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donnareadathon2021's review against another edition
4.0
The story
Mary co-owns an independent bookstore in a small East Coast coastal town. Her daughter Autumn’s husband Nick disappeared without a trace 18 months ago. Autumn and her teen son Caden and daughter Taylor are coming to stay with her for the summer. But no sooner than they arrive, several lies the family members are keeping from each other come to the surface. Will the four be able to share the truth and bring the secrets out into the open?
My thoughts
This is a powerful story but shew there is a lot going on. Mary is keeping secrets from Autumn, Autumn is keeping secrets from her mother and children. Taylor is keeping secrets from her mother. Miscommunication in stories bothers me, but lies and secrets bother me more. This story is well-written but there is a lot of emotion.
Mary co-owns an independent bookstore in a small East Coast coastal town. Her daughter Autumn’s husband Nick disappeared without a trace 18 months ago. Autumn and her teen son Caden and daughter Taylor are coming to stay with her for the summer. But no sooner than they arrive, several lies the family members are keeping from each other come to the surface. Will the four be able to share the truth and bring the secrets out into the open?
My thoughts
This is a powerful story but shew there is a lot going on. Mary is keeping secrets from Autumn, Autumn is keeping secrets from her mother and children. Taylor is keeping secrets from her mother. Miscommunication in stories bothers me, but lies and secrets bother me more. This story is well-written but there is a lot of emotion.
melbell016's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Honestly just too many cliches packed in. It felt forced. Mysteriously missing husband who suddenly reappears, boy from high school who she always loved, unknown dad, pregnant teen, teen questioning sexuality, it was a little much. The first half of the book was also slow. I know it’s meant to be a light-hearted read, but I still like it not to be cringey tropes piled in. And the ending was so fast. Truly last two pages of happily ever after.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, and War
it_smiy_bookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
This is a summer must read! It was so cute (look at that title!) and an easy read. Had a lot of family issues that any mother or daughter could relate to as well. Plus…. Anything having to do with a bookstore… sign me up! I loved the romantic twists this book had to offer, and it will be sitting on my bookshelf until I’m ready to pass it on to my daughter one day!
thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition
5.0
“The Bookstore on the Beach” by Brenda Novak. I don’t think I have read any books by Brenda Novak before and now I am wondering why not. What can I say other than I loved it and read in one day.
How do you start a new chapter of your life when you haven’t closed the book on the previous one?
The story is told from three generations of women—a grandmother, a mother and a daughter. It had everything you could want in a story love, regret, laughter, sadness, forgiveness, friendships and family however that might look.
I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. There were multiple sub-plots to keep you engaged and interested in the outcome. I must admit I choked up and even wanted to know more
I will definitely read other books by this author.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Harlequin and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
How do you start a new chapter of your life when you haven’t closed the book on the previous one?
The story is told from three generations of women—a grandmother, a mother and a daughter. It had everything you could want in a story love, regret, laughter, sadness, forgiveness, friendships and family however that might look.
I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. There were multiple sub-plots to keep you engaged and interested in the outcome. I must admit I choked up and even wanted to know more
I will definitely read other books by this author.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Harlequin and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
chrisynthia's review against another edition
3.0
Way too much going on for it to be so slow. Could have been great story. Still finished and enjoyed.
mooncricketjp's review against another edition
3.0
So, I liked this story but for as much as there was going on in this book, I don’t feel it had much substance and the ending was rushed. Personally, I think I would have enjoyed it more if just one of the conflicts had been taken out of the story along with about 100 pages. That being said, I think the author is a great story teller and still enjoyed the book.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
2.0
RATING: 2.5 STARS
2021; Mira/Harlequin
Rating The Bookstore on the Beach was really difficult for me. I have sat here for 30 minutes, distracting myself from writing this review. I will state that I have read and enjoyed Novak's contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels in the past. And, I will still try any of Novak's novels. Okay, here goes (deep breath)...
