Thank you NetGalley and Willam Morrow Publishing for an ARC copy of Vacationland!

I am so sad to give this book three stars. It started off with a bang with some really dynamic and interesting characters, and pandered off into a rather boring story about a whiney working mom.

The real stars of this book are the breathtaking descriptions of coastal, summertime Maine, and a sweet sub-plot of young love.

Had higher hopes for this book, but just really didn't end in a way that felt satisfying.

CONTAINS SPOILERS

I find myself very confused by the raving review of this book. Meg Mitchell Moore's writing is fine, and I have no complaints about the flow of the story.

However, I did not find this book to especially believable or heartwarming. Louisa's relationship with her husband is infuriating and I can't believe how she was expected to just get over all of the ways he took advantage of her and get on with life....like her own mother had to do. In both cases, the women deserve better and should not have had to settle for their husband's poor behavior. Also I find it IMPOSSIBLE to believe that two of the most selfish people on the planet would up and decide to give their VERY SIZABLE EF to a random woman they met a few weeks ago in the summer. It just doesn't compute.

The kids were fun and definite scene stealers. Abigail especially is a kindred spirit.

Thank you to William Morrow, Book Club Girl, and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for the review.

A Satellite Sisters Best Beach Bag Books pick for 2022! I'm a big fan or Meg Mitchel Moore's clean, insightful writing and have loved all her books to date. Vacationland is set in Maine, so already I'm in. And dives deep into the ups and downs of marriage, family and long-kept secrets ( Are there any other kind in fiction?) Another winning exploration of the perils pf privilege and the people that make up that world from Meg Mitchell Moore.

I love books with a summer setting in Maine. We meet the bustling family who have summered for generations at Owl’s Head. Louisa has decided to spend the whole summer in Maine with her three kids and her aging parents. Louisa’s husband is working horrendous hours trying to get his podcast company up and running, so he’s grateful for the summer alone in the city.

Louisa is a history professor and she’s really behind on her book. She misjudges how much time she will have to devote to writing over the summer. Her kids all need time and attention, and her father has Alzheimer’s. She’s also miffed that her husband hasn’t been able to even get away for a weekend.

A fabulous addition to the book is the perspective of the children – they are adorable with first love thrown in for the oldest child Matty. The hilarious letters that they write to their father are an amazing way to advance the story and give us insight into what the kids are thinking.

We also get to meet Kristie as she arrives in Maine for the summer. She’s recently lost her mother and she’s got a connection to the family living at Owls Head. We see the Maine town from the perspective of caring for the families and tourists that come for the summer.

As family secrets spill out as the summer progresses, the soul searching on the part of Louisa and Kristie really start. There are family summer traditions to enjoy and savor as both families grapple with thoughts of money and happiness. I also enjoyed the mother/daughter dynamic with Louisa and her mother.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to Harper Collings and Netgalley for access to Vacationland. While I love summer in Maine and stories of families, I was not immersed in their summer. It felt matter of fact and not cheering any of the characters. I really wanted to like this book and I’m sure many others will .

Vacationland is a beautiful summer story set on the coastline of Maine. It's a powerful story of marriage, family, and ambition.

Louisa heads off to her family home in Maine for the summer with her three children and plans to finally write the book she's been trying to complete, while her husband remained at home working on launching his podcast company. While she's looking forward to spending the time at her favorite place, she is also faced with the continuing decline of her father, who has Alzheimer's.

Kristie takes a greyhound to Maine to escape debt collectors and her past to learn more about the truth about her father.

I won't say more, but the story is wonderful. It's masterfully woven with a beautiful ending. Definitely add to your summer reading list!

4/5 stars

Thank you, William Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC!

Vacationland is a great summer read! There was lots of juicy, family drama told in multiple POV that kept the plot moving and the wonderful setting of a summer on the coast of Maine. This was my first book by the author, but I'm looking forward to reading her previous novels. A great book to read beach or poolside this summer!

Louisa Fitzgerald McLean is a history professor at New York University. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband Steven, who is trying to grow his podcast company, and their three school-age children Matty, Abigail and Claire. For the summer, Louisa and her children head to the place she truly calls home – Ships View, her parents’ vacation home in Owls Head, Maine. Under pressure to publish a new book, Louisa is hoping to have time to write while on vacation in Maine. She is resentful that her husband is staying in Brooklyn to work. She also has to face the reality that her father Martin, a retired judge of great prominence, continues to decline as he suffers from Alzheimer’s. While the family settles in, Louisa literally bumps into Kristie Turner, a young woman who has just arrived in the area. While she is a stranger to her, Kristie knows everything about Louisa and her family and wants to find a way to speak with Martin, unaware of his illness. As the summer progresses, family tensions rise as Steven’s absence is preventing Louisa from writing and it is making the children very unhappy. And Kristie, who has been trying to connect with Louisa’s father, starts to find some much-needed happiness, which could be short-lived.

