Reviews

Serendipity by Becky Chalsen

chaptersofchase's review

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

Three Weekends + Four Friends 
Thank you, Dutton Books, for the gifted copy of Serendipity by Becky Chaldean {partner}

Genre: Fiction
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 6.4.2024
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆


I wasn’t sure what I would find in the pages of Serendipity - I just knew I was drawn toward the title and the beautifully illustrated cover. What I found inside was a nostalgia-filled story that reminded me of the friendships I still carry in my heart even though we’ve all gone our separate ways. 

The setting of Fire Island provided the perfect setting and added an almost magical feel. Yes, the friends still went out drinking at night, but during the day, they became the sand castle-building kids of their youth. 

While I didn’t love the ending, I tried not to let that shadow my overall enjoyment of the story. I think a lot of people will enjoy the ending, but it just wasn’t for me. 

☀️The setting
🗣️ Multiple POV’s
🫶🏼 A love letter to friendship
👏🏼 Perfect summer reading
🤷🏽‍♀️ The ending was just okay

I recommend reading Serendipity if you’re looking for a light summer read to take to the pool, lake, or beach!


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readandwright's review

2.75

Thank you Dutton Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own. 

I was truly so excited to read Chalsen’s new book. I read her first book in one sitting last year and it brought such Summer comfort in the middle of Winter. Sadly, this book missed the mark for me. While it still took place (mainly) on Fire Island, it lacked the personal charm of Kismet. It had all the ingredients for a book I’d love but I felt like I couldn’t get to know the characters in the way I expected, based on her first book. 

Synopsis: 

“It’s been six years since Maggie followed her screenwriting dreams to Los Angeles and forgot to look back. But things in Hollywood didn’t go quite to plan. Now, twenty-five and suddenly home in New York, Maggie doesn’t know who she’s more anxious to see: her ex-boyfriend, Mac, or her ex–best friend, Liz.

For Liz, Maggie is the girl who abandoned her at the worst possible moment and an unwelcome surprise who could derail her perfect summer. Liz is recently engaged to her high school sweetheart, Cam, but Maggie’s arrival brings old wounds bubbling to the surface, exposing the cracks in Liz’s apparent happily ever after.

When Maggie accepts her former friends' unexpected invitation to join in their summer share house, a rental named Serendipity, she knows it’s the chance she needs to get her life back on track. For three weekends, Maggie, Liz, Cam, Mac, and their closest friends will take the ferry to Ocean Beach, Fire Island, for some sun-kissed bliss, if only they can avoid the drama of their past catching up to the present.

With the nostalgic flavor of a stack of sepia-toned Polaroids, and perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Jennifer Weiner, and Ann Brashares, this big-hearted, page-turning story delves deep into a complicated friend group as they navigate one messy yet magical midtwenties summer.” —NetGalley

What I Liked: 

1. The Setting—I loved the author’s debut novel set on Fire Island and while I liked the idea of this book, I just think it kind of missed for me. There was too much going on. 
2. The Group of Friends—I loved the group of friends and the image of them gathering together for multiple weekends in the Summer at a beach house. The dream!

What Didn’t Work: 

1. The Writing—I felt like there was a very distinct shift from the author’s first novel to the second. I didn’t click with the style in this one!
2. The Switching 3rd POVs—There were so many characters and I felt like I never got to know the ones I wanted to spend time with, as the POVs getting changing. It was also written in 3rd POV making it very impersonal for personal stories. 

Character Authenticity: 3/5      Spice Rating: 0/5        Overall Rating: 2.75/5