I was provided a free copy of this by @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Sadly, my honest opinion of this was not great. Kathleen's husband tells her he's leaving and going on a world cruise. So she decides to sell their house and move to a beach house. But unfortunately nothing gets better from there. The house she buys, sight unseen, is not great! The neighbors are building a monstrosity next door while breaking just about every rule/city ordinance about building. And no one in the city seems to care.
This book is a lot of whining and complaining. I had to take a break and read other books because it was a struggle to get through. Halfway through, Kathleen even makes a comment about how people don't usually like to listen to so much bad news/complaining, so I had hopes that it might get better... But it really didn't. By the end of the book, there wasn't much left to save. 🤷🏻‍♀️
#SaveWhatsLeft #NetGalley

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Setting: Kansas, Whitbey
Time: current day
Format: 📖
Release Date: June 27, 2023
Length: 304 pages

Save What’s Left is Elizabeth Castellano debut novel about sixty year woman going through an unexpected change in her life and how planning to start over is always what you expect it to be.

Kathleen Deane’s husband Tom has decided after thirty years of marriage that he is no longer happy and has decided to pack up and take cruise round the world. Trying to figure how to move forward she sells her home in Kansas; thoughts turn to moving to a quaint little beach town for peace and tranquility. Kathleen ends up buying a seven-hundred-square-foot beach house sight unseen in the small town of Whitbey where her friend Josie lives. But her move to the little oyster shack is nothing like life in the beach read novels. There is her cantankerous neighbor Rosemary, the town’s supervisor that refuses to answer her emails, but the worse the Sugar Cube the monstrosity of a house being build right next door with absentee owners and who’s construction is not following any town codes. And the more Kathleen gets involved and tries fighting the town itself the more argumentative she gets, any just maybe beach living is not all what those books painted it to be.

Save What’s Left was just okay, it was a great premise .. I did not love it nor did I hate it. They were some really laugh out loud moments but the constant bickering with the town’s supervisor and town official got old fast. I feel the author Elizabeth Castellano has potential.

Thank you, Elizabeth Castellano, Anchor Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on June 27, 2023.

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Save What’s Left was an easy read, but it took me awhile to get through because I didn’t really connect with the story or characters. There were some funny parts, but I found myself over the pessimism of the characters. I think some will really enjoy it. 2.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 3.
Thanks to NetGalley & Vintage Anchor for the ARC!

A quirky little book that would make for a good beach read. In the divorce, after their thirty years of marriage, Kathleen finds herself alone, her son to be ex husband off finding himself. What else is she to do but sell their home and move to a quiet beach town. But the town has drama of it's own that Kathleen gets right in the middle of.

While touted as outrageously funny, I thought it had some minor funny parts. The next door neighbor added some much needed sass to the story. The writing was a bit unusual and took me a minute to settle in. Had some Where'd You Go, Bernadette? vibes. Overall it was okay. The ending failed me, I wanted more and something else.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Anchor Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Elizabeth Castellano - 4 stars!

Kathleen and Tom have been married for 30 years and are living in Kansas City. Kathleen thought all was well until Tom told her he was leaving to find himself and happiness. So Kathleen decided to seek out her own happiness. Her childhood friend, Josie, sent a Christmas letter every year saying how wonderful her seaside community was, and Kathleen decided she needed to be there. She bought a small house sight unseen and moved. But things weren't all she thought they would be - are they ever?

Okay, this is a book about Kathleen being snarky about everything and everyone. To fill her days with purpose, she fights city hall against the monstrosity being built next door as well as other rule violations in the town. It gets a bit repetitious, but it is so downright hilarious and spot on that it's still a fun read! I actually made my husband read the section about aging men and their throats, because, well, it's true! And in the end, it's a story about community, friendship, and second chances. Will be looking for more from this author in the future.

Quirky, unique beach style read about a very busy Kathleen after her husband Tom decides to leave her and travel, she buys a cottage on the beach unseen and then turns into the neighborhood Karen that attends zoning meetings about this monstrosity of a beach house that’s being remodeled next door. Kinda repetitive, lots of words, lots of descriptions. Overall kind light read.

Thanks to Netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine buying a beach house sight unseen and moving across the country for it…and ending up in an all-out war with your neighbors and the city government.
Kathleen Deane and her husband Tom live in Kansas City. When after 3+ decades of marriage, Tom decides to go off around the world and find himself, Kathleen is left to her own journey: a beachfront home on the East Coast in the hometown of her childhood friend. But she quickly discovers it’s not the glamorous property she may have dreamed of, especially with a monster construction project next door, difficult town politics, and a curmudgeon of a neighbor friend. Is the waterfront view really that worth it?
Elizabeth Castellano’s debut is a fun premise but while the story has plenty of humor, I just couldn't connect with it. I really wanted to love it but found the characters extremely unlikable (think the epitome of NIMBY) which ruined it a bit for me. It had potential and while some will appreciate the humor and experience, it didn’t hit the mark on my end.
This was released on Tuesday and is out now. Thank you to Vintage Anchor for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I kept hoping to see some maturity and growth from our already maturely aged MC, but it didn’t really happen. There was just too many people behaving badly, too much pessimism for me.

