I was very sorry to see this book end as it seems this author only writes standalone novels.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints and there are multiple stories going simultaneously. It was a bit much at first but as each story evolved, I wanted to know more. I got invested in each character’s storyline. And in the middle of all the side stories was Leah and her bookshop.
This is a wonderful story of family, endurance in hard times, the value of community and appreciation of the small things in life.
It was a beautiful story, even if it did make me cry.
I received this book as a free ARC and am leaving my review voluntarily.

Everything, EVERYTHING about this book is good. The characters are wonderfully written and developed, the setting was perfect and it all made me want to be in the story. If I could, I would want to work at and live above The Sandy Page Bookshop. I am very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read The Sandy Page Bookshop in exchange for a fair and honest review

The Sandy Page Bookshop is such a warm, feel-good read that wraps you up like a cozy blanket on a rainy day. Leah’s journey back to her small coastal hometown after everything falls apart felt so real and relatable — who hasn’t needed a fresh start after life throws you a curveball? I loved how the story centered around her restoring that old sea captain’s house into a bookstore café. It gave the book such a charming, nostalgic vibe, like stepping into your own little bookish hideaway.

Luke, the local contractor who helps her, brought a lovely balance of steady support and small-town kindness. Their slow-burn friendship and chemistry added just the right amount of sweetness without being over the top. The author did a great job making the community feel alive, with quirky locals and a strong sense of belonging.

Overall, this book is perfect if you want something light but meaningful — a story about healing, second chances, and how books can bring people together. It’s the kind of book you want to sip tea with while watching the waves roll in. Super cozy and totally heartwarming!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I absolutely love this book and read it in one day. It was such a sweet, cute book. I loved the storyline and the characters. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a sweet, small-town romance about second chances and new beginnings. I love the way each chapter focuses on one character's backstory as they all unfold together. There was a long list of mismatched characters who would never have met or interacted with one another if it weren't for the old captain's house turned bookstore, which was a character in its own right. Who doesn't love imagining renovating a historical building into a cozy hub for the community as a bookstore?!

A perfect summer read at the beach or lake in an afternoon. If you are a fan of found family and beachy coastal towns, you'll love this book. If you love books about books or have ever dreamed of opening your own indie bookstore, you'll find this book hard to put down. If you are looking for a clean romance, then you have to put this one on your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

The Sandy Page Bookshop, by Hannah McKinnon, is a story of second chances and new beginnings. Soon after Leah Powell lost her publishing job her longtime fiancé decides they want different things, breaking their engagement and causing Leah to find a new home. Her family home in Chatham on Cape Cod is being used as a summer rental since her mother’s passing. Leah and her brother have grown and moved away from Chatham as has her father after remarrying. When Leah calls her dad to tell him what has happened he immediately tells her to go home to Chatham, then cancels the summer rentals. This will give Leah a place to stay and time to figure out next steps without the pressure to act right away.

Though Leah is the primary character, this story is a perfect blend of other people’s stories that entwine with hers. Widowed Eudora Shipman is a retired guidance counselor whose world seems to revolve around her little rescue dog Arthur and working with rescue groups trying to rehome pets. However, as much as Eudora needs to interact with others, her anxiety keeps her home most of the time. Teenaged Lucy Hart is caught in the emotional turmoil of her family dealing with her sister Ella’s very serious injuries following a terrible car crash. The bookshop and her job become Lucy’s escape. Luke Nickerson is a very talented woodworker with his own business. In much demand, particularly when the summer people are present and doing updates.

When Eudora asks Luke to help Leah as she begins her quest to turn the old captain’s house into a new bookstore, it is also an opportunity to reconnect with his best friend’s sister. Luke had had a crush on Leah as a teen, an attraction now, and hopes that things might go well for them. But most of all, he just wants to help Leah succeed in her new endeavor.

These dynamic and nuanced characters interact in a plot so entwined the readers will be led on a web of stories that will disappoint no one. This story is truly a small town blend showing how people’s stories are never singular, but rather a melding of all life’s interactions. Told with such heart, Ms. McKinnon has woven a tale in the same vein as Karen White or Mary Alice Monroe. I did very much enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

2⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of The Sandy Page Bookshop.

Leah has lost her job so she decides to return to her hometown of Cape Cod. She comes up with her new venture of opening a bookstore/coffee shop. Luke a local contractor remembers Leah even if she does not remember him and he decides to help her out.

This one was just okay, it was just a little too cheesy for me at some points. I was just kind of overall bored with the story.

