Pamela M. Kelley’s "The Seaside Sisters" is a heartwarming and reflective tale of family, love, and personal growth set against the picturesque backdrop of Cape Cod. The novel follows two sisters, Hannah and Sara, as they navigate through personal challenges and rediscover themselves over a transformative summer.

Hannah, a bestselling author, is struggling with writer’s block and personal losses. Seeking solace and inspiration, she retreats to her aunt’s oceanfront house in Chatham. This summer getaway not only offers her a chance to reconnect with her passion for writing but also provides an opportunity to bond with her sister Sara. Sara, a former librarian overwhelmed by family responsibilities and a stagnant marriage, dreams of reigniting her love for literature and finding fulfillment beyond her domestic life.

The novel’s setting is beautifully rendered, with Kelley capturing the charm and tranquility of Cape Cod. The seaside locale plays a significant role in the story, providing a serene backdrop for the sisters’ journey of self-discovery and healing. The narrative explores themes of sisterhood, the power of books, and the rejuvenating effect of a change in scenery.

While "The Seaside Sisters" excels in creating a warm and inviting atmosphere, it falls short in some areas. The plot is predictable, with few surprises to keep the reader fully engaged. The romantic subplot involving Spencer, an old high school acquaintance turned attractive grump, follows a familiar pattern and lacks depth. The characters, though relatable, sometimes feel underdeveloped, and their personal struggles and resolutions are often portrayed in a somewhat simplistic manner.

However, Kelley’s writing shines in her depiction of the sisters’ relationship. The bond between Hannah and Sara is heartfelt and genuine, providing the emotional core of the story. Their interactions and shared moments of reflection are touching and realistic, making their individual journeys more compelling.

In summary, "The Seaside Sisters" is a pleasant and easy read that offers a comforting escape to a beautiful seaside town. While the story may not break new ground in terms of plot or character development, it succeeds in delivering a feel-good narrative about family, love, and personal growth. It’s a suitable choice for readers looking for a light, heartwarming summer read.

“Seaside Sisters” by Pamela M Kelley is a wonderful beach read to add to your beach bag this summer! Set in Chatham, MA with well developed and relatable characters. Highly recommend this book.

Hannah is struggling with writer’s block, while sister Sara feels trapped in her role as wife and mother. When their aunt offers Hannah the use of her beachfront home near Cape Cod for the summer, she jumps at the chance to get away from the city *and spend more time with her sister. When the summer is over, however, she’s reluctant to return to Brooklyn...for a variety of reasons.

I’d never read anything by this author before, but when her stories were compared to those of Mary Kay Andrews, an author whose books I adore, I decided to take a chance... and am glad I did.

I love the relationship between the sisters and their aunt, and the way they are so supportive of one another, each encouraging the others to confront their issues, to take a chance and to be open to new adventures. I’ve never been to Cape Cod, but I felt like I was on the beach with the characters, feeling the sea breeze and hearing the ocean.

Most of the plot of this book was predictable, with a few bumps and twists along the way for each of the primary characters, but I enjoyed the story just the same. While I want the mystery books I usually read to be as unpredictable as possible, I don’t mind if the plot of a well-written beach read is exactly what I was anticipating.

I have added several other books by Ms. Kelley to my to-read shelf and look forward to reading them when I’m in the mood for a relaxing time by the beach.

