What could be better than a summer on Cape Cod? Spending that time with family and friends. The bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelly is about relationships, taking chances, and listening to your heart. Two long time friends, their daughters, their Mom’s and new friends all add up to a wonderful story. Of course, it is a great beach read, but I read it in front of the fire and pretended I was there! Her characters are well thought out, and come across as realistic and people I would want to hang out with. Thank you to Netgally for the ARC of this book. I hope to see more of Pamela’s books in the future.

Great story about finding your independence and a new life after a divorce. And it takes place in a great place, cape cod. Romance, friendship, and family make for a good read.

I am reviewing The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela Kelley. The release date is June 6, 2023.

I have read all of Pamela's Nantucket Beach Plum Cove series as well as her The Restaurant series. She never disappoints and always invites you back for more.

In The Bookshop by the Bay, I love the slow, steady story build to the end of the book. She has a talent for adding layer after layer to each of the simple story lines to keep the pace and interest level high. I appreciate the character development that leaves you wanting more from your 'new' friends at the end. And I enjoyed the tidy ending that teases more is to come for these new friends.

I love Pamela skill at Mother/Daughter relationships. There are challenges to overcome, but they find a way together. This book, like her others, brings in multiple generations of Mothers and Daughters. It is so lovely that Pamela builds in love for all ages, not just the young. She gives hope to us in our 50s.

I recommend this book for a quick, engaging read. You'll want to read more about these characters by the end.

This is a wonderful beach read for 2023 by popular author Pamela Kelley. Once again, she has written a warm and uplifting story which takes place in a beautiful setting. This story is centered around two life long friends and their two adult daughters. Attorney Jess, who has lived in Charleston her entire adult life, has left her husband and retreated to her childhood home on Cape Cod. Her somewhat adrift daughter Caitlin joins her for the summer. Allison has stayed on Cape Cod enjoying her quiet life as a magazine editor, mother of jewelry designer Julia, and close friendship with her ex-husband. It is a summer of discovery, growth and romance for all the characters. This book is very well written, the writing flows smoothly and the characters are relatable and well developed, A very nice element of this book is the portrayal of different generations and the varied questions each generation struggles with. Definitely a book for the Summer 2023 TBR list! Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin and the author for a digital ARC of this book.

The Bookshop By The Bay is a delightful story about mothers and daughters. After an unfortunate turn of events leaves Jessica and her daughter Caitlin in need of some time to clear their heads, they return to Jess's hometown of Chatham, MA. Jessica's life long friend Alison and her daughter Julia welcome them to town and the two mothers decide to go into business running a bookstore in town. As the summer goes by, Jessica and Caitlin both discover a different way of living than they were used to in South Carolina, and they both discover that perhaps what they thought they needed to be happy has changed. This book will take you away to the Cape, with a group of old and new friends and I didn't want it to end.

The Bookshop by the Bay is exactly the kind of book you want to read on a stormy or snowy day when you're stuck inside and want to curl up and read all day. Pamela Kelley's descriptions of Cap Cod in the summer and the fine food and shops put you right there in the middle of the story. Jess is a high-powered lawyer in the beautiful, historic city of Charleston. She loves her life but as she notes in her calls to her BFF Allison on Cape Cod, Jess and her husband Parker are growing apart. This is confirmed when she notices the loving look Parker gives his gorgeous, young, and newly pregnant assistant. She and her daughter Caitlin, who at thirty is completely at loose ends, flee to Cape Cod and their family home to lick their wounds and figure out the next steps. Caitlin lost her job and her boyfriend in the same day and needed some time to figure out what she really wanted to do with her life. Allison and Jess have been friends since childhood. Allison never left Chatham on Cape Cod, choosing to raise her daughter Julia, similar in age to Caitlin, on the Cape. She divorced years ago but remains very friendly with her ex to the point where she's not dating anyone else. Editing the Chatham magazine for twenty years kept her busy and happy, but as the way of print in the computer age, the magazine is slowly going under. Allison's daughter Julia recently returned to Chatham to open a shop on Main Street where she could sell her original jewelry designs and is doing quite well. Allison and Jess learn that their favorite bookstore on the Cape was closing so in a leap of faith Jess buys the store and the adjoining coffee shop so she and Allison can run them. The friends work together, and with the help of Caitlin and Julia soon have a booming business. Now it is up to the four women to make decisions about the rest of their lives - what they want to do, where they want to live and who they want to be. An excellent beach read, fans of Sheryll Woods, and Mary Alice Monroe will love The Bookshop by the Bay as will anyone who enjoys a well-written story of family and friendship. Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read an ARC!

I'm a long time reader fan or Pamela Kelley and was excited to receive an ARC of The Bookshop By The Bay from #NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed this longer length women's fiction release. It's the story of two women who are best friends becoming business partners after one of them buys a bookstore/coffee shop. Along the way, the women's adult daughters develop a deeper friendship.

There's hints of romance but it's a clean story.

Five stars from me.

The Bookshop By The Bay is a heartwarming story about mothers and daughters and the changes life throws at you.

Two childhood friends reunite after one discovers her husband’s affair and future child. A marriage that had been of convenience is suddenly questioned. Jess goes back home to Chatham and reunited with her childhood friend, Allison. Their daughters, Julia and Caitlin, who never bonded the way their mothers did , find their way to a deep, strong friendship.

This is a novel about finding your way when life changes. It’s also about finding true love.

I enjoyed visiting the town of Chatham, MA. As a Cape Codder, I love reading novels by local authors. Pamela Kelley is a favorite and she’s hit it out of the park again.

It’s a pretty cute and fulfilling read. I hadn’t read anything by Pamela prior to this book. I’ll have to hunt down more. I received a review copy from the publisher and have left my honest opinion.

