Harbison tackles a tough subject in Every Time You Go Away, with dignity and honesty. The main character, Willa, has been struggling since her husband Ben died unexpectedly a few years past. She has been living on cruise control, not facing all aspects of his death and not parenting their teen son Jamie very well. Ben passed away in their summer house a few hours from their home and Willa has not been back since. She could use an infusion of cash and the memories are so strong there, she has decided to sell it, so she goes down on her summer break (Willa is a teacher) to clean and prep for the sale. Within a week or so, her son (now 17), best friend Kristin and her teen daughter join Willa to help put the house together. This support system plus the occasional visit from Ben (ghost, spirit, presence...whatever term you prefer) helps her cope and ultimately move forward.

There was the potential in this book to get preachy or melodramatic. Instead, Harbison addresses a spousal death with what seems to be doses of reality mixed in with some spiritual fantasy. If you like stories with ghosts and at times, improbable aspects, and find the occasional ‘what if,’ then this books for you

Thank you Netgalley for my ebook of this perfect beach read.
Although I didn't get a chance to read this at the beach or even this summer, it was the perfect lighter beach read. Some of the content wasn't exactly light, but the author kept it sweet with some bittersweet and we got to see a family grow and move on.

This was a story of Willa and Jamie going on with their lives after the death of Willa's husband and Jamie's father, Ben. It had been about 3 years when Willa had finally decided that she had to return to their summer home and tend to everything that needed to be taken care of. The story is told in first person from Willa's POV and 3rd person for Jamie's POV. It works. You get to feel first hand what Willa sees and goes through at the summer home. And you feel and understand Jamie as a teen. He is the typical teen that doesn't exactly like his mom, but doesn't hate her. Parents "just don't get it". Just a typical teen-parent relationship that could use some working on. Both of their lives were upended and they both dealt with the loss of a loved one very differently. But when Willa arrives on her own at the place they spent many summers at, she is surprised to feel and sense her husband, Ben.

This story is about searching for ones self, healing, moving on, love, family and friendship. We get to see Willa with her friend Kristin and how supportive their friendship is. They love each other and provide a form of comfort for one another. As do their kids, Jamie and Kelsey. They seemed to have lost touch after many years, but a summer at their beach house can change it all. It's one big cycle of love, grief, friendship and making decisions that can effect your life for short term and long term.

I have to say that I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It was light and the perfect beach read. But it was also a journey for Willa and Jamie for their relationship with each other and with Ben and their summer home. With the added bonus of Willa's interaction with Ben, I think we got to see a family deal with grief and their love. Willa had a hard time moving on, but with Ben's actions and words, I think she just may get there.

If you want a book that is sweet with some parts lonely and some parts touching, this is a great book of fiction. Nothing too dramatic, but a family and their attachment to a home that they once thought they couldn't ever connect with again.

I really enjoyed this book! I think you have to have some belief in the afterlife to enjoy it or at least be able to suspend disbelief but it was well-written and the plot moved along swiftly.

Willa's husband Ben died suddenly and she hasn't been able to go to their beach house since. When she finally gets up the nerve to go, she's greeted by her husband's ghost. At first, he's there as a young man and eventually, he can speak to her but not to their teenaged son.

The book explores her grief and how talking to his ghost gives her closure. I recommend this book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Three years after her husband's death, Willa returns to their beach house where Ben died for the first time to get it ready to put on the market to sell. She knows she hasn't been a good mother for their son, Jamie, since Ben died; it has taken everything she can just to keep herself together. Fixing up the beach house feels like one more hurdle Willa can't face, and the memories were overwhelming enough before her husband's ghost starts appearing at the beach house. Jamie, Willa's best friend Kristin, and her daughter Kelsey all come for one last summer at the beach house to get it ready to sell. Willa hopes to reconnect with Jamie, and Jamie and Kelsey get one last summer to reconnect in their childhood friendship.

