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jillydc's review against another edition
2.0
Although I enjoyed this read, it has a lot of problems in my opinion.
By the way the author tiptoed around homosexuality, I had to double check the date the book was written. Seriously? We can’t introduce a lesbian character without alluding to “what she is?”
Beside this, Text conversations were sometimes delineated and other times not, which made for some very confusing paragraphs, and I hated that the ending came so abruptly.
By the way the author tiptoed around homosexuality, I had to double check the date the book was written. Seriously? We can’t introduce a lesbian character without alluding to “what she is?”
Beside this, Text conversations were sometimes delineated and other times not, which made for some very confusing paragraphs, and I hated that the ending came so abruptly.
lisaboys's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Cursing, Infertility, Grief, Death of parent, and Death
samalvarez823's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely LOVED the title of this book. I mean, who among you bookies and beach lovers would not want to have a bookstore on the beach? That would be the ultimate dream for me!
The story was really good, a Mom brings her two kiddos to her Moms place for the summer while mourning her husband. Her husband who’s been gone for two years but, it’s unknown if he’s dead. He disappeared doing a mission and she hasn’t been able to find out any information about him. While visiting Sable Beach, she sees her first love and tried her hardest to not fall for him but, that doesn’t happen. Quinn has always had an effect on her and she’s so lonely she can’t resist. Love is a powerful thing…
I definitely enjoyed this read, loved the characters and their personalities. It’s a wonderful beach read, no pun intended haha. Special thanks to Brenda, Harlequin and NetGalley for the review copy!
The story was really good, a Mom brings her two kiddos to her Moms place for the summer while mourning her husband. Her husband who’s been gone for two years but, it’s unknown if he’s dead. He disappeared doing a mission and she hasn’t been able to find out any information about him. While visiting Sable Beach, she sees her first love and tried her hardest to not fall for him but, that doesn’t happen. Quinn has always had an effect on her and she’s so lonely she can’t resist. Love is a powerful thing…
I definitely enjoyed this read, loved the characters and their personalities. It’s a wonderful beach read, no pun intended haha. Special thanks to Brenda, Harlequin and NetGalley for the review copy!
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
5.0
This was an emotional roller-coaster of a book, a story of three generations of women at crossroads in their lives. Each woman faces a life-changing decision that will impact her and those around her. Though the combination of events stretched likelihood, I felt that each one was handled realistically.
Autumn, the mom, needs a break. Her husband Nick disappeared a year and a half earlier while on a business trip to Ukraine. She spent the time since then using every means at her disposal to find him but with no success. Nick's disappearance has been hard on their son Caden and daughter Taylor also. Autumn feels they need to get away from the memories at home and takes them to her hometown for the summer. Time at the beach and with their grandmother will be good for all of them. She never expected to run into her high school crush and feel the stirrings of old feelings.
Autumn's mom, Mary, loves having her family there for the summer, but this summer, she is on edge. A secret that haunted her for many years could hurt her family if exposed. She doesn't know whether to come clean about it or try to bury it even deeper.
Meanwhile, Autumn's daughter Taylor doesn't know what to do. She loves her father, and his disappearance left her feeling emotionally adrift. In an attempt to feel some emotion, Taylor did something she regrets but can't be undone. A chance to enjoy her summer appeals, but the consequences of her actions make that enjoyment problematical. A new friend both helps and complicates the turmoil Taylor feels.
The last central character is Quinn. After his divorce and his wife's imprisonment for attempting to kill him over imagined infidelities, he returned to his hometown. Quinn helps his parents with their restaurant as his mother battles cancer. Autumn's arrival brings some light to a dark time in his life.
I loved the interweaving of the storylines as the summer progressed. Each character and their problems were vividly portrayed with realistic thoughts and actions. I liked following each one as they slowly worked through their problems, knowing that their family would be there when needed. Mary broke my heart as she dealt with her past. The horror she survived and overcame was devastating and amazed me with what she accomplished. Her overprotectiveness with Autumn and the children made sense. I could feel her fear when she learned about the private investigator and her reluctance to do anything about it. There were some unexpected twists as she faced the past, but in the end, she was stronger than she knew.
Taylor's situation wasn't uncommon for a teenager but had some added complications. Depression over her father's disappearance led to drinking too much at a party and contributed to the mistake of sleeping with her brother's ex-best friend. Now she faces the consequences of that mistake and the potential of hurting her brother in the process. Never one to make friends easily, Taylor is surprised by how quickly she connects with a local girl, Sierra. Sierra is a bit of an outcast, rough around the edges but amazingly sensitive and supportive. It was easy to see where their friendship was headed, and I thought it was beautifully handled. Sierra's support also helped Taylor deal with the boy in question (a first-class jerk) and face her family. I loved how it worked out, though there were a few bumps along the way.
