Ethan Joella has become a must buy author for me. A Little Hope & A Quiet Life were excellent, so I was so excited to receive a review copy of this via NetGalley, but will be purchasing this for my shelves!

Perhaps I’m a bit biased, as the setting for this novel is Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, a place I spent many childhood and early adulthood days. This book is about Jack, a local restaurant owner who is in his 50s and getting tired, but also feels so tied to the restaurant (as it has been in the family for years) so is hesitant to let it go. An offer comes to purchase Schmidt’s, and Jack has to decide whether to take the deal.

Woven into the story are lovely scenes of the small beach town, and some intensely emotional moments, as Jack and his best friend deal with grief, loss, relationship struggles, mental health, and a blast from Jack’s past makes him re-think everything. This book had me sobbing, laughing out loud, and everything in between. This was an absolute pleasure to read - I didn’t want to put it down, and I think it would be a great re-read each summer. 🏖️✨

This book was like comfort food to read. Loved the story. Jack the restaurateur was such a fair, nice man. It was refreshing that the most all of the characters were caring and thoughtful of others. Not to say there wasn’t some drama. Really beautiful story. Ending was perfect. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this wonderful book.

Jack has a restaurant which has been in his family for generations. His restaurant is his life. He wants more but at what cost? A big time restaurateur group wants his place, but can he sell it and feel good about what he does? Family and friends…secrets…red herrings…what is the right path for Jack? His past comes to the present…this talented author has written a page turner. Even the title is intriguing. I liked the letter writing…insight to the souls of loved ones… Thanks Netgalley.

What a special book. I laughed, I cried, and I loved. The Same Bright Stars was such a beautiful, tender, and subtle book. I wanted to reach into these pages and give all these characters hugs. Joella eases us into the story but there honestly was no dull moment in this entire book. Every chapter and plot point was an absolute explosion of feels and quiet reflection. The character development of Jack and his social circle was impeccably written and so interesting. This cast of characters began to feel like family. Everything was fleshed out so well and is an impressive feat considering the short page count. I also don’t think I’ll ever emotionally recover from Chapter 55.

I have been sleeping on Joella! Excited to read his other two books. I can’t recommend this book enough to readers who love contemporary literary fiction and small books that pack a punch.

Also a love letter to Joella’s small town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, which is apparently a real place. I completely thought this was a fictional place! Such a cool component.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of Ethan Joelle’s “Bright Stars” Scribner Hardcover will publish Joelle’s latest book July 2, 2024.

“Bright Stars is set in a beachside town in Delaware, where three generations of Schmidt’s have run a local restaurant. Jack the third generation wants to get out, has an offer to sell, but what will he do? An old flame comes back in town to mess with Jack’s mind even more. A romance that was broken but never forgotten.

Kitty shares with Jack a decades old revelation that sets Jack on his heels and questioning his life. Jack makes some mistakes with his relationships but forgiveness is always present, whether a coworker, friend or former lover. This book allows us to view Jack as he continues to grow as a middle aged man, surrounded by no family members, only the friends he loves.

I enjoyed the descriptive narrative of living on the shore in these beach towns, since I have never had the opportunity to visit. The short descriptions were interspersed between chapters.

I just love reading authors who get better with each book they write, and this author does that! This was a lovely story about a man at crossroads. A good man. A kind man. Loved it

I love when the setting is like another character in the book and Joella’s Rehoboth Beach was just that. I could smell the air and feel the energy change when tourist season ended and things in town calmed down. (My family has a place that reminded me so much of the setting - the local restaurant closes down for a few months every year just like in the book). I also loved reading about the life of a restaurant owner. My childhood was spent eating food from the restaurant my parents owned. Jack, the owner of the restaurant, was spot on. Restaurants are unforgiving and relentless and full of community and life and so much work. This book has something for everyone including characters that you will feel like you’ve always known. Joella has a gift for writing characters that feel like well-loved jeans. At times, I felt the plot turns were forced and too plentiful however the character development was so lovely so I jumped aboard. Go read this one.

