"The Beach Reads Book Club", by Kathryn Freeman, centers around Lottie, who is frustrated with the staleness of her book club. Having grown up in a wonderful book club and knowing the good it can produce, she decides to set off on her own. Along the way, her book club attracts a variety of readers, each more lovable than the last. The bookstore owner where they hold their meetings is a brooding, good-looking single man who doesn't know what to think of Lottie and her book club members. I loved the humor and storyline of this book, and the characters were all so fun and easy to root for.

This was one of my most recent favorite reads. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Amazing summer romantic read. Will definitely read more from this author as I liked the writing style and characters. An enjoyable and quick read.

I meant what I said, it’s the PERFECT way to while away a late summer afternoon! You’ve got good friends, a great venue, a fabulous book club not afraid to read what they want, a great leading lady, and a hunky yet bookish leading man! There are smiles to be shared, awkwardness to get around, feelings that need revealing, and enough excuses thrown up as road blocks that a state trooper would have a hard time getting around them, but in the end, these folks are there for each other through think and thin. Once you’re a member of the Beach Reads Book Club, you’re a friend for life!

Lottie was a doll! She was fiercely independent, stubborn, vivacious, and business smart. She led with her heart instead of her pocketbook and while it might not have netted her millions, everyone thinks a million of her. She can make a friend out of a stranger in no time flat...something experienced with a certain bookshop owners curmudgeonly father and samesaid owner’s sister. She can prize a smile out of the most unlikely candidates, yet has the backbone to demand to stand on her own two feet. Her heart takes the hit sometimes when it’s put out there first, but if she didn’t live that way, she wouldn’t be her and the world would be sadder for it. Matt was awkward, but sweet; hard to figure out yet trying so hard for everyone involved. He picked himself up after heartbreak hit home, and strove to make good on their family promise to his mother. It wasn’t easy, and there were more than a few bumps along the way, but he was determined to make it work and with a wing, a prayer, and Lottie’s help, he just might have a chance. Seeing these two come together, slowly but surely, was smile inducing, and the time it took might be frustrating to some, but I found it sweet and realistic. True, at one point I wanted to smack them both upside the head and be like will you please get it together, but things had to brew in their own time, making the final outcome that much sweeter.

All in all, a fabulous bookish read for Chick Lit, Rom Com, and Contemporary Romance fans that I’d certainly recommend...and I wouldn’t mind imagining myself into their little group. Good friends, great laughs, and books...what more could you want!

Super cute book. It was easy to read and enjoy. It flows so easy that you can just sit back and enjoy the story. It definitely is a beach read in its own right.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Beach Reads Book Club is the captivating story of Lottie Watt as she starts her own book club, develops lifelong friendships with the members, and falls in love with local bookstore owner Matthew Steele.

Lottie Watt is done with her current book club. Not only is she not enjoying the book picks, but she hates that the club's founder forces the members to follow structured guidelines for the discussions. The conversations are so serious that Lottie is not having any fun. After not reading yet another book, Lottie gets kicked out of the club before she can quit herself.

While returning the book she never even started reading, Lottie meets Matthew Steele. Matthew has just bought the local bookstore, Books by the Bay, and he doesn't know many people in the community. After convincing Matthew that she's not simply scamming him and buying books to read and then return them, Lottie asks him to let her host a new book club she wants to start in the small coffee shop he has opened next to the store. Matthew accepts her proposal, and Lottie becomes the founder of her own book club: a group that will read easy books while fostering a lighthearted and fun ambiance for any conversation the members want to have. And just like that, the Beach Reads Book Club is born.

This story was truly great from the beginning, and as someone who has quit several book clubs for similar reasons, I could understand Lottie's frustrations with the original club she belonged to. Lottie enjoys reading, but as she grows older and deals with her own problems, the last thing she wants is to read gloomy stories about depressing topics. Lottie possesses an upbeat and positive personality, and she wants her book club to reflect that. Her goal is to have a place for people to read titles that bring them joy while also providing a friendly place for any type of conversation. And as the months pass and her book club grows, Lottie does exactly that. She creates the perfect environment for the members to feel safe sharing their personal lives, happy moments and struggles, and anything they want to talk about.

