"Beach Vibes" by Susan Mallery is her latest and newest novel of 2025. Definitely worth the read and I'm absolutely loving the new looking cover.

Friendship must stand the test of a massive betrayal- but is it possible?

This book is thoroughly implausible unless the reader willingly accepts that they need to be in it for the drama; there is drama in spades. Once that point can be accepted, then the reader can get past the “not happen in real life” qualities and enjoy the friendship that develops between two adult women, when friendships are so hard after a certain point in life.

Loved this story. The two strong willed women who met while volunteering and the friendship that builds through relationships with each others brothers and the drama and struggles that pulled me in. When the one cheats on Janna, it kept me wanting to push for their friendship to continue. Such a great story. Loved every part of it.

I absolutely loved this story. Family, friendships and success in life are all featured and discussed with honesty and at times, regret.
Love enters late in the story and it makes everything come together.
Thoughtful, emotional and wonderful.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was happy to be selected to receive Beach Vibes. I am a true lover of a good beachy read. The book was decent. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't the best I have ever read. At times I felt like it was not only predictable, it was all over the place. It dragged out in sections and in others things were just breezed over.

#BeachVibes #NetGalley.

Surf Sandwiches is located across the street from where people come to surf in Malibu. Beth bought the shop years ago and it is a huge success. She gives back to the community by working at the local food pantry; yes, there are people in Malibu not rich enough to feed themselves, just like elsewhere. There she meets Jana who mentors her and becomes her friend.

Neither of them are dating at the moment, but then Jana meets Rick and decides to take a chance. Her last dating experience was not good so this is a huge step for her. Beth's brother Rick, the shy and awkward surgeon brother turns out to be the date, but the two women don't know that yet. (This part did not feel right in reality, though it worked for the story. I can't imagine any one being attracted to a person and then dating that person without once mentioning the name of the person.)

Eventually the truth comes out and is a shock to the two women, though Rick thought it was funny. Protecting her brother from everything including
women anxious to marry a doctor is what Beth does and Jana does not take too kindly to the doubts being expressed. Then Beth meets Jana's brother Teddy.....

Kind of implausible, but worth reading. Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given.

I absolutely loved this. Friendships and family loyalty are sometimes rocky roads to traverse. I thought this story took a nice look at how sometimes those loyalties can bind you to death.

What I thought was going to be a light-hearted beach read was instead filled with family dynamics, tested friendships and unexpected love. The vibe that Beth portrays is a carefree sandwich shop owner but in actuality, she's a strong, independent woman who is seeking to advance her life and relationships.

Beth relishes her blooming friendship with Jana until her brother, Rick lands her in a pickle. While Rick is a successful doctor, Beth still sees him as the innocent brother she needs to protect while risking new relationships? Either way, she's sandwiched into an impossible situation.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #BeachVibes in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the story's twist and turns and felt empathy for Beth and the the shady situation Rick inspired.

good romance about beth and jana. They become friends and they both end up dating each other brothers. Its a closed door romance. Loved dex and Teddy. Her brother rick was a piece of work. Loved beth family and co workers.

Enjoyed this read from Susan Mallory. Well enveloped characters and a solid plot line. Her followers will enjoy

Story of two women who become friends and end up dating each other's brother. I didn't feel like this was Mallery's best effort, but still an interesting read.

Wonderfully complex story. Susan Mallery came up with a unique and interesting storyline. the story was interesting, and I couldn't put it down ! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC copy

Beach Vibes follows the journey of two women. One a single-mother, who is struggling with working, pursuing a job, and finding love. Another is a single 30s woman who is finding that love is harder to find than it looks. When fate brings these two woman together and love prospers in their families, emotions are challenged and family dynamics are uncovered. With a fast-paced storyline filled with friendship lost and loved, the reader is taken into a story that they can relate to. Susan Mallery doesn't disappoint in her latest book where love is around the corner but sometimes you have to fight for what you want.