Ethan Joella has done it again. He really hit it out of the park with this one! He has a way with words, and the character development was phenomenal. Such a beautiful story about love, life, family, and friends. I will continue to read everything Ethan Joella writes.

Ethan Joella writes so beautifully it’s a delight to read his warm heartfelt novels.A restaurant as the center piece of this novel characters that come alive a story that kept me turning the pages totally drawn in.I will be recommending this wonderful read.#netgalley #scribner.

“As long as we’re under the same stars, my dad used to say, there’s still a chance.”

I have and will continue to read everything Ethan Joella writes. He is such a master of portraying the lives of regular, every day people in small town America. In The Same Bright Stars, you come to care deeply for the average Joe (or Jack as the case may be), living his normal life as the proprietor of a restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, DE, while trying to ignore the pressures from a large conglomerate who wants to buy up his business. This is a story of lost family and found family, it’s a love letter to Joella’s hometown, and it is a story that will make you want to visit Rehoboth Beach to see if you can run into Jack, Deacon, Genevieve, and all the other characters you will fall in love with along the way.

My only caveat for sensitive readers is that there is a fair amount of strong language.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Read if you like:
Found family
Short chapters
Small town America

Thank you Scribner for a digital ARC through NetGalley.

SAME BRIGHT STARS is most certainly Ethan Joella’s best writing to date. It is a beautifully written story of the blending of characters and how the smallest of intersections in our lives can have a huge impact on our future.

The story begins following Jack Schmidt as he determines whether or not he’s ready to sell the small Rehoboth Beach restaurant his family has owned for 3 generations. He’s tired and while he loves the staff and the relationships he’s built with them, he contemplates what’s left of his future and whether or not to see out to a conglomerate (as is the question for many small beach town businesses.

The timeline spans decades, secrets, found family and a glimpse into seaside town life.

I loved the glimpses into the Rehoboth Beach tourist guide, and how these characters seemed to spark that guide to life. My family loves Rehoboth, so this was especially meaningful as read!

There are mentions of death, suicide, abortion, drug use, Alzheimer’s, so please reach out if you have questions.

The relationships, flawed characters, and the found family connections that rise from the pain is real and beautifully written. I loved it and highly recommend you read it!

Ethan Joella has a way of highlighting what makes us human. The missteps. The messiness. The beauty of coming together. THE SAME BRIGHT STARS wrapped me up like a warm hug.

We meet Jack Schmidt in the middle of his lackluster life running Schmidts, a restaurant that has been in his family for generations. While the off-season in Rehoboth beach is devoid of tourists, it sees it has its fair share of tension with the locals. Jack has loved and lost and wonders if it is time to sell Schmidts to a big corporation in search of more meaning and adventure.

As with his previous novels, Joella’s themes of finding hope through connection sparked a glimmer of joy in the midst of dreary days. With memorable characters and found family that will buoy your spirit, THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is not to be missed.

READ THIS IF YOU:
•adore the found family trope
•love the nostalgia of a mom & pop restaurant
•appreciate melancholy with a heaping side of hope

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
PUB DATE: July 2, 2024

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC via Netgalley.

This is a perfect summer/beach/pool read with a heartwarming and feel good story.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199797895

