I really enjoyed this book. I loved the focus on the importance of believing in yourself and the trusting your friends. The characters were interesting and relatable. The story drew me in right away. Thanks #NetGalley

Just great!!

This book is another terrific read by Pamela M. Kelley. I've enjoyed her previous series', and while I'm not sure if this is a stand-alone or the start of a series, either way it was really good.

Allison and Jess have been friends for a long time, so when Jess' marriage falls apart suddenly, she and her adult daughter Caitlin decide to spend the summer in Chatham, Massachusetts, recovering from their breakups . All 4 women (Jess, Caitlin, Allison and her daughter, Julia) are all at a crossroads in their lives, and spending time together is good for them all. Opening the coffee shop and bookstore are icing on the cake!

Women supporting women is usually a strong theme in this author's books, and this is no exception. The four of them, plus Jess' mother, all pull together and are there for each other over this life-changing summer. Fingers crossed this will become a series and we'll see more of these 4 in the future!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This book was the epitome of all the summer/beach vibes. I mean, look at that cover!! 😍

There are multiple pov in this novel — the moms and their daughters. Jess, Caitlin, Alison, and Julia. I loved seeing the two best friends Jess & Alison together. They have such a solid friendship!

But each of these women go through hard challenges. Breakups, divorce, and even losing their jobs. But they all come back stronger from it and find their true happiness. I wish I was able to visit the bookstore & coffee shop and also Julia’s jewelry shop!

Plus, I loved the romances that happened. So sweet to see them all find someone to love. ❤️

Overall, a charming and heartwarming women’s fiction novel. Make sure to add this book to your summer reading TBR! ☀️

[ Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

Bookstore by the Bay

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4 ⭐️

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Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

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Jess recently found out her husband was cheating on her, and her daughter Caitlin just got fired from another dead end job. The two women take off for Jess’ hometown of Chatham, MA for the summer to relax and reconnect. While there, Jess decides to invest in a local bookstore and coffee shop, which she will leave in the hands of her best friend Alison when she returns home in the fall. With the help of Caitlin and Alison’s daughter Julia, the four women work together to try to make their dreams come true. Along the way they face setbacks, new love, and old flames. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same…

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💭 Thoughts 💭

This is one for fans of Elin Hilderbrand! I loved the Cape Cod setting since we live just off the cape, so it was fun reading about someplace local. This book had 4 different perspectives, one for each woman, so it helped to see all sides of the situation and I liked seeing the mother/daughter connections. Some parts were definitely fluffy, but overall a fun and easy summer read.

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⌛️ Favorite Moment ⌛️

When Jess decides to buy the bookstore! Taking on an investment is a big risk, but I think owning a bookstore would be so cool! It was fun to see her grow the business through events and loyalty cards.

The Bookshop by the Bay is such a fun summer read! I immediately wished I was at the Cape and able to visit this cute bookshop!

This is a book about friendship and taking chances set in a bookshop/cafe on the Cape. I loved the friendship between Jess and Allison and their daughters becoming friends too. The theme of stepping outside your comfort zone was a big part of this book for multiple characters!

This would be the perfect poolside or beach read if you're looking for a great book about friendship. Who doesn't love a bookstore setting?

I listened to this, thanks to @macmillan.audio. It's just under 10 hours and I enjoyed the narrator!

The Bookshop by the Bay comes out June 6th! Highly recommend it if you want a great audiobook about friendship!

2.5/5⭐️

When Jess’ marriage disintegrates, she and her 30-year-old daughter decamp from Charleston to her Cape Cod childhood home for support from her mother and bff.
She and her bff (who is also at a crossroads) decide to buy a local bookstore. As they work toward business success, their daughters pitch in as well.

OK, this just not work for me. First, the writing felt simplistic and just not up to par. The characters had no depth, therefore I wasn’t invested enough. They felt like they were simply reacting to situations (my marriage derailed, I’ll impulsively buy a bookstore, etc.) without planning ahead or making thoughtful decisions. It felt like there wasn’t much of a storyline either…end of a marriage, returns home, new investment, new life. And all five women (mothers and daughters) end up with pretty perfect lives…somehow.

