Every review I've read that shows "the parent trap" in it is accurate. I loved this retelling of the story and have found myself thinking of the characters in the days after reading. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year. We need more Ali Brady books!

When Kat and Blake meet at summer camp as 12-year-old girls, they become instant best friends despite their very different background. When Kat's grandfather dies, Blake is there to comfort her and wait until her dad picks her up at camp--however, she soon discovers that Kat's father is also her own father, one who abandon his daughter after Blake's mother passed away three years earlier. The best friends are torn apart by this family secret, never speaking again until their father leaves them both Kat's childhood beach house. When they arrive, the house is a run-down mess, just like each of the girls' lives, both of whom are forced to navigate a reunion while dealing with the death of their father, confronting the long-kept family secret, and the emotions attached to each of their relationships with their dad (both very different, much like Kat and Blake). The book explores how the women learn to accept the situation, heal from their father's mistakes, and find a way to move on, brining new life to their relationship as they rennovate the old beach house.

This book simply makes me happy. It is the perfect summer read and I tore through it.
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Kat and Blake instantly bond at camp as 12 year olds and become inseparable, until a secret tears them apart.
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After not speaking for 15 years the secret comes to life when their parent dies leaving them a dilapidated beach house. Blake needs to fix and flip this house stat. She needs the money to care for her beloved grandfather. Kat has no desire to sell the house and the house is perfect for her Instagram esthetic, which is close to a million followers. The sisters could not be more different, but as the summer goes on they find an understanding and eventually so much more.
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I also loved Henry and Noah and especially the banter between Noah and Blake. I loved when they would text each other random thoughts, like who is the best cereal mascot. That’s a legit question! I just really loved everything about it! This book comes out tomorrow!
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks and @dg_reads @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Look no further for your next pool day read! This book has everything - romance, family drama, and a dreamy summer setting. I really enjoyed the spin this book took with THE PARENT TRAP (which is one of my all time favorite movies) with a little bit of Fixer Uppers mixed in as well. I am so impressed to learn this is an author duo and look forward to whatever they write next.

Thank you so much @prhinternational for my copy! #partner

"I've been looking for beautiful things to bring meaning to life, when it's moments like these- vulnerable, authentic, imperfect -that makes life beautiful."
- Ali Brady, The Beach Trap

When Kat and Blake met at Camp Chickawah, they clicked instantly. But everything falls apart when they learn that they are half-sisters. Confused and betrayed, their friendship crumbles.

Fifteen years later, their father dies, and Kat and Blake discover he has left them a joint inheritance: the family beach house in Destin, Florida. Kat and Blake reluctantly join forces to renovate the dilapidated house, knowing that Kat will try to buy Blake out at the end of the summer. As the weeks pass, the two women realize that the hardest project they face this summer will be coming to grips with their shared past and learning how to become sisters.

The story has a dual POV that makes it easier to sympathize with both sisters. For me, the highlight of this story would be the sister relationship and how their dad somehow redeemed himself by trying to mend their broken relationship through their joint inheritance. Despite Kat and Blake growing up with different lifestyles and environments, I love how they still gravitate towards each other no matter what.

The romance is so cute and wholesome. Henry and Noah are real men who know how to listen and treat Kat and Blake well. These two couples were able to find each other to share their true feelings and past hurts, and reading it makes my heart feel so good. Overall, it was a great and refreshing book, and I can't wait to read more books written by Ali Brady.

I AM actually old enough to remember the old "Parent Trap" movie (first one) and this delightful & fun read definitely has that trope going on!! Plus, sister's Kate & Blake's renovation of their inherited Florida beach house was a cute angle also - and it's just a perfect summer read! Recommend! My sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary widget for a DRC, the acceptance of which did not affect my review!

The Beach Trap is fun and heartening story of Blake and Kat meeting at summer camp and finding out they are half-sisters that create huge misunderstanding and rift until they are trapped by their father’s will to the beach house in Florida that changes their life, making them reconnect, rethink their past, and repair the damage of their relationship.

The Beach Trap is about friendship, sisterhood, acceptance, forgiveness, family, letting go of past, second chance, family expectations and responsibility, abandonment issues, perfection in imperfection, being true to yourself, self-discovery, and love.

Writing is engaging, gripping, and fast-paced with first-person dual narrative from Kat and Blake’s perspective that gives very clear view of each sister’s different life, upbringing, feelings, life problems, and intentions.

