It doesn’t happen often that I give five stars, but this one gets them all! The members of my book club have long been telling me to read Ethan Joella’s work. I finally did with The Same Bright Stars, and what bright stars they are! Set on Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, this is an engrossing, sentimental read.

Jack a single man in his fifties has been running the family restaurant Schmidt’s at the beach for years. He’s finally considering selling to the big man, DelDine. It’s a quiet read that will have you fully engaged throughout. It has beach nostalgia l, perfectly developed characters and a good plot line. It’s everything you need in a read.

It’s a story about family or who becomes your family when you have none. It’s about community and connection.

THE SAME BRIGHT STARS review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

⛱️I’ve read all 3 of Ethan Joella’s books and I really enjoy his writing style! They’re very character driven stories and really immerse you into the characters’ lives.

⛱️Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Jack has taken over his family’s restaurant since his father’s passing. He’s made the restaurant his entire life but is starting to wonder if it’s time to move on from the restaurant biz and focus on his personal life. A corporate chain wants to buy his restaurant. But can he trust them to make the best choices for his restaurant and its employees?

⛱️The cover and setting of this one gave me maaaajor summer vibes but a decent amount of the story takes place in the fall and winter. This one reminded me a lot of THE BLUE BISTRO (a family owned coastal restaurant preparing to close for good). Honestly I preferred THE BLUE BISTRO but I still enjoyed this one! If you’ve liked Joella’s other books I think this would be another hit for you!

⛱️Thanks @scribnerbooks for my advanced copy!

Slow and steady wins the race and THE SAME BRIGHT STARS wins the gold medal. Ethan's writing continues to be heartwarming and tender. I was drawn in from start to finish and didn't want to put this one down. So excited for its release today!

Unlike his other novels, this one was told in the singular POV of Jack Schmidt, however there is a large cast of unforgettable characters that make this novel so special. The found family feeling was so intense.

Jack's decision whether or not to sell his family's restaurant really made me think of how a single decision could really change how your life plays out. While it was a slower paced read, there was much to think about and ponder while falling in love with the setting and people that make up Jack's life.

You know that huggable book feeling that when you finish you sigh, smile, and hold the book close not wanting to have it end...that's what you'll get when you read this book. So good!

Review as posted to my Bookstagram

REVIEW

Ethan Joella is one of my repeat five star authors. He has a tremendous gift for crafting engaging, sincere, nuanced explorations of the human experience, and his newest is no different! A huge thanks to #partner @scribnerbooks for my #gifted copies. 🩷

The Same Bright Stars
Ethan Joella

Welcome to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware! ⛱️ Here we meet Jack, a third-generation restauranteur of Schmidt's, the beloved Rehoboth beachfront eatery. Now middle-aged, Jack is tiring of the mundanity of a life shackled to his family's business, and longs for a change. When DelDine, a corporation buying up restaurants along the coast, makes him a generous offer, Jack must weigh the costs and benefits of a life without Schmidt's.

The Same Bright Stars is a treasure!! It's a quiet, character-driven story that really captures that small beach town charm. I can't always picture settings in my mind while reading, but I did here. I could see the restaurant, the beach, the boardwalk... even the characters! Readers get to know Jack through both his present story, and through flashbacks to his past, and his numerous interactions with a great supporting cast. He's the kind of protagonist you'll root for, because he's an innately good human. With his knack for storytelling, Joella makes stories about everyday people compelling and memorable. At its core, The Same Bright Stars is a story of love and loss, friendship and community, family and legacy — and while it touches on some deeper issues, it's ultimately uplifting. Loved this one!

📌 Available now!

📌 Fun cover observation: I don't know if this was intentional or not, but I noticed each book depicts a season on the cover. A Little Hope - fall, A Quiet Life - winter, and The Same Bright Stars - summer. Anxious to see if book four will be spring-ish!? 👀

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It's hard to put into words a review when I adore a novel this much! With each book I love Ethan Joella's writing even more. The Same Bright Stars hit me right in All the Feels. The setting had me nostalgic for childhood summer vacations down the Jersey Shore while at the same time had me relating in many ways to Jack, a
main character within my own age bracket. It's one of those best kinds of books which breaks your heart and heals it at the same time.

Same Bright Stars is a great summer read. It reminded me so much of my home beach town and I just loved it so much. I did not expect to cry as much as I did, either. The MC, Jack, takes you through the present and past as he grows through traumas. You are really not sure what decision he will make by the end and it really kept my interest. 4 stars

This book came highly recommended to me from a few trusted sources, so I had high hopes for it. I can see why it resonated with some, but for me, it took a long time to get into the story and the plot. It was very character based and I didn’t feel an immediate pull to the characters, so I think that was my initial hang up.

Overall, I would recommend it as well, just with the fact that it starts a little slow at first and to hang in there.

Also, I have to say, I kept picturing Luke from Gilmore Girls as Jack. Similar vibes and both were set in smaller towns so I couldn’t help but make that connection as a Gilmore Girls fan.

