When Kathleen’s husband Tom tells her he’s leaving after a long marriage, she sells their home in Kansas and relocates to a seaside town in the northeast. Her new home is a tiny oyster shack right on the beach. Unfortunately the building of a McMansion directly next to her brings many problems. Kathleen and her neighbor Rosemary write many letters to the town boards and attend many meetings to comp[lain about the rule-breaking in the town. Tom gives up his round the world cruise and camps in an Airstream in Kathleen’s driveway. This book started off as a funny look at vacation living but nothing really happened. The conclusion was far.fetched and too “pat”. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was initially enjoyable with tongue in cheek humor. As the book continued, the main character became increasingly negative and I liked it a lot less. I finished it but ask myself why? Two stars for the promise that it started with. I appreciate the digital arc from NetGalley and Anchor Books.

Kathleen and her husband Tom move to Kansas City, where Tom, a Cardiologist, does his residency. Kathleen gets a job at Hallmark designing greeting cards.

Thirty years go by, and Tom announces he is unhappy, and leaves for a six-month cruise around the world. Reflecting upon her life, Kathleen decides to file for a divorce and sells most everything, including their house and chooses to move to a small seaside town on the east coast where her childhood friend Josie lives. Josie often includes pictures of the charming town on her Christmas cards and that is all it takes for Kathleen to make a life-changing decision to move there. She even buys a cottage on the beach site unseen, which to her surprise when she arrives, is a two-room oyster shack with a leaky roof and rotting bulkhead. It does have a nice deck and a great view of the ocean, however, the construction workers next door, who are building a monstrosity of a house, often use her deck for breaks and to eat lunch.

Kathleen quickly immerses herself so completely into the community, she begins to suffer symptoms of anxiety. Much of her time is used to send e-mails regarding code enforcement complaints and other issues in the community such as noise infractions. After several months, Tom unexpectedly shows up in an Airstream that he parks in her driveway. Tom lives in the Airstream and gets involved in the community joining several groups, as well as makes many new friends.

There is a lot of humor in every situation, and some outlandish behavior, however, sometimes there is too much sarcastic humor as well as a constant stream of complaints. After a while I was tired of it and was anxious for the book to end. It is a good story with a nice, surprise ending, but I think it would be better toned down a bit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complementary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Really not sure what this book was about. Enjoyed the characters but not really the story. Just seemed all over the place.

This hilarious novel is the most fun I’ve had with a read in a long time. Great plot, quirky protagonist…and at least 10 lines that made me laugh out loud, for real. This is my new go-to recommendation for anyone stuck in a rut, having a rough day, or just needing an easy escape into someone else’s world. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It takes the whole beach read premise and turns it on its ear. Is owning a beach house really all it’s cracked up to be?

Um, I’m not sure what I just read. I liked Kathleen’s banter and quirkiness. She reminded me of Molly in The Maid or Eleanor Oliphant. And her antics and the buildup were catching. And then it just went on and on and began to grow weird and not make sense. And by the end I was like what did I just read??? Not a fan of this one, sadly.

It’s a rare book that makes me laugh out loud, especially more than once or twice. Save What’s Left grabbed me with its wry voice right out of the gate and kept me entertained to the end.
When Kathleen Deane’s husband pulls the rug out from under her tidy life in Kansas, she makes an impulsive decision to buy a house in a small beach community on the East coast. Cue the parade of mishaps, monstrosities, and misanthropes.

Nothing is what she expected. And everything is just a bit harder than it should be. Which makes for hilarious scenes and observations. Perhaps it’s because I’m the same age as Kathleen, but I could (unfortunately and wholeheartedly) relate to many of her observations—like the one about knees. I won’t spoil it with an explanation. Just read it.

I read Save What’s Left after finishing a heavy historical fiction, so it went down like a frothy chocolate mousse—sweet, smooth, and sassy (if mousses can be considered sassy). I even read passages out loud to my husband, who gave hearty chuckles, which was kind of a big deal considering he was almost asleep.

Dreams vs. reality always make for fun fodder (Sorry about all the alliteration, but I can’t seem to put a lid on it…it’s boisterously bubbling over with abandon as I think back over this bright book. It must be a side effect of reading witticism.)

You’ll be glad you read this women’s fiction about family, friendship, and finding yourself when you didn’t know you were lost (again with the alliteration--sorry). Don’t miss it.

Really enjoyed this novel the characters.Small town setting where everyone knows each other’s secrets Kathleen new to the town to all the surprising occurrences.Perfect vacation read.#netgalley #vintage

After thirty years of marriage, Kathleen Deane’s husband Tom decides he is tired of marriage. He’s going on a world cruise, leaving Kathleen behind in Kansas. But Kathleen also has dreams. She decides to move to a Whitbey, a seaside town on Long Island. The charming waterfront house that Kathleen buys sight unseen turns out to be a ramshackle former oyster shack. If that’s not bad enough, it’s next to the ‘sugar cube” a massive MacMansion whose construction seems to have violated every building code in the town charter. Kathleen is obsessed with these violations and becomes a familiar figure at town meetings. She also joins a local women’s group, hoping to find new friends. She makes other discoveries, discoveries that lead to a surprising conclusion.

