Ethan Joella never fails to craft a beautiful and moving story. THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is a touching tale of a family’s love and loss. Jack Schmidt must make a difficult decision that will affect many other people. His character is deeply compassionate and yet tender. This story is quiet one, ushering the reader through seemingly ordinary, everyday moments. But all of our days count, and our lives can change with one phone call, from one minute to the next. I love books like this, ones that cause me to think about the impact of the decisions of our lives and how we must focus on what is most important in this short life.

I love Ethan Joella. His books have these incredibly heartwarming characters who make you feel ALL the feels, and this book is no exception.

From the moment I met Jack Schmidt on the page, I was right there alongside him. Jack is the owner of a beachfront Delaware restaurant that’s been in his family for several generations. He feels the toll that owning a restaurant has taken on him and he is torn between continuing on with his family’s legacy or selling out to a big company that’s been buying out all the local eating establishments.

In addition to Jack’s big decision on the restaurant, his ex-fiancée comes back to town and brings up complicated emotions for him, and shares a HUGE secret about his past that changes Jack’s life completely. He is dealing with a lot and yet he has such a big heart and cares about his friends, his employees, his customers. Jack is loyal and generous and kind and he feels like someone you could be friends with in real life.

Beyond the restaurant situation, this book is layered in so many ways. There’s heartbreak and grief and uncertainty about the future and all of it was so quietly engrossing, in only the way that Ethan Joella can write it. I can’t shout out enough praises for this book!

Three generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant, and Jack has been at the helm since his father's death. He puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with a string of failed relationships, no hobbies, and no days off as proof of his commitment to the place. He can’t remember the last time he sat on the beach or enjoyed a moment to himself.

Meanwhile, the DelDine group has been snapping up beloved eateries along this stretch of coast, and it is pursuing Jack with a very generous offer to take Schmidt’s off his hands. Jack craves companionship and maybe even a family. He wonders whether closing the door on the restaurant might open a window for him—but who would he be without Schmidt’s, and can he trust DelDine’s claims that it will continue to employ his staff and honor his family’s legacy?

I really felt this novel was atmospheric with such vivid details of the town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I liked that this wasn't the typical beach that you often see in Summer reads. I had the pleasure of visiting the area for a quick day trip in 2019. This story made me really want to go back and spend more time here.

As always, Joella creates a wonderful cast of characters. This time the story was only told through Jack's point of view. I really felt such empathy for him all the way through and was rooting for his happy ending. He just seemed to have so much sadness in his life. I also enjoyed all of the side characters who enhanced the story. I was quite surprised by the twist that was revealed, I did not see that coming at all, and was so anxious to see where that part of the story would lead. And again, not where I thought it would, but I ended up loving that part in it's own way too.

I was so happy to receive this book early from @netgalley and @scribner as it was one of my most anticipated reads of the Summer. I look forward to reading whatever @joellawriting writes in the future, his books are always like a big, warm hug. Plus Joella is truly one of the nicest guys you will ever come across on the internet. He's always so active and engaged with his readers. This book was a delight from start to finish and I highly recommend picking it up when it releases on July 2, 2024!

Thanks to Scribner for the copy of this book.

I loved A QUIET LIFE and Ethan Joella is just honestly the sweetest author. THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is a slower-paced family drama in the beach town of Rehoboth, Delaware. This one was a little *too* slow paced for me, But I always appreciate Joella’s writing and the amazing family stories that he curates. This is a perfect heartwarming, summer read! Easy to read in one day at the beach.

Another beautiful, quietly understated book by Ethan Joella.

This was a mix of plot and character driven, and I loved how the story wove in and out of these characters’ lives. As someone who lives in a beach town that gets slow in the off-season and busy in the summer, it was fun seeing that in this story, and I could see a lot of similarities.

Jack was a really likable MC, and he felt relatable and like a real person; he was flawed, kind, trying his best, and tried to see the good in others. His growth over the course of the book was wonderful to see, and even though things don’t tie up perfectly, I was left feeling ok with some of those unknowns. The character-driven aspect made it so I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going, but I was just happy to be along for the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the advance copy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Scribner, and Ethan Joella for allowing me to review this book. Ethan Joella writes beautiful and inspirational novels and this one is no exception. I loved it so much. It’s hopeful, beautiful, and inspirational. I love how this is a very character driven novel but the setting is described in such a way that I feel it’s also a character in the book. I really need to visit this beach town after reading this book. I hope it is turned into a movie filmed in the very locations described in the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves second chances and feel good small town emotional beach reads. This would be a great summer read! Thank you again for allowing me to review this exceptional novel.

