Brenda Novak gives readers another great women's fiction novel with three generations of a family attempting to find their way. There are secrets and mysteries aplenty, in addition to romantic possibilities. In addition, I loved the setting of the bookstore in a beachside town. Recommended.

Wow! Another fabulous book by Brenda Novak! Her books never fail to keep me on the edge of my seat! I did not want this book to end! I loved the characters so much, and couldn't put it down, the storylines of the three main characters were written in such a way that I could follow them all individually and enjoy each person's story equally. I cannot decide which character I liked best. They were well developed and I grew to care about each one. They all had choices to make, difficult choices. I loved the ending so much! This is probably my favorite book so far by this author.

This book has a lot going on and a lot of characters to keep track of. I enjoyed this book and would love to own a book store on the beach. What could be better than that? It was fast paced and it made me feel like i really was on the beach living this story. This author never disappoints. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

After finishing this book I just held it and stared into space wanting to savor the feelings it evoked. I felt like I knew these wonderful characters and I felt their emotions right along with them as if I was part of their story. This kind of book reminds me of why I love to read, always searching for the story to pull at my heartstrings and make me think about life and what is important. In this book three generations of women all go through a very hard time in their lives and must make choices that are life altering. Secrets come out that change everything all three women knew about themselves. This book had an absorbing plot you don’t want to miss. Brenda Novak’s books are exceptional!

An enjoyable enough book. Definitely recommend for others that want romance, mystery, true life stories.
I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a lot going on. Three generations of women all having a secret to deal with. It was hard to put down this book, at times I couldn’t read fast enough. I enjoyed the book! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Like all Brenda Novak novels, this did not disappoint! I couldn’t put it down. The storyline was great, I loved the characters, and it had two of my favorite things..a bookstore and a beach! Highly recommend!

With a cover like this I didn't expect anything to emotionally taxing. I was wrong. Honestly, I don't know how I would react if I was in Autumn's place. So much of what she thought she knew about her family turned out to be wrong. She made decisions based on information she had at the time and then that information turned out to be wrong. Should she stick to old promises, or do what feels right today? Those are the kinds of decisions none of us can make for others. Honestly I disagreed with the choices of many of the characters but have to admit that I don't know what I would really do in a similar circumstance.
Overall I enjoyed the book, but my disagreement with the choices did affect my enjoyment of the story.

Thanks to the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley. Grade: B.

I love all of Brenda Novak books but this one is one of my favorite. This book has secrets from 3 generations of women that come out at the worst possible time and how they overcome them. How they stick together in good times and the bad times. There is love as well as suspense. The only negative thing is I wish it had an epilogue. I love epilogues in books. But it doesn’t really need it. The whole book was amazing.

I can't say enough good about this book. No matter your genre I can't imagine you not liking it. Autumn's husband disappeared over 18 months ago and she spent most of that time paying PI's and doing her own research to find him. Vanished on a business trip that was supposed to be to NY but wasn't. So for the summer she goes to stay with her mom's at Sable Beach. Her mom, Mary owns a bookstore. Autumn is a wreck and needs to recoup and decide what to do with her life. Does she give up on the search or continue or get on with her life. Her two teens go with her as they are also struggling to come to terms with his absence. Her mom is so happy to have them there for the summer, she is struggling with what to tell Autumn about her past. Mary was a single mother and wove a tale to her daughter as to who her father was. Her daughter now wants to know who her father is before it's too late to connect. Mary cannot let that happen and doesn't know how to stop Autumn's interest. It's a dark secret. Taylor, Autumn's daughter at 17 has had a really hard time accepting the disappearance of her father and has made some really bad decisions while struggling with the loss. Now she is finding a new hope and a new pain and is even more confused as what to do. Then there is Quinn, Autumn's first love who now lives in Sable Beach and is single. He is helping his dad and mom since she is fighting to survive cancer. When Quinn and Autumn meet again they are both struck with intense feelings. Quinn was her first and that you don't forget, but does she still have a husband is he even alive? With the story covering Autumn, Mary, Taylor and Quinn you will not be bored,. In fact you can't put it down, even between chapters. The flow from one to the other is so smooth and you want to know what continues to happen in the previous chapter while locked into the present one! I'm not a beach book reader normally but this book has me sold on Brenda's flawless writing and keeping you interested. I highly recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley, Brenda Novak, and the publishers Harlequin Trade Pub, US & CA, for the ARC this is, as always, my honest opinion