The most significant part of the story belonged to Autumn and Quinn. They saw each other for the first time since high school on Autumn's first day in town. Her memories of that high school encounter still embarrass her, but Quinn tries to put her at ease. She intrigues and attracts him, but her wariness forces him to be patient. Autumn is exhausted, mentally and physically, from long months of uncertainty. She doesn't know if she's still married or a widow, whether she should keep searching or let go and move on. The more time Autumn spends with Quinn, the more she realizes the differences in her feelings for him and her feelings for Nick. Quinn is a nice guy, patient, and kind, but also determined to show Autumn how much she means to him. Autumn's internal battle with herself was hard-fought, but she couldn't deny how he made her feel. I liked watching her slowly let go of her fears and open herself to the possibilities. Not everything was sunshine and roses, as various family issues added to Autumn's stress. Quinn has some great scenes with the kids, a couple of which have the potential for disaster. There was a bit of a hiccup when Quinn confessed a secret, but that was handled quickly. I loved seeing Autumn take hold of the future with optimism while wondering if fate was done with her. The intensity of the ending had me glued to the pages until it was all over. I wish there had been an epilogue as I would like to have seen them a couple of years down the road.
#netgalley
Autumn, the mom, needs a break. Her husband Nick disappeared a year and a half earlier while on a business trip to Ukraine. She spent the time since then using every means at her disposal to find him but with no success. Nick's disappearance has been hard on their son Caden and daughter Taylor also. Autumn feels they need to get away from the memories at home and takes them to her hometown for the summer. Time at the beach and with their grandmother will be good for all of them. She never expected to run into her high school crush and feel the stirrings of old feelings.
Autumn's mom, Mary, loves having her family there for the summer, but this summer, she is on edge. A secret that haunted her for many years could hurt her family if exposed. She doesn't know whether to come clean about it or try to bury it even deeper.
Meanwhile, Autumn's daughter Taylor doesn't know what to do. She loves her father, and his disappearance left her feeling emotionally adrift. In an attempt to feel some emotion, Taylor did something she regrets but can't be undone. A chance to enjoy her summer appeals, but the consequences of her actions make that enjoyment problematical. A new friend both helps and complicates the turmoil Taylor feels.
The last central character is Quinn. After his divorce and his wife's imprisonment for attempting to kill him over imagined infidelities, he returned to his hometown. Quinn helps his parents with their restaurant as his mother battles cancer. Autumn's arrival brings some light to a dark time in his life.
I loved the interweaving of the storylines as the summer progressed. Each character and their problems were vividly portrayed with realistic thoughts and actions. I liked following each one as they slowly worked through their problems, knowing that their family would be there when needed. Mary broke my heart as she dealt with her past. The horror she survived and overcame was devastating and amazed me with what she accomplished. Her overprotectiveness with Autumn and the children made sense. I could feel her fear when she learned about the private investigator and her reluctance to do anything about it. There were some unexpected twists as she faced the past, but in the end, she was stronger than she knew.
Taylor's situation wasn't uncommon for a teenager but had some added complications. Depression over her father's disappearance led to drinking too much at a party and contributed to the mistake of sleeping with her brother's ex-best friend. Now she faces the consequences of that mistake and the potential of hurting her brother in the process. Never one to make friends easily, Taylor is surprised by how quickly she connects with a local girl, Sierra. Sierra is a bit of an outcast, rough around the edges but amazingly sensitive and supportive. It was easy to see where their friendship was headed, and I thought it was beautifully handled. Sierra's support also helped Taylor deal with the boy in question (a first-class jerk) and face her family. I loved how it worked out, though there were a few bumps along the way.
The most significant part of the story belonged to Autumn and Quinn. They saw each other for the first time since high school on Autumn's first day in town. Her memories of that high school encounter still embarrass her, but Quinn tries to put her at ease. She intrigues and attracts him, but her wariness forces him to be patient. Autumn is exhausted, mentally and physically, from long months of uncertainty. She doesn't know if she's still married or a widow, whether she should keep searching or let go and move on. The more time Autumn spends with Quinn, the more she realizes the differences in her feelings for him and her feelings for Nick. Quinn is a nice guy, patient, and kind, but also determined to show Autumn how much she means to him. Autumn's internal battle with herself was hard-fought, but she couldn't deny how he made her feel. I liked watching her slowly let go of her fears and open herself to the possibilities. Not everything was sunshine and roses, as various family issues added to Autumn's stress. Quinn has some great scenes with the kids, a couple of which have the potential for disaster. There was a bit of a hiccup when Quinn confessed a secret, but that was handled quickly. I loved seeing Autumn take hold of the future with optimism while wondering if fate was done with her. The intensity of the ending had me glued to the pages until it was all over. I wish there had been an epilogue as I would like to have seen them a couple of years down the road.
