You had me at the title...The Bookshop by the Bay. Books about books are my favorite so I knew I was going to like this one. The story is about two friends each with their own personal struggles who have to come together in their hometown to help each other out. Jess has just found out her husband was cheating on her and got the young girl pregnant. She decides to take her daughter with her to Cape Cod to have a little distance but also to decide what she wants to do going forward.
Allison loves her job as an editor but the magazine isn't doing well and she needs to make a change before she gets laid off. She respects her boss and feels bad he's having to make these cuts but maybe it's time to do something else with her life. On a visit home Allison hears that her favorite bookstore is for sale she thinks this may be her chance to start a new career. Her childhood is full of good memories from the bookstore and she can't imagine it closing or anyone else running it.
The two friends will come together and decide how they can make this dream come true for Allison, but also it will be a time for healing and learning to love again.

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 go part time. 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 turning 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. The two friends, along with the help of their daughters, reopen the doors of the cherished bookstore and adjacent coffee shop to the community. Also, yhey open themselves up to the possibility of romance, the bonds of mothers and daughters, and the magic of second chances.

I am not familiar with this author, but any title that has "bookshop" in the title attracts me so I decided to give it a try. This is a well written book that develops the main characters throughout the book plus brings in some important secondary characters. I love the description of the area and Chatham. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I will be looking for other books by this author. I highly recommend.

An easy breezy story of friends who open a bookshop and coffeeshop on the bay. They come from other careers and need a change of scenery and a change of purpose.

The Bookshop by the Bay
By Pamela M. Kelley

Here I am just a week before Christmas recommending a book that you will want to add to your summer TBR list. The Bookshop by the Bay by Author Pamela M. Kelley will have you standing right behind Jessica, Caitlin, Allison and Julia; cheering them on when need be and hugging them when things seem like they may not get any better.

This is where we learn how strong we can be when life throws a lot of crap at us. How crying alone and with your best friend can be cathartic for both and why it’s ok to change your mind at the last moment.

Jess and Allison grew up together in Chatham and Cape Cod town that makes you want to eat with the locals, enjoy the beach and a place where you are always welcomed home. Jess left for college in South Carolina, meets her husband Parker and marries him after graduating law school. They have a beautiful daughter Caitlin and for years it seems they had it all. We change though as time goes by and Jess is very aware that she and Parker aren’t really communicating and have in a way gone in different directions. The day Jess found out Parker had gone where no married man should go, she gives him an ultimatum and she and daughter Caitlin return to her home town of Chatham.

Allison never really left Chatham behind, she had the best of jobs working for a magazine that features Cape Cod life, she has a wonderful daughter Julia and her ex-husband Chris is her best friend. Now her best friend Jess is coming home and bringing her daughter with her. Allison is bound and determined to be there for Jessica while she is working out how things are going to change.

Will their daughters finally become the friends Jess and Allison have wanted them to be? While all of their lives are changing, their favorite childhood bookshop goes up for sale, should they or shouldn’t they?

The chapters flew by, each character grew and changed and that made reading this book even more enjoyable.

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Griffin and Author Pamela Kelley for the opportunity to read The Bookshop by the Bay.

Pleasant if not somewhat (totally?) predictable beach book about two friends and their daughters, two of whom live in Chatham, Cape Cod and the other two of whom are visiting for the summer after breaking off relationships with their husband and their boyfriend back in Charleston. I think the story could have used a bit more tension to make it a little more dramatic, but if you're looking for an easy read on a summer's day, this is a decent choice.

NOTE: Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Bookshop by the Bay" was an enjoyable story about four women (two pairs of mothers and daughters) whose lives are in transition and who find happiness and the next stage of their lives through a bookshop/coffeeshop. Jessica Coleman and her daughter Caitlin are spending time in Chatham, Massachusetts, the small Cape Cod village where Jessica grew up, and where Jessica's best friend, Alison Page, and her daughter, Julia, still live. Jessica is preparing to divorce her husband, who has been having an affair with his assistant, who is now pregnant. Caitlin's relationship has recently unexpectedly ended, and she is at loose ends career-wise, cycling through a series of short-term jobs as she tries to figure out what she wants to do. The visit to Chatham is intended to be a vacation, with both women fully intending to return to Charleston, SC. However, while in Chatham, an opportunity arises to help Alison achieve her dream of owning a bookshop. Jess sees it as a good investment, especially paired with re-opening the adjoining coffee shop, and it is a good opportunity for Alison, who is preparing to be laid off from the magazine where she had worked for years due to budget cuts. Julia, her daughter, has a small jewelry shop on main street and is managing to make ends meet, but it is still a struggle. She will also soon see the end of her relationship, when her boyfriend's job takes him to Nashville. The experience of running the bookstore and restarting and running the coffee shop, as well as the friendships that are made or rekindled, will result in new experiences for the four women, and significant changes in plans for Jess and Caitlin.

