This book is a perfect example for never saying never!
I say this because it seems like everytime you try to leave from somewhere we always find ourselves coming back to that place. Sometimes it's best to go home to heal
You can try to hide but ppl places and things manage to find you.
I devoured this book in one evening!
I loved Blue]! She wouldn't let me put her story down for even one minute!
Her name is even unique! Beautiful too!
I love a good true love story, and this one didn't disappoint!
Blue made me laugh cry and all the above things.
I loved the setting right here in Florida
The family rivalry is what kept me turning the pages of this book. To me, it was the best part of this book even though I felt sorry for Blue and her friend.
But I'm gonna say that I was pleasantly surprised in how things managed to turn out.
This new to me author has done a fantabulous job for making this story seem realistic and relatable.
The cover of this book is simply beautiful! And it's worth the read!
5 stars for a wonderful and sweet read! I highly recommend!
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m not a book review summarizer…. The reason I was all about this book was do to the summary and it’s 💯 worth the read!

What I can tell you about this gem. Is that it’s like watching a season of your favorite family drama… me… Parentgood… but switch locations to Bliss, Florida. This book has the family drama that I crave in books… yes we have the lovely Bluebelle Shea but also the Castellati boys! These families kept me on my toes… I loved the strong rival fishing community between the two families and just a sense of place that Sinclair creates. From the main characters to all the supporting ones you get a vivid glimpse into the story and I’ve truly become attached to these two families.

It’s rare that I can finish a physical book this fast but with the author’s description of setting and characters I breezed through this one!

“Blue”, he said simply, killing her with her own damn name.

This is one of my favorite sentences in What We Could Have Been by Jess Sinclair. This beautifully written book captures your heart right from the beginning. It involves family and friends and the secrets that have affected their intertwined lives. It is about love in all its forms, forgiveness, and redemption. It is about first love that never dies and survives after years of heartbreaking trials.
The colorful language, the development of relationships, the exquisite details in this book create much excitement, sympathy, and anticipation.
Jess Sinclair narrates this story with poetic detail that completely reveals the souls of the characters. Her artfully crafted descriptions of characters, settings, and, experiences brings relatable life to this story. I laughed, cried, held my breath, and devoured this book….not wanting it to end, but not able to stop reading until the end.

I’ve been anticipating this read for awhile now! WHAT WE COULD HAVE BEEN is Jess Sinclair’s debut women’s fiction novel, and it was delightful! Years ago, Blue fled her small fishing town and cut ties with everyone, but now she’s back and looking to mend what might be unmendable.
It’s the perfect summer read with Enzo and Blue being forced to face the past they once shared and the lies that tore their families apart. A second chance for them is on the horizon, but not without repercussions. The relationships and bonds that are woven throughout this story are tested, but some are too strong to break.

Thank you for my gifted copy to review. All opinions are my own.

What We Could Have Been is a sweet, touching story about love, redemption, justice, reconciliation, and family. The characters are deeply developed and the setting, especially the fairy garden, vividly described. Is easy to get lost in Jess Sinclair’s charming book and want it not to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ten years later, after running away at the age of 18, Blue returns home with her 9 -year-old son, Murphy. Blue’s life is a wreck. She has had failed relationships and her aunt whom they lived with has died, so she has no choice but to move back home. The only thing going well in her life is her son and her job as a nurse. Will this give them the opportunity to start anew or will their life keep spiraling out of control? This book will have you turning the pages to find out!

Even though this author addresses
heavy-hitting topics such as domestic violence, death of loved ones, taking care of an aging parent, raising a child as a single mom, toxic family dynamics, etc. , she weaves them into an entertaining and heartfelt story.

Honestly, this book is so good. I can see why this book is being marketed to Kristin Hannah and Taylor Jenkins Reid fans. From the writing to the story line, this book will have you hooked from the beginning! A great book club pick as it will lead to many interesting discussions!

Thanks to Alcove Press and Jess Sinclair, I was provided an ARC of What We Could Have Been by Jess Sinclair via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“What We Could Have Been” is a contemporary novel by Jess Sinclair.

What I liked:

The cover - I’m a sucker for a lovely sunset over not only the ocean, but also a pier. It was easy to tell from the cover that this book took place somewhere near the water - kinda looking like Florida or the West Coast (hint - it’s Florida).