Thanks @netgalley for the chance to read this.

Save What's Left by Elizabeth Castellano was, in my mind at least judging by the premise, supposed to be highly entertaining and charmingly witty story about woman moving to a beach house after her husband left her and finding herself again.

Unfortunately it didn't turn out to be that. It was fairly slow, quite depressing and somehow detached tale of one woman's woes and issues with neighbours and city rules and regulations. I really expected it to be quirky and funny as grumpy people ofter are. There were some humorous moments but not enough for my liking.

Main heroine wasn't particularly likeable to me either. The story was repetitive,

I was expecting an amusing and beach read and this just wasn't that, so unfortunately gave up on it after some time.

Hilarious!! Woman gets divorced and buys a beach house - neighbors and townspeople who are quirky. I truly laughed repeatedly in this one. The main character sends these emails throughout the book about her neighbor building a huge house and the writing cracked me up. Great debut that’s so smart and fun. Go get this one for a great summer beach book - pure fun.

Save What’s Left by Elizabeth Castellano

Published: June 27, 2023
Anchor
Pages: 294
Genre: Women’s Humorous Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 3/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Elizabeth Castellano grew up in a beach town. She lives in New York. Save What’s Left is her debut novel.

“I want to think anything is fabulous.”

Kathleen is recently divorced, and she decided to do something spontaneous. She sells her home and moves to what she thinks will be her dream beach house. But instead of a fresh start, a quiet life, and new friends, all Kathleen finds is an uphill battle against the zoning board and a neighbor who keeps her involved in the fight.

This wasn’t as funny as I was expecting. It was kind of heavy and a tad dark. Kathleen didn’t seem happy, and she just went through the motions with everything, even when she didn’t want to.

I found this more realistic than humorous, though there were some funny bits. Overall, it took me a while to get into the story and the never-ending fight with the zoning board.

For a debut novel, this was decent. The character development was fine; the scenery was described with excellent detail, making visualizing easy.

A fun, easy summer read. A laugh out loud book with a great protagonist.

Thank you to Vintage Anchor & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book

Save What’s Left by Elizabeth Castellano is described as an “outrageously funny novel”, but I’m not sure I read the same book. When Kathleen’s husband of thirty years tells her he’s no longer happy in their marriage, he takes off on a cruise to find himself. Kathleen decides to leave Kansas as well, and purchase a beach shack that her friend from childhood bragged about in letters every Christmas. When Kathleen arrives, it’s nothing like what Josie described.

I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters. Kathleen constantly complains about the neighbor who is building a monstrosity of a house next door. Her emails are long winded and boring, and while her complaints may be justifiable, they weren’t interesting. Her new friend in the beach town is just as bad as her. We get it, there is politics involved in the town, money is being laundered, laws are being broken, maybe I needed a good murder to spice it up.

When her husband returns to her, and her daughter is pregnant, Kathleen just get’s worse. The constant repetitiveness, and her behavior towards her daughter, just completely lost me. I was waiting for the funny part but it never showed up.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Anchor Books for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kathleen Deane leaves her old life behind and moves to a small east coast beach town called Whitbey after her husband of thirty years leaves her to seek out happiness.

The Goodreads synopsis describes Save What’s Left as “an outrageously funny debut novel” and I think that’s setting the bar too high. The story includes some silly and funny scenarios and conversations, but it also drags at times.

Save What’s Left includes many of Kathleen’s letters to local leaders, which grow tiresome after a few. More plot and dialogue would have helped keep the story moving along.

If you are interested in a story of a retiree starting over and can relate to complaints about a spouse after a very long marriage, you will probably enjoy this book.

Kathleen spends much of the novel focusing on the strains of very local politics and complaints of traffic, construction, garbage, public spaces, codes, and permits. The novel overall includes humor and levity, and, in the end, it is a story of hope and healing.

Such a fun summer read! Had me laughing out loud a few times!! It is refreshing to read a fiction with no murder and no sex, just satire and humorous dialogue😊 I was so happy to see it be chosen as Gma book club pick!

I struggled with this one. I found the characters not very enjoyable or likable. The constant complaining through emails and meetings got tiresome. I think this author has potential. This just wasn't really for me.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy, & I give my opinion freely

Kathleen's husband has left her from their mid-west home in Kansas to go on a world wide cruise. She decides to whisk off to beach town Whitbey on Long Island from where her childhood friend sends Christmas cards. There, she becomes embroiled in a neighborhood brawl that brings out some not so redeeming qualities.