The Beach Reads Book Club was a fun and pleasant book, and I couldn't help but think that this is the type of story that the club would choose as their pick of the month. The plot is engaging from the beginning, and the characters are developed in a great way. The two main plots include the developing love story between Lottie and Matthew and Lottie's efforts to make her book club a safe space for all the members. The former leads to several sub-plots which introduce the stories of several members of the book club.

As Lottie and Matthew become closer and their friendship grows, their characters go through amazing arcs. Matthew starts as closed-off and unwilling to share anything about his life before moving to the small town. He is recovering from a failed marriage, and he has a struggling relationship with his dad and sister. As he gets closer to Lottie, he starts sharing more and more about his divorce and the reasons why he's so reserved about his past. The chapters from his point of view reveal all of the personal issues he had been dealing with and provide a great explanation about his standoffish attitude. In the end, he became my favorite character because of the development his character goes through as the story unfolds. His character possesses great qualities, and he is a great guy who truly cares about the people around him.

Lottie is also a great character but she is more of an open book from the beginning. She is a loyal and encouraging type of person with an upbeat and positive attitude. She is warm and caring, and everyone in her life seems to love her. She always goes the extra step to help her friends, which is how she ends up helping Matthew to repair his relationship with his family. She is also very supportive of the other secondary characters and as the book club members share their personal stories, Lottie takes a personal interest in helping them figure out their different paths in life. Lottie takes on the role of big sister, supportive best friend, and caring love interest for the other characters, and she does it with grace and kindness. Overall, her character is truly great, and I loved learning about her personal life as she shared it with other characters.

The pace of this book was great.  It's an easy read with many interesting subplots and twists that keep it engaging. I wasn't expecting to finish it as fast as I did, but I was so into the story that I finished in one seating. Overall, I'd say that this was one of my favorite summer reads and a book I will be recommending to friends.

I struggled to get into it at the start and found that I put it down and never managed to pick it up again

Set in beautiful Cornwall, this is an enjoyable rom-com full of books and romance. Matthew thought that moving to Cornwall and buy the bookstore by the sea was the chance for a new start for himself and his father and sister, but they don’t seem to agree with him. Lottie has been kicked out from her bookclub so she decides to start her own bookclub, one where you don’t talk only about books, but you find comfort and friendship. One where the book is always romance, because that’s what’s been missing from Lottie’s life until she meets Matthew. Although I found the plot at times slow and repetitive, Beach Reads Book Club is a romantic, entertaining, and witty novel.

Just pause a moment to gush!
This is the first Kathryn Freeman book I’ve read. She is a fantastic writer!!!
I am now rushing to gather all her previous books so i can go on a reading binge. LOL
Her characters are captivating.
I want to join the book club too!!! WOW!!
I LOVED THIS BOOK. In fact, i couldn’t stop reading it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Lottie Watt is kicked out of her uptight book club for not following the rules, so she decides to start her own club with her own rules. Conversation, gin and cake are the base, and discussions of the book are secondary. The Beach Reads Book Club meets at Books by the Bay, a bookshop and café owned by the gorgeous Matthew Steele, who seems to have problems of his own. As the club meets each week, an attraction between Matt and Lottie develops as well. Lottie knows that true love is hard to come by and that she needs to work at it to earn Matt's love, but is a risk she is willing to take.

