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A review by jennifermreads
The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak
2.0
Actual rating: 1.5 stars
I had never read Brenda Novak before. But with a title like The Bookstore on the Beach, it was screaming “I wrote this for Jennifer!” I mean, come on…it combines two of my absolute loves: books and beaches.
Except it didn’t combine them. Authors & editors: do not ever put the word “bookstore” in the title of the book unless said book’s plot actually has to do with a freaking bookstore. Casually mentioning a few popular authors and book titles does not make this a book about a bookstore or reading. And, it wasn’t even set in the bookstore. The connection? One of the three MC’s owns a bookstore and her daughter helps out in the bookstore when she comes home for the summer. So, yes, hackles up on this detail. Maybe minor to others. Not so for me.
I love novels that are multiple viewpoints, have multiple timelines, and/or have more than one main character. This novel had three MCs—or four. Again, it can be done with tight story telling and focus. But at halfway through the novel, I made a note (and, yes, I made the note in all caps): “THERE ARE TOO MANY DAMN STORYLINES IN THIS NOVEL!” Goodness this novel needed focus: Too. Many. Storylines. I get that many were connected. Frankly, Taylor’s storylines should have been edited out or been the focus. Period. Yes, the discussion around them was valuable and definitely provides opportunity for discussion among readers. But it was not the point of the story. Or it should not have been.
I guess I should have been warned by the blurb. There is a lot going on in those few paragraphs. But there are many books that cover a lot of ground and plotlines. The Bookstore on the Beach just didn’t do it in a manner that felt cohesive. Instead, it felt weighty and unwieldy.
And, yet, I finished the book. Why? Because I wanted to see how it all wrapped up. And it was wrapped up…in a huge, huge hurry. I got whiplash over the last couple chapters as everything was resolved. So much time building up and trying to get readers invested and then, BAM, end of book. And with the ending? I truly think it needed to end with Sometimes, I think author’s need to take that brave path and give an ending that will get readers’ hackles up! An unexpected, not-a-Hollywood-happy-ending can leave a more lasting impression!
I had never read Brenda Novak before. But with a title like The Bookstore on the Beach, it was screaming “I wrote this for Jennifer!” I mean, come on…it combines two of my absolute loves: books and beaches.
Except it didn’t combine them. Authors & editors: do not ever put the word “bookstore” in the title of the book unless said book’s plot actually has to do with a freaking bookstore. Casually mentioning a few popular authors and book titles does not make this a book about a bookstore or reading. And, it wasn’t even set in the bookstore. The connection? One of the three MC’s owns a bookstore and her daughter helps out in the bookstore when she comes home for the summer. So, yes, hackles up on this detail. Maybe minor to others. Not so for me.
I love novels that are multiple viewpoints, have multiple timelines, and/or have more than one main character. This novel had three MCs—or four. Again, it can be done with tight story telling and focus. But at halfway through the novel, I made a note (and, yes, I made the note in all caps): “THERE ARE TOO MANY DAMN STORYLINES IN THIS NOVEL!” Goodness this novel needed focus:
Spoiler
Mary: her secret about her kidnapping & Autumn being a product of rape. Autumn: her past with & having sex with Quinn as a teen (this was beat to death! And I was so glad when Quinn said “Stop!”), her missing husband Nick & the uncertainty if he is still alive, the quandary over “should I date him or shouldn’t I.” Taylor: her sexuality, her pregnancy. {A side note about the pregnancy: Why did they trust an OTC pregnancy test? Why did Quinn not insist that Taylor go to a proper doctor to confirm it?} Quinn (the possible fourth MC): stabbed by his ex, his mother’s illness.I guess I should have been warned by the blurb. There is a lot going on in those few paragraphs. But there are many books that cover a lot of ground and plotlines. The Bookstore on the Beach just didn’t do it in a manner that felt cohesive. Instead, it felt weighty and unwieldy.
And, yet, I finished the book. Why? Because I wanted to see how it all wrapped up. And it was wrapped up…in a huge, huge hurry. I got whiplash over the last couple chapters as everything was resolved. So much time building up and trying to get readers invested and then, BAM, end of book. And with the ending? I truly think it needed to end with