A story involving a bookstore is always going to be appealing to me. In addition, this is a sweet story. The main characters are dealing with some rather significant issues, but they find support in each other and from others in Chatham. The characters are interesting and well-developed, including many of the "minor" characters. The author does a good job of portraying how different life is in Chatham compared to Charleston or other places. She also uses the backstories of other characters, including unexpected career choices, to help Caitlin realize that her situation in Charleston, and the expectations that come with it, is really not what she wants. I would definitely recommend this book.

A wonderful about picking up the pieces and second chances. Being able to return to your childhood beach town where family and friends will help you move on. Easy, awesome beach read!




Thanks to Pamela M Kelley and St. Martin’s Press

This book was a fun, lighthearted read. I loved the development of each character and the way their stories are all woven together. I also loved that some of the characters are from Charleston, which is my hometown. I couldn't put this book down, and found myself reading it late into the night. It was enjoyable and heartwarming to follow the characters in the ups and downs of their lives. Overall the book was well written and relatable.

This will be a wonderful beach read. This book will be released in June 2023.

'Bookshop by the Bay' is about 2 Mothers (lifelong friends) and their Daughters but it's about so much more. It's a story about new beginnings, second chances and where you belong in this crazy thing we call life.

The main characters are Jess (Jessica), Caitlin, Alison, and Julia. They are all a little lost about where they are headed in life. But with the help from each other and their family/friends they get to where they belong in a small town named Chatham with a bookshop and coffee shop. What's not to love!?!

All the characters about likeable...even the cheating husband. This was a fun and easy read...great for a Summer vacation read on the beach. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins's Press for the e~ARC.

A delightful relationship between grandmother, mother, daughter, and best friend, highlight this novel. A feel-good ending that will brighten your day! Women’s Fiction story about taking chances when life throws you curveballs. Each of the ladies face change that will make them or break them. They stand together and support each other; opening a bookshop/coffee bar. The author shows and tells the story with great narrative and descriptions. 5 Stars! I highly recommend.

Pamela Kelley provides another wonderful story perfect for any time of year but would be nice on a hot beach in the sun. Jess and Alison have been lifelong friends and are both at a crossroads in their lives. Jess is an attorney living in Charleston with her husband and thirty year old daughter. Jess discovers her husband is cheating and retreats to Chatham along with her daughter for support where her best friend and her mother reside. Alison is an editor for the Chatham Magazine but due to poor circulation her boss and friend has no choice but to cut her hours. . Alison’s daughter Julia has opened a jewelry store and is quite fulfilled something Alison is seeking. When a beloved bookstore comes up for sale the two best friends decide to go into business together along with opening the coffee shop next door. With the help of their daughters the women discover friendships that grow, bonds strengthen, and love is a possibility when starting over. I appreciated that the main characters were older women and that starting over and romance were possibilities at their age . The book flows well and keeps a nice pace and is perfect for the seasoned reader as well as a reader looking for something relatable. I definitely recommend.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Pamela M. Kelley for the opportunity.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Jess and her daughter decide 1o spend a month in Cape Cod with her mom. Jess is excited to see her best friend who she missed. Jess is unsure what she wants to do after learning of her husband's affair. I liked the different characters in this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and StMartin’s Press for allowing me to read and review The Bookshop by the Bay, written by Pamela M Kelley.
This is a feel good woman’s novel which takes place mainly in Chatham Massachusetts. It sounds like a wonderful place to live in and Ms Kelley had me practically drooling over some of the descriptions of the food.
“To mothers and best friends, forever”.
The Bookshop by the Bay publishes 06/06 2023.

I received an Advanced reader copy from Netgalley for my honest review. This novel is so well written that I felt like I was in the town of Chatham with Jess, Alison, Caitlin, and Julia. The bookshop provides a chance for new beginnings for the women. The mothers are best friends and their daughters develop a close friendship. Everyone has a relationship issue to work through. The importance of family and friends combined with following your heart opens many opportunities to all four women. I will definitely read more books by Pamela Kelley!

