"The Boardwalk Bookshop" follows three friends, Ashley, Mikki, and Bree, as they work to build their friendship, their relationships, and their businesses. Mikki is the oldest at just 40, divorced for three years and tired of being the passenger in her own life. She is trying to slowly try new things and that now includes online dating, where she meets Duane- right when ex-husband Perry says he thinks they should get back together. Ashley is the youngest of the three, a twenty-something, madly in love with her boyfriend Seth and waiting for him to propose. When she discovers he doesn't believe in marriage but wants to live with her forever, Ashley has to decide if she is willing to give up what she wants in order to keep Seth. Bree is the most complicated one- emotionally neglected by her parents and former husband, Bree never wants to put herself in another situation where her heart is in jeopardy- meaning no chance of love. But Ashley's brother Harding moves back in town and is determined to get her to take a chance on them.

We get to watch the relationships between the three women grow and deepen from the beginning, when they've only really known each other for a few months, through the end when they are their best support system and willing to not only help each other through the hard times but tell each other the truth as they see it- not always a comfortable thing but sometimes a necessary one. They come to understand each other better, help each other grow, and support each other not only professional but personally. As each of them experiences the ups and downs of new relationships, the others are there to be happy or console as needed. This is a love story about friends as much as it is about romantic relationships- maybe even more.

This was a seriously powerful book on a lot of levels and didn't pull punches. While Bree or Mikki could have supported a book successfully alone, I think it worked well mixing the three stories together in part because they are so powerful. We are emotionally invested in the characters, ride the rollercoaster with them, and it helps us to break from one character to another and see a new point of view. Whether they are being taken for granted, challenging their views of themselves and life as they see it, or stepping into the uncomfortable unknown of trying something new, a new point of view, a good friend, and a good bottle of champagne on the beach help solve many of life's problems.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I love Susan Mallery books so much. The Boardwalk Bookshop is another great one that comes out in Tuesday - May 31st!

While her series are my favorite, i enjoy her standalone books too! I know I'm going to get a story with a few women who are in different phases of life and I love that aspect of her books. In this one you have 3 women- Ashley who is hoping her boyfriend will propose, Mikki who gas been divorced for a few years and is ready to date and Bree who has sworn off love.

I enjoyed the beachy California scenes and the bookshop/giftshop/bakery store these three women run. I enjoyed all three romances and this book put me in the summer mood even if it's rainy and gross today!

What’s better than anticipating reading a new SM book on a holiday weekend? Actually reading it. I love the setting of her new novel. I’m,I’ve all the descriptions of the beach sunsets and the three friends hashing out the week while drinking it all in. It’s an intense read. I was very frustrated with Bree for most of the book. Mikki and Ashley came along very nicely. I knew two of the plot developments way in advance and was glad I had. I was torn between who was the dreamier man, Duane or Harding. I think Harding because he knew his own worth and wasn’t any about what he wanted.
My favorite character was Oscar and even crusty Ruth wasn’t too bad of a person.
Lose yourself in the sand, stress, and sanctity of friends and family when you read this book.

Not much better than a Summer beach read by Susan Mallery! Loved this story of 3 women/friends who share a retail beach store property, for their 3 different shops. The women are so real; flawed and human! Their stories kept me interested until the very last page. I highly recommend this book.

This was a decent story, not my favorite ever but not nearly the worst. This is a perfect summer beach read. It follows the formula of two people who are interested but hesitant, and we all know where it goes from there. I really enjoy this author and this title continues their streak of extremely enjoyable books.

The Boardwalk Bookshop is a great book. As usual, Susan Mallery has given us everything we want. Hoping Bree's life and friends will make another appearance.