Sorry, but it just didn’t work for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for providing the free early arc of The Bookshop by the Bay for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Great beach read about two best friends and their daughters. Jessica and Caitlin Coleman, and Alison and Julia Paige are all at a crossroads of some sort—work, relationships, or both. Old friendships were solidified (Jess and Alison) and new ones were made (Caitlin and Julia). Although I prefer first person POV, this book told in third person POV made it easy to keep track of which character the chapter was about.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

This was a book about Mothers,daughters and friends.
It’s also about new beginnings and starting over.
It’s a really good book that I read in one day!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

This is a lovely women’s fiction to enjoy on a summer day. The women in this story are all at a crossroads in their lives. Some are experiencing relationship issues and others career troubles. Throughout the summer they all examine their lives and make happier choices. Readers will really enjoy this very interesting story.

Just the word bookshop in the title drew me to this one. I can't resist books involving bookshops/bookstores. And the beachy picture on the cute cover was cute too and made me wish for summer and the beach. This is fhe first time I've read anything by Pamela Kelley I think.

Description:
Jess loves her work as a high-profile lawyer in the respectable and austere city of Charleston. But when she finds her husband, Parker, has been cheating on her with his assistant, she retreats, with her thirty year-old daughter Caitlin for support, to her childhood home on Cape Cod, in Chatham. Caitlin has always been bright but directionless, looking for her passion but keeps coming up blank. And Jess needs to regroup with the help of good food and wine, the company of her best friend, Allison, and come up with a plan for the future.

Allison’s career has hit a low. After twenty years as an editor for the Chatham magazine, circulation is dwindling and though her boss and long-time friend, Jim, does everything to keep her, she has no choice but to take a step back. With a career on hiatus and her main relationship being with Chris, her ex-husband who is still a good friend, Allison is at a pivotal point in life. Her daughter Julia opened her own artisanal jewelry shop a year prior, and she has the kind of day-to-day fulfillment Allison yearns for.

When Allison stops into her beloved local bookstore one day and learns that the owner wants to sell, a long-held dream turns into a reality, thanks to Jess. Allison and Jess set a plan in motion and what was once a place that held warm childhood memories is now theirs to run. As the two friends, along with the help of their daughters, reopen the doors of the cherished bookstore and adjacent coffee shop to the community, they also open themselves up to the possibility of romance, the bonds of mothers and daughters, and the magic of second chances.

My Thoughts:
I loved the long-time relationship between Jess and Allison. The way they supported and complemented each other. I also iked the friendship that developed between their daughters, Julia and Caitlin. The setting in Cape Cod, Chatham was picturesque. Although taking over a bookshop is risky, this was an exciting change and I loved reading about the development of the bookshop and the changes they were making. Julia's jewelry making business was interesting as well. An enjoyable read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 6, 2023.

We all have unexpected twists and turns in our life. When Caitlin loses her job and her boyfriend in the same day, she plans to start looking for another one - again. But when her Jess, her mother's marriage crumbles, they decide to go to Chatham, MA on Cape Cod for a brief getaway. Jess grew up there, her mother was still there, as was her best friend. So Caitlin and Jess go quickly, without a real plan, except to relax for a while. Jess works as a lawyer in her husband's father's law firm and she believes it will be difficult to continue to work in that situation.

But as they stay longer, they make new friends and find things to occupy their time until their anticipated return to Charleston. Slowly their lives and interests shift. The characters adapt to their new situations to stretch and grow. They have to wonder how they want to live their lives in Charleston.

This is an outstanding beach read. Easy, fun, clean reading. Pleasant people for the most part, no one is particularly hurt by the events that occur in the book.

I read an advance reader copy of this book. This is my honest review.

wo lifelong friends, a bookshop by the bay. Infidelity and jobs lost, bring these two friends back together and for taking chances. Jess and Allison take a chance on a local bookstore and re-opening a coffee shop that didn't do very well the first time around. Will their bookshop and coffee shop in Chatham, Cape Cod fail or will it thrive.
This is a great beach read about lifelong friendship, loss and taking a chance. You will get wrapped up in this book and won't put it down until the very end and will leave you wishing there was more. This book will be released in June 2023.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press,, for giving me the opportunity to read The Bookshop by the Bay.
#netgalley, #st.martin'spress, #friendship, #secondchances, #thebookshopbythebay

The Bookshop by the Bay is a sweet, heartwarming story about a small group of mothers and daughters who work to find out what they truly want in life….and where they want to be! This story kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. Really enjoyed it!

I love “the Cape” and can envision locations whenever a book is set in that area. The characters are well developed and I loved the relationships among them. It is a joy to read a story about people who develop and grow … discovering who they are deep inside. And the friendships help these people along the way. I loved the bookshop setting and café and how the women continued to work together to make it a success. Just a great heartwarming read that will leave you smiling while you lounge by the pool or on the shore at the ocean.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

A great beach read. Set in a seaside town with lots of atmosphere.

Best friends since childhood decide to take over a bookstore that is closing.

A story of mothers and daughters, best friend, new friends, breakups, new business owners, small town life, starting over and romance.

Very atmospheric and relaxing. A lot of characters to keep straight in the beginning.

I liked all the main characters and enjoyed getting to know them. Although many of them had similar things going on in their lives, they were all portrayed differently.I especially appreciated the friendships and sense of community among them.

Thanks to netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the arc.

The Bookshop by the Bay is a wonderfully uplifting story about new beginnings, personal growth and second chances. I loved the lifelong friendship shared between Alison and Jessica, how despite the miles they were there for one another, constantly supporting and lifting each other up. Despite the challenges they each were facing in their personal lives, they drew strength from the other, along with the courage to move forward. Watching the friendship bloom between their daughter’s, Caitlyn and Julia, was endearing.

Much of the setting takes place in and around the quaint Cape Cod town of Chatham, Massachusetts, as the two embark on a somewhat risky business venture purchasing and running a bookshop (with coffee shop), during a time when each is facing personal struggle in their lives. Having a home somewhat near Chatham, I loved the mention of the many restaurants and shops I’ve had the joy of visiting on Cape. Really made this extra special.

A truly special story about friendships, mother daughter relationships, listening to your heart, taking risks and new beginnings. I found it to be enjoyable even knowing the direction the story was going to take and enjoyed watching things play out. I couldn’t help but cheer on each of these ladies. When I’m sad to leave the characters behind at the last page, I know it was a great story. Fingers crossed we will visit these ladies again down the road.

Fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer will enjoy Pamela Kelley’s books. Her settings are quintessential Cape Cod, her characters are interesting, and the challenges they face realistic.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eGalley that is due to publish 06-June-2023. Be sure to add this to your summer beach read TBR. You won’t be disappointed.

This is a sweet mother/daughter summer story in the same likeness of Nancy Thayer and Mary Kay Andrews. I enjoyed the book store angle and loved watching the women thrive in spite of their situations.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

The synopsis of The Bookshop by the Bay enticed me. It gave off the contemporary beach vibe of a Elin Hilderbrand or Mary Alice Monroe novel and I was looking forward to the read.

The writing style is straightforward, the time line is present day so it flows easily on the eyes. The scenic descriptions were magnificent. I could easily envision the vivid scenes in my head as I read.

However, despite the flow of the book, I just found it was too much crammed into one book. To specifically elaborate, there were way too many POV's. I think it would have been a much better read for me to have focused on one or two POV's. I found myself confused for the first quarter of the book trying to remember who were the moms and who was the daughters. I think having the two J names (Jess and Julia) made it more difficult for me than it really should have been.

Because there were so many characters and POV's, the development of the characters was not as strong as it could have been. I did not connect with any of them, it felt rushed from one POV to another. All four of them were making big changes in their lives at the same time. This is a lot of information to cram into a 320 page book with all those POV's

The storyline was good, the execution could have been a lot better or made into a series ~ first book focusing on the moms, second on daughters.

2.5 stars from me but will round up to 3 for rating purposes. A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the electronic advanced reader copy of this book to review.

Bookstores, women’s fiction and romance? I’m there. This was a sweet story with lovable characters. I personally found the pacing very slow and a hard time staying engaged with the story.

This would make a great beach read!
A story about finding a new path to follow when life throws you all kinds of curves.
I enjoyed reading about the journey the characters go on.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.