After 30 years of marriage Tom tells Kathleen he wants a divorce. He takes off on a world cruise and she moves to a small beach town to start over. This book started out strong and interesting but I found it really hard to finish. The story went on and on with letters to the town administrators. The letters always go unanswered. I thought the book would be a fun, delightful read but it just was not. None of the characters were people I would want to know better and I was really disappointed with it.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Vintage Anchor Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kathleen and Tom, a long married couple, have fallen into a mundane coexistence. When Tom announces he has booked a 4 month world cruise,as a single, Kathleen realizes she has to move forward with her life. She buys a 700 square foot oyster cabin on the east coast, sight unseen. Her childhood friend,Josie, has reinvented her life in this idyllic town, and Kathleen yearns to do the same. This is a humorous and sometimes poignant story of a discarded woman searching for a new beginning. The reader roots for Kathleen to succeed.

Kathleen is shocked when her husband leaves her. Living in land locked Kansas for all her post college life, and married to her husband for 30 years, she does what any sane person would do and moves to a beach town. The beachtown however, is filled with small town politics and Kathleen finds herself enmeshed in the town drama. As the story continues, Kathleen becomes more and more...unhinged. This is a novel more a character study with some funny portions then a comedy or beach read.
#vintage #SaveWhatsleft #ElizabethCastellano

This book is a light, refreshing, fun read. I became unexpectedly invested in code violations, permits, and beach town politics. I also thought the story of Kathleen's relationships with Tom (husband) and Hattie (daughter) was interesting and a good addition. The book delivers on what it promises and does a good job of tying everything together. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a beach setting, neighborly conflicts, and construction woes. This book could also be a good "palate cleanser" in that it is an easy and fast read.

After reading 25% of this story, I just had to stop. None of the characters are happy. They are all complaining. I couldn't relate to this global malaise. I had hopes of some sort of joy emanating from a small beach community, but I found that this particular one was full of folks I wouldn't want to be around.

Thanks, anyway, to Netgalley for allowing me to try out Save What's Left.

Thanks to @netgalley & @vintageanchorbooks for this hilarious ARC. You think you want a beach house? Think again. This hilarious story of a woman in her 60s has moved to a slow beach town. Her days quickly become absorbed with town politics. Her retelling is a hoot! I thoroughly enjoyed this and felt it was refreshing to read about a woman in her 60s instead of 20s for a change. This will make a wonderful beach read as its easy to put down and pick back up where you left off.

This book started out being funny but deteriorated into absurdity. It is believable up to a point but after everything that could go wrong and more happens , the story moves into to the ridiculous. Kathleen Deane not only has to deal with unresponsive municipal employees but a cadre of rich insiders who are buying up all the available space to keep others out. What this book did do for me is convince me never to move to a beach town. Too much drama. Not really three stars. Maybe 2.5

Unfortunately I was disappointed in this book. I found myself waiting for the story to take off. Too much repetition of emails and outcomes and not enough “meat and potatoes”.
Sorry for the negativity but I’m being honest.
Irene

This story was a humorous and entertaining look at life after a woman's husband says he's unhappy in their marriage and leaves to take a trip without her. Meanwhile, she sold their home and bought a small beach house. Drama and problems commences right away with the neighbors and the town government. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I could not get into this one so 25% in, I gave up and it's in my DNF pile. I like the author's writing style but I just couldn't get into the story or the characters.

I would like to thank Net Galley, the author, and Vintage Anchor for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC digital copy. .I hope this book is not a typical Chick Lit book, because it was not at all as enjoyable as the description and some other reviewers proposed it to be. I believed it was going to be hilarious, and there definitely were a few funny moments in the book, but overall I found it a bit disappointing and just wanted it to end.

Kathleen's husband of 30 years decides to leave and go on a world tour, so Kathleen sells their home and moves to a small beach house where she believes she will live in peace and happiness. She did not find peace because she was unhappy about everything going on around her in her little beach house and beach town.

The novel revolves around a series of emails Kathleen writes to the town supervisor with constant complaints. The emails are never answered. She does make a friend, Rosemary, who is happy to help fight the battles against the town. The complaints from Kathleen are endless and she just seems to make herself more and more miserable in her tiny 700 square foot cottage, while a giant house "The Sugar Cube" is being built nextdoor.

