Atmospherically set in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, it made you feel like you were strolling the boardwalk and meeting up with characters who felt real. The novel is character-driven and told through the third person POV of Jack, who has spent every day of his life entirely devoted to running his family's restaurant and has put it above all else. In his 50s, he never takes a day off, has no hobbies, a string of failed relationships, and no time for himself. But now, he finds himself at a crossroads. A huge corporation has offered to buy the restaurant, and Jack is considering their offer as he would like more out of life, but he has concerns about his beloved staff and family's legacy.

I appreciated the honesty in the depiction of Jack's life and the characters around him. Things were not wrapped up in a tidy bow but presented in all of life's complicated, unexpected, messy beauty. This story was quiet but moving. I was riveted and rooting for Jack in his moments of heartbreak and hope. He was such a well-developed and relatable character. I also really loved Lara and Nicole, and they ended up surprising me. Self-discovery, family dynamics, love, grief, friendship, found family and second chances are just a few of the things touched on in this book. This was my first book by Joella, but it will not be my last. I loved his touching storytelling and the depth of his leap-off-the-page characters. This was the book I didn't know I needed right now, and one I continue to think about even days after finishing.

Thank you to Scribner Books and Netgalley for the free book!

⛱️ This would be the absolute perfect book to throw in your beach bag this summer— especially if you’re looking for something that’s less romance, and more literary.

⛱️ Ya’ know what will ALWAYS get me in the feels? Books about the passage of time, about getting older and reflecting back on your joys and regrets— wondering if you made the right choices and working to be happy with how it all turned out. This book doesn’t just tackle personal change, but dives into how cities progress and evolve as well. The beach cities of our childhoods won’t stay the same forever— and that chance can be tough to swallow.

⛱️ Ethan Joella writes such rich characters and deep emotions. And this book is no exception! I don’t know how he always packs so much, into such little packages.

⛱️ Beyond being a character-driven, literary beach novel, this book reads as a love letter to Rehoboth Beach, DE. I wanted to go there before, and I REALLY want to go there now! Joella even included snippets from a guide to Rehoboth with passages like this one: “Not to experience Rehoboth Beach in summer is to be robbed of something pure and real. What are you waiting for?”

The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella is an emotional, heartwarming story.
The characters were so relatable and the pacing was perfection; I could not put it down.
Empathic storytelling, a good character-driven novel.
Warm, compassionate and deeply moving

Thank You NetGalley and Scribner for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Another lovely story from Ethan Joella. I just love his storytelling. He makes you feel as if you’re living life alongside his characters. When I read his books I forget that I’m not reading about real people because everything feels so authentic.

The Same Bright Stars is a character-driven story about family - both real and found, love, friendship, grief, beginnings, and endings. There are moments of laughter, anger, frustration, doubt, and tears. I appreciate that not all storylines ended with a “happily ever after” because that’s life.

After reading The Same Bright Stars, I want to visit Rehoboth Beach. I’ll be looking for Jack and Schmidt’s (and Ethan!) around every corner.

Same Bright Stars was a mixed bag for me.

I loved the Rehoboth, Delaware setting. Very few books are set in Delaware, and I'm perpetually reading across the US states, so I loved this aspect of the book. It's perfect if you like to explore a sense of place with your reading.

Same Bright Stars masterfully portrays the challenges and emotions involved in owning and running a family restaurant. If you're drawn to novels with restaurant settings and themes, this book is sure to captivate you.

What didn't work for me was irregular pacing and extraneous tangents. The story would advance for a while and then get sidetracked by a subtheme. For example, the main character and another man offer to babysit a young baby so his parents can have a night out. OK. But there were paragraphs and pages devoted to taking care of this baby - all the details, none of which were essential to the story, and none of which was particularly interesting. I think the author was trying to portray the everyday events as part of the character study, but the content didn't help progress the plot and was otherwise not a literary gem.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.

Jack is the third generation running Schmidt’s restaurant on Rehoboth beach and he is burnt out, he’s lost relationships and has put the restaurant above all else for all of his adult life. Now in his 50s he’s ready to sell to a restaurant conglomerate so he can experience what he has been missing while everyone else has been living their lives around him. Told in flashbacks we as readers learn about Jack’s life, his family and the friends that have become his family over the years.