I enjoyed every single page of this book. There is more to the story than just sisterhood and romance. It packs so much emotions, feelings and layers. It not only focuses on the reconciliation between sisters but also on their individual journeys and we also get to know side characters and heroes better.

Characters is the best part of the book. They are realistic and relatable. I absolutely loved Kat and Blake and their relationships. There is so much to both characters that I’m afraid I can’t talk about them without going into detail.

Kat is social media influencer and had a privileged life. She tried to make her life look perfect on her feed but in reality, it has been a mess. She could never be the daughter her father wanted or get his love. While Blake had struggling life who is raised by her grandparents after her mother’s death but she awas loved by her father before the abandonment. They both need money as Kat’s father lost his money to bad investment before he died and she wants to buy Blake out of inheritance while Blake’s only remaining family, her grandfather has Alzheimer and she needs to upgrade his care facility. Blake wants to sell the Beach House while Kat doesn’t want to and their only option is to renovate the dilapidated beach house so they can get better price or Kat use the project to get biggest deal of her life to buy Blake out. Kat is better at aesthetics, creating content and getting sponsors while Blake is great at renovation work. Blake has abandonment and trust issue while Kat couldn’t figure out why she is an influencer or what is her calling.

While working on the house they both has to deal with anger, jealousy, resentment, their father’s mistakes, their feelings for their father and for each other. Blake is more developed of the two. She doesn’t like confrontations and deals with Kat’s anger and tantrums calmly and practically. I liked Kat’s development and her self-discovery. I was surprised to see she was the one who took first huge step toward Blake and their reconnection. She sure makes mistakes but it was great to see how she realized them and tried to rectify them.

Romance is another best part and it’s as different as their personality. Blake and Noah‘s romance is fast, fiery, and sexy filled with banter while Kat and Henry‘s is slow and simmering with friends to lovers arc. Both heroes are hot and swoonworthy. I enjoyed their own story and how they too have their life issues and past along with heroines.

The climax is predictable. I was expecting Kat’s reaction but Blake surprised me by making stupid decision because of her abandonment issue. I like how things took turns in this part and how they both accepted their relationship and connection and made it even stronger. End is heartwarming, lovely, and uplifting.

Overall, The Brach Trap is heartfelt, entertaining, lovely, and a wonderful summerry beach read with so many emotions, layers, and Parent Trap vibe.

I highly recommend this if you like,
Parent Trap vibe
Summer beach read
BFF turned enemies arc
Swoonworthy sexy heroes
House renovation project
One of the characters is influencer
family drama
Dog and its many nicknames
friends to lovers arc
hot and sexy romance

Although not a book for my professional life, it is definitely a book I will highly recommend in my personal life! A perfect family saga with a beach setting!

If you grew up reading books like Sweet Valley Twins or The Baby-Sitters Club, or if you watched and rewatched the movie, Parent Trap II (it’s a thing, look it up)-then you’re sure to love The Beach Trap by the new writing duo, @alibradybooks.

A book that feels like a childhood favorite fit for a grown up, The Beach Trap revolves around two very different women, Kat and Blake, who met years prior at Camp Chickawah. Despite being opposites in nearly every way, the girls were inseparable from day one. Then tragedy strikes Kat’s family, forcing her to have to cut her camp time short, and revealing a shocking family secret that threatens their budding summer friendship.

Fast forward 15 years and the two are reunited under very uncomfortable circumstances. While both women are still very different on the surface, they can’t deny their connection, and how each is more like the other than they care to admit. Saddled with a beach house that needs a healthy dose of TLC, the women have to decide if some things are salvageable or just beyond repair, including relationships.

The Beach Trap is a great debut from a writing duo that has each had success independently. I would love to pick the brains of the writers to see if they each voiced a different woman, or if they truly shared in the development of the main characters. I related to Blake more, but I get how making them opposites is what made the story work.

I’d definitely check this out if you’re looking for a decidedly adult beach read with an indescribable throwback feel.

I inhaled this book! It's told from dual point of view. Kay and Blake are half sisters. They unknowingly met at camp when they were 12 and became BFFs. This was before they knew they were related. Fast forward 15 years and they haven't been in contact since then (no spoilers here!). But then their dad passes away and leaves them a beach house. Blake wants to fix it up and sell it, and Kat would love nothing more than to keep it. Well they don't agree on what to do with it, they do agree that it needs to get fixed up. They set up a week on, week off schedule and communicate over text. There are a couple of cute men that end up helping them.

