Do you ever love an author and their idea for a book.....but not actually love the book in the end?

I loathe miscommunication and lying. I knew going in that there would be that, but ugh! So
much?

The cover of this book does not fit the vibe of the story at all. This is not a cozy beach read about a library. It's about a murder of a child and how it went unsolved for so long....and all the lies to cover it up.

The Seaside Library By Brenda Novak is all about friendship, murder, and the beach. 20 years ago Ivy, Ariana and Cam were teenagers living their best life at the beach for the summer. A young girl goes missing and Cam becomes the main suspect. Ivy and Ariana come to Cam's defense. Now 20 years later were they right to support Cam? Half truths and lies are about to unfold...will their friendship survive the fallout? read The Seaside Library and find out for yourself.

An intriguing story for sure with a twist that sneaks up and makes you question what you thought you knew. Brenda Novak has a way with pulling readers in and there is not a book of hers that I wouldn’t recommend! No matter if you start with this book, or one of her older works, you will stumble upon a story you can’t put down. The Seaside Library is no different!

Well written with characters who read like family—this is a book you won’t regret picking up.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I am so disappointed in this book. Instead of improving as I read, it only gets worse and unrealistic. DNF 20%

Ariana has returned to where she grew up, Mariners Island, after twenty years. Her two best friends, Ivy and Cam still live on the island. Her teen years were filled with an unrequited love for Cam as well as a mystery that comes back when she returns to the island. The remains of a missing girl are discovered, and the cold case is reopened. Cam was the last person to see her alive and is the prime suspect. Ivy and Ariana are his alibi, but they have held the secret for the last twenty years that they lied to cover for Cam. He left them an hour before the time they gave in their statement. As the mystery reopens, Ariana and Cam find that they may have feelings for each other as well. Will the murderer be uncovered and will romance bloom?

I thought the murder mystery was interesting, but sad. I did not guess the ending until the story lead me to the conclusion. I did not care for the love story between Ariana and Cam. Mostly because Cam was still married at the time. He talks about how he doesn’t love his wife and only married her because she got pregnant, but when you talk about your wife that way to people, are you really giving your relationship a chance? Ariana spends the night when his wife is away, and she catches them pillow fighting when they return. They are like – we are innocent, but the wife is dubious. I would be dubious too as I can’t imagine any scenario where it would be okay for my husband and I to have a “friend” over and be pillow fighting with them half dressed in our bed. That is weird. It made me not care for their romance at all. I am not a fan of romance that starts when one of the characters is married.

Amy McFaddon was a good narrator, and the mystery story line kept me engaged with this audiobook. I quickly finished it. It did make for a good book club discussion on this novel.

While the cover gives off the vibes of a beach read, this is actually a mystery. It also has nothing really to do with the library. Instead, this is the novel of three friends who lied to the police 20 years ago after one of them became the prime suspect in a young girl's disappearance. Now that the body has been found, Cam is once again in the spotlight and his friends are struggling with their lies. Despite his insistence of innocence, the victim's sister insists that the police and private eye continue to investigate Cam while she hides her own secrets. How can the truth come out, though, if everyone is lying and so narrow mindedly focused on Cam?

After feeling misled by the title and cover, this book was a bit of a struggle, especially as the majority of it felt like the friends struggling with the fact that they lied and whether or not they should come clean. There were so many lies that the story became repetitive in their struggles. Ultimately none of the characters were very likable. Cam was a victim of a bitter, vindictive wife who was a bit too over the top and while that makes him a bit sympathetic, he was the one everyone was lying for. He kept digging them deeper into the hole and ruining his own case. The romance between him and Ariana was a bit lackluster and really just brought on pity for Ivy who became nothing more than a third wheel. Jewel, the victim's sister, should be a sympathetic character, but was so narrowminded and petty that she was unlikeable. I struggled to find something worthwhile about the book, but the behaviors of all of the characters might have worked better if we were dealing with teenagers rather than adults. In the end, the only good thing about this book was when it ended.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a bit of a writing snob I guess and this one was not up to my level. I hope that it has found an audience though.

The Seaside Library is a women’s fiction/mystery/suspense mash-up with some romantic elements. From my initial impression of the title and cover, and my experience with previous Brenda Novak novels, I was expecting more of a romance, but that is not the focus of this story. The story follows longtime friends who are each keeping a secret from their childhood when a 12 year old girl went missing. Now 20 years later her bones have been found and the three friends must decide whether to keep the secrets they have held so long.

I enjoyed this one, it had some drama to it, but I would still consider it a beach read. It was a solid book, with an ending that surprised me. I think it did drag a bit in the middle, but overall a good mystery beach read!

Judging by the title, I didn't expect this to be a murder mystery. I thought it would be a more typical beach read romance. However, I did enjoy the story.

