Hannah, living in Brooklyn is a romcom debut author whose first book was a hit. Unfortunately, she is not feeling her second book and has had a panic attack regarding her writer’s block. She is also dealing with the recent death of her mother. Originally from Chatham, MA, her sister, Sara and Aunt Maddie still live there. They encourage her to come back to Chatham for the summer, hoping the change of scenery will help her writing.
This is a delightful, steady book. No big shocks but for Sara’s and Maddie’s marriages and their story lines. Hannah finds a good routine and is able to overcome her block. Her love interest was neither hot nor cold..but perhaps more as friendship that grows into more. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary arc. My review of this book with comfortable characters, beautiful sunsets and a deck overlooking the water is my opinion and just what I needed as a change from my normal thrillers.

While this book might be categorized as a "beach read" for its light and breezy nature, I found it lacked the depth I was looking for. The characters seemed underdeveloped, and I was left wanting more from the story of the sisters reuniting after their mother's passing and both at crossroads in their lives. Sara's marital struggles hinted at potential depth, but Hannah's narrative felt disconnected, and the sisterly bond didn't come through for me. Additionally, the lack of spark between Spencer and Hannah made it hard for me to cheer for their relationship. Unfortunately, this being my first encounter with the author's work, it might also be my last.

I love Hannah and Spencer’s story, at least that’s how I think of it. I believe I would love to visit and possibly live in Chatham. It seems like the perfect size town with lots of great shopping and places to hang out. I love the relationship between Hannah, Sara, and Aunt Maddie. What a good friend Lucy is – she wants what is best for Hannah. That’s true friendship. I enjoyed the story and these wonderful folks. I really didn’t want to leave them. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

I liked the story. I felt the characters were just every day, non-descript people living their lives. It is a quick beach read. The sisters and their aunt are trying to process the death of Sara and Hannah’s mother and Maddie’s sister. A woman wo died too young from lung cancer.

I felt more invested in Sara than I did in the main character. I was happy that Hannah and Maddie gave sound advice that seem to work to get Tom out of his self-absorbed world and appreciate his wife and their life together.

This isn’t a re-read book for me. I did enjoy the story and it held my attention. I liked that there wasn’t a lot of details to track and I finished it rather quickly.

I was given an advanced readers’ copy via Netgalley and am not required to leave a positive review.
I would rate this a 3.4 out of 5.

Okay, I absolutely adored this book! It was a perfect summery light read. Bonus points for it taking place on Cape Cod! I love a book that takes place near home. There wasn’t anything to in-depth or complex about it and it was easy to just read. There were a few love interests, conflicts and solutions. It was a happy ending and I hope people who are into this type of book give it a read this summer!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Seaside Sisters by Pamela Kelley
This is a lovely heartwarming story, and had a bit of a Debbie Macomber feel to it. It was such a great read
Hannah is the main character, she has gone home to Chatham for the summer, she is a writer and needs some inspiration to keep writing her book. She is staying with her aunt Maddie, her mom's sister as Hannah's mom recently passed away and she's not ready to stay in her mom's house.
I really liked the characters, they were all likeable and the setting was great. I loved how the author told the story, there was more than one thing going on at a time with different characters although not at all confusing. Everything felt so realistic. Characters were introduced in a timely way.
I would absolutely read more novels by this author, a really enjoyable read.

I loved this book about the sisters Hannah and Sara and their Aunt Maddy. All the characters in this story. Hannah is an author who is writing romance books. Her first one is a big seller but she is struggling with the second book. Sara suggests she come home Chatham for the summer. Ashe talks with her Aunt Maddie about her writer's block and about the panic attacks. Aunt Maddie tells her to come home and stay with her as long as she likes.Hannah goes home, after a few days her writing picks up. She and Sara spend time together, It is good to be home. Aunt Maddy is an agent and is spending a week in Manhattan. The neighbors (Joy & Ben) have a son Spencer, she knew him from high school. They start hanging out as friends. Read to continue her story. Sara is married to Tom (who is very much an all about me person) she is a stay at home Mom , with 4 boys all in school and she wants a part-time job. See how that works out. Maddie and Richard are spending some time away from each other. They have an apartment in Manhattan where he is staying and does Maddy when she is in the same city.? In the meantime Hannah has met some people and is loving being home. This is a GREAT READ!! Read this to see what happens.

