A review by br3nda
The Bookstore on the Beach: A Novel by Brenda Novak

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. ♥️