming and fun read. The characters are relatable, as are the challenges they face.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is definitely my favorite Pamela Kelley novel yet! A great "beach" read for any time of the year.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoy Pamela Kelly’s writing. This latest entry, The Bookshop By The Bay is a feel good story about family, good friends and the twists that life can deal you when you least expect it.

This book is exactly what is says it will be - a multigenerational story of mothers and daughters in the picturesque setting of Cape Cod. While there are heavy topics (divorce, finding ones purpose, cheating, etc) discussed, there is a very calm and non-dramatic tone throughout the book. It is exactly what I needed at the time, and I think it really is a perfect beachy/poolside read for the summer. There are several plots interwoven, and I really loved how the threads of our characters are loose at the beginning but come together quite naturally at the end. This book in many ways is a like a hug. There is a glimmer of romance, which I always appreciate. If you like really sweet multigenerational family stories, I think you will really enjoy this. Thank you to NetGalley at the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelley. I love the multi generational friendship stories. I particularly enjoyed the younger girls friendship. I have been to the small town in the book and can imagine walking the streets and beaches with the characters. I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to hand sell this book. I’m hoping it flies off our shelves.