Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted ARC!

First off, this is one of the most beautiful covers I've ever seen!

This was advertised as literary fiction/women's fiction which are my two favorite genres. Throw in some magical elements (GHOSTS??) and it sounds like something I'd absolutely INHALE!

I wanted to so badly to love it and while it started out strong for me, it fell off as I went on. I just don't think the mix of genres worked for me, and the receptiveness of the house talking to her, etc. It just was maybe a little too out there for me PERSONALLY.

I hope it's still a hit for many, though!

This was too romancy and not enough magical realism and literary for me but the writing is definitely really good! I’m going to give it to my mom because I think she will like it!

PORT ANNA by Libby Buck is a gentle story about starting over and second chances. Set in small-town coastal Maine (Port Anna is named for Anna Vale, a long-ago lighthouse keeper), this debut features Gwen Gilmore whose younger sister Molly drowned several years ago. Having lost a teaching position, Gwen decides to move back to Maine and encounters friends from her childhood and youth; later musing that "the defining moments of our lives happen before we turn 18." She struggles to make peace with past events and to overcome hardship, including housing challenges, while gradually amassing the start of a new life with elements of romance, friendship, protectiveness towards a runaway teen, and developing a shared community at the local high school, her new employer. Throughout the story, Gwen reflects on love and grief and how "You cannot have one without the other. ... In the middle of grief, there were also gifts: a smushed loaf of banana bread from a friend who knew she forgot to eat, the caress of a man covered in blue paint, and the skinny girl's indomitable spirit." When reviewing this novel, Publishers Weekly said, "Readers looking for a sweet, summery outing ... will want to check this out." Overall, PORT ANNA is an engaging, feel-good read enlivened by Buck's strong affection for Maine, as she says, "I am deeply grateful for its many gifts -- the bounty and diversity of the land and seascape as well as the fascinating, complicated people who call it home."

4.5 stars

The central character is Nina, who, at age 5, was the youngest person ever to give evidence at a French trial. Largely due to her testimony Josie was found guilty. But years later Nina’s testimony comes into question. A good beach read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My final read for Track 4 of the #SRC2025 challenge with @booksparks, and wow this one hit different. Port Anna is beautifully atmospheric, deeply emotional, and quietly haunting in all the best ways. Libby Buck delivers a story that’s as much about grief and healing as it is about the ghosts, both literal and emotional, that shape who we are.
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We meet Gwen Gilmore at her lowest point. She’s grieving the loss of her mother, jobless, heartbroken, and running on fumes (literally and figuratively) as she makes her way to Periwinkle, the family cottage she’s just inherited on the coast of Maine.
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The charm of this novel lies in its layers. You get small-town secrets, a touch of magical realism (yes, there are actual ghosts and The Misses are my new favorite side characters), a missing persons mystery, and a simmering romance with a swoon-worthy artist. But underneath it all, there’s a raw, aching tenderness as Gwen is forced to confront the pain she’s buried for years and allows herself to dream again.
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Port Anna felt real to me. It’s foggy, salt-stained, a little bruised but still full of heart.
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If you’re looking for a summer read that weaves together love, loss, and a little bit of magic, this is it. What a stunning debut!
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Thank you again to @booksparks for letting me be a part of this amazing summer lineup!

3.5 stars for this freshman effort from Libby Buck. The story features Gwen, a 40ish single woman, who returns to the place where she grew up, Port Anna. As she settles into her ramshackle childhood beach home, Periwinkle, and reconnects with her teenage friends, she attempts to rebuild her life after losing a job and a romance. There is A LOT going on in this book. Some of the storylines are good - especially the one between Gwen and a runaway teenager. My favorite character was the landscape - the fictional Port Anna and the legends and history surrounding the seaside community. There were often too many characters for me to keep close track of, and I wonderful if they were all necessary. And there were too many coincidences, both good and bad. Still, the story was compelling enough for a freshman effort and I would likely read this author again.

Thank you Simon Books for my #gifted review copy and thank you Simon Audio for my #gifted listening copy of Port Anna! #simonbooksbuddy #simonaudio #PortAnna #LibbyBuck

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐤
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

Port Anna was a beautiful debut by author Libby Buck about second chances. This was a character driven novel, with the main character, Gwen, coming back to her family’s aging cottage in Maine after a year where nothing seemed to go her way. Back in Port Anna, she is faced with the past and painful memories, but she is also met with old friends who bring meaning to her life again. There’s a hint of magical realism and also some romance as well. It is beautifully written and so atmospheric. You will feel like you are right with Gwen and the rest of the characters in Maine. This was a lovely debut about finding yourself and found family and I can’t wait to read what Buck writes next!