#netgalley
br3nda's review against another edition
3.0
I’m kind of stuck on how I feel about this book hence the 3 stars. I wasn’t completely in love with all parts of the story. When I started the story I wasn’t pulled in. I kept reading but it took a bit of time to get me to the point that I didn’t want to put it down. Usually it takes me about 5-7 days to read a good book. This one was double that.
At a point a little over half way through, I lost that connection and started skipping paragraphs, then pages. There was just so much drama for one small family and no action. Nothing seemed to be happening. A missing husband/father, a family ordeal from the past, a second chance romance, a criminal ex-wife, cancer, an unexpected teen pregnancy, sexuality questioning. This book covers it all and at some point was hard to imagine it was possible.
Even with all of the drama and the characters to go with it, the storylines were easy to follow. Once I got through to the last quarter of the book I started being interested in reading all the pages and paragraphs once again.
The ending brought the decision that I hoped would happen but I was really disappointed there wasn’t an epilogue. I would’ve liked to have read how all the many dramas had been resolved, not just the few.
Thanks to HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
Ps...
I rarely make comment on quotes from the books I read but there is one in this story that I have to... “I might die, Quinn, but my love for you never will.” My heart took a hit as I read this quote. I went back and read this sentence a few times. And even as I wrote this review I was remembering it and had to go back and get the exact quote. There is so much in these few words said from a mother to a son. It is sticking with me. ♥️
At a point a little over half way through, I lost that connection and started skipping paragraphs, then pages. There was just so much drama for one small family and no action. Nothing seemed to be happening. A missing husband/father, a family ordeal from the past, a second chance romance, a criminal ex-wife, cancer, an unexpected teen pregnancy, sexuality questioning. This book covers it all and at some point was hard to imagine it was possible.
Even with all of the drama and the characters to go with it, the storylines were easy to follow. Once I got through to the last quarter of the book I started being interested in reading all the pages and paragraphs once again.
The ending brought the decision that I hoped would happen but I was really disappointed there wasn’t an epilogue. I would’ve liked to have read how all the many dramas had been resolved, not just the few.
Thanks to HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
Ps...
I rarely make comment on quotes from the books I read but there is one in this story that I have to... “I might die, Quinn, but my love for you never will.” My heart took a hit as I read this quote. I went back and read this sentence a few times. And even as I wrote this review I was remembering it and had to go back and get the exact quote. There is so much in these few words said from a mother to a son. It is sticking with me. ♥️
jennifermreads's review against another edition
2.0
Actual rating: 1.5 stars
I had never read Brenda Novak before. But with a title like The Bookstore on the Beach, it was screaming “I wrote this for Jennifer!” I mean, come on…it combines two of my absolute loves: books and beaches.
Except it didn’t combine them. Authors & editors: do not ever put the word “bookstore” in the title of the book unless said book’s plot actually has to do with a freaking bookstore. Casually mentioning a few popular authors and book titles does not make this a book about a bookstore or reading. And, it wasn’t even set in the bookstore. The connection? One of the three MC’s owns a bookstore and her daughter helps out in the bookstore when she comes home for the summer. So, yes, hackles up on this detail. Maybe minor to others. Not so for me.
I love novels that are multiple viewpoints, have multiple timelines, and/or have more than one main character. This novel had three MCs—or four. Again, it can be done with tight story telling and focus. But at halfway through the novel, I made a note (and, yes, I made the note in all caps): “THERE ARE TOO MANY DAMN STORYLINES IN THIS NOVEL!” Goodness this novel needed focus: Too. Many. Storylines. I get that many were connected. Frankly, Taylor’s storylines should have been edited out or been the focus. Period. Yes, the discussion around them was valuable and definitely provides opportunity for discussion among readers. But it was not the point of the story. Or it should not have been.
I guess I should have been warned by the blurb. There is a lot going on in those few paragraphs. But there are many books that cover a lot of ground and plotlines. The Bookstore on the Beach just didn’t do it in a manner that felt cohesive. Instead, it felt weighty and unwieldy.
And, yet, I finished the book. Why? Because I wanted to see how it all wrapped up. And it was wrapped up…in a huge, huge hurry. I got whiplash over the last couple chapters as everything was resolved. So much time building up and trying to get readers invested and then, BAM, end of book. And with the ending? I truly think it needed to end with Sometimes, I think author’s need to take that brave path and give an ending that will get readers’ hackles up! An unexpected, not-a-Hollywood-happy-ending can leave a more lasting impression!
I had never read Brenda Novak before. But with a title like The Bookstore on the Beach, it was screaming “I wrote this for Jennifer!” I mean, come on…it combines two of my absolute loves: books and beaches.
