I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rochelle Alers is yet another new-to-me author that came to my attention in my conscious effort to diversify my reading and prioritize more authors of color, and I was particularly intrigued by the book club theme for this upcoming release, The Seaside Cafe. The book itself puts equal focus on the second chance romance between Kayana and Graeme, and the book club aspect.

I found Kayana and Graeme’s relationship really sweet, especially since both have dealt with heartbreak in their past. Kayana learning to trust again is a focal point, given the way her ex betrayed her, and I think this was well done.

While the book club starts off as a group of unlikely people coming together, and they do spend as much time bickering as they do talking about their chosen books, I found that aspect really fun, especially as it allowed them insights into each others’ lives. both Leah and Cherie also have woes when it comes to love, so seeing them bond over that is great, and I can’t wait to see how it develops in the next book.

I really enjoyed this one, and look forward to trying more of Alers’ work in the future. I recommend this if you like sweet stories with equal emphasis on romance and friendship.

First time finishing a book by this author. I enjoyed the book but the ending was predictable. Would love to read the next installment of this series.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑹𝒐𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔
Thank you @netgalley and kensington for providing a copy! ♥️
(🌟🌟🌟 out of 5 stars)

I did like this book. I like how the story is somehow calm and it revolves around family. I also like the background story of Coates-to-Johnson. And my favorite part was the book club, when Kayana met characters who are into books just like her plus the fact that almost all of the characters are bookworm.

However, I did not like it that all of the characters background story is miserable. I don’t know about the others, but for me it became too heavy to read. I did not want to ponder on it too much because of the current situation that the world is in right now, my anxiety can get through to me if i don’t distract myself or at least try to avoid things that will trigger anxieties.

Maybe if i have read this before, and not during this crisis, i would have enjoyed it more. But for now i’m only giving it 3 stars. I’d still recommend this to readers who are into family stories and women’s fiction!

P.S. this book has book recommendations and recipes in it so it’s a plus! Happy reading!! ✨

I enjoyed reading this book and liked the overall story line. The characters were great, the attention to detail was great, but the flow and the development of the story were both a tad slow.

The author never told you anything about the island itself, or why she loved it like she did. She mentioned broad details, but not the intimate details that make you want to explore it and learn more about it. There just seemed to be some gaps in the storyline that I would have loved her to have filled in.

Overall it was a light summer read. Enjoy!

The Seaside Cafe by Rochelle Alers is your typical novel expected from the author. Her writing always carries a sensual and laid back feel that I have come to expect and enjoy.

The Seaside Cafe did start out a little slow, but I did enjoy the descriptive scenery given. It allowed me to settle in into what was truly a summer oasis.

While reading Seaside Cafe I felt the familiarity because it reminded me of many of Ms. Alers books and series. Some that comes to mind are: Low-Country Summer, The Inheritance series, and Sanctuary Cove series.

I enjoyed following the lives of all the characters and was truly please with the ending regarding Kayana and Graeme. This series shows that even when one chapter of life ends it doesn't means your life does. It only means that you should either start and new chapter or new book.

I look forward to seeing more of Derrick, Cherie, Leah, and Mariah. Hope to see some happiness for Rick too!!

For me the setting was perfect, an island off the coast North Carolina. The Seaside Cafe is family owned and has been up and running for 30 years. After her marriage disintegrated, Kayana Johnson goes back to the cafe to help her brother. A place where summer brings in tourists, she meets up with two other women and forms a bookclub. Added to that is the fact that one of the customers, Graeme, becomes infatuated with her. There were lots of ups and downs with this book, emotions flared, feelings upset, and a romance that may or may not take off. All in all, this book as I would categorize as "chic lit" was okay. As this is the first in the series, I would have to give it some consideration before I delve further. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF

The premise of this book sounded incredibly promising: a beautiful setting, strong female characters and of course, the book club! But unfortunately, I didn’t connect with the authors writing style which meant I didn’t connect to the characters or location like I had hoped. The storyline felt rushed, but also stagnant, and the relationships weren’t what I hoped they’d be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was an OK book. Took a little bit to hold my interest but I loved the beach setting. I thought the friendships seemed a bit tense at times and wish the story escalated a bit sooner (I kept waiting for it to get more interesting). Overall a good beach read about friendships!