Hannah, who is a debut novelist, is having a hard time writing the next book. Her personal life is falling apart and not sure what to do. Her Aunt Maddie has suggested moving to Chatham, Cape Cod for the Summer. Will a change of pace be the key? Being around her aunt and talking with her sister Sara, the block has eased up. Sara is going through some turmoil in her life. Being a stay at home mom is no easy task. The kids are all in school and she wants a part-time job. When she finds a job that she loves, her home life is falling apart. Sometimes you have to run away with your sister to find yourself. Hannah has made friends and even went out on some dates. Her Summer is coming to an end. Brooklyn has been her home for the past 10 years. Will she go back to all that she knows and renew her lease? Or will she move to Chatham, the place she grew up and made new friends? Will Spenser, and old new friend, figure into her decision? Home is where your heart is.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy. The Seaside Sisters is the first book that I have read by Pamela M. Kelley. It is set on Cape Cod and follows two sisters after the loss of their mother. Hannah is home for the summer to finish writing her second novel and Sara is a stay at home mother looking for employment. Some other characters include their Aunt Maddie, Spencer, Tom, and many more. The Seaside Sisters is a good light-hearted summer read. I enjoyed the story.

The Seaside Sisters by Pamela Kelley is a wonderful and cozy story about family and the struggles they endure while trying to find happiness and contentment. It’s about friends, family, neighbors, going through life's passages and struggles to find happiness. Enjoy whale watching, cookouts, seafood, book writing club, and gorgeous summer days and events shared by two sisters and their aunt in the town of Chatham on Cape Cod.

Hannah, a bestselling romance author, is having a bit of writer’s block leaves her Brooklyn apartment to spend the summer at her aunt’s house in Chatham. There she meets two potential love interests while overcoming her writer’s block. Hannah’s sister, Sara, lives in Chatham with her inattentive husband and their three boys; dealing with some marital hiccups while in search of something to call her own. Their aunt is currently going through her own marital strife and professional crossroads. Their three stories are woven into a narrative resulting in happy endings for them all.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Berkley

Can a summer on the Cape reboot their lives?

A trip to the ER after a panic attack shows romance author Hannah Brewster that she needs to do something about the stressors in her life. She just broke up with her boyfriend of two years, her mother passed away from cancer, and even the success of her first published romance novel has a downside….namely the looming contract deadline to submit her second book (the writing of which is not going well at all). Her best friend Lucy suggests that a change of venue might be in order, and Hannah decides to leave Brooklyn and spend the summer in Chatham, MA, in the seaside town of Chatham where she grew up. Her aunt (and literary agent) Maddie lives there with her husband Richie, and so does her older sister Sara, married to Tom and with four active young sons. Maddie readily offers her guest room, and Hannah arrives two weeks later. She adapts to the rhythm of life on the Cape quite easily, making new friends and feeling the flow of writing as well. Oh, and there are a couple of men in her orbit, her former high school crush Spencer who is now a lawyer in town and bestselling author Niall, who like Hannah is summering on the Cape but lives in NYC. It turns out that Hannah is not the only person in her family whose life has hit a snag…Sara is feeling under-appreciated in her role as wife and mother, and her husband is not supportive of her finding a new outlet to challenge herself, while Maddie and Richie’s relationship has drifted apart to the point that they are living separately. Together and separately, the women search for the life balance and love they need against the backdrop of the beautiful seaside town they call home.
Most readers can relate to a person whose life needs a reboot for one reason or another, as the characters in The Seaside Sisters do. Hannah is mourning the death of her mother, and coming back to the town where she grew up is a healthy step in the right direction, as is spending time with the remaining members of her family. She isn’t looking for love but, as others in the story tell her more than once, that is often when it finds you. Which is the better choice for her, the hometown boy who is happy living right where he is when Hannah is sure that she wants to return to her life in Brooklyn? Or the wealthy and charming writer who prefers city life as she does? Does she even want either one at this point? For Maddie, did she and Richie stop putting in the work to keep their love alive? What does she want from their relationship and her life at this point? And for Sara, how can she make her husband and sons realize that while she loves them she needs more, and needs them to want it for her? This is a pleasant story, situated in a charming town full of warm and welcoming people. Those looking for a gentle story rather than sizzling action between the sheets will find it here. Readers of Susan Mallory, Jan Moran and Mary Kay Andrews will find The Seaside Sisters a quick summer read, particularly if they want a vicarious trip to the Cape to boot. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Griffin for allowing me early access.