I think we all wish the ghosts of our loved ones could come back to visit us, to let us know that they still love us and want us to be happy in our lives like Ben did with Willa in this book. The story started a little slow but got better and better as it went along. This was my favorite of Harbison's books so far; I look forward to reading more of her books!

Beth Harbinson has been a long time favorite of mine! I love her writing style and the ease with which she tells her story. I thought this was such a great book on friendship, grief, love, and healing! I think this will be one of those books that anyone dealing with anything similar will LOVE and relate to!

I'm a big Beth Harrison fan, so I appreciate being able to read this ARC from Net Galley! Here, Harbison writes a mystical love-story set in one of my favorite places - Ocean City, MD. The setting ALONE would have convinced me to read this book, as we travel to the DE and MD beaches every summer.

Every Time You Go Away by Beth Harbison is a book I read because I have enjoyed previous books by this author. Had I read the description, I would not have opened it. I do not enjoy ghost stories, this book has the ghost of Willa's husband appearing throughout. To overcome this, I viewed the ghost as her imagination and some wishful "seeing/hearing" that was meant to help her move on. As it turned out, I really enjoyed the story and reading about Willa, Ben, Jamie, Kristin, and Kelsey. Losing a spouse has to be one of the most difficult things to overcome, especially at a fairly young age, and I liked how this book showed Willa working through the stages of grief and becoming a better mother and friend. The book is full of emotion and is written in such a way that I felt Willa's pain and her going from down about her situation to hopeful for the future.

St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Every Time You Go Away. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Willa lost all desire to go on when her husband Ben died suddenly, while he was away working on their beach house. For three years, she was barely a parent to their son, Jamie. Finally deciding to face the ghosts of the past, Willa goes to the beach house to prepare it for sale. Will the trip down memory lane be what Willa needs to fix the relationship with her son and her life in the present?

The biggest problem that I had with the novel was the fact that the author constantly uses pop culture references to try and connect to the reader. This did not help me because I felt I was being prodded along a certain path regarding Willa's thoughts and actions. I wanted Willa's story to unfold naturally but, instead, the author tried to show so much that the book fell flat. The trips down memory lane were fine, but when tied with the main story line, the book became repetitive and lost my attention entirely. Every Time You Go Away is not a book that I would recommend to other readers, for the reasons listed above.

I don't think the cover really reflects this story. I expected a sweet fun romance. Instead, it was more about Willa, who isn't particularly likeable, recovering from her husband's death.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I thought this was such a wonderful summery, beach read. I love the setting of a beach house, it makes me think cozy, loving, family time. Unfortunately for Willa, our main character, her husband Ben passed there so it brings up some tough memories, so her decision to sell it seems like the best idea. I enjoyed the plot lines and how you got to see things from all of the character’s perspectives.

Willa was a very loving mother and friend, who can’t let go of her late husband, who she is still very much grieving. I loved the relationships with all of the characters and how he closest friend drops everything to be there for her. She has amazing people in her life and it really made me appreciate the relationships I have in my life.

Overall I would recommend this one if you are looking for a quick, summery read, with a lot of emotional roller coasters. The whole ghost aspect of this could have easily ruined this book, but it was done perfectly in my opinion. The writing is gorgeous and flows so beautifully. I will absolutely be reading more books by this author!

A cute, lighthearted tale ..... nothing that’ll keep you up all night with, but definitely worth the read! I do find this author’s a a little draggy at times, but that might just be me.

I am usually a huge fan of this author but this book really fell short for me. I felt that the premise was good but there could have been more of the side plots to make the story more interesting

When I saw the setting of this book was Ocean City, Maryland, I just knew I had to read it! Growing up in Maryland, this was our annual summer beach vacation spot.

It was an emotional story with the husband of the main character passing away. They had a beach house in O.C. and for years she couldn't bring herself to go there or take her son. When she finally does, the author added some supernatural to the story which I loved.

