The Nantucket Restaurant by Pamela Kelley follows 3 sisters who jointly inherited their grandmother's restaurant on Nantucket with the stipulation that they all must live in Nantucket and work at the restaurant for at least 1 year. Each of the sisters is at a turning point in their life or their relationships and it is brought to the forefront during this novel. The sisters are able to band together and continue their grandmother's legacy. Additionally, they are able to focus on themselves and their relationships to learn what is most important in their lives.

This was an enjoyable read by Pamela Kelley. Her books always remind me of the Hallmark channel, but set in Nantucket.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC.

I'll be honest, I was searching to scratch the itch left behind by Elin Hildebrands departure from Nantucket novels. This book almost did that, but would be unfair to compare it directly to others work. I really liked the relationship dynamics of the sisters and how they worked through and navigated grief and complexities only sisters can manage.

Three sisters are surprised to learn that a beloved Nantucket restaurant was left to them after the death of their grandmother. They have one year to run Mimi’s Place together before deciding whether to sell their shares or stay on as owners. Busy business owner, Jill, juggles her fast-paced day time job while running the restaurant at night; Emma picks up shifts willingly at Mimi’s as a welcomed distraction from her recent divorce; Mandy finds purpose in running Mimi’s after sacrificing her career to stay home and raise her kids. The three sisters commit to learning how to be restaurant owners per their grandma’s wishes and lean on each other along the way.

I enjoy a book set in Nantucket, and though I have never been there, it always sets a cozy tone. The relationship between Jill, Emma, and Mandy will resonate with readers who have sisters. I liked that they all had very different life situations that made it easy to follow along with who was who. The descriptions of the food and the trial menus was my favorite part and made me hungry while reading. I wish that there was a little more depth to the characters and that there was more of a struggle as first-time restaurant owners with little experience. Some of the dialogue, especially during conflicts, wasn’t the most realistic to me and felt too short. Overall a cozy read that was nice and light for summer time reading

This was such a sweet read about three sisters all in different places in their lives. I also loved the side story of their grandmother and her love stories. If you love Elin Hilderbrand - this is the same type of story and characters.

Thank you to Sourcebooks/Landmark and NetGalley for the gifted copy of the ebook of this ARC republish.

Book review: 4/5 ⭐️
Genre: fiction
Themes: sisterhood, food, beach town, romance
📖 Read if you like: Sweet Magnolias, The Gilmore Girls

This is a feel good type of story for fans of Sweet Magniolias. It featured luxurious comfort food, so I spent about every other chapter in the kitchen cooking up an accompaniment, while I devoured this book. It is not my usual style of fiction, but I was rather in the mood for something sweet and easy to read. This certainly hit the mark, and I managed to read this book in under 24 hours. A great contender forto a light beach read!

The premise: three sisters each with uncertainty in their love lives and some in their careers have inherited a most beloved home and a favoured restaurant. As part of their grandmother’s will, they must all agree to work there for a year before each can move on. Jill, Mandy and Emma have always been close, but years living in different cities have caused them to drift apart. This rare opportunity allows them to not only connect with each other, but with themselves.

All three women have to be honest with themselves for the first time in a good long while, and what they will discover is the healing power in good food, good company and a good old project. As they attempt to rehaul Mimi’s place and make it a success once again, some of them will also have to do the same to their lives.

Most of the characters were too perfect and the relationships verged quite far into saccharine with tension and confrontation far from any pages. It was a delightful story of family and happiness with a small town vibe, but it wasn’t really fiction mirroring reality, or at least any reality I know. Three sisters who never fight is a ludicrous concept, and most of life’s problems seemed to be easily solved by these women. I wouldn’t say it is gripping fiction or real and gritty, but it hit the spot for me on the day I picked it up. If you are looking for a book with sweet self reflection, healing and sisterhood with a lot of food action this is one you will enjoy.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for an advanced copy for review.