I don't even feel sorry for Kathleen, because she just doesn't seem to want to be happy. From the very beginning of her negativity and complaining all the way through the book.... some would refer to her as a "Karen".
There is no single character that I liked in this book. They are all a bit on the sad and miserable side of sanity.

This review is completely written by me.

This quirky and hilarious book is the beach read that everyone needs to read this summer. It’s a refreshing take on what it’s really like to live as a year round resident in a small Beach community. I laughed out loud many times throughout this funny debut.
Kathleen decides to buy her dream beach house after her husband of thirty years leaves her. Conflicts arise as a McMansion is being built next door and she has to battle her new neighbors.
The author got the beach vibe correct. Having recently bought a beach house in a small town I could relate. I recommend if you want to be entertained and want a light, fun read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the advanced copy.

To start, thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC copy!

After decades of being married, Tom announces to Kathleen that he is unhappy & wants to explore the world. Kathleen agrees to a divorce, packs up her Kansas City life & moves back to New York, except not her hometown of Brooklyn but to a small beach town where she has purchased a tiny beachfront home, sight unseen. One thing after another & Kathleen finds herself in an all out war with her town officials & neighbors.

This book was hilarious at some parts, but I often found myself a bit confused & unsure of what the point was of a lot of events. When I finished the book, I was a bit stunned, kind of like “what did I just read…?”. The author definitely can make you laugh & the book was enjoyable but you have to go in with no expectations.

Overall, 2.5/3 stars.

Not for me. The main character just turned me off. Go through half and couldn’t do more. Sorry. Too much complaining and not what I thought the book would be. DNF

Absolutely not my cup of tea. Clever, but not entertaining for me. I read it but almost wish I hadn't taken the time. Premise was good but self-pity and wallowing does not work well for me. Sorry I couldn't like this book more. I received an ARC but my opinions are my own.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions in this review are strictly mine.
Kathleen decides to buy her dream beach house sight unseen and move from Kansas City after her husband, Tom decided he wanted more excitement in his life. He leaves to travel on cruise ships but stays in constant contact with Kathleen.
Kathleen's house is an old oyster shack that has been renovated into a small house. She doesn't like anything about her new house or town except for her deck which becomes community property to all passing by.
She befriends her trouble making neighbor Rosemary.
She becomes deeply involved in everything that she feels is a violation of some code or law in town and causes all kinds of trouble for the town boards. Tom shows up and they start coexisting again but not as happily married. Tom also get sucked into the town drama.
It was a well written story and the characters were somewhat believable. The main character was just a little to negative and miserable for my liking but a good read any way.

Interesting book. Almost stopped halfway through. It got better, but I still don't like any of the characters.

A woman retires then her husband goes on a European cruise. Alone. So she sells their house and buys a cottage in a beach town. Chaos ensues. She is trying to inform the city government about issues with the house next door but is brushed aside multiple times. It's on the line between being a light and funny read and making me want to punch something out of utter frustration and anger.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I found this book to be pretty funny although it starts pretty awful with her husband leaving her. She finds a new cause to keep her busy and it does take over her life. It could be a pretty stressful book if you are empathetic, but if you are just able to enjoy the ridiculousness of buying a beach house sight unseen and then dealing with the consequences, then hang on for this ride.

I requested to read and review this book for free from Anchor Books a division of Penguin Random House Publishing Company. This story line has some romance, lots of drama and mystery. You will meet characters such as Kathleen and Tom who have let's say an interesting relationship. Rosemary who is BFF to Kathleen. And you can't forget all the unique characters of the beach town of Whitbey. Things you should do before buying a house check out the house and the town. Ask questions. Things always sounds better then what they are. All towns have drama. I admire Kathleen and the cause she choose to take on. She is very persistent about what needs to be down. This book is for any type of reader and can be read anywhere.

Save What’s Left by Elizabeth Castellano tells the story of Kathleen Keane who finds out her husband is tired of being married and goes on a world tour on a cruise ship. She then decides to sell the house and move to a beach house. The next door neighbors are building a McMansion which sets Kathleen on a mission. The book started out in a friendly way but then slowly turned into a complaint department. This lost my interest and I ended up skimming the rest of the book to get through it and to see how it ended. Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book.