
Member Reviews

Not my favorite book by Barbara Delinsky, mostly due to the fact it just seemed to drag on and on. Overall, the pace of the story was just s.l.o.w. The suspense of what was going on did keep me wanting to turn the pages to find out what happened in the past which is what the story is all about. Sorry to say, you are left hanging in the last pages as to what exactly happened.
This is a story about family secrets, parent and sibling relationships, romance and a 20 year old mystery that everyone wants to resolve.
If you are starting a list of 2020 beach reads, you should add this one.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and give my honest review about this book.

Once again, Barbara Delinsky creates credible, complex characters with engaging plot twists filled with twenty years of ignored small town complications that make this a must-read, page-turner! Relationships are examined as secrets and unsolved mysteries unfold—among sisters; among parents and children; among “friends”, and between the dynamics of true first loves. In the perfect setting, like waves that continuously thunder onshore and retreat, uncovering all sorts of artifacts in their wake, A Week at the Shore peels back all of the protective layers gained through twenty years of experiences, exposing the vulnerable, unanswered questions leftover from childhood. Secrets that changed the paths of the main characters are confronted and examined , all leading to a satisfying emotional healing of strengthened bonds forged so long ago. Powerful, moving, and realistic examination of timeless, unbroken, youthful ties carried explosively into adulthood culminating in the beauty of unexpected inner peace after a two decade storm.

Just the perfect book for a lazy day on the couch. Strong women with very human faults doing the best they can trying to come to terms with The Aldiss-MacKay affair. Something went very wrong on a boat ride twenty years ago in Bay Bluff, Rhode Island and the answers are lost in the withering mind of former Superior Court Judge Thomas Aldiss.
“Every memory is real, but not all are based on fact.” The Aldiss-Mackey affair is going to test everyone’s memory and challenge every probability and every relationship. In the twenty year span between then and now two daughters have fled the family home while one remained to care for their father, the ailing Judge. A telephone call, a threat, the Judge is out of control brandishing a gun and the memories force Mallory, the middle child, the peacemaker to return to a place she has avoided citing “conflicting loyalties”.
This is a well crafted tale that tests the boundaries of conflict avoidance vis-a-vis responsibility. There is an ongoing discussion of family dynamics and “family angst.” The characters are drawn with great detail and are in turn likable, insufferable, adorable, sweet, caring, cutting, lovable, frustrating and everything in between including dead and alive. If that doesn’t draw you in maybe the love interests, lust and sweaty stuff between the sheets will.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press fort a copy.

I've read most of Barbara Delinsky's books. This one was hard for me to like in the beginning. I did give it a chance and I'm glad I finished the book. I really liked to town setting and the character were relatable. The 3 sisters came together as a family when they were needed. I did like all three of the partners they had too. The father was my hardest character having just gone through Alzheimer's with my mother in-law. It brought back so many emotions but it was good to read about their story and let the tears flow for someone else. Thank you for the chance to read this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It dealt with a family dynamic very close to my own where sisters have been estranged. There was a lot going on plot wise so it was fast to read as you wanted to know what the next secret would be.

Another great novel from author, Barbara Delinsky! Set in a little coastal town on Rhode Island, with the ocean as a backdrop. Three sisters, Mallory , a real estate photographer and her daughter, Joy living in NYC; Margo living in Chicago; and Anne, who lives in the lovely water front home caring for their father, Tom a retired Judge and now exhibiting the early signs of dementia. One phone call brings everyone together. And, the long kept secrets come tumbling out..... Jack, the handsome man next door; the mystery of his mother's dr or or murder. Love affairs, embezzlement,, , and death make a great read.

Barbara Delinsky has delivered another great read in A Week at the Shore. A plot of romance, family and secrets. I highly recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

This is such a wonderful book. I love all of the characters as each is unique and described well enough to picture them in my mind. The story of three sisters who grew up in the same house but who see their childhood differently. A difficult father and a mother they didn’t understand has left them each with holes in their lives. When they are forced to return home they are plunged back into all of the questions and the pain is dredged up. The story is well written and each chapter blends nicely into the next. It draws you in so you feel yourself breathing the salty air and feeling the sand between your toes. My heart broke for each of the sisters and I could understand some of what each were feeling. This is a story of family, secrets, motherhood, love and loss. The love story added to the book and helped define Mallory instead of just being and add on. I like how all of the questions weren’t answered but it ended with hope for new beginnings. I felt good reading this book and I was happy to see Joy get the family she desired and the sisters beginning a new and stronger relationship. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this lovely book.

A phone call from the past brings Mallory back to her family's Rhode Island beach house. Far from her New York City home, the week threatens to ebb and flow her relationships. Her daughter's 'Joy' in discovering family ties, revealing the strain between the siblings, navigating a slippery father/daughter slope and rekindling of a former flame is 'shore' to make waves with their future.
Delinsky sets the protagonist forth to finding her herself. What seemed an escapism from the past fores Mallory to confront her demons. The story embraces family dynamics, unlocks a 20-year mystery and unearths the truth that's been buried.

