Having recently lost my father, I was intrigued by the description when it mentioned it was a story of grief.

While grief is a part of the story, there were several side stories that I felt could have been a separate book.

Olivia, the main character, is ready to leave for Dublin with her presumptuous daughter, Beau, when Olivia's step-father Jesse suddenly dies.

Jesse and Olivia's mom, Hattie, had a beach hut where they would sit and enjoy the sea each daily. Upon Jesse's passing, Olivia has the idea to rent out Jesse's beach chair to people who would like to meet Hattie, share their story, and bring a smile to her face. I think this story line alone could have made for a fascinating book.

Aside from the above story line, there's Olivia and Beau's story. Olivia became pregnant with Beau while dating Oscar. He fled to New Zealand and Olivia raised Beau on her own. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but there's more to why he left and why Olivia did what she did. Beau is only fourteen but doesn't appear to have many boundaries and comes and goes as she pleases. Kind of makes one question Olivia's parenting. Beau posts the beach rental chair on social media prompting Oscar to reach out to her when he realizes how much she looks like him. Beau sneaks around seeing him. Again, why's Olivia just letting her do whatever she wants?

There's yet another side story of Jesse's son, Alec, and his mom. Overall, this story line was okay, but could have been better developed.

It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a page-turner, either. I almost think this could have been two separate books in a series. One telling the story of Hattie and the various beach chair renters and how she slowly overcame her grief.

Olivia, Oscar, and Beau could have been an entirely separate book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. #TheLonelyHeartsBeachClub #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. The Lonely Hearts Beach Club by Amy Miller is a lighthearted novel about a woman, Hattie, who loses the love of her life. Her daughter, Olivia, has lived a lonely life feeling responsible for her mother’s happiness, working full time and raising her daughter on her own until one day she has an idea to give back to the community all while helping her mother move on from her grief. Renting out beach chairs to help her mother work through her loneliness has also allowed her time to think about her own life. Her estranged ex, Oscar, comes back on the scene and seeing him again makes her reevaluate her choices. Ultimately, this helps her come to terms with her decisions all while encouraging her to decide what she really wants in life. Although quite predictable, the story takes you through thought processes we all make throughout our own lives as we navigate the difficult emotions surrounding love, loss and the importance of family.

This is a moving and heartfelt story about love, loss, grief, and how to move forward. Hattie's husband dies trying to save a boy from drowning. Hattie is lost without him and is lonely. Olivia comes up with the brilliant idea to put up a flyer advertising deck chair for hire. This way people can come and sit with Hattie and talk with her and hopefully she will make a friend. This was such a beautiful concept and I liked all the diverse characters that came and spent time with Hattie.

Olivia seems to bend over backwards to provide for her daughter and take care of her mother. I felt sorry for her as she she did so much for others and seemed to loose herself in the process. Oscar her ex-boyfriend is now back in town.

You can feel all the conflicts between mother and daughter as they struggle to find a new normal. My favorite person was Seth who had a zest for life and lived every moment to its fullest.

An emotional but uplifting story threaded with hope. With a grounded but idyllic location of a British beach, the idea of hiring a deckchair to natter was lovely and introduced many unique characters which brought colour into this novel.
The story focused on three generations, Hattie, Olivia and Beau as they wade through grief, and unexpected upheavals in their lives.
With the theme loneliness throughout it highlighted how it affects many and being brave to make the first connection can change your life.

Enjoyed it. I didn't love any of the characters. Everyone seems to always be sad and unhappy and Beau is full of teenage attitude. Hattie and Beau didn't seem to appreciate Olivia at all. She did everything for her mother and daughter. I couldn't believe Beau was only fourteen. She came and went at all hours and did whatever she wanted. She met up with a man (Oliver), she didn't even know. Olivia had know idea where her daughter was or who she was with. That is how young girls end up in the back of windowless vans. I enjoyed hearing the stories of the different people Hattie got to meet at the beach hut. Many of them had wise words for her and showed her she can still miss Jesse but also live her life. The book had two story lines- Olivia and Oscar and Hattie and the beach hut. I would have rather read about Hattie and her family than anything to do with Oscar. Instead of constantly being afraid of Oscar's return, Olivia should have talked to Beau. It wasn't hard to figure out that Oscar would eventually disappoint Beau.