I Definitely enjoyed one sister more than the other, but by the end, I was rooting for both of them. I loved everything about this book. The home renovation, the small town, the strained relationship, the growing trust, and the potential love interests! This book had me on an emotional roller coaster, with laughter and tears. It's the perfect summer romance read for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A heartwarming debut featuring two estranged half-sisters who jointly inherit a decrepit family beach house in Florida and spend the summer renovating it while also slowly repairing their relationship.

Blake, the illegitimate daughter, is motivated to get the beach house ready to sell so she can help support her grandfather who is suffering from Alzheimer's. Kat, on the other hand, is a social media influencer trying to impress a Reese Witherspoon-esque media mogul. Together these two opposites slowly get to know one another again over the course of the summer, while also discovering unexpected romance and falling for an irresistible canine companion.

Perfect for fans of HGTV shows and the Parent Trap movie, this was one of my FAVORITE books of the summer and I cannot recommend it enough!! Great on audio narrated by Brittany Pressley and Imani Jade Powers, each sister is superbly voiced and fully brought to life. Much thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an advance review copy. If this isn't on your summer #tbr yet you are missing out!!

The Beach Trap by Ali Brady

Kat and Blake met at a summer camp when they were 12 years old. In a matter of days they became best friends, almost like sisters. What they didn’t know is that they were, in fact, half sisters. After they realized that they had the same father, they never spoke again.

Now, fifteen years later, their father dies and leaves them their family beach house in Destin, Florida. But Kat and Blake don’t want anything to do with one another. Blake just wants to sell the house to use the money to help her grandfather. Kat wants to keep it because it reminds her of her summers with her grandparents and her family. But when they get there, the house is completely deteriorated. So, even though they hate each other, in order to keep or sell the house they need to work together to renovate it. Kat and Blake end up finding more than just a project. In their journey of grieving, healing and forgiving, they find a home, a family and even romantic love.

I adored this book! I love how it explores different types of family relationships. Every family is different and there are always two sides of the same story. The characters are complex, deep, funny and relatable and Max is the cutest dog ever!

Read this one if you, like me, grew up watching The Parent Trap or if you enjoy heartwarming and delightful stories.

Fun (personal) fact: The Parent Trap was my favorite movie growing up. I was an only child and I used to watch it on repeat, imagining what it would be like to have a sister. One day, when I was 10 years old, after I finished watching the movie my mom told me that I did have a sister, five years older than me but she lived in another country with her mother’s family and there was no way of contacting her. I spent almost 8 years looking for her, until I found her on social media and sent her a message. Long story short, now I have 2 sisters, 2 nephews and 1 niece and I still love that movie so much that I visited both of their homes, in London and in Napa, CA. So, trust me when I say this book made me sob.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Books and Ali Brady for providing me with an advance copy of this amazing book.

I loved the alternating POV of Kat and Blake. I loved Blake from the beginning but Kat was sometimes too much for me. I did love the way her character evolved throughout the book! This story is centered on grief, friendships, family with a side of romance. Even with the topic of grief, it was light and good-hearted! A great beach my summer read ❤️

Thank you @netgalley @alibradybooks @berkleypub for my eARC!

Rating: 4.25/5

This is a Women's Fiction/Chick-Lit/Romance. This book is about two half sisters that never really know each other getting to know each other as an adult. Both of the sisters think the other one had a better life. I love the storyline, and I loved getting to know both of the main characters. I love the very slow moving romance. This book was a very fun read and it was a book I did not want to put down. I loved it so much. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Berkley Books) or author (Ali Brady) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Oh y’all I’ve got another summer read to add to your TBR! The Beach Trap by @alibradybooks is such a great story about love, family and heart break.

12 year olds Kat and Blake become best friends at summer camp. Everything changes when they find out they are also half sisters. Fast forward 15 years and their Dad has died leaving them a dilapidated beach house in Destin Florida. While at odds they are forced to work together for a common goal all the while trying to forgive. Throw in some hot guys and this story is chef’s kiss!

Y’all this book gave me all the family feels! Each daughter with their own grievances must learn to accept each other and move on. 😭 The romance is also perfection. Both sisters’ love interests were HOT with just a little bit of open door spice! Throw in a cute dog in an idyllic beach setting and you’ve got the perfect beach/summer read. Absolutely loved this one!

