A book that takes place on Cape Cod and revolves around a brand new bookstore is a winning combination to me. I started going to Cape Cod on vacation when I was a young girl and it was the highlight of my summer. Leah Powell was a Cape Cod native who was lucky enough to have a place to escape when her life in Boston came tumbling down around her. Her hometown of Chatham was a quaint beach town which held many special memories from her childhood. Leah had no idea what to do next with her life, but a solitary walk through town brought her to an historic home that was waiting for a new lease on life, and she was just the person to make it happen. Along the way Leah made new friends, reconnected with old friends, and found that being back home was the perfect beginning to the next chapter in her life.

Even though she was busy, Leah found herself distracted by her contractor, Luke Nicholson, an old friend of her younger brother. He had certainly become a handsome and thoughtful man, but did Leah really have time for fun and flirting when she was on a deadline to open her new bookstore? The community supported Leah’s new venture and she assembled the perfect staff to meet, greet and assist all the shoppers. Leah had even more ideas of what she could offer at the spacious, and historic captain’s house. I became part of the cheering crowd as Leah opened the doors for the first time at The Sandy Page Bookshop. I browsed for the latest beach read and chose a cute bookmark so I would never lose my place. This is a special and emotional book that will always have a place on my nightstand!

Gave this 4 stars—perfect for fans of small towns, second chances, and books about books.
This was a sweet, heartwarming beach read that felt like a hug in book form. Leah’s return to Cape Cod after a tough breakup and career crash sets the stage for a second-chance story—not just in love, but in life. The bookstore-reno plot? Adorable. The contractor with a quiet crush? Even better.

There were cozy community vibes, found family moments, and just enough slow-burn tension to keep me flipping pages. If you're looking for a comfort read with seaside charm, this one delivers.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A fun summer read. A feel good story. Leah returns to her hometown after the loss of her job and boyfriend. With visions of a book store she buys and renovates an old building turning it into that vision. There are several interesting characters and their stories are told along the way. I definitely enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

A delightful summer read.
Leah's life has fallen apart. Lost her job, engagement is off, out of the apartment and heading back to her family home on Cape Cod with her tail between her legs. Her severance package will carry her for a while, but she has to get it together sooner rather than later - and all she wants to do is cry and sleep. While walking in the touristy section of town, she can't help but notice the Captain's House. Large, empty, needing paint, porch isn't safe to walk on. She walks on the porch anyway, peers in the window and suddenly, the Sandy Page Bookshop is born.

What makes this book a little different from other beach reads are the numerous other characters who soon come to populate the pages. There is Eudora, retired school counselor, who has developed anxiety since her husband died, Lucy, whose sister was headed for great things and is now learning to care for herself, walking, talking, feeding, since a tragic car accident. Brad, the newly hired assistant in the bookshop, can't tell his grandmother he's gay. And Luke, the local woodshop owner, who makes time out of his overloaded schedule to do the work on Leah's bookshop.

MacKinnon captures perfectly the way the Sandy Page Bookshop brings both tourists and locals together. Everyone has a story and all their lives will be enriched by entering the Sandy Page Bookshop.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books, in exchange for a review.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC. Wow, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book so much. The secrets one keeps has the potential to tear a family apart. Leah, fresh from a heartbreak and job loss, relocates to the Cape to start over. The romance between her and Luke provides hope to all that are looking for love. Ella and Lucy’s secrets from their parents proves that teenagers think they know best. Once information is revealed the tone of the story changes. Overall this was a quick beach read.

"High school reunions were like a small-town carnival: subpar food; clowns from your past; roller-coaster emotions."

#thesandypagebookshop was my first @hannahmckinnonwrites, and I read it in one day while undergoing some medical testing. It was absolutely perfect for that day, completely distracting and engaging. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters, and McKinnon does such a good job of writing them, they seemed like real people. Like a #hallmarkmovie? Absolutely. But in the best way. If you're looking for some escapism, especially one about people who love books, give it a try. I will definitely be adding Ms. McKinnon's back catalog to my wish list.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

I adored this book! It had all the things I enjoy in a summer read, set in a beach location, filled with characters I identified with, and brimming with friendship and a little romance. Plus isn’t the Sandy Page a perfect name for a beach bookshop?It just made me smile. The bookstore location was the perfect place to bring a variety of people together and to remind readers that stories matter. At the heart this is a book about discovering the stories of the people in your life.

