A perfect summer read! Rehobeth Beach is the perfect backdrop and readers can feel like they are actually eating Thrasher's fries. Willa is a likeable widow who you just want to be able to love again. She struggles as a parent just like the rest of us. A very emotional and personal novel that tugged at all of the heart strings. A must for all your summer reading lists.

Every Time You Go Away seems to have two different book blurbs on goodreads. In one the main character is Jane and her husband cheated on her. In the one I read the main character is Willa and her husband had died of a heart attack three years ago. I'm pretty sure that this is the book that will be released on July 24th.

I was sort of expecting this book to be more romantic and light-hearted. I guess this book is Women's Fiction. The narrators are Willa (36 years old, 1st person POV) and her 17 year old son Jamie (3rd person POV).

The story is basically about a woman trying to get over the loss of her husband. There is really no romance, except for a bit of teen romance. And there is a paranormal element that is a key part of this story. But I just didn't really like that part at all. I would have preferred to read about a woman finding love again.

What I did like about this book was the beach house that Willa owned. This was a big part of the story. I also really liked her best friend Kristin and Kristin's daughter Kelsey.

It definitely seemed different to me that her teenage son was one of the narrators. And it was also really unusual to have no romance for the lead character (unless you consider pining over her dead husband romance). Overall, this book was a quick read. And it was somewhat enjoyable. I just needed more.

Every Time You Go Away
Beth Harbison
Available: July 24, 2018

Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I wanted to love this book – I thought it would be all Ghosty (like the movie) and there would be a dramatic scene with Roxy, there may be a future romance on the horizion for Willa, there would be a definitive ending – something. On that front, it was a disappointment. It was a cute, summer chick-lit read but just okay.
What I loved: Ocean City is an dark horse for summer beach locations – The upper East Coast of Nantucket, the Cape, even Providence, Rhode Island and the Jersey Shore seem to be more popular for locales for summer homes so it was nice to read and learn about an underdog summer escape. Lord knows the food choices sound absolutely amazing but not a lot of crabs?? Isn’t that what Maryland is known for? Crab cakes and football?
What I didn’t love: I get where Willa and Jamie are coming from – and maybe the ending was just that they were both starting back on their journey of actually living their lives but it was really weak. Sell the house or don’t, fall in love or don’t – I really didn’t care after finishing the book because it seemed like it really didn’t have closure.
What I learned: Lord knows the food choices sound absolutely amazing but not a lot of crabs?? Isn’t that what Maryland is known for? Crab cakes and football?
Overall Grade: B-

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Willa's (her name apparently changed after I got my ARC from NetGalley and the publisher) beloved husband dies, leaving her alone to raise their son. When she returns to the beach house where he died, she sees him everywhere. Not just memories... This is an easy read and good for a day at the pool or beach. Not much attention is needed to keep up with the storyline. It does end awkwardly. As I was reading a Kindle version, I was not prepared for that to be the end.

Willa’s husband Ben died unexpectedly leaving her to raise their fourteen year old son Jamie. Now, three years later, they are back at their beach house with the intention of getting it ready to sell. Willa is unprepared for seeing Ben again but there he is – or at least a version of him is there and he has a reason for appearing. Willa and Jamie have been stuck since his death and he wants to encourage Willa toward her new future. She has to grapple with all the emotions you’d imagine. This is a bittersweet novel that made me think about how I’d handle things if I were in Willa’s position. I found her reactions and feelings believable. I felt so sad for Jamie and then cheered him on as he began to move through his grief. With the help of their long-time friends Kristin and her daughter Kelsey, the future seems less daunting for Willa and Jamie. There are moments of such sadness balanced by lighter, more humorous scenes making it an emotional reading experience for me. I’m glad I had the chance to read it.

When Willa loses her beloved husband Ben unexpectedly, the following three years seem to be lived in overwhelming grief. She’s barely able to function and the relationship with her fourteen year old son suffers.

Ben died at their beach home and Willa has been unable to visit but she finally decides it’s time to fix it up to sell. I could understand not going right away but three years is a long time to not visit a second home, but everyone progresses through grief on different timetables.

I loved that she began seeing Ben at different ages and eventually has conversations with him. When she saw a young boy and thought he looked like her son, I feared the story was heading into an even more painful direction. I wondered how that would play out – was she imagining Ben or was he real? I know I would love to be able to speak to past loved ones again!

When her son Jamie, her friend Kristin, and later Kristin’s daughter, Kelsey join her to help with the house, Willa begins to lighten up and enjoy being at the beach house again.

I could definitely feel Willa’s grief, Jamie’s growing into a young man but still grieving all alone, and wonder how I would have reacted. While the story had many sad parts, Willa’s joy at seeing Ben again was poignant. I’m not into reading supernatural stories but this seemed different and a way to help Willa to face the future. The conversations between Willa and Ben broke my heart at times and I felt Willa’s pain when Ben would fade away until the next time. The story ends on a positive note for Willa and Jamie but I would have liked to see Willa meet someone and little more about her future.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this early copy.