This is a novel about family both biological and found, longing and grief but when the hard topics are dealt with, the way Joella tackles them you don’t feel a sense of sadness while reading, because there is always optimism and hope as a base. He makes you care about the characters and you can sense their inherent goodness. I enjoyed seeing where Jack’s and the other characters’ story were going to go and even though I knew everything wasn’t going to be tied up in a bow at the end, it was ok, it was real. I truly enjoyed reading the novel and spending time with these characters (even the few that I didn’t like). I still have to read A Little Hope (it’s on my shelf) and I really look forward to reading it on the beach this summer because it’s my last Joella novel until he writes another.

4.25

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC

The Same Bright Stars was the first book I have read by Ethan Joella. I really enjoyed this book and his writing style. The book is very character driven between family, friends and employees. I loved the small town ocean side summer restaurant and town setting. The story of Jack's life and how the restaurant impacted him and his family before him was beautifully written. This book really showed the impact of running a business and how your employees really can be like your family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced copy of The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella for an honest review.

I have enjoyed Ethan Joella’s previous novels and was excited to be able to read his latest. The Same Bright Stars is a master class on character development as we are given such insight into Jack Schmidt, a 50-something year old man, trying to determine to continue running his family restaurant or to sell to a conglomerate. The novel is also a love letter to Rehobeth Beach, Delaware.

If you enjoy character driven novels, this book is for you. The author’s strength is in presenting ordinary people in a way that makes the reader feel as if they truly know them and then become invested in their lives. Ethan Joella will always be a must read author for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Scribner for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Ethan Joella books are always full of heart and this was no exception. I loved the setting and characters and found it to be a perfect summer read full of heartwarming moments.

Ethan Joella returns following A Quiet Life (5 stars) with his latest emotionally resonating and reflective literary fiction, THE SAME BRIGHT STARS —set in a Delaware beach small town, a local restaurant owner at a turning point in his life with some life-altering decisions to unravel.

About...

Set in the resort town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Jack Schmidt, age 52, is a successful beachfront restaurant owner. He owns a three-generation family-owned company and has dedicated his life to the restaurant, employees, and community. However, he has neglected his personal life, family, and friends for work.

As he ages, he reflects on his life, realizing that he can't even recall the last time he took a moment for himself on the beach. His journey of self-discovery and longing for a simpler life will surely resonate with many readers.

When the larger DelDine group approaches him with an offer to take Schmidts off his hands, he has some decisions to make. But what would he be without the restaurant that has defined his life?

Can he trust this larger company to continue the legacy, honor his family's name, and take care of his employees?

He has money in the bank, and a business does not guarantee happiness. This is all he has known since his mother died when he was twelve. He has never had a family of his own.

When he receives some news from his past, he must decide if he is ready to let go of the things that have defined him his entire life. This internal struggle with his identity and the potential for a new beginning will keep readers hooked.

My thoughts...

Perceptive, heartfelt, and enlightening. There is always a little magic, heart, wisdom, and soul-searching, within the pages of Ethan Joella's novels.

Ethan Joella is a master storyteller, and THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is a testament to his skill. His introspective, reflective look at life in a small town and a man at a crossroads—a thought-provoking story of community, family, grief, legacy, and perseverance that readers will surely appreciate.

This heartwarming story is about community, relationships, family, and family, not blood-related, friends, and the unexpected ways those around us can transform us.

The author has a signature style and understands the human connections with his insightful well-developed characters who come alive on the page. From life's messiness, complexities, and struggles we learn from experiences to make us stronger to live the best life we can. After all, we only have one life, and we need to live it to the fullest. A beautiful, poignant life-affirming, and hopeful novel. I loved the letters and the Rehoboth Beach Guidebook.

THE SAME BRIGHT STARS is an emotional, resonant story about the power of human connection, time, death, grief, reflection, hope, forgiveness, community, and what it takes to live life without regrets.

Recs...

I highly recommend this author's books and writings. For Joella fans and those who enjoy books by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Elizabeth Berg, Fredrik Backman, Susan Fletcher, Suzanne Redfearn, and Gillian Jackson.

Thanks to Scribner for an advanced digital reading copy via NetGalley for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5)
Pub Date: July 2, 2024
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I absolutely loved this book. I’ve always loved Ethan Joella’s way of storytelling. He writes such emotional and heartwarming books. I will always recommend them to people and hope they experience the same comfort as I do after finishing each of his stories.

