This book surprised me. I wasn't expecting to feel so much for the characters, some of whom I had never met as a reader. I went in blind, expecting a light summer beach read based on the cover, and it was anything but that. I enjoyed getting to know the beach town, the staff at the restaurant, the family and friends of the MC. Living in a small town, it felt so comfortable. I love our long-standing, family-owned restaurants and I was glad to spend so much time in this one.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Since his first book, Ethan Joella quickly became one of my favorite authors. His writing style is a gift that few have. From the first page, you can’t help but feel invested in each characters story. I found myself rooting for each person.

From the beginning of this book, I kept thinking “I really want to love Nicole…” Joella takes a side character and makes you love them.

I look forward to reading his future work.

The Same Bright Stars is a beautiful character-driven novel featuring a restaurant owner, Jack Schmidt. As Jack Schmidt approaches midlife, he confronts a profound sense of introspection. He grapples with the realization that he is neither too young to be old nor too old to be young. I resonate deeply with this sentiment as I celebrate my 55th birthday this weekend.

Through Jack’s single POV, we gain insight into the residents of Rehoboth Beach who form Jack’s found family. These characters significantly influence Jack’s life as he reflects on his legacy, business, and future. I love how Joella leads Jack on a journey towards new beginnings, impacting not only Jack but also many others in Rehoboth Beach.

I always pair the physical book with the audiobook whenever I can. Chris Henry Coffey embodies Jack Schmidt's character, and Coffey’s humble and down-to-earth narrative style perfectly complements Joella's quiet and thoughtful writing. I absolutely adore both the book and the audiobook, and I can confidently say that you can't go wrong with either option.

Other Highlights: the Rehoboth Beach Travel Guide excerpts, beach chairs symbolism, male friendships, the importance of connections, and a vacation town vibe

This poignant story is truly remarkable and full of humanity. Joella beautifully reminds us that there are countless versions of ourselves that we can aspire to be. If you're looking for a book that will touch your heart, this is the one to read.

I have enjoyed each book Ethan has wrote but this one has to be my favorite! I could not put it down. Ethan knocked it out of the park!

Strong sense of place-Rehoboth Beach and the world of owning a family restaurant. I enjoyed the dialogue and story.

3.5 stars. Ethan Joella is one of my favorite authors. The Same Bright Stars is a story of family, and friends. And Mr. Joella focuses on the father-son relationship which I particularly enjoyed.

Jack Schmidt is at a crossroads. He’s being offered an opportunity to sell the restaurant that’s been in his family for 70 years. Jack isn’t married and has no family to turn the restaurant over to. Then Jack discovers that may not be true.

Surrounding Jack is his staff, some who’ve been with him a long time, some not as long, but Jack still feels a connect to all of them.

And there’s Deacon, Jack’s best friend, who’s struggling with the loss of his mother.

All these people are precious to Jack and make the decision even more difficult.

This is a beautiful story but it lagged somewhat. I enjoyed the characters, but didn’t really love the storyline.

Overall, though, I’ll still look forward to the next book written by Ethan Joella.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of #thesamebrightstars.

This is a heart-on-the-sleeve, full of hope and mess and ache-in-the-heart, character-driven novel, no different than his others. The only difference I could find is the distinct small beach town and that it’s one MAIN character with many smaller characters sprinkled throughout. (Joella’s other novels are groups of separate couples/individuals and stories, all woven together by the end.)

This book felt like life. The SPECTACULAR sprinklings of a Rehoboth Beach tourism guide was so well done! I have to visit now!
Because his books touch on the human spirit for me, it’s an auto-5stars. If he wrote something that didn’t feel authentic, I’d say so — but I don’t find that with this author. It’s what makes his books so special.

All the love!

3.5/5 — It pains me to give an Ethan Joella book anything less than a 4 but this unfortunately is my least favorite out of the bunch. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, I definitely still did! One of my favorite things about his writing style is he knows how to write empathetic characters and Jack is no exception. I think I missed the multiple POVs from his previous books because I didn’t care about any other characters/side characters much. I’ve never been to Rehoboth Beach, but this story makes me want to go. His sense of place was spot on! I also did love the ending.

I think what was lacking for me was plot. This is very much a character driven story, which I tend to love, but I wanted more to happen perhaps? Or for the big “reveals” to feel more groundbreaking than they were, versus stated matter of factly in a few instances. I didn’t get as many big feelings from this book as I did with his previous work.

I’ve seen so many great reviews for this though, so maybe it’s a me problem! Especially because I read this at the same time I read another book where I was addicted from page one. Any book that I read simultaneously was going to dull in comparison. Regardless, this is worth reading if you like character driven novels, small town beach vibes, a sense of community, found family and a likable MC!

Thanks, Scribner Books, for the advanced review copy via NetGalley (available now).

Ethan Joella is not just an auto-buy author. He’s a warm, genuine, generous, and humble person who creates characters you care about. His stories make me feel better about human nature.

Jack owns two things: his family’s beachfront restaurant and a pristine blue beach chair that has never seen the light of day. To quote a particularly candid employee, he looks “like someone famous, right before they went to rehab. Or like Tom Hanks in Cast Away when he was bigger, before he went to the island.” He’s loyal to his legacy and staff, but he’s physically and emotionally tired and considers selling out to a soulless corporation just to get a break. The problem is he would feel so guilty abandoning his hardworking staff and beloved Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, that he doubts he could enjoy retirement.