Every Time You Go Away by Beth Harrison was a really good beach read! This is the first book I read by this author and I loved it. The characters and story was well written and it was a story that rugged on my heart.

Really enjoy this story, liked the characters and could relate to them in many way. Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this.

Many thanks to Beth Harrison, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this touching novel, soon to be published on July 24th. Willa has lost her husband who was working on their “summer home” three years ago and has remained in a tailspin. She decided to sell the “summer home” and met with a realtor who gave her a list of things she needed to do to put it on the market. Her son, Jamie, was reluctant to join her but after a breakup with a toxic girlfriend he decides to join her. I cried tears of heartbreak and tears of joy. I felt their loss and then the joy of their reconnection. Loved the character of Ben - just the right amount of dialogue etc. to give some background to their relationship. Most times I felt like I was right there observing their interactions. A very enjoyable read!

⭐️⭐️.5— Every Time You ago Away by Beth Harbison
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Willa lost her husband Ben three years ago. Jamie lost his father three years ago. Though they share their loss, they cannot share themselves. Willa knows she has been an absent mom to her son. She understandably is still mourning her husband, but cannot be there for her son or face the beach house where he dies. But it’s time. So Willa heads to the beach house and that’s when she sees him— Ben. Will seeing her husband help Willa move on?
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I thought this book was fine. I think plenty of readers will enjoy Willa and Jamie’s story. I felt for Jamie and what he was going through. To feel almost invisible after already losing one parent is tough.
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I gave it 2.5 stars because to me the pacing was too slow. It took until about 40% for the book to start moving for me. The first part of the book is mostly Willa’s perspective and her grief. While the grief was important to understand, it took a bit long to get out of it. Also, there was a loose end/character or two that I thought abruptly just went away. Again, I liked the book— though 2.5 might not seem like it. But if the pacing was just a little faster, I would have rated it higher.

This novel reminded me a lot od the movie "Ghost." Ben, who died prematurely, leaving a wife and teen son, comes back as a ghost to their beach house, a place his wife had avoided since he died there alone 3 years before. Willa has a lot of healing and grieving to do, and a lot of repairing of her relationship with her son. Predictable, but an enjoyable read. (Netgalley review)

I adored this book. As a woman, we juggle many hats and loss can be crippling. One decision leads down many paths and this book is very relatable regarding families, friendships and loss. I would reccomend this to anyone.

Every Time You Go Away seems to have two different book blurbs written for it and two different covers. I'm using the blurb and cover that match the advance copy of the book that I received and I truly hope this is the version that is published as the final copy as the story really did live up to their tag line of "a heartfelt, emotional story about healing a tragic loss, letting go, and coming together as a family".

The majority of the book is told from the prospective of Willa who is still grieving the passing of her husband three years before from a heart attack. Ben had been at the family beach house alone when he passed and in the years since Willa hasn't been able to bring herself to go to the house or to take her son there but now Willa believes it's time to let go and sell the house.

After arriving Willa feels something a bit off and her dog is also reluctant to enter but Willa just chalks it up to nerves. After meeting with a realtor Willa begins the repairs that will need to be made and finally convinces her teenage son, Jamie, to come help. Soon the two are joined by some long time family friends and Willa finds that she is the only one seeing her ex-husband every around the house.

Every Time You Go Away is the third book I've read by Beth Harbison and while each have the contemporary foundation to build upon they each have contained something else a little extra to make them unique. In this one we have the main character communication with her husband's spirit in the home and while some may not be a fan of such a thing in this type of read I rather enjoyed the added twist. The underlying story is still about bringing their family back together after such a huge loss and learning just how to live again themselves and to move on. It's was definitely a touching and emotional read in a beautiful beachy setting so I definitely enjoyed this one rating it in the end at 4.5 stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

With a different twist, Beth Harbison writes about how a woman deals with her husband's death in Every Time You Go Away.

A powerful story about moving on after losing the love of your life.

It’s been three years since Willa Bennett’s husband, Ben, passed away in their beach house in Ocean City. Willa hasn’t been back since then. When she finally decides to sell the house, she heads there to prepare it for the sale. When Willa arrives, she finds more than just memories. Ben’s ghost is there too. But he’s not there haunting the house. He has returned to help Willa move on. He doesn’t want her grieving for him anymore. He wants her to find love again. He also wants to help mend her relationship with their son, Jamie.


While Willa thinks she is going crazy at first, she starts to look forward to Ben’s visits. Then, Willa’s friend Kristen arrives to help Willa and soon Kristen’s daughter, Kelsey, and Jamie are there. The four of them spend the summer making new memories as they prep the house for sale. But in the end, will they be able to say goodbye to the beach house that has created so many great memories?

