Every Time You Go Away is a moving novel about a woman dealing with the unexpected loss of her husband Overall, I found it to be a quick, enjoyable summer read.

To be honest, this book was just not very appealing to me. I felt like Willa's inability to move on after her husband's death was trite. While I understand her grief, the fact that she abandoned her motherly duties with her son was atrocious. What mother would do that There could have been so much depth to this book, but it fell flat and did not engage me in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am sorry for the inconvenience, but I don't have the time to read this book anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

This book was beautiful. It definitely focused on grief in a way we’ve not seen in other books. The story of Willa and Jamie takes a new turn as the two main characters go back to their summer home, three years after the death of their husband/father, to restore the place and sell it. Willa begins to heal as she purges the house of items that were Ben’s and gives it a new makeover with fresh paint and furniture. In the course of revisiting the location where Ben breathed his last, Willa begins to see him, after he’s passed. She and he begin to have conversations and then late night rendezvous. And they’re not tacky or inappropriate, they are sweet and realistic conversations that a widow might have, if she had the opportunity to reach out to her beloved, very much missed husband.

Jamie, Willa’s son, at the beginning of the book, has a dreadful girlfriend who is desperately in need of being let go. It is just too much -it breaks my heart to read about a young woman who is so unstable and needy. Mothers and fathers, spend time with your daughters, so they won’t turn into this hideous Roxy! Her texts, phone calls and incessant pleas for Jamie were unnerving, but sadly realistic. Eventually, Jamie stands up to her and goes to visit his mother, which is so necessary to them both moving through grief.

Throughout the summer journey of revisiting and remembering, mother and son become closer, and healing begins, and it’s with the help of a wonderful friend, Kristin and her daughter, Kelsey. And the direction that the kids take as a result of “fixing up the place” just opens doors for more romance.

I loved the pace of the book, the realistic parts that made sense regarding Willa wanting to reconnect and have some peace on moving on, and I really enjoyed the moments where the author recounted Willa’s memories for us. Working through the death of a loved one is never easy. And I felt her descriptions and imagery was believable. It was a sad story that dealt much with healing, loss and grief.

Caution: If you have an event you are working through, this may trigger some feelings and heartache, but it was very well written and sweet.

I chose this book because I liked Beth Harbison’s book When in Doubt, Add Butter. Interestingly, that book also has a character named Willa but I don’t think it’s the same Willa as in this book. If you’ve read both books, let me know what you think. I read When in Doubt, Add Butter several years ago so I don’t remember many details.

Anyhoo, on to the review. Willa’s husband Ben died unexpectedly of a heart attack at their beach house three years ago. Their son Jaimie was just fourteen years old. After avoiding the beach house since then, Willa decides it’s time to sell it and moves in for the summer to fix it up. Soon, Ben’s ghost appears to her. He’s not a white-sheet type of ghost – he’s just like Ben was when he was alive but Willa is the only one who can see him.

Willa and her son haven’t had the best relationship with each other since Ben died. Willa has been too obsessed with her own grief to recognize the extent to which Jaimie is hurting too. Jaimie has an annoying girlfriend who is a borderline stalker. After they break up, he decides to go help his mother with the beach house, much to her surprise. Once he’s there, they begin to reconnect, although it’s still a struggle.

Obviously, this isn’t a totally realistic book since one of the characters is a ghost. If you don’t think you can suspend your disbelief to accept that Willa’s dead husband visits her, then skip this book. I was able to do that and thought that it was a cute story. Even though the premise is sad, it never got heavy enough to be a depressing read. I would call it a “cozy” paranormal romance. Or something like that. It was definitely a cozy something. Since the setting is the beach and it’s a light read, it would be a good beach read. The temperature is still in the 80s where I am in the Midwest – it’s not too late to squeeze in another summer read!

This was an enjoyable read, even though I felt that it was a bit too long.

Thanks ro NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book! I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to follow along with more stories from the author.

Beth Harbison writes about one woman missing her husband and heading back to their coastal home to get it ready to sell. All is going fine until an unexpected visitor shows up and she can't believe anything that she thinks.

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

This is a wonderful read for the beach this summer. I live in Maryland and I really enjoyed the references to Ocean City and the landmarks specific to the area. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between grief and moving forward for everyone. Again a great beach read!

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this anymore. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

Beth had me feeling all the feels in this beautiful read. It tugged at my heart and had me tearing up and laughing. I really enjoyed this read and highly recommend it!

This was my first book by Beth Harbison. I’ve had some of her books on my to read list for a while, and I was happy to get the chance to finally read one of her books. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. I was excited about this one after reading the synopsis, but I was bored through most of the book. It didn’t meet my expectations, but I’m not writing her books off altogether. I’d like to give her another chance!

I enjoyed this book. The loss of a husband and carrying on as a single parent is a sad reality that the main character has to face. In the process, she is visited by the ghost of her husband or is it just her mind playing tricks on her. The overall story is good and well written.

I love reading books by Beth Harbison when I need a funny, light-hearted rom-com, but this one was just okay for me, because I’m not even a little bit in to paranormal, ghost stuff. I would not recommend this book because of that component of the story. If you do like a romance where one of the main characters is long-dead, then this is for you. Otherwise, pass and read literally any other Beth Harbison book.

Every time I read a Beth Harbison book, it comes at the right time and hits home. And this book, Every time You Go Away is no different. Dealing with issues of love, tremendous loss and moving on, this book moved me to tears and made me laugh out loud. Perfect for readers who like "chick lit" with more substance and depth of feelings. The characters were authentic and I never felt like the author was dumbing down the teen's emotions or thoughts. So many times adult authors miss the mark when they aren't used to writing a teen voice. An added bonus was the genuine sites and sounds (and smells!) of Ocean City, MD. Harbison knows this location well and it added to the depth of the novel. Perfect for a beach read!

So why only 4 stars? Some of this was a little repetitive and I think could have been edited a little better. There were too much of Willa's own rambling thoughts and I found myself skipping. The true heart of the book is the interaction between the characters not the rambling of Willa.

Thank you so much for this ARC.

Unfortunately, I was not able to read this book completely as it did not capture my interest.

Every Time You Go Away is a story about a broken family that finds healing in the least likely place. It is about loss, love, friendship, and memories and letting go. Willa's and Jamie's stories touched me deeply, and I loved the setting in Ocean City, Maryland, where I used to spend a lot of time when I lived nearby. This is a good book that deserves a read.

I have read every book by the author and this latest one did not disappoint! I wish I would be able to see and talk to missed loved ones. Even if just for one day. I also enjoyed the relationship between the two friends and also with the son and daughter. This story was so refreshing!

If your headed for the beach and want a light and fluffy read to get lost in under the hot sun, this is the book for you. This is well written and easy to imagine and you won't have to think hard to figure the storyline out. The perfect beach read for a hot summer day.