The Seaside Library by Brenda Novak caught my eye because it looked like a cozy beach read for an extremely hot summer where I live. The cover and the description of the book made me think this was going to be centered around a library on a little island and some friends who may have a secret. Part of that was true and the other part was a little confusing.

The story follows three friends who grew up together on an island. There was a girl who went missing when they were teens and apparently these three have a secret regarding what may or may not have happened. Based on the description of the book and the genre it was categorized in, I was expecting a light read with some drama between friends and their secrets. After all, the main genre was general and women’s fiction. I have to start by saying I would personally categorize this as a mystery, maybe even a cozy mystery to some extent, with a women’s fiction backdrop. As I was reading, this pleasantly surprised me because I am a huge fan of mystery novels, but it did confuse me a little bit because I wasn’t expecting it to be that type of story.

I want to discuss the fact that the seaside library, while mentioned, was not a major part of this story. I was expecting this to be a central theme to this story, but it was only mentioned in brief passings throughout the book and aside from being where one of the characters worked, it really had no sway in the storyline itself. That was instantly a confusing part of the story and a bit perturbed as to why the book was called what it was and why it was mentioned as if it were going to be so important in the synopsis on the back of the book.

With all that being said, I felt the plot was very interesting and the flow of the story kept me reading. I was eager to know who did it. I suspected all three of the main characters at some point, considered it could be a complete stranger at another, and dragged in a few of the side characters into my suspicion too. As the story grew, I liked how Novak led us with a slow build as our suspicions on certain characters grew. Novak also was able to make me start disliking characters I really liked in the beginning and liking ones I didn’t like to begin with. I love when an author can sway my very strong feelings on a matter.

I probably would have given this book a three, but I quite liked the mystery aspect and the story was unique how it played out. Novak should absolutely do more mystery/suspense novels because this was a great story. I’ll be checking out more of her books!

I keep requesting her books hoping I'll love them but they're just not for me. Writing is great but I generally just don't connect with them. It's not Brenda, it's me!

Cam, Ariana, and Ivy were inseparable growing up on Mariners Island. Their love and loyalty knew no bounds, and that was proven one night when they were sixteen and a young girl went missing. Cam was the prime suspect at the time, and there was no way Ariana and Ivy were letting him go down for it.

Twenty years later, they've drifted somewhat apart, but when the body of the missing girl is discovered, they once again band together, vowing to protect Cam and keep the secret they share.

With the stress of their personal lives, new witnesses coming forward and the murdered girl's sister putting pressure on the police department, will their relationship survive, or will doubts and lies cause irreparable damage?

I devoured this book in just over a day. Even with the few issues I had with it, it kept me turning the pages. There were red herrings thrown in that I wasn't falling for, and I did have the twist figured out before it was revealed, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and the book, in general, so those things didn't really bother me.

What did bother me was when a detail comes to light about what Cam did that night, one that could have saved him, he never told anyone about it ... because he was afraid to get into trouble. We're talking about a kid that was ALWAYS doing things to get into trouble. He flat out said, at one point, that he didn't realize he had been seen, but even if he'd known, he wouldn't have cared because he wasn't doing anything wrong, so there really was no satisfactory reason for him not coming forward at the time. I think we're supposed to believe it was because what he did took place in the lighthouse, and the murdered girl's body was found in the sand near it, but when he was sixteen she was just missing, so the lighthouse wasn't even a part of the investigation. There were a couple of other minor details that didn't mesh, but it was the main one that was the problem for me.

I loved how the officer on the case proved himself to be far more capable than he had seemed for most of the book. I did not, however, enjoy the saccharine sweet happy endings that tied up every single thread. I don't mind when things turn out nicely, but between the initial final chapter and the epilogue, it went all Hallmark. I think some things regarding the future could have been left to the imagination.

Brenda Novak is an author I grab when I want a great book to read on the weekend at the cabin or on vacation because they tend to be nice and beachy. Normally, I opt for suspense novels. This had a bit of both, and I enjoyed the combination.

One more thing ... the title and the cover. I would love to know why they were chosen. The island's coffee shop, The Human Bean, played a much larger role than the library that Ivy ran which, from what I could tell, wasn't even seaside.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Brenda Novak for the opportunity to read the eGalley for which I have chosen to give my honest and objective review.

Brenda Novak never disappoints. This was a fast enjoyable read. Loved it. It was a perfect summer vacation read. And the cover is super cute.

Eh ... not what I was expecting when I requested this book. I really didn't care for the characters. I didn't care for the story. I get it - they made a mistake as teenagers. I didn't need it drilled into my head every chapter - every conversation. I found myself skimming large sections just to move on to something new.

Not the worst I've read, but on the list of one of the most "eh" that I've read.

