Beautiful writing, another great book by Ethan Joella. He captures the I ber monologues and struggles of his characters so perfectly. I found myself skimming over the excerpts from the Roheboth Beach magazine though. They were cute but didn't add anything to the story.

I've always heard great things about Ethan Joella's books. I went into The Same Bright Stars knowing that his books are very emotional. The Same Bright Stars definitely is. While I really enjoyed Joella's writing and his ability to weave a story, the characters didn't resonate with me. The story itself had a lot of ups and downs, and certaintly made me feel all the emotions, but I had a hard time getting through it. I truly wanted to love this one, but I wasn't crazy about it. I'll check out his other books, but perhaps his books are simply not for me.

If you like a raw, emotional story, this is one to check out.

Thank you Scribner Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A warm, tender story about change, found family, and the pull of home. Jack Schmidt must decide whether to sell his family’s beloved beach-town restaurant, a choice that ripples through his close-knit community. Ethan Joella brings small-town life to the page with heart and authenticity - quiet, comforting, and full of moments that linger long after the last page.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella in exchange for my honest review and feedback. I read the first novel by this author and fell in love with is writing style so when I was approved to read this I squealed with delight. This is a writing style that you will love from the moment you read the first sentence. Ethan has a way to make you fall in love with the characters (and town) and keep you turning the pages as fast as you can. This book will give you all the feels and make you add him to your list of favorite authors! Do yourself a big favor and read this the first chance you can.

Jack Schmidt is feeling all of his 51 years; he’s old, grumpy, and hasn’t taken a day off in decades. He’s the owner and manager of Schmidt’s, a restaurant smack dab in the middle of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The restaurant has been passed down through three generations, and Jack has poured most of his adult life into keeping it afloat. But he’s tired. The long hours, the endless responsibility, and the physical toll are starting to wear him down. He’s finally considering something once unthinkable: selling the restaurant and retiring.

But why is he even thinking about selling? His employees have been with him since they were kids, and the restaurant isn’t just a building, it’s a legacy. His grandmother rebuilt it after a devastating storm in the 60s, and every corner of it holds a memory. Letting go would mean letting go of more than just work, it would mean uprooting his entire life and the people he cares about.

The novel is about a love letter to Rehoboth Beach. Ethan Joella paints the town with affection and detail, from summer crowds to off-season silences, and the community Jack’s built around the restaurant feels authentic and warm. The supporting characters, especially the long-time staff and Jack’s old flame who reenters his life, enrich the story with layers of emotion and history.

While the pace is gentle and the plot relatively quiet, the emotional undercurrents are steady and strong. Readers looking for explosions or plot twists won’t find them here. Instead, they’ll find something rarer: a contemplative, heartful story that respects the complexity of ordinary life.

Heartwarming, endearing, engaging & solid character development. I loved the setting of Rehoboth Beach. I wish there was a little more to the plot; however, I still enjoyed this book.

Joella's books are always a perfect mix of cozy with a little mystery to them. His characters are always well written and having lived in Delaware, I enjoyed the setting of Rehoboth. A great beach read!

Easy to read and well written, perfect escape read! Definitely puts you in the beach life and makes you feel like you’re there. Feel good, perfect for when you need to get away from the real world!

I am always here for a quiet story that is character driven and makes me feel some hope in this wild life!

I felt so invested in these characters and their lives and loved reading spending time with them. All the feels!

Thanks to Scribner for the gifted copy!

I love Ethan’s ability to always write such heartwarming stories! This family drama was no different from the past - just a wholesome and fantastic read. The characters felt so real and I loved this smalltown setting. I felt like I was transported right into the book!

Have you ever known someone who is attached to their work to the extent that they wonder what they would be without it?

In "The Same Bright Stars" that's our main character, Jack Schmidt. Finally, at 52 he’s thinking seriously about focusing on himself and his future beyond work. He's been offered a sweet deal for "Schmidt's", his family restaurant, by the DelDine group and if he accepts it he'll be free to do the things he's been dreaming about for too long...

Is it possible, yet again, to love the third book in a row by this author? Ethan Joella, how do you do it?

"The Same Bright Stars" is full of well-developed characters, struggling relationships, and challenging family dynamics. Jack Schmidt is one of my favorite characters. He's kind, empathetic, and centered on taking care of those close to him. I love the decisions he makes, how he makes them, and how he owns them, good or not so-good.

