Review will be posted on 8/3/23

Amy and Jo are twins and have always been thicker than thieves even when Amy started dating Ben in high school. Ben fit into their world completely and even became good friends with Jo. They have always been close until recently as they are adults now and sometimes things in life can get distracting. Amy and Ben are married now and are attending Jo and Dave's wedding on the 4th of July at their family's beach house on Fire Island. Tensions are high as the family gathers for this event, especially when they notice Dave's family really isn't warming up to Jo's. Plus, Amy and Ben, even if they seem perfect from the outside, are dealing with a lot in their marriage. When Dave's best man, Emmett, arrives this shocks Amy to her core. She has only dated two people: Ben and Emmett. She dated Emmett in college; what is he doing here? With her family....on Fire Island...at her twin's wedding. Cue the drama! The entrance of Emmett sends Amy into an existential crisis about what she wants out of life, especially when dealing with the recent issues in her marriage. What could possibly go wrong with a family wedding with this much drama on the 4th of July? Becky Chalsen's debut, Kismet, is at its heart a delightful beach read, but there are some problems with the storyline that weigh it down.

I loved the setting of Fire Island and the preparations for the wedding; they were two of the best parts of Kismet for me. However, Amy is a bit insufferable and self-absorbed. She goes through some trauma (TW: miscarriage, infidelity), but instead of working through her trauma, she uses it as a reason to behave irrationally and quite badly. This didn't really work for me. Since this was one of the driving forces of the novel, I had a hard time with it. When the story focused on family, forgiveness, and the gorgeous setting of Fire Island, I was sold. So, if you like emotional beach reads that tackle women's issues, this one is for you.

Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Group Dutton for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Apparently, author Becky Chalsen is a quadruplet, so she knows her stuff about being one of a multiple birth and is qualified to write about being a twin. The parts of this story that deal with that relationship mostly ring true and are sweet. Chalsen also married her childhood sweetheart, and that is reflected in the story as well. As to why the MC, Amy, would shut herself off completely from what is supposedly a very close family, that's a bit of a mystery and feels a bit contrived.

Basically, Amy is a bit of a mess because of some big bad trauma in her past with Ben, her husband of 5 years and childhood sweetheart. The two of them are spending the week in Kismet, a village in Fire Island and the site of Amy's parents' house. Amy's twin sister, Jo, is getting married - on the twins' birthday - which is Fourth of July. Amy is maid of honor and is very organized, so has scheduled the week (good lord, an entire week of activities in the run-up to a wedding?) to the nth degree. She is thrown for a further loop when she realizes that the best man is Emmett, a boy she was friends with and who she crushed on in college while she and Ben were on a break (because of COURSE she and Ben attended the same university).

It takes a LONG time to reveal why Amy and Ben are on the outs, but you can probably guess it. Amy is in therapy but it doesn't seem to be doing much. Emmett is tossed into the mix to provide some necessary romantic friction, but it's a stretch to call this one a romance novel. Kismet sounds like a nice place to vacation, but the way it's described is so idyllic, it doesn't resemble any shore town with which I'm familiar.

This one was Not For Me. 2 stars

We meet Amy Sharp as an already frustrated woman. Her twin sister, Jo, has planned to get married on their 30th birthday - July 4th. It helps that the wedding will be on Fire Island, their summer home away from home, but it doesn't help that Amy and her husband Ben have been struggling. Nor does it help that her ex-boyfriend Emmett is the best man.

I was intrigued by the premise - I usually enjoy a good internal struggle that turns into external conflict. But something about Amy's voice didn't grab me. I was also able to determine what had caused the conflict between Amy and Ben, so that reveal didn't have the effect it seemed like the author intended it to have. Neither Emmett nor Ben were particularly appealing as love interests for Amy - they just didn't feel three-dimensional enough for me to care about them one way or another.

For me, the best part about the book was the sister relationship between Amy and Jo. Their love for each other, even through conflict, was evident throughout the story, and as a sister to a sister myself, I could really relate to it and appreciate that.

The description of this book caught my attention and I suggested my book club read it as our monthly selection. Unfortunately we were all disappointed by the story. We found the characters immature and the storyline lacking. Even now, as I sit to write the review I don't remember much about the book. There was no connection.

girlies with sisters get it. not bad by any means but it's a bit strange that it's set on fire island. but whatever! that's a me observation

Are you a twin or do you wish you had a twin? I’ve always enjoyed reading stories with twins in them starting with Sweet Valley Twins as a kid.

Amy and Jo are twins that are both turning 30 this summer. Jo has decided to have her wedding over fourth of July weekend on Fire Island, which is also the twins’ thirtieth birthday weekend. Amy arrives trying to put the best face on everything, but she and her husband, Ben, have been having marital problems. When her old college boyfriend from freshman year shows up as the best man, Amy is torn. Should she go after her old love or try to repair things with her husband? Will Jo’s wedding be able to go off without a hitch with all of the personalities at play?