Stunned by her husband’s affair, Jess leaves Charleston, SC, for Chatham, MA on Cape Cod. Her daughter Caitlin, who has lost her job and her boyfriend in the same day, accompanies her. Staying with her mom, Jess reunites with her best friend and together they start a new business with a bookshop/coffee shop. Jess and Caitlin plan for this to be a summer vacation but they quickly fall in love with their new town. Pamela Kelley has done a nice job of developing the characters and the story. This is a sweet, cozy read. As a senior citizen who spent childhood vacations in Chatham, it brought back a lot of memories. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I was excited to be approved to read this book because I grew up in Chatham, and was curious about the story. A well written beach read about two lifelong friends and their two daughters.

Jess has been living in Charleston for many years, and only going to Chatham for a week or so in the summer. Her best friend Allison stayed in Chatham. When Jess finds out her husband has been cheating on her, she decides to get away, and Chatham is just the place to go. Her daughter Caitlin has just been laid off from a job, and decides to join her mother to regroup, and decide where her passion actually lies.

It was fun to read this book and recognize some of the real Chatham places, like The Squire, Red Nun, and a few others.

You can’t go wrong with a story about bookstores and this one was good! I loved the cast of characters and I never felt like it was too much to follow. I enjoyed the mother-daughter aspect of the storylines as well as the life changes and growth.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This type of review is hard for me because this book has all of the ingredients for a great read, but when put all together, it just didn't work for me.

For starters, there were just too many storylines and characters: 4 main and 5 secondary. To add to the confusion, 4 of the 9 had names starting with the letter J. I felt like each time the POV changed, (sometimes within a chapter) I had to stop and think, "wait, who is this person and how do they fit into the story?". The hardest part, however, is that the writing was very dry. It read more like a journalistic/documentary retelling of events, rather than an engaging story that draws you in and just flows. For example, 3 of the characters went out to dinner and we were given a detail accounting of the roughly 8 dishes ordered. It was choppy and obscure details were given page time instead of actual substance or character building dialogue.

There were also some predictability and believability issues. Who buys a bookstore and an out of business coffee shop and gets both up and running all in a matter of 2-3 weeks? Mind you, this was all done by people with no prior experience.

So the deal is that the premise is cute. I especially loved the idea of the mother-daughter relationships and all of the "it's never too late to start over and create your best life" vibes. However, this really felt more like a first draft to me and could really use some significant editing.

I LOVED The Hotel! When I seen another stand-alone I had to jump at the opportunity because Kelleyis becoming one of my absolute favorites!
The beautiful cover is what caught my attention first, but then reading the synopsis I knew I needed this book in my life!

The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela M. Kelley is a beautiful and sparkling story about two lifelong friends. One bookshop by the beach. And a summer that could change everything!
Jess and Allison grabbed ahold me and sucked me straight into their story.
Even their daughters are believable, well developed beautifully written characters.
They are so likable, fun and full of wit.
Kelley's writing is fresh, engaging and so fulfilling.
Her style pulls the reader into the minds of her characters and brings them to life.
I genuinely felt so involved in their stories.
The setting and vivid descriptions were done so well as usual.
A very entertaining women’s fiction that kept me wanting more and not wanting it to end!
A beautiful story about starting over, friendship, family, a sweet romance, the bonds of mothers and daughters, and the magic of second chances.
A great unputdownable read! That was absorbing right from the start!

Now I just need to buy the Nantucket Beach Plum Cove series and all will be right!
Because after devouring this book I need more of Kelley's books in my life.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a light, easy read but the story was predictable in every way. Jess and Allison are lifelong best friends. Jess is an attorney living in Charleston with her attorney husband Parker and her 30 year old daughter Caitlin. Allison is a divorced magazine editor living on Cape Cod where she and Jess grew up. She also has a 30 year old daughter Julia who owns a local jewelry store. Parker cheats on Allison with his secretary and Caitlin loses her job, so they decide to take a few months off and spend the summer on Cape Cod with Jess’s mother. The magazine Allison has been working for is struggling and going through layoffs. She wants to buy the local bookstore when the owner retires, but she can’t afford to. Jess decides that it would be a fun investment for her and she would love to be partners with Allison. As they learn how to grow their business with the help of their daughters, all of their love lives (both mothers and daughters) take a turn for the better. Unfortunately, there’s not even one unexpected thing that happens with this story. I can’t really recommend this unless you’re just looking to read something really light. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinsgriffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.