Ethan Joella really has a knack for portraying real life people in real life situations. This story follows Jack, who inherited his family restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. After many years, he wants to retire after receiving a generous offer to sell. However, the decision isn’t easy and there are many moving parts.

I appreciate reading novels about salt of the earth people and Jack was that. I rooted for him and agonized with him throughout. There are some surprises along the way that only amplified this quiet story. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Another job well done once again by Joella!

P.S. This story really made me want to visit Rehoboth Beach…it sounds like a dream!

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

Joella consistently writes characters that draw you in and makes you care for them immensely. This is one you can savor or read in one sitting. The northeast beach scene is a place to slowly stroll, which is the pace I took as I got to know the cast. I adored the excerpts from “That’s Rehoboth Beach: A Guidebook,” which added a layer to the story.

This was a great book which was character driven and emotional that makes you love the town and it’s people. You fall in love with his characters and sense of place like Jan Karon’s books do . This book will stay with you.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

Emotionally driven and thought provoking with a close knit community surrounding Jack Schmidt and his lifetime of dedicating his time in his family owned restaurant. As he closes another chapter in his life in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a company offers to buy his business. With mixed feelings and memories surfacing from his past, he has second thoughts of the sale. Unsure of what his life will be without his work, he also worries about the employees who work for him and how it might impact their life. As he focuses on the importance of his decisions, he looks at the regrets of his life.
The story is written in the past and present with no denial of a perfect ending.
If you loved A Quiet Life, this one brings the emotions and real life depictions and how our decisions impact someone else's life. I love this author's style! Highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Schmidt's Restaurant, has been in Jack's family for three generations, For Jack, it's like a second family. And, it's been his whole life. However, he and the restaurant are now at a critical juncture. Just when Jack is ready to sell the restaurant and retire, his world is upended by an ex-girlfriend, a new love interest, and startling news from his past. The book’s character development is exceptional, making the people feel authentic, with genuine lives and real challenges. It’s a touching story about family, both biological and chosen, friendship, life, death, second chances, and the significance of meaningful connections. I found it thoroughly enjoyable!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy.

THE SAME BRIGHT STARS was a beautiful heartfelt story, I liked the pacing, characters and that it was set in a small town. I won't forget this book anytime soon. I'll be checking out the author's previous titles.


Many thanks to NetGalley and Scriber for my gifted copy!!

In a Nutshell: If you know Ethan Joella’s writing, you know what to expect from this. A character-oriented literary fiction with multiple emotional hues. Focusses on the interplay of relationships across family, friends, and employees. Well-written plot, balanced emotions, excellent character sketches. Recommended!

Plot Preview:
Fifty-two-year-old Jack Schmidt has been taking care of the family restaurant since his college years. And now he is tired. He has always put the restaurant first in his life, even at the cost of relationships and friendships. With no family around, he wonders if he should have done things differently.
When the DelDine corporation approaches Jack with a takeover offer, his initial reluctance slowly gives way to consideration. But what is Jack without Schmidt’s? Can he trust a corporation to take care of his family’s legacy and his staff the way he did?
The story comes to us from Jack’s third person perspective over two timelines.

Bookish Yays:
🌞 Jack is a deserving protagonist. His care and concern for his employees is as evident as his confusion over his decision and his regret at some past incidents. Despite this, Jack is carved realistically, with flaws also a part of his character development.
🌞 The other characters, whether major or minor, are also layered. Some of them are typical while other are more unusual, but most make an impact.
🌞 It might seem like Jack has reached the point of a midlife crisis, when people begin pondering the what ifs and if onlys. But the story is much more than that. I like how the character-focussed narrative still paid attention to the plot.
🌞 The two timelines work together in harmony, effectively depicting how the actions of the past can have repercussions on the present. For a change, I liked the contemporary timeline more than the past one, as it had much more to offer.
🌞 The third-person writing works excellently in this novel. It's surprising to see how much we understand the characters even though we get only Jack's third-person view of their behaviour.
🌞 The challenge of running a family/independent business in today's world where commercialisation and standardisation are the norm comes out well.
🌞 The setting of Rehoboth Beach is perfect for this story. There are interludes after every few chapters from “Rehoboth Beach: A Guidebook’, which give us a perspective on the location. I kept thinking about how well the author seemed to have captured the pulse of Rehoboth Beach. Turns out, he stays there with his family! No wonder the writing feels so personal and genuine!
🌞 As a character-oriented literary fiction, the pacing is obviously on the slower side, but it doesn’t slacken anytime.
🌞 This is a gentle, melancholic kind of read that is mostly introspective but offers moments of light-heartedness. Rarely do stories with male protagonists have such realistic exploration of diverse emotions. More importantly, few male writers can capture feelings so well. I love the overall emotional tone of this story.
🌞 The ending is perfect. I love how the author doesn’t forcibly try to fit in shiny rainbows into every characters’ lives. The ending is just as the plot deserves: hopeful.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌤️ There are many characters with secrets. A couple of them fell flat and forced to me, but the rest were written well and fit into the narrative neatly.
🌤️ The cover might lead to some erroneous expectations, so don’t be confused by it. This is not a beach read, though those chairs have significance in the later part of the story. The book has clearly been marked as literary fiction, and that is exactly what it is. Also, there are several dark themes in the book. Though these are written without going overly maudlin, they still mean that the book works more as a contemplative read than as an entertaining palate cleanser.