This book was recommended to me with high praise and so I went into it with high hopes. I had a hard time connecting and feeling pulled in and so I stopped and started several times. I finally went back to it and felt hooked at about 40%. I think it was more right book, wrong time because once I was hooked, I finished it in a day. This is such a beautiful story about families, legacies, and small town indie businesses. I love the way Jack loves his restaurant family, I love the way he reflects on his life and his parents and grandmother's legacies. This is such a beautiful and reflective story, perfect summer reading.

I will definitely be sharing about this and will circle back to add links shortly.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was my first Ethan Joella novel but now i can’t wait to check out more. Vivid descriptions of the sleepy beach town, detailed character developments and lots of family and “family” drama. I enjoyed this book!

3.8 Stars
One Liner: A mellow read

The Schmidts have run the family restaurant for decades. The beachfront setting makes it a prime location for good business. Jake had been running the establishment since his father's demise. Now at 52, he is single, exhausted, and has no life beyond the restaurant.
With the DelDine group taking over many restaurants in the region, Jake knows he should sell his as well to them and finally live the life he wanted. Maybe find someone to call his own. However, he is tied to the place with many invisible bonds. The restaurant is his everything but leaves him with nothing. Can Jake make a fresh start or will he surrender his life to the restaurant?
The story comes in Jack’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
After my friend recently read ‘Men’s Fiction’ I wanted to try one. Imagine my surprise when I realized this would fit the tag, though it is marked General Fiction.
This is a character-driven story with a loose plot and an open ending. The story is divided into two parts – Jack’s indecision and what happens after he decides.
The narrative is mellow though it deals with quite a few heavy themes (parental death, PTSD, a wayward son, depression, dementia, loneliness, suicide, etc.). However, since we get the story from Jack’s POV, things are softened to a large extent. He is the kind of person who wants to say and do a lot but ends up saying almost nothing.
That means the reader has to really work to empathize with the characters. Though we know Jack’s internal thoughts, it doesn’t have the impact it should. While it would work well as a character study, it may not be a gripping story if you want more action. Of course, this is case-sensitive.
The initial pacing is slow but it picks up as we progress. The setting is also a character and the ‘snippets from the guidebook’ add to this. I like seeing the changes in Jack and his growing appreciation for the beauty around him as he learns to become active in his life.
The side characters are intriguing but I couldn’t entirely connect with any of them. I like Vivian for her no-nonsense attitude, and Nicole manages to make a mark. And oh, Lara is great too, in whatever little space she has. I wouldn’t have minded a little more detailing for others.
The restaurant, the responsibilities, the pressure from big chains and their exploiting tactics, etc., are very well presented and seamlessly woven into the plot without any excessiveness. No lectures or preaching. Just a situation and a possible solution that applies here.
I like the ending is hopeful and positive but open. It’s exactly how slice-of-life stories should conclude. Not everything is tied up neatly even if it can give me my favorite HEA. It would have been a little too neat here, so this works the best.

To summarize, The Same Bright Stars is a heartwarming read with realistic characters. It shows the various dilemmas they face in their lives and how their decisions can have long-lasting repercussions on them and others.
Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

A strong character driven story we follow Jack and life in and around Rehoboth Beach. I quite enjoyed the single POV of Jack that allowed me as the reader to feel like I really knew and cared for him. I wished that this had a stronger plot, or more plot in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the gifted e-copy of this book.

The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella was the perfect break from the heavy thrillers and dark suspense I gravitate towards.

Jack Schmidt grew up in the restaurant business, helping his grandmother, then father, and running Schmidts himself. Now in his 50’s, he’s exhausted and needs a break from it.

He is debating on selling the business and looks at it from all angles, past and present. There are pros and cons to being done with running the restaurant, and as Jack tries to determine what to do, he is reminded of things from his past. At the same time, he’s getting pressure from a large corporation, eager to get their hands on the prime real estate of the beachside restaurant.

As he grapples with big decisions, we are also pulled into the lives of the people around him. I enjoyed living in Jack’s world, especially the setting of Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.

Three generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant and Jack has been at the helm since the death of his father. Jack puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with a string of failed relationships, no hobbies, and no days off as proof of his commitment to the place. He can’t remember the last time he sat on the beach, or even enjoyed a moment to himself.

Meanwhile, the DelDine group has been gradually snapping up beloved eateries along this stretch of coast and are pursuing Jack with a very generous offer to take Schmidt’s off his hands.

Jack craves companionship and maybe even a family. He wonders if closing the door on the restaurant might open a new window for him. But who would he be without Schmidt’s, and can he trust DelDine’s claims that they will continue to employ his staff and honor his family’s legacy?

When he receives startling news from the past, Jack begins to reshape his life and forge unexpected new friendships. But will he really let go of the very things that have defined him?

Ethan Joella is the master of writing quiet, tight stories about ordinary people doing ordinary things that pack a huge punch. I loved this book and cried on my train ride home when I got to the end. I’m not a crier either.