I feel like this was supposed to be a funny, heart warming story, but that is not what you get. Instead, you see the ugly side of people, and it was not pleasing to see these darker sides. The neighbors were really mean to each other, and Kathleen even ignores her own daughter and soon to be grandchild.

For me, this read was not very enjoyable. I wish it had taken a different "beach read" feel.

Thank you Vintage Anchor and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

After thirty years of marriage, Kathleen Deane’s husband Tom decides he is tired of marriage. He’s going on a world cruise, leaving Kathleen behind in Kansas. But Kathleen also has dreams. She decides to move to a Whitbey, a seaside town on Long Island. The charming waterfront house that Kathleen buys sight unseen turns out to be a ramshackle former oyster shack. If that’s not bad enough, it’s next to the ‘sugar cube” a massive MacMansion whose construction seems to have violated every building code in the town charter. Kathleen is obsessed with these violations and becomes a familiar figure at town meetings. She also joins a local women’s group, hoping to find new friends. She makes other discoveries, discoveries that lead to a surprising conclusion.

Save What’s Left is both laugh-out-loud funny and frustrating. I admire Kathleen’s sense of humor and stubborn determination. However, I think her fixation with the town statutes becomes over-the-top and shows a different, somewhat unlikable side of Kathleen. That said, this is a solid, 4 star read from Elizabeth Castellano, a debut author I plan to follow.

Thank you to Vintage Anchor & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book

After 30 years of marriage, Tom told Kathleen that he wanted a divorce. No real reason - it’s just not working. So, he booked a ticket for a 4-month cruise for himself and left. Kathleen decided to sell their house in Kansas and bought a sight-unseen tiny beach house in the northeast.

When she arrives, she is surprised to find how really tiny the house is, but moves in. Her big shock is the huge McMansion being built next door to her. The noise, dust, dirt of the construction is appallng. In addition, trucks constantly block her driveway and the workers help themselves to her deck for a rest.

Meeting her neighbors, she finds some cantankerous and others more welcoming. Tired of the construction noise and abuse, she decides to send emails to the town’s supervisor with her complaints. All of her messages are ignored.

This book continues to show how people get involved in the injustices that occur in their neighborhoods. Sadly, this is what happens in so many places. It’s the power of a few that can decide to do what they want and you have no other recourse other than to accept it. While this takes place in a town, it’s also true in a small gated community. Homeowners Associations can be very scary and evil. There are people with an agenda and the love of power. I think that is what we see both here in this book and in other smaller areas. People want the best for the places where they live but unfortunately, the majority can be beaten down by a few. Aside from all that, this book is meant to be humorous and in same ways it is. Too bad this woman didn’t try to find other ways to keep herself busy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Novels with a beach setting? Yes! Novels with quirky characters? Yes! Novels that are repetitive and over-the-top with ridiculousness? I guess not. People magazine said this was one of the best books of the summer and I was thrilled to get an ebook for review. Kathleen, whose marriage ended abruptly and without any cause after thirty years, felt like someone I could like and empathize with. When her husband sets off for a cruise, she decides to leave their Kansas home and purchase a beach house sight unseen in the coastal town her best friend lives in. What could go wrong? Let’s just say just about everything.

“That’s the problem with a bad marriage. I don’t mean a bad marriage. I mean, a just-okay marriage – one that isn’t awful, but isn’t quite good either. It’s like a benign rib pain. It’s not lethal. It’s not causing excruciating pain. No one cares about it. You can still perform normal activities. It’s just a worrisome annoyance that eats away at you until one day it decides to leave.”

What Kathleen finds when she arrives at her new beach house is a mega-home being built right next door. Probably why the beach house was so cheap, huh? What entails over the next 200+ pages are lots of unbelievable mishaps, lots of ranting, council meetings, unanswered emails, and quite a bit of annoying behavior that became pretty uninteresting quite quickly. I’m usually game for some hilarity and ridiculousness, but this became too much. When she partners up with the cranky neighbor, you know nothing good can happen between the two of them. Did I agree with her frustrations? Of course! How frustrating to have this construction right next door, blocking your view of the beach, creating noise and mess instead of calm and beauty. But, just reading about it page after page started to make me angry and give me anxiety over something that wasn’t even real. The real lesson here is to NEVER buy a beach house over the phone or computer!

This is Castellano’s debut novel and while I think she has some real talent in her character development and creating a setting, I just couldn’t get my brain to stop saying, “Really? Are you kidding me?” over and over again with this one. Since her character Kathleen was given plenty of second chances in life, I’m happy to give Castellano one as well and hope she keeps writing.