A nice read while needing an escape. Strong characters, fun scenes, and the feel of the beach is nice while unable to go to an actual beach. A good read for escape.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It did improve about halfway through, but I had to wade through a lot of chapters that didn't hold my interest before getting to the part where the book finally got better. Overall, this was kind of disappointing. I liked the characters, but the plot didn't hold my interest very much.

Took me awhile to get into this book. But, when I kept reading, I found myself enjoying the story line more and also the interactions between the characters.
Basically, it’s a story about 3 completely different women meeting up by chance. They decide to start to start a book club group with just the 3 of them which then gets them involved in each other’s backstory. During their book club meetings, they learn about each other and their current problems as well as past problems.
I really enjoyed the inclusion of all the cooking going on, with the added benefit of the recipes being included in the back of the book. I also enjoyed the love for reading aspect....
I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I want to see where Kayana and Graeme’s relationship goes❤️
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

The Seaside Cafe by Rochelle Alers

I thought this would be the perfect book for me but I found it far too descriptive in places and found it a hard going book. I did not manage to finish the book despite a couple of attempts.
Thankyou to both the author and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Seaside Cafe by Rochelle Alers was what I term a "chick lit" book. Ms. Alers did an excellent job of describing Coates Island and I could actually feel like I was there while reading. I was intrigued by the description of the book about three women who form a summer book club.

I confess that I felt like all Kayana, Leah and Cherie seemed to do was bicker each time they got together to discuss the book rather than discuss the book. Their friendship seemed to be forced rather than casual. They even got into some very personal discussions which I thought was odd for casual acquaintances. Kayana's romance was sweet and I thought her and Graeme's relationship developed realistically. All in all it's not a bad read but it's not one that I loved.

I was enjoying this book. But then it pulled the race card. If you like people who like that in a book. . I dont

Thank you net galley for providing me this eBook in exchange for a fair an honest review. This book was so/so for me.

I loved the tropical backdrops, it always puts me in a great mood! I also loved the book club portion it feels like a small shout out from one bookworm to another.

The downside. This book just kinda fell apart from me. The friendships seemd very tense and very put on.

The Seaside Cafe is an entertaining and well written book. Well developed plot and believable characters. Love the North Carolina setting. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

This book is filled with compelling characters in an idyllic setting. Rochelle Alers has a style of writing that some may find difficult (as evidenced by other reviews I’ve read of this book), but her characters are realistic, complex, and often people I wish I could meet. I enjoyed the growing relationship between Kayana and Graeme, the interesting discussions within the book club, and the dynamics of Kayana with all of her friends and her brother. I look forward to the next book in the series.

#TheSeasudeCafe#Bet Galley
This book is set in a grandchildren off the coast of North Carolina., As you read the story you can picture the place and the characters in your mind.
Katana Johnson has moved home to help her brother run the cafe. Although she usually keeps to her salvage finds herself talking to two women who become friends. As the story progresses kindred spirit makes many things feel possible for Kayanna.
This book shows how when the right people meet. lives can be changed and enriched.

I totally enjoyed this book. Kayana, Derrick and Graham were very strong characters as well as Leah and Cherie. The story of Kayana and Derrick was a story in itself with everyone woven in. I have read this author before and enjoyed all that I read but I feel this series is going to be especially good. A GOOD READ.

I normally love books that centre around book groups and/or cafes so the fact that this book contained both was what attracted me to this novel. Kayana returns to Coates Island after the end of her marriage to run the family cafe with her brother. Whilst working she meets Cherie and Leah and the three set up a book group as they have similar literary tastes. At the same time Graeme and Kayana negotiate a new romance. This split focus was a little problematic - neither storyline felt fully developed. The book group angle was uncomfortable, especially in the first half of the novel, as there were very prickly relationships between the women. It often felt hostile and angry but never truly got sorted whereas the romance seemed a side issue. However, this still remained a somewhat enjoyable book but one I liked rather than loved.