I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. A woman starting over with a bookshop and coffee shop with her best friend’s and daughter’s help in the town she grew up in. This was a light beach read where everything seemed to be positive and predictable, which I don’t have a problem with. It just felt a bit anticlimactic and like there was zero conflict throughout the story even though it was actually there. I enjoyed how everyone found their way in the end, but it seemed unrealistic and didn’t grab me like most books.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Give me a book that has best friends, daughters, and Books and I am all for it. This book is the perfect summer read. We meet Jess who is going through a divorce, so the scandal is a wild one. Her best friend Allison tells her to come back to her hometown to visit and get away, and she does just that with her own daughter Caitlin. While there and trying to process everything she does the wildest thing ever with her best friend. Each character has their own struggle which I loved and the author did her thing with character build up. But I love how these best friends were able to rebuild their lives all over again, fall in love again, and even start a new business together, it was a huge lesson on "its never too late" and I loved that.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this gem.

I read this book as well as listened to the audiobook.

This is a wonderful story about two married friends and their daughters and how after heartbreak you can make a life that is fulfilling and holds the promise of love once again for all 4 women. This book is a quick and easy read. Great book to listen to while on the beach or while on holiday. A very heartwarming relationship shown with all 4 women.

I voluntarily received an advanced copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own..

I would recommend this book to my family friends and my book club

✨ARC Book Review: The Bookshop by the Bay✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Pub Date: 6/6/23

Talk about a beautiful, idyllic setting for a book! The Bookshop by the Bay had me picturing the sandy shores of Cape Cod from start to finish.

Jess is a high profile lawyer living in Charleston until she discovers her husband is cheating on her. She and her daughter, Caitlin, decide to escape to Chatham for the summer to get away. Allison, long time best friend of Jess, lives in the small Cape Cod town with her artsy daughter, Julia. What brings them all even closer together? Buying a bookshop!

“Mothers and daughters and best friends forever.”

I loved the relationships in this book! Two childhood best friends who lean on each other through good times and bad. The mother/daughter connections were each unique and very sweet. It was also fun to watch their daughters, Caitlin and Julia, form a similar bond as their mothers. I felt like I was a regular at their coffee shop getting a front row seat to their lives.

Overall, the book is a pleasant, feel good read. The plot may not be the most memorable for me in a few weeks or months, but I enjoyed escaping to the beach for a few days while reading The Bookshop by the Bay!

I listened to some of this as an audiobook and felt the narrator did a terrific job.

Thank you @netgalley for an advanced copy of this book and audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

#bookshopbythebay #pamelakelley #mayreads #bookstgram #books #2023reads #bookrecs #readingchallenge #readinggoals #goodreadschallenge #booksofinstagram #alwaysreading #bookstagramchallenges #bookstagramer #instabooks #netgalley #netgalleyreviews

I love books that are set by any kind of water add a bookstore and I'm gonna read it. This is the perfect book to get your summer reading started if you havent already.
Pretty much sums up the story from the sysnopisis: possibility of romance, the bonds of mothers and daughters, and the magic of second chances.

Out June 6th wherever books are sold

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jess. a high-profile lawyer in Charleston moves to her childhood home on Cape Cod to lick her wounds and regroup, when her marriage implodes, Her thirty-year-old daughter, Caitlin, joins her, as she is having problems of her own that she has to recover from. Jess has always dreamed of owning a bookstore, and when the owner of the local bookstore announces she is retiring, she along with her longtime best friend, Alison, decide to buy the bookstore and make that dream a reality. This is going to be a summer of second chances for all of them.

I had hoped this would be an enjoyable beach read, but it fell short of my expectations. All of the characters just felt one dimensional and their storylines were, and I hate to say this, boring. It was mainly a lot of them going out drinking and trying to find a new love interest or divest themselves of an old one, and a LOT of Caitlin talking about moving back to Charleston in October and not knowing what she was going to do with her life. Maybe this book just wasn't for me, but I really didn't enjoy this one at all.

The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela M. Kelley is an easy summer read of women and relationships. Jess returns for the summer to Cape Cod along with her grown daughter. Together with lifelong friend Allison and her grown daughter a bookshop and café is bought restored and opened for business. A lot for these women to take on suddenly. However, sometimes change is needed in one’s life.

For Jess that couldn’t be more true with a cheating husband and divorce coming. An interesting woman that rolls with life’s punches. In fact, there is drama, some angst but not as much conflict that would have probably been normal for a couple of these women with the men in their lives at the beginning of this book.

