I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. It turns out this is a reprint of a book already released, that I read some time ago. Though it was a lovely read as are all of Kelley's books.

Pamela Kelley delivers a heartfelt, coastal escape in The Nantucket Restaurant, a story centered around three sisters unexpectedly tied back to their hometown—and to each other—through a surprising inheritance. When their beloved grandmother passes away, the sisters return to Nantucket only to discover she left them partial ownership of a longstanding local restaurant they never knew she was connected to. The twist? To claim their share, they must each commit to working at the restaurant for one year—alongside the current head chef, who also now owns a portion.

From the very first chapter, the setting and storyline drew me in. As someone who gravitates toward books set in seaside towns, I appreciated the vivid, atmospheric portrayal of Nantucket and the emotional depth layered into each sister’s personal journey. The blend of family dynamics, second chances, and small-town charm gave this book a comforting, Hallmark-esque tone that many readers will absolutely adore.

Each sister is navigating her own internal conflict, but the narrative doesn’t dwell too long on any one issue—this allows the story to stay light and warm, though at times I felt the pacing worked against the emotional arcs. With so many threads to explore, some elements felt a bit rushed or underdeveloped, particularly when I would have loved to see more depth in the characters' relationships and the restaurant’s transformation.

That said, The Nantucket Restaurant is an enjoyable read, perfect for fans of gentle women's fiction, stories of familial reconnection, and books that pair strong settings with heartfelt journeys. It’s the kind of novel that offers cozy escapism and would make an ideal weekend read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title in advance of publication.

3.5 rounded up!

I loved the Nantucket setting and our three main characters (sisters!) coming together to work at a small town restaurant. I also really enjoyed the complexities and problems each sister was facing in their life that working with family allowed them to overcome.

I did find the writing a bit tedious at times - the detail felt too specific (ex: a step by step of how one of the women created a Facebook post) and had me taken out of the story, which made it harder to enjoy by the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the copy for review!

This book was not my cup of tea, it was about sisters just living life. No plot twists no mystery just nothing. I do not recommend this book unless your bored and on a vacation.

Mandy, Emma and Jill O'Toole loved spending time with their Grandmother on Nantucket. But imagine their surprise when they find out that she was a secret owner of one of her favorite restaurants and left it to the three sisters and the long-time chef of the restaurant with one caveat. The three sisters would have to join forces and run the restaurant for a year before they would be able to sell it. For those who love books about Nantucket (think Elin Hildebrandt and Nancy Thayer), this book is like a great trip to that wonderful Island. What a wonderful beach read. I loved it and it brought back my recent trip and the longing to go back again. The book is as magical as an experience on Nantucket. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this perfect summer book.

3.5⭐

Nantucket is a great setting for a vacation read! The Nantucket Restaurant is a simple, relaxing story with no surprises or twists - just a year in the lives of sisters Jill, Emma, and Mandy. Filled with descriptions of food and drink that make me want to book a reservation at Mimi's Place.

I so badly wanted to love this book - I love books about Nantucket and sisters, but I just could not really get into it

A heartfelt family story wrapped in the charm of Nantucket.

This warm and uplifting novel follows the O’Toole sisters—Mandy, Emma, and Jill—each facing turning points in their lives when they inherit a surprise legacy from their beloved grandmother: ownership of Mimi’s Place, a well-loved Nantucket restaurant. But there’s a twist—they must run the restaurant together, alongside the head chef Paul, for one full year before they can sell.

What follows is a story about second chances, sisterhood, and self-discovery, all set against the cozy, sun-kissed backdrop of a beach town that feels like its own character. Each sister brings her own strengths, baggage, and personal dilemmas to the table, and watching them navigate old rivalries, financial woes, and unexpected romance was both heartwarming and satisfying.

I especially loved how Nantucket itself was woven into the narrative—it’s a great pick for fans of Elin Hilderbrand who love that mix of family drama, local flavor, and emotional growth. There’s just enough small-town tension and community charm to keep things interesting without ever getting too heavy.

Perfect for a summer weekend or book club pick, this one delivers a feel-good story about finding your way home—even when it’s the last place you thought you’d end up.

I thought this book was a very simple and very cozy read. I loved the relationship between the three sisters and I absolutely loved all the food descriptions. I do wish that each sister had their own chapter because I found myself mixing them up a lot. Overall, it was a very nice read.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I got to about 45% but could not keep myself engaged in this book. I don't think it's any fault of the authors, more the genre itself. I took on this to try something new and outside of what I normally read and it just didn't grip my attention very much.

This book will be great for a lot of people, I loved the premise and the idea of the sisters inheritaning the restaurant. Maybe one day I'll come back to this, but for now I'm taking a break.

2.5 stars

Three sisters are brought back together after the passing of their cherished grandmother. Mandy, Emma, and Jill are all facing different challenges when their grandmother's will leaves them as the owners of a local Nantucket restaurant, with a stipulation that all three sisters must work there together for one year to retain ownership. Together, the sisters support each other and revitalize the restaurant.

I was in the mood for a summer read and hoped this would have an Elin Hilderbrand vibe. It started with a promise (if you look past the obvious plot setups), but the book just did not hit for me. The story is not cohesive, skipping weeks at a time to advance the plot. There are plenty of food descriptions that will leave you hungry for more, but the name-dropping of wine and beer brands felt like product placement. Additionally, the book presents social media marketing as if it were a new trend. While the book wasn't for me, it is a quick palate cleanser with closed-door, zero-spice HEAs.

Reader copy provided by Sourcebook Landmark via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy. These books set in Nantucket make me want to pack my bags and head to the sea. I feel like I could be friends with all three of the sisters. I also liked the mystery with their grandmother. Entertaining, quick read.

The Nantucket Restaurant is the first book in Pamela Kelley’s series of the same name. The beloved grandmother of the three O’Toole sisters has passed away leaving them her Nantucket home as they might have anticipated but are quite surprised when they discover their Grams was the owner of Mimi’s Place, a favored Nantucket restaurant, along with the head chef Paul Taylor, who had been working with Grams for many years. There is, however, a caveat to the inheritance. The three sisters must be there and work at the restaurant before they can make any decision to sell or their shares will revert to Paul for a full year.

For Mandy that is no issue as she and her husband Cody and two children, Brooke and Blake, are island residents. It proves to be no problem for Emma as she is just finalizing her divorce from Peter and at loose ends so moving back to Nantucket from the west will give her purpose and focus. For Jill, who co-owns an executive search company in NYC with Billy, her best friend, working remotely and commuting back to New York a couple of times a month allows her to hold up her end of the deal.

As the four partners devise a working schedule, make updates to the dining room, the menu, and the advertising, business improves and things move along smoothly until injuries take away an integral part of the kitchen staff and infidelity strikes home life. These, and other twists make up the many facets of the story. I did enjoy this book and do recommend it!

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!