This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was told he was an incredible read by many people. While I don’t doubt his writing skills, I didn’t fall in love with this particular story, rather just kept reading to see what, if anything, would happen.

Definitely would say this is more character driven which I normally do love and prefer, even. This story follows a middle aged business owner who is realizing he is tied down to his family owned restaurant and never has the opportunity to actually live life. Lots of internal dialogue and flash backs to his earlier life, he has a best friend who tells him how it is, no matter how brutal.

I did like parts of the story, but overall it was just so-so. I didn’t DNF which I guess says something. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I enjoyed the location the most- a touristy beach town in the summer and sleepy small town in the winter. I did like the very ending/outcome.

I really would not recommend this book, overall.

Content: lots of language (F word & God’s name in vain, S word, etc.) premarital sex, talk about scheduling abortion. Suicide, death of parents, mental illness/depression, Alzheimer’s disease.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC.

In this story, Joella takes us to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware where Jack owns a generational restaurant - but he's considering selling it to a regional corporation that is gobbling up the rest of the restaurants in town. Right now, all Jack does is work at the restaurant and he doesn't have much of a life outside of that - this would be a chance to rest and retire. Along the way, we meet a cast of characters including staff at the restaurant, family and local friends and people from his past. Throughout the book, we see Jack deal with loss, secrets from his past and some tough decisions. I enjoyed the range of characters and the overall story! Another great piece of fiction from Joella.

Jack has been running the family restaurant, Schmidt’s, since his father died. It has been Jacks life, consuming all of his time, and he is finally considering a change. It’s on the boardwalk in the beach town of Rhehoboth, Delaware where giant corporation DelDine is buying up properties and have made a generous offer to Jack. Jack isn’t sure who he would be without the restaurant but is he ready for time to just sit on the beach or even have a family?

I don’t think Ethan Joella gets talked about enough on IG. I adore his books. His writing is great and he creates fantastic characters with depth and that feel like real people. This book was a beautiful, character driven story with lovely friendships and support throughout all the things life threw at them. Relationships, family, loss and forgiveness. Now I just want to take a trip to Rhehoboth and walk the boardwalk!

The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella
Genre: contemporary fiction
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: eARC

⛱️Small beach town setting
⛱️Feeling lost in life
⛱️Big cast of characters
⛱️Small business owner
⛱️Unexpected news from the past
⛱️Cozy book

This author’s books make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, so I was excited to curl up on the couch with his new one! The Same Bright Stars takes place in a small beach town in Delaware and follows restaurant owner Jack. Already feeling a bit lost in life, Jack receives some unexpected news that leaves him even more confused. I loved the restaurant setting and all of the employees - it felt like a big chaotic family. However, with such a large cast of characters, I did find it a little difficult at times to remember some of the smaller characters and their roles in Jack’s life. Even so, I really enjoyed the plot with its unexpected turn of events and the layered characters who felt very real. Overall, this book was an enjoyable summer read, and I’d recommend!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for my eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts! The Same Bright Stars is out July 2!

Jack Schmidt has spent almost all of his 52 years at the family restaurant on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk. The employees are his family, the neighboring store owners his friends. Each day is the same, following the pattern of business in a resort town. Jack is worn out by the smallness of his life. When DelDine, a restaurant conglomerate, offers to buy the business, Jack is tempted and wonders what his future could be.

That summary is too literal to describe The Same Bright Stars. Ethan Joella has a gift for seeing behind the superficial happenings of everyday life and showing you the inner worlds of everyday people. This magnificent novel glows with sensitivity, love, loyalty and community. This is a must read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner and Ethan Joella for this ARC.

4.5 stars. This is a beautifully written, character-driven novel that is truly heartwarming. Jack Schmidt, a third-generation Rehoboth Beach restaurant owner, is having serious thoughts about retiring and selling out (at a handsome price) to a corporate conglomerate that is buying up restaurants in the area. His dilemma, as well as his relationship with his friends, his former girlfriend, and especially his employees, forms the basis for this feel-good story, a story seemingly about real people with real problems, concerns and feelings. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading many more by Ethan Joella.