Definitely give the book a try. I loved They Call Me the Cat Lady and look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow. Olivia is a single mother with a secret she’s told no one. She told a lie years ago to protect her family and it comes to light in this book. She’s raising her headstrong teenage daughter Beau. Other characters include her mother Hattie, stepfather Jessie, his ex Francine and son Alec. Olivia’s ex comes back to town and plays havoc with her life and emotions.
This is a very emotional book. Parts made me sad, and parts made me mad. In the end, it made me smile. It’s a story that is very believable and relatable. I want to rent a deck chair and sit with Hattie on the beach.
I did receive this as an ARC from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. There was another of Ms Miller’s books recommended at the end of this one and I’ve already purchased it. I love her storytelling.

A heartwarming story that will pull on your heartstrings in many ways.
A story of finding a way to let go of the past and start looking to the future.
The perfect summer reading book.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lonely hearts do better together. Loved the idea of lonely people meeting up and just talking, sharing interests. Whether they lost a loved one, a relationship didn’t work out or they just didn’t seem to fit in. Great story and characters.

Olivia’s heart breaks seeing her widowed mother remove herself from life after her beloved husband dies in an accident. Determined to bring the light back to her mother’s eyes, Olivia devises a meet and chat on the beach for her. All the while. Olivia is harboring a deep fear that her long gone ex, Oscar. is returning. This will upend her relationship with their daughter. A heartfelt story of mothers and daughters filled with love at every turn.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this book to review before publication thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture. I read it after a heavy and dark novel and it was a perfect change of pace. Olivia is currently in the “sandwich generation,” trying to juggle caring for her teenage daughter and her mom, who is grieving the loss of her husband. It was a super easy to read, heartwarming, feel-good story about love, loss, healing, the connections between people, and forgiveness. I found it to be thought-provoking as I read and thought about how the characters handled various situations, and what I might do if I were in their positions. One of the big themes being second chances- when are they deserved and when are they not? Overall, a sweet book that’s great for summer reading.

Book Description: accurate to the story.


Word Craft:
Amy Miller is an excellent writer. She uses similes that are not canned, rehashed, or trite. I found myself a bit jealous when she likened the feeling of dread to her “heart plunged like a stone in a glass of water.” I love writers who can come up with new similes without overworking it. She did so many times throughout the story and used it for character illustration and location description. My favorite skill of the author in this book.

She never info dumped – she described things briefly as we were introduced to them – just enough, not too much. Perfect.

I especially like that she rarely uses the passive voice in her past-tense storytelling. I find it very distracting and often don’t finish a book with a ton of it, so reading a well-crafted tense is lovely.

Most of the story is told from Olivia’s point of view, third person. The author does switch a few brief times to other characters’ POV – but it was all warranted. It did not feel like a device nor like head-hopping.

Story:
What a lovely premise – renting out deck chairs. I thought that the author used the right amount of letting the deck chair renters do some of the lifting for moving the story and enlightening the reader as to Olivia’s and Hattie’s internal emotions. I would have liked to see a few more renters and/or a bit more connection or follow-up on how they affected Hattie besides that she got busy and had new friends.

I did think the “secret” and its reveal was a bit belabored. Seemed to go over the same events/emotions a few times.

Also love the idea for the Beach Hut Gallery.

Many good ideas in the storyline and good execution with tension and resolutions for most of them. Beau kind of gets dropped at the end, even though Olivia and Oscar talk about her.

I have to say thank you for a story that was brave enough to stay quiet, thoughtful, and have tensions that made sense.

Bottom Line:
I recommend this book. I’ve never read any of Amy Miller’s work, but I will be finding her previous work and looking forward to future projects. I think it’s a beach read for sure, but I think it’s more than that. The writing quality is a step above a lot of the work out now, so this goes to the top of my recommend list.

Thank you to Bookouture through NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.

When Hattie lost her second husband, her daughter, Olivia wanted to help her, so she made a sign, deckchair for rent. There were people who rented it, and came to talk to Hattie. Olivia and her daughter Beau were having problems. Three generations of women, learned that they needed to grieve, the loss of a husband, a loss of a career, and a loss of a father.
We meet a lot of wonderful people at the deck
chair, which makes it compelling, Hattie, her daughter Olivia, and her granddaughter, Beau, has been having a rough time, but the people that come to rent the deckchair, and talking has got them listening, and maybe starting to reach them through their grief, pain, secrets they have kept, and the things they have to work through in order to move on in their lives. Olivia's words she passed on to someone else are now playing on repeat. Why don't you give yourself permission to be the person you’d like to be.
This is a story of so many things, but it is also comforting when people sit down at the the deckchair. I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley.