Author Meg Mitchell Moore has created a group of interesting characters who all feel very real, with their flaws and struggles. The Fitzgerald family members have a strong love for one another. And for Louisa, she also has a love for Ships View. Her children are wise beyond their years and their letters to their father are some of my favorite parts of Vacationland, an enjoyable book with a lot of heart. It is a perfect summer read, especially if you’re heading to Maine.

🦞 Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore is a great summer story to enjoy!

🦞 Thank you to NetGalley, Meg Mitchell Moore and William Morrow Books for gifting me an ARC.

🦞 The cover of this book gave me major summer vibes and the Maine setting was perfect. This is a story about families, relationships and the problems that exist among our lives regardless of our age or class.

🦞 Each of the characters were deeply developed and there were many different point of views. I found myself sometimes wishing for fewer perspectives in the alternating chapters but this technique definitely made the characters more relatable. (I also laughed out loud at Abigail’s letters to her father.)

🦞 Pick up this book if you are looking for a character driven novel that is filled with family dynamics during the summer.

🦞 I would pair this book with a lobster roll at the pool or beach!

Four stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC. This book was like going on a little vacation. Everything you want in a vacation book. I love the scenery of Maine, one of my favorite destinations..Wealth , secrets..all of the above. I hade a hard time liking the character Louisa, but then towards the end she grew on me.

Wealthy family with a summer house in Maine, mulitgenerational family house, and patriach has Alzheimers, and also fathered a love child, who came back to find him. Nothing you didn't expect, but so enjoyable written that I felt like I should be on my beach chair with a big glass of white wine.

The kids were the scene stealers for me, in this family saga which takes place over the course of three months, in a little hamlet called Owl’s Head, on the coast of Maine!

Louisa has arrived for the Summer at her parent’s house, called Ships View, with her three kids in tow: Matthew (Matty) aged twelve, Abigail, aged 10 and Claire, just seven years old.

Her husband, Stephen has stayed behind in Brooklyn, trying to make a go of his Podcast, and as her year long sabbatical from being a teaching Professor winds down, she hopes to complete her book.

But, Louisa’s father, a well known Maine Supreme Court judge, is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and he has deteriorated more than she had realized, since her last visit, and her Mom, Annie, doesn’t feel like she can cope for much longer, with the limited help that she has, and with the repairs needed for their aging home.

Will this be the last summer that the family will be able to come together to find comfort and renewal on the wrap around front porch, or play board games in the parlor that offers such calming ocean views?

Along with her grief, a waitress named Kristie, has arrived in town from Altoona, with the last of her tip money, $761 dollars to be exact, $27,000 in medical bills and the envelope her mother gave her on the day before she died. Although she has the words of the letter contained inside, memorized, she knows she will carry it with her at all times. She is trying to outrun the bill collectors and hopes this move will offer her a fresh start.

Over the course of three months, we will see how these women will learn what money can and cannot buy and what really makes life rich, while Matty experiences his first crush, Abigail keeps her Daddy informed and in line with her insightful letters sent to Brooklyn, and Claire, wise beyond her years, but still realistically age seven, will tell it like it is!

I did figure out early on where this was headed but I did not know what Louisa and Kristie’s “final decisions” would be, by the book’s closing chapters.

Although I was disappointed by some of Kristie’s choices-I did enjoy spending time with all of these characters and am sorry that my Summer in Owl’s Head has drawn to a close.

This warm and wonderful beach read will be available on June 14, 2022.

Another buddy read with DeAnn-be sure to also check out her thoughts in her amazing review!

Thank You to William Morrow & Company for the gifted ARC. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

This was a quintessential summe read!

We had family drama, vacation home vibes, alternating point of view, lots of different events taking place and all set in a beautiful setting.

I enjoyed this, but have to say that over the years I've learned I may not be the right audience for a family drama type book. I like them - but I crave something a bit more action packed.

Vacationland is a great family drama that really is the perfect summer read. I loved the changing points of view throughout the story; we get everything from first summer love to more complex betrayals. I got attached to the characters and wanted the best for them, despite their flaws and sometimes cringey choices! Loved, loved, loved the setting up in Maine and how the house served as the backdrop for everyday life and many of the storylines but was also a symbol for something more. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Let me start by saying that I grew up in New England and spent many summer vacations on the coast of Maine, so I am heavily biased going into this book. I spent 2 years of my young adulthood in Portland, attending Maine College of Art. I’ve stayed a weekend in Camden, wandering the streets and poking into the various stores. I’ve shopped at Reny’s. So this entire novel felt like a nostalgic, warm bath.

