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susanthebookbag's review against another edition
5.0
Believe it or not, this was my first Brenda Novak book. With all the books she has written, how is this even possible? Well, let me tell you, she has a new fan..... and I have a new 'must-read' author!
I was immediately captivated by her writing and felt very comfortable among the people and community that she introduced me to. I totally lost myself in this story and loved every minute of it. And what's not to love—books and a bookstore, summer and the beach, young love and rekindled love.
I absolutely loved my trip to The Bookstore on the Beach. It has all the ingredients for the perfect summer read. And I can't wait to get my hands on my next Novak story!
I was immediately captivated by her writing and felt very comfortable among the people and community that she introduced me to. I totally lost myself in this story and loved every minute of it. And what's not to love—books and a bookstore, summer and the beach, young love and rekindled love.
I absolutely loved my trip to The Bookstore on the Beach. It has all the ingredients for the perfect summer read. And I can't wait to get my hands on my next Novak story!
erinremen's review against another edition
5.0
It is a beautiful story with characters I fell in love with from the very start. It was heartbreaking and healing and, above all, full of love and being true to yourself and following your heart above all else. I could not put it down!
christinavarela's review against another edition
3.0
Described as a beach read. Started slow for me. I didn’t always love the writing, and the authors point of view. But by the middle of the book I was hooked, couldn’t put it down, I wanted to know what all the secrets were. They were plenty of secrets to be had.
nikkibabii's review against another edition
3.0
This review contains some spoilers:
No spoilers: This book was entertaining to say the least. Not great but definitely not bad. My biggest issue was with the characters.. I didn’t find them all that believable. Everyone was too…. Perfect. Too accepting, too supportive. Taylor was not super believable as a 17 year old.. some of her dialogue sounded like a much older woman. Mary was the perfect grandmother with a terrible past but other than that I felt her character was just unrealistically perfect. As with Laurie.
Spoilers: Autumn neglected her children in her search for her Husband which lasted 18 long months. At the first sign of a relationship she is willing to give up on her family and not really give it a chance because of an old fling she had 5 weeks with ?? Seems crazy. I find her character incredibly selfish. She was literally sad when nick showed back up and all she could think about was losing Quinn. The nail in the coffin is the last 2 pages of the book.. she’s going to go up to him AT HIS MOTHERS FUNERAL to beg for him back?! Like that’s the best time?? Idk Autumn felt selfish to me. I also didn’t love her dialogue in the book either.. she confessed to telling her husband about her first time with Quinn and they would laugh about it.. extremely childish. Their first date conversation at the restaurant in Richmond was extremely cringey I literally have no idea what Quinn saw in her.
Lastly.. Quinn. I just refuse to believe someone as well rounded and articulate and strong as Quinn would stay in a marriage for 20 years with a woman like Sarah. Jealous, manipulative, vindictive.. jealous of his relationship with his own mother.. why would he stay? That would be a red flag to me. But again .. all the characters were just unbelievable perfect and well rounded.
No spoilers: This book was entertaining to say the least. Not great but definitely not bad. My biggest issue was with the characters.. I didn’t find them all that believable. Everyone was too…. Perfect. Too accepting, too supportive. Taylor was not super believable as a 17 year old.. some of her dialogue sounded like a much older woman. Mary was the perfect grandmother with a terrible past but other than that I felt her character was just unrealistically perfect. As with Laurie.
Spoilers: Autumn neglected her children in her search for her Husband which lasted 18 long months. At the first sign of a relationship she is willing to give up on her family and not really give it a chance because of an old fling she had 5 weeks with ?? Seems crazy. I find her character incredibly selfish. She was literally sad when nick showed back up and all she could think about was losing Quinn. The nail in the coffin is the last 2 pages of the book.. she’s going to go up to him AT HIS MOTHERS FUNERAL to beg for him back?! Like that’s the best time?? Idk Autumn felt selfish to me. I also didn’t love her dialogue in the book either.. she confessed to telling her husband about her first time with Quinn and they would laugh about it.. extremely childish. Their first date conversation at the restaurant in Richmond was extremely cringey I literally have no idea what Quinn saw in her.
Lastly.. Quinn. I just refuse to believe someone as well rounded and articulate and strong as Quinn would stay in a marriage for 20 years with a woman like Sarah. Jealous, manipulative, vindictive.. jealous of his relationship with his own mother.. why would he stay? That would be a red flag to me. But again .. all the characters were just unbelievable perfect and well rounded.
bookishwithwine's review against another edition
5.0
Thoughts
This was such a heartwarming read! A mix of family drama, mystery, heartbreak and romance this book has it all. I loved the mystery aspect of figuring out where Autumn's husband disappeared to and why her mother, Mary, wouldn't tell her who her father is. Two mysteries in one book what a ride! I enjoyed getting points of view from Autumn, Mary, Autumn's daughter and more!
