To start, thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC copy!

After decades of being married, Tom announces to Kathleen that he is unhappy & wants to explore the world. Kathleen agrees to a divorce, packs up her Kansas City life & moves back to New York, except not her hometown of Brooklyn but to a small beach town where she has purchased a tiny beachfront home, sight unseen. One thing after another & Kathleen finds herself in an all out war with her town officials & neighbors.

This book was hilarious at some parts, but I often found myself a bit confused & unsure of what the point was of a lot of events. When I finished the book, I was a bit stunned, kind of like “what did I just read…?”. The author definitely can make you laugh & the book was enjoyable but you have to go in with no expectations.

Overall, 2.5/3 stars.

Not for me. The main character just turned me off. Go through half and couldn’t do more. Sorry. Too much complaining and not what I thought the book would be. DNF

Absolutely not my cup of tea. Clever, but not entertaining for me. I read it but almost wish I hadn't taken the time. Premise was good but self-pity and wallowing does not work well for me. Sorry I couldn't like this book more. I received an ARC but my opinions are my own.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions in this review are strictly mine.
Kathleen decides to buy her dream beach house sight unseen and move from Kansas City after her husband, Tom decided he wanted more excitement in his life. He leaves to travel on cruise ships but stays in constant contact with Kathleen.
Kathleen's house is an old oyster shack that has been renovated into a small house. She doesn't like anything about her new house or town except for her deck which becomes community property to all passing by.
She befriends her trouble making neighbor Rosemary.
She becomes deeply involved in everything that she feels is a violation of some code or law in town and causes all kinds of trouble for the town boards. Tom shows up and they start coexisting again but not as happily married. Tom also get sucked into the town drama.
It was a well written story and the characters were somewhat believable. The main character was just a little to negative and miserable for my liking but a good read any way.

Interesting book. Almost stopped halfway through. It got better, but I still don't like any of the characters.

A woman retires then her husband goes on a European cruise. Alone. So she sells their house and buys a cottage in a beach town. Chaos ensues. She is trying to inform the city government about issues with the house next door but is brushed aside multiple times. It's on the line between being a light and funny read and making me want to punch something out of utter frustration and anger.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I found this book to be pretty funny although it starts pretty awful with her husband leaving her. She finds a new cause to keep her busy and it does take over her life. It could be a pretty stressful book if you are empathetic, but if you are just able to enjoy the ridiculousness of buying a beach house sight unseen and then dealing with the consequences, then hang on for this ride.

I requested to read and review this book for free from Anchor Books a division of Penguin Random House Publishing Company. This story line has some romance, lots of drama and mystery. You will meet characters such as Kathleen and Tom who have let's say an interesting relationship. Rosemary who is BFF to Kathleen. And you can't forget all the unique characters of the beach town of Whitbey. Things you should do before buying a house check out the house and the town. Ask questions. Things always sounds better then what they are. All towns have drama. I admire Kathleen and the cause she choose to take on. She is very persistent about what needs to be down. This book is for any type of reader and can be read anywhere.

Save What’s Left by Elizabeth Castellano tells the story of Kathleen Keane who finds out her husband is tired of being married and goes on a world tour on a cruise ship. She then decides to sell the house and move to a beach house. The next door neighbors are building a McMansion which sets Kathleen on a mission. The book started out in a friendly way but then slowly turned into a complaint department. This lost my interest and I ended up skimming the rest of the book to get through it and to see how it ended. Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

This book is the funny story of a couple who are going through a divorce after 30 years of marriage. The husband seems to be having a mid life crisis and goes on a four month cruise around the world. Having been blind sighted by the divorce, Kathleen decides she needs a fresh start. She buys a two-room beach shack without seeing it in person. The shack didn't turn out like she had hoped and wasn't the picture perfect home. The next-door neighbors are building a over the top home, and this causes Kathleen to turn into the person who must reads all the zoning ordinances and has the supervisor’s cell phone number on speed dial. The story was enjoyable, but at times it was a bit over the top. I did find it enjoyable story to read.

Save What's Left is laugh out loud hilarious and a book that warms the soul. The antics of Kathleen and Rosemary are so on target but like in many real life situations often ignored for the financial gain of others. Read this one for a lesson in stamina and survival.

Save What's Left, by Elizabeth Castallano, is an amazing debut novel, full of heart, soul and the perfect amount of quirkiness. I absolutely loved the storyline, and unexpectedly became friends with this cast of socially awkward characters. Our heroine, Kathleen, carries the book through a list of foibles that leave her community infuriated, making her the disjointed black sheep of the town. Nevertheless, through persistence and bravado, Kathleen settles into her status and creates the home she had been yearning for. Additionally, she battles lost and found love, family disconnect, and toxic friendships, making her character stronger and wiser than her years. There are not many books with empty-nester, 60-year-old main characters, but thankfully Save What's Left tackles this milestone with accuracy and joie-de-vivre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I made it about 10% into this book before I had to put it down. It felt like the main character, Kathleen Deane, did nothing but complain and I was so turned off by her unlike-ability that I just couldn’t push on. I need to like a main character and want to root for them and this book didn’t give me that at all.