🎧The audiobook what narrated by a favorite of mine, Cassandra Campbell. Campbell was the perfect voice for Gwen and I loved my time listening to her bring her character and the other characters to life in this beautiful debut!

Posted on Goodreads on July 13, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around July 13, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 13, 2025
**-will post on designated date

Port Anna was such a treat! This had love, family, secrets, a little bit of a summer vibe with the town it takes place in, and a tiny bit of paranormal. It was sheer perfection. Everything about this book felt amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Libby Buck, and Simon & Schuster for the eARC. This was a hauntingly heartbreaking story set against the striking backdrop of coastal Maine. So many layers to uncover—it stayed with me long after the final page.

A love letter to second chances, and a moving story of healing after loss and finding your way after setbacks, PORT ANNA is a wonderful debut! I just loved how atmospheric the book felt. The writing style was easy to get absorbed in, and Libby Buck does a great job of developing the titular coastal Maine town. If you enjoy books where the setting practically feels like its own character, this one is not to be missed! Port Anna was just so idyllic and charming. I also really liked following Gwen’s journey in general, and seeing how she ultimately found hope, love, and a fresh start throughout the story.

Overall, I’d recommend PORT ANNA for a summer read that truly has something for everyone. I was personally more drawn to the contemporary fiction aspects of the story rather than the magical realism, but I still thought all of the different elements of the story and subplots were well-done! I’m looking forward to seeing what Libby Buck writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

⭐ Rating: 4.5

A woman returns to her hometown in coastal Maine where she must confront the ghosts of her past.

I really enjoyed this debut. One of my criteria for a 4.5 is a strong sense of place. The language used to describe Gwen's cottage, the land, and the sea had me fully immersed in the story. I'm always a fan of a main character's return to her hometown. Great cast of characters which includes found family, and one villain to root against! The story includes a little magical realism, which worked well overall.

"Soon the scent of pine and lemon oil filled the cottage, every surface clean, the fire laid with the last few logs left in the woodshed. Everything looked as it once had, as if time had rolled backward and erased all her mistakes and missteps. The light slowly crossed the floor, warming the wide oak boards. Gwen stretched her toes and laid her head against the sofa, listening to the tide splash the ledges out front."

"His images told a story she understood, a narrative of humans as custodians, temporary beings who lived on granite foundations destined to outlast them."

"The world, Gwen told Shania, would be hers to explore. And then she would come home, to Port Anna. The words slipped from her mouth before she could reflect whether this was something she should say, and yet, as she uttered them, she was seized with a fierce sort of joy, a desire that gushed from her core, a sensation so powerful, she was unable to fight it."

Thank you Simon Books for the review copy! gorgeous cover art draws you into a subtle small town story that filled my heart as I got more and more into the story and setting.

Port Anna is a charming, atmospheric debut that feels like a love letter to coastal Maine, full of heart, healing, and just a hint of magic. While the plot occasionally meanders and tries to juggle a few too many threads, the setting more than makes up for it—it’s richly drawn and immersive, practically a character itself. Gwen’s journey is slow and quiet, but ultimately hopeful, and the supporting cast of small-town characters adds warmth and depth to her return home. I appreciated the subtle romantic thread and found the magical realism elements—especially the ghostly Misses—whimsical, even if underdeveloped. Though the story takes time to find its footing, by the end I genuinely didn’t want to leave Port Anna. Pick this one up if you're craving a cozy, coastal escape with heart, healing, and seals

“‘But, you know . . . we just drifted apart. It happens. Things change.’ 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦, she thought. Granite stayed put.”

What an atmospheric tale of a small coastal town and the ways that those small towns can shape a person.

Gwen comes back to Port Anna with her tail between her legs, so to speak, and reclaims her family land. And no one looking to make a buck is happy about this. This is a peek into the loyalty of small towns and the greed that can destroy us all. I felt like I was IN this coastal Maine town while reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This atmospheric debut set on the Maine coast as summer fades into fall was exactly what I needed this long July 4th weekend. It’s a character-driven slow burn until the last quarter, when several threads come together for an unputdownable finish.

Gwen returns to her family cottage in Maine after hard turns in her family, work, and love lives. She reconnects with childhood friends and community as she tries to rebuild and deal with her financial woes, and she also makes new friends in her new old life. The writing in this is gorgeous, and you’ll be pulling for Gwen and her second chance in Maine.

Thank you @simonbooks #simonbooksbuddy for the free book! It came out this past week - scoop it up!