Heartwarming story about a generation of women. A rented out beach chair to help her mother cope, brings up issues her daughter never talked about before. I thought it was really good in the beginning, but then got kind of slow in the middle. I am glad to see that Beau was able to deal with her issues and that the author kind of wrapped up the relationship between her parents. Good summer beach read.

Olivia's plan to help her mother Hattie cope with the grief from losing her stepfather Jesse to the sea opens both of them to new thoughts. She's got people coming to sit beside Hattie in Jesse's beach chair and sharing their stories, What she didn't expect was that her daughter Beau would confess to her own issues with the fact that she's never known her father. It's a good look at three generations of women as well as at the kindness of strangers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A heartwarmer.

Three generations of women mourning losses in their lives. Hattie has tragically had two husbands die. Olivia, her daughter is mourning what could have been in a career and Beau granddaughter of Hattie and daughter of Olivia is mourning not having a father who wanted her. Relationships of family and friends are forefront in this story and how lives are shaped by the interactions with them. As heartbreaking as this book is, it is also heartfelt in letting go of the things that are holding these three women from living their lives that were meant to be.

Overall, The Lonely Hearts Beach Club was an okay read. I didn't really like any of the characters overmuch and the storylines felt like there was a lot left untouched below the surface, but as this was my first Amy Miller book, I am curious to see what else she has to offer. Two and a half stars.

Author Amy Miller sheds light on the sandwich generation in this heartwarming beach read. Those in this stage of life are sandwiched between providing for their children still at home and looking after their elderly parents. The thread of grief unites the three generations and readers see how each deals with this profound loss.

At the heart of this book is a mother who organizes a beach chair rental so that her aging mother has company as she grieves the loss of her husband. Readers are privy to the advice and lessons shared from the beach chairs.

This was so much more than I expected; my heart is full. I finished the book and both my husband and I went to our elderly neighbour’s for tea and a chat. I felt prompted and acted on it. The smile on her face was worth it. This book reminded me how important it is to reach out and let someone else know that there’s someone who cares. In a world where free time is so valuable, it’s wonderful to see it being used to connect to another human being.

Miller shows us that the sandwich generation needs our support because they are often in a holding pattern, unable to move forward, because of their obligations to family. The bonds of love cause them to often run on empty because they are ‘filling up’ the needs of those before them and behind them.

I’m showing my age here, but does anyone else remember the 1980s slogan used by the phone company, “Reach out and touch someone” ? We could benefit from being reminded to take the focus off ourselves and put it on another. Just a simple connection can make another feel less alone. Thank you for your wisdom, Amy Miller.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is the heartwarming story about three generations of women working through heartache. In an English seaside town,

Olivia is unsuccessfully trying to help her elderly mother emerge from her grief at the accidental death of her husband – Olivia’s stepfather. Olivia herself is no stranger to grief, having suffered the death of her father and stepfather and still stinging from a failed relationship. And Olivia’s daughter grieves over the father she never knew.

Olivia’s plan to rent out her stepfather’s beach chair to other lonely hearts wishing to speak about their experiences with grieving, loneliness and second chances presents all three women with the chance to embrace change. This was a feel-good story of love, loss, family – and opening one’s heart to new friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

This book was a real delight and I could t wait to get back to it. It tells the story of Olivia who is in the ‘sandwich generation’, her teenage daughter on one side and her widowed mother on the other. When Olivia decides to rent out the spare deckchair at her Mum’s beach hut to provide companionship for her, she could never have envisaged what would come from it.

The concept of renting out the deckchair is so different and so compelling. It provides a vehicle to introduce a whole cast of compelling characters. There is a really good balance between the cosy, delightful seaside setting and conflict between Olivia and her Mum, as well as her ex partner. There is a smattering of romance, but predominantly lots of realistic relationship development and family dynamics that made for a really good read. Thoroughly recommend.

Engaging story of a woman who loses her husband. They used to sit in beach chairs outside their beach hut and rent chairs. Her family decides to rent out her husband's chair to whomever wants to come and talk to the woman. It turns out to be just what everybody needed.