The Nantucket Restaurant by Pamela Kelley is a heartwarming novel that blends family dynamics, romance, and the charm of Nantucket into an engaging story. Pamela Kelley, known for her cozy, feel-good fiction, delivers a compelling tale of three sisters —Mandy, Emma, and Jill—who unexpectedly inherit Mimi’s Place, a beloved Nantucket restaurant. Their grandmother’s will stipulates that before they can sell, they must work at the restaurant for a year, alongside Paul, the longtime chef who shares a complicated history with one of them. As the sisters navigate their personal crossroads, they must also decide whether to embrace their grandmother’s legacy or move on.

The novel explores themes of family bonds, second chances, and personal growth, offering a satisfying mix of romance and self-discovery. The sisters’ individual journeys—Mandy’s struggle with her marriage, Emma’s artistic aspirations, and Jill’s career-driven life—add depth to the narrative, making their emotional arcs feel authentic. The restaurant setting provides a delightful backdrop, with vivid descriptions of food and the bustling energy of a coastal eatery.

The Nantucket Restaurant is a comforting, uplifting read that celebrates family, love, and new beginnings. Kelley’s storytelling is engaging, making this a perfect book for those who enjoy women’s fiction with a touch of romance. If you’re looking for a light yet meaningfulnovel, this one is a great choice.

This was such a feel good beach book. Pamela Kelley did an amazing job weaving the lives and loves of everyone involved in the restaurant together into a terrific read. This book will capture you from the first page and keep you reading. Definitely get this book!

Leave it to Grandmothers to have the last word: Gran on Nantucket Island has left her favorite restaurant (she has been a secret owner for years) to her three granddaughters plus the chef with the stipulation that they must all work at Mimi’s Place for a year in addition to living in her house just a few blocks away. Luckily, for the young women, they have had a bit of history in the restaurant and event planning so they agree among themselves to a schedule. The author had me at the entree of Eggplant Parmesan on the menu. It is a hectic year with unforeseen problems at the restaurant and marriages. It is a fantasy life but isn’t that what makes it a great beach read! Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and author Pamela Kelley for an ARC of this book; this is my honest review.

Enjoyable beach read about three sisters who inherit a restaurant from their beloved grandmother, they must run it for a year before deciding if they want to sell it. Over the course of the year they learn important lessons about themselves, and the others around them. I'm excited for the next book in the series!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC!

This was a light summer read, perfect for the beach.

Although the setting was Nantucket, I often forgot because there was a huge lack of details about the island. There was a lack of differentiation in the sisters too, I kept mixing them up.

I wish there had more tension here, more wonder about where the story was going, but overall I still enjoyed it.

The Restaurant was an okay read for me. I appreciated the simplicity of the plot. It was easy to follow and had a cozy, predictable charm. I didn’t find much complexity in the story or its characters, and while there was some tension, it was easy to see where things were going. That said, if you're a fan of Hallmark holiday movies, you’ll likely enjoy this warm story about sisters and food.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted copy.

Three sisters, each at her own crossroads in life, inherit a Nantucket restaurant and must work together for one year before they can move on. I loved all three sisters- Mandy, Emma and Jill. They must learn to work together in a restaurant that hasn't changed along with the town. All the characters were real, human and I felt that they were long lost friends. Highly recommend!

Pamela Kelley delivers another heartwarming escape in The Nantucket Restaurant, a cozy, character-driven story about three estranged sisters brought together by the unexpected inheritance of a beloved local restaurant.

When Mandy, Jill, and Emma return to Nantucket after their grandmother’s passing, they’re stunned to learn she secretly owned Mimi’s Place—and left it to them, with one condition: run it together for a year before making any decisions. What follows is a heartfelt journey of grief, growth, and second chances.

Each sister brings her own emotional baggage: Mandy longs for more than island life, Jill is torn between her career and family, and Emma is reeling from a recent separation. With the gruff but lovable head chef Paul in the mix, they navigate the highs and lows of restaurant life—and rediscover themselves along the way.