Pamela Kelly returns following The BookShop By the Bay with her charming summer beach read, THE SEASIDE SISTERS.

Hannah, a bestselling author from Brooklyn, NY, is grappling with a profound loss and yearns for a transformative change in her life.

The story unfolds in the picturesque town of Chatham, Cape Cod, where Hannah's older sister, Sara, resides (married with four children) and her Aunt Maddie. This idyllic setting, where they both grew up, adds a nostalgic charm to the narrative.

The sisters are grieving the recent death of their mother. The three women are taking a break from the men in their lives.

Sara is a former librarian who loves literature and is considering working in a bookshop.

Hannah decides to visit Chatham for the summer and her aunt's oceanfront house to return to writing by the sea.

The two sisters get together and start over, meeting Spencer, an old acquaintance from high school, and other friends. A summer of change and new beginnings.

The women bond over wine, good food, coffee, books, the beach, and the meaning of home.

Another charming, lighthearted summer read of self-discovery, second chances, and light romance. Perfect for fans of Sherryl Woods, Viola Shipman, Joanne Demaio, Nancy Thayer, Susan Wiggs, Mariah Stewart, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Debbie Macomber.

I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook narrated by the talented Stephanie Németh-Parker for an engaging beach escape.

Thanks to #Macmillan Audio #StMartinsPress #StMartinsGriffin #NetGalley and #MacAudio2024 for a gifted ARC and ALC for review purposes for an honest opinion. #SMPInfluencers

Blog Review Posted @
JuditihDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
June 2024 Must-Read Books

Hanna is an author struggling to write her second book, so she decided to go home to Chatham, where her sister and aunt still live. Her sister, Sara is a wife and mother, of four boys who are now in school full-time, and wants to get a part-time job. Their Aunt, Maddie, invited Hanna to come for the summer and stay with her. She, too, is trying to figure out what she needs in her life now.
This is the summer of finding out who they are now, what they want and need, and moving on to who they are meant to become. Pamela M. Kelley, made me feel I was right there with them, discovering something's, about me too.
I received an ARC from St. Martin's Griffin through NetGalley.

Hannah is a best selling author but needs some fresh ideas for a new book so she leaves Brooklyn, NY for Chatham on Cape Cod. Her mom has recently passed so she’s dealing with that too. She meets a guy, several in fact and starts dating. It held my interest but was just ok in my eyes. A nice cozy story if you’re looking for that type of book. I did feel like I was in Cape Cod, especially during tourist season and I’ve never been but always wanted to. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance. Due to be published June 2024.

A quick and light-hearted read. When Hannah moves back to her hometown, she is looking for something to inspire her writing. With the loss of their mother, Hannah and her older sister Sara find the support they have both needed during this time of transformation.

Great Summer Read. Beautiful beach cover matches the book’s vibe. Seaside Sisters is a story of two sisters and an aunt coming together to spend the Summer together after losing their mom and sister. Pam Kelley’s detailed description brings you right to the Cape, the sights, the restaurants, even the meals they eat. An added bonus was the cameos from The Bookshop by the Bay.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for an advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Hannah is going through a rough time with the loss of her mother and the end of a two year relationship. In this cozy romance, she returns to her hometown to face her grief, connect with herself, and make progress on her 2nd book. What she discovers is that her hometown is her heart and soul; the heart and soul that goes into her writing. Her sister and aunt and friends all feed her heart and have been missing in her life. It takes an uptight lawyer who refuses to leave the cape for a career. He knows that his life and happiness are at home.

Hannah is a writer. Her first published romance novel has been a best seller. She lives in a small apartment in Brooklyn but is going home to Cape Cod to spend some time with her sister Sara and her Aunt Maddie.