A wonderfully warm and uplifting beach read set on Cape Cod but with a small town feel. Leah has seemingly lost it all, her career in publishing, her fiancé in Boston, together with her life and friends in their joint apartment, her parents with her mother’s death and her father’s recent remarriage. She leaves to her parents” beach house in Cape Cod neglected after her mother’s death to regroup and figure out her options and ends up opening a book store and turning it into a community hub. Helping herself find and establish a new life and helping others along the way. The bookstore community was inspiring. This book has some romance in it but it is not the point or the main focus, yes, Leah does find someone along the way but my favorite part was actually seeing all different storylines, Lucy’s, Brad’s, Ethel’s and the ones thy interlooped with like Ella’s unfold and come together. This book is the perfect beach- or poolside read. It is heartwarming and will leave you with a smile on your face and the desire to open a small town bookstore.

3.25 ⭐️

This was a sweet, uplifting story about second chances. I really enjoyed the cozy hometown atmosphere, especially the café and bookstore setting. It gave the story a comforting, small-town charm.

The pacing was a bit slow for me, and I didn’t feel fully hooked throughout. While I appreciated the message and warmth of the story, it just took me a while to get into it. uplifting but again my only gripe was the pacing and getting hooked to the story.

Leah's world has crashed around her - so she leaves Boston for the cape and a new life.

A story of not giving in or up - of taking life as it comes and making it yours. A perfect summer beach read and even a fall one to remind us that summer will come again!

Loved the characters - they were all so well written - they seem like old friends by the end.

Beach reads are a must for the summer! Set on Cape Cod, the story of a failed career and long-term relationship molds into a new venture and a host of people that unite because of this sweet, renovated historical home turned bookshop.

Slow burn romance, multiple life events, and a community that mends its tragedies through friendship and connection.

Multiple POV bring this story alive and take the reader into their thoughts and struggles. Each individual tries to heal on their own but end up turning to each other for help.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Atrai Books, for the advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #TheSandyPageBookshop #Romance #GeneralFiction #WomensFiction #CapeCod #Entrepreneurship

I love books about summer in New England, and I love books about books—needless to say, I really enjoyed THE SANDY PAGE BOOKSHOP! This was a lovely slice-of-life read showcasing the magic of new beginnings and second chances. After her publishing career and her engagement fall apart in quick succession, Leah Powell is forced to abandon her life in Boston and move back to Cape Cod. Once in her hometown, she discovers a beautiful historic building in town and decides to turn it into a bookshop. In the process, she forges a fresh start not only for herself, but also for her new friends and coworkers.

This was such a sweet read! I found it hard to put the book down once I started, I was so absorbed in the story. Hannah McKinnon does a great job of depicting the setting and getting readers invested in the characters. They’re all going through their own individual struggles in their personal lives, but the Sandy Page Bookshop soon becomes a place for them to find healing, community, and growth. If you’re looking for a summery story with lots of emotional depth, definitely add this one to your TBR! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC, provided in exchange for an honest review.

Leah Powell, 35, has returned to her hometown of Cape Cod after her engagement to Greg ended followed by her losing her job. Her family home has been a vacation rental, but now she has moved into it. Nursing her wounds, she has found a beautiful old building built many years ago by a ship’s captain but which has been used for other businesses over the years but now sits empty. Leah decides she wants to rent it and open a bookshop.

Cleaning the place out, she advertises for an assistant and a young, gay man, Brad, answers her ad and helps her get the building ready.

Lucy Hart is a teenage girl hoping to find a part-time summer job and Leah sees the potential in her and hires her. Lucy is nursing her heartache as her sister, Ella, is in a hospital healing from a car accident with her boyfriend. She was in a coma for sometime but is slowly trying to wake from it.

Eudora Shipman, 75, is a retired high school guidance counselor and a fairly recent widow. Since losing her husband, she has been plagued with panic attacks when she tries to leave her home. But she becomes intrigued by the new bookshop and is happy when Leah asks her to lead knitting classes..

Luke Nickerson is a talented craftsman and has lived his entire life on Cape Cod. He remembers Leah from school and has always admired her. When he learns that she needs some work done in the bookshop so she can get it open quickly, he jumps in to help her.

All of the characters are carrying some kind of pain but work together for the success of the bookshop.

I really enjoyed this book and especially felt like I came to know all of the characters personally. There is heart here and shared pain but great friendships. Don’t miss this one.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Sandy Page Bookshop is a sweet, leisurely-paced novel that’s perfect for a beach day escape. Set during the summer season in Cape Cod, it offers a character-driven story filled with vivid details—from sun-warmed, vine-ripened, juicy tomatoes to specific beaches favored by locals and tourists alike—that bring the setting to life. Yummy local specialties like lobster rolls and clam chowder add a delightful regional flavor that left me craving a seaside visit.