This took me to a slower paced lifestyle while I’m actually relaxing on a beach 🌴 it is a charming, light summer beach read in Chatham Cape Cod. The book dwells on relationships and typical life challenges.
Hannah, a best selling author, needs a change so she travels to the Cape to find new beginnings. Her sister, Sara, a former librarian, has raised 4 children and looking to enter the workforce among books. Their Aunt Maddie, separated from her husband, also needs a change but dwells comfortably in an oceanfront house where Hannah will stay. Enter an old acquaintance, Spencer, Hannah reunites with. There has to be some romance with no major surprises, just a simple read finding ourselves in new situations with family and friends.
Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the chance to read The Seaside sisters by Pamela M. Kelley. After reading a few intense books, I was looking for something light and romantic. A bit slow to start but I enjoyed the story of two sisters, Hannah and Sara, and their aunt Maddie. Hannah is a writer who is struggling to write her next book, and Sara, a former librarian is struggling to go back to a career. I found The Seaside sisters to be light, and would be a perfect beach read.

I love the cover and the setting. I loved the MC jobs, all of which brought my interest into the book in the first place. I feel like this is a good summer read. The content is just life, 2 sisters going through common situations, but they have the privilege of their location I guess. I felt a little neutral about the book itself overall.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St Martin’s Press for my DRC in exchange for my honest review.

Love, loss, family relationships, endings, starting anew, and more. Hannah, an author struggling with a lot of emotions, She’s an author struggling with writer's block, is missing her beloved mother, dealing with the end of a relationship she knew wasn’t right for her, but left wondering what is next and panic attacks, decides to leave Brooklyn for the summer and head to her home town of Chatham to spend time with her aunt and sister. They too are struggling with issues in their personal and professional lives. All three women are feeling stuck and are each at somewhat of their own crossroads. Over the course of the summer with the loving support from each other they all find their way to their own personal happily ever afters. It was an easy lovely story about life. I both read and listened to this book and enjoyed each and every moment .

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-copy of Seaside Sisters by Pamela M.Kelly in exchange for a honest review.This is an un-put-downable excellent summer read set in Chatham, Massachusetts outside Cape Cod where Hannah has returned to spend the summer with her Aunt. Maddie and sister, Sara after her mother’s death.She is a writer who is in a slump and hopes time spent with Sara and Maddie will help stimulate her creative juices.When she is there she makes many friends.including a former classmate, Spencer who she had a crush on.Her sister, Sara, is also at a crossroads in her life when she starts a job at a bookstore and her husband doesn’t take her job seriously.Her Aunt Maddie’s is also in a flux.She and her husband Rich have separated as she attempts to deal with her sister’s death and her husband’s co-worker’s interest in him.This is a story about strong women facing challenges that come their way.There is romance, drama and lots of family love.Perfect summer read.

THE SEASIDE SISTERS – Pamela Kelley
St. Martin’s Griffin
ISBN: 978-1-250-86162-7
June 4, 2024
Contemporary Fiction

Chatham, Massachusetts – Present Day

Hannah is a bestselling romance author, but after the death of her mother, she is suffering from writer’s block and has a deadline to meet for her next book. Deciding that a change of scenery is in order, she decides to spend a few months in her hometown of Chatham, on the Cape Cod peninsula. She will stay with her Aunt Maddie and spend time with her only sister, Sara, who is married and living in Chatham. Hannah learns shortly after she arrives that her aunt is now separated from her husband and that her sister is feeling restless raising her four boys. Sara is currently looking for a part-time job even though her husband, Tom, isn’t happy about the idea.

Hannah soon settles in and meets a few people. Her aunt’s next-door neighbors are grandparents to Spencer, a lawyer in town. Hannah faintly remembers Spencer from their time in school together (he is a year older) and the two become friends. She also becomes friends with some local women that she ends up spending time with. The writing starts going well. She even meets a local author who writes bestselling mysteries.