4.5 ~ Ethan Joella is an author that I have thoroughly enjoyed and his latest, The Same Bright Stars is no exception. Here we meet Jack, a 52 year old restaurant owner in the Delaware touristy beach town of Rehoboth Beach. Ever since he took over the family restaurant after his father’s death, it has been his entire life. He has passed on chances with love and much of life, all in the name of keeping the restaurant running. He now has a tempting offer from a corporate backed restaurant group that has been buying up restaurants along the coast. He could sell and retire. This quiet, lovely character driven novel explores Jack’s past, his family, his employees, his community, and his friends and the relationships he has with all of them. He is definitely tempted as he examines his life and quite frankly, he wants more. He realizes everything he has given up and wonders what more is out there. While going through the motions of his day to day grind and exploring his options, big revelations from his past are brought to light.
I especially liked the excerpts from “That’s Rehoboth Beach: A Guidebook” as we meander through the seasons. Often times a setting is fictional, or when it is a real place, it is glossed over. In this case, Joella does an exemplary job of bringing Rehoboth Beach to life and it is a character itself that he has made a very conscience decision to highlight. You can feel the sticky candy on your fingers, smell the salt in the air, sense the traffic creeping into town on a Saturday, and hear the children shrieking at the boardwalk arcade. I have been to Rehoboth and it is indeed magical. The sense of joy that Joella awards this idealistic little beach town is a love letter in itself.
Thank you to NetGalley And Scribner for an advance e-copy in exchange for my review. The Same Bright Stars will be available on 7/2/24.

If you’re looking for a feel good book, The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella was it! I loved the characters, the setting in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Makes me want to pay a visit there in the summertime. I loved this book and could totally see it in a movie. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. Excellent storytelling!

A melancholy novel about a man who is facing his future and saying......no spoilers. Jack Schmidt is 52 and he's tired of running the family restaurant in Rehobeth Beach. Should he sell to DelDine-the corporation which has been buying up other family owned businesses? This moves back and forth in time to tell part of his story- about his mother, his summer romance and so on- but is largely focused on the present as Jack struggles with what to do with his life, his employees, and his friends, especially Deacon. We should all be so lucky as to have a relationship like Jack does with Deacon. This has a big revelation that changes Jack's life but it doesn't work out the way he hopes. I'm a fan of Joella, who has a knack for writing characters. And the Rehobeth atmospherics are great (and applicable to many other Atlantic beach towns). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

I am a huge Ethan Joelle fan, having loved both A Little Hope and A Quiet Life. This was a slower, more tender read for me, definitely character-driven with less focus on plot tensions.

The spotlight is on Jack, the decades-long owner of an indie restaurant in the Delaware shore town of Rehoboth. I was immediately swept into Jack’s struggles with retirement and whether he should sell or not, and swiftly shifted into wondering who is Jack, why is he alone, what life moments shaped him?

As Jolla slowly strings out the answers, we also see Jack’s relationships with his employees, his friends, and former family members.

Ultimately, this felt like a postcard portrait of a man with regrets, but also with hope, as well as the painting of life in a small beach town. Little bites were included on economic fears, of bodily autonomy, of mental health issues, which I appreciated. At the same time, it also felt like it was a portrait that missed some pieces of the rawness of American life, the divisiveness, the despair millions of people face each day, the anger and grievance driving American voters…And perhaps that was the point. It gave my heart a respite.

Jack is settled in his life: single, owns a restaurant, has a cat and a best friend. Yep. That's about it. But now a restaurant conglomerate wants to buy his restaurant and he is surprised by news from his past. This all throws Jack a curve ball and the reader follows along as Jack tries to make decisions and deal with the things he has learned. This book is slow going and while there are some surprises along the way, they aren't of the thriller variety. Instead this is a deep look at Jack, the life he has and hasn't led, and the good and bad of living a life unchanged. It was easy for me to understand Jack and appreciate the obstacles he had to face. This would definitely be a great summer/beach/poolside read.

The writing is beautiful and captures the essence of community, family, and the bittersweet beauty of letting go. A heartwarming read.
Many thanks to Scribner and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

4+ stars rounded up!

“…his dad told him years ago that this place can swallow you like a big wave, so you have to keep swimming sideways against the current.”

Jack Schmidt is at a crossroads. As the current third generation owner of the beloved Schmidt’s restaurant on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, he has an offer which may be too good to refuse. A restaurant conglomerate is buying up mom and pop places in the area and is pressuring him to rethink so much about his past and his future.

Ethan Joella takes great care with this, his third novel, and does not disappoint. The slow, character driven story is in the “still waters run deep” category of family dramas I have loved over the years. We get a clear glimpse of life on the other side of the hostess stand. Summer visitors who are in rest and relaxation mode are in direct contrast to Jack’s view of his responsibility to his customers, his staff and his family. Opening the chapters with little excerpts from the Rehobeth Beach Guidebook, gives readers the varnished version of the Delaware beach town. What lies beneath that surface is explored in the heart of the story.

The beauty of Joella’s writing is how he creates tension by exploring the concept that there is more than meets the eye to outwardly simple characters; he masterfully shows us rather than tells us how their past informs decisions both simple and complex. These characters feel so real and I cared deeply for each of them in different ways.

A perfect and thoughtful beach read, this will definitely appeal to those who loved Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close and Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal.

