Thank you to @netgalley, Alcove Press and Jess Sinclair for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Available October 10!

4/5 - An engaging, suspenseful and emotional read! Bluebelle is young and in love with her childhood friend Enzo - but then her mother dies, her father is accused, the town turns against her family and Blue runs away with a secret of her own. 10 years later she is back home, child in tow, fleeing a disastrous home life and ultimately determined to find out the truth about the past. Told in present day between Blue and Enzo, this gripping story kept me turning page after page!

This is book is absolutely a drama - feuding families, tragedy, small town scandal, so many secrets, forbidden love, deep friendships and abusive relationships. It’s part family drama, part love story too. The combo is fun and a little unexpected and I gotta say, I haven’t read much like this lately!

I loved the sleepy beach town and quirky (albeit large) cast of characters. The core of the store is about relationships - platonic, familial and romantic - and the far reaching consequence of holding on to secrets and simmering resentments.

I’m a hugeeee second chance romance fan and really enjoyed that component of the story, too. There are definitely some heavier topics/themes but the book didn’t feel emotionally weighty, if that makes sense. A great summer read for sure!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. It’s a good, quick love story that’s great for the summer.

This is the story of Blue, who lost her mother when she was a teen, and her father was charged with the murder. Blue was pregnant by her high school sweetheart, Enzo, and moves in with an aunt. Fast forward by ten years and Blue finally goes back home to try and mend her relationship with her dad. She has a 10-year old son, Murphy, and she’s fleeing an abusive marriage.

Blue must face many obstacles and get some answers about what happened ten years ago. Did her father kill her mother? Should she give her abusive husband another chance? Can she forgive herself for leaving Enzo, her first love, and keeping his son a secret?

I found this story very captivating and at times very sweet. The characters were well crafted and easy to like. I rate this book 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley and Alcove Press for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for a digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This was an enjoyable read and had a bit of a mystery to it. The romance was ok, and I enjoyed reading about the wonderful small town life.

Blue ran away from home at 17, after her Mothers drowning. She ends up hundreds of miles away, living with her Aunt and finding out she’s pregnant. Now 10 years later her husband leaves her, asking for a divorce, just after losing her Aunt so she returns home.

This new beginning for her and her son Murph, leaves her wondering whether or not she wants to be home or go back to her abusive relationship.

A small fishing town in Florida, beautiful sunsets, secrets from the past go full steam ahead as Blue searches for answers that ruined her life to run at 17. Two families torn apart from these secrets, denial and heartache. You will absolutely love the writing, the families, the friendships. It’s a sweet romance with drama like Lifetime movies and magical PG feels like Hallmark.

I liked this book. It was a quick read with very likeable characters. Bluebell is a dynamic character who grows throughout the course of the book. The mystery of what happened the night her mom died keeps you turning the page. Enzo is a swoon worthy character who is dependable and a role model of men. I enjoyed this book and think it will resonate with a lot of people.

I loved this one about a mom returning home after fleeing and abusive husband . It is a story about going home and finding redemption and hope and healing . It is evocative of Kristin Hannah’s writing.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc

A very touching story of lost love, of family, and of redemption. An emotionally and physically abused wife and her son return to her childhood home after a ten year absence. She begins to heal and along the way searches to uncover the truth about her mother’s death, encountering several mysteries about it. She also encounters the love of her life. It jolts them both as they discover the depths of their love.
I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Title: What We Could Have Been
Author: Jess Sinclair
Publisher: Alcove Press
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: October 10, 2023
My Rating: 3.5
Pages; 320

This family drama is about reconciliation and reconnection ~ forgiveness, second chances – a bit of romance ~ right person wrong time.

When Bluebelle Shea’s mother died from drowning and her father is charged with negligence, she leaves the small Florida fishing town where she was raised following.

She never planned to return home but now ten years later she leaves her abusive husband, and returns home with her nine year-old son, Murphy.
She reconnects with her father as well as with Enzo a teenage love.
This is a feel good story.
I love Jess Sinclair’s “Acknowledgement” in addition to thanks all the wonderful people who helped her in your writing journey, she tells us that she met her husband at an A&P grocery store in Detroit when she was six years old. AT that time the kids would wait line in front of the store for the movie booth. She said they must have done this a hundred Saturday mornings doing this. Although, they honestly didn’t remember each other, they did meet again when she was seventeen and he was nineteen.
She goes on to say she wanted to tell her little story because this writing “What We Could Have Been” required her whole heart and soul to write.

