Jack has been running his family restaurant since his father passed away. Jack has put it first and barely taken a moment to himself.

Meanwhile, the DelDine group has been buying up restaurants along the coast and makes Jack an offer to sale.

Jack wants a companion in life. Someone to share his life with, but with the restaurant taking its toll, he’s not sure he’ll ever have it. So, the offer is tempting.

When he receives startling news from the past, Jack begins to rethink a lot of things. But above all, can he let go of things that have defined him?


Ethan Joella is a great storyteller but unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me. The story moved slowly, and I never could get into the story or really connect with the characters. I’ve not had this problem with his previous books, so this one just didn’t work for me when I needed it to. I do think that there is a lot of nostalgia, and the beach setting is very nice. The premise of this book was different as well, I just wish that I felt more of the emotion that should have been present in Jack’s journey.

I look forward to these books every late spring/early summer and I am excited to see what next year brings.

I would recommend this book wholeheartedly to certain readers.

With his trademark magic of creating characters that have heart, soul, struggles and all feelings that create a humanity within them, Ethan Joella has done it again.

Jack Schmidt is a fifty-something, third generation restauranteur of Schmidt’s, a classic landmark in the coastal town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Having grown up with childhood trauma, Jack has remained single, with his entire life dedicated to his restaurant and his employees. When a big restaurant conglomerate wants to buy him out, Jack is straddled with the tough decision if it is the right time in his life to retire and live a life outside of the restaurant.

With beautiful descriptions of Rehoboth Beach, you can easily imagine the boardwalk and its sights, the smells of a beach town and the strong sense of community that living in a small town provides.

Thank you NetGalley, Scribner and Ethan Joella for providing me with an advanced copy of this beautiful story in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for an ARC. I love Rehoboth Beach and was so excited to learn this is set there. I really enjoyed Ethan’s first two novels. He does a great job capturing emotions and writing the “realest” characters. This one is my least favorite of the three. I just didn’t fall in love with the characters the same way, but I’m sure others will connect with them more. I will still be looking forward to whatever Ethan writes next!

✨This is a feel-good summer read with incredible depth and heart. If you’re looking for a book to make you laugh through tears, this is the one.

✨There is so much wisdom and hopefulness in these pages with authentic characters you can’t help but root for and themes of family legacy and grief and the way it informs the whole of our lives.

✨I love the sense of place that Ethan Joella writes into his novels. This one reads like a love letter to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware and makes me need to visit as soon as possible.

✨At its heart, this is a story of love, loss, family, legacy and new beginnings. It’s one I won’t soon forget. I highly recommend.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Restaurant workplace dynamics
✨Beach town culture
✨Family drama
✨Delaware settings
✨Male main character

My thanks to @scribnerbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

I absolutely loved Ethan Joella's first two novels, so I was thrilled when NetGalley approved my request to read his upcoming book, The Same Bright Stars. It has a similar feel to his other work, in that it's character driven with a quiet feel, but never boring. It's different in that his others told the story from several different viewpoints, and this one was all from one character, Jack, the owner of his family restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Jack has dedicated his entire adult life to running the restaurant, and is finally, in his 40's, considering selling it and trying to have an actual life of his own. There is more to it than that, of course, and a secret from his past that comes to his attention and forces him to take a hard look at what he wants out of his life. And he has to reconcile his painful feelings of abandonment from his mother.

I didn't connect with this one quite as strongly as I did Joella's other novels, but I did enjoy it. He is an automatic-buy author for me, and I am already looking forward to his next book. A huge thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a lovely story about three generations and their beachfront family restaurant. I loved following Jack’s story as he grapples with life after his father’s death. This story really touched me deeply, maybe because I recently lost my father and I felt a connection. The writing is simple, beautiful, and emotional. This would make a perfect book club read and I plan to recommend it. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC.

I enjoyed how this book had shorter chapters. It was a wholesome and heartwarming book. I did feel like it was slow moving and the story line was mundane—no climax in the plot.