Lottie was a great protagonist, easy-going, forgiving, kind, generous, but strong and stubborn. I enjoyed the ladies in the book club, Audrey especially was a hoot. Everyone Lottie meets is changed in some way, she brings out the best in everyone. Life does not always happen the way we want, but when you have good friends and support it makes it easier to deal with and that is exactly what this group does for one another. The male lead, Matt, is the opposite to Lottie. Where she is outgoing, he is rigid and standoffish, at least at first. As he comes out of his shell we see a witty, smart, and caring man. I like the way they balance each other. In this story, the group reads and discusses real romance stories, some of which I have read and enjoyed. The chapter titles are the titles of the books the club plans to read, with the title often reflecting what is happening in the story. This is a romance story, so of course that is also a large part of the story. I enjoyed seeing Lottie and Matt open up to each other. The scene where Lottie repairs an electrical problem in the store was a hoot as Matt was surprised about her job. The romance is sweet and I loved the slow development and heat in the story. Overall, this is a great book for readers who like heartwarming and fun contemporary romances with great messages, well-developed and relatable characters, and a fantastic love story. I definitely recommend this one.

When Lottie becomes disheartened with her book club for being too rigid - she decides to start one of her own. She asks Matt, the owner of the local bookstore, if she can hire their cafe area after hours just for a small number of people to meet once a month. She believes the only romance she will find is through the books she reads but when the attraction between her and Matt blooms, she starts to believe that she can experience it in real life too. The book club quickly grows in numbers but soon becomes more than just reading books- they all become good friends to listen and help in areas of each others lives.

This is a lovely light read that gives you laughs, loves and friendships.

The Beach Reads Book Club is a perfect, easy summer read. The writing flowed and it kept my attention throughout! I loved the cast of characters at the book club, it’s definitely a book club I would want to be a part of!
There is nothing really different about this story, it’s fluffy and predictable but an entertaining read nonetheless.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely LOVED this book! The characters were so well developed that it felt like I actually knew them in real life. I can't wait to read every other book Kathryn Freeman has written!

Lovely book with a great concept I would definitely be joining Lottie's book club. Great characters, plenty of fun and humour in a lovely village setting.... what's not to like! Perfect beach read

An enjoyable, poignant and heartwarming story that made me smile and and wish I could join the book club.
It's a well written story, a romance between two relatable and fleshed out characters, and an interesting list of books I could read.
This is a debut and I cannot wait for the next book by this author as she's talented.
There's humour, there're emotions and some very interesting observations.
I thoroughly enjoyed, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
PS: sorry for the late review

The Beach Reads Book Club by Kathryn Freeman was a delightful read! After Lottie feels disheartened in a stuffy book club, she decides to start her own that actually reads fun enjoyable books like this one! I loved her spirit and seeing the other members of the Beach Reads Book Club bolster each other through rough patches. There's love and laughter and an adorable dog and village setting, what else could a reader ask for?

This is the perfect holiday read, there is an interesting mix of characters and you want to find out more about their stories. I enjoyed that the chapters are named after other beach reads, many of which I have read and enjoyed.

Ms. Freeman has the most likable characters. Her heroines are strong and feisty and her heroes are vulnerable and endearing and Lottie and Matt are that and more.

When a stuffed shirt of a bookstore owner decides to make a new beginning on the beach, he's unexpectedly captivated by a forward, blond-haired electrician determined to loosen him up.

Charlotte "Lottie" White owns her own company called Electric Blonde. Yes, it was a drunken night when she chose that name, but it suited her and is memorable. It doesn't hurt she's the only female electrician around and that she can make conversation with about anyone. Anyone, but the formal, quiet, and very hot bookstore owner, Matthew Steele. He's a tough nut to crack, but she thinks he's warming up to her especially after she convinced him to allow her and her new book club, to meet after hours in his shop. If only she could concentrate on the books, and not on the unreadable man with the mask who not-so-subtly watches her from behind the counter.

At his mother's final wish, Matt moved his father and sister to the beach to make a new start. God knows it was going to be tough with the guilt and responsibility he feels for letting his family down. But things are looking up when Lottie and her book club friends become a regular part of his life and make him feel wanted and appreciated. He has even started to dress more casually since suits don't work well in a bookstore. Yes, Lottie is making a difference, but he doesn't think he's good enough for her.