A summer read that highlights childhood forever friendships, close mother-daughter bonds and that it is never too late to start anew.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the focus on the importance of believing in yourself and the trusting your friends. The characters were interesting and relatable. The story drew me in right away. Thanks #NetGalley

Just great!!

This book is another terrific read by Pamela M. Kelley. I've enjoyed her previous series', and while I'm not sure if this is a stand-alone or the start of a series, either way it was really good.

Allison and Jess have been friends for a long time, so when Jess' marriage falls apart suddenly, she and her adult daughter Caitlin decide to spend the summer in Chatham, Massachusetts, recovering from their breakups . All 4 women (Jess, Caitlin, Allison and her daughter, Julia) are all at a crossroads in their lives, and spending time together is good for them all. Opening the coffee shop and bookstore are icing on the cake!

Women supporting women is usually a strong theme in this author's books, and this is no exception. The four of them, plus Jess' mother, all pull together and are there for each other over this life-changing summer. Fingers crossed this will become a series and we'll see more of these 4 in the future!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This book was the epitome of all the summer/beach vibes. I mean, look at that cover!! 😍

There are multiple pov in this novel — the moms and their daughters. Jess, Caitlin, Alison, and Julia. I loved seeing the two best friends Jess & Alison together. They have such a solid friendship!

But each of these women go through hard challenges. Breakups, divorce, and even losing their jobs. But they all come back stronger from it and find their true happiness. I wish I was able to visit the bookstore & coffee shop and also Julia’s jewelry shop!

Plus, I loved the romances that happened. So sweet to see them all find someone to love. ❤️

Overall, a charming and heartwarming women’s fiction novel. Make sure to add this book to your summer reading TBR! ☀️

[ Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

Bookstore by the Bay

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4 ⭐️

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Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

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Jess recently found out her husband was cheating on her, and her daughter Caitlin just got fired from another dead end job. The two women take off for Jess’ hometown of Chatham, MA for the summer to relax and reconnect. While there, Jess decides to invest in a local bookstore and coffee shop, which she will leave in the hands of her best friend Alison when she returns home in the fall. With the help of Caitlin and Alison’s daughter Julia, the four women work together to try to make their dreams come true. Along the way they face setbacks, new love, and old flames. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same…

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💭 Thoughts 💭

This is one for fans of Elin Hilderbrand! I loved the Cape Cod setting since we live just off the cape, so it was fun reading about someplace local. This book had 4 different perspectives, one for each woman, so it helped to see all sides of the situation and I liked seeing the mother/daughter connections. Some parts were definitely fluffy, but overall a fun and easy summer read.

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⌛️ Favorite Moment ⌛️

When Jess decides to buy the bookstore! Taking on an investment is a big risk, but I think owning a bookstore would be so cool! It was fun to see her grow the business through events and loyalty cards.

The Bookshop by the Bay is such a fun summer read! I immediately wished I was at the Cape and able to visit this cute bookshop!

This is a book about friendship and taking chances set in a bookshop/cafe on the Cape. I loved the friendship between Jess and Allison and their daughters becoming friends too. The theme of stepping outside your comfort zone was a big part of this book for multiple characters!

This would be the perfect poolside or beach read if you're looking for a great book about friendship. Who doesn't love a bookstore setting?

I listened to this, thanks to @macmillan.audio. It's just under 10 hours and I enjoyed the narrator!

The Bookshop by the Bay comes out June 6th! Highly recommend it if you want a great audiobook about friendship!

2.5/5⭐️

When Jess’ marriage disintegrates, she and her 30-year-old daughter decamp from Charleston to her Cape Cod childhood home for support from her mother and bff.
She and her bff (who is also at a crossroads) decide to buy a local bookstore. As they work toward business success, their daughters pitch in as well.

OK, this just not work for me. First, the writing felt simplistic and just not up to par. The characters had no depth, therefore I wasn’t invested enough. They felt like they were simply reacting to situations (my marriage derailed, I’ll impulsively buy a bookstore, etc.) without planning ahead or making thoughtful decisions. It felt like there wasn’t much of a storyline either…end of a marriage, returns home, new investment, new life. And all five women (mothers and daughters) end up with pretty perfect lives…somehow.

