I am always here for a quiet story that is character driven and makes me feel some hope in this wild life!

I felt so invested in these characters and their lives and loved reading spending time with them. All the feels!

Thanks to Scribner for the gifted copy!

I love Ethan’s ability to always write such heartwarming stories! This family drama was no different from the past - just a wholesome and fantastic read. The characters felt so real and I loved this smalltown setting. I felt like I was transported right into the book!

Have you ever known someone who is attached to their work to the extent that they wonder what they would be without it?

In "The Same Bright Stars" that's our main character, Jack Schmidt. Finally, at 52 he’s thinking seriously about focusing on himself and his future beyond work. He's been offered a sweet deal for "Schmidt's", his family restaurant, by the DelDine group and if he accepts it he'll be free to do the things he's been dreaming about for too long...

Is it possible, yet again, to love the third book in a row by this author? Ethan Joella, how do you do it?

"The Same Bright Stars" is full of well-developed characters, struggling relationships, and challenging family dynamics. Jack Schmidt is one of my favorite characters. He's kind, empathetic, and centered on taking care of those close to him. I love the decisions he makes, how he makes them, and how he owns them, good or not so-good.

The setting, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, felt like another character in this story. The author knows this storybook town (as he calls it) and sprinkles little nuggets, tour guide style, throughout that capture the full flavor of this picturesque beach town. Once again Joella has created a story around small-town life with characters who feel like home. If you grew up in a small town, like I did, you know what I mean.

I'll say this again, as long as Ethan Joella continues to write, I will continue to read his books. "The Same Bright Stars" is one of my top five reads of 2024 and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy Small Town and Family Fiction and a well-written story!

5⭐

Thank you to Scribner and Ethan Joella for the DRC via NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I was immersed in this beautiful story with a soothing and serene writing style. Told in a flashback/present timeline and the point of view of Jack, a man grappling with selling his generations owned family restaurant and also his current course of life-made this contemporary, character driven fiction contemplative and heartwarming. His quest for a family and purpose, realizing he is “too young to be old and too old to be young” was refreshing and relatable. A beautiful read.

The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella is about Jack, who runs his family restaurant. The restaurant is the most important thing to him. A large restaurant group has expressed interest in buying Jack's restaurant, but he keeps turning them down. But maybe it's time for him to put himself and his own desires first? This book was okay, but it wasn't really my favorite. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I love Ethan Joella. I think he is such a talented, unhyped author. He writes about grief/loss in various ways it exists and impacts peoples lives. I love how the individual stories all came together in the end.

Thought provoking and an easy page turner. This book sucked you in to the plot and left you wanting to continue reading. Relatable characters, well written. Although I liked their first books better - this author has a way of writing emotional tales.

This was truly a story that made you really look at life & how the decisions we make effect us and stay with us forever. Jack's story made me cry. I loved seeing his personal growth. Although parts of the book were a bit slow, the ending was realistic and well done.

“Pain is the cost of living well and caring deeply.”

Jack’s life revolves around running his family’s beachfront restaurant, but he’s burned out. When presented with the opportunity to sell the restaurant, he seriously considers it so he has more time for himself, but should he give up the beloved property his family has owned for three decades? What about his devoted employees? Should he really give in to the greedy corporation who is snapping up properties along the boardwalk?

Ethan Joella knows how to write heartfelt stories! He’s quickly become an auto-buy author for me. His stories remind you about the importance of genuine human connection, and how everyone is silently (or not so silently) going through their own struggles. A little compassion goes a long way 💖 The strength of small town communities is a strong theme throughout his books, and while Same Bright Stars is hopeful, the book does cover some heavy topics. I’ve never been to Rehoboth Beach myself, but the cover and vivid imagery Joella describes makes me want to visit!

I can’t wait to see what you write next, @joellawriting!

[A very belated thanks to @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for the eARC copy I received!]

