Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly is a beautiful Southern fiction that I loved!

Set in a lakeside retreat outside of Asheville this is a book about family, home and friendship and second chances. Esme has just lost her job as an editor and gotten divorced so she heads home to her grandparent's lakeside retreat. Her grandmother left some beautiful handmade quilts and she tries to piece together the inspiration behind them to learn more about her grandmother Adele. The resort has seen better days and Esme decides to spend the summer turning it around and in the process reconnecting with her mom.

I loved this book, the setting had me wanting to find a little place in the mountains to read this. The characters were lovely and this book is exactly what you want in a Southern fiction novel. Highly recommend reading!

I really enjoyed this latest book by Marie Bostwick! It is such an interesting story with lots of layers and well developed, endearing characters. There is a touch of mystery and romance as we follow two storylines and learn a bit of history surrounding Biltmore Estates. There are lots of wonderful references to the publishing world,art,quilting,cooking,renovating and a little known but fascinating ability called synesthesia. Unravelling the sweetest romance, finding love and support later in life after a disappointing marriage and returning home to grieve, heal once broken relationship betweenand find hope are all wonderful reasons to pick this one up! It will make you laugh and touch your heart.

It's hard to believe this is the first time I have read anything by Marie Bostwick. I have been drawn to her books for many years and probably own every one of them. Now I know that I have some good reads waiting for me. I loved so much about Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly. Even the characters who weren't the most likeable eventually redeemed themselves. The dual timeline produced a "book within a book", both of which could be labeled as "quiet". The author touched upon a number of issues ranging from child abandonment to dementia. Even though there wasn't an overwhelming romance, I still found it to be an emotional read. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance copy to read and review.

This is an outstanding book that doesn't easily fit into a category. Esme is forced to return to her grandparent's decaying resort on a lake. Her grandparents raised her as her mother had been in jail. Esme didn't have a good rapport with her mother, and didn't want one.

While there, Esme, who has a gift that enables her to connect to her deceased grandmother through a box of odds and ends and her quilts. She sometimes catches glimpses of her grandmother from a bygone era.

This story is told in turn, from Esme's point of view, and that of her grandmother, from the 1940's.

As her life evolves around her, she encounters challenges that she'd never expected. Esme learns that she is more than capable at many things. She is able to overcome many obstacles that stand in the way of her life plan. What she thinks she wants may not turn out to be what makes her happy. I enjoyed this book tremendously and I recommend it for readers of all ages. It is a "quiet" book, as described within the story, and it gave me great pleasure to read it.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

A heartwarming read. This was a wonderful story about a family coming together. . Esme is a wonderful and colorful character. I enjoyed it very much. I plan to look for more by this author.

Quiet fiction is the perfect description for this type of novel and I love it. Esme and all of her friends and family were a joyful early Saturday morning read.

I ADORED this book. The plot pulled me right in and the characters are people I want to know better. It is the best of all possible summer reads, with smart writing and a plot that takes you places you won’t expect. This is the first novel I’ve read by this author. I am excited that she has more, as I was sad to see this story end. Highly recommend!

I am so sad that this book had to end. I read as slow as I could so I would not have to finish it. But it did end and I can say I loved the characters and the setting and the writing. This is my first book by Marie Bostwick but I will now research for new titles from this splendid author.

This was my first book by this author, and would be a perfect read for a hammock or a porch swing -- sweeping you away to a family-owned North Carolina summer camp in need of every kind of TLC.

ESME CAHILL FAILS SPECTACULARLY will make you think twice about what "failure" really means: It's a cozy and warm yet artfully told story of coming home again, forgiveness, rediscovering our parents and grandparents through adult eyes, reinventing ourselves as we grow, and learning to let go.

This book was recommended to me by someone without giving a reason as to why she thought I would like it. So I requested a copy from NetGalley and was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy.
When Esme is fired from her job in New York, she picks up and moves south to Asheville, the home of the grandparents who raised her. Unfortunately her timing is not the best, since her beloved grandmother, Adele, passes away shortly before the move. Adele had wanted Esme to visit as she had some things she wished to share with her. Esme heads home feeling like a failure. She has lost her job, she has been unable to become the writer she has always meant to be, and her marriage ended in divorce since her husband, it turns out, prefers men. Things aren’t going well. Still here she is in Asheville at the camp resort her grandparents have owned for years and she is faced with the mother she parted company with when she was a child.

In a twist of fate, Esme uncovers a trove of quilts, made by her grandmother, Adele, that have been stashed away in the attic. The two stories, Esme and Adele, are told side by side in a charming southern tale of dreams unfulfilled and families trying to cope with what life brings them.

I found the book to be quietly entertaining and as a quilter, I was so interested in the way the author helps the reader understand the creative process of working with fabric. These are not your grandmother’s quilts, except they are. It’s just not your typical grandmother. I loved reading about Adele’s artistic life during the war and her struggle to have her quilts be accepted as art. A lovely story and an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I wasn't sure what I was going to think when I chose it, but I am glad I did. It is well written and entertaining. Stayed up late to finish it.

As a book lover, I love a "book in a book" book. And this one was just about perfect.

I was not familiar with people who sense feelings as colors and didn't realize that was even possible. I was curious about the term and searched google for the word. "synesthesia". I loved how this sensation fueled quilt design. I would have been ok to have read more on this subject within Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly.

This was a wonderful story about a family coming together. Just lovely. Esme is a wonderful and colorful character.

