Member Reviews
"What would you do if you caught your brother cheating on your best friend?"
This book has heart, tears, love and a bit of mystery! Twists that I didn't see coming and parts that made me laugh out loud!
Beth is a year post divorce and she still hasn’t moved on with her personal life. She has a thriving Sandwich shop and employees that love her. She decided to start volunteering at the local food bank where she makes a new friend Jana. She never thought that her brother would turn her world and her new friend’s world upside down all in one day.
This book wrestles with love, friendship and family. At what cost do you stick with your family, keep their secrets? This book had me thinking if I was in Beth’s shoes what would I have done.
Overall this book was an easy, but thought provoking beach read that I really enjoyed. I was also happy with how this book ended.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/ Canary Street Press for this eARC in return for my honest review. I have never read one of Susan Mallery’s books before, but I really enjoyed her style of writing and this book. I look forward to reading many more of her books in the future.
What would you do if you learned something that your best friend needed to know?
Beth and Jana meet at the local food bank.
They both have brothers - what does that mean?
Well it means that they both unknowingly fall for each other’s sibling.
How does that work out?
Beach Vibes is about family, trust, loyalty, and second chances but it also has some situations that make you think about who your family members really are.
Which character becomes someone he/she is pretending to be because deep down he/she isn’t that person.
It gets a little tense once this personality shows up. This character turned out to be a horrible person who ruined the lives of the other characters.
Even though it isn’t my usual read, adding a bit of tension, the question of what would you do, and a little bit of mystery made it a good read for me. 5/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
What would you do for your sibling? This is a story of friendship, family, and love. It has me thinking about perceptions and family and if we truly see our family members for who they are or if we only see the person we expect them to be. Beth will do anything and make sacrifices for her younger brother to have the best life possible, changing her own dreams for him. Rick, her younger brother, is a successful doctor who takes everything Beth offers without a thought about her. When Beth discovers a secret about her brother her world is rocked and she has to decide what she is going to do with it, if she keeps it for her brother she could destroy her friendship and relationship but if she tells she could lose her brother. Beth was a relatable character and I was invested in her relationships and was yelling at the book (always a sign I am enjoying a book) with some of her choices. I also loved her sandwich shop, Surf Sandwiches, and the interesting sandwiches she created. I recommend this book to romance readers that enjoy friendship and family along with the romance.
Friendship, family, relationships are all disastrously ruined by the deception of one whose tentacles reach everyone. Beth gratefully and lovingly forms a friendship with Jana. Unknown to Beth, her brother Rick has been wooing Jana. When Beth meets Jana’s brother, Teddy, sparks fly. Her brother could ruin it all.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed Beach Vibes by Susan Mallery. It is the story of Beth Nield, a divorced sandwich shop owner who moved in with her widowed aunt after her divorce, and laments that in the year since her divorce was final, she hasn't had a date, and lost all her friends in the split. To top it off, she is always running in to her older aunt's overnight guests in their shared house. On her way to Costco for work, she spots a billboard proposal thinking, "tacky" until she realizes it's her ex husband, Ian, proposing to his new girl. She hasn't really moved on, and knows she needs to. She starts to seek out new friends, and meets a single mom, Jana, at a volunteer job they share. Jana just happens to have a very attractive widowed brother, who becomes a possible love interest for Beth. Susan Mallery is one of my favorite authors and this book is really good and has some twists that I found unusual for her books, and I loved it. Thank you to NetGalley, Canary Street Press, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for letting me review an advance readers ebook.
This is a story of family and friendship. The ending is predictable but I loved the journey. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.
Great story. This would be a great book club book because so much to discuss! What would YOU do? Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. This was very good, as all her books are!
First of all, I thank Netgalley for the chance to read and honestly review an advance copy of this book.
Susan Mallery has really delved into some deep emotions in this story. Finding and building friendships and learning to love again are very important parts of this story, but deceptions, divorce, and death are factors that intricately play a part as well. I kept changing my opinion of several of the characters throughout the entire book, and at the end of the story I was pleased that my progression of thought matched Susan’s intentions! I don’t do spoilers, so I can’t go into too much detail, but I was slightly disappointed in one of the characters who might have been able to help Beth understand her family dynamics sooner than she did. Otherwise I really enjoyed the story, including all the twists and turns and recommend it as one of Susan’s better books!
This is the first novel I have ever read by Susan Mallery and I won't like, I was disappointed. It took a long time to get into the story and I kept hoping it would get better for me. It didn't. I did not care for any of the characters and I get that it's about family loyalty but it just wasn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
A worthy read!! Beach Vibes, by Susan Mallery, sounds like it could have been a light and fluffy beach romance. Instead, the well-written story dives into some weighty topics, such as how far does one take family loyalty and learning to reinvent how you see yourself after a lifetime of negative messages from yourself and others.
