This was a sweet story. Predictable and definitely cheesy, but you do fall in love with the characters. The business side of things seemed to very rapidly progress in a pretty unrealistic way - but I just let that part go and focused on the rest of the story.

While I liked the story of Leah and Luke, I was not the target audience for this book. It is a story involving Leah who goes through an engagement break-up and moves back to her hometown. While back in her hometown, the Sandy Page Bookshop/Cafe is opened. It is a very heartwarming story and for me, it was slow paced. I would say this is a book for you if you like a cozy romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful heartwarming story of friendship, love, reconnection and healing. The journeys that are taken give you all the feels.

Leah Powell moved back home after her she lost her job and ended her engagement to her fiancé. Once she was in her hometown, she opened up a bookshop with the help of others in the town and Luke, a contractor who never forgot her.

This was told from multiple POVs, and each person was struggling with something. But working on the bookshop helped them all bond and heal.

I liked seeing everyone find love, acceptance, and a second chance all because of the bookshop. Leah, especially, got stronger and rediscovered herself and what she really wanted.

Overall, this was a cute and easy read. It was my first by this author, but it won’t be the last.

The Sandy Page Bookshop by Hannah McKinnon is a heartwarming and charming tale of love, loss, and redemption. The story follows Leah Powell, a young woman who loses her job and fiancé, leading her to decide to leave Boston and return to her small beach hometown. At a loss for what to do next, Leah stumbles upon an old landmark building in town and decides to renovate it into a bookshop. The carpenter who helps her with the renovations happens to be her brother’s old friend, someone that had a crush on her back in the day. Throughout the book, you’ll meet a diverse cast of interesting characters. This clean romance is a perfect choice for a relaxing and enjoyable weekend read.

This was the perfect summer read. The characters are witty, but still so lovable in every way. Leah the female main character returns to her hometown to sort out what her future holds after her engagement ending. Leah is drawn to the run down home, which is the historic sea captain's home. Leah meets Luke, the male main character and hired him as a person to talk to.

I really enjoyed this cozy romance about a woman who has gone through a difficult time both personally and professionally and winds up living in her childhood home while trying to regroup. Along the way she creates a new business, makes some new friends and reconnects with a couple old friends. Very sweet. I’ll definitely consider reading this author again!
Thank you Netgalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the digital ARC.

Now this was a superb summer beach read. Perfect in every way. Forget that it is not a new or very different story, forget that you may have read something similar - you just have not read it so perfectly formed and written. The descriptions “glitter cerulean blue beneath a matching sky.”

Leah’s life has blown up. She has lost her job and her long time boyfriend. She is headed to her childhood home in Cape Cod to lick her wounds and figure out the next chapter. Told from multiple POVs various stories overlap to become a story about how relationships are formed, tested, lost and recovered. A damaged thirty-five year old learns that she can reach deep enough to start again. A teenager discovers how frightening it is to be a parent as she is learning that being a teenager can be equally terrifying. A panic stricken septuagenarian learns how to get up and out and carry on. A charming book store clerk holds his secret close as it is consuming him. And of course there has to be that good looking nice guy who is coming to the conclusion that maybe he is going to be alone despite best intentions. Each person is learning how much words matter, especially between friends and those we care about.

So many thanks to to Emily Bestler Books / Atria and NetGalley for a copy.

Set in Cape Cod, The Sandy Page Bookshop is the perfect beach read. This was my first book by Hannah McKinnon and I so enjoyed it. I plan on reading her other books. The story is filled with so much love, kindness and will to live an authentic life. Thank you #NetGalley, #Simon&Schuster, #HannahMcKinnon and #TheSandyPageBookshop for the copy for my honest review.

Review will be posted on 8/28/25

Leah Powell lost her job in publishing and has to return home to Cape Cod. On top of it, it appears her engagement is falling apart. Leah feels like she is starting her life over. When she walks past a historic home that once belonged to a sea captain and it's up for sale, she decides to take the risk. She buys it and plans to turn it into a bookstore, The Sandy Page. She finds help to remodel it from local contractor, Luke Nickerson. As they work together to fix it up, a natural friendship blossoms, and something more develops. The other people in town who come to love The Sandy Page are also a part of the story. There's Lucy, the high school student whose family has suffered some trauma, and Eudora, the retired teacher. The Sandy Page Bookshop is a charming and cozy beach read that is akin to a warm hug.

I was looking for a cozy read to curl up with on a long summer weekend, and The Sandy Page Bookshop is just that. I loved the small-town vibes and the descriptions of Cape Cod, filled with its beaches and historic homes. The book never stressed me out and was somewhat predictable at times, but it was a delight nonetheless. I enjoy stories about second chances filled with heart, so The Sandy Page Bookshop was just that. The bookstore brought many community members together, and in the end, it was a feel-good read.