Barbara Delinsky's many loyal readers will not be disappointed! This is another great story featuring romance, complicated family dynamics, relatable characters, and a beautiful coastal setting. It is the perfect beach book, but with enough depth to make it memorable. Recommend to readers who enjoy Nancy Thayer, Elin Hilderbrand, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristan Higgins, and Sarah Morgan.

A Week at the Shore by Barbara Delinsky
Book starts with dedication then the story. Goes way back to when the character was a young girl and all the memories til she realizes the camera is the secret she uses.
It captures so much more than she can remember.
Joy her daughter and her were to read a book together but she started it without her mother.
Mallory now is a professional with her camera taking real estate pictures. She gets a call from her old hometown, Westerly, RI which I am familiar with.
Jack grew up together and he is her best friend. Her dad scolded Jack and he's calling to tell her that he also had a gun.
Jack thinks her dad shot his mother....Joy talks her mom into spending a week at the shore with her relatives: Annie her sister and her dad.
As they arrive in town to walk around and get lunch Annie calls from the walk in clinic where their dad has injured himself and they meet there then onto the home...
So much happens when the family reunites and other friends come visit and she learns the real truth about her father. The relationships throughout the years draw close together with the tragedy as they all try to heal with loss and sorrow.
Surprised when she has her job to get back to in NY but she still has memories of RI.
Like family secrets come to light, learning about approaching dogs, healing, locations, friendships, photography, catching up with family and funeral arrangements in detail.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
I received this review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I love Barbara Delinsky. She is fantastic. Her stories never fail to touch my heart. Her characters are well developed and are so true to life. Do yourself a favor, pick up"A Week at the Shore". You will have to read (or reread) all her catalog of stories.

Sometimes we wait too long to go home again. Events and relationships from our past are what make us who we are. Even sisters can be separated for too long, and it takes an aging parent to bring them together again and bring an opportunity to find answers, forgiveness and healing.

This story is mainly about three sisters that for some reason do not speak. Well the oldest will not speak to the youngest but to the middle. The youngest will not speak to the oldest but will talk to the middle. Leaving her to always be the peacemaker. I didn't really understand what the issue was with any of them., I found it odd that the middle sister was "brave" enough to have a child on her own, but wasn't brave enough to to go her childhood home. I didn't get that there was a romatic connection between her and Jack until the book was almost over. I have read better by this author

Barbara Delinsky does it again! Interesting characters, good storyline and, although predictable, a good ending!

I enjoyed this novel as much as I’ve enjoyed the author’s other novels. The characters are relatable and the mystery surrounding Elizabeth’s death kept me wanting to know and read more.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A WEEK AT THE SHORE follows three sisters as they come together to discover the truth behind the long ago disappearance of their neighbor. Did their father, the Judge, kill her? Did she commit suicide? Did she run away? Delinsky does a beautiful job of describing the characters and setting, but the characters' actions do not always ring true and the backstory is revealed in such a fractured way that it can be hard to follow. So, while i enjoyed the book, it wasn't my favorite of Delinsky's work.

Mallory reluctantly returns home to Bay Bluff, Rhode Island after a lengthy time away. When a phone call from home triggers fears about her father's health, she makes the decision to drive to the shore for a week with her teenage daughter, Joy in tow.
Mallory's world was torn about twenty years prior with the mysterious disappearance of a close family friend, and the consequential break-up of her budding romance with the boy-next-door. Much has changed over the years; she is the link between her two sister's, who do not speak. Her parents divorce caused a riff between the family, and sides were drawn. The house she grew up in the same, yet has suffered neglect as well. Her father is as harsh as ever, but is also suffering through health issues he and her sister are trying to ignore. She spent twenty years creating a new life for herself, trying to ignore the past, but it will not be ignored. Mallory's week at home unearths some harsh truths, and as the week passes Mallory learns more of herself, her parents marriage and why so much happened as it did.
I enjoyed reading this book, and as more of the story was revealed, Mallory's thought process became more clear, as did the reason for the harshness of characters throughout the story. This is the story of several families torn apart by selfishness and stubbornness. The choices we all make have such an impact on those around us, and the characters in this story are no exception. Barbara Delinsky has long been a favorite author of mine. Her books are classified as romance, yet I feel they are more substantial books of women's fiction. Barbara writes stories of ordinary people searching for solutions in an ordinary, realistic world.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
A beautiful romance/mystery from Delinsky. A neighbor calls - Dad is suffering from deminia and has a gun. You need to come home. You feel your sister has been taking care of things and for so many years you have not gone home. Your daughter would love to see family so you decide to make the trip home.
She has always felt like the unwanted daughter - is it because of the affairs her parents had? Her relationship with Jack is strained as the murder of his mother looms between them. Will they ever find out what happened to his mother - and why was she on the boat with her father. After years maybe the questions will be answered and maybe her relationship with Jack can be repaired.
You will love this book!

Barbara Delinsky is a master storyteller. She put a lot of family angst, motherhood, suspense and mystery in A Week at the Shore.