The idea of rebuilding family relationships - not always easy, not always fun, and not always worth it, but somehow the Shea family managed to rebuild their relationships and discover that they really (possibly always) did enjoy each other’s company and honestly missed each other during the time they were apart.

The fairy garden - kinda silly, rather cute, but it was a minor plot point, but really sweet from the story of its creation to the cleaning of it to the surprises discovered.

Moon and Hook - I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for pets that aren’t background props but instead have actual character assigned to them. Hook going out on boats - hoot and a half there. Moon read like a ball of energy.

Details about minor things in the story - I’ll never be a person who enjoys fishing or anything medical - but I thought Ms. Sinclair did some research into the both the fishing industry (and Coast Guard procedures) along with medical stuff.

The meh:

The side stories - I liked the overall storyline, but getting there took some twists and turns I could’ve done without. Yes, our male lead needed something to overcome - but his life changed a heck of a LOT in, what, three months?

Rita’s storyline - I liked Rita. I wanted to know more about Rita. She appeared in the beginning of the book to give Blue some news, then appeared toward the middle of the book to, again, impart news. I really wanted to know more about her - is she keeping an eye on Blue’s father … or is there more?

The not so great:

Huge events happen and people get over them quickly - this wasn’t true for everything in the book, but it happened enough times that it made my head spin. X is mentioned - it’s a surprise; eh, person is fine with the reveal. Thing Y happens, that’s okay - some stress, but people pitch in to help and deal with it. It seemed a bit too lacking in depth to be as powerful as the situation warranted.

Jillian - look, I’m all for a scorned fiancee, they cause havoc, they are bitter because they’re being scorned. While I wasn’t expecting Jillian to just say “Okay, no worries, I’ll back off” how she decided to deal with Blue seemed immature. I got it, she was hurt and upset, but it seemed (at times) she was the bad person to just be the bad person getting between the two main characters.

The character’s ages versus their language - this one’s tough to explain. With the main characters being in their late 20s (27 or so), sometimes the words Ms. Sinclair had them use seemed a bit juvenile. This happened a number of times in the book and after a while it just read “off,” for lack of a better word.

Overall - this was a very quick read that held my attention. There’s a bit of a mystery thrown in with a long-lost childhood love. There’s sadness, there’s laughter, there’s hope, there’s magic [kinda, sorta], there’s returning back home and discovering that for the most part you can. There’s the downfall of a bad person [or two] and the love of family, whether your own or those you’ve chosen to include in your family circle. I would give this, overall, a 3.5 rating - I really wanted to like it more than I did, though I *did* like it, but I can see others enjoying it more than I did.

The words will take you on a journey that will have you wanting the book to never end. This is my first read by this author and it won’t be my last. Call me a fan from now on.

This is a perfect summer read - engaging, family secrets, a feud between families, mystery, romance, and drama all in one.

Bluebell Shea hasn't returned to Bliss, FL since she ran away one week into her senior year of high school ten years ago. Now she comes back to her dad's place with 9-year-old son Murphy in tow. Her marriage has fallen apart and the aunt who raised her after she left Bliss has died, leaving her with few options.

Enzo Castarelli, now engaged to Jillian, has been Blue's best friend and person since early childhood. In their teenage years, they always assumed that they would marry until their families had a BIG falling out that wasn't expained to them.

Of course, Blue and Enzo run into each other which takes each back in time emotionally. The attraction is still there. Will they resume their relationship? Oh the angst and power associated with first love!!

This is a very good read!

My thanks to Alcove Press for permitting me to access a DRC via NetGalley. The book is scheduled for publication on 10/10/23. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Oh my goodness I really liked this one! It was a little too predictable in certain places, but I’d still buy for friends! Super sweet!

This debut novel by Jess Sinclair was a wonderful mix of excitement, mystery, family drama and situations and scenarios so many people can relate to. If you can't find a character in this book that you can relate to in some way, I'd be shocked. This book follows the main character Blue, or Bluebell Shea, and her son, as they return to her hometown, trying to escape from an unhappy marriage, 10 years after she had left with no warning, to escape a trauma that had occurred in her teenage years.