Ethan Joella is such a star writer and his other books were amazing. This book did not disappoint!
Jack Schmidt owns and runs a restaurant along the beach. It is in his blood, since he is the third generation of Schmidts to be running it - since his family opened it many years ago. It is who he is and what he has done since his father died years ago. And, while it defines him and he loves it, it has taken over who he is and what he does. He leaves a trail of broken relationships and lost opportunities, but he has always chosen to leave the legacy of the restaurant. But, now, he wonders if he needs to begin to focus on himself and the love that he desires.
DelDine, a group that is buying up restaurants along the coast and “mainstreaming” them. While the locals are seeing the mom and pop stores and restaurants disappearing - Jack takes a moment to wonder if it might be for the best. Would giving up the restaurant open up more opportunities for living his life than he is able to have now? Will he finally get to use the blue beach chair he bought years ago to sit and enjoy the beach that sit right outside of the restaurant door?
This is the story of someone trying to reassess what might be most important in a life. And someone who will have to take a leap of faith to find out.
Ethan Joella, again, assembles an amazing set of characters and each one is going to wrench their ways into your heart, even some you might be reluctant to let in. He somehow makes the reader feel a percentage of the hope and idealism and love that the characters feel within the tale. This is a gem and you MUST read it. That was The Same Bright Stars. It is the most recent of Ethan Joella’s books.
The Same Bright Stars comes out in July - so get on your library list or put in your pre-order! But, until then, if you haven’t already, read his first two STAT.

This is such a special book. Ethan has a gift for writing about salt of the earth people, living ordinary lives but with extraordinary impact. While, yes, this book is about a restaurant in Delaware and the restaurant owner, it’s about so much more. It’s about being a decent human, about our connections, about disappointments and commitments, hope and grief and of course a story of love for Rehoboth Beach.

I had to message Ethan from the plane where I was reading and sobbing over a passage between the main character, Jack, and his mom. While our details might be different, he captured exactly what I felt when I was losing my mom. It’s a talented author that can take a unique situation but have it be so very relatable for his readers. Ethan is a master at highlighting the beauty (and pain) in our shared experiences.

Ethan Joella's books are like a warm, tight hug without being too sappy. This is such a great book--and it living up to the hype. I will recommend it to everyone when it comes out.

Joella is clearly an author that captivates your interest and keeps you turning the pages. Centered around a restaurant, we quickly fall in love the characters and plot.

I like when a book has past secrets and this one does! I also like when the main character is someone you cheer for and I did! The story of Jack and him selling the restaurant he owned for many years. The people that work there, Evie, Vivian, Sam and Genevieve. Plus Jack's longtime friend, Deacon.

Told in 2 parts, this book is about Jack, his decisions, and his past experiences. He pushes people away such as Kitty, his ex girlfriend, as they try and get back together. He regretted Kitty leaving and he wants to tell her that, as her sweet mother is dying.

During the summer, the town buzzes with people walking the streets and setting up chairs on the beach But in the fall and winter, it is just as fun to visit for events like the film festival or Halloween parade. That's Rehoboth Beach: A Guidebook.

Toward the end of the book, it is discovered what happened between Jack and Alexis many years ago. Alexis didn't mean for it to go on this long. She wishes they could all know that, especially J. and P. Flying home, the secret seemed too big to talk about, and she didn't know what to do.

A Sweet Story, Gem of a Character, and Uplifting!
3.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 7/2/24.

Ethan Joella books are the easiest five stars I ever give out. They feel like a warm hug. They feel like a summer day, where anything feels possible. They feel like “oh no I need to cry and this will do it.” I feel every single emotion reading his books. His latest is no different.

It follows Jack, a restaurant owner who is single with no children. His life is his restaurant. His employees are his family. His best friend Deacon (my god I want a friend like him) is always there to help pick him up. He is thinking about retiring and selling his restaurant.

Jack was an incredible character. I highlighted so many of his passages. But I can relate… I too am always expecting to be let down. That was a gut check.

This book is told mostly in the present, with glimpses of the past and a few letters here and there. This book doesn’t necessarily weave multiple stories together like his prior books do, but it packed that emotional punch I needed. I found myself blinking back tears multiple times while reading, but I let those tears fall for the last 20% or so of the book.

Truthfully, I’ve been feeling a little burnt out from reading. I chose to pick up Ethan’s book tonight because I knew without a doubt it would give me the spark to read. Absolutely, 100%, one of the best books I’ve read so far this month.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this novel by Ethan Joella. The characters were so real and so relatable, and I could easily imagine myself in this story from the first few pages. I was rooting for Jack, for sure, and his story didn’t disappoint. This was my first 5-star read of 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.