This is such a sweet story. Summer, love, small town setting, and family dynamics. What more can you ask for in a romance?? I loved this one. Brenda Novak always does such a great job of weaving different storylines throughout her books to keep you interested, and The Bookstore on the Beach is no different. Novak is definitely an author I will be reading more of!!

I had a hard time with this book. I found it predictable and the characters didn't tug at my heartstrings as they were meant to do. It is well written, just not for me.

For the most part, this was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters and felt involved with them throughout the story, which would normally make this at least a 4-star read, but the plot turn in the last two chapters really disappointed me, and the ending was very abrupt, so it knocked my rating down to 3.5 stars.

The main storyline revolves around Autumn, though her mother, Mary, and daughter, Taylor, are also key characters in the story and all three of their experiences move the book along.

Mary has a secret from her past that she wants to keep from Autumn and her grandchildren, and she’s terrified of it coming out. Though with Autumn’s curiosity about the father she’s never known, Mary’s afraid she’ll find out on her own before Mary tells her. And when that past shows up in Mary’s present, she knows time is running out to tell Autumn the truth.

Autumn’s husband has been missing for almost 2 years and she has come to terms with the likelihood that he’s never coming back. Though she initially resists, she can’t help falling in love with Quinn, someone from her past. Afraid to disrupt her children’s lives, concerned about her mother’s secrecy, and coming to terms with the loss of her husband, Autumn is frequently overwhelmed, and does not always make the best decisions (I’m looking at you, last 2 chapters).

Taylor has struggled with her father’ disappearance, which has led her to make some bad decisions as well. One of those bad decisions will change the course of Taylor’s life, as does meeting Sierra. While Taylor is only 17, she handles her challenges with a lot of maturity, even though she is scared of the choices in front of her. She also learns more about herself and is open to a new, wholly unexpected relationship.

The supporting characters are all amazing- Quinn, Kayden (Autumn’s son), and Sierra all bring depth to the story and bring out more in the main characters. Quinn’s parents and Mary’s “sister” and her family also round out a supportive cast.

There are “villains” in the story, namely Quinn’s ex-mother-in-law and someone from Mary’s past. But the worst villain, in my opinion, isn’t actually written as one, but I did not like them before they even appeared on the page in the second to last chapter. (If things had been handled differently, I might have been ok with them, but the way the story played out, they made my skin crawl).

All in all, I definitely recommend this one.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Three generations of women find themselves dealing with tough issues during a summer at the beach. It's emotional and there's a fair amount of drama. thanks to netgalley for the ARC, And, ironically, will make a good beach read.

I thought this book was pretty good. It is the second book I’ve read by Brenda Novak and I felt the same way about both of them. I like the stories just fine, but it could be told in about 100 pages less. This is a good family story with secrets and twists, which I usually love. I enjoyed the setting (beaches and books!), but wanted it to move a little faster as I was reading

I really love Brenda Novak - as a person and several of the books I have read. There were things I really appreciated about this book. I have heard her say how sometimes she has her characters handle things better than she might, and explores that in her books. I loved how that happened in this book. Instead of the negative assumptions that people often have in books; there was interesting and good communication in this one.

There were just so many issues: teenage pregnancy, same-sex/identity issues, a missing husband (and subsequent love interest/cheating or no), a child abduction - big ideas that could have each been their own stories. The missing husband plot line really bothered me the most and I never really understood it.

You can search online and get a bonus epilogue for the book, which I think is a better way to end the book… the end came so quickly in the original.

I did find characters likable, but I just would have liked to have dealt with one big issue, I think.

Location: Sable Beach, CA

“This place had shaped her childhood. She felt such a sense of promise as she considered making it part of her future, too—like bookends, she thought with a chuckle.
For her, this town, this bookshop, was home and home was where her heart would always be.” Ch 31

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

With a name like "The Bookstore on the Beach," I expected much of this storyline to revolve around books/a bookstore. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I still wanted to like this book, but felt like it was a little bit too much of a mixed bag for me. I prefer when a plot revolves around one main point of drama instead of multiple sporadic ones.

This missing husband storyline was interesting enough & I felt like some of the other added-in drama could've been sidelined to focus on the stronger plot-driver. The characters do all have depth to them, but I would've preferred a focus on one story.

This is a quick read, full of family tension. It has something for everyone, but I think it would've landed better for me if it had been a full-blown mystery with less distractions.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Books, and Brenda Novak for this ARC.

This is a personal opinion. I think I thought this book was different than it was, but I couldn't get into this. It was a slow start and I kept hoping it would pick up and didn't.