Kismet is a perfect sun-soaked beach read with plenty of family drama. I’ll admit I did get annoyed by Amy as her angst against Ben dragged on, but luckily the story unfolded for me to learn about the entirety of Amy and Ben’s relationship. I enjoyed the slight mystery of finding out what the problem was. The entire wedding party learns about how it is better to be open with each other and to believe in the power of love. I really liked how this story wrapped up and concluded. I thought it was very heart warming.

I also loved the setting of Fire Island. It sounds beautiful and I had to look it up after I finished the book last month. It sounds like I need to check this out next time I find myself in New York.

Book Source: Book Source: Review Copy from Penguin Random House and Netgalley. Thank-you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sisters, secrets, and second chances — this is a great summer beach read! Amy's relationships with her husband Ben and twin sister Jo are both strained, and it's all compounded during Jo's whirlwind wedding week on Fire Island. This one is full of family drama as Amy questions the 'what ifs' of life. Loved the beach town setting and holiday weekend atmosphere and think fans of Ali Brady will enjoy this one.

In this novel, Amy heads to her family's place on Fire Island for the week leading up to her twin sister Jo's wedding - which is set to occur on July 4th which also happens to be their 30th birthday. Amy is grumpy about her birthday being usurped, unsettled by the fact that she barely knows Jo's fiancé, and most of all going through a rough patch in her own marriage with Ben, who she's been married to for 5 years and with since they were teenagers. And her troubles are compounded when she discovers the best man, Emmet, is something of "the one who got away" for her, the guy she dated briefly in college during a semester long break from her relationship with Ben. Over the course of the week, there's all kinds of family and relationship drama leading up to the wedding, but it's all written with a light tone.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the writing style, which reminded me a bit of early Emily Giffin, and I loved the summery vibes. However, I had a couple of issues with the plot. First, I'm getting tired of the device of a character having secrets that are kept from the reader for way too long merely to build dramatic suspense - here, both why Amy and Ben are fighting, and what happened between Amy and Emmet back in college. But more importantly, even though I'm not one of those people who refuses to read books that involve cheating, the fact that a major aspect of the book involved a sort of flirtation with second chance romance with Emmet when Ben was right there just left a bad taste in my mouth. There were also various other things that happened in the book that just did not feel entirely believable to me. All that being said though, I was happy with how the book ended, and enjoyed it enough that I would definitely check out a second book by Becky Chalsen if she writes one.

3.5 stars

Kismet, is one of my favorite types of reads. Who doesn’t love a summer read, especially one located on Fire Island, NY.
Becky Chalsen, does a excellent job of telling the story of twins on two completely paths. Amy has always known what she wants and how she is going to get it. While her sister Jo has been more of a dreamer, not a planner. The girls with their friend Ben have been inseparable, since they were you. Amy and Ben happened to have married and seem to have it all. But who has it all? As they come to the island for Jo’s wedding, secrets are being kept and no one knows how to stop it. They all come to the island for the wedding, with the best of intentions. The hijinks that happen, while leading up to the wedding are cute. The wedding seems rushed and the sisters seem out of synch but the author does a great job of piecing it all back together. I want to thank Netgalley and the author for my copy of Kismet, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. This was the perfect book to read, while summer is so near.

Kismet is a great read for those who love enjoy romantic and familial relationships. It's a good book to read during the summer

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book has so much potential. I love the author’s writing style, the summer home turn wedding venue scenario, and the strong sense of place. Sounded like a perfect breezy, beach read…until it wasn’t.

One: miscommunication is one of my least favorite ropes and no one would speak to each other!
Two: Having experienced pregnancy losses myself, I fully understand the helplessness, devastation, and future uncertainly. However, using that as a plot device to excuse cheating? No. Nope. Absolutely not.
Three: The poor wet blanket husband! He was hardly a character and just forgave it all without a second thought? Again, nope.

While I’ll give this author another try, this debut was not for me.

I really enjoyed this book even though I found the ending predictable. I would describe it as a great beach read or "chic-lit" type book. It has romance, family bonds, family conflict, and of course a wedding that takes place at a family beach house. It was a light read and perfect when that is what you're looking for. This is the author's first novel and I hope she writes more! Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

The author alludes to trauma of some sort but after reading 18% of the book I lost interest. DNF


****** I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.*********

We do love a book with summer ~vibes~ cover

KISMET, however, didn't quite captivate me. It was honestly a kind of stressful read! Not an easy-breezy beach read like the cover might suggest. It covers some heavy topics, like fertility and miscarriage, infidelity, and complex family relationships -- which could be a meaningful read for those interested in these topics! It just wasn't for me. I wasn't stunned by the writing, and the pacing at the end felt way too rushed, resolved entirely too quickly and too shallowly to be believeable or meaningful.