Overall, Beach Vibes is fun, light-hearted tale that encourages readers to pursue love in many different forms. I’d rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Beth lives an un celebrity like life in Malibu, divorced and living with her aunt. With part of her split in her former home, she takes over a sandwich shop (and those sandwiches sound delicious!)
Her brother Rick is a good deal of her focus. She has always taken care of him, despite him being a successful surgeon. She is blinded by his true personality.
She befriends Janna, while volunteering at a food bank. Janna begins dating her brother, and Beth is attracted to Janna's brother. It's messy, but do you choose your "blood family," when they aren't who you thought, or your new family of "choice."
Can Beth start to live her own life?
I liked this book so much. The author had good character development even with a few side characters and kids. I sort of missed them all once the book was finished.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#HarlequinTradePublishing #Harlequin #NetGalley #BeachRead #Malibu #BeachVibes #SusanMallery

Susan Mallery books never disappoint! This one does not either!
I loved watching both main characters learn and grow from their experiences with each other and their siblings. I enjoyed reading stories of how both ladies lived in the non-traditional family set up and how each family worked to make their lives easier.
At first I was thinking that the one scene was predictable and figured this would go one way but was pleasantly surprised that I was mostly wrong. I'm so glad that the predictability didn't happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read this newest Mallery book!

Beth is recently divorced and living with her Aunt Agatha. Her brother Rick was a doctor who seemingly was awkward and needed help was actually a jerk. Beth meets Janna volunteering at the food bank and sets up a dinner with Beth, Janna and her brother Teddy knowing that Beth and Janna are friends. Beth and Teddy hit it off, and Rick continues to show his narcissistic side. Keeping a secret for her brother made Beth lose everything, but Rick didn't care a bit. Family can be very difficult, and I think this story really showed how much. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Beach Vibes may take place in a beach setting but it’s a heartbreaking story in many ways and not exactly what I’d call relaxing, though it’s a fascinating study in family and what we would do if we were faced with a difficult decision - what’s right for our friends or our family, if what’s right for our friends is also what’s right morally.

Beth is content enough following a divorce to run her charming surf sandwich shop, with backing from her beloved brother Rick. As Beth is a great person she also volunteers at a food bank where she is friends with Jana, who endeavors to be a nurse. When Beth runs into a billboard on the way to Costco that has her husband and his new fiancée on it (in fact he was proposing with it) she is committed to deeper friendships and being a little less lonely. As her friendship with Jana benefits from this commitment Beth strikes up a romance with Jana’s brother Teddy, and finds that Jana is daring her brother, Rick. This all sounds like an early 90’s sitcom and the type of somewhat mindless beach read that gives us all warm fuzzies so far, right? That quickly goes away when Beth discovers that Rick is cheating on Jana… and what happens next destroys everything she has built up in her relationships rather quickly. The rest of this read is tense but fascinating, and we still end with a very hopeful book about growth, but it does make you think of what you would do in Beth’s shoes. I’d be remiss to leave out that Rick is the absolute worse type of sociopath, the type who chooses the dark side, but I wish it wasn’t so as this would make this book even more thought provoking

I kind of had a difficult time liking this book. Two heroines who each suffer from self esteem issues. Discord, discontent, half truths and disfunction predominately made up the plotline. I loved the kids and their dad.
I did finish this book because - Susan Mallery is the author.

My thanks to #NetGalley for the chance to early read Beach Vibes.

Susan Mallery's novels never disappoint her readers and Beach Vibes was no exception. Beth owns a sandwich shop near the beach and her brother Rick is a surgeon. Beth meets Jana when she is volunteering at the food bank and they become friends. Meanwhile, Beth finds out that Rick is dating Jana when Rick brings is new girlfriend to meet her.. The intrigue begins from that moment on. Eventually, Beth meets and falls in love with Jana's brother, Teddy and his three children. Everything is going well for the couples until Beth discovers a secret and doesn't know how to handle it. It could impact her relationship with her brother and Jana and Teddy. Initially, some would say Beth makes the wrong decision and has to live with the consequences. She finally realizes that she never really knew her brother and has to make a decision about him also. I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting because I had to see if things would work out in the end. This was one of my favorite novels by Susan Mallery. I would love a sequel.

Realistic characters kept this story moving quickly. Family and friends…love and romance..deception causes problems…saving lives..feeding the public…recipe for a quick fun read …this popular talented author has written a page turner. This book is about problems with loved ones…loyalty…a little trouble keeping characters apart and which one is speaking when…thanks Netgalley.