Leah is reeling by her life falling apart and takes refuge in the house she grew up in on Cape Cod. She is looking for a new direction and the neglected Captain’s House calls to her. She has a dream to open a bookstore but she can’t do it alone. Eudora, a widow that has developed anxiety since her husband’s death, Lucy, a teenager struggling after a family tragedy, and Luke, a contractor that was her brother’s friend and had a crush on her growing up, plus Brad her assistant. Become caught up in making Sandy Page a reality and become a family.

Each chapter is from a different character’s point of view and each of the characters is facing a challenge and are ready for a new beginning. I wish that Brad had his own chapters, he made me laugh but that probably would have been too many different points of view. I enjoyed the characters and felt like I was a part of the Sandy Page family. The challenges the characters were facing added depth and made the story real.

I highly recommend this books to readers that enjoy summer reads with friendship and community and finding a new path.

A very sweet story that ties various interconnected stories and characters together with “words” as a theme. I enjoyed the characters and the beautiful setting.

Leah returns home to cape cod; she buys a dilapidated sea captains' cottage and turns it into the Sandy Page Bookshop. good book

This talented author has written a page turner. Cape Cod, a favorite setting…realistic characters…love and romance…a book store. The recipe for a quiet afternoon curled up with a story about a couple who just might find each other..a great beach read…it isn’t easy to stop reading before the ending…might be one of our new favorite authors…thanks Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review, The Sandy Page Bookshop by Hannah McKinnon.

Great read! I loved the story of Leah and Luke, and the many other characters that were in this novel. The characters were very likable, and easy to get lost at Cape Cod.

Leah lost her job, fiancée, and had no place to go. Then she decided to return home. She was able to start over in her small town, bump into so past friends, and regain her footing.

Luke was a regular on the island, and never left home but he started his own business that he worked at tirelessly. He always made time for Leah’s demands at the bookshop though.

Then there’s Lucy, Ella, and her family that had their own ups and downs throughout the novel. The author did a great job weaving these stories together and intertwining them seamlessly.

Pull up you beach chair because this is the perfect summer read. This book is a joy to read and told from multiple POVs. There is romance, starting over, a beach bookstore, and some fun. This was a great pick me up book to read.

The Sandy Page Bookshop is a wonderful, uplifting read about starting over, finding comfort and new companions. Told from varied perspectives author Hannah McKinnon’s characters range from mid teens through the older years. The interactions between them make this a story difficult to put down unfinished. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Highly recommend.

This book, threw me off at first. The premise id read about centered on the main romance so I was surprised to see multiple POVs beyond the two of them, but those side characters ended up being my favorite part of the story. Overall, what’s not to love about a romance set in a beach bookstore!

A lovely read a beautiful story.,Perfect book to sit on the beach a beach like Martha’s Vineyard.Hannah McKinnon is an author I will be following.#NetGalley #atria

The perfect summer beach read. Get your chair ready, a cold drink and lose your self on Martha’s Vineyard. Follow. Leah as she opens the bookshop and finds friends and love.

this was my first book by Hannah Mckinnon but it wont be my last. i love the story and the characters. Would love to see a sequel to this book!

The Sandy Page Bookshop by Hannah McKinnon is your next great beach read! Leah, after losing her job and her fiancé, retreats to her childhood home on Cape Cod to lick her wounds. While there, she sees an historic home for rent. She can see it as a beautiful bookstore, so rents it and transforms it into her dream with the help of Brad, a student on summer break, Lucy, a student who is going through some severe family trauma, Eudora, a widow with anxiety and Luke, an old friend and contractor who had a crush on Leah back in high school. Through their efforts, they put together a bookstore that is not just a store, but a community, with a few fun relationships thrown in on the side. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to The Sandy Page Bookshop and I'm sure you will too! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.