Matt is yet another one of my favorite male characters who is, in Audrey's words, like a piece of chocolate, "a dark shell with a soft gooey center". Yummy! His lovely and charming compliments and confessions to Lottie are so sweet. And he's no slouch in the bedroom. Gotta love those strong, silent types, right? Who can resist a lonely and vulnerable man who is truly taking care of and making amends with his family and doing it out of his comfort zone. His controlled and workaholic life got him a divorce and distanced him from his family, so a little discomfort is worth winning his family back, and thanks to the persistent and kind Lottie, his life changes for the better.

I am thrilled with Lottie's character as she slowly brings Matt out of his shell and shows him a whole new and relaxed life he could enjoy. Lottie is a nurturer and looks out for her friends as she brings happiness and closure to her fellow book club members and Matt's family. She does make some poor choices that could have derailed her budding relationship with Matt, but it ends in a HEA ending.

My favorite supporting character has to be the disarming and raunchy, Audrey, who brings her wit and raw honesty to the book club meetings. I would be delighted to have a gin and tonic while discussing 50 Shades with her. Matt's father, Jim, and sister, Amy, are two characters who took a while to warm up to considering their bitterness toward Matt at first, but they finally start to appreciate what Matt is doing. Lottie's best friend Sally is also an important character who doesn't hesitate to tell Lottie what she thinks.

I highly recommend this sweet and appealing romantic comedy filled with enchanting characters and several wonderful book recommendations that this reader has added to her very own beach reads list.

Thank you to Ms. Freeman for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

I’m new to this author so wasn’t sure what to expect, but liked the sound of the story so decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did as I have thoroughly enjoyed the entire book. I read it after finishing a book I didn’t particularly like, so this was like a breath of fresh air after it. Lovely characters with personalities that captivated me as a reader and I found myself becoming immersed in their stories & willing them on for a happy ending.
A fabulous beach read, but given the way things are at the moment it is also perfect for any time of year. I loved it.

This was such a lovely read. Full of friendship, laughter and romance. When Matt - sister Amy - and Dad, Jim, move by the sea to run a bookshop, life isn't going too well. Grieving for their Mum and wife there aren't many smiles to go round.

But when Lottie, local electrician, uses their shop as the venue for her beach read book club, little do they know she is about to light up their lives with her sparkle and kindness. Their group reads only uplifting books, and the group become firm friends.

With a growing attraction between Matt and Lottie, there is romance a-plenty. But they are both cautious after being hurt and when an old flame of Lottie's returns, does it spell the end for her and Matt?

A gorgeous escape that will leave the reader with a smile.

Lottie Watt has had her fill of the regimented book club run by Eve. It was like being back at school. And she certainly doesn’t appreciate being quizzed on why she hasn’t had chance to read the designated (by Eve) book. Throwing caution to the winds, she decides to start her own book club with lighter reads and a more relaxed atmosphere. She was joined by Gira and Heidi, two other now ex members who also wanted more romantic, fun reading.

Lottie has the perfect place in mind for the book club if the new owner of Books by the Bay doesn’t mind them taking over the book shop’s cafe one evening a month. Matthew (Matt) Steele isn’t quite sure but Lottie’s charm offensive wins the day and the Beach Reads Book Club is born.

Matt is finding it hard to transition from a full on corporate job to his now more laid back occupation, living as well with his father and sister. However, a fresh start for them all was badly needed after their recent bereavement and Matt’s regrets and feelings of guilt which aren’t allowing him to feel more open emotionally or, for that matter, relaxed.

I enjoyed how the book club evolved to include Audrey, an lonely older lady who benefits from a new lease of life when she joins the club. All the characters are well drawn and likeable but probably the star of the show is Lottie who brings everyone together and forms a close knit group. She’s a positive force, understanding and supportive, able to bring people out of themselves without really trying. The attraction and developing romance is in turns delightful and steamy.

This is a book club I’d love to join — talking about books in a bookshop, (I appreciate the books discussed are real titles) with the added attraction of (plenty of) gin courtesy of Audrey, cake and sometimes pizza, plus a group of great people all up for a bit of fun. Each character has his or her own story with personal struggles or issues and all fleshed out and brought to life. Complete and enjoyable escapism.