Except it didn’t combine them. Authors & editors: do not ever put the word “bookstore” in the title of the book unless said book’s plot actually has to do with a freaking bookstore. Casually mentioning a few popular authors and book titles does not make this a book about a bookstore or reading. And, it wasn’t even set in the bookstore. The connection? One of the three MC’s owns a bookstore and her daughter helps out in the bookstore when she comes home for the summer. So, yes, hackles up on this detail. Maybe minor to others. Not so for me.
I love novels that are multiple viewpoints, have multiple timelines, and/or have more than one main character. This novel had three MCs—or four. Again, it can be done with tight story telling and focus. But at halfway through the novel, I made a note (and, yes, I made the note in all caps): “THERE ARE TOO MANY DAMN STORYLINES IN THIS NOVEL!” Goodness this novel needed focus:
Spoiler
Mary: her secret about her kidnapping & Autumn being a product of rape. Autumn: her past with & having sex with Quinn as a teen (this was beat to death! And I was so glad when Quinn said “Stop!”), her missing husband Nick & the uncertainty if he is still alive, the quandary over “should I date him or shouldn’t I.” Taylor: her sexuality, her pregnancy. {A side note about the pregnancy: Why did they trust an OTC pregnancy test? Why did Quinn not insist that Taylor go to a proper doctor to confirm it?} Quinn (the possible fourth MC): stabbed by his ex, his mother’s illness.I guess I should have been warned by the blurb. There is a lot going on in those few paragraphs. But there are many books that cover a lot of ground and plotlines. The Bookstore on the Beach just didn’t do it in a manner that felt cohesive. Instead, it felt weighty and unwieldy.
And, yet, I finished the book. Why? Because I wanted to see how it all wrapped up. And it was wrapped up…in a huge, huge hurry. I got whiplash over the last couple chapters as everything was resolved. So much time building up and trying to get readers invested and then, BAM, end of book. And with the ending? I truly think it needed to end with
Spoiler
Autumn going home with her husband. She talked on & on & on AND ON about how much she loved him. Guess what lady? Your husband that you love came back! And you gave him, what, two months to get over 20 months in a prison camp?! This one screamed for a “not an ending the reader really wants” and Autumn returning to the life she had happily led for years before her husband disappeared. Yes, go to Quinn’s mother’s funeral and, yes, talk to Quinn and say “Thank you for helping me heal. I’m sorry that, once again, timing was off for us.”meldav4's review against another edition
5.0
I just love The Bookstore on the Beach! I thought I had it all figured out, could predict what it was about, and how it would unfold, but boy was I wrong! I was happily reading along and then a twist completely changed the whole tone and I realized that this book was NOT going to be what I thought. The book was even better than I thought it would be, and more intriguing! I had a hard time putting it down and even stayed up until 2:00 AM on a work night to finish it! It was that good and worth the lack of sleep!
Being a mom to a teen and a tween, I am starting to face different types and levels of issues, and this book reminds me how many more there still are. I did appreciate seeing things from the teens’ perspective as well as the mom’s, it is good to see both sides and I hope to remember that myself during times that I am facing situations with my own kids.
Being a book lover myself, and one who has always treasured going to the library and book stores with my mom since I was a little girl, I could completely relate with Autumn when she talked about books. She said she “once hoped to read every book in the store. She hadn’t quite made it, thanks to new releases and fluctuating inventory, but she’d read more books than most people. She still considered books to be a big part of her life.” I had the same goals one day and also feel like I will never make a dent - there are so many fantastic books being written all the time! Thank you Brenda Novak for keeping us busy! You once again have written what I know will be a bestseller!
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
#thebookstoreonthebeach #netgalley #harlequin @brendanovak
Being a mom to a teen and a tween, I am starting to face different types and levels of issues, and this book reminds me how many more there still are. I did appreciate seeing things from the teens’ perspective as well as the mom’s, it is good to see both sides and I hope to remember that myself during times that I am facing situations with my own kids.
Being a book lover myself, and one who has always treasured going to the library and book stores with my mom since I was a little girl, I could completely relate with Autumn when she talked about books. She said she “once hoped to read every book in the store. She hadn’t quite made it, thanks to new releases and fluctuating inventory, but she’d read more books than most people. She still considered books to be a big part of her life.” I had the same goals one day and also feel like I will never make a dent - there are so many fantastic books being written all the time! Thank you Brenda Novak for keeping us busy! You once again have written what I know will be a bestseller!
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
#thebookstoreonthebeach #netgalley #harlequin @brendanovak
adenise47's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really good book. Lots of twists to be a romance book. I would definitely recommend this book. Brenda No am never disappoints me!
msnyderk's review against another edition
3.0
Just a whole lot of plots happening all at once. Just made me feel scattered when reading it. All the plots do get tied up and descriptions are all there but I felt like it just didn’t add up. Maybe if it wasn’t just one book?