Reading this book brought back so many wonderful memories of the boardwalk. Her writing was so descriptive, I could smell Thrashers Fries, hear the waves, shop for salt water taffy, and be a child once again with my parents that I miss so much.

It was both a heart warming and heart wrenching story at times. Definitely an excellent book that I thoroughly enjoyed!

* I was provided an ARC to read from the publisher and NetGalley. It was my decision to read and review this book.

Beth Harbison steps away from her better-known love stories to introduce a character who is left melancholic and broken from the sudden death of her husband. The plot packs an additional punch: she can talk to her husband, and sees him everywhere. Whether this is real or a figment of the wife's imagination, will be up to the reader to decide. But Harbison weaves love and longing into every paragraph without delving into overly sweet or sappy. Definitely one to read.

I have always been a fan of Beth Harbison's books. Usually I speed through them and am left with feelings of happiness and contentment and I (not so) patiently await her next release. Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. At first I was really into, it has a great premise and I really enjoyed the Jamie chapters. But the more I read the more I found my mind wandering. I felt like I never really got to know the characters, especially Willa. I couldn't relate to her at all. It's almost as if Harbison just skimmed the surface of who these characters really are.

I will continue to be a Beth Harbison fan but I find her earlier books but I recommend you pass on her latest two.

This was my first Beth Harbison novel and it sucked me in immediately. I felt very connected to the characters from very early on. I thought the ended was wrapped up a little too neatly, too quickly - I really wanted to see more of the characters development. The supernatural/ghost element was very interesting also. It was very well-written and not too cheesy/corny. I would definitely read another Beth Harbison book in the future!

Thank you to Beth Harbison, the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Couldn't finish. I do not like books where a love story is told using a ghost. Not my cup of tea. This disappointed me because I usually enjoy this author---but this book didn't pull me in. I found myself not caring about the main character and didn't feel much empathy toward her situation.

4 Stars!

This is the first time I’ve read a Beth Harbison novel and it has me excited to read more from her. This story was such sad and honest and real and it made my heart sing.

Willa has been a widow for three years, since her husband, Ben, passed away at their shore house. After his death, Willa is shit down by her grief and becomes an absent parent to their son, Jamie.

Several years later, planning to put the shore house on the market, she visits for the first time since Ben’s passing. She is surprised to see the house is falling apart and begins fixing it up.

As she is confronted with not only the place where Ben passed but the memories of the times they shared, she indulges in reminiscing about a happier time and is confronted by Ben’a ghost.

Every Time You Go Away is a magnificent story of love, loss, friendship and persevering through life’s toughest times. It took me on an emotional roller coaster that I didn’t want to get off.

Every Time You Go Away by Beth Harbison – A Review

Willa can’t move on. It’s been three years since her husband died unexpectedly while alone at their beach house. She feels her teenage son Jamie has lost both parents, as she failed to be the mom he needed to work through his own grief.

Finally deciding it’s time to sell the beach house, she returns to it for the first time since Ben’s death. Arriving alone, she is quickly visited by Ben’s ghost. Is he real? Or is she losing her last connection to sanity? Reluctantly, Jamie joins his mother to help prepare the beach house for sale. Her best friend Kristin, and daughter Kelsey, soon join them.

I love it when an author takes a supernatural situation and makes it totally believable. Harbison accomplished this wonderfully. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, or in an afterlife, your heart will break for Willa as she questions her sanity and sinks into her grief.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing was top-notch. The characters were developed, and the settings were detailed. The ending was very satisfying.

There were F bombs, though it wasn’t overflowing with foul language as many of today’s reads can be. Overall, I wasn’t put off by the language, but prefer a clean read.

I give this book 5 stars (with an asterisk for language.)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from
St.Martin’s Press via NetGalley.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really liked the premise of this novel, but somehow it just didn't work for me. The solutions were too easy, and didn't feel real. I was disappointed because I really had high hopes for this story. It wasn't badly written, it just wasn't something I ever was able to connect with.