When Willa's husband dies unexpectedly at their beach house, she's left with her grief to raise her 14-year-old son by herself. She finally feels ready to return to the beach house to get it ready to sell, as the memories are just too much for her to handle. Imagine her surprise when she's greeted by her husband's ghost. A story of love, loss, and learning how to live afterward.

Willa is a widow, struggling with accepting the death of her 36 year old husband. Willa decides to go back to the summer home three years later to clean it up and sell it. The plan falls through as an unexpected visitor creates doubt. Willa’s son Jamie decides to stay with her, as they both have to learn to live without Ben. Just okay for me, a bit repetitive, and felt that the book needed more of Harbison’s humor.

Every Time You Go Away is a beautifully written story of loss, grief and moving forward. This book is o well written and I loved th plot and the characters. I highly recommend this book.

I received an ARC of this novel from St. Martin's Press to be shared through Netgalley. I am a huge Beth Harbison fan and I have read all of her books, so I was eagerly looking forward to reviewing her copy of, Every Time You Go Away. (I know, now try to get the song out of your head!) It is kind of hard to describe this story, because it is a ghost story, but it is not scary or sinister. It is also a love story, so maybe a good comparison would be the movie Ghost?
Willa and Ben were the perfect couple. They had a son Jamie and a beautiful summer home in Ocean City, Maryland. One weekend when Ben was at the lake home alone, he died. Willa and Jamie have been so grief stricken that they have been unable to return to the site of Ben's death. Willa has pretty much checked out of life and parenting. One day she finally gets tired of all the sadness and decides to go to the summer home to clean it up and put it on the market. When Willa arrives she is greeted by Ben's ghost. She, of course thinks she has finally lost her mind, so she reaches out to her best friend Kristin and her son Jamie for help. Clearly, there is a lot more than just the beach house that needs to be put back in order, but will it be a little too late?

I thought this was a very touching story. It didn't go overboard as it easily could have done considering the subject matter. I thought it was very well written.

Berth Harbison use to write entertaining books, that were also just a little silly. Now, I don't find any of this in her more recent books.

I am not sure if she is trying t become "more serious" or if she has lost her funny bone, but Everytime you Go Away is very blah. Nothing to write home about at all.

Characters, dialogue and especially plot line and writing are boring.

I like switching up genres so I look forward to this new book by Beth Harbison who always writes fun fiction. Every Time You Go Away has a cute premise, and I know from her other books that this is going to be a light, humorous story.

Here’s the synopsis:

Jane Holcomb isn’t exactly a widow, though she feels like one. She divorced her unfaithful husband, Ben, ten months before he died of a heart attack at the beach house he got in the divorce settlement. He was thirty-two. Two years later, Jane returns to the house to clean it up in preparation to sell it. Much to her surprise, Ben arrives soon after her. He has finally learned his lesson, finally realized she’s the love of his life and that he blew things big-time by cheating on her—unfortunately, he’s only learned this after death.

Jane has to contend with her ghost of an ex-husband discreetly while also dealing with the coming and going of various guests—including her sister, who wants to know what the heck is going on with suddenly-skittish Jane, and a handsome contractor who sets sparks flying at Jane, much to the consternation of her jealous late husband. Jane will have to find the strength and independence within herself, as well as the forgiveness that will help her move on with her life and Ben move on past this mortal medium where he is stuck trying to atone for his sins with a sassy ex-wife.

This looks like the perfect book to read on a weekend, a nice girly story that will keep you entertained. If you haven’t read Beth’s other books, check out Hope In a Jar which I really enjoyed!

I adore Beth Harbison, I was happy to receive an ARC. She does a great job developing her characters. I really would like to get to know them. I a little bit particular when it comes to reading metaphysical stories but Beth does a great job.
Willa's husband Ben passes away from a heartache at their beach house in Ocean City, MD, it has been 3 years since she has been back. When she returns, Ben is "there" to help her move on. A tender heart warming story that we pull at your heart strings.

I was ultimately disappointed with this book. As far as plots goes it was a great one, a woman and her son grieving for a husband who died a sudden death at too young an age. It’s three years later and Willa is on her way to their beach home for the first time since his death, to clean it for sale, and confront old memories. Once there she reconnects with her husbands ghost, relives the past, her son comes down fleeing a bad girlfriend relationship, and her best friend and her daughter come to help. All good so far, then the book stalls, becomes a little preachy, and ends at what I would have considered the middle of the book. All the plots are resolved abruptly, decisions are made, and you’re left hanging wondering what ultimately happens with their decisions.

I love Beth Harbison. I've read every single book she's written, so I was thrilled to see that an advance copy was available to request on NetGalley. The formula is somewhat reliable, as Harbison does not deviate far from a combination of humor, well-developed characters and a little heartstring-pulling. I'd venture to say this is her most heartfelt, emotionally vulnerable book to date, as it deals, obviously, with the aftermath of death.
After losing her husband suddenly to a heart attack three years prior to where the story begins, Willa is still in an emotionally raw place as she returns to the couple's beach house (where her husband, Ben, actually died) to begin the process of cleaning it out on order to list it for sale. At first Willa questions her sanity as she catches glimpses of her deceased husband.... is he really there? Turns out, he is, in fact, appearing to Willa, sent from above to help her along in her grieving process and to remind her to LIVE . Start with a ghost--Throw in Willa's no-nonsense best friend, Kristin; Kristin's daughter, Kelsey; and Willa and Ben's son, Jamie, and you have yourself a party. This book had me hugging my own children and husband a little tighter at night, reminding myself that life is short, but also taking comfort in the fact that our loved ones never are truly GONE. It usually takes quite a bit for a book to move me emotionally, but this one managed to do just that. I really was able to relate to Willa's plight of carrying on with her life after experiencing death of the man she adored; I understood why she became distant from her teenage son. I understood why she was in no hurry to let go, no hurry to date.... But I cheered her on when she began to repair the relationship with her son. I was proud when she decided to let go of unhealthy attachments to the past in order to make room for healthy memories and for new experiences. It was a journey I was thrilled to be on with Willa. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to hug her son (and my own).... all in all, this is another wonderful book from Harbison. She long ago cemented her place on my must-read author list; Every Time You Go Away strengthened that foundation.

I absolutely loved this book! Could not put it down. Such a great story about love and loss and relearning how to do it all over again. Would highly highly recommend this book.

Another great read from Beth Harbison. I've long been a fan of her work since Shoe Addicts Anonymous and this book does not disappoint. Funny, tender, lighthearted in all the right spots, and with a touch of mystical. This is a perfect summer read.