Port Anna by Libby Buck - What a delightful book that will tug at your heart and fill it with a rainbow of emotions. Set in current time in the upper Maine coastline. Young Gwen returns to her childhood home and finds her high school friends still around but not always the happy-go-lucky teens she left behind. The town of Port Anna welcomes her back but with many changes, yet her family home Periwinkle stands true with ghosts and memories. Can Gwen overcome grief that has molded her life for 24 years or will that grief release her to a new life of so many loves she never expected? This story is a quick read with good hardy laughs throughout it with the heart tugs. I give this book 5 stars.

This delightful story takes place in Maine where Gwen has returned after being away from her family’s summer home for many years. Gwen is at a crossroad in her life. Her mother has passed away and she has inherited the dilapidated and haunted cottage that holds some wonderful, and also some devastating memories. Her long term relationship has recently ended, her career is unfulfilling, she is in financial straights, and she has decided to return to the cottage to start a new phase of her life.
Returning to the cottage also means she can no longer suppress her memories of her little sister’s drowning that occurred decades earlier here when she was a teen. Her feelings of guilt and sadness come back to her along with the cottage’s familiar ghosts. The story is about reconnecting with old friends, making new friends, a new love, and also dealing with an old friend’s betrayal. All of this made for an interesting and nostalgic story.

I was fortunate to be given Port Anna from the publisher @Simon and Schuster to read for a review. I was not too sure about it when I checked it out but I was so wrong.. This was a very good story about friendships, new beginings, and even a couple ghosts. Gwen decided to return to her old home base on the Maine coast where she was from originally. She returned because the past year nothing was going right for her and decided to return to her own home, a cottage actually. The cottage needs a lot of fixing up would be an under statement but she decides to stick it out with her meager funds and hopes to be able to make a restart. She meets up with old friends and an old boyfriend. The old friends are exactly that, old friends, who are willing to help her in every way. The old boyfriend? Not to much. He is now very wealtrhy and thinks he can get his way because of it. and is now trying to take away the cottage from Gwen so he can build condos along the coast and make a few dollars – and he does try very hard to make it happen. Story goes back and forth and even she even finds a wandering young girl who lives in the forest nearby who has run away from a bad situation. Between her old boy friend and the young lady Gwen keeps busy but does she lose her cottage? Where does she go? You will certainly enjoy this story. I am so happy that I was able to read it because this is my kind of story and I loved i

Port Anna wasn't a huge hit for me but I enjoyed it (even with some of the unrealistic plot points) The characters are fine and the story is good. Not my favorite but a good way to pass the day reading.

The premise was intriguing but the pace of the story was so slow and lackluster that it didn't hold my interest. I spent an unreasonable amount of time just trying to figure out what the story was about, why it was written and where it was going. Perhaps it was just not my cup of tea but I can't really recommend it.

Thanks to NetGallley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader copy

I love books that take place in Maine. There are many special things about the stories author’s craft with coastal settings. Port Anna by Libby Buck is a new favorite of mine. The story is entertaining and I liked how the characters were revealed. The pace was matched with smart dialogue. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved the way "Port Anna" ended. It was a very fitting way to finish the story. The process of getting there had its moments of frustration. The author chose to write/portray the main character, Gwen, in a particular way, which is her prerogative as the author/creator. Yet I found myself frustrated at times with Gwen for not realizing the significance of certain historical artifacts she possessed or found to her efforts to rectify her error in judgment regarding an old "friend" and save the family cottage, Periwinkle, especially given that she had written about the history of Port Anna and its founder, and was writing about the history of various people and buildings in Port Anna both for newspaper articles and as part of a book. I felt that Gwen should have made the connection much easier and earlier.

Be that as it may, it was still a good story. There is a colorful eclectic group of characters, of which Shania and Steven were probably my favorite. I particularly liked the interaction between Gwen and Leandro. The discussions of his art and perspective provide some of the "deepest" and most insightful discussions in the book. I liked the "Anna Vale" legend and the various ways her story/legend was utilized to advance the plot. There are other specifics of the book I could discuss but I will leave that to other readers to discover. "Port Anna" is certainly worth reading.

Port Anna by Libby Buck takes place on modern day coastal Maine in a fictional town called Port Anna and addresses many themes including grief, survival, love and friendship. The novel begins when the protagonist, Gwen, determines to make a significant life transition after losing her job and breaking up with her boyfriend. She determines to move to her childhood vacation home (Periwinkle) in Port Anna, Maine from North Caroline after a twenty year absence. Gwen suffered a devastating loss the last time she was in Port Anna and struggles to overcome her grief and certain life choices all stemming from that one devastating loss. Ms. Buck brings Periwinke to life with the resident ghosts living in Periwinkle and her descriptions of the summer cottage. Gwen is a sympathetic character although sometimes she can't seem to get out of her own way. Elements of magical realism are dispersed throughout the novel including ghosts and animals that seemed to take on human characteristics making this debut novel even more special.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Three and a half stars rounded up to four. It hasn't been a good year for Gwen. She lost her mother, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her job. So she packed her car and headed to Periwinkle, the cottage she inherited from her mom. Surrounded by memories, she fights to make her way in the present. Will she succeed?
I liked this book but I did have some issues with the main character, concerning some questionable decisions that she made. Still, I would recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy, in exchange for an unbiased review.

