I adore mid-life (or a little less-than) change of life trajectories. It's inspiring to see characters lose who they thought they were and find the real "them." This title did not disappoint. A great read!

I truly need to stop requesting books especially from unknown authors. Just from finishing this book, I still don't understand what I read. Nothing connects with me after reading this story. I just can't.

I love a heartwarming story and and an unforgettable character like Esme Cahill whose life has spiraled downhill or so she thought after losing her publishing job in NYC, a failed marriage, and nothing to account for. With her tail between her legs she comes home to Asheville at her late grandmother Adele’s request and with her family to rebuild their lakeside retreat back to life. There she rediscovers not only herself but a little something Adele has left behind.

The writing was beautiful that brought me to tears. Marie Bostick sure knows how to tug your heartstrings and write poignant stories with redeeming characters.

Esme feels like a failure because of her divorce and being fired from her job. She moves back to Asheville at her late grandmother's request and works at the family retreat her family has run. Along with the chef her grandfather hired, they work on saving the retreat and finding love. It's a lovely novel about family and how to succeed from failure.

Esme has failed. I mean, spectacularly. Her life is in shambles so she goes home. Home is a rundown lakeside cottage resort where her amazing grandparents and her mess of a mother live. The grandmother's backstory is so intriguing. I loved thinking about the hows and whys of it all. Sometimes you CAN go home.

After an unexpected job loss, Esme Cahill returns to her hometown of Asheville, NC. She has worked in the publishing field for many years and is pretty good at editing. But, she needs time to regroup and her grandmother has passed away recently. She joins her widower grandfather in Asheville at the family business, a resort. Her estranged mother is there, too. Esme had tried for years to avoid being in the same place as her mother, so things are strained on her arrival. With a goal to spruce up and sell the resort, Esme and her mother find themselves working toward a common goal.
Job changes, though hard, are sometimes for the good of the person. Esme must sort through where she’s supposed to be, along with her place in time.

A wonderful character driven story with southern charm. It's women's fiction at its finest. What I loved most was the them of family, born and made. It's a feel good story with fantastic characters.

I think it was the cover that attracted me to this book, but it was the characters that made me love it. One might think that it would have been Esme that I appreciated the most, but it was her grandmother Adele who I found fascinating and her steadfast husband George that made the book memorable for me. Adele who worked at Biltmore House during the war in a top secret job found an unending love and a passion for making quilts. Her granddaughter returned to Ashville when her life blew up in NYC and found--maybe not love (or maybe she will), but the life she really wanted in the mountains of North Carolina. The book had ups and downs for Esme, and while the ending did not resolve everything, it did leave the reader hope that all her dream would come true.

Heartwarming tale of a woman lost after her life implodes. Esme Cahill finds herself fired from her dream job book editing in NYC on the heels of her divorce. Shattered, she heads back to North Carolina, to her grandfather as her beloved grandmother had just passed away. She finds her estranged mother and grandfather struggling to keep rustic resort open. Tucked away is a story within the story of her grandmother, her war years and the glorious quilts she created. An enjoyable sick read.

Wanted to love this one so much after being obsessed with Restoration of Celia Fairchild, but it was just a big miss for me. I did love the grandparent relationships, but it just didn’t feel like it went together. I don’t know - if you like historical elements, found family, and are in the mood for a book in North Carolina then you’d love! 2 ⭐️

I love a good Hallmark movie and this one was a movie in book form!! Definitely enjoyed every moment with Esme. Highly recommend!!

*Thank you @williammorrowbooks for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I loved this story by Marie Bostwick! It was my first by this author and I saved it for a trip to the mountains in NC. It was perfect for my trip and made me enjoy that much more! Esme has done everything according to her timeline, but it hasn't worked out so she returns home to the fishing resort that she grew up at. Now, her mom and grandpa are running the resort, but business is not great. Over the course of the resort season, she tries to turn things around and maybe find what she's looking for on its own timeline. Bostwick did an excellent job with setting the characters up and had alternate storyline which helped propel and explain things happening in the present. I also appreciated that this was a woman rediscovering and finding herself instead of a romance. If you need a feel-good, summer book with lots of heart, this is the book for you!