Mary owns Beach Front Books in Sable Beach, Virginia. Her daughter, Autumn, and two grandkids are visiting for the summer. All three women in the house are dealing with emotional events in their lives. Mary has a secret about her past she needs to tell Autumn. Autumn’s husband disappeared eighteen months ago in Ukraine and she doesn’t know whether he’s still alive or dead. She is torn between staying loyal to her husband and falling for her high school crush. Her daughter, Taylor is dealing with the loss of her father, a possible pregnancy, and wondering about her sexuality.

This book is an emotional roller coaster with lots of family drama! It is well written and alternates between the perspectives of the three women all in the same chapter. At times this makes it hard to distinguish who’s story you are reading during the transition. There are a few light steamy scenes between Autumn and Quinn. At times I felt the storyline dragged and I wanted to stop reading. I did like how the book ended. I thought Autumn made the right choice. If you enjoy an emotional read, this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

It’s not often that I dislike a book the way I did this one, but I ended up so frustrated with the characters that I didn’t enjoy myself.

I think there were too many stories happening at once so i never got totally invested in one. I almost think this needed to be a trilogy so that I could really understand each woman’s journey. It was just too much for me.

This was a book that had many twists and turns. Autumn's husband has been missing for nearly 2 years and it has been hard for her to move on. I really liked the premise of this book and my mind wandered a bit wondering what I would do if I was put in this position. I really enjoyed this novel.

This book drew me in from the very beginning. I didn’t want it to end. In fact I wish there was another book. I want to see what happened to these characters.

Brenda Novak has a great style of writing that flows from one story to the next within this novel. This is a multigenerational story featuring three generations of women within a family. There are aspects that are mysterious, thriller vibes and others that are family drama, and others that are romance. This book has something for everyone, including a bookstore at the heart of it.
Fun read! Recommend!
#TheBookstoreontheBeach #NetGalley #Harlequin #MIRA

I've heard that Brenda is a superb writer, but I had a very hard time getting into this book/story. It lacked humor and I felt that the story lines were not very good. If she is trying a different style for her writing she needs to abandon it now and go back to what she is good at. Reading the book was a struggle right up until the end. I would not recommend it.

The Bookstore on the Beach is a family focused drama as three generations struggle to be true to themselves. Autumn is facing the fact that after 19 months, it might finally be time to let go of her husband who has gone missing and reconnecting with a boy from her past might help her move forward. Meanwhile her daughter Taylor has to deal with the consequences of one foolish night and her true feelings for a new friend. At the same time, the head of the family Mary has ghosts of her traumatic past coming back to haunt her.

While it sounds like a lot of drama packed into one novel, it all flows seamlessly into an engaging story with sympathetic characters who deserve a happy ending. The only real negative was the ending felt rushed. There's a general resolution, but it could have benefited from an epilogue to give a real concrete ending. As a whole, though, it was a delightful read filled with drama, romance, and the strong bonds of family.

This was my first Novak book but I am a huge fan of Debbie Macomber and I felt like they share a similar vibe! This would make the perfect beach read! How do you start a new chapter of your life when you haven't closed the book in the previous one?!

There was a lot to unpack in this book that it could of been 3 different novels but at the same time I couldn't get enough. The three generations of women have to live their truth and figure out life and I want an epilogue!

Wow. Tons of drama, three generations of women and the secrets they keep + a bookstore on the beach... sold!

If you love Brenda Novak's other reads you will love this one as well!!

Another amazing book by this Author.

3.5 stars from me

*Thank you to Netgalley for letting me have a copy to leave an honest review*

Ms. Novak writes wonderfully done romance books, I enjoyed going through this book and getting to know the characters.

Brenda Novak has done it again with The Bookstore on the Beach. She has created a wonderful beachy story detailing three generations of women faced with incredible choices. Sable Beach is a small beach town in Virginia and is home to Mary Langford, her best friend, Laurie, and their bookstore. Mary is keeping secrets from her family and the townspeople. Mary's oldest daughter, Autumn, and her teens are coming for the summer...and Mary knows her time with her secrets is limited once a P.I. starts poking around.

Autumn returns to Sable Beach for the summer to try to heal her heart. Her husband, Nick, has been missing for 19 months. She is struggling with the choice to let herself release Nick and the guilt she feels surrounding his disappearance. It is easy to relate to her struggles and the guilt she feels over trying to move on.

Taylor, Autumn's daughter, is 17-years-old and is struggling with her own difficult choices as well as her father's disappearance. She is trying to figure out who she is and the direction she wants her life to take.

One of my favorite things about Brenda Novak's books are the depth of all of the characters. You feel connected to each one, whether they're a main character or supporting one. You want each character to have their own chance at an HEA. The story is complex and addresses lots of issues but weaves them together in such a way that you won't want to put it down. The Bookstore on the Beach is the perfect summer read!