There are so many twists and turns in this story, good, bad, suspenseful; I could not stop reading. I love the exploration into all of the characters lives, and the relationships good and bad. Blue didn't know what to expect when she returned but I think she was pleasantly surprised by most of the reactions. She rediscovers who she is and who she wants to be as opposed to who she had become with a little help from some friends.

The father daughter relationship, the mother son relationships, the past and the present all coming together again while investigating and uncovering things I don't think anyone expected, made me not want to put it down.

I very much enjoyed this book, just as I have enjoyed others by her under her real name. I am a big fan of small town stories, and things with beach towns, like Nicholas Sparks, and Elin Hilderbrand, so I was very excited when I was asked to be included as an early reader and will definitely be recommending this and any others by Jess Sinclair, to friends.

What We Could Have Been is an absorbing, touching story that engaged me from the beginning. I started this book while sitting on the beach one morning, and ended up finishing it in the car ride home that same afternoon. I found the plot compelling and kept reading in order to gather details along with Blue regarding the mystery surrounding her mother’s death. I wasn’t able to stop until I had all the answers, and until the delightful tension between Blue and Enzo was resolved at last!

I enjoyed the author’s use of detail in this book and found it specific enough to bring the story to life without bogging down the action. It was easy to envision the beautiful Sierra’s unique style with her tinkling jewelry, and I couldn’t stop the tears from falling as Blue inhaled her mother’s scent from the clothes left behind in her closet. Enzo’s brothers and their antics had me smirking and even laughing out loud at times. It is clear the author is drawing from her knowledge of fishing and nursing from the way she writes about life on the boat and in the hospital with legitimacy, adding credibility to the world Blue and Enzo inhabit.

Jess Sinclair crafts such authentic relationships amongst her characters; interactions between them are believable and familiar. I found myself easily relating to Blue as a mother of an elementary school aged boy. The conversations and connection she had with Murphy really resonated with me and allowed me to reflect on my own experiences with my eight year old son. Blue’s complicated but tender relationship with her dad had me tearing up at times, as the writing during their one on one time was so poignant and heartfelt.

I appreciated the multifaceted nature of all the main and supporting characters throughout What We Could Have been; true to life all are well rounded with flaws and good qualities alike. I loved following along as the characters grew throughout the story and found redemption, and I was reluctant to leave them and their world behind as the book drew to a close.

I highly recommend What We Could Have Been, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I hope to see a sequel or a prequel in the future, so I can spend more time with the likable characters. If you’re looking for a fun, yet moving and engrossing book you will not be disappointed with this one!

Author Jess Sinclair has a true talent for writing! The reader will not want to put this masterpiece down! Sinclair captivates the reader with her beautifully dramatic telling of 2 families and how their pasts meet the present. She has the wonderful ability to maintain suspense while tugging at the heart strings in this page turner. The reader will instantly fall in love with Blue, Enzo and other characters, flaws and all. Sinclair’s ability to make the reader feel as though they are right there alongside the characters in this quaint beachside town is unsurpassed. This novel is a true vacation for the mind and soul. No doubt about it, What We Could Have Been will be on Reese Witherspoon’s book club list in the future, and have a screen adaptation. Congratulations to Sinclair on this precious gem and making your mark in the women’s fiction genre. This reader looks forward to your many novels to come!

“You are the entire ocean in a drop.”

This is a fantastic book centered around endearing characters who are fighting for a happy ending.

It’s wonderfully addictive and emotional and tells of a 27-year-old, Bluebell Shea, returning to Bliss, a small Florida fishing town after she fled as a teen 10 years ago. She left with no warning, a week into her senior year of high school and has had no contact with her family, friends, or boyfriend she left behind.

There are several reasons she’s returning home, but I don’t want to ruin anything for readers. I was addicted to Sinclair’s exploration of family and neighbourhood drama and needed to discover if Blue’s search for the truth provided an opportunity for redemption and if she was able to repair any of the broken relationships she left in her wake.

I really loved the characters in this book and felt a strong connection to them all … even the nasty ones! The warning about the danger of being oblivious to the disparity between how we see ourselves and how others see us was poignant. I appreciated the message about the effects of the struggle to be someone others think you should be rather than living authentically.