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery takes us to a store on the beach that houses a bookshop, gift shop, and muffin shop. Three women have come together to lease the space. You can pick up a snack, a book, and beach towel plus a cute tote bag to hold everything all in one charming shop. We get to meet Bree, Ashley, and Mikki. Their business is booming, but their personal lives are not. Bree is determined to not let anyone get close to her. She has casual flings, but she does not do relationships. Bree has a rule to not date authors. Then she meets Ashley’s author brother, Harding. He can see past the barricades Bree has erected. This terrifies Bree, but she finds herself drawn to Harding. Ashley and Seth moved their relationship to the next level three months prior when they moved in together. Ashley is wondering when Seth is going to pop the question. When Ashley learns that Seth has no intention of proposing, she must decide if she can be happy without a ring on her finger. Mikki has been divorced for three years. She is still friends with her ex-husband as they co-parent their two children. Mikki has not dated since the divorce, and she has Earl (her battery-operated pleasure device) to take care of her needs. But then a man enters Mikki’s life at the same time her ex-husband is interested in resurrecting their relationship. What does the future hold for Mikki, Bree, and Ashley? In The Boardwalk Bookshop we see three strangers come together as business partners, friends, and family. I enjoyed following the women on their journey as they grew as individuals and in their friendship. I believe women will relate to the characters and their issues. I enjoyed the descriptions of the lady’s unique store. They each managed to put their own spin on their spaces while making it cohesive as a whole. There is foul language as well an intimate situations in the book including references to women’s personal pleasure devices. The ending is sweet, but I wish there had been an epilogue so we could see how the characters are faring in the future. It was interesting learning about the different champagnes and sparkling wines. The three women tried a different bubbly each Friday after work as they enjoyed watching the sunset on the beach. There is a recipe for red, white, and blue muffins at the end of the book along with discussion questions and a preview of Home Sweet Christmas (Susan Mallery’s next book). The author also gives helpful information on champagne and sparkling wines plus some recommendations. The Boardwalk Bookshop is a charming beach tale with a busy bookshop, mouthwatering muffins, an attractive author, chilled champagne, a sad sack, firm friends, and relationship woes.

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery is a wonderful story about three friends who all own shops in the same retail space. This story is about the power of friendships and found families.

Bree, Mikki, and Ashley have rented one retail space for their own shops. Bree owns The Boardwalk Bookshop, Mikki owns The Gift Shop and Ashley owns Muffins to the Max. Although they didn’t know each other before they became co-owners of the space, they soon became fast friends, and make sure they spend every Friday afternoon together with a bottle of wine on the beach to go over their week.

Bree is divorced and the child of inattentive parents who cared more about their next book than their own child. Her ex-husband was almost as enamored by her parents as he was with her and eventually cheated on her. But, will Ashley's author brother make her rethink her vow to never date an author? Ashley is in love with her boyfriend and expects a proposal any day now, but when he claims to want to spend the rest of his life with her but doesn’t want to marry her, can she live without the formal commitment of marriage? Mikki is divorced with two children about to leave the nest. She and her ex-husband have stayed on friendly terms as they co-parent their children. She’s happy to put all her energy into her store, but when an unexpected friendship happens with a handsome man, can she finally move on from her marriage?

The Boardwalk Bookshop was a quick book to read. It was easy to follow the three friends and their lives as they changed throughout the book. Their friendship with each other was so beautiful, especially since they hadn’t known each other very long. They are so supportive of each other and their businesses.

The romances were good, and not the entire focus of the book, as it was more about each individual’s personal growth. There is a bit of steam in this book, but nothing too unusual.

I also enjoyed the setting. Owning a bookstore (or gift shop or muffin shop) right on the beach must be a dream come true, and I liked the way the author weaved the location into the story. I thought Bree was the toughest character to like in the beginning, but she really grew on me throughout the book. Mikki was my favorite character and I enjoyed her story the most.

I highly recommend The Boardwalk Bookstore to anyone who enjoys Women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Anything by Susan Mallory is actually. I highly recommend this book.

Disclaimer: I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

I have read multiple books by Susan and am always pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy them.

When I first saw the reviews for this book I thought wow a nice summer read about friends, love, and a book store. Perfect. However, I got so much more.

Yes, when you read this book it is about women who become not only business partners by renting a building together and becoming friends but there is so much more underlining this book.

First, there is Ashley who on the surface seems like a happy young woman. She lives with her boyfriend Seth. they seem to be happily in love and planning their future. But when Seth tells Ashley he doesn't want to marry we quickly learn that Ashley has a lot of emotional problems stemming from an accident that almost took her brother.

Mikki is a divorced mom of 2 who is struggling with self-esteem issues. When she becomes involved with a new man who is everything she dreams of she almost ruins it by not letting go of her past marriage.

Then we have Bree the most damaged of the 3 women. A woman who suffered emotional abuse for years and whose marriage was not picture perfect must learn to let go, love and trust again.

So yes the book is about friendship, love, and living in beautiful California. It is also a story of healing, hope, and of learning to trust not only themselves but others.

This truly was a multi-layered book that had me thinking a lot about my own personal journey of healing.

