I really enjoyed this story! It was a deep story about finding out what you love in life. Kathleen was a relatable character and I enjoyed reading her story.

Kathleen Deane is an artist with no passion for her art…in fact, she has little passion for anything in her life. Having moved to Kansas City for her husband’s residency decades ago, she has settled into a life with few surprises, that is, until her husband announces he is unhappy and leaving on a six-month cruise without her. This proverbial wake-up call gets Kathleen reflecting on her own lost dreams and she impulsively buys a cottage in a small coast town – sight unseen. Her life-long dream of owning a beach cottage quickly deteriorates into a nightmare. The “cottage” is a former oyster shack with 700 square feet consisting of a galley kitchen, a small bedroom, and an add-on bathroom, but a fabulous deck with an ocean view. This disappointment would be tolerable if it weren’t for the construction of a behemoth mini mansion known as the “Sugar Cube” for its architectural design. It quickly becomes apparent that there are multiple code violations being ignored and over time Kathleen becomes aware that the town bureaucracy is rife with corrupt practices.

I thoroughly enjoyed the humor of this smart, well-written debut novel. I was pulled into Kathleen’s drama from the start and never lost interested as she chronicles her battles though a series of (unanswered) emails to one of the town supervisors. While Kathleen’s attempt to fulfill her dream through some ill-thought-out actions, ultimately, she discovers that she is in the exact right place. I look forward to more offerings by this author.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Save What's Left
A Novel
by Elizabeth Castellano
When Kathleen Deane's husband, Tom, tells her he's no longer happy with his life and their marriage, Kathleen is confused. Who said anything about being happy? They live in Kansas, for goodness' sake! But with Tom off finding himself, Kathleen starts to think about what she wants. And her thoughts lead her to a small beach community on the east coast, a town called Whitbey that has always looked lovely in the Christmas cards her childhood friend Josie sends every year.

It turns out, though, that life in Whitbey is nothing like Josie's Christmas cards. Kathleen's new neighbor, Rosemary, is cantankerous, and the town's supervisor won't return Kathleen's emails, but worst of all is the Sugar Cube, the monstrosity masquerading as a holiday home that Kathleen's absentee neighbors are building next door to her quaint (read: tiny) cottage. As Kathleen gets more and more involved in the fight against the Sugar Cube and town politics overall, she realizes that Whitbey may not be a fairytale, but it just might be exactly what she needed.

I was warned, do not by a beach house. Kathleen Deane buys a sugar cube beach house sight unseen. Omg, I felt like the poor woman would not make it through all this drama and neighbors. I laughed more than I have in reading in a long while. Reminds me of condo living. It was fun and delightfully worth the laughs.

Thank you to NetGalley, Anchor Books, and Elizabeth Castellano for the ARC!

Kathleen Deane is a midwesterner who has been drifting along in her life until Tom (her husband of 30 years) suddenly ends their marriage without ceremony to embark on finding happiness and take a cruise. Kathleen is blindsided and begins to think about what it would take to make herself happy- fullfilling her lifelong dream of owning a beach house. Kathleen sells all her possessions, buys a beach shack sight unseen, and finds herself in Whitbey, a small beach town where here childhood friend Josie lives. Life in Whitbey is far from ideal and Kathleen quickly becomes tangled up in neighbor wars and small town politics. Kathleen soon has to face what actually makes her happy, and it isn't what she thought.

I am SO glad I requested this debut book, it was smart, funny and delightfully written. I HIGHLY recommend!