I always love Pamela Kelley's books because they are light and fun and always set in wonderful beach towns that make you wish it was summer! This book was no exception. The story follows two mother-daughter duos as they make decisions that will shape their future. The book was a little slow to start, but once I got into it, it read very quickly! This will be a great summer read for anyone who dreams of owning a bookstore!
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved this book. I’ve never read anything by Pamela Kelley before but will now include her on my list of authors I enjoy reading. This novel was about friendships between women and the relationships of mothers and daughters. The characters seemed so real and were people you would enjoy spending time with. I know I did.

When Jess finds out that her husband, Parker, cheated on her and impregnated his young assistant Jess has some decisions to make. For the time being, she and her daughter, Caitlin, retreat to Jess’ childhood home in Chatham on Cape Cod. As Jess reconnects with her mom and her childhood friends, she realizes that Chatham is still home to her. Jess and her friend, Allison, invest in and established bookshop and coffee shop. The magic of second chances develops and possibilities abound for her and Caitlin. I loved this easy, feel good, read. Thanks to @netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I highly recommend it

A quick easy clean romance that would be perfect while on a summer vacation to the beach. One dislike... too many characters introduced too fast. It took a bit of time for me to remember who was who.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book.

Childhood friends Jessica and Alison grow up in Chatham., Mass. Jess moves to Charlotte, works at her husband's, Parker Coleman, family law firm and has a 30 year old daughter, Caitlin, who still lives at home. Alison stayed in Chatham, and is a magazine editor who married and divorced Chris Page, raised her daughter, Julia, also 30, who is a designer and maker of jewelry in Chatham. . These are the main characters in this novel. Everyone reevaluates their lives and make major life decisions that kept this novel moving swiftly.

Pamela M Kelley creates characters you care about and plausible situations you can relate to that kept the "one more chapter" excitement going.

The Bookshop by the Bay by Pamela M. Kelley follows two life long friends (and their daughters) as they navigate a shift in their lives as the result of infidelity, divorce and second chances.

When mother and daughter Jess and Caitlin head to Chatham Cape Cod to escape the unfolding drama of infidelity in Charleston, they stay with Jess's mom. Through small town talk, Jess and childhood bestie, Allison realize their beloved bookstore is for sale. As Jess is navigating a separation, Catlin is without a job/career and Allison's job is downsizing, Jess decides to buy the bookstore and attached coffee shop as an investment.

This is a breezy beach read with two beautiful settings. I enjoyed the generational relationships as well as moving through a bitter period of your life with grace and kindness.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication date 6/6/23.

A quick, easy to read romance that was a little too sweet for me but might be the perfect summer read for someone else.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eArc of this book. Chick lot but lovely, likeable characters. The book quickly introduces ever so many characters that it is difficult to keep them sorted. Entertaining beach read.

3.5*stars

This title is sure to be a much-loved summer beach read! Two lifelong friends, both having had upheavals in their lives, reunite in their childhood hometown on Cape Cod. They impulsively decide to go into business together, and buy a bookstore and coffee shop from the owner, who wants to retire. Cape Cod and its beautiful towns and beaches make a perfect setting, as do the coffee shop and bookstore. The two women have enough complications in their lives to keep us eagerly reading, plus they each have a young adult daughter, each of whom has issues and drama of their own -- so there is a lot going on in this intergenerational family story.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were so likable and the story was so relatable that I didn’t want the book to end. This book made me fall more in love with Cape Cod and had me looking up places to see on my next visit. I 100% recommend this book to anyone who loves a story of friendship and finding ourselves.

Jess and Parker have been together forever it seems. Their 30-year-old daughter, Caitlin, is out of the house and they have drifted very far apart. And Jess is about to find out exactly how far apart they have drifted~

She has lived and worked in Charleston, SC for thirty years, but is still best friends with Allison from home. Home is still Cape Cod. And when Jess gets a bomb tossed in her lap, she makes some changes.

One of those is going home. And who should be coming along but Caitlin? Caitlin has had a lot of disappointment too. Being home around family and friends could be just the thing they need.

Allison is at a crux as well. Layoffs are coming at her job and as much as her boss adores her, she needs a plan B. When she pops in her local bookshop and finds the owner looking to retire and sell the business, she thinks she may have an idea for all of them.

Allison’s daughter, Julia, is living her dream of designing jewelry. If only the business would take off nationwide. She has also just kicked a guy to the curb.

Four women of different generations, but all with the same problems.

Coming together and supporting each other in the best of ways, was such a good read.

