A review by crafalsk264
The Beach Read Book Club by Kathryn Freeman

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted slow-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? Yes

3.5

Lottie is a small town electrician, a smart, loving, young woman. She has recovered from a break up a couple of years ago and now has a business, a house, friends and a large furry dog. Books are Lottie’s retreat and her love of them leads her to join the book club at the Library. But the librarian running the club keeps the selections to high brow titles and stuffy discussions. Lottie gets kicked out for trying to change things and decides to start her own club. First she needs a place to meet and what could be better than Books on the Bay, her favorite bookstore on the beach.

Matt has bought the Bookstore and moved himself, his father, and younger sister to this small coastal town to get a fresh start after his mother’s death. Matt is escaping from a high pressure financial job and a recent divorce from his unfaithful wife, so he feels they all need a new beginning in a different place. He now is trying to put all that behind by running a bookstore and cafe. When Lottie asks to hold a book club meeting in the Cafe after business hours, he is captivated by the bouncy, curly blonde who seems to enjoy everyone and everything. 

The Beach Reads Book Club starts with Lottie, Sally, her BFF, Gira, a 40s something woman worried that her husband is having an affair, Heidi, a divorced empty nester with nothing to fill her days but baking, and Audrey, a 70ish woman with a fondness for sexy rom-coms and gin.

Lottie and Matt find each other more attractive every day. They fall in love surrounded by the sexy rom-com book discussions fueled by Audrey’s bottle of gin, childbirth and a crying baby, a panicking canine, and an ex-boyfriend. This is a quiet, thoughtful romance with life affirming stories of friends and family. I enjoyed this book and recommend it as a warm, funny, touching rom-com and a perfect beach read.