Full of charm, family drama, and small-town flavor, this is a feel-good beach read with emotional depth. Fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jenny Hale will feel right at home.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Restaurant by Pamela Kelly was a book that had such promise. The story is about three sister Emma, Mandy, and Jill who were raised by their grandmother. When she passes away the sisters find out they have inherited a restaurant along with Paul, the longtime chef there. They have one condition to be able to keep the place and that is they must run it together for one year with Paul. If they cannot do it Paul gets to inherit entirely.
I really wanted to like this book but for me it totally fell flat. I read the book but truly did not feel much of a connection with the characters in the story. If you need a book that has a sister theme, this one is written for you.
Thank you NetGalley, Pamela Kelly and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of The Restaurant. This is my personal review.

I always find Pamela Kelley books easy to read. In The Nantucket Restaurant three sisters, Jill, Emma and Mandy inherit a restaurant on Nantucket from their grandmother. The catch is that they must run the restaurant for a year before they can sell it. Otherwise it goes to Paul, who’s been the chef for the last decade. The opportunity comes at a good time for each of them. Jill loves the business she built with her best friend Billy as executive recruiters in NYC. But she has started having feelings for Billy and maybe some distance would be good. She can work from the island. Mandy lives on Nantucket and is a stay at home mom of two. But her husband doesn’t appreciate her and he may not be faithful. Emma’s fifteen year marriage has just ended. Her photography career is just taking off and she is getting national attention. All three agree quickly to working together for the year.

If this was a different author I’d think this may set up a few different novels with a romance or story for each. Instead all three get some attention in the story and the progress of changes in their lives. I have read several of the author's previous books and usually appreciate all the food descriptions and the easy flow. But this time it felt superficial. Two of the characters are going through some major changes and you never see anger or worry about how they will pay their bills. It is like everyone all the time knows everything will work out just right and it does. And I know Kelley writes closed door romances but I do want to see some of the romance. I want to see a date or two or feel the longing for passion.

I didn’t realize till I came to post a review on Goodreads that the book was originally published in 2020 under the name of The Restaurant and already has a sequel. It doesn’t change my review but now I am curious about what gets covered in the next book.

The Nantucket restaurant - Pamela Kelley

4/5⭐️

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This one was a cute easy read for me. I did totally bust it out in two sittings. This book follows three sisters Mandy, Jill and Emma who end up inheriting a restaurant from their gram after she passes. It was their favorite place growing up but never knew she was the owner. The only thing is gram put some fine details on everything. All she wanted was the sisters to be close and spend more time together again. One of the fine details was they had to work at the restaurant for one year to actually inherit it or their shares go to Paul the chef. Overall this was a good one and totally recommend.

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If you like to read:
- Fiction
- Romance
- Beach read
- Adult
- Contemporary
… You should definitely check this out

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy of The Nantucket Restaurant.

Jill, Emma, and Mandy all rush to their grandmothers bedside when she falls ill. After she passes they find out that she was the owner of one of their favorite restaurants and she would like the three of them to run it for a year and then if they want to see they can. Each sister is going through personal changes and they think the restaurant saved them.

This one was just okay. I kind of felt like the book was about nothing at some points. I would have liked if the story went deeper.

As someone who loves Elin Hilderbrand I absolutely loved this!!! It gave such summer, beach town, coastal living vibes that made me want to pack up and move!! I loved the family theme and it was just such a great, wholesome, summery read!!

I enjoyed reading The Nantucket Restaurant b y Pamela Kelley. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Three sisters inherit their grandmother’s favourite restaurant after her death and have to work there for a year to comply with the terms of her will.

This was an easy and very predictable read. The plot didn’t come with any surprises and can best be described as safe and lacking depth.

It was filled with various dishes and wine pairings and though set on a famous island, there was hardly any description of the beautiful setting.

The characters were one-dimensional and hardly any depth to them. There was no development by the end of the book.

Also, certain incidents were skimmed over and sometimes it seemed overly descriptive.

All in all, it wasn’t bad but it could be better. I received an advanced copy and the review is mine and voluntary.