That being said, I also thoroughly enjoyed all of the storylines and the nuance! The characters felt real and I found myself truly caring for many of them. My favorites may have been the two daughters… one of them with her witty hilarious letters and the other with her loud mouth cracking one-liners at anyone who would listen. Those two make the book, in my opinion.

Near the end I was getting a little bored, thinking okay things have wrapped up and it was a fine story but nothing earth shattering… then the final dinner happened, then came the tears. What a way to round out the whole book. It was just so good! I am so grateful to have been given the chance to read this ARC and discover a new author I really enjoy!!

An enjoyable summer read set in Maine that will have you craving lobster rolls!

The first few chapters set Vacationland up to be a bit of a thriller but Instead, we are treated to more of a gentle character study (with some secrets and conflict threatening to bubble up to the surface) mainly focused on Louisa and Kristie. Louisa is in a prolonged argument with her husband over whose turn it is to focus on their career while the other steps up in the parenting department. She is spending the summer with her three children at her parents’ house in Maine. Meanwhile, Kristie’s mom has recently died. Broke and heartbroken, she is on her way to Maine to get some answers. As the story unfolds over one summer, we get to observe the events from multiple perspectives. Kristie’s character was the highlight of the book for me and I was eager to read about how her story evolved and ended.

Recommended to fans of family dramas in a cozy, atmospheric setting.

Thank you to William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley.

Vacationland is a great story to kick off summer reading. Louisa comes to her parents’ house in Maine for the summer with her 3 young kids, an overdue book deadline, and resentment of her husband who stayed behind in NYC due to work. Her father has Alzheimer’s and Louisa’s mother is trying to cope with this new phase of their life. Kristie arrives in Maine with less than $1000, fresh grief from her mom’s death, and in search of some long-desired answers.

The story spans the course of one summer and alternates POVs primarily between Louisa, her family members, and Kristie. Secrets are revealed, family drama ensues, and both women take time to reflect on their much different lives. I felt for both Louisa and Kristie at times, and while I found some elements of the plot predictable, I still thought Vacationland was a really enjoyable read, especially for this time of year!

Kristie leaves for Maine after her mother dies. She has less than $800 to her name and a past that needs some healing. Louisa is in Maine with her children for the summer.? She needs to write her book, help her mother, and enjoy time with her father, who has an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Little does she know the family secrets that will be unveiled.

Family. Heartache, healing, hope, and a brilliant Maine background. I loved this book.

Martin and Annie Fitzgerald are at their summer home, Ships View in Owls Head, Maine. Their only child, Louisa, a college professor, has decided to spend the summer there as well with her three children, leaving her husband home in Brooklyn to work on his start up. She's supposed to be working on writing a book, but quickly gets wrapped up in a variety of family issues.
The story alternates primarily between Louisa and Kristie, who opens the book while taking a bus from Altoona, PA to Rockland. Between the two, there are a number of intriguing story lines and the answers are slowly revealed over the course of the summer. Why is Kristie in Rockland? Are Louisa and her husband getting a divorce? What did Martin, a former state Supreme Court Judge, do earlier in life that he needs to apologize?
Vacationland is lovely character-driven novel with well-developed and interesting characters. While Louisa and Kristie are the primary storytellers, Martin's chapter, towards the end of the book, is especially poignant.
Louisa's children (Matty, Abigail and Claire) are also beautifully portrayed and I especially liked the view we get of Abigail through her letters to her father. She's definitely old beyond her years!
I visit Maine every couple years and Ms. Moore did a great job capturing the state and the Rockland area. I am disappointed to learn that Damariscotta Pottery has closed but have added Renys Department Stores to my list of places to visit! If you haven't read any of Ms. Moore's books, start with Vacationland and then go to the rest of her backlist!
Thanks to Netgalley, Book Club Girl Early Read Program, and HarperCollins Publishers for the opportunity to read Vacationland in exchange for an honest review.

Totally unputdownable Beach Read! This will be a favorite of 2022 for sure. I already preordered two copies for friends and family. I loved the setting in Maine and luckily was familiar with much of the area which made me love it even more. The story will grab you from page one. The characters are excellent and I am so in love with this beautiful book! Bonus for having Reny’s in the book! 5 huge, twinkling stars! Perfect title too! My hint: read tge acknowledgments. I always do and it makes for a greater understanding of the book and author.

Thank you yo the publisher for my #Netgalley copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book is based around a summer spent in Louisa’s family’s house in Maine. This is different than other summers because this year Louisa will be here with her 3 children for the entire summer rather than a few weeks like the previous years.
This summer proves to be filled with drama and difficult choices. The author does a great job of establish a continuous point of view of all individuals involved, including the children, to keep things interesting.
This is definitely a great beach read that is light but still keeps you involved from the beginning. Things felt a bit dragged out towards the end but ended satisfactorily.