As the world knows, Cape Cod is one of the loveliest of places. It has beautiful scenery, wealthy people, and marvelous boutiques which carry expensive name brands.

It became tiresome reading about name brands and lovely colors exclusive to Chatham.

I have read books by Ms Kelley that I enjoyed very much. This one seemed to be rather bland compared to her other books.

There was no really dramatic conflict. Everything just went along at a slow pace.

Hannah wrote books and had hit a block. She tried some things which helped her get back in the writing groove.

Sara’s husband, Tom, was a jerk to her. They lived a very good life with their 4 boys. Sara wanted a part time job and when Tom did not understand her, she went away for a week so he could get a picture of what she did for the family.

Maddie and her husband were living apart because she wanted it. But, she never actually said why.

That is what seemed to be my problem with the book. There were just a number of times when it seemed not much happened.

I really enjoy Ms Kelley’s writing. She has created interesting characters and entertaining plots. For me, this was just not one of her best.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

“The Seaside Sisters” by Pamela M. Kelley
Summer brings Changes
I did love my time in this story. There is friendship, family, and love; new connections and re-connections, too. All wrapped up in a wonderful summer on the Cape with folks with strong ties to NYC and Boston and of course the Cape. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with these people; and, yes my heart broke a bit at times, and I had a scare, too. But the joy to be found in this story is just… I don’t have the words at this moment. But I will say this is a worthy read; so, Happy Reading ! !

3.5 Stars

This was not a romance, although there was a happy ending for both sisters and their Aunt Maddie!
This was not a book I would compare to Mary Kay Andrews- MKA's books have a little sizzle to them, but this book does not. It is a very clean romance. This novel deals more with the grief each sister has to get over when their mother dies. Hannah, the youngest sister, has a bit of writer's block; Sara, the older sister, has some issues with her marriage, and Aunt Maddie has issues with her marriage.

We learn a lot about Cape Cod, 'ghost' a lawyer for some writer's tidbits, and find out how a mother of four copes with a recalcitrant husband and a new job and make a ton of new friends.


A pleasant read for a day at the beach, even if it's not Cape Cod!

*ARC was supplied by the publisher St. Martin's Griffin/ Macmillan Publishers, the author, and NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. I chose this book after reading multiple thrillers back to back. This was the perfect "feel good" book to cleanse my palate. I have read multiple books from this author, so I came into the book with high expectations and I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the multiple plot lines from multiple characters that I would love to meet and hang out with in real life. The cape cod setting was very enjoyable to me as well. I have never been to that area myself, but the author does such a lovely job of making me feel like I'm right there with the characters. The slow burn romance is always a nice addition as well. I like the fact that her characters have relatable relationship issues and that there aren't always happy endings to every relationship. It definitely makes the characters less fictional and more relatable. Adds a level to the plot lines and enjoyment of the book for me. This would make a lovely beach and/or pool read this summer!! A huge thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read both the Book and listen to the Audiobook for The Seaside Sisters.

This is a fantastic beach read. It starts out following an author who's mother has died and she comes back to her home town to try and deal with it while staying with her Aunt. I love the books where someone comes home and ends up changing their life by doing that. I enjoyed all the relationships in this book and the ending made me smile out loud. I wish there was a sequel to this so we could see what happens down the road and with the other people.

Hannah moves "home" for the summer, home being a small historic town in Cape Cod. She hopes it helps her recover from the recent passing of her mother and that it reivigorates her writing of her next book. There are some small subplots with her sister Sara, her Aunt Maddie, and Maddie's neighbors. Hannah meets some former high school classmates, including Spencer. Ms. Kelley weaves a tale of revulsion that evolves to something else. Without giving away the main plot, I guarantee you will be hooked if you like a well written story that holds your interest.

Easy beach read taking place in Cape Cod. Pamela Kelley’s consistent formula always uplifts. Family bonds, life choices, and summer vibes all make this a fun summer read.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.