In THE SAME BRIGHT STARS, Joella tells the story of Jack, a workaholic, adrift restaurant owner who wears crocs and tees and perpetually needs a haircut. Jack took over his family business, a restaurant on Rehoboth Beach, and is devoted to the food and history that make his restaurant an institution in Rehoboth. DelDine, a corporate restaurant company, is hot to get Jack to sell to them for a lot of money. Nicole, who works for DelDine, always seems to pop up when Jack is around.

Then Jack’s old finance, Kitty, comes home from Oregon because her mother, who loves Jack, is very close to dying. (I hate sequels but I feel like Kitty has a story to tell and I want to hear it.)

There are so many good characters in this book. Please meet them. Deacon, Genevieve, Ziggy, Markie, Lara. Some of them only appear for a bit, but I didn’t forget them.

Also, the plot twists are done so well and in a way that is not at all cheesy or eye rolling (my pet peeve with books.)

While Joella really knows how to develop characters, I missed the multiple POVs that his previous two novels used. Still a good read, but would have loved to read from the perspective of some of the other characters in the novel.
Also they didn't really bother me, but I didn't think the tidbits about Rehoboth Beach really added to the novel.

3.5/5

Thanks the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of The Same Bright Stars.

Oh, this book!

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦 was the June pick for #readspinrepeatbookclub and I cannot wait for our discussion. It's the story of Jack, who's middle aged, single, childless and running a restaurant in Rehobeth Beach like his father and grandmother did before him. When the opportunity to sell it arises, he has to decide whether a chance at a different life is worth giving up everything he knows.

It was so refreshing to read a book about a man who's facing a mid-life crisis and questioning the choices he's made (although I highly doubt it will get categorized as "men's fiction"). Joella creates such realistic characters and really brings the beach town to life - you can tell it's an ode to a place he loves. The way Jack's story explores explores grief, legacy, found family and connection truly touched me, and I adored every page of this melancholy yet hopeful novel.

4.5 stars

Thanks to Scribner for the copy to review.

Another great read from Ethan Joella! Similar vibes as Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J Ryan Stradal but with more heart and great characters.

I loved Jack and his struggles to both hold on and let go of his family’s well loved local restaurant. And I loved the aspects of found family and community that hold everyone gently together.

Would round up to 4.5 stars!

Thank you so much to Scribner for the advance eARC!

Ethan has become one of my favorite authors and humans and when he announced his next book was going to be taking place in Delaware, I was super excited! It is very common from those in Pennsylvania to escape to the beaches of Delaware specifically Rehoboth. I am very connected to the town as I have been spending my birthdays there for the last 6 years and I just love the whole vibe of the town.

Ethan has a way with his words that puts you there in the setting and really paints the town for you. This I believe was the first time Ethan strayed away from the multi point of view to single point of view. And honestly I am so happy that we stayed in Jack's point of view because I was just so drawn to his story. He has this opportunity to sell his family's restaurant and retire after working hard for many years and you really see the complicated feelings he has towards this decision. We get to meet the folks who help make up Schmidts and how Jack is involved in their life and how they are involved in his. And it really goes to show how much your co workers and place of business really can become a second home.

"He thinks we are all just small things, each person just a sum of days."

I do love the layers that Ethan put throughout this book with the different characters. Jack himself has all these dimensions and you see him even as a grown man still work through things that made such a big impact from when he was younger. He still is grieving his mother whom he lost as a teen, past relationships, his friendships everything that makes a person. I was actually surprised we got so much of him reflecting and coming to peace with his mother's passing as an older man. He learns some unexpected news that really changed his life from that moment on. There are some heavy topics within Jack's story and I hate to use the word refreshing but it has a topic that we don't always see the male side of it and I feel like that is very important to have out there.

The writing is such beautiful and I have seen other reviews say this is a slow build and I have to agree. But it was the best slow build because when that moment happened (and you'll know), I wanted to keep going just to see what was going to happen. And one thing I always praise Ethan for is, he doesn't overdo things by dragging situations out longer than they need. His books are on the shorter side and I always feel like they are the perfect length and they pack a punch. WIth that being said, him and I will be having a discussion on that ending because this may be the first time where I wanted more. And once you read, you'll know what I mean and I think you will feel the same.

Another quiet, lovely novel from the author of A Quiet Life, about love, loss, and the connections we make with others. Read this, and also read The Wedding People by Alison Espach. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy literary fiction.

I've read all of Ethan Joella's books and The Same Bright Stars is easily my favorite. This is one of those books that you don't want to end but at the same time can't turn the pages fast enough. A must read!

My thoughts- The Same Bright Stars is a quiet, melancholy book about a man having to decide if he should sell the family restaurant he’s devoted his life to running. It isn’t a happy beach read— although it does take place on the picturesque Rehobeth Beach- a place that I now want to visit! ⁣
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⁣Ethan Joella has a gift for writing vivid characters in ordinary life events that somehow steal your heart. The Same Bright Stars is really an exploration on the meaning of family (both blood and non-blood) and the importance of connections between people. It’s emotional, heartfelt, and felt very real! ⁣
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⁣I highly recommend! Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley for an ARC of The Same Bright Stars in return for my honest review.