Ethan Joella breaks me in the best possible way with his writing. The characters in his books always feel like people I could run into on the street somewhere and I want the very best for them. In THE SAME BRIGHT STARS, Jack is a 50 something who is on the edge of total burnout. The third generation owner of his family restaurant (Schmidt's), he is lonely and thinking about finally selling it to the corporation taking over family businesses in Delaware. As he struggles with various forms of grief for himself and the people around him, he finds a secret from his college days that turns his life upside down.

I adored the way these characters rallied around each other in various crises over the time of the story. The Rehoboth Beach Guide excerpts along the way made the setting so real, and I found a beautiful quote about friendship as Jack's childhood friend told him, "My phone is in my hand." The silent support in that statement (that was then followed through) was such a microcosm of their years of being there for each other.

Although there is a plot going on, the characters are why I will return to this book again in the future and why Ethan Joella is an auto-buy author for me.

Jack Schmidt, now in his mid 50s, is selling the beach restaurant that he inherited from his deceased dad. He has never married, or had a family to support or enjoy, so the restaurant has been his life, forever, it seems. He learns about a secret from an old flame, and reflects on what could have been. He wonders what he will do after the sale of the restaurant.

This story moves slowly - I almost abandoned it a few times. It's sad. I think it could have been edited down quite a bit. I found myself skimming some. But, the ending is quite satisfying, so I was glad I stayed with it.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Same Bright Stars.

I tried reading this book twice. The characters were dry and a little boring. I stopped reading after a few chapters. DNF.


****************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.****************

This is my second book by this author, and I can't wait to read more. The stories are like a little slice of life. The locations become a character. And the characters are so real and relatable. It's like sitting down with a good friend you haven't talked to in ages and asking "So, tell me what's been going on." This author touches on ALL the things, the happiness, the melancholy, the regrets, the internal struggles, just relating to other people we come across in our lives. There is no great big plots or twists or angst...it's just life. I'm happily adding Ethan Joella to my "Oh look, another book has come out. Must. Read."

A stunning take on grief, friendship and expectation True slice of life Joella transports the reader into the characters life and compels you to keep reading

Emotional, uplifting, thought provoking and hopeful. The message of this story is one that won’t be soon forgotten. Like all of Joella’s stories, this one stays with the reader long after the last page.

I really enjoyed this story; a bit sweet and somber. I liked following the character Jack and the hard choices he had to make for himself as an older adult. I like how the chapters went back in time every so often to give more detail to the present day.
I have read all of the authors books and they are wonderful.

Ethan Joella has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Jack is a confirmed bachelor at 52 mostly because he is just so darn busy with his restaurant. He feels like life has passed him by. His family is all gone, his few good friends wish that he would relax more, and his employees--well, he feels a responsibility to them. One day he will retire--he has even bought a beach chair to sit in, one day. Jack grew up at the family restaurant that initially was his grandmothers, then his dads. As a kid he was always there, visiting with the employees, doing his homework, working. All of a sudden Jack's life turns upside down: an old girlfriend comes to town, an employee is stealing from him, his married best friend has a great wife, life and new baby, his past comes back to reveal a BIG secret, and he is offered a buy-out on his restaurant. This book is well written with interesting people and a good storyline. I received a complimentary digital ARC from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Digital Sales. This review is entirely my own.

3.5 stars

Jack is sort of wandering through a strange time in his life... Running the restaurant that his father and his parents before him captained, he is flirting with the idea of selling. DelDine Has been buying up restaurants in the area and they have their eyes on his next. He just feels like he has nothing to show for his marriage to his restaurant. It has always come first...

This is basically a slice of life story with some scattered history here and there. A relationship that he never got over has produced some secrets and Jack feels like there is no better time than now to explore what life he could have had.

I enjoyed this. I liked the characters, I liked the story. The writing flowed well... but there was something more I expected to get out of this. Answers aren't really supplied for all of the questions I was left with.

Some novels are difficult to rate because you know they’re really good, just not necessarily good for you. Unfortunately, this is the case with The Same Bright Stars. I had read so many good reviews and I wanted to love this book so much. The story seemed interesting enough. A family heritage in a restaurant, troubled employees, lost loves, and big dreams lost with age - what’s not to like? I just couldn’t stay interested. I found myself drifting off while reading and kind of moseyed through each chapter. I’ve also had this experience trying to read Ethan Joella’s previous novels, so I should have known better. I think his writing style just might not be for me.

I’m still going to give this one 3.5 rounded to 4 because I think the story was strong, and even though the writing didn’t mesh with me, it was still very good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Wow. I truly enjoyed this book. It's got an amazing group of characters and a setting at the beach, in the world of restaurants but also focuses on family - both the one you are born into, and the one you make. It was a true joy to read this novel.