Save What’s Left is both laugh-out-loud funny and frustrating. I admire Kathleen’s sense of humor and stubborn determination. However, I think her fixation with the town statutes becomes over-the-top and shows a different, somewhat unlikable side of Kathleen. That said, this is a solid, 4 star read from Elizabeth Castellano, a debut author I plan to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley, Vintage Anchor and Elizabeth Castellano for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
I didn't even make it to 15%, it was so ridiculous. I couldn't stand the main character and it just seemed like every decision she made was stupider than the previous one. I mean, who buys a house sight unseen? This one was definitely not for me.

3.5 stars

I always love a good beach/small town vibe, and this one had it in spades. I will say it was slow in places for me, but it did pick up. I enjoyed the read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Save What’s Left is a great debut book from author Elizabeth Castellano. Much thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review. I’m giving the story 4 stars. I loved the setting and the idea of a small beach town where everyone knows everything about each other. It was slow from time to time but the pace picks up at the end and I’m glad I stuck with it!

Save What's Left by Elizabeth Castellano is a stunning debut.

I was completely blown away with this book.
Kathleen, was a strong, passionate person who I loved following on her journey.
A captivating story that will have you absorbed from the beginning and unable to put away.
I was sad when the ending came as I wanted to continue to follow this story and these characters.
This is a lovely, engaging and well written novel. And I'm thrilled to say I can't wait to read more from Castellano in the future.

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

Thank You Netgalley and Anchor for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

I really enjoyed this book!

Kathleen, a Midwesterner, has just been told that her husband is leaving. She decides to do what she's always wanted and buy a beach home. She didn't expect all of the trials and tribulations of doing so though!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this story! It was a deep story about finding out what you love in life. Kathleen was a relatable character and I enjoyed reading her story.

Kathleen Deane is an artist with no passion for her art…in fact, she has little passion for anything in her life. Having moved to Kansas City for her husband’s residency decades ago, she has settled into a life with few surprises, that is, until her husband announces he is unhappy and leaving on a six-month cruise without her. This proverbial wake-up call gets Kathleen reflecting on her own lost dreams and she impulsively buys a cottage in a small coast town – sight unseen. Her life-long dream of owning a beach cottage quickly deteriorates into a nightmare. The “cottage” is a former oyster shack with 700 square feet consisting of a galley kitchen, a small bedroom, and an add-on bathroom, but a fabulous deck with an ocean view. This disappointment would be tolerable if it weren’t for the construction of a behemoth mini mansion known as the “Sugar Cube” for its architectural design. It quickly becomes apparent that there are multiple code violations being ignored and over time Kathleen becomes aware that the town bureaucracy is rife with corrupt practices.

I thoroughly enjoyed the humor of this smart, well-written debut novel. I was pulled into Kathleen’s drama from the start and never lost interested as she chronicles her battles though a series of (unanswered) emails to one of the town supervisors. While Kathleen’s attempt to fulfill her dream through some ill-thought-out actions, ultimately, she discovers that she is in the exact right place. I look forward to more offerings by this author.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Save What's Left
A Novel
by Elizabeth Castellano
When Kathleen Deane's husband, Tom, tells her he's no longer happy with his life and their marriage, Kathleen is confused. Who said anything about being happy? They live in Kansas, for goodness' sake! But with Tom off finding himself, Kathleen starts to think about what she wants. And her thoughts lead her to a small beach community on the east coast, a town called Whitbey that has always looked lovely in the Christmas cards her childhood friend Josie sends every year.

It turns out, though, that life in Whitbey is nothing like Josie's Christmas cards. Kathleen's new neighbor, Rosemary, is cantankerous, and the town's supervisor won't return Kathleen's emails, but worst of all is the Sugar Cube, the monstrosity masquerading as a holiday home that Kathleen's absentee neighbors are building next door to her quaint (read: tiny) cottage. As Kathleen gets more and more involved in the fight against the Sugar Cube and town politics overall, she realizes that Whitbey may not be a fairytale, but it just might be exactly what she needed.

I was warned, do not by a beach house. Kathleen Deane buys a sugar cube beach house sight unseen. Omg, I felt like the poor woman would not make it through all this drama and neighbors. I laughed more than I have in reading in a long while. Reminds me of condo living. It was fun and delightfully worth the laughs.

Thank you to NetGalley, Anchor Books, and Elizabeth Castellano for the ARC!

Kathleen Deane is a midwesterner who has been drifting along in her life until Tom (her husband of 30 years) suddenly ends their marriage without ceremony to embark on finding happiness and take a cruise. Kathleen is blindsided and begins to think about what it would take to make herself happy- fullfilling her lifelong dream of owning a beach house. Kathleen sells all her possessions, buys a beach shack sight unseen, and finds herself in Whitbey, a small beach town where here childhood friend Josie lives. Life in Whitbey is far from ideal and Kathleen quickly becomes tangled up in neighbor wars and small town politics. Kathleen soon has to face what actually makes her happy, and it isn't what she thought.

I am SO glad I requested this debut book, it was smart, funny and delightfully written. I HIGHLY recommend!