“The Same Bright Stars” by Ethan Joella is a sweet story about the owner of a small but well known restaurant in tiny beach town on the coast of Delaware. Jack the owner is contemplating retirement but is torn for many reasons including the memories of generations of family ownership. The story deals with the issues of family trauma and long held secrets and past love. It’s a cozy and heartwarming story but filled with hope.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5

I am not quite sure what it is about this book. But it felt cozy. Like a warm hug. Something about Joella’s writing and storytelling feels comforting even when the story touches on hard topics.

I enjoyed following Jack as he grapples with whether to sell his restaurant. Seeing him interact with his employees and friends. Seeing him come to grips with a revelation about his life. And then finally decide what will make him happy.

This is a lovely summery story. And also feels like a little love note to Rehoboth beach. Definitely recommend.



[cw - death of parents; suicide; mental health disorders; dementia; discussion of abortion]

Jack Schmidt is in his fifties and is exhausted running his families restaurant, never having time or energy to enjoy the charms of the beach front town he lives in. He feels responsible for all his employees, but is considering selling out to a big realtor that is buying out many of the small eateries along the coast. When he discovers a big secret from his past his world is upended, and he needs to re evaluate his life and his priorities.

I loved Ethan Joellas first two novels so I was almost afraid to try this one, but I did not need to worry. Just like the other novels, he gives us a wonderful found family story, with shades of both grief, hope, family and friendship. The novel is set in the authors stomping ground of Rehoboth Beach Delaware, and the sense of place is strong here, and I am ready to plan a visit tomorrow! Jacks immediate family is all gone, but the supportive cast of his best friend and his wife and their family, as well as the restaurant staff makes a family full of wonderful characters. I loved the ending as well, where although everything is not tied up in a bow, we have lots of positive possibilities. If you enjoyed his first two books I think you will love this one, and if you haven't read them..... why not?

Thank you to net galley and Scribner for the e galley of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

4.25 stars

Ethan Joella's THE SAME BRIGHT STARS (publishes July 2, 2024) features Jack, a man in his early 50s who is carrying on the family tradition of operating the restaurant Schmidts in the beach town of Rehoboth, Delaware. The rest of his family is deceased, yet his staff fills in as his family, along with his friends Deacon and Andie. I loved the family Jack has created. A corporation is wanting to buy Schmidts, and Jack struggles between deciding whether to sell the restaurant and finally taking time for himself and his obligation to his employees as their employer.

When he finds out a shocking secret from his past, Jack's world turns upside down and he's forced to confront his past, present, and future with a new perspective.

I'm not sure I've ever read a book set in Delaware, and I loved the beachy boardwalk setting that is also Joella's home. The beach setting resonates even in the winter portions of the book. I loved Jack's character, an upstanding guy who usually does the right thing. His friendship with Deacon comes across as genuine and supportive. He also has a kindness and directness as a manager toward his employees. I also really liked how the main plotline wrapped up - not quite in a bow but yet optimistic.

This is my favorite so far of Joella's three novels. There were a lot of topics brought up (maybe too many?), several of which could be triggering (suicide, abortion). Joella handles these topics deftly, so you're in good hands. The plot was a bit bumpy at times - as in, not woven as smoothly as I think it could have been when plot points are dropped for a huge chunk of the book and then resolved seemingly out of nowhere.

While this novel looks to be a light, summery read from the cover, it has a lot of depth with an unforgettable main character.

This is a story of family, of a life well lived, a simple life, but also a life surrounded by others who, as time passes, become a kind of family, if not by blood, as well. And, as with most lives, sprinkled here and there with grief. Grief over the loss of a life, as well as the loss of a love, and betrayal. And, thankfully, forgiveness.