Ultimately, not a stellar read for me. Hopefully it finds its audience!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. KISMET is out now!

Unfortunately, I’m in the minority and I really feel terrible about it because I really wanted to love this, but it was a little too superficial for me. There are some extremely heavy issues the main character deals with (which is the catalyst for other triggers), but it’s written so high level that you cannot properly empathize or understand why the character is blowing up her life left and right. I needed more depth.

I appreciate what this book was trying to do and I think the author’s writing has potential, but this was more aggravating than anything else. It’s okay not to agree with what characters do, but when it’s all written like it’s no big deal and then everything is forgiven and works out at the end it didn’t add up. I needed more of Amy & Ben’s relationship, I needed more Ben and I needed less conflict for conflict’s sake.

I really wanted to support this debut, but I’m not able to give it higher than a 3.

Thank you to Dutton Books for the gifted copy in exchange for a review. Opinions all my own.

A Great Beach Read

It’s the Fourth of July weekend in Kismet, Fire Island and a big time for Amy and her twin sister, Jo. Jo is getting married after a whirlwind romance, but it’s also the twin’s thirtieth birthday. It should be a special time.

But there are shadows in Amy’s life. She and Ben, her childhood sweetheart and now husband, have been arguing. It just doesn’t feel quite the same anymore. Then, too, Jo’s marriage means that Amy will no longer be her protector and confident, a role Amy isn’t sure she wants to change. Top this off with family dramas and the best man, who is someone from Amy’s past and you’re set for a week that may hold surprises.

I loved the setting on Fire Island. It seems like the perfect place to spend the Fourth of July. The story moves quickly between old problems and new. You can’t help wondering whether the wedding will actually take place.

The book has it all for a terrific beach read: romance, sisters’ dynamics, and family secrets. My only reservation was that I couldn’t like Amy very much. She seemed so self-centered not realizing that problems can be caused by things completely outside her. However, I did enjoy the book and recommend it for reading this summer, particularly at the beach.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

Fire Island is a place like no other. It is a little slice of heaven on earth. Every summer the family gathers at their summer home to be together, enjoy the summer, get away from it all, celebrate the twins birthday and catch up with all the goings on of their family, friends and neighbors. This year is a little bit different with one of the twins getting married. So much love, drama, secrets, trying to figure out what is next, and a lot of “what if” thinking. Perfect for a wonderful summer read, but so much more. I enjoyed every moment of this book.

It’s Jo’s wedding weekend in Kismet, on Fire Island. It’s also Amy and Jo’s 30th birthday and the 4th of July. Amy is trying to not let it bother her and she’s busy with matron of honor duties. Amy and her husband of 5 years, Ben have been getting into little arguments and Amy is looking forward to the distraction of the wedding when she finds out the best man is her former flame.

The newcomer stirs up some trouble and makes the crack in Amy and Ben’s marriage a little larger. There’s so much drama going on, lots of family secrets, a beautiful location and all over a wedding weekend.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked that Amy had a much different view on marriage that her sister did with her whirlwind engagement. They were very different types of people despite being twins. I also really loved the Fire Island setting; I’ve always wanted to go and I think this summer is the time!

Thank you so much @duttonbooks and @beckychalsen for my gifted copy.

4.5 stars

A fun, drama-filled, and emotional read for summer that explores sisterhood, adulthood, and navigating the curveballs life throws at you.

Thanks to Dutton Books for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I devoured Kismet while reading on the sand and at the snack bar today. While it's April in the USVI instead of July on Fire Island like it is in the book, it is not a bad place to relax and read!
Narrator Amy's twin sister Jo is about to marry Dave, in a whirlwind romance that includes a week of wedding festivities culminating in a July 4th wedding. July 4th is also the twins' thirtieth birthday. Amy, on the other hand, has been married to her high school sweetheart Ben for almost five years. As the week's festivities begin, it turns out that Dave's best man was Amy's college friend - from the "break" she and Ben took which they never told their families about. His appearance adds to the recent stress Amy and Ben have been under. How will the wedding week go? You'll have to read it yourself to find out!
Kismet publishes today - do yourself a favor and check it out. I fully enjoyed being whisked into the wedding, marriage, and family drama! The detailed descriptions helped me visualize each event and empathize with almost every character at one point or another. I'll link some content warnings in the comments, There is some potentially triggering content I want to point out to readers.
CW: miscarriage, pregnancy loss, infidelity, divorce