All in all, this is a mood read and if picked up at the right time, it will satisfy the reader with its mellow observation of humans and their strengths and shortcomings.

This is my second book by Ethan Joella, the first being ‘A Quiet Life’, which was similar in mood but had three characters’ perspectives. While I liked that book as well, ‘The Same Bright Stars’ worked out even better in theme as well as writing. Ethan Joella teaches English and Psychology at the University of Delaware, and he seems to use both subjects optimally while crafting his stories. This is definitely an author I’d love to read more from.

Recommended to literary fiction readers and those who enjoy slow-burn character-oriented writing in a small-town setting.

4.25 stars.

My thanks to Scribner for providing the DRC of “The Same Bright Stars” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I just finished this book and the best way I can describe it is like a long, leisurely walk, in a meandering path.

The end wasn't ever the goal, but once you got there you felt satisfied.

That probably doesn't make sense to you, but it's exactly how I feel about this book.

I like that it told a simple story, about a simple man, who had a remarkable year (or there abouts) and his life changed. For the better.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was thrilled when I started reading this book and learned that it was based in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. That is the very area that I grew up going to on our annual family vacation (to the Rehoboth/Dewey beach area). It was so cool to see that area represented in a book and it made this entire book very nostalgic for me. I especially loved the blurbs in between chapters that were from Rehoboth Beach visitor's/travels guides, etc. I don't actually know if those excerpts were just written by the author as part of the book or if they were true excerpts from an actual visitor's guide - but either way, I liked them.

The story itself was sort of a slower-paced, quiet story - but one with big feelings and big topics tackled. I really found the main character, Jack Schmidt, to be endearing. He's a "salt of the earth" kind of guy whom I found to be very real, which is something I love in my book characters.

While I absolutely enjoyed the experience of reading this book and I really liked the overall plot, my only critique is that the book tried to tackle several heavy topics and went down a bunch of wormholes, but because so many topics were packed into a short book, those wormholes were kind of shallow, if you know what I mean. While I know that life is crazy and so many of us live through all kinds of pain and trauma, it just felt like a LOT to pack into one short book that was mainly about saving the family restaurant that had become the fixture of a beach town. ***THE REST OF THIS PARAGRAPH WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. I WILL NOT INCLUDE ANY ADDITIONAL SPOILERS IN THE PARAGRAPHS FOLLOWING THIS ONE. Spoilers start here: To better explain the myriad of things this book tried to weave into the story, here is a partial list: caring for a parent with dementia, the deaths of no less than 5 different parents in the book, cancer, suicide, family revelations, abortion, lost young love, a violent, near-death assault, addiction, multiple betrayals, and theft. And most of these things were small parts of the book that played into the character's lives, but not really part of the big plot. It just felt that the author was maybe trying to pack too much into one story and wasn't able to explore any of those smaller plotlines with any depth. And those things are huge, life-changing things, so I would have loved to have some of them a explored a little more. There was also the random inclusion of a homeless woman in two short scenes, and I didn't really understand the purpose of including her. I thought that story line was going to go somewhere, but it never did. SPOILER END.

Anyway, despite the fact that I think the author tried to pack too much into one story and left a lot of storylines lacking depth, I still found it to be a bingeable read that I didn't want to put down. I loved the short, quick chapters and several (though not all) of the characters.

I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary fiction, and if you like Ethan Joella's other work, I think you'll like this one just the same.