Sorry, but it just didn’t work for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing the free early arc of The Bookshop by the Bay for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Great beach read about two best friends and their daughters. Jessica and Caitlin Coleman, and Alison and Julia Paige are all at a crossroads of some sort—work, relationships, or both. Old friendships were solidified (Jess and Alison) and new ones were made (Caitlin and Julia). Although I prefer first person POV, this book told in third person POV made it easy to keep track of which character the chapter was about.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

This was a book about Mothers,daughters and friends.
It’s also about new beginnings and starting over.
It’s a really good book that I read in one day!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This is a lovely women’s fiction to enjoy on a summer day. The women in this story are all at a crossroads in their lives. Some are experiencing relationship issues and others career troubles. Throughout the summer they all examine their lives and make happier choices. Readers will really enjoy this very interesting story.

Just the word bookshop in the title drew me to this one. I can't resist books involving bookshops/bookstores. And the beachy picture on the cute cover was cute too and made me wish for summer and the beach. This is fhe first time I've read anything by Pamela Kelley I think.

Description:
Jess loves her work as a high-profile lawyer in the respectable and austere city of Charleston. But when she finds her husband, Parker, has been cheating on her with his assistant, she retreats, with her thirty year-old daughter Caitlin for support, to her childhood home on Cape Cod, in Chatham. Caitlin has always been bright but directionless, looking for her passion but keeps coming up blank. And Jess needs to regroup with the help of good food and wine, the company of her best friend, Allison, and come up with a plan for the future.

Allison’s career has hit a low. After twenty years as an editor for the Chatham magazine, circulation is dwindling and though her boss and long-time friend, Jim, does everything to keep her, she has no choice but to take a step back. With a career on hiatus and her main relationship being with Chris, her ex-husband who is still a good friend, Allison is at a pivotal point in life. Her daughter Julia opened her own artisanal jewelry shop a year prior, and she has the kind of day-to-day fulfillment Allison yearns for.

When Allison stops into her beloved local bookstore one day and learns that the owner wants to sell, a long-held dream turns into a reality, thanks to Jess. Allison and Jess set a plan in motion and what was once a place that held warm childhood memories is now theirs to run. As the two friends, along with the help of their daughters, reopen the doors of the cherished bookstore and adjacent coffee shop to the community, they also open themselves up to the possibility of romance, the bonds of mothers and daughters, and the magic of second chances.

My Thoughts:
I loved the long-time relationship between Jess and Allison. The way they supported and complemented each other. I also iked the friendship that developed between their daughters, Julia and Caitlin. The setting in Cape Cod, Chatham was picturesque. Although taking over a bookshop is risky, this was an exciting change and I loved reading about the development of the bookshop and the changes they were making. Julia's jewelry making business was interesting as well. An enjoyable read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 6, 2023.

We all have unexpected twists and turns in our life. When Caitlin loses her job and her boyfriend in the same day, she plans to start looking for another one - again. But when her Jess, her mother's marriage crumbles, they decide to go to Chatham, MA on Cape Cod for a brief getaway. Jess grew up there, her mother was still there, as was her best friend. So Caitlin and Jess go quickly, without a real plan, except to relax for a while. Jess works as a lawyer in her husband's father's law firm and she believes it will be difficult to continue to work in that situation.

But as they stay longer, they make new friends and find things to occupy their time until their anticipated return to Charleston. Slowly their lives and interests shift. The characters adapt to their new situations to stretch and grow. They have to wonder how they want to live their lives in Charleston.

This is an outstanding beach read. Easy, fun, clean reading. Pleasant people for the most part, no one is particularly hurt by the events that occur in the book.

I read an advance reader copy of this book. This is my honest review.

wo lifelong friends, a bookshop by the bay. Infidelity and jobs lost, bring these two friends back together and for taking chances. Jess and Allison take a chance on a local bookstore and re-opening a coffee shop that didn't do very well the first time around. Will their bookshop and coffee shop in Chatham, Cape Cod fail or will it thrive.
This is a great beach read about lifelong friendship, loss and taking a chance. You will get wrapped up in this book and won't put it down until the very end and will leave you wishing there was more. This book will be released in June 2023.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press,, for giving me the opportunity to read The Bookshop by the Bay.
#netgalley, #st.martin'spress, #friendship, #secondchances, #thebookshopbythebay

The Bookshop by the Bay is a sweet, heartwarming story about a small group of mothers and daughters who work to find out what they truly want in life….and where they want to be! This story kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. Really enjoyed it!