Even though this book deals with death and is very emotional, it really was an enjoyable story. I had a hard time finding a spot to end each night. The only problem I had with the book was I wanted more closure in the end. I would have loved to have seen Willa find someone new and see if Jamie and Kelsey’s friendship turned to romance. The descriptions of the beach and surrounding area took on a whole new character of the book too. It was easy to visualize the scenes. I would recommend this book to all of my friends and family.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

The Goodreads description of the book before I started writing this is all wrong. In the ARC, “Jane” is Willa and Ben was the love of her life and he didn’t cheat on her and they weren’t divorced when he died!
All that being said I loved this book. This is my first book written by Beth Harbison and it won’t be the last. If you like the movie Ghost you will love this book. This book is about moving forward, love and death. Every Time You Go Away is a great summer read.

I am going to start this review out on a complaint. If you go on Goodreads, you will notice that there is a different blurb for the book. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the NetGalley page feature the one I used for the synopsis. I got confused about what I was reading because the blurbs were different. I went through a small "WTH" moment when I realized that. I came <this close> to emailing the publisher to clear up the confusion. I didn't after reading several reviews that pointed out the same thing. At that point, I decided to use Amazon's blurb because it matched with what I read on NetGalley's page. I do not like being confused. And over something as simple as a blurb.

Not that is out of my system, let's get to how I feel about the book. I liked Every Time You Go Away, even if it made me feel sad for about 90% of the book. I liked that the author shows that love transcends death. I liked that I was able to see Willa heal while fixing up the beach house. I liked that Ben was able to help with Willa's healing. I liked that Jamie ended up being a normal teenager, once he got away from his possessive ex-girlfriend. This is a book that you need to read with a box of tissues nearby because you are going to cry. Trust me on this one.

There were parts of the book that I didn't like. I didn't like Roxie. She brought nothing to the book except stress for Jamie. She was a manipulator. Oddly, I didn't like the real estate agent. She grated on my nerves. I know it was her job but she could have shown a little more tact and understanding to Willa's situation. I also wasn't a huge fan of the ending.

I thought Willa was a hot mess at the beginning of the book. She took no pleasure out of her life after Ben died. She existed. She shut herself from everyone, including her son. Her anxiety was out of control. I thought I was bad with having my kids check in. She so much worse. But I understood why she was like that. To have someone died so suddenly was traumatic. I loved seeing her gradual healing throughout this book. Being at the beach house was what she needed, even if it brought back memories of her and Ben.

I liked the paranormal turn that the book took. While I thought that the book would have been fine as it, having Ben helping Willa get over him made the book even better. I did get some vibes from Ghost during the scenes when they interacted. Mainly the end of the book.

I liked the sub-storyline with Jamie and Kelsey. It was cute and mirrored Ben and Willa's. I do wish that the author gave some closure to that storyline. I would have loved to see if they ended up together.

Like I mentioned above, I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending. I didn't feel satisfied with it. I wanted more. I wanted to know what was going to happen to everyone. The book just ended. I get driven nuts by that.

What I liked about Every Time You Go Away:
A) Love transcends death

B) Ben helping Willa getting over his death

C) Jamie ending up as a normal teen after dumping his psycho girlfriend

What I disliked about Every Time You Go Away:
A) The confusion over the blurb

B) Roxie. I did not like her

C) The ending. Wasn't a huge fan of that.

I would give Every Time You Go Away an Adult rating. There is no sex but there are sexual situations. There is very mild language. There is no violence. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are trigger warnings in Every Time You Go Away. They are the death of a parent/spouse and anxiety. If you are triggered by those, I suggest that you don't read this book.

I would reread Every Time You Go Away. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank. St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Every Time You Go Away.

All opinions stated in this review of Every Time You Go Away are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

This is my first Beth Harbison book and I was a little disappointed. I was excited for a beach ghost story but found the story slow and somewhat hard to believe. I almost gave up a quarter of the way though but since it was a quick read I pushed through. Overall it was a quick easy read and I would give it 3 stars. I plan on reading another book by Beth Hardison and hope it is better than this one.

Willa has been unable to move on from her young husband Ben's unexpected death at their vacation home in Ocean City, MD. After two years, she decides it's time to clean the house out and put it on the market. When she arrives, a real estate agent makes suggestions as to what should be done to make the house marketable. Unable to do the work herself, she has her son, her best friend and her friend's daughter come help her.

Once the house is ready, will Willa be able to sell it? Or will the new memories and friends she's made keep her in Ocean City? This thought provoking book will have you wondering what you would do in Willa's place. What decisions would you make if in a similar situation? Truly enjoyed this novel...thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy for review!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the ARC. This book is a perfect beach read. Starts out sad but in the end is a story of a woman moving forward.