Jack, who is 52, owns a restaurant named Schmidt’s on Rehoboth Beach. The restaurant has been in his family for three generations, starting with his grandmother, Hazel. Jack aspires to run the restaurant like his father, Johnny. However, the day-to-day operations of the restaurant have worn him down over the years. Jack realizes that one of his employees is stealing from him, and he fears that it is Genevieve, his dedicated manager who has worked for Schmidt’s ever since Jack was a boy. With all of the stress piling up, Jack longs to see what life has to offer when he is not tied down to his workplace.
Jack has spent years watching the simple joys of family life with his best friend, Deacon, and his wife, Andie. When he looks at their cute daughter, Evie, he wonders what might have been with Kitty, a long-time girlfriend whom he never married, or Alexis, a summer fling that he met when he was young. His love for Alexis was strong and passionate, but their relationship died off. Kitty comes back to Rehoboth Beach to spend some time with her mother, Janet, before she dies. She asks Jack to stay with her after Janet passes, and Jack helps her get through the moment of grief out of respect for Janet.

Shortly after Janet’s death, one life-changing incident between Jack and Genevieve’s good-for-nothing son, Ziggy, convinces him to sell Schmidt’s to the soulless corporate developer group, DelDine. As part of the deal, Jack agrees to a six-month gradual takeover. The news about the takeover does not go over well with Jack’s dedicated staff. Everything feels wrong, but Jack cannot shake the feeling that it is time to move on from the restaurant. Will his feelings change during the course of this slow takeover?

I love how deep emotions weave themselves through each one of Ethan Joella’s books. He is an expert at making you feel the heart and soul of each character as they navigate through their life circumstances. You feel the love, the loss, and the hope of each character as you connect to them through the story. The Same Bright Stars feels like a lighter read than Joella’s last two books, but it still addresses loss in it’s own way. What do we do when we feel stuck in a rut? Should we make the best of the life in front of us, or should we forge a new path? I absolutely loved this book, and it once again affirms that Joella should be a must-buy author on your list.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“For a second, the air feels different and better, as if all this time, he’s been in the wrong altitude, and now his lungs finally work.”

As one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, this absolutely did not disappoint.

Now one writes like Ethan Joella. My god. I’m always so amazed by how well he captures the uncertainty and the overall journeys of the characters he creates. And he just does not miss.

Jack’s arc through this story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Weighing the options of keeping his family’s restaurant or selling to a development company is really difficult for him. There’s this underlying current of guilt he feels in selling, all while trying to navigate his friendships and unsettling news that upends his world. He feels almost unfulfilled as he's dedicated his life to his family's restaurant. He hasn't really made time to build a family of his own, though he is close with the staff. This entire book feels like we've stepped into someone's life at a pivotal moment, seeing the hardships and triumphs alike.

What’s so incredible about Joella’s books is how he creates this world that feels realistic and how attached you feel to the characters as a reader. The supporting cast shines so much and gives so much insight into Jack and his decisions throughout the book. As with his other books, I felt this weight on my chest while reading because I wanted good things for these characters. This book definitely touches on difficult subject matter, but Joella manages to find the light in the darkness, moving his characters through meaningful arcs.

“Nothing matters, as long as you have love.”

This is one of those stories that has so much to say in not so many pages. The depth of emotion is so visceral and it’s a rollercoaster of emotion. It feels like this incredible insight into someone’s life, seeing how react and cope. It’s just perfect from start to finish.

This novel is told from the perspective of Jack, the third generation in his family to run the restaurant bearing the family’s name on the beachfront in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He’s in his 50s and has quite literally devoted his entire life to the restaurant, so with a restaurant conglomerate making repeated offers to buy the restaurant, he’s tempted to take the offer. The book takes place over the course of a little more than 6 months, though also with many flashbacks to Jack’s past, reflecting on both biological and found family, friendships, relationships, and more.

Don’t let the cover fool you, this is not a light beach read! Much of the book takes place in the fall and winter, and it’s also largely a deeply melancholy book. If you’ve read Ethan Joella’s books before, you know that’s what he does best - writes sad books that end on a hopeful note. His writing is just beautiful, he really brings his characters to life, and in this one he so vividly brings the setting to life as well - I’ve never been to Rehoboth but so felt I could picture the beach, the boardwalk, the restaurant. And yes, of course I cried at this book.