The story follows Leah Powell, whose decision to turn a nearly-forgotten historic home into a bookshop is fueled by her deep love for her hometown, a career pause in publishing, and a dose of hope. As Leah’s dream takes shape, she connects with an eclectic cast of characters, including Lucy, a high school student trying to find her way in the midst of family tragedy, and Eudora, a retired school counselor confronting the complexities of her past. The rotating POV among these three women adds depth, offering insight into multiple life stages and perspectives.

While the plot holds few surprises, its predictability is part of the charm. The emotional arcs, gentle drama, and the sense of community make the journey worthwhile. It’s the kind of book where you can see where things are headed, but still savor each step along the way.

Warm, comforting, and rich in local color, The Sandy Page Bookshop is a feel-good read with heart—an easy recommendation for fans of cozy, character-centered fiction.

A feel-good story of second chances and the worlds we build together. Leah returns to her hometown to lick her wounds and weigh her options. When she decides to restore a historic building into a bookstore, she has no idea that she'll be building a community center where people can come together and perhaps find their future along the way.

I am drawn to books about books or bookshops. The Sandy Page Bookshop is a perfect summer read. Taking place in a small beach town during the summer, Leah returns home after losing both her job and her fiancé. Starting over by opening a book shop, she creates a place of new beginnings, not only for herself, but for her new friends and acquaintances. I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet story.
Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

You can never go wrong with a book about a bookstore, that’s just the truth.
This one is a heartfelt story following Leah after everything changes in her life and she returns to Cape Cod and surprises everyone by opening The Sandy Page, a bookstore, which quickly becomes a space for second chances.
There’s more to this story than Leah as we see amazing characters that bring color and feeling into this book.
This book was such a quick and easy read, fast chapters, easy but loving story. If your stuck or don’t know what to read this is a safe choice, you will enjoy it

“Summers in Chatham turned slowly like May leaves unfurling on branches, like a tide rising beneath a waxing moon…Hydrangeas burst forth along picket fences, the village swarmed with tourists, and the heat drove everyone to the shore.”

It is almost as if the author jumped inside my heart and my childhood and wrote a story encompassing all of the special things that make the Cape the Cape. And then added books. Always the special addition of books. From the Chatham Fish Pier to the Candy Manor and Ridgevale beach (I spent ALL of my childhood summers on that beach) this book couldn’t be any less than five stars.

Ohh my heart. I adored it. This was the most precious story and one I will keep with me and treasure. As soon as I get back to the Cape I will be buying the physical copy to keep on my shelves. I highly highly recommend it!!

“You know, you make all these plans. And you just keep going, doing your thing, assuming it will all work out accordingly—until life throws something at you. That’s the real test. How you handle the stuff life throws at you.” 💙

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and the author for the complimentary ARC.

The Sandy Page Bookshop is as lovely as the cover and title. I really enjoyed the characters in this story as well as the plot. I would love to read more about the characters in this novel. I loved how Leah stepped out of her life in publishing to open this bookshop in her home town. The other characters in this story add to the story in a way that makes me want to read other Hannah McKinnon books.

Thank you Net Galley, Hannah McKinnon and Artia Books for the opportunity to preview this title. The opinions shared are my own.
Happy Pub day! This novel is now available and would be perfect for your summer TBR!

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Rounded Up.

Thank you Atria and Brilliance Audio for the gifted copies.

The Sandy Page Bookshop
Hannah McKinnon
Publishing Date: July 22, 2025

🎧 Narrator: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw🎧

This small-town story really took me by surprise with how much depth it held. Set in Cape Cod, this is the perfect beach read if you’re looking for cozy heartwarming vibes wrapped around some heavier emotional themes and plot lines.

We get four main POV and at first it’s unclear how they will all weave together. We have Leah, who is returning to her childhood home on the cape after life took some tough turns. Luke, the dependable local who never left. Eudora, the widow and retired guidance counselor who struggles with anxiety. Lucy, the teen whose sister is in rehabilitation after a terrible car accident. And a cast of side characters who all add something special to the story.

What brings them all together? The opening of a The Sandy Page Bookshop.

This book had some really sensitive and emotional topics that the characters were living through, which took us on journeys of self discovery, recovery, and resilience. And yet despite this, it was also somehow cozy, sweet, and heartwarming at the same time. And who doesn’t love a story centered around books and a bookstore 🥰

🎧 Mia Hutchinson-Shaw’s narration was really great!