Sara finds a job working at a bookstore. Tom still isn’t happy, and he doesn’t lift a finger to help her when needed. So, Sara is working from 9 to 2:30 and still has to pick up the kids and do all the cleaning and cooking. No wonder that she’s soon tired. But she loves her new job. Will something happen to tear her marriage apart? Hannah starts seeing the author she met but he makes it clear he hasn’t ever been in a long-term relationship. That seems perfectly fine to Hannah since she just got over a two-year relationship. But what about Spencer? He’s a nice guy and Hannah has a lot in common with him. However, is he over the woman who cheated on him? Meanwhile, Aunt Maddie starts to wonder if her separation from her husband is going to be permanent. She is beginning to miss him.

THE SEASIDE SISTERS is a beachy read that is perfect for readers looking for a good book to dig into. The characters are well-written and pull you into the story. Hannah is the main protagonist. Readers will wonder if Hannah gets together with Spencer eventually. They seem perfect for each other. As it happens, the ex-girlfriend pops up. How does she affect Hannah’s relationship with Spencer? Sara and Tom have to work on their marriage but what if only one sees there is a problem? Sara loves having Hannah back in town as she provides support. As the time grows for Hannah to have to return to her apartment in Brooklyn, will she find it harder to leave? By the end of THE SEASIDE SISTERS, where does her relationship with Spencer stand? Is Aunt Maddie back with Uncle Richie?

Readers will find it hard to put down THE SEASIDE SISTERS as we want to know what happens next with the sisters and their aunt. If you love a feel-good read, then this tale is one you won’t want to miss because a happily ever after is written in the stars.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

The Seaside Sisters by Pamela M Kelley is a cute romance which takes place near the ocean in Massachusetts. Hannah Brewster, published author of one romance, has returned to her childhood home of Chatham after experiencing a panic attack that took her to the emergency room. It had been a bad year: her mother had died, she had broken it off with her boyfriend of two years, and this next book would just not come to her. She decided to go to the beach. Her mother’s death was still too raw to stay in her house, her sister’s four boys kept her from staying there, but she had an aunt who was in a big house on the beach so it was there she went to recover. It was perfect. She found a coffee shop where she could go and write for several hours a day and she dug in. Slowly the words began to flow and she began to meet people. Her aunt’s next door neighbors had a grandson that she had gone to high school with. Spencer was a lawyer and his grandmother suggested Hannah shadow him for a week so she could write more authentically about lawyers. She’d found her people.

Hannah was determined to not fall in love. She was too raw from the past few months. She met another author and they went on a few dates but that went nowhere. She continued to see Spencer and the lawyers he worked with. What a great group of friends. Summer would be over soon and she would return to Brooklyn, her home. Hannah was a sympathetic character as in fact were most of the characters we got to know. She was essentially a light and happy person. The story was good, but like most romances, predictable, although the journey was different. It is a thoroughly modern romance. A feel-good story as we watch Hannah and her family negotiate rough relationship waters. A relaxing read.

Stephanie Nemeth-Parker was the narrator and listening to her reminded me why I like to read light romance rather than listen to it. Too often the voices of the women sound too young and vapid. The give women no credit audibly. I recommend you read this book rather than listen to it for full enjoyment.

I was invited to read The Seaside Sisters by Sr Martin’s Press and to listen by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #MacMillanAudio #PamelaMKelley #TheSeasideSisters.

Hannah, Sara, and their aunt Maggie tell this story of three women at crossroads in their lives. Don't worry- there isn't a lot of drama but there is a little romance and a wonderful trip to Chatham. Set over the course of a summer, it sees Hannah, a writer with writers block and Sara, a stay at home mom who wants to go back to the outside workforce deal with their grief over the loss of their mother. Maggie too is coping with a difficult time in her career and her marriage. While her storyline is interesting, it doesn't jell as well as I would have liked with the other two. Regardless, this is an easy read that reminded me how much I like Cape Cod, especially Chatham. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. This will be a good beach read.