Many thanks to Scribner Books and Net Galley for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

Jack has lived on Rehoboth Beach his entire life, and most of it has been spent running his family’s diner. With an offer to have the diner purchased for a large sum by a restaurant group, he’s struggling to decide what his life would even look like without the safety and routine of his job and the family he has created of its employees. Now in the sunset of his life, he’s watching others pass away and wondering if there’s still time to do more.

This was my first book by this author, and I didn’t realize it would be so character driven. I kept hoping for more of a plot, but it all revolved around Jack and the people in his orbit. I didn’t find myself connecting with most of the characters, though, so unfortunately this story didn’t work for me as well as it has for others. I have found I need a positive story arc!

It sounds like this book is a hit for previous Joella fans, so check it out if you like his other novels! It had lots of beachy vibes going into the 4th of July weekend.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner Books for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Rehoboth Beach is a town where the sun is always bolder, a place that carries the memories of a busy and fun summer all year long. “
—That’s Rehoboth Beach: A Guidebook

I’ve been really looking forward to this book after reading and loving A Quiet Life last year. It was one of my top reads of the year. This book has a different feel to it. It’s pensive and reflective. A slower, character-driven book.

It goes back and forth between the present day and flashbacks from the past. Jack is at a point in his life where he’s trying to decide whether to sell the restaurant he’s put his heart and soul into for years. He’s grappling with memories, relationships and how he can help the people he cares about.

Things I enjoyed |
•Rehoboth Beach setting
•Characters
•Found family

In his signature style, Joella reminds you of what matters most in life. The people you find along the way in life who become family, and the little moments that bring joy. I’m a big fan of his work, and he’s the nicest person you can know. I’d definitely love to take a trip to Rehoboth Beach sometime!

A special thanks to the publisher, Scribner and NetGalley, for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

CW | Strong profanity throughout

Schmidt’s Restaurant has been a staple in a resort town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Jack Schmidt is the third generation to own and manage his family run business, but he is tired of the long hours, never taking time off, and a string of failed relationships. He is entertaining an offer by a large corporation that would let home retire.

As with Joella’s, “A Quiet Life”, this is a quiet and thoughtful examination of one’s life and the things that are most important. The characters are well developed and the story line, while a slower pace, moves forward steadily. Themes of grief and forgiveness, love and family are woven throughout. I appreciate the middle age viewpoint, and the examination of work life balance in particular as I have been examining some of the same concepts. I loved the small town sense of place that Joella develops of his home town, it is now on my vacation list!

I absolutely enjoyed The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella. I have read (and loved) both of his previous books, and his latest novel did not disappoint.

In his previous books, Joella used multiple points of view to tell his story, but in TSBS, the main character Jack Schmidt carried the story. Joella's characters are well developed, and the dilemmas they face seem genuine and real. This story is set in Rehoboth Beach, DE and after reading this novel, I feel like I've visited there. Many times authors can be overly descriptive and wordy, but Joella does a nice job of easily sharing the setting with the reader.

I would consider Ethan Joella to be an auto-buy author for me. Highly recommend if you're looking for an easy read this fall. (To me, this feels like a seasonal book!!) This book is out July 2nd.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third Joella story. As with his previous works, I enjoyed the characters in this one. Jack is a character the reader can’t help but empathize with. As the story unfolds we learn of the weight Jack bears and the losses he has witnessed. A story of relationships, found family and finding what is really important in life. I enjoyed this one, though I felt it was a bit slow and a little disjointed in its telling.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5 stars

Full of heartache and hope. Life can be so painful but we don’t have to walk it alone. The importance of the people around us and the small moments of joy. Finding light through darkness. This feels real and raw. No complete happily ever after but always hope for peace and finding love again.

It’s refreshing to have stories that center on characters that are in their 50s as they transition to another part of life.

I was SO excited to receive an advanced copy of Ethan Joella’s latest novel, The Same Bright Stars. It’s been one of my most anticipated books of the summer and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

Opening this book up I immediately knew it was for me. The epigraph at the beginning is a quote from The Amateur Marriage, a recent favorite by Ann Tyler…and the same quote that I used in my review last month.

The Same Bright Stars is a bit of a departure from Joellla’s earlier works….but as with A Quiet Life and A Little Hope, I was hooked almost immediately. His other books follow several different characters and different points of view. In this book we mostly follow Jack, the owner of Schmidt’s restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The DelDine Group has been hounding him to sell, and his heart is torn - while he would love to focus on something other than the restaurant, Schmidt’s has been a staple at the shore for three generations.

Reading this book made me think of the Jersey shore, where I’ve spent a lot of time with my family over the years…I loved learning about the running of the local restaurant, and what’s it’s like in the off-season. It made me think of our favorite family run restaurants there and how sad we’d be if they were sold to chains. I loved the characters - in all of his novels I feel like the characters are people I would be friends with if they were real. And I loved how the book is about KINDNESS, and forgiveness, and found family.

Just an overall stunner of a book, put it on your summer TBR! The Same Bright Stars publishes on July 2nd.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.