This book is the perfect summer read about family, friendships, & love. Set on Fire Island in New York where a group of best friends spend one weekend a month at the Serendipity House, they navigate their life in their now early twenties. While the friends may have changed, their love for one another clearly hasn’t. This read will make your heart soar & make you want to catch the next ferry to Ocean Beach in Fire Island.

Thanks to Dutton Books & NetGalley for the ARC :)

Thank you Dutton Books for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I was truly so excited to read Chalsen’s new book. I read her first book in one sitting last year and it brought such Summer comfort in the middle of Winter. Sadly, this book missed the mark for me. While it still took place (mainly) on Fire Island, it lacked the personal charm of Kismet. It had all the ingredients for a book I’d love but I felt like I couldn’t get to know the characters in the way I expected, based on her first book.

Synopsis:

“It’s been six years since Maggie followed her screenwriting dreams to Los Angeles and forgot to look back. But things in Hollywood didn’t go quite to plan. Now, twenty-five and suddenly home in New York, Maggie doesn’t know who she’s more anxious to see: her ex-boyfriend, Mac, or her ex–best friend, Liz.For Liz, Maggie is the girl who abandoned her at the worst possible moment and an unwelcome surprise who could derail her perfect summer. Liz is recently engaged to her high school sweetheart, Cam, but Maggie’s arrival brings old wounds bubbling to the surface, exposing the cracks in Liz’s apparent happily ever after.When Maggie accepts her former friends' unexpected invitation to join in their summer share house, a rental named Serendipity, she knows it’s the chance she needs to get her life back on track. For three weekends, Maggie, Liz, Cam, Mac, and their closest friends will take the ferry to Ocean Beach, Fire Island, for some sun-kissed bliss, if only they can avoid the drama of their past catching up to the present.With the nostalgic flavor of a stack of sepia-toned Polaroids, and perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Jennifer Weiner, and Ann Brashares, this big-hearted, page-turning story delves deep into a complicated friend group as they navigate one messy yet magical midtwenties summer.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Setting—I loved the author’s debut novel set on Fire Island and while I liked the idea of this book, I just think it kind of missed for me. There was too much going on.

The Group of Friends—I loved the group of friends and the image of them gathering together for multiple weekends in the Summer at a beach house. The dream!

What Didn’t Work:

The Writing—I felt like there was a very distinct shift from the author’s first novel to the second. I didn’t click with the style in this one!

The Switching 3rd POVs—There were so many characters and I felt like I never got to know the ones I wanted to spend time with, as the POVs getting changing. It was also written in 3rd POV making it very impersonal for personal stories.

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 2.75/5

Not a fan of this one. There were way too many characters and too many story lines for their to be any real weight to the story. As soon as I started settling into a story line, it completed shifted. Maggie was a terrible character and had no valid reason to have the personality she had or justifications for her actions. Mostly, everyone was just all over the place in this book. Ended up skimming the last part because I lost interest.

Love this story of friendship, growth, and healing! Can’t wait for the general public to love it!! Thank you for the chance to read it, we will have this on our floor!

Very sweet story of love, friendship, grief and growing up, I enjoyed this and think it will be a popular beach read this Summer. Makes me want to travel to Fire Island!

Serendipity by Becky Chalsen is a captivating tale of friendship, love, and self discovery set against the backdrop of three transformative weekends in a Fire Island share house. As Maggie Monroe returns to New York after a Hollywood detour, her reunion with ex-boyfriend Mac and estranged friend Liz sets the stage for a summer of nostalgia and healing. The author beautifully explores the complexities of relationships and the quest to reclaim one's life.

This book owned me. It literally took over my life and my heart. It consumed me. Captivated me. I didn’t just read the book, I lived this story through these characters and I loved it.

After loving Kismet, I was so excited to read this next book from Becky Chalsen. This was a great story of friendship and second chances. I highly recommend.

Serendipity by Becky Chalsen is a captivating and relatable story about love, friendship, and second chances. Maggie, a screenwriter, returns home to New York after six years in Los Angeles, unsure about who she's more anxious to see: her ex-boyfriend, Mac, or her ex-best friend, Liz.

Liz, who is engaged to her high school sweetheart, Cam, sees Maggie's arrival as an unwelcome surprise that could derail her perfect summer. However, Maggie's acceptance of the unexpected invitation to join their summer share house, a rental named Serendipity, opens up a chance for her to get her life back on track.

The story is well-written and engaging, and the characters are well-developed. The author has done an excellent job of capturing the complexities of relationships and the dynamics between friends and exes. The book explores themes of forgiveness, second chances, and the importance of communication in relationships.

The setting of Serendipity, a rental house on Fire Island, adds a magical and romantic element to the story, and the author has done an excellent job of bringing the location to life. The drama of the past catching up to the present adds an element of suspense to the story, making it hard to put the book down.

Overall, Serendipity is a heartwarming and relatable story about love, friendship, and second chances. The book will leave you rooting for Maggie, Liz, and their friends as they navigate the complexities of their relationships and try to find happiness and closure.