Bree, Ashley and Mikki are three friends who have opened a store together, each featuring their own specialty. Bree sells books, Ashley sells muffins and cupcakes and Mikki owns a gift shop. Together, they weather the storms of business and personal life. I loved their tradition of sharing a glass of champagne together on the beach every Friday. I really enjoyed their friendships with each other. They were just close enough to be brutally honest and often the result was laugh-aloud humorous. The plot was somewhat complex since the book deals with the love lives of each of the three women. Instead of having a “Dear Abby” in their lives, they have each other to use as a sounding board and sometimes one or the other has to give one of the ladies a reality check. The book was fast paced, with memorable characters. Although the plot diverged in three different directions at times, it was easy to keep track of who was who and with whom they were in love because the characters were so realistic. They became like good book friends who needed relationship advice, whether they wanted it or not. Susan Mallery is the absolute best at creating scenarios that are fun to read about and to imagine yourself immersed in. I couldn’t help but relate more to one woman than the others, but that was part of the fun of reading the book. I wanted all of them to have a happily ever after because they all deserved it. Getting to know the characters was a trip down Romance Lane and was a pleasure the whole way! Fans of light, humorous romance will enjoy the antics of the three friends as they forge a path to love.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This was Fabulous! Three stories in one and each of them turned out so great! I just love this author! By the time your finished with one of her books they feel like family. Five Amazing Stars! I will continue to read everything this author puts out!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review! Sensational book! Will definitely get a copy for my shelf!!

I loved the concept of this book with three women coming together to live their best lives, supporting each other and running successful businesses in a dreamy location. Bonus points that one of them was a bookshop, of course! I was disappointed at the lack of self-awareness some of the characters exhibited, but I guess it wouldn't have been much of a story if they had more of a grip on their issues. All in all, this was a fun light read, great for that beach vacation!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the friendship & romance. I liked the idea of three businesses sharing space. I enjoyed the dynamics. I couldn’t put it down.

Great book about friendship and other relationships. You can really root for these characters. I liked how the three women who started as strangers became more than friends…they became family. Chick-lit at its best.

4.25 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


Bree loves owning a bookshop. While she loathes writers, she does love books. Her decision to move her bookshop to an oceanfront location which she shares with two other stores was the best decision she’d made. She’s bonding with the two other business owners and life is good.

Ashley gave up a career in physical therapy to pursue her dream of baking. There was a little guilt regarding her wasted college degree, but she knows that her muffins and treats make her much happier, and others as well. She’s got a good life, a great man, and hopefully everything she dreams of down the road.

When Mikki’s kids grew a bit older, she felt a little lost with how to spend her time. When a local gift shop was up for sale, she knew it was what she wanted. Working in her husband’s family business wasn’t where she wanted to be. And then the divorce. Now she’s decided to move the business to the location with Bree & Ashley. She and her husband co-parent at an amazing level. And she has Earl. There really isn’t much more that she needs.

The three women have established a Friday tradition of champagne on the beach. Here they toast to their week behind and the weeks ahead. Their friendship and success. Week by week they are getting closer to one another, and closer to knowing what each of them want for their lives.

This is chick-lit at it’s finest. Not that men couldn’t enjoy this story about three amazing women, but chick-lit is all about the girls. Each of these women has a story to tell and an issue to resolve. We watch each of them grow emotionally throughout the novel, and as chick-lit should be, wraps up neatly at the end. This book isn’t about fairytale endings. It has a healthy dose of hard-core reality. The issues these women are facing aren’t necessarily easy ones. What is wonderful is the way that their friendships deepen over time, and the support that each woman gives the other. It’s a lovely story about women and friendship. Also, no matter how strong we can be individually, we are much stronger together.

Really good one!!!

Kudos to Susan Mallery for ‘The Boardwalk Bookshop’. This is the perfect beach read. The characters were all relatable and well developed. Pull up a beach chair, maybe even crack a bottle of champagne ( great suggestions listed in the book) and enjoy this light-hearted easy to read novel.

Three business women decide to rent a large space together to each run their shops. Bree the bookstore, Mikki a gift shop and Ashley a muffin/cupcake. They start off as acquaintances and end up close friends as they navigate their life situations, and support each other as they grow. Bree keeps people at arms length after being so hurt, Mikki is 3 years into a divorce and ready to begin dating, Ashely is currently with a wonderful man and is looking forward to marriage. Each woman is relatable and it is easy to root for them the more immersed in their story you become.

What a wonderful story! The characters are engaging and their stories evoked so many different emotions. I’m definitely going to have a book hangover after this one! I highly recommend The Boardwalk Bookshop. It is possibly my new favourite Susan Mallery book!

Bree, MIcki, and Ashley are unlikely friends much less co-owners of a business but they bond over that and their love lives in this novel which is more than a little trope-y but still entertaining. Bree's backstory is sad and she's struggled with having a mature loving relationship while Micki is navigating divorce and Ashley, the youngest, is hoping for a ring. There's a little more steam in this than I expected (not a problem just a heads up). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No surprises once you meet everyone but Mallery always pulls me in and keeps me reading.