Thanks you @netgalley @berkleyromance and @alibradybooks for the E-ARC!

Want a breezy, addictive vacation read? THE BEACH TRAP is a story of two twelve year old girls, Blake O'Neill and Kat Steiner, who meet at camp and become best friends. When Kat's dad comes to pick her up, they are shocked to discover they are half-sisters! Puzzled and angry, they drop each other like hot potatoes!

Fifteen years later, their father has passed away, and Blake and Kat find out that they have jointly inherited a dilapidated beach house in Florida. They can't stand each other and now they have to deal with this. Blake, a pretty nanny who takes care of kids and dogs, just wants to sell it for money. Kat, a gorgeous social media influencer, wants to keep the place because it holds many memories. How will the two of them renovate it themselves?

Luckily, they both meet handsome, handy men who possess carpentry skills. Hurray! Will Kat and Blake learn to deal with each other, while the whole renovation process takes place? Many problems arise along the way. Will Blake and Kat ever develop a close sisterly bond?

THE BEACH TRAP is a refreshing fixer-upper romance with family entanglements. Life circumstances, via a cheating dad, delivers a blow to two young girls who discover they are half-sisters, when they are twelve. They grow up hating each other. Secrets are revealed when they discover they jointly own a beach house. The author delivers a poignant look at familial ties dealing with cheating spouses. There is a wonderful romance woven in with an adorable dog too. The story ebbs and flows beautifully with romance, sisterly fights, renovation problems, a frisky dog, and more. Plus, it takes place in a breathtaking Floridian village where I can picture pristine beaches and smell the ocean air! This is a wonderful story! THE BEACH TRAP is cooling and refreshing like a cold sweet iced tea!

I absolutely loved The Beach Trap by the amazing writing duo Ali Brady!

Blake and Kat met at summer camp when they were 12 and instantly became besties. That is, until Kat’s dad came to pick her up from camp and they realized he was Blake’s father too, causing them to completely cut ties with each other. Fast forward 15 years, and these half-sisters couldn’t be more different. Kat, a stylish social media influencer, has lived a life of privilege. Blake, who works as a nanny, is practical and down-to-earth. When their father dies, they find out they’ve inherited the same dilapidated beach house. It definitely needs to be renovated, but will they keep it or sell it? Will they even be able to deal with each other long enough to figure that out?

I expected this to be a fun beach read, but I never thought these sisters would take me on such an emotional journey! While I’ll admit I was Team Blake, my feelings about Kat definitely changed by the end. Blake had a difficult childhood, and my heart immediately went out to her. I adored her relationship with her grandfather and was so glad she had him in her life. Kat, however, grew up with everything being handed to her and came off as entitled and selfish, but appearances can be deceiving. They were both affected by the roles their father played in their lives, and they had a lot to work through. I loved that they were fixing up the beach house while simultaneously mending their relationship and coming to terms with their pasts. The dual romances and the adorable dog just made this book even better! It was a heartfelt, emotional, multi-layered, and beautiful story about family, relationships, secrets, resentment, grief, forgiveness, acceptance, and love!

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

• loved the relationship dynamics
• there's a dog... need I say more? ☺️
• the epilogue 😍🥰

You'll swoon, you'll laugh, you'll tear up. This book wrapped up like a hug from a friend. What else could you want in a great summer read?!

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley, @berkleypub and the authors for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

What a fantastic debut novel by this dynamic duo. Its been so fun knowing these ladies on a personal level, and then reading their professional work. Thank you Berkley for taking a chance on them!

This book had parent trap vibes for the two main characters. Blake was a girl boss and I loved everything about her. Kat was a tad harder to enjoy, and her character was not for me. That didn't take away from my whole experience which was altogether lovely.

Overall, this was a fantastic debut.

Families are complicated but what if you have a sister you never knew about but by chance meet at summer camp only to be ripped apart. No this isn’t The Parent Trap re-told but a different story.

Blake and Kat couldn’t be more different. Pretty much night and day but when their father dies leaving them a dilapidated beach house, they have no choice but to deal with each other.

Neither of them had an easy childhood for different reasons but as they decide to open up to each other they find they have more in common than uncommon.

Now I just want to know how the author duo wrote the books.