I received this book from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All statements above are my true
opinions after fully reading this book. This was a quick & enjoyable read!

Marie Bostwick's new novel Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly is a perfect summer read. Esme comes back to the camp of her childhood as she's dealing with adult issues. Concurrent with her story is a historical timeline that is also fun to follow. Ultimately I enjoyed spending time with these characters and seeing what life would bring them and how they would react. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is available now.

This was a feel good dual timeline family drama set at a struggling North Carolina lakeside resort that sees Esme returning home after her grandmother dies and she gets fired from her New York City editor job.

Esme is determined to save the resort and is forced to make amends with her estranged mother, Robin. She also develops feelings for the resort chef and takes solace in reconnecting with her ailing grandfather George.

When Esme discovers a box of letters and old quilts from her grandmother and learns about her and George's love story and finds inspiration to write their story, hoping this is the book she'll finally be able to get published.

This was a moving summer story with good disability rep (dyslexia and synesthesia). Perfect for fans of Kristy Henry Woodson and Dorthea Frank Benton or fans of the Elyssa Friedland's Last summer at the Golden Hotel or J Ryan Stradel's Saturday night at the Lakeside Supper Club. Good on audio too!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

a delightful romance novel, i really enjoyed it

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly!

ESME CAHILL FAILS SPECTACULARLY by Marie Bostwick is ultimately a story about family and finding your purpose in life. Esme is a book editor who loses her job and her husband. She returns to the family's lakeside lodge for a summer and that's when she quickly realizes that the financial situation for the family business is in a perilous state, too. Eventually, Esme, her mother, Robyn, her grandfather, George, plus their new chef, Dawes, band together to update the facilities and try to attract new guests. Bostwick's descriptive writing is full of details about nature, food, and setting: "[if} the gold Formica counters in the kitchen said 1970s, then the brick-patterned vinyl flooring positively screamed it." Writing and creativity play a big part in this novel, too. Esme's deceased grandmother, Adele, features in her interspersed stories about the 1940s in Asheville, North Carolina and there is another writer, Oscar, trying to turn his career around. Plus, some absolutely astounding colorful quilts have their own story to tell. As Bostwick points out, "Everything is a story ... The stuff that happens to us is just... stuff. The only reason it means anything is because we attach stories to it, declarations of what we've decided is true and worth passing on. Without stories, there aren't any memories. Or art, or history, or faith... Almost everything that matters is connected to stories, large and small." Definitely recommended.

Earlene Fowler has also written a series of books about quilting and a special grandmother, Dove.

Do you love the vibe of Hallmark movies but wish it was less focused on the cheesy romance and more on the setting and characters? Maybe a bit more depth to the plot? This is it, friends!

With that “return home to a small town” vibe that focuses on family and finding yourself, Esme’s story will burrow its way right into your heart! I loved the different elements of the story- her grandma’s past, her current, rocky career, and a family property that needs saved. All wrapped up into a plot that is big in heart and characters!

This book belongs in your hands this summer, with a cold drink and the warm sun to accompany you!

Reading Marie Bostwick books is like meeting up with a longtime friend - you haven’t seen each other in awhile, but you instantly remember why you like each other so much. Every one of her books is different, but there’s something so wonderfully cozy, comforting, and inspiring about each one.

Her latest novel, Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly, has all my favorite women’s fiction elements. A female MC who is down but not out, a supportive and lovable and aggravating family, a few supportive friends, and a hint of romance. Esme was such a relatable character, although I can only dream of having half her energy or motivation.

I also loved this one because Esme works in the publishing industry, and the many references to book releases, editing, and the writing process made my bookstagrammer heart happy! A big part of the book also revolves around quilting, which is something I know nothing about, but I enjoyed. I can’t wait to pass this book along to my grandma and aunts, who are all avid readers AND quilters!

I highly recommend adding this to your summer reading plans! The lakeside setting will have you dreaming of a cozy cabin getaway.

About the photo ➡️ when the resort you’re staying at in Cancun has a rowboat art installation, and your book has a rowboat on it, you HAVE to take a photo right?! Pretty sure that’s in the booksta rules! It also felt like a fun nod to the artist characters in the book!