This book was a rare occasion where we jump into the middle of the story but we connect with the characters and the background along the way, so nothing feels lost or left out. It was a beautiful and meaningful story about Jack, his restaurant, his past and his people. It was emotional and covered some hard topics but had light and love woven in every page.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

𝓐𝓼 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓼 𝔀𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮’𝓼 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓪 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮.

✂️ P L O T L I N E
Jack is a local restaurant owner in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. He is at a cross roads in his life and can’t decide if he is ready to sell Schmidt’s restaurant which has been in his family for generations. The business has become too much for him to handle, but is he really ready to let go of the thing that defines him?

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
When you open a book by Ethan Joella, you know that he is going to take you on an amazing journey. His writing comes directly from the heart and feels like the biggest treat to be exposed to it. He could write about the weather for 300 pages and I’m sure it would still be the most beautiful storytelling ever. This book is no exception. I fell in love with Jack and the entire cast of characters. They seem like your ordinary friends, family, and neighbors. You root for them and you see your own life in theirs. The Same Bright Stars is such a beautifully touching story that reminds us of the simplicity’s in life and that having and giving love is what matters the most.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💫Family drama🎭
💫Chosen family🏠
💫Flawed but lovable characters💕
💫Emotional and reflective reads😢
💫Beautiful storytelling🗣️
💫Love and loss💔
💫Character driven👫🏻
💫Restaurant life👨🏻‍🍳
💫Small town vibes🏝️
💫Short chapters📚

⚠️ 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: Loss of loved ones, Alzheimer’s, mention of suicide and abortion.

🌟𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🌟
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

💕Q U O T E: “𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓃𝒶𝓉𝓊𝓇𝒶𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔. 𝒲𝑒’𝒹 𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅 𝒹𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝓊𝓈 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓂𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓃𝑒𝓌.”

🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Scribner Books, and Ethan Joella for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

A nice light escape and a good beach. read. Nicely written. Good luck with the book and thanks for the opportunity to read.

Thank you for this ARC. I liked the sound of the story, but it did not draw me in. I actually stopped reading after a few chapters because I was having trouble keeping the characters straight. No one stood out to me. I do enjoy a beach setting and restaurant story, so maybe I will try it again in the future.

I love the way this author writes about being human in today’s world. Jack’s story is full of emotion and kindness. It is also full of him, looking back on his life’s journey so far and contemplating the choices he made as well as the choices others made that affected him. I enjoyed how his family restaurant was a character in and of itself in the book, and also the partial mystery of what was going to actually happen to the restaurant and whether or not, Jack was going to be able to ever relax enjoy retirement. The interspersed chapters about his relationship with his mother, and how she died at a young age, added to the richness and depth of Jack’s story.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book I have read from this author and I swear his books feel like coming home. This book is so resonant about the human experience and creates such a tapestry of relationships while developing amazing characters. The premise of this book was definitely something different and I loved the little excerpts of the beach guide. I felt that it added a little something different. After reading this book, the cover couldn't have been more perfect. Thanks for the amazing read, NetGalley. This author is a force.

Love. I have loved all of Ethan Joella’s books. He has a way of making stories that feel like everyday life but magical. I loved being transported to this little Delaware town. Thank you for the chance to read this wonderful book early.

That feeling when an author whose two previous books have been on your best-of lists writes a new book that surpasses them all. Thank you, Ethan Joella, for leaving me smiling, sniffling, and utterly in awe about how easily your stories pull me in.

Schmidt’s restaurant has been a fixture in Rehoboth Beach for three generations now. Jack Schmidt has been at the helm for years, running the place his grandmother and father devoted their lives to. And Jack has done the same—put the restaurant and its staff above everything else in his life, including relationships, travel, even simple relaxation.

The DelDine group has been purchasing family-owned and small restaurants all over Delaware, and they’ve cast their sights on Schmidt’s. Jack has absolutely no intention of selling his family’s legacy, but the more tired he gets, the more he wonders if maybe he deserves to put himself first for once.

As he ponders the decision, he thinks about the paths he could have taken, the chances he passed up, and the regrets he has. He worries about his employees and whether DelDine will honor their promise to take care of them if he sells. And when he learns of a secret hidden from him for years, he wonders if this is the sign he needs to act.

The richness of this story, the depth of the characters, the emotions and images it evokes, all blew me away. This is a gorgeous story about family, friendship, love, loyalty, regret, hope, and possibility. I will never get enough of how well Joella tells a story.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Scribner Books, and Ethan for the advance copy! The book will publish 7/2.

This is just a perfect beach or anytime read and I know everyone will come away feeling refreshed.
The Same Bright Stars tells a beautiful story that takes place on the shores of Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.It's about family, friendship, and learning how to take one day at a time.
Not an easy lesson for anyone, especially a middle aged diner owner named Jack Schmidt, who has worked every day since he was very young.
The wonderful characters in this novel could be friends and the town details and descriptions throughout the pages makes me need to visit and walk the beach here.

Thank you to @Netgalley and to @Scribner for this ARC and allowing me to provide my own review. Loved it!