This was a great book. It’s all about reassessing your life, reaching for your dreams and not letting anyone treat your dreams as less than theirs. I liked the characters a lot. The writing is wonderful. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

“The Bookshop by the Bay” is by Pamela M. Kelley. I can understand why it’s considered to be a beach read. It is about family, friends, new starts in life, and new beginnings in general. The area of Cape Cod in which this takes place is very well described. While I understand why this book has the title it does, I wish more had been focused on the actual bookstore - instead of it being the background in the book. If you like a quick, light and predictable read, this book is one you should pick up - especially if visiting a beach or while on holiday. I can see this book being the beginning of a series and, possibly, made into a very well done Hallmark movie. BTW, my rating of three stars isn't against the author - it was a well written book and I'd read another book by Ms. Kelley.

This is the first Pamela Kelley book I have read, but it was a great beach read. The Bookshop by the Bay is a sweet story of second chances and fresh starts when life doesn't end up quite as you planned. Thank you St Martins's Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

A wonderful, refreshing read. A book about starting over and second chances at life. Like all of Pamela Kelley’s books, it was hard to put down once I started! Awesome beach read!

I've been reading Pamela M. Kelley's books since her first one - I especially like her Nantucket series and hope she'll start a new series with all the characters in this book. I truly enjoyed it, and even though winter is here, it'll be coming out just in time for all you beach readers. Fun and quick book to read. Netgalley, so glad you finally are offering Kelley's books!!!

This book is a must read. I will be recommending it as our common read for the summer once it is available. Pamela Kelly never disappoints and always keeps her stories interesting and wholesome. The four main characters in this book are at a crossroads and have decisions to make regarding their next steps in life. By the end of the book, they made the decisions that were right for them and reasonable to the reader. The characters are all well-devoloped, and interesting. As a reader, you will see what it is like to have real friends who support each other beyond what would be expected. A key point from the book that will be helpful to everyone, but especially college students is that you may not know what your passion is going to be in life. It is fine to major in one field and change to another. It is even okay to have a degree from a prestigious university and decide to be a plumber if that makes you happy.. Another point is that women should not settle when looking for a life partner.. Too many people think having anyone is better than being alone ,but these 30 years know better. I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I highly recommend it for anyone from their teens to their nineties.

I really enjoyed this book. True independence and starting over is what made me read on. I wish this story would continue. I feel like i need to know more.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts - Present Day

Jessica Coleman, a Charleston, SC lawyer, is making a life-changing decision. After more than thirty years of marriage, she is seriously contemplating divorcing Parker, her husband, and fellow lawyer. They are both attorneys in his father's law firm, have an adult daughter, Caitlin, and are well known in the Charleston community. But for several years, Jess had known that she and Parker have grown apart, and she recently discovered that he's been seeing his secretary. To make matters worse, Jess recently noticed that the younger woman is obviously pregnant. In order to wrap her head around a decision she knows she has to make, Jess is going back to her hometown of Chatham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod where her mother still lives. She's glad to know that her daughter will join her, too.

Caitlin Coleman has just lost her job at a local high end department store. Obviously her honesty with a client about a dress the client liked didn't go over well with her boss. So flying to Chatham with her mother seemed like a good idea to Caitlin. She'd have to put feelers out around Charleston upon her return for another job. Luckily, she still lived with her parents, so housing wouldn't be a problem at first. Caitlin is aware, however, of her parents' troubled relationship.

Jess' best friend, Alison Page, has never left Chatham. Employed at a local magazine, Alison is aware of the issues at the business. Subscriptions are down, as is advertising, so it's apparent that layoffs are in the future. After work one day, Alison retreats to Chatham Books, the local bookstore, where she will drown her worries in a new book The store owner, Ellen, informs her that she's planning to sell the store as she is past retirement age, and she wants to travel. Alison is saddened to hear this, but understands.

Jess and Alison have been life-long best friends, and when Jess returns to town, the two get together right away. When Alison tells Jess about the bookstore, Jess turns thoughtful, and wonders if an investment might be a good idea? Attached to the bookstore is a coffee shop that's been closed for a while. Jess has her own money, separate from Parker's, and investing in her hometown sounds to her like a viable idea. Even Caitlin and Jess' mother agree.

THE BOOKSHOP BY THE BAY is a definite beach read for the summer. Located in the seaside community on Cape Cod, Chatham's local inhabitants welcome the tourists and maintain old friendships. Jess and Alison are both embarking on a new part of their lives, and Caitlin is struggling to find something that will give her some direction. All three women are willing to try something new. Will the bookshop be the new beginning for them?

A totally enjoyable read, THE BOOKSHOP BY THE BAY will be a relaxing tale for the summer.

The Bookshop by the Bay is the first novel that I have read written by Pamela M. Kelley. It definitely lived up to my expectations. It is a great beach read. The story is about two friends who are starting over in life. Jess discovers that her husband has been having an affair and spends the summer with her daughter, Caitlin in her hometown of Chatham, near Cape Cod. Her friend, Allison and her daughter, Julia are also at a crossroads. This a lovely book about starting over and making changes to one's life during midlife. It is uplifting and was a pleasure to read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

If you’re an Elin Hilderbrand fan, you’ll love this and also struggle to read it. I am in the middle. Love a good Nantucket character drama. Just maybe compared it too much to you know who…
That said it’s probably not fair to rate it in comparison to one of my faves. So four stars.

Thanks so much for the ARC.

Quick and fun read. I love how Pamela makes you feel like you are catching up with your old friends in her books. Loved seeing the growing friendship of old and new friends in this story. Definitely add it to your must-read list!