What a beautiful and touching read! Ethan Joella’s writing is so deep yet so relatable and you can’t help but root for all of the characters in this book! Great beach read interwoven with some sadness, some scenes made my eyes misty, but it was so heartwarming at the same time.

The Same Bright Stars has a divine mixture of magic for a sweet book - love, loss, laughter, remorse, discovery, memories, dreams…Ethan Joella has created a story that tugs and pricks a bit to read but wraps up with the best kinds of love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This novel is a beautifully written, complex and profound read. A story full of love, loss, grief and friendship. It makes one realize how another individual’s decisions/choices can change the course of so many lives.
So many wonderful characters, I particularly adored the main POV, Jack.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Ethan Joella's latest novel, The Same Bright Stars, is a poignant exploration of the human experience. The story centers around Jack Schmidt, the third generation to run his family's beach restaurant. Jack's dedication to his work is unwavering, but when an offer from the corporate DelDine group arises, he's forced to confront the possibility of selling his beloved restaurant and leaving his employees behind.

As Joella masterfully weaves together themes of family, workaholism, grief, relationships, and addiction, the reader is treated to a nuanced portrayal of what it means to be human. One of the most striking aspects of the novel for me is the symbolism of Jack's beach chair.

I highly recommend The Same Bright Stars to adult readers, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and Scribner for providing an advance copy for review.

Thank you so much to @netgalley for this early release copy from one of my favorite authors @joellawriting
This is out July 2nd, and I can't wait to get my pre-ordered copy. I have read both A Little Hope and A Quiet Life and loved those as well.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I can say that The Same Bright Stars didn't have me bawling like a baby like A Little Hope, but I did have my tissue out several times!

This is a wonderfully written story about a family restaurant in a small beach town. Jack has been running it since his grandma and father are no longer here. He puts the restaurant first in his life and never even takes a day off. When a group comes in and makes him an offer to buy it, he has to consider it. The offer is great! He's not sure what to do or what he would if he retired. He doesn't even have a hobby. Someone from his past resurfaces and brings him startling news. Jack has to figure out who he wants to be without the restaurant. It's a great story about family, relationships, loving yourself, and finding yourself all in one!
I loved it and know you will too!
#crazybooknerd
#netgalley
#ethanjoellabooks
#bookstagram

If you’re looking for an emotional summer story, this is the book for you— coming July 2nd!! 🥹

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction
MY RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟(5/5)
#gifted @scribnerbooks— ily!

READ IF YOU LIKE:
▫️Comforting reads
▫️Wholesome characters 🫶
▫️Beach towns 🌊
▫️Alternating timelines
▫️Single POV
▫️Short chapters
▫️Books about food 😋
▫️Found family
▫️Young love 💕

MY THOUGHTS & RATING:
I decided that Joella’s books feel like a cozy Sunday morning or a warm cup of coffee in your favorite spot or talking to an old friend… his stories are exactly what you need them to be. 😭 Does that make sense?

The Same Bright Stars was a delicate story about a man named Jack, who must decide what to do with his father’s restaurant after he passes away. When a big company offers to buy the restaurant, Jack is faced with a difficult decision— sell it or keep it.

Every time I finish a book by Joella, I need at least 3-5 business days to recover from the emotional pull. ❤️‍🩹 You get to know his characters SO deeply… You invest into their lives so much that you feel as if you are holding their hand along their journey. Then the book ends and you have to LET. THEM. GO. 😭 The found family feels were FEELING you guys. The family-owned restaurant setting in a small beach town came to life easily due to the rich details in Joella’s writing. This book made me forget I was reading, thus making it a 5-star for me. 😌🌟 Highly recommend!

DETAILS:
▫️Publishes: 7/2/24
▫️Pages: 304
▫️Format I read: Physical

Thank you for the chance to read this for a honest review.
Jack has run the family restaurant since his father’s death. He puts the restaurant above all else and has no family of his own. He receives an offer from a group that wants to buy his restaurant. He questions if maybe this is the time for him to explore starting a family. I liked the relationship between Jack and his best friend, Deacon and Deacon’s wife, Andie. There’s a twist that I won’t spoil, but I also enjoyed the unexpected friendship that came out of that.

This felt like a typical Ethan Joella novel, which isn't a bad thing! If you've liked his previous novels, I anticipate that you'd like this one. He's a master at character and setting development. I loved Jack. Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for this ARC.

This is my first Joel’s book and won’t be my last.

The character development was beautiful. Such a lovely story!! Highly recommend!

I'm a big Ethan Joella fan and this book did not disappoint! However, I'm also a Rehoboth Beach native and so it was kind of weird to read about a REAL place but with fictional establishments. And while I do get why Joella would want to use a fictional restaurant as the main setting for the plot conflict, I'm not clear why places like Browseabout Books, Finland, and Candy Kitchen couldn't be named. That's probably a criticism only from people who know the place, but it did strike me as odd.

🏖 BOOK / REVIEW 🏖

This was my first book by #ethanjoella, and it definitely won't be my last! #thesamebrightstars was an easy, breezy summertime read that takes place in #rehobothbeach and follows a complicated (and sometimes lonely) character, Jack.

I loved that this one featured a family restaurant that was passed down for generations and all of the special memories that it holds. The secondary band of characters really stole the show for me, though - albeit a little rag tag in nature, each character added such a special element to the story.