I usually love Brenda Novak’s books, but I’m going to be totally honest and admit that I struggled with THE SEASIDE LIBRARY. Maybe it is just me because many of my friends gave the story five stars, but either way, its a big book at 400 pages and it took me a while to finish. The title and the cover were misleading to me as well. The story really has nothing to do with a library except that one of the characters works in one. Brenda Novak has always been an auto author for me and even after reading this story, she continues to be.

THE SEASIDE LIBRARY takes place in Mariners Island. Three friends are coming back together after twenty years apart. Back then a young girl was killed and the mystery of what happened was never solved. Cam, Ivory, and Ariana were teenagers back then and were very close friends. Fast forward twenty years and a body has been discovered, the young girl killed decades ago. I really didn’t understand these three friends. All they do is lie to each other. I also had a very hard time connecting with all of the towns people as well as the three main characters.

THE SEASIDE LIBRARY jumps back and forth between the present and the past. Pay attention, be patient and read on. Brenda Novak continues to throw the reader curve balls and keeps them guessing right up until the end of the story. Just when the reader has it all figured out, the twists and turns take them into a different direction and leaves them scratching their heads. That is exactly what happened to me. Hopefully I will enjoy the next Brenda Novak book like I usually do.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Seaside Library
Brenda Novak, author

Memories, secrets and an unsolved death....

Three childhood friends from a small East Coast Island reunite after twenty years apart. Ivy, a bookstore owner remained on the island to run her family's small bookstore, while Ariana, couldn't get away fast enough after high school graduation and Cam married another local girl and works in business. As the three friends reconnect, feelings and friendships are threatened.

Ariana has secretly loved Cam all these years. She kept her secret, as she was afraid, she'd hurt Ivy and fearful Cam didn't return the feelings for her. Now Cam's marriage is falling apart and fears he'll lose his daughter in the process, if he leaves his wife.

Meanwhile, new information has developed about the death of a young tourist teenager that occurred when the three friends were teenagers themselves. Cam was the prime suspect at the time, but both Ivy and Ariana covered for him, knowing he could not hurt anyone. Now, with the new information, he once again fines himself knocking on the door of jailtime for a murder. Did the girls cover for a murderer or is Cam, in fact, innocent?

Read this cleverly written novel, as it offers a triangle of friendships, old secrets, a death, and a mysterious component around the three. You'll be glad that you did. I highly recommend this book.

I listened to the audio version of the book. I enjoyed the narrator and thought she did a lovely job of telling the story.

I want to thank Netgalley, the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of the book.

Friendship can cause people to do things out of loyalty that they regret later. Ariana and Ivy lied for Cam for over 20 years, protecting him from being considered a murder suspect in the murder of 12 year old Emily. Jewel, Emily’s sister, hires a private investigator, after the case becomes headlines once Emily’s body emerged from sandy dunes. The friendship between Ivy, Ariana and Cam was a high point of the book, but the suspense was not really there. It was obvious Cam was not a killer, and some of it dragged a bit. But all in all, a decent summer read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Although there is a romance in The Seaside Library, there is also a mystery and story of friendship. Ivy, Ariana and Cam were best friends when a young visitor to Mariners Island disappeared. Cam was a suspect in the disappearance as he had been one of the last people to see her alive, but Ivy and Ariana gave him an alibi. Once they graduated, Ariana left the island in her rearview mirror, while Cam married and became a successful architect and Ivy worked at the local library and lived with her grandmother. Now 20 years later, the body of the missing girl has been found and the case has been reopened. As well the dead girl's family has raised money and hired a highly successful private detective. As memories get stirred up and more evidence comes to light, what will happen to these friends and their lives when their lies are revealed?

I enjoyed this story, but would have liked more romance than the story had. We learned what happened to each of the major characters over the last 20 years, with Cam's story being the saddest for me. He is in an unhappy marriage and his wife is using their young daughter as leverage to get what she wants. Ivy has stayed on the island to be with her grandma, but when will she find her own happiness. Ariana was a bit of a mystery and of the three she is the one I liked the least, although I did want her to be happy and find what she was looking for. The mystery was interesting and the twists that solved it actually surprised me. I thought I had it figured out, but was wrong. The romance was sweet, but as I said, it does not play a huge part in the story, but it is an important one. I like how Brenda Novak pulled all the storylines together and gave all the characters a happy ending.

This women's fiction novel with a mystery revolves around three long-time friends (Ivy, Ariana, and Cam), who share a secret regarding a young girl's murder on Mariners Island when they were teenagers. Cam became the prime suspect but nothing was ever proven, and Ivy and Ariana lied to protect him. Years later the case is re-opened and all three must deal with the fallout. While not my favorite Brenda Novak book, she always delivers a good read.