NetGalley/June 6th, 2023 by St. Martin’s Griffin

Bookshop by the Bay is a delightful book about 2 mothers and daughters who embark on new adventures Set in picturesque Cape Cod it will have you feeling like you are right there with them. If you love bookstores, coffee shops and stories about small towns you will love this book also. Would love a sequel to find out more about the people in the book.

4 stars!

What I Liked:
Jess, Alison, Caitlin, and Julia are great great characters and i instantly fell in love with them. Caitlin and Julia's chemistry was awesome and I enjoyed the old friends vibe from Jess and Alison. The scenic descriptions are beautiful and actually transported me to this world of Chatam. I imagine this will be perfect to read in your vacations at the beach. The perfect breezy book about mother daughter bonds, friends, finding love, moving on, acceptance, and a little something that stays with you long after putting the book down. Bonus points if you decide to buddy read with a friend, partner, or even better, you mom/daughter!

What I Didn't Like:
Not much to say here, but the large cast took some time to get used to and the story seemed to drag sometimes.

Nevertheless, I still highly recommend this book!

The Bookshop by the Bay was an enjoyable read about two long time friends and their daughters at transitional periods in their lives. Jess, a lawyer, and her best friend Allison, an editor, are each at a crossroads both personally and professionally. They embark on a new journey with the opening of a bookstore on Cape Cod. We follow them as they open and run the shop and navigate relationships in their personal lives. We also follow each of their daughters as the make relationship decisions and changes in their lives. I enjoyed the characters in the story and the relationships between them. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a lighter feel good story about mother and daughters, friends, and relationships. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

This book features a dream that so many of us have….owning our own bookstore. Now add in that the bookstore also has a coffee shop and you own it with your best friend. Ideal. Now toss in the mother daughter relationships, divorce and discovering what you want in life and you have a wonderful read.

@barbarajgraham
Recommended and rated this book
5 stars
Pamela Kelley has a tremendous knack for creating characters that you would like to befriend. Her style of writing is a joy to read. When Jess learns her husband did her wrong, she goes back to her Cape Cod roots to reset at her childhood home with her mom for the summer. Her daughter Caitlin is also at a turning point and joins her. Jess reconnects with her best friend Alison and Caitlin finds that she and Julia (Alison's daughter) do have things in common and become great friends, just as their moms wished. Jess decides to buy a bookstore and the coffee shop next door. What a dream job! As they come close to the end of summer, decisions need to be made. The relationships portrayed are so true to life and Pamela is great at bringing food and wine to the storyline. As a foodie, I appreciate that. I have even made some of the recipes from her books.
My favorite line is "Everything about books is intoxicating."
Pamela's writing is intoxicating. I highly recommend this book.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Wonderful characters, Realistic, Original, Easy-to-read, Romantic

This is a nice summer read, and gave me a good break from other reading. I enjoyed the characters and their strength, because even if life had knocked them down, they remembered to get up and keep trying. Often as women we tie all of our identity to children or partners, and when our world's collapse, it is hard to find our way again. Jess and Caitlin, Allison and Julia keep their strength through the trials they face and because it is a novel of women's fiction, we know they will come out on top in the end; as they do.

Beach novels always make me want to move to the beach and open my own bakery, coffee shop, jewelry business - bookstore. That is the power of a novel, to give us hope and to inspire us in different directions.

I've always dreamed of owning a bookstore and The Bookshop By The Bay by Pamela Kelley sure peeked my desire again. Best friends Allison and Jess decide to buy The Bookshop and the space next door after the current owner wants to sell both of the shops, retire, and travel. They turn the space next to the bookshop into a coffee shop with the help of their daughters. What happened sure kept me interested in reading.All the books I've read of Pamela Kelley's have been amazing reads!

The Bookshop by the Bay is the story of four women who face challenges, support each other, and make the most of their second chances. Jess, a successful lawyer in a firm run by her husband and his father, finds out he has been cheating in a marriage that has been going down hill for years, so she goes home to cape cod to visit her best friend to regroup, taking her grown daughter who has her own issues with her. There, she ends up buying a bookshop/coffee shop to run with her best friend, with help from her grown daughter.

I found this story of family and friendship and found family sweet and enjoyable, if not 100% realistic. If you are looking for a story with interesting female characters and with very little angst and drama, pick up this book!

Thank you Net Galley for this e galley for a non biased review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute, quick read. Jess and Allison have been friends for years. When life changes unexpectedly for Jess she takes a visit back to her hometown and her friend. Allison is going through some changes herself. Together the two friends embrace the changes and move forward together.

Sometimes you just want an easy read that you know will end well. This is the book for you. At times it got a little too simple and "happily ever after" but that's the type of book this is. I enjoyed it and would recommend Pamela Kelley.