This is Jess’s debut novel under this pen name. She has written cozy mysteries under the name Tracy Gardner. I’m really impressed with this women’s fiction debut and will definitely be on the lookout for future titles under this name. Congratulations on a terrific debut and wonderful cover!

I was gifted this copy by Alcove Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Definitely one you don’t want to put down once you start! Characters to root for, undercurrents of ongoing hope, the desire and fulfillment of second chances, and a book capturing the complexities of human love, loss, and redemption. Perfect summer read!!

WHAT WE COULD HAVE BEEN is of one of those rare books that caused me to cancel my plans so I could devour every word. Jess Sinclair had *the unique ability* to capture my heart with her relatable characters and not let go until the final page. Taut with relationship drama, a hint of mystery, and second chances, I devoured it in one weekend! I'll be following this author... as I really hope there's more to come!!

After her mother dies and her father is charged in her death, Bluebelle Shea leaves behind the only home (and childhood sweetheart, Enzo) she’s ever known and builds a new life elsewhere. 10 years later, she comes home and of course, her return isn’t welcomed by everyone

This story was very unexpected for me. It doesn’t fit easily into any box. To me It is equal parts thriller, romance, and domestic drama. It has suspense, forbidden love, and some surprises!

I do think the story could have been a bit less character heavy. Enzo has several brothers and I struggled to keep them straight. The writing left something to be desired for me as well. Some of the story lines had me questioning how certain characters could just accept something with absolutely no negative emotion at all. In some ways it seemed that instead of working on development more some of the storylines were just accepted as they were to make it fit the overall ending the author was working toward.

Overall, this was a quick, fairly easy read for me and I enjoyed the characters and the fishing village/beach setting. If you’re looking for a very deep, life-altering story this may not be the book for you, but If you enjoy drama, love, and some twists you will devour What We Could Have Been.

What We Could Have Been by Jess Sinclair a captivating family drama/romance that was truly hard to put down once I started.
The characters were interesting with deep root’s. They were so relatable and real, it was so easy to picture Blue and the side characters.
Sinclair so easily captures the reader’s interest from the first page.
Hopeful, beautiful and heart wrenching this author has written a poignant and heartfelt story of bonds between families, friends, and lovers, and poignantly illustrates the ways we can heal after betrayal. Suffused with detail and sentiment, this is a novel that will resonate with anyone who has ever fought for their own happy ending.

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

Thank You NetGalley and Alcove Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Bluebelle Shea heads back to Bliss, FL with her son Murphy after leaving 10 years earlier, following the drowning death of her mother and her father is arrested for her murder. Blue is also trying to escape her abusive husband, who has just asked for a divorce. She feels lost, alone and scared. She shows up at her father’s house, not knowing if he’ll even let her in - she hasn’t been in contact with him for all those years. The story is very interesting, pulling you into the emotional turmoil of abuse, secrets, relationships, etc. I found it to be a fairly good paced story, weaving romance and some mystery throughout. The characters were interesting and well written. Even though you could guess where the story might be going, I still found it drawing me in. I recommend this book, it’s a quick and enjoyable read. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley, Alcove Press and Jess Sinclair for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Available October 10!

4/5 - An engaging, suspenseful and emotional read! Bluebelle is young and in love with her childhood friend Enzo - but then her mother dies, her father is accused, the town turns against her family and Blue runs away with a secret of her own. 10 years later she is back home, child in tow, fleeing a disastrous home life and ultimately determined to find out the truth about the past. Told in present day between Blue and Enzo, this gripping story kept me turning page after page!

This is book is absolutely a drama - feuding families, tragedy, small town scandal, so many secrets, forbidden love, deep friendships and abusive relationships. It’s part family drama, part love story too. The combo is fun and a little unexpected and I gotta say, I haven’t read much like this lately!

I loved the sleepy beach town and quirky (albeit large) cast of characters. The core of the store is about relationships - platonic, familial and romantic - and the far reaching consequence of holding on to secrets and simmering resentments.

I’m a hugeeee second chance romance fan and really enjoyed that component of the story, too. There are definitely some heavier topics/themes but the book didn’t feel emotionally weighty, if that makes sense. A great summer read for sure!