A heartwarming romance with small town, coastal charm! As soon as I started this story, I felt swept away. I enjoyed the Cape Cod setting, community connection and blend of romance, drama and mystery. The story shifts through multiple POVs, which held my attention. While the reader flows in and out of different character’s lives, their stories seamlessly intertwine. With perfect pacing, emotional depth and a satisfying ending, this story was truly my perfect summer read. If you have time for one more seaside escape, I highly recommend this one!

Perfect beach read with a bookshop as added interest. Loved the characters and the setting of Cape Cod. Hannah McKinnon is a favorite of mine and this book was as cozy and warm as decribed!

I enjoyed the wide range of characters. I love the “found family” aspect of the story, and it takes place in a bookshop on the beach. What more could you ask for in a charming, quick summer read?

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and Hannah McKinnon for the eARC.

This was a really cute summer read! I loved all of the characters, and it was fun seeing them interact. The setting of the book was wonderful. As someone who spent a summer in Chatham many years ago, the book really captured what it's like. I've already recommended this to friends, it's just so good and a quick read. Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this ARC!

The Sandy Page Bookshop, by Hannah McKinnon, is now one of my all-time favorite books. This story is like a big, comforting hug. It makes you think, and feel, smile and contentedly sigh. I loved every thing about it, including the coastal town, the bookshop that was so vividly described I felt like I was there, the sweet friendships, the impactful lessons, and the heartwarming conclusion. This charming story will uplift you, give you hope, and make you grateful for the everyday details that make life worth living. It will urge you believe in second chances, give you the push to start over, and to find joy where you can.

Leah Powell lost a lot in quick succession and felt compelled to go back home, to the Cape Cod town she grew up in. While trying to find a way forward, she comes across a beloved, historic, but worn down sea captain’s home. Leah is inspired for the first time in a long time and determines to transform it into a much-needed, local bookshop, since stories are her passion. With the help of a unique, hodgepodge collection of a few locals who each have their own hardships and stories to tell, Leah turns a dilapidated building, full of decades of memories, into something meaningful again.

This is a beautiful story of perseverance, courage, friendship, the strength of community, and second chances. I have loved every book by Hannah McKinnon that I have read, and The Sandy Page Bookshop is no exception. I look forward to rereading it again in my future.

HE SANDY PAGE BOOKSHOP, while predictable, has everything a summer beach read should have. What made it a "plus" for me were the age range of the characters from teen sisters to the thirty something bookstore owner who is starting over to the retired school counselor turned recluse. Pack it in your suitcase or sit on your porch like I did and enjoy! Summer is going too fast.

Leah brings a sleepy Cape Cod town community together in this delightful and perfect summer read.
I adored it all and I love how we got 4 differnt points of view and their own little back story. It all ended with the perfect ending. Words matter and so does a happily ever after.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

<b>The Short of It:</b>

Sweet story about starting over.

<b>The Rest of It:</b>

After her publishing career and engagement fell apart in Boston, Leah Powell has no choice but to return to her hometown. Feeling lost and discouraged, she stumbles upon a once prominent sea captain’s historic home that now looks as dilapidated as she feels. Suddenly inspired, Leah decides to transform it into a bookstore and café she will call The Sandy Page. ~ the publisher

The Sandy Page Bookshop is a little predictable but delivers what you’d expect. A sweet story, lovely bookish moments, actually more of them would have been welcomed and a tiny bit of romance.

Leah’s engagement falls apart and her ex-fiancé seems to have moved on. What’s left to do but start over? She returns home, sees this wonderful old property and rolls up her sleeves to start something new. The bookshop becomes so much more than a just a shop. It’s a community creative space, a small cafe and the people that gather there all have a story to tell.

To do this though, Leah needs help and that help comes in the form of Luke, someone from her past that resurfaces to help make her dream a reality. Luke is handy and can build anything but he and Leah seem to connect and then, not. It’s complicated.

This is a story about starting over, taking chances, and having faith that things will work out in the end. There are some sweet moments between the characters, friends and lovers alike.

Recommend.

For more reviews, visit my blog: <a href="http://bookchatter.net">Book Chatter</a>.

An enjoyable summer read! I loved the bookstore family and the way they stood by and helped each other.

The Sandy Page Bookshop is wonderful story about taking chances after life happens.

Leah Powell life quickly falls apart after she is let go from her publishing career ends abruptly. She returns to her home on Cape Cod. She comes across a historic sea captain’s home that has seen better days. She gets an idea and decides to transform it into a bookstore, The Sandy Page. She hires a rag tag group to help her get it up and running. Everything that has been tried before in this location has failed. The community seems to think she has no chance to succeed where others have failed.

As the relationships grow, they each suffered from personal losses which we learn about as the story is told from multiple pov's.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was lighthearted as well as heartwarming. The characters were interesting and not cookie cutter to fit a plot with real life problems which were relatable.