Autumn is taking her two teenagers to her hometown for a summer at the beach. She's had a traumatic year. Her husband disappeared and she needs her mother's support and friendship. Mom and her friend have a small bookstore in town and Autumn is helping out while renewing her friendship with Taylor, her high school crush. Everyone is hiding something in their past. Mary, Autumn's mom has a big secret from her childhood and Autumn's daughter is going is little wild. A good story with multiple lines that crisscross very nicely. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak. Multiple family drama is packed into this story. Each character had a secret, some more than others. There isn't a more romantic empathetic character than Quinn... Would have been interested in finding out more of Taylor and Sierra's relationship and more of Nick's story, So many unanswered questions in Tammy and Bailey's backgrounds. Interesting read however the ending seemed rushed.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

After 18 months of searching for her husband who's gone missing and finding fewer clues as time goes on, Autumn packs up her two teenage children and goes to her mother's house in Sable Point for the summer. The women in this story- Autumn, her mother Mary, and daughter Taylor- all have secrets to keep. And when the truth is finally revealed it will change everything.
This felt more like a family drama than a romance story. There was a romantic element involved, but the main story revolved around the secrets each woman was keeping and how they came to light. I love the depth of the characters in this story and how they relate with each other. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.
Thank you to Brenda Novak and Harlequin books for the opportunity to read this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Autumn’s husband disappeared 18 months ago. She wants to give her children a “normal” summer, so they go to her mom’s home that is close to the beach for the summer. While Autumn hopes this summer will be one of healing, she’s not prepared for all she, and her family members, will encounter. This was a fast-paced look into the lives of 3 generations in the family. Loved it!

Sable Beach is a small beach town ripe with secrets and drama. The story focuses on three generations of women who are facing life-changing decisions. One day Autumn’s husband, father of her two kids, flies to Ukraine and goes missing. She has spent the past two years trying to find out why he left and whether he is alive. She’s trying to move forward with her family—but how can she move forward when his whereabouts are a mystery?

But the drama doesn’t stop there—drama runs in the family! Autumn’s mom Mary is hiding her past. Her daughter is desperate to discover who her father is as Mary works just as hard to keep this secret buried. However, while Autumn is trying to uncover Mary’s secret to her past, Autumn’s daughter Taylor has a secret of her own.

I’ve been looking forward to reading a Brenda Novak novel for some time, as the covers are often beckoning me from the shelves of the bookstore nestled next to similar authors that I follow. The voices of three generation of women were also good, and the characters were both likable and in some ways relatable. The Bookstore on the Beach was everything I expected and more—fun beach setting, small town drama, a bit of romance, and love—all hallmarks of a book that was impossible to put down. I look forward to reading others from this author!

Oh Brenda Novak! I loved beyond words The Bookstore on the Beach. Autumn has decided to move forward after her husband was missing for 18 months. The new journey that Autumn takes with her children will change their lives. And maybe give her a second chance at an old love.

I enjoyed going on Autumn and Quinn’s journey.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

The Bookstore at the Beach is the second title that I have read by Ms. Novak, following her earlier novel, One Perfect Summer. As was true of that book, this is a long (448 pages) story that is filled with plot and character.

Readers follow and get to know the lives, struggles and joys of three generations of women from one family. The oldest is Mary. She runs a bookstore in a small town and leads a fairly insular life. Mary is not a risk taker. Why? What happened to her in the past that formed her attitudes and character? No spoilers so you have to read the book to find out.