I enjoyed Jack’s journey, the funny and supportive side characters, and the occasional snippets from the Rehoboth Beach Guidebook throughout the story. They reminded me of James Earl Jones describing what Ray’s ballpark will be like in “Field of Dreams.”

“Not to experience Rehoboth Beach in summer is to be robbed of something pure and real. What are you waiting for?”

This feel-good but poignant story made me laugh, cry, and hug the book to my chest once finished. Not to experience Ethan Joella is to be robbed of something pure and real. What are you waiting for?

h how I love Ethan Joella’s writing. His newest book, The Same Bright Stars, is yet another addition to his incredible roster. He’s such an authentic writer - one of the only writers I can think of who writes men that I can actually relate to.

The book follows Jack, a 50-something who has been running his family restaurant on the beach for years. He’s over it and wants a change, but he’s not sure what to do next because there are so many people who will be impacted by his decision. Every character in this book is nuanced and complicated and just very real. Even though there is sadness, it’s still a very life-affirming read.

If you need something delicious and genuine and you liked A Quiet Life, The Same Bright Stars is out now!

The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella is a poignant and reflective novel set in the charming coastal town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The story centers on Jack Schmidt, a 52-year-old man who has dedicated his life to running his family’s beachfront restaurant. As Jack faces the pressures of maintaining the business and the allure of a lucrative buyout offer, he grapples with his past, his present, and the possibility of a different future.
This is a well written and emotionally rich novel that if you love stories about personal growth, community, and the complexities of life you’ll enjoy this story

Set in a small town, this book is about a restaurant owner who has some decisions to make. A large corporation has offered to buy out his restaurant and it seems like something he’s interested in. But it’s too good to be true.

This quiet story about Rehoboth Beach, a tourist destination in Delaware, has a cast of characters that really captured my heart. The book centers around Jack, who is considering selling his family restaurant to a corporation who is offering an enticing deal. But his employees have become his family, and he doesn't want to disappoint them or leave them in a bad situation. Ethan Joella has mastered the art of telling stories about regular people in a very compelling way. There was enough going on to propel the story forward, but the heart of the story is truly about the people in this town. I will be returning to his books any time I need a comfortable, reliable place to rest.

I enjoyed this quiet, character driven drama. Set in a beach town in Delaware, we watch the main character deal with several mid-life transitions. If you are already a fan of Ethan Joella or liked Tom Lake, Little Monsters, or After Annie you will likely enjoy The Same Bright Stars. Thank you Netgalley and Scribner for this early copy.

It was easy and a quick read but it was like an overblown short story, there wasnt much character development or growth, there was one conflict that was resolved but there were others that weren't resolved or were softly resolved. And I didn't like that every other chapter was an advertisement for Rehoboth Beach, is this a new thing? Authors advertising for tourism boards? I recently read another book that was a big long advertisement for LA. I think without all of the advertising it would have been a 3 star.

While I'm not usually a fan of character-driven, coming-of-age-stories, I really enjoyed this story of Jack Schmidt. It's usually thrillers and mysteries that keep me turning pages, but I flew through this story, wanting to know whether Jack sells his family restaurant, and how he manages the transition. I enjoyed the various characters, and depth in their stories. It was a quick read and Ethan Joella did a great job of submerging readers into the culture and setting of Rehoboth Beach.

This book was surprisingly so heart warming. There was a lot going on in this story though, some of it consequential and some of it not. There were times I completely forgot about something until it was brought up again, and those things feel like they could have been left out completely and not impacted the story at all. This was overall a good, quick 3 star read.

Thank you Scribner #partner, for the advanced copy of The Same Bright Stars in exchange for my honest review. I purchased the audiobook for my collection.

I have been a fan of Ethan Joella’s books since his debut and with each one I read, I fall more in love with his writing. They just resonate so emotionally with me, especially this one after all I have gone through this year. ⁣
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This book, unlike his previous two, is told through a single POV but I found myself still completely invested in Jack’s story. I felt his struggles, was rooting for him all the way and loved that his character was so fully fleshed out. Even the secondary characters felt real and relatable…a trait I have come to count on when reading this author. This is a story that not only will tug at those heartstrings a few times, but will have you thinking about your own life…it’s quite thought-provoking. ⁣
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I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a great book to pick up as the summer is winding down and would make an excellent book club choice – there is so much to discuss. ⁣
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And I have to share…my dad recently discovered this author and is just loving him, too! I love that and love that he discovered Ethan’s books in Rehoboth Beach where this book takes place! He was able to find some signed copies at the independent bookstore there.

A deeply reflective and thought provoking story about life, regrets and finding fulfillment. Beautifully written and deeply moving. The tone can be a bit melancholy at times so I recommend being in a good headspace before reading.

Okay, don’t come at me. I know this is a well loved book. I liked it, but I didn’t love it.

The story is quietly contemplative. It’s a beautiful look at how easily a person can get trapped in a life he didn’t quite want. We examine regrets and what-ifs.

What I loved was that we weren’t wallowing in self-pity or sadness.

What I didn’t love was that not a lot actually happened. We moved slowly through each day. I was bored in the middle, and by the time a few things happened, I wasn’t all that invested anymore.