The setting, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, felt like another character in this story. The author knows this storybook town (as he calls it) and sprinkles little nuggets, tour guide style, throughout that capture the full flavor of this picturesque beach town. Once again Joella has created a story around small-town life with characters who feel like home. If you grew up in a small town, like I did, you know what I mean.

I'll say this again, as long as Ethan Joella continues to write, I will continue to read his books. "The Same Bright Stars" is one of my top five reads of 2024 and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy Small Town and Family Fiction and a well-written story!

5⭐

Thank you to Scribner and Ethan Joella for the DRC via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I was immersed in this beautiful story with a soothing and serene writing style. Told in a flashback/present timeline and the point of view of Jack, a man grappling with selling his generations owned family restaurant and also his current course of life-made this contemporary, character driven fiction contemplative and heartwarming. His quest for a family and purpose, realizing he is “too young to be old and too old to be young” was refreshing and relatable. A beautiful read.

The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella is about Jack, who runs his family restaurant. The restaurant is the most important thing to him. A large restaurant group has expressed interest in buying Jack's restaurant, but he keeps turning them down. But maybe it's time for him to put himself and his own desires first? This book was okay, but it wasn't really my favorite. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I love Ethan Joella. I think he is such a talented, unhyped author. He writes about grief/loss in various ways it exists and impacts peoples lives. I love how the individual stories all came together in the end.

Thought provoking and an easy page turner. This book sucked you in to the plot and left you wanting to continue reading. Relatable characters, well written. Although I liked their first books better - this author has a way of writing emotional tales.

This was truly a story that made you really look at life & how the decisions we make effect us and stay with us forever. Jack's story made me cry. I loved seeing his personal growth. Although parts of the book were a bit slow, the ending was realistic and well done.

“Pain is the cost of living well and caring deeply.”

Jack’s life revolves around running his family’s beachfront restaurant, but he’s burned out. When presented with the opportunity to sell the restaurant, he seriously considers it so he has more time for himself, but should he give up the beloved property his family has owned for three decades? What about his devoted employees? Should he really give in to the greedy corporation who is snapping up properties along the boardwalk?

Ethan Joella knows how to write heartfelt stories! He’s quickly become an auto-buy author for me. His stories remind you about the importance of genuine human connection, and how everyone is silently (or not so silently) going through their own struggles. A little compassion goes a long way 💖 The strength of small town communities is a strong theme throughout his books, and while Same Bright Stars is hopeful, the book does cover some heavy topics. I’ve never been to Rehoboth Beach myself, but the cover and vivid imagery Joella describes makes me want to visit!

I can’t wait to see what you write next, @joellawriting!

[A very belated thanks to @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for the eARC copy I received!]

After seeing readers swoon over Ethan Joella books for years, I was ready to take the plunge with The Same Bright Stars, and now I need to go read all of the backlist. It's a book for book clubs and beaches alike.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This work of literary fiction focused on the relationships between family, friends, and employees. There were some heavy themes throughout. Based on the cover, I was thinking this was a beach read, so I was very surprised when it turned out to be much deeper and more emotional than I expected. It was very well-written, but literary fiction is generally not for me.

Ethan Joella’s previous novels, A Little Hope and A Quiet Life, were lovely winter reads that I enjoyed very much. Reading a Joella novel in the summer was a new experience–no fireplace and blanket this time. You can read The Same Bright Stars any time of year, though. While the cover looks beachy and the setting of The Same Bright Stars is the coastal town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the story begins around Thanksgiving and takes us through every season. This novel vividly describes the flow of living year-round in a vacation town and the setting plays an important role.

Jack owns a restaurant passed down through his family, and, as the novel opens, he is internally debating whether to accept a buyer’s offer. The novel has a slow start, but as the setting and character build, I became entirely invested by the mid-point.

Jack feels on the outside of couples and families, as everyone seems to be paired off and his elder relatives with whom he had been close are no longer living. Jack’s story includes some poignant moments that capture real life living.

Joella writes beautiful character-driven stories of human connection and hope. His novels show real life struggles and everyday people.

If you liked Joella’s other novels and you enjoyed Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal, you should pick up The Same Bright Stars if you haven’t yet.