There is just something about a coastal small town setting that makes me want to visit. The fact that Mary helps run a bookstore is just icing on the cake. I liked that her mother's house is the only place Autumn feels like she can rest after trying unsuccessfully for 18 months to find her husband. His disappearance affects her two kids as well, but going home to Sable Beach changes all three of them for the better until Autumn is told the boy she pined for when she was in high school has moved back to their small town. Now she is torn between staying in the past with her missing husband or moving forward with someone who is right in front of her. Meanwhile Mary believes this could be her last chance to tell Autumn about her horrible past because someone has arrived in Sable Beach looking for the girl she used to be. The secrets and the hard truths are front and center at the end of this page turner.
I really enjoyed this book. I flew through it, and was pleasantly surprised that the author did not leave any questions unanswered. Thank you Uplit Reads and Author Brenda Novak for my #gifted copy. You don't want to miss this perfect summer read when it comes out on April 6, 2021.
Book Rating: 5/5
Wine Pairing: St Supéry Sauvignon Blanc
This was such a heartwarming read! A mix of family drama, mystery, heartbreak and romance this book has it all. I loved the mystery aspect of figuring out where Autumn's husband disappeared to and why her mother, Mary, wouldn't tell her who her father is. Two mysteries in one book what a ride! I enjoyed getting points of view from Autumn, Mary, Autumn's daughter and more!
There is just something about a coastal small town setting that makes me want to visit. The fact that Mary helps run a bookstore is just icing on the cake. I liked that her mother's house is the only place Autumn feels like she can rest after trying unsuccessfully for 18 months to find her husband. His disappearance affects her two kids as well, but going home to Sable Beach changes all three of them for the better until Autumn is told the boy she pined for when she was in high school has moved back to their small town. Now she is torn between staying in the past with her missing husband or moving forward with someone who is right in front of her. Meanwhile Mary believes this could be her last chance to tell Autumn about her horrible past because someone has arrived in Sable Beach looking for the girl she used to be. The secrets and the hard truths are front and center at the end of this page turner.
I really enjoyed this book. I flew through it, and was pleasantly surprised that the author did not leave any questions unanswered. Thank you Uplit Reads and Author Brenda Novak for my #gifted copy. You don't want to miss this perfect summer read when it comes out on April 6, 2021.
Book Rating: 5/5
Wine Pairing: St Supéry Sauvignon Blanc
sbojo32's review against another edition
3.0
I think the description for this book is a bit misleading. This is a book about a family that is reeling from a tragedy. They escape to the beach where Mary, Autumn's mother lives and runs a bookstore.
I enjoyed the book and the intertwined stories of Mary, Autumn, and Taylor (Autumn's daughter). However, I think the book tried to tackle too much. Kidnapping, homosexaulity, pregnancy, rape, missing people, cancer, etc. etc. There was A LOT and none of it was truly fleshed out really well.
If the author had focused primarily on one of the women and their story, I think this might have been stronger. It was hard to figure out who to root for and by the end, it just... ended. I wanted a bit more leading up to the end.
I enjoyed the book and the intertwined stories of Mary, Autumn, and Taylor (Autumn's daughter). However, I think the book tried to tackle too much. Kidnapping, homosexaulity, pregnancy, rape, missing people, cancer, etc. etc. There was A LOT and none of it was truly fleshed out really well.
If the author had focused primarily on one of the women and their story, I think this might have been stronger. It was hard to figure out who to root for and by the end, it just... ended. I wanted a bit more leading up to the end.
jennabuythebook's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh, okay. Short and sweet for this one. Is it just me or are all these "on the Beach"-ish books the same? I'm all for a great beach read. And I don't mind characters who are older or younger than me as long as they are likable and engaging. Maybe it's just the women's/relationship fiction with every drama one could think of that I just can't buy into, because if you've read one, you've read them all. I don't know. All I know is this one was nothing special for me. It was entertaining but forgettable. Too much going on. Too many characters in crisis. Too many side problems to keep track of. I think I just need to steer clear of this type of book in the future. From now on, just give me allll the rom-coms with characters I can root for, love stories that mean something, and a story that actually focuses on the beach and makes me want to travel.
This just missed the mark for me.
This just missed the mark for me.
jessolson89's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Violence
notinjersey's review against another edition
3.0
The Bookstore on the Beach would be a perfect read for a beach vacation. It took me awhile to read, and it isn’t short, so I think it would be perfect for grabbing on the beach! It is about three generations of a family, all who are going through various issues and keeping secrets from each other. There was a lot going on! The secrets kept by the family members were surprising – especially the grandmother’s. I felt like there was a lot crammed into one book! It wasn’t a favorite for me, but I do see it as being a good book for picking up on the beach or by the pool this summer.