Set in Delaware, in the town of Rehoboth Beach, Jack Schmidt inherited his family’s restaurant, and as this story begins, Thanksgiving is approaching. There’s so much to do as the holiday approaches, but this year seems to be harder than the years before, not so much the work, his heart just isn’t in it this year. He’s been approached to sell the restaurant, which begins to feel more like pestered, the memories of spending all these years here surrounded by the people he knew as a child, and those that he has met in the years that followed. He wonders what life would be like without this restaurant, without them. What would he do with his time, what would he do with the rest of his life?

Once upon a time there was a girl in his life that he loved, but she disappeared from his life. He never knew why, until one day, as he’s wrestling his conscience over what to do about the restaurant, a friend of theirs shares the story of this girl that he’d loved, and it changes how he sees everything.

A sweet story, with some darker moments, but mostly sprinkled with charm, compassion, love and memories.



Pub Date: 02 Jul 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Scribner

4.5⭐️ Ethan Joella has become a must read author for me. His books are quiet. The pacing — let’s say it’s patient. But the characters are just such good humans. You don’t want his books to end. You don’t want to say goodbye to his characters. And this one had a great plot twist half way through.

I love Ethan Joella books and his latest did not disappoint.

This is a story of family and friends and loyalty and navigating life’s ups and downs with the right people in your corner.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book!!!

I have discovered a new favorite author in Ethan Joella. This is my second book by him this month and I feel like I will read anything he writes. His characters are so lovable, and his books feel like a warm hug. This book deals with grief, regret, relationships, aging, loss, fear of change, but most of all—hope and joy. Jack is burned out from 30 years of running his family’s restaurant, but is torn about selling it. After all, it’s all he has left of his dad and grandmother. During the process of deciding what to do with his life, Jack grapples with a lot of ghosts from his past. I loved the beach town setting and Jack’s friendship with Deacon. Give me more books, Mr. Joella!

Jack has been working and running the restaurant for as long as he can remember. It’s been in his family since his Grandparents opened it, and he took over after his father’s death. He is tired though, and a big restaurant group has been circling, hoping to buy him out. Their offer is insanely generous, and Jack is starting to wonder if he should just give in…

Oh my Ethan Joella. You can do no wrong my friend! Seriously, this book immediately pulls you into the world of working and running a restaurant. The employees become your own family, your own friends. Ethan just has a way of writing his characters that just make them feel so real and relatable. Having visited Rehoboth Beach, I just adored the setting and the guide pages inserted throughout the book! This book had me cheering by the end and I just loved every second!

A beautifully layered story about a fifty-two-year old man who finds himself at a crossroads, and also a beach town tale of found family, first chances and last chances, and doing the right thing even when it's hard.

This was a short book but took me a while to get through. Jack owns his family’s restaurant (3rd generation) in Rehobeth Beach. The book follows his decision making around possibly selling, his employees and their stories, his best friend Deacon and wife Andie, and has flashbacks to earlier parts of his life. I can see some people loving this, but it lacked excitement and the ending fell flat for me.

A beautiful book featuring more of the writing I have grown to love from Ethan Joella. In this case it is a story of a man who is struggling to figure out what comes next in life. We get tender insight into all of the different characters that populate his life and the town of Rehoboth where he lives. This is about change and growth and relationships and all of it is so richly and gorgeously written (but not overwritten). I will definitely read Joella's next book too!

I am officially an Ethan Joella fan. I will read anything he writes at this point because he simply doesn't disappoint. His writing makes me think of Anne Tyler with real characters in small towns living beautiful, ordinary lives.

People whom you can't help but connect to and grow to love. People whom you root for and who end up feeling like family. People you remember long after the story is finished.

Jack is no exception. He stays with the reader long long after the book is over. So do all the other characters from the diner.

Joella's books make me feel less alone in the world. They are the best of what fiction can do which is give you a whole world to get lost in, remind you of the beauty of community and of the extraordinary in our ordinary lives. I love every moment I get to spend with his books. I hope there are many, many more to come.

with gratitude to netgalley and Scribner for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.