A Little Hope is still my most favorite of Ethan’s books, but I loved this one too and highly recommend as long as you know going in not to be fooled by the cover! (Which actually is quite meaningful if you have read the book, just not in the way you might think if you haven’t read it.) Ethan also happens to be one of the nicest authors out there, so I’m very proud to be one of his super-fans.

4.25 stars

Tender hearted and real. This book will evoke emotions of cheer, pain and goodness. I would have loved to work in jacks restaurant with his mix of waitstaff. What a joyous summer read!

Ethan is an author that is new to me. I am definitely going to read his other books. What a great read! Perfect for summer!

It was interesting and different to read a book from the first person of the main character especially it being a male. I liked the story. It was a bit slow at times. But a good read nonetheless.

This is my second Ethan Joella book, and his writing style is one of my favorites. At first, I wasn't sure what the direction of the book was going to go...but about 25% in I was hooked and wanted to follow along with Jack's journey. I felt connected to many characters in The Same Bright Stars and was taken on quite the ride with some of them. However, the stead 'family' that Jack has surrounding him remind me of what it's like to create a community and closeness with those who may not be blood related, but you would do anything for. Chosen family, if you will.

Ethan, you’ve done it again. Thank you to Ethan Joella, NetGalley, & Scribner Books for an advanced copy!

The Same Bright Stars is full of brilliant characters — full of personality, flaws, and empathy. I was particularly struck in this story by the each character’s struggle to do their best, to do what’s right, amidst the struggles they face every day. This quality brings an authenticity to the story I don’t often come across while reading.

Ethan’s stories are always full of humanity, kindness, & small moments of seeing the beauty in the world around us and the people around us. They have the wonderful ability to help me slow down & remind me what’s really important in life, something I find truly special.

Out this July! You don’t want to miss it!

I really love Ethan Joella’s writing and in this book I fell in love with Rehoboth Beach. This is the second book of his I’ve read and I really enjoys how he writes his characters. They just seem so raw and real. This book has a small town setting, found family, a main character you can root for, and a community you’ll love.

I really enjoyed this novel. At first I just liked the writing and found it a bit meandering, but then the story continued to unfold and deepen. It drew me in so much that I read more than half of it in one day to finish. Warm themes of found family and small town community. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

I expected a lot from this book after reading Joella’s previous works and this did not disappoint! As with all of Joella’s books, The Same Bright Stars takes you on an amazing journey following Jack as he attempts to run his family’s beachside restaurant. The writing is simply beautiful, and I’ll instantly buy any book Ethan Joella pens

Ethan Joella is an author I will continue to follow and read anything he puts out. His stories are full of rich and real characters, provide human connection and always make me feel something. This was a story about loss, love, the family we create and how to have hope in the inevitable lows of life. Jack is struggling with keeping a restaurant afloat that has been in his family for generations. He has to learn to rely on the people around him and take help when it is offered. I struggled in the beginning with this one, but the ending really won me over and had me feeling all the feels.

This was my first Ethan Joella novel. I enjoyed the beach setting, the restaurant setting, and the characters who were endearing and slightly quirky. The writing style was easy to read, though there were some places that felt a bit disjointed. I didn't love one of the main characters, though I think the author wanted us to love her. I will read more from this author, though!

Jack Schmidt has led his family's restaurant in a Delaware beach town since his father passed away. The restaurant is an institution, both to locals and to those who flock to the town each summer. But running the restaurant leaves Jack no time for himself. So when the DelDine group, which has been purchasing restaurants all across town, makes an offer for his restaurant, Jack can't help but consider it. The freedom to live his own life that selling the restaurant would offer is tempting, but Jack worries about what will happen to his staff, who are like family, and to the legacy his grandmother and father built. When a secret from decades before surfaces, Jack is forced to confront his past, and his present, in ways he never had before, and consider what future he wants for himself.

This is a touching book from an author who excels at the family novel. Well written and perceptive about the cross pressures of family legacy and charting your own path, this story is full of characters you will not soon forget.

Highly recommended!