When I was invited to read this book, I could not pass it up due to its stunning, beautiful cover. I also loved the synopsis and thought that I would resonate with our main character, Gwen Gilmore. However. I found that looks can be deceiving and I should have read the synopsis more carefully because there was just WAY too much going on in this story. In fact, I felt that it was bit all over the place and I unfortunately lost interest very early on.

To briefly sum this story up, Gwen goes back to her home in Maine (which is called the Periwinkle), after being away for twenty years. Gwen reconnects with old friends, looks for new employment, finds new love, deals with old grief from her past, and even deals with ghosts living in her home 🙄. And let’s not forget about the disappearance of a teenage girl…
I never knew where this story was going.
I felt lost half of the time.
Too many unnecessary details/overly descriptive.
Lackluster storyline.

I was really hoping to love this book, but it unfortunately just didn’t work out for me. I really wanted to connect and resonate with Gwen’s character, but that unfortunately didn’t work out either. So while this wasn’t my cup of tea, it may work out better for somebody else.
(2.5 stars)

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for an ARC of this book which I am leaving an honest review.
Publication date: July 1, 2025
Genre~ Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction

Fairly predictable but an enjoyable read.. Well written, great characters and well told. hanks for the opportunity to read this and much luck on publication.

Thanks NetGalley for the chance! 3.5 star read. Atmospheric, with light magical realism touches. I enjoyed the plot and setting but did find pacing a bit slow at times, hence the round down to 3 stars. Would read more by this author in the future!

This book is something just so special! I live here in Maine, so maybe that was a part of its charm for me. Still, I loved every single thing about this book… the tiny hints of fantasy, the under dog with gumption, the foster care aspect, the gay friends… I just loved every part of this story and how it was told. I will absolutely recommend this book to others. What a joy it was to read!

This book had me at Maine! Port Anna is a wonderful novel about family, life, love, regrets, and what's most important in life. After being fired from her University job in North Carolina, Gwen moves to her late mother's cottage in coastal Maine, back to the place she grew up and lost her beloved sister. Once home, she finds old friends who disappoint as well as old friends who give her lifeline. There's a touch of magical realism, some romance, and the wonderful feel of the Maine coast. Don't miss this book. It's a great novel for book groups, so much to discuss.

What an amazing debut novel by Libby Buck. This is a phenomenal novel about a deep connection with a cottage in Maine near the ocean. Gwen moves back to the cottage to find herself after living in the south and the house is packed with memories of her family and prior inhabitants The cottage is not even winterized, but she has taken a year round teaching job in a nearby town of Ellsworth. I cannot say enough about the beautiful words that flow across the pages and the beautiful colors that transport you to the ocean of coastal Maine.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. I look forward to following this author for years to come.

I liked this book a lot. It really was an enchanting book, with descriptive writing that made you feel like you were in the book. I feel like I was in Maine while reading this, the author had the vibe on point for sure, I liked the characters and the writing style!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Given the inclusion of ghost story elements, I had anticipated a more suspenseful narrative. While the character development was commendable, the plot appeared to lack a key component to thoroughly draw me in.

As a fan of books set in Maine, I was instantly drawn to Port Anna, especially with its intriguing mix of a coastal setting and ghosts. From the very first page, Libby Buck's writing pulls you in, weaving a beautiful, effortless tale of facing one's past and discovering the power of found family.

Gwen returns to Port Anna after more than twenty years, hoping to confront the ghosts of her past and figure out what comes next for her future. She moves into her family’s old beach house on the Maine coast, where both literal and emotional ghosts greet her. As Gwen grapples with her unraveling life, she turns to the unexpected family around her for support. Through ups and downs, Gwen learns who her true friends are, confronts her deepest fears, and ultimately finds healing.

After losing her job, long-term boyfriend, and mother in the same year, Gwen Gilmore returns to the place she escaped over two decades ago. With no other option, she packs up her belongings, and drives her beat-up car from North Carolina to Maine; back to Port Anna and the summer cottage where the ghosts of her past reside.

Port Anna is full of familiar faces and she soon reconnects with old friends, past loves, and the locals who welcome her back with open arms. Her friends are intent on helping her reestablish her life, despite her resistance, and gently push her toward a love interest and new job possibilities. But something feels unsettling between the people she used to know so well, and the truth changes everything.

A sharky realtor, a young runaway, and "The Misses", all keep Gwen on her toes as she fights against her guilt to create a new life. It seems like no matter how hard she tries, the choices she makes keep coming back to bite her. Running away didn't change the past, and coming back doesn't ease her guilt.

Full of heart, strength, and a touch of mystery, Port Anna is a beautifully written novel that transports you to the coast of Maine and small-town life. Buck's writing is immersive and truly embodies the Maine I live in and love. This debut novel doesn't disappoint and I hope to see more from this author in the future. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC copy!

I found this to be a very different book than I first thought it was. We could all take time to reflex on our younger years! Everyone changes as we get older; I think. How many find yourself doing different than you would of as, younger self!