I know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but how could I not when it's as beautiful and inviting as this one?! The synopsis sold me and I couldn't wait to dive in, but unfortunately I had a hard time settling into this one. I struggled to connect with Gwen, and there was a bit too much going on. The ghost storyline also completely threw me. So while this one wasn't for me, I can see how others would like what I bumped up against.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts are my own:

In Port Anna, our main character Gwen decides to move to her family’s summer home off the coast of Maine to try to begin life anew.

Setting descriptions were beautifully written and the way Gwen confronts past mistakes and sets off to get her feet back under her after love, loss, and everything between was moving. I think at times there were a few too many things happening at once and I could get lost a bit, but nothing super overwhelming. This did, however, bring forth a fun aspect to the book in that I was never bored at any point with this book.

I also think the cover of this book was gorgeous and sets a great starting picture in my mind to really envision how beautiful this whole story was.

What a nice little trip to Maine I just took right in the middle of winter!

The author's love for the New England state is abundantly clear in this book. Readers are transported to the coast, complete with a lighthouse, sailboats, and nineteenth century cottages with ceilings of knotted wood and roofs of silvered shingles.

Our main character Gwen left her hometown of Port Anna over twenty years ago in the wake of a personal tragedy. Now in her forties and suddenly without the job and partner she assumed would be hers forever, she returns with her tail tucked between her legs. In Port Anna Gwen spends time confronting her missteps, as well as reconnecting with old friends and making some new acquaintances (including a potential love interest and a runaway teen hiding out in the forest). She begins to build her life anew.

While mostly a contemporary fiction novel, there are dashes of magical realism sprinkled throughout the story as well, most prominently exhibited by the Misses - ghosts of the lesbian couple who built Gwen's family cottage who still let their opinions on the matters in their home known by making the walls creak or the doors slam. There is also the legend of the woman lighthouse keeper who would dive into the sea to save drowning sailors, and what ultimately happened to her.

Besides being transportative, this was a very healing story about meeting ones past mistakes head on and putting one foot in front of the other until one finds their way in the world once again. Much thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review. My Goodreads review is live now, and I will post to my blog on July 1st and Bookstagram around that same time.

This book was… interesting. Maine folklore. Lesbian ghosts. Historically tragic love. A run away teen. A runaway adult. A dead sibling and related guilt… All these thing collide in Port Anna at the worst possible time of year. Our FMC wants to do the right thing but is taken advantage of by a former friend for business/financial purposes, and the rest of the novel is her friends trying to encourage her to fix it and fight the good fight… while ghosts and lovers and orphaned run-aways flit in the background. There was a lot going on in this book. It was an interesting read, but I never really put the pieces together with the intent behind the ghosts and how they related to the story.

The FMC was likeable, and her quick BFF (spoiler: her ex lovers husband) was the star of the show in my opinion. I loved him and his husband and the care he showed to our FMC throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Port Anna" is a delightful novel that follows the journey of Gwen as she returns to her Maine hometown after a twenty-year absence. Throughout the story, Gwen grapples with various challenges, making her character relatable and engaging. As she seeks new employment opportunities, she also rekindles relationships with old friends. Although the book incorporates paranormal elements, such as ghostly occurrences in her home and the mystery surrounding a girl's disappearance, it primarily unfolds as a cozy mystery. At times, the narrative may veer off course, yet it ultimately weaves all its threads together by the conclusion. If you enjoy stories set in hometowns with a cozy mystery vibe, this book is a perfect choice.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing the ARC for reading and review.

Interesting story, slow at times and filled with backstories and long ago teen relationships. The character at the center is in financial trouble and trying to retain ownership of the Maine cottage that has been in her family for hundreds of years. She reminds me of someone who has been blown through life like the Maine winds.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A love letter to Maine, and anyone who is looking to untether themselves from the burdens of the past, Port Anna is a beautiful, nostalgic debut that will tug at your heartstrings. Gwen Gilmore lost almost everything, and is driving up to her old family cabin in Maine to try and find her footing in life again. There, she is met with some old friends – many of whom have changed in ways that don't necessarily meet the eye; the broader community that's eager to welcome Gwen back; a couple of benevolent ghosts; a mystery to solve; and the many dark shadows of her troublesome past. I was first drawn in by the evocative setting, as well as a curiosity about what happened in Gwen's past and whether she would find a way back into her community's fold – and back to herself. But as the winter tightened its grip over Maine and Gwen's financial troubles took an even more sinister turn, I found myself sitting at the edge of my seat, unable to stop turning the pages. This is definitely a debut worth reading!

3.5 ⭐️
I was thankful to have been asked to read this debut novel so I could give my opinions on it.
It took me a bit to get through as there was something missing for me.
Lit fiction is such a unique category at times as it can be a catch all for various genres and I think that’s why I struggled as it had a little bit of everything but nothing felt like it was satisfying in the end.

I still rounded it up to 4⭐️ as I think some will absolutely love it as the prose is beautiful. It’s very descriptive, sometimes overly, in bringing the Maine scenery to life. The magical realism of the ghost mentions were great.. but again, it felt unfinished as I wanted more.

I think this book may be a great read for book clubs as there is a lot to discuss!

The book comes out on July 1, 2025 from Simon and Schuster.

What a beautiful debut by Libby Buck. Port Anna is story of a woman, Gwen, trying to find her way in the world. Aren't we all. I found myself utterly transported to the shores of Maine. There is so much heart and heartbreak in this story. So many compelling characters, including Gwen’s home, Periwinkle. I only wish it was already summer and I was reading this by the sea.

Thanks to NetGalley Simon and Schuster for my advanced copy.