I feel like I got tricked by this book. The synopsis and cover made me think this was going to be a feel good redemption type story. It was not at all. The main character is awful especially to her pregnant daughter. I just didn’t find too much in this story that I actually enjoyed.

When I started reading this book I found the narrator delightful. Despite the fact that her husband of thirty plus years had just told her he was taking a round the world cruise, alone, she came up with a plan. The plan was to move to a beach town after divesting herself of most of her possession. She bought a beach house (oyster shack, really) sight unseen relying on her childhood friend’s advice. Early on, Kathleen Deane finds living in a small beach town is not exactly paradise. Reading about her trials and. tribulations trying to acclimate to a new life was entertaining.

The locals, aside from curmudgeon neighbor Rosemary, are cliquish. But when a McMansion is erected on a nearby lot Kathleen and Rosemary join forces to make sure zoning rules, etc. are being followed. The pace at this point in the book drags a bit. The numerous town committee meetings surrounded with incessant red tape described become monotonous and the droll humor narration lags.

Kathleen has a few surprises as she fights city hall. Not all are happy but she eventually accepts certain things. The author plays fair with the reader, by announcing how things will end. Living in a beach town is not paradise, but the view is to die for!

Thanks to NetGalley and Vintage Anchor for the e-galley.

I got through two chapters of this novel and couldn’t finish, which is a rarity for me. Too much narration at the beginning, and all of a negative bent. I found nothing charming or humorous about it, as suggested in the publisher’s note at the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Vintage Anchor for the opportunity to red this book as an ARC. It is the story of Kathleen Deane. At the age of 59 she retires from her job designing greeting cards at Hallmark. She and her husband live in Kansas City , have been married for 30 years and he( Tom) is a cardiologist. One day he tells her he needs a paradigm shift in his life and is leaving her to take a 4 month cruise. Kathleen and Tom also have a grown daughter who is married and lives in Seattle. As Tom is packing, Kathleen is watching a 30 year old concert video of Carly Simon and decides she wants to live in a beach town. Kathleen has a childhood friend Josie who lives in a beach town named Whitbey. Kathleen looks at a house on line, and buys it, sells her house and her furniture and moves to Whitbey. When she arrives, she sees that the house next to her is being renovated/demolished(both are accurate) and it is causing problems for Kathleen. There is debris in her yard, construction workers are eating lunch on her deck, her driveway is blocked, etc. Rather than complain to the owners( whom she does meet at one point), call a lawyer, contact the real estate agent( anything reasonable), she listens to the neighbor across the street and writes an unending (and unanswered) series of letters to the town supervisor. These letters start each chapter with a different and frankly more unhinged request. Kathleen and Rosemary( her neighbor), continue to fight the town zoning board, and other authorities, with little progress. The whole book is crazy- not crazy screwball comedy funny, but more like just crazy. I kept reading because I was sure that at some point Kathleen was going to wake up an realize that is was a covid coma dream. (spoiler alert- it wasn't). I know that all characters in a book can not be likeable . It might be a dull book if everyone was . But everyone in this book is unlikeable, selfish and silly. There was no one that was a bit engaging.Anyway, I see that a lot of people liked it, but it did not make it for me.

I was asked to review “Save What’s Left” by Elizabeth Castellano.

I am going through perhaps a midlife crisis but the plot of this story really resonated with me. What might you do if your husband of thirty years tells you he’s not happy? That’s what happens to Kathleen. So while her husband tries to figure out what he wants, Kathleen focuses on this idyllic beach community where her childhood bestie sends her holiday cards from every year.

Naturally, once Kathleen moves, she discovers she does not live in the utopia she had hoped for. It’s Kathleen’s reaction and the journey she takes that makes this quite an enjoyable tale. I certainly did not expect her husband to return nor did I think the novel would resolve itself the way it did. It’s not the perfect story (but what is?) but I found this story to be a nice respite from the hum-drums of daily life.

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this debut novel. I love quick wit and funny characters, and this author delivers. Plus, it's based in a small beach town, so what's not to like? If you've ever advocated for something you believed in, you'll connect with the plight of the lead and her sidekicks. #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreads #netgalley #debutnovel #savewhatsleft #elizabethcastellano #readinggoals #readinggoals2023

this book was a beach read for those wanting just to fill some time. do not learn anything new or exciting. it goes on without an exciting events and is predictable in its plot.

In my dreams I would love to move to a cute little beach town with views, decks, coffee shops, restaurants.. all small town perks. This novel, although hysterically funny, sure put a reality check on that dream. When Kathleen pulls up to her new home, she finds a McMansion being built right next door that clearly is not adhering to any restrictions . Kathleen tries to address her concerns with the village council and finds out just how “small town” this is. Her constant battle with bureaucracy was unsettling, although the author presented this in a humorous manner. When Kathleen’s soon to be ex husband shows up in his Rv and parks it right in her driveway, it is clear that Kathleen’s life is not going the direction she intended. But that’s not always a bad thing? Very funny banter throughout made for a delightful, light read. My only negative comment would be that I wanted a little more substance.. I felt agitated while reading about the fruitless attempts with local government and the helplessness it presented to have any resolution.