3.5⭐️
Thank you @simonbooks @simon.audio for the free copy♡₊˚⊹

🦞 A love letter to port towns in Maine, to artists, and to healing after loss and grief.
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If you like the small town stories, where the pace of life is slower, where everyone knows your name, where folks pitch in to help their neighbors, this is for you.
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You’ll know who you’re supposed to root for, and who is not here for the right reasons. So, despite the predictability there is a comfort. There’s also a slow blooming romance and artistry in the writing.
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🌊 The mysticism of the sea and its creatures contributes to the charm and magic of the setting. I particularly enjoyed the 🦭seals and the enchanting yet perilous allure of open water.
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On the other hand, the ghosts of Periwinkle cottage had so small a role that I’d have just as soon had them written out.
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▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||။‌‌‌‌‌|• My preference on this one was written format. Audio was not bad, just not as much a standout as some others.

🐚 A charming, slower paced debut to pick up when you’re in the mood for a comforting, feel good read.

“You know what they say, don’t you? That wherever you go, you take yourself.”

3.5 ⭐️

Port Anna by Libby Buck is a love letter to Maine. This book had the dreamiest writing style that was so easy to get lost in. It tackles themes of grief, finding your place in life after setbacks, and a surprisingly interesting exploration of how greed changes people that I found incredibly accurate as someone who lives in a small town myself.

This story follows Gwen, a woman who returns to her family cottage in the town of Port Anna in an attempt to rebuild her life after suffering career setbacks. Back at home, she begins to rekindle old friendships, confront her past, fall for someone new, and help a mysterious missing girl, all while struggling to keep the home she loves.

The setting is the truly the best part of this story. I guarantee you will feel immersed in an idyllic coastal Maine town throughout your reading. I did have some gripes with Port Anna, specifically how all over the place the plot was. Up until 70% I genuinely had no idea where the story was going, and once it became clear to me, it felt as if the first two parts of the book were just buildup giving you the background information necessary to understand the plot that begins to unfold. The pacing also felt off in places as we’d rush through some scenes/ weeks and then linger on others. It felt a bit jumbled and like the author wanted to throw in every idea she had into one story. I did enjoy some of the mystery aspects, the plot line of saving the cottage and the relationship between Shania and Gwen. I also liked the magical realism elements with the ghosts (the Misses) but understand that it may turn some readers off as the ghosts and the purpose they serve in the story felt slightly underdeveloped. Overall, despite getting off to a slow start, I really enjoyed reading this story and by the end of the book I wished it was even longer. If you want to live out your coastal granddaughter summer fantasies, Port Anna is the perfect book for you!

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I liked pieces of the plot. There were a lot of things going on here that converged at the end. Characters felt a little flat for me and Gwen could have had more voice.

PORT ANNA is an atmospheric, character driven story of redemption and starting over set along the craggy coast of Maine. Libby Buck crafted a gently paced and deeply moving novel where the setting is so descriptive, it becomes a character itself.

Gwen Gilmore returns to Periwinkle, her family’s ancient cabin, in the coastal Maine town of Port Anna after a series of personal setbacks. Short on funds, facing professional uncertainty, and carrying decades old grief; Gwen hopes to retreat to the familiar. Like many small towns, Port Anna seems unchanged on the surface. Gwen returns to find old friends, including The Misses, a pair of benevolent spirits who have long occupied Periwinkle.

But nothing remains untouched by time. Old friendships are strained and the modest homes that once defined Port Anna have been replaced by modern condos. Even The Misses seem unsettled. Gwen soon learns that not everyone from her past can be trusted. With funds running low and her home about to be condemned, Gwen is facing a crisis.

But Port Anna also offers the hope of starting over. There’s a handsome, charismatic artist who attracts Gwen’s interest and the mysterious appearance of a missing teenager. I was swept away by Gwen’s journey; feeling every setback and cheering each step forward.

Fans of richly drawn character studies will find Port Anna to be an appealing destination.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I feel so lucky that @SimonBooks ( #SimonBuddyReads) sent me Port Anna—what a magical, unexpected treat! While it took me a little time to fully settle into the story, once I did, I was completely immersed in this beautiful blend of fiction and magical realism.

The story follows Gwen Gilmore, who returns to her family’s cottage, Periwinkle, on the rugged Maine coast after losing her mother, her job, and her boyfriend. Adrift and grieving, Gwen has no choice but to go back to Port Anna, where her childhood memories, and a few surprises, await.

One of my favorite elements was the introduction of the spirits, lovingly known as the Misses, who reside in the cottage. Their presence added so much warmth, humor, and depth to the story. The atmosphere of the Maine coast was captured so vividly.

Admittedly, there were moments when I felt frustrated with Gwen’s choices, but she also had some strong, redemptive growth that made her journey worthwhile. With themes of found family, healing, and second chances—plus a dash of romance and rich coastal history—Port Anna truly has something for everyone.

A heartfelt debut from Libby Buck. I’ll be keeping an eye out for what she writes next!

Loved this book.. it was a great story! It kept me reading and wanting more! Thank you so much netgalley!