The food described within the story also sounded delicious.

Marie Bostwick is a favorite author of mine. I've signed up for her email notifications. Even though I have many books I should have prioritized, I moved this one to the top of my list. Thank you to NetGalley, Marie Bostwick and HarperCollins Publishers for approving my request to review the Advance Read Copy of Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly in exchange for an honest review.

A dear friend (Carol) and quilt maker passed away. The celebration of her life was at her home and they put a tent in the yard and everyone brought a dish to pass and brought up memories. But her sister and neices took the quilts and fastened them as the "exterior walls" of the tent. It was almost spiritual for the sunlight of that day to glow through her quilts on that spring day; warming us with her love one more time.

Rounding up to 5 stars.

This was a good book that tugged at your emotions. It was very enjoyable and great for a rainy day. I really liked Esme and Dawes characters.
I just reviewed Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly by Marie Bostwick. #EsmeCahillFailsSpectacularly #NetGalley
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After losing her publishing job, Esme Cahill returns home to Asheville to help with her family's resort. Esme gets to reconnect with some people from her past as well as make new friends. Fans of Abbi Waxman will enjoy.

This was a fun, fast read. I liked the characters and the setting. I have read another novel by Marie Bostwick, I believe it was called, The Restoration of Cecelia Fairchild, that I also enjoyed. The only thing I did not like was Yolanda trying to set Esme up with Ryan Chrysanthemum. It wasn't necessary and did not add to the storyline. I would have liked to explore the Dawes and Esme angle a little more. .


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly

What a pleasant surprise of a book!

Esme thinks she has "failed spectacularly" at the beginning of this novel. She is freshly divorced and just got fired from her NYC publishing job... oh and her car breaks down as she returns home to Asheville, NC. When she finally arrives home she notices the Lakeside Retreat her grandparents run has fallen into disrepair and is worryingly empty of guests. Since she has nowhere else to be, she commits to renovating the place and promises her mother she will see it turn a profit by the end of the summer.

As we follow Esme over the course of the summer, we are treated to tiny flashbacks to 1940s Asheville. The year her grandmother arrived in town to look after the artwork secretly stored at the Biltmore Estate during the war. These flashbacks are blended into the story as "visions" Esme has that inspire to write her grandparent's love story.

I really enjoyed this story. It is a quick read that is engaging and interesting. I liked that it doesn't have Esme falling in love as the pivotal moment to show her life hasn't "failed spectacularly". Instead, she finds her network and her purpose through renovation, art and her family's history.

•Plot: 4/5 (a New York editor returns to Asheville to deal with her family’s lakeside business and the death of her grandmother)

•Characters: 4/5 (I’m biased because he shares a name with my beloved Grandpa, but George is a true gem.)

•Writing: 4/5

•Ending: 4/5

There’s a part in this book where someone tells the main character that her manuscript is quiet…that’s a great way to describe this book. It’s quiet, but in the best way. I loved the main character’s relationship with her grandpa and also the way she finds a family…with her own family. This definitely conjured up memories of “Dirty Dancing” and Sarah Addison Allen’s books. This would be a perfect book to curl up with on your front porch swing on a cozy Sunday. I think this would be the perfect book to gift your mom for Mother’s Day- I know mine will love it.

Special thanks to HarperCollins, William Morrow, and Marie Bostwick for my advance copy.

From the first page (literally) to the very end, I was addicted to this book. I could read entire series about these fun and quirky characters! The character develop was spot-on and left so much room for growth! I really hope there’s more where this came from!

Charming and heartwarming! Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly is set primarily at a North Carolina lakeside resort, and the locale is so gorgeously rendered - from the cabins to the flora and fauna - I found myself wishing I could make reservations to vacation there myself. The accompanying storylines make for very pleasant companions as well, with several relatable characters and overall themes of empowerment and appreciation of women, of redemption, and of the importance of family, community and creative expression, among others. The novel is not perfect. A magical realism thread is introduced and then seemingly abandoned along the way, and more details regarding Adele’s wartime role at Biltmore would have been much appreciated. Also, the final few chapters felt a bit rushed. Overall, however, this is a delightful read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

To start with, I typically don't read this genre of books but I have to say after I got through the start of it I very much enjoyed myself. The start was slow for me, I would read a couple pages and then put it down to read a different book. But after I got through the beginning, I could not put it down.

It was pretty interesting to see the mountains and Asheville described in the book, as I do live near there. Calling Asheville a small town kind of tripped me up, but I suppose it was back then 😂.

I felt some kinship with Esme as someone who grew up in a small community, moved away to a big city, and eventually settled down to a small town outside a big city.

This was a very cozy story, not really any romance with the main character. You get the hint of one with the cook but not much, the ending of their relationship doesn't really surprise. You get more of the relationship between Adele and George, and oh it is so so sweet.

I liked the peeks of her grandma, Adele, I got throughout the story, whether that be the glimpses of ghost Adele or through Esme's story or even through the quilts. She seemed very quirky and I loved how much she and George loved each other. Their love is what I want to have when I grow up and get old.

George, her grandfather, was a character all on his own. Suffering from dementia but still loving his family and being as active as he could with his community. He was a serious cinnamon roll, and there were times in which he made me cry. I would love to experience him teaching me fly fishing.

The relationship Esme had with her mother was understandable and went through a whole lot of growth throughout the book as Esme figured out herself and her mother.

All in all, it was a good emotional story and made me cry and feel so so happy.