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A review by novelesque_life
The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak
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.***