After seeing readers swoon over Ethan Joella books for years, I was ready to take the plunge with The Same Bright Stars, and now I need to go read all of the backlist. It's a book for book clubs and beaches alike.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This work of literary fiction focused on the relationships between family, friends, and employees. There were some heavy themes throughout. Based on the cover, I was thinking this was a beach read, so I was very surprised when it turned out to be much deeper and more emotional than I expected. It was very well-written, but literary fiction is generally not for me.

Ethan Joella’s previous novels, A Little Hope and A Quiet Life, were lovely winter reads that I enjoyed very much. Reading a Joella novel in the summer was a new experience–no fireplace and blanket this time. You can read The Same Bright Stars any time of year, though. While the cover looks beachy and the setting of The Same Bright Stars is the coastal town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the story begins around Thanksgiving and takes us through every season. This novel vividly describes the flow of living year-round in a vacation town and the setting plays an important role.

Jack owns a restaurant passed down through his family, and, as the novel opens, he is internally debating whether to accept a buyer’s offer. The novel has a slow start, but as the setting and character build, I became entirely invested by the mid-point.

Jack feels on the outside of couples and families, as everyone seems to be paired off and his elder relatives with whom he had been close are no longer living. Jack’s story includes some poignant moments that capture real life living.

Joella writes beautiful character-driven stories of human connection and hope. His novels show real life struggles and everyday people.

If you liked Joella’s other novels and you enjoyed Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal, you should pick up The Same Bright Stars if you haven’t yet.

Another Ethan Joella winner! This one is about a restaurant owner who feels like his restaurant and his life have run their course. The restaurant is an institution in this coastal town. Jack and three generations before him have devoted their lives to their restaurant. Jack wants more for his life. His employees are his family and these characters are explored deeply inside and outside the restaurant. He is close to selling to a restaurant conglomerate to allow him more freedom to do things he wants to do for once. We get to explore a past timeline of family at the restaurant as well as present time with close friends who are encouraging him along the way.

I have enjoyed all of Joel's books and recommend this one for those who love restaurant settings, found family and hopeful stories.

Thank you so much, Netgalley and Scribner!

I loved this book. The writing was beautiful, the characters were well-developed, and the story was interesting. I’ll read anything Ethan Joella writes. He’s definitely one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ethan's covers always attract me to his books. His books are always so calm and I enjoy reading them. This was a perfect summertime read!

Joella is great at constructing stories that remain calm even when the stakes are high, and this one was no exception. It's very character-driven, centering on Jack, with glimpses into his past and how his relationships with those around him developed. I really liked the small beach town setting and seeing it outside the busy summer time. There were also a lot of bittersweet moments in this one, and I appreciate Joella's realistic approach to exploring a slice of life.

Another great, heartfelt novel from Ethan Joellla. He does such a good job of making his characters seem real, faults and all. You could really relate to Jack’s hard decision of whether to give up his restaurant or not. I thought this had a very satisfying ending and so grew to love all of the people in Jack’s circle.

I need to come to terms that this author isn't for me. While this story was ok, I don't like one that doesn't go anywhere; very little plot, very character driven. Just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner, and the author for the ARC of this book.

I’ve read other Ethan Joella books, and they were significantly more engrossing than this one. Although easy to read, I had a very hard time getting into this story and investing in the characters. This could be because the characters were not particularly relatable to me as a 30 something year-old single woman living in the suburbs, however, I typically can find something to relate to most characters about.

This was a huge slow burn, and I felt like not much happened throughout the story. This was a significantly more character driven book, which may be why I struggled with it so much. I am definitely a plot driven reader. I will keep reading Joella’s books as I loved A Quiet Life. I felt like this book was fine, but not one I would jump to recommend.

As for my ratings :
Excitement level: 2
Ease of reading level: 5
Overall rating : 3

A beautifully written, character driven story about a 50-something man who has dedicated his life to running his family’s restaurant and is currently entertaining the idea of selling it to a restaurant group. This is not a fun “beach read,” but it does take place in a beach town and will make you feel the need to visit Rehoboth. I really enjoyed this story.

This is the first book I’ve read by Ethan Joella, but I’ll be diving into his backlist and looking forward to future new releases.