Next up is Autumn, Mary’s daughter. She has come with her two children to spend time with Mary over the summer. Readers learn early on that Autumn’s husband has been missing for nineteen months, most likely related to his travel in Ukraine. Should Autumn hold on to hope that he will come back or…should she again become involved with her high school crush who lives in the town where Autumn is summering?

Finally there is Taylor, Autumn’s daughter. She was feeling numb and engaged in sexual activity without using birth control. Is she pregnant? If yes, how will this define her life? There is also a strong plot line about Taylor’s friendship with Sierra as Taylor wonders if she is in love with her.

The author holds onto all of the many plot strands without losing any of them. She tells a story that has some depth and that held my interest.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book might look like a cute beach book but there’s a lot of extra drama too. I’ve never read this author before and wouldn’t have known what to expect.

Three generations of women spend the summer together at the beach.
Mary is happy that her daughter Autumn and her great children Taylor and Caden are going to come spend the summer again. Autumn hasn’t brought the family out recently because her husband disappeared and she’s been trying so hard to find him.

Each of the three women has been through a lot.
Mary hides a secret from her past, it’s an enormous secret from her past, something I never would have guessed in a million years. It’s a real shock.

Autumn is at a crossroads, after her husband has been missing for 18 months she’s wondering whether to keep the private detective looking for her husband. She knows her search for her husband has meant that she’s not as available for her children as she would have been otherwise.
When she comes to visit her mom, she runs into the great love of her youth named Quinn. He’s a pretty fantastic guy and he makes it clear that he wants a chance with Autumn when she’s ready but that he’ll never rush her.

Taylor is 17, she made a decision without thinking while she was especially upset about her dad. She is just trying to come to terms with things when she meets someone new and might be falling in love with them.

This book was well written and the characters are very strong. The character Caden isn’t given much of a storyline. This story is basically about three women and Quinn. Quinn has been through some serious drama himself.

This wasn’t quite what I expected, a case of “don’t judge a book by its cover”. This isn’t light and fluffy, there’s some serious drama here. So, just know that going in :)

I read an early ebook edition from NetGalley, thank you!

How much drama can you pack into one story? A missing husband, a past family scandal, a second chance romance, cancer, an unexpected pregnancy, etc. This book has it all. Easy to follow even with three main narratives. Autumn's husband has been missing for 18 months when she travels to her hometown with her 2 kids for a summer visit with her mother. She runs into a past love and reconnects. Mary, her mother, has hidden scandal that comes to head that summer.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. It's a well crafted story, just too much for my taste.

The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak is filled with interwoven depths of love along with many levels of drama. There are three generations of women, and each is facing life-changing events in their lives. Mary, Autumn, and Taylor have secrets they are not sharing and life seems to be forcing them to come to terms with new decisions,
Mary has a past she does not want her daughter Autumn to know about. Is it fair to keep her parentage a secret? Mary wants to wait just a bit longer before telling Autumn the sad and horrible truth.
Autumn had the perfect family with a husband she loved and two teenage kids. On a business trip her husband goes missing in Ukraine. It has been nineteen months and there is still no news if he is alive or dead. She decides to take Taylor and Caden to spend the summer months in Sable Beach with her mother. Autumn knows she must make a decision on whether to keep hoping for word of Nick’s location or give up the search.
Taylor has always been a good girl and made top grades in school. Since the disappearance of her father, she has felt misplaced and out of rhythm with her life. Taylor made a very poor choice one night when she was drinking. Now she is worried her carelessness is going to cost her a chance for college and put her future plans in jeopardy.
I enjoyed reading this book and loved the characters. I won’t post spoilers. Follow along with this story of how these strong women find the answers they seek, face their fears, and start new directions in their lives.
Pub Date: 06 Apr 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.