This is a sweet story set in the very idyllic, summery setting of Chatham on Cape Cod. Hannah, a romance author, has come to stay with her aunt for the summer back in her hometown. Her sister Sara lives there too, but as a married mom of 4 boys, lives a different life than single Hannah.

It’s an easy light beach read. I do wish there was a little exposition and more showing than telling, but overall a light read

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a good story - solid and entertaining. Hannah was a new romance writer that was struggling to finish her second book. Her mother had recently died and it really shook her. Her home had been in Brooklyn for the last 10 years, but she decided to go back to Chatham for the summer where her sister and Aunt lived and where she grew up. She was staying with her aunt and meeting neighbors that had a reading group for authors that she started going to. The neighbor's grandson was Spencer who was a little stuffy for her but they gradually became friends.
The story also brought in more about Hannah's sister, Sara. She was feeling neglected by her husband and wanted to go back to work part time. They had 4 boys and they were all in school now. When she got the job at the bookstore, Tom was not happy and eventually , things came to a head when she had to work and he wouldn't change his plans. When an accident happened, he was sorry it happened, but wasn't ready to change. I loved her solution to it and his response after a few days. Hilarious. It sure did wake him up.
It was a fun book to read with lots going on

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Stephanie Parker and read the ebook for parts. The narration was very good and added to my experience of the book.

There were actually three main female characters in the book. Hannah is a writer with writers block who thinks going to her aunt's house on the coast may get her writing again. Sara is Hannah's sister. She is married and has four sons. She's losing herself and feels under appreciated by her husband. The third character is the aunt. The book wasn't really about their relationships to each other, but their separate relationships and jobs.

To me this book by Pamela Kelley wasn't quite as good as some others I have read by her. I still enjoyed it, but found it not quite as interesting as some of her other books.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ebook and audiobook. All thoughts are my own.

Solid, If A Touch Generic, Beach Read. You know those tales where you go into it knowing roughly what is going to happen from the get-go, but also knowing you're going to enjoy the experience because you know this type of tale and know nothing too shocking or controversial will be a major plot point? In other words, a somewhat Hallmark Movie type plot, but more on the women's fiction side and featuring multiple storylines in one?

Yeah, this is pretty well exactly that, in coastal Cape Cod + NYC as the "big city". Solid enough to be a solid, inoffensive choice for lounging at the pool or on a beach reading while relaxing as the kids make a fool of themselves in the water... in other words, fairly idyllic "summer read". And what do you know, positioned to release right at the beginning of the "summer season" in the US, just over a week after Memorial Day and when many - particularly more Yankee-area - schools are getting out of school for the summer later that week.

So if this is the kind of tale you're looking for - and based on the Hallmark Channel's success, clearly there is a fairly substantial market for this type of tale - then you're going to enjoy this one and it is pretty well going to be everything you expect it to be. For those looking for something with more teeth... look for some of my other reviews, wherever you may find them. :)

Very much recommended.

This book felt like the perfect beach read. You have the stories of sisters, Hannah and Sara. Hannah is a romance author that lives in Brooklyn. She is currently experiencing writer's block after a series of some hard things happening (mom died, cat died, broke up with long term boyfriend). She decides to go stay with her Aunt in Chatham and see if she can tap into her creative side. Sara lives in Chatham and is a stay-at-home mom of four boys. She wants something more fulfilling to do during the day while her husband works and the boys are involve in activities. When Hannah comes back to Chatham, the sisters are able to spend more time together and with their aunt. The neighbors of their aunt are delightful and the grandparents of an old classmate, Spencer. There's also another author named Niall, Spencer's co-workers, and Hannah's best friend from Brooklyn, Lucy. All of these characters add a lot to the story and make it a fun read. Highly recommend this one!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely