I want to say I think this debut book is well written. Elizabeth Castellano will have a great future. This was not my type of subject matter for a story so I found it excessively long and I labored to finish it. I know some readers would like this and find it funny but I found it irritated me. It just went on too long. I must say I did like the last chapter best. It just wasn't my type of book material. I absolutely think Elizabeth has an excellent grasp of telling a story and if she were to write a different genre is definitely read it. You may get a laugh out of this story I just didn't. Thank you NetGalley and Anchor books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Kathleen’s husband of 30 years, Tom, informed her over breakfast that he was not happy and was leaving her for a six month cruise.
Shocked Kathleen sells the house, buys a “cottage” online and drives from Kansas to Florida. Living next to a four story house under construction was not her plan and certainly not disclosed from her realtor. She quickly becomes embroiled in trying to drum up enough interest in having the environmental and esthetic footprint of the town preserved.
There were a few funny spots but overall the book fell flat in humor and was too long on Kathleen’s complaints. Thank you Netgalley and Vintage Anchor for an early copy. These comments and review is my opinion.

I found this a very funny book and it will be a great beach book. The story is witty and funny. In a beach town where everyone is in each others business you would think it would be time to pack it up, but for some reason it seems to delight the residence to stay in the thick of things and try to change that which will never changed, but reading about all the things the neighbors are up is quite hilarious. In the end, once the main characters lend a helping hand in the community that things finally change for the better for her and she would never dream about leaving. So very funny.


I want to thank Vintage Anchor, Anchor and NetGalley for an advance copy of this hilarious story about living in a beach town.

Definitely a fun premise and I really enjoyed the authors writing style. I would read more by this author

I think I feel the same way other reviewers felt with this. This started strong then just seemd to drag on and on. Unfortunately, this is not for me.

I just didn't love it. This felt like it was trying to be "A Man Called Ove" but did so unsuccessfully, featuring a complaining protaganist who is always finding fault with their neighbors. I didn't love how letters to the town leaders were continually mixed in but not really separated from the other content. It felt overly filled with complaints, lackluster story lines, and an overall disappointing plot. I considered giving up many times, and it took me quite some time to get through. I wouldn't' really recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My thanks to Net Galley and Anchor for this book. Unfortunately I coukd bearly get thru 30% of the book. It sounded like a light fun read but all it was was complaining protagonist building permits and more complaining to a town official. Can't recommend.

I could not finish this book unfortunately. There was too much negativity and complaining for me and there's enough of that in life period. Maybe it's not for my age range even though I am a divorcee. It just wasn't for me.

After 30 years of marriage Tom tells Kathleen he wants a divorce. He takes off on a world cruise and she moves to a small beach town to start over. This book started out strong and interesting but I found it really hard to finish. The story went on and on with letters to the town administrators. The letters always go unanswered. I thought the book would be a fun, delightful read but it just was not. None of the characters were people I would want to know better and I was really disappointed with it.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Vintage Anchor Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kathleen and Tom, a long married couple, have fallen into a mundane coexistence. When Tom announces he has booked a 4 month world cruise,as a single, Kathleen realizes she has to move forward with her life. She buys a 700 square foot oyster cabin on the east coast, sight unseen. Her childhood friend,Josie, has reinvented her life in this idyllic town, and Kathleen yearns to do the same. This is a humorous and sometimes poignant story of a discarded woman searching for a new beginning. The reader roots for Kathleen to succeed.

Kathleen is shocked when her husband leaves her. Living in land locked Kansas for all her post college life, and married to her husband for 30 years, she does what any sane person would do and moves to a beach town. The beachtown however, is filled with small town politics and Kathleen finds herself enmeshed in the town drama. As the story continues, Kathleen becomes more and more...unhinged. This is a novel more a character study with some funny portions then a comedy or beach read.
#vintage #SaveWhatsleft #ElizabethCastellano

This book is a light, refreshing, fun read. I became unexpectedly invested in code violations, permits, and beach town politics. I also thought the story of Kathleen's relationships with Tom (husband) and Hattie (daughter) was interesting and a good addition. The book delivers on what it promises and does a good job of tying everything together. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a beach setting, neighborly conflicts, and construction woes. This book could also be a good "palate cleanser" in that it is an easy and fast read.

After reading 25% of this story, I just had to stop. None of the characters are happy. They are all complaining. I couldn't relate to this global malaise. I had hopes of some sort of joy emanating from a small beach community, but I found that this particular one was full of folks I wouldn't want to be around.

Thanks, anyway, to Netgalley for allowing me to try out Save What's Left.

Thanks to @netgalley & @vintageanchorbooks for this hilarious ARC. You think you want a beach house? Think again. This hilarious story of a woman in her 60s has moved to a slow beach town. Her days quickly become absorbed with town politics. Her retelling is a hoot! I thoroughly enjoyed this and felt it was refreshing to read about a woman in her 60s instead of 20s for a change. This will make a wonderful beach read as its easy to put down and pick back up where you left off.

This book started out being funny but deteriorated into absurdity. It is believable up to a point but after everything that could go wrong and more happens , the story moves into to the ridiculous. Kathleen Deane not only has to deal with unresponsive municipal employees but a cadre of rich insiders who are buying up all the available space to keep others out. What this book did do for me is convince me never to move to a beach town. Too much drama. Not really three stars. Maybe 2.5

Unfortunately I was disappointed in this book. I found myself waiting for the story to take off. Too much repetition of emails and outcomes and not enough “meat and potatoes”.
Sorry for the negativity but I’m being honest.
Irene

This story was a humorous and entertaining look at life after a woman's husband says he's unhappy in their marriage and leaves to take a trip without her. Meanwhile, she sold their home and bought a small beach house. Drama and problems commences right away with the neighbors and the town government. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I could not get into this one so 25% in, I gave up and it's in my DNF pile. I like the author's writing style but I just couldn't get into the story or the characters.

I would like to thank Net Galley, the author, and Vintage Anchor for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC digital copy. .I hope this book is not a typical Chick Lit book, because it was not at all as enjoyable as the description and some other reviewers proposed it to be. I believed it was going to be hilarious, and there definitely were a few funny moments in the book, but overall I found it a bit disappointing and just wanted it to end.

Kathleen's husband of 30 years decides to leave and go on a world tour, so Kathleen sells their home and moves to a small beach house where she believes she will live in peace and happiness. She did not find peace because she was unhappy about everything going on around her in her little beach house and beach town.

The novel revolves around a series of emails Kathleen writes to the town supervisor with constant complaints. The emails are never answered. She does make a friend, Rosemary, who is happy to help fight the battles against the town. The complaints from Kathleen are endless and she just seems to make herself more and more miserable in her tiny 700 square foot cottage, while a giant house "The Sugar Cube" is being built nextdoor.

I don't even feel sorry for Kathleen, because she just doesn't seem to want to be happy. From the very beginning of her negativity and complaining all the way through the book.... some would refer to her as a "Karen".
There is no single character that I liked in this book. They are all a bit on the sad and miserable side of sanity.

This review is completely written by me.

This quirky and hilarious book is the beach read that everyone needs to read this summer. It’s a refreshing take on what it’s really like to live as a year round resident in a small Beach community. I laughed out loud many times throughout this funny debut.
Kathleen decides to buy her dream beach house after her husband of thirty years leaves her. Conflicts arise as a McMansion is being built next door and she has to battle her new neighbors.
The author got the beach vibe correct. Having recently bought a beach house in a small town I could relate. I recommend if you want to be entertained and want a light, fun read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the advanced copy.