Want to thank NetGalley and Alcove Press for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 10, 2023

A perfect summer read! An idyllic setting in a small Gulf Coast town, full of secrets and intrigue, with a backdrop of family drama and a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque romance. Some truly beautiful relationships -- genuine friendships, grandparent/grandchild, and blended families. TW for the suggestion of domestic abuse, though it's not prevalent.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was well written and I enjoyed the characters, however it says it is a drama but for me it was more of a romance which was a bit predictable between Blue and Enzo. This is a personal opinion and having said that it was still an enjoyable read.

First, thank you to NetGalley for my ARC on Jess Sinclair’s What We Could Have Been.
Bluebelle Shea‘s life has been upended when her husband unexpectedly filed for divorce. Her and her 9 year old son Murphy move back to the place Blue never imagined she would be return to. Her childhood home. There, she reconciles with her estranged father and reconnects with an old friend from her past.
This review will be challenging to write, as I’d like to give feedback without bashing the author.
Overall, the storyline was ok. The whole book reminded me of a generic version of a Colleen Hoover book, which can maybe be taken as a compliment, or maybe not.
I thought that the writing was decent, but that the language was….off. The dialogue just didn’t seem realistic to me. It also seemed like the dialogue didn’t fit the characters, and was written a little juvenile.
The story took place in Florida, yet Blue kept using the word “mum”, and the author lives in Detroit. Obviously that’s not a huge deal. I knew who she was talking about each time, I just thought it didn’t fit.
Some of the content I thought didn’t flow together very well. One sentence Blue would be at her house, and the next sentence she’d be someplace else.
There would be a major event happening, and the next paragraph everyone is fine and the major event is not spoken of again. So much build up, with a lacking climax.
Not too bad, but not my favorite.

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I could relate to the things Blue had been through with her soon to be ex husband. So it made those parts relatable for me. I loved how this was equal parts thriller, romance, and domestic drama. It has suspense, forbidden love, and some surprises! I felt like this was very fast paced and I wanted more after it was over. This is now my favorite read of the year and I hope I get to read more books by Jess Sinclair. I highly recommend this book.


Thanks NetGalley and Alcove Press for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

WOW! What a stunning novel. I loved all of the characters.

Blue was complex and yet so relatable.
Murphy was awesome, bending to the way in which circumstances changed him.
Enzo struggling so much with his personal life.
Mitch struggling with his health and reconciling with Blue.

I loved the romance, the tough story of a haunted past that keeps creeping into the present.

It was a great book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good, small town second chance story.

A beautiful story about second chances and right person wrong time (a trope I always love). This was wonderfully written and drew me in straight away with a unique storyline, an interesting set of characters and a heart-warming conclusion. I really loved the romance and seeing Belle and Enzo come back together again, it was generally a really cute read, slightly slow paced but there is some mystery involved to keep you hooked.

This is an entertaining story! The romance does take center stage over the suspense/murder mystery part of the story though. As long as you go in ready for romance, and not expecting a fast paced mystery, this book will be thoroughly enjoyable!

Thank you so much for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Wow! I couldn’t put this book down! Incredible! I loved the plot, the characters, how it all played out! There was suspense, family drama, love, and forgiveness. Highly recommend!!!

What We Could Have Been is a beautiful story of a second chance romance in a small hometown. i wouldn’t consider this a full romance, but this novel also touches on rebuilding family relationships with a hint of a mystery thrown in. All the characters are well developed and I enjoyed reading about each relationship. The writing is well paced, the romance doesn’t over power and instead, we witness the growth of the main protagonist, Bluebell. This was a quick read, and would highly recommend. I got lost in this book, which is my favorite way to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was the type of book that you can’t put down! Read it in one setting, loved the storyline and the characters. The story was heartfelt and honest. So many feelings were felt through the characters and their story.

Bluebelle Shea flees the small Florida fishing town in which she was raised following the drowning death of her mother and her father being charged with negligence in her death.
Ten years later Bluebelle returns bringing with her, her young son, Murphy. Her return is one of rebuilding relationships, with Murphy after leaving an abusive husband behind, her father who she hasn't seen since she left, and her teenage love and the father or Murphy, Enzo.
Her quest upon returning is to get to the bottom of the details of her mother's death and exonerate her father of the old charges. As she does so, she rebuilds her relationship with Enzo and discovers what happened between her father and Enzo's father two years before her mother's death and how it created a domino effect for what was to come.
Largely a book about going home, healing relationships and personal growth (Bluebelle's from an abused woman to one who decides to change her path). I did enjoy reading this book and recommend it to other readers.
Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read What We Could Have Been.