Beach Vibes is the story of Beth, a sandwich shop owner, rebuilding her life after a divorce. And Jana, a single mom who is working on getting into nursing school and a friend of Beth who she met at the food bank where they both volunteer. Beth’s brother, a brilliant but socially awkward surgeon who she has always taken care of, begins to date Jana. And Beth later starts a relationship with Jana’s brother, a widower with 3 kids. Through the book, Beth comes to understand more about her brother’s character and is torn between family loyalty and her friendship with Jana. I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader copy!
I read everything Susan Mallery writes. This is pure Mallery. her books always make me want to go to the ocean mo matter what season
📖 Book Review 📖 Family relationships are tough…friendships are tough…put them all together and things are bound to be a sticky, complicated mess. Beth and Jana are new friends and both in their single era. Jana just happens to meet Beth’s brother, a handsome doctor at her office and the two begin dating (their mutual relationship with Beth unbeknownst to both of them). Complicated, yes? Even more complicated…Beth hits it off with Jana’s brother Teddy. But when Beth discovers her brother is not the stand-up guy she thought he was, her thoughts on family loyalty are pushed to the brink. Susan Mallery creates a beautiful, heartfelt read about love and loss and exploring the boundaries of relationships. Summer Vibes is cast with a full set of characters that are complex, spanning the whole gambit of those encountered in the real world, making for an immersive reading experience that tugs at the heartstrings and delivers one cathartic journey.
Susan Mallery is one of my favorite authors.I love her books because they are fun to read. I really enjoyed this book. The ending was different than I thought it would be. It was even better. I'm looking forward reading more books by Susan Mallery. I'm grateful that the publishers and netgalley let me read this in exchange for an honest review.
Beth is a proud sister who has moved mountains and given up things in her own life just to help her brother Rick succeed in life. She's always felt like it was her job as his big sister, but now it's her turn to find success with a sub shop along the beaches of Malibu. She's ready to spread her wings and see where life takes her, first up it puts her on the path of friendship, when she meets Jana and they become fast friends. Then Beth's brother falls for Jana and she couldn't be happier for them.
Then she herself finds herself a companion and everything in her life seems to be taking off...that is until she sees something that she probably shouldn't have. Her secret is bound to derail everything...
Beach Vibes is the story of family, secrets, personal growth, love, and betrayal. This newest offering from Ms. Mallery is sure to be a hit with readers, it's wonderfully penned pages come with bits of everything to keep them captivated and their hearts invested. From beginning to end this one had me flying through the pages, I just HAD to see how it would all end... and it did not disappoint! Highly recommend you take a chance on this one, it's words are sure to keep you captivated!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
I enjoyed this book once it gained momentum. The beginning seemed a bit slow for me, and I had to check the synopsis to ensure I had read it correctly. I found it difficult to like Rick as his character was quite unlikable to me but the relationship between Beth and Teddy was amazingly done. There were a few events that seemed somewhat far-fetched, but overall, I believe the story unfolded as the author intended. Overall, this is a book I would recommend to my friends and book community. Susan Mallery is an author I read often.
Family loyalty comes to play in this beach read. Beth and Jana become friends while volunteering at a food bank. Unbeknownst to both women, Jana is dating someone very close to Beth. Beth then starts dating someone close to Jana. There is Drama and issues when things don’t go as planned for both women. . In the end all turns out well but not before Beth and Jana’s friendship is tested. Very good.
I tried reading this book and I am not clicking with it at all. I only made it a few chapter but still felt so confused about the characters and how they are related and I just don’t think it’s a book for me. Thank you for the opportunity m!
“Beach Vibes,” by Susan Mallery, is a book about friendship, dating, love, family, and siblings. The book mainly follows two women - Jana and Beth. Jana is a single mom basically doing all she can to make to not only make ends meet but also improve herself (she works in a medical department, goes to school at night, and finds time to volunteer at a food bank). Beth runs a sandwich shop and happens to meet Jana at the food bank. The two women become friends. One day, Jana meets Rick - who is Beth’s brother. Rick decides it would be funny to have his sister and girlfriend meet. Soon after, Jana decides to do a “sibling meet-up” with Beth, Rick, Jana, and Teddy, Jana’s brother. In the end, Teddy ends up dating Beth … and Rick and Jana continue dating. As the story unfolds, there are issues that come up [which was a bit predictable]. But, in the end, family, who we choose as family, and friendships are important. I didn’t find the title of this book to be really appropriate, as so little of the book actually happens, ya know, on the beach (although the sandwich shop is across from a beach in Malibu, CA). I found Beth a bit blind to the flaws of Rick. I found Jana a strong woman. For once I found half of the kids in the story as individuals and different personalities (though two weren’t as strong as the others, I could keep the kids apart). A solid book - I wouldn’t say it’s a “beach read,” but it was enjoyable.
Beth and Jana’s journey in love and friendship made for an engaging story. I appreciated how their paths unfolded, though Rick’s character left much to be desired. An interesting read that balances personal growth with relationship drama.