I rated this novel as 2.5 stars rounded down to 2, mostly because I enjoyed the writing but not so much the editing of this book. There is too much going on for one book. This seemed like a great pitch for a trilogy. You have Mary's backstory that really deserves a book on its own. Glossing over the trauma seemed unfair to Mary and readers. Maybe it seemed to be too heavy of an issue for a contemporary women's fiction genre, yet there was so much potential there. The story of Mary and her mother, along with her time after the incident seemed to just be a tease. I am still thinking about it after finishing this novel. That shows what a great storyteller, Novak is. Then there is Taylor's story. At seventeen she is going through many things - all of which seem like spoilers, but you will see coming. Lastly, there is Taylor's mother, and Mary's daughter, Autumn. Autumn's husband has gone missing and she has spent over 18 months trying to find him. For the summer she takes her two teenage children to her mom's home to decompress and figure out next steps. being that this is also a romance novel, you can imagine what is going happen next. This is not even all of it. There is more issues brought up, and not really dealt with. I guess that's life, but I am nosy and I want to know more.
I also found the ending abrupt. After 12 hours of listening to this audiobook, it just ended. I rewinded it twice to make sure it was really the end. I feel like the novel was super ambitious to touch a lot of different (and difficult) issues, but in the end, I just felt like something was missing.
If you think the above paragraph is tiring, I am not sure if this novel is the read for you. Do not get tempted by the title having the word "bookstore" in it. While there are some scenes in the bookstore and a book titles or two mentioned, there isn't anything really extra "bookish" about this novel. I did finish the book, and was interested in all the stories, but the missing husband. Maybe read a few more reviews on this one. I
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2021; Mira/Harlequin
Rating The Bookstore on the Beach was really difficult for me. I have sat here for 30 minutes, distracting myself from writing this review. I will state that I have read and enjoyed Novak's contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels in the past. And, I will still try any of Novak's novels. Okay, here goes (deep breath)...
I rated this novel as 2.5 stars rounded down to 2, mostly because I enjoyed the writing but not so much the editing of this book. There is too much going on for one book. This seemed like a great pitch for a trilogy. You have Mary's backstory that really deserves a book on its own. Glossing over the trauma seemed unfair to Mary and readers. Maybe it seemed to be too heavy of an issue for a contemporary women's fiction genre, yet there was so much potential there. The story of Mary and her mother, along with her time after the incident seemed to just be a tease. I am still thinking about it after finishing this novel. That shows what a great storyteller, Novak is. Then there is Taylor's story. At seventeen she is going through many things - all of which seem like spoilers, but you will see coming. Lastly, there is Taylor's mother, and Mary's daughter, Autumn. Autumn's husband has gone missing and she has spent over 18 months trying to find him. For the summer she takes her two teenage children to her mom's home to decompress and figure out next steps. being that this is also a romance novel, you can imagine what is going happen next. This is not even all of it. There is more issues brought up, and not really dealt with. I guess that's life, but I am nosy and I want to know more.
I also found the ending abrupt. After 12 hours of listening to this audiobook, it just ended. I rewinded it twice to make sure it was really the end. I feel like the novel was super ambitious to touch a lot of different (and difficult) issues, but in the end, I just felt like something was missing.
If you think the above paragraph is tiring, I am not sure if this novel is the read for you. Do not get tempted by the title having the word "bookstore" in it. While there are some scenes in the bookstore and a book titles or two mentioned, there isn't anything really extra "bookish" about this novel. I did finish the book, and was interested in all the stories, but the missing husband. Maybe read a few more reviews on this one. I
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss and NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
3.0
*I received a free copy of The Bookstore on the Beach from Harlequin MIRA via NetGalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review which is honest and unbiased.*
There was a lot to enjoy in this novel, compelling characters, a main story line that was quite strong, and a setting that was so nice I want to travel there.
However, there were also several things that didn't work for me completely.
Full review to come.
There was a lot to enjoy in this novel, compelling characters, a main story line that was quite strong, and a setting that was so nice I want to travel there.
However, there were also several things that didn't work for me completely.
Full review to come.
daniellem1's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0