While this was an easy read, it was pretty slow with little "action," which left me wanting more. It was a nice story overall, but there were definitely a few important storylines that were never tied up. Not sure if that means a sequel is coming, but I wanted answers.

It's a quick read that many will enjoy! Thank you, @simonandschuster, for my #gifted copy. This drops in July, 2024

Ethan Joella is a master of writing empathetic characters! I felt like I really knew MC Jack by the end of the story.

The sense of place he created in Rehoboth Beach was so vivid. I could picture it in every season, and after finishing, I wanted to visit.

The plot was somewhat lacking for me. The was more of a character driven story, and I missed the multiple perspective format he used in his previous novels.

I love a story with a strong sense of place, and Rehobeth Beach comes alive under Ethan Joella's descriptive pen. The Same Bright Stars gives us likeable characters doing the best they can, a few twists and surprises along the way, and a satisfying redemptive ending. Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read this wonderful eArc. 3.5/5 stars.

This book reminded me more of a character study than a great story. It was interesting, but not riveting. Well written, but a bit mundane. The plot doesn't have much of an arc, but still kept my attention until the end. And the end, itself, doesn't have a lot of closure. Basically we are following the main character, Jack Schmidt, through a few weeks of his life (with some memories sprinkled in,) until we aren't. The story just stops in a seemingly random place. It's hopeful, but all of the things that could happen are more promising than what I just read. And the "guide book" additions felt like place holders and don't add much. Overall, a read that was simply meh.

This was my first book by Ethan Joella. He writes characters beautifully. The setting is everything you could ask for. I wanted to love this book, but for me it was good not great. I liked the short chapters, but it took me a while to get invested. The ending did make me like the book more. Overall 3.5 stars.

I love Ethan Joella’s books. They are so full of heartbreak and hope and a satisfying ending. While I do feel this one was a bit slower than his others, I still enjoyed it. Ethan has a way with character development and you really feel for the characters throughout the story.

The Same Bright Stars is set in Rehobeth Beach - a place I frequented with my family while growing up! Jack Schmidt's family has been running a restaurant in the beach resort town for three generations. Jack takes a lot of pride in his restaurant, staff, and the tradition, but it is wearing him down. With no love relationship, few days off, and endless problems trying to keep a business afloat he is beginning to wonder about his own future happiness. When DelDine, a big corporation, offers him a buyout, Jack is weighing the pros and cons of a new life.
I was a bit irritated with Jack's inability to make a move to secure his own happiness in the book, and I was not invested in his story until the later part of the book. Jack does come to a realization, and actually finds some happiness in his life, but not before experiencing some trauma and the reappearance of his old girlfriend. No spoilers, but the ending did redeem the book for me. Thank you to Netgalley for an advance reader copy. Probably a 3.5 for me - if you like an emotional redemptive story try this one.

I was delighted to receive an advanced copy of this novel via NetGalley and was pleasantly surprised to find it even more captivating than expected.

The story centers around Jack Schmidt, the owner of a successful restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Despite his financial success, Jack grapples with a sense of emptiness and a longing for deeper connections and family. The narrative delves into themes of family, life decisions, and the pursuit of true happiness, portraying Jack's journey of self-discovery and yearning for fulfillment.

Character-driven and emotionally rich, "The Same Bright Stars" introduces a cast of compelling characters who navigate life's complexities alongside Jack. Each character adds depth and resonance to the story, prompting reflection on the impact of individual choices on life's trajectory.

This novel stands out for its ability to evoke emotion, provoke introspection, and offer insights into the intricacies of human relationships and personal fulfillment. A beautifully written and life-affirming tale, I highly recommend "The Same Bright Stars" for readers seeking a poignant exploration of life's challenges and joys.

Gratitude to NetGalley, Ashley Gilliam of Scribner Books, and Ethan Joella for the opportunity to read this advance copy. My opinions are unbiased and reflect my genuine appreciation for this engaging novel.

(I gave this 4.5 when I could)
I feel like what Ethan Joella does so well is create community from unlikely people. In this case, the story follows Jack’s local restaurant Schmidt’s on Rehoboth Beach. I didn’t know much about Delaware before this book and I have since marked this as a place I want to go on my map. Like he mentions in the book, there is a bookstore (which he lists in the credits). Throughout the book, there are pages from a visitor’s guide talking about visiting there and what it is like in different seasons.

This book takes place throughout the year (much of it seems to be in the fall/winter, which wasn’t what I was expecting. Jack has had offers to sell Schmidt’s to a local conglomerate but he doesn’t really want to, but then again, he can’t decide. He doesn’t have a family and he has been somewhat of a workaholic. His employees and the community have become his family and he tries to sort through issues with them and his own life throughout the book.

I think this is a great book to cozy up with, when you want to feel the community love. The book is divided into two parts, the first part has a lot of difficult things but the second part pulls it together. Joella leaves you with a lot of love, as always.

This book is like being dropped into the middle of the main character’s life. Things are happening but there are no wild twists and turns and I didn’t need there to be. I kept reading because the author invited me into Jack’s life and his hometown of Rehoboth and I wanted to see how things were going to turn out. It was a warm and wonderful feeling. I was sad to get to the last page.