Port Anna is the debut novel by Libby Buck. First, let me say that I adored this novel and didn’t want it to end. Gwen Gilmore has recently lost everything of value to her, so she heads north to her family’s cottage on the coast of Maine. Her mother has recently passed away, leaving the cottage to her, but when Gwen arrives she finds the cottage in a sad state of disrepair. The ghosts of the cottage (The Misses) are still there, making noises, moans, and slamming doors and cabinets. Much about the town is the same, the fog still rolls in, but there are huge changes such as the new real estate built and the strange, strained relationships between her old friends. Gwen hopes to find a job, settle into the cottage, and live a quiet life. She has sad memories from Port Anna including the death of her sister at a young age and she wants to be left alone. However, life has other plans for her if she can find the courage to change. She reconnects with old friends, meets a charming artist named Leandro, and becomes a friend to an unlikely companion along the way.

The pacing of this novel felt just right. I was never bored. The novel was interesting and I was heavily invested in Gwen and her story. There is also a historical fiction slant to the novel that I loved. The descriptions of the trees and the sea were beautiful. I can tell the author loves Maine and I can’t believe this is her first novel. I will be recommending this book to everyone. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Port Anna is a debut novel by Libby Buck, and it tells the story of Gwen who is starting over in her life by moving back to her hometown on the coast of Maine.

I am going to do this review in a pros-and-cons format. Looking at other reviews tells me I am in a minority of people who struggled with this story, which makes me happy. Writing a book is a feat, so I don’t like being meh about someone’s work.

First, the pros:

I love Maine, and the descriptions of the setting in this story took me back to my time spent there on the coast.

I loved that our main character, Gwen, is dedicated to saving her family cottage. The cottage is old and quaint and needs a lot of work. I can identify with the desire to save an old place from development by those who prefer new places. So, hats off to our main character on the historic preservation.

I also appreciated Gwen's journey as she moved back to her old hometown after losing her fiancé, her mother, and her job. I am all about new beginnings, so I was rooting for her.

Last, but certainly not least, in the pro column is the book cover. It’s gorgeous!

Now the cons:

This book suffers from having too many things going on. Just to name a few:

There are too many characters; it is hard to keep them straight.

There is a side story about a ghost that could have been left out entirely because it did nothing to further the story and ended up just being an odd distraction.

There is also a storyline about a love interest for Gwen who insists on referring to her by a ridiculous nickname, and he does so far too many times throughout the book.

We also have shady real estate deal intrigue, financial insecurity, a runaway teenager, the trauma over Gwen’s younger sister who drowned, unresolved daddy issues, and a seal. Yes, a seal. The kind that swims in the ocean, not the wax closure on an envelope.

It is not a bad book, but also not a great book. It is, however, a good enough book that I am looking forward to seeing what this author does in the future.

My sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First time I have read this author. Gwen Gilmore has had her worst year. She lost her mother , her job and her not so great boyfriend. She moves back to Periwinkle into her family's aging cabin as she thought she had a teaching job there but that fell through too. She did however get another job at the high school. She runs into some of her old friends and meets a runaway girl in the forest behind this. Follow Gwen's journey and see how the friend she has made try to help her. Does she loose her family cabin or does she finally get a happy ending.. A VERY GOOD READ

Foremost, this book is a love letter to the state of Maine. You know the feeling when you visit a place once, fall in love with it, and then think about it every single day for the next ten years? That's the feeling I got reading "Port Anna". The way Libby Buck renders Maine took me right back to Elizabeth Strout's masterful "Olive Kitteredge". On its face, the book is about Gwen Gilmore, a woman who moves back to her childhood home in the fictional town of Port Anna after her life falls apart in North Carolina. But the clear, true protagonist is Maine.

The prose was beautiful (reminiscent of Marilynne Robinson's writing in "Housekeeping", in parts), but the plot was just too slow for me. For all the time the author spends describing Maine, Gwen's character felt underdeveloped to me. We never even get a description of what she looks like. We get only a tiny sliver of her life in North Carolina. Only a few paragraphs on the toxic ex. Not a ton of time spent on her family history (we know about the tragic loss of her sister and her mother's reaction, but there's gotta be more).

That said, there's a lot to like here. You'll like it too if you're okay with the fact that this is a book that's less about the plot and more about the atmosphere.

Her entire life Gwen felt guilt and shame over the role she unwittingly played in the drowning death of her little sister. The pain over what she’d done decades earlier led to an unfulfilled life, poor relationships, and poor finances. After the death of her mother she travelled back to the small town of Port Anna in Maine where she’d grown up. At Periwinkle, the family cottage overlooking the sea, she expected to set down permanent roots and start a new life as an English teacher.

Gwen’s plans shattered when the promised job fell through. She knows her part-time job will barely cover her daily needs and won’t do anything to pay down her medical bills or cover house and car repairs. Though she’s in love with an artist and renews her friendship with a childhood friend and his husband, Gwen refuses to let anyone know of her many problems. Periwinkle is her sanctuary, and she’ll do anything to keep it. Unfortunately Gwen makes a deal with the devil so, with the threat of losing Periwinkle, Gwen will have to learn to accept help when it’s given and turn over the leaf of forgiveness.

Though I enjoyed this book I was often annoyed at Gwen’s insistence on doing things her way. Independence is a good trait, but she took it to a much higher, unnecessary level. Descriptions of Maine’s forested and oceanic beauty were breathtaking, making me want to take a longer journey to the state where I’d only visited long enough to run a marathon.

Recommended for Adults.

Thank you Net Galley and Simon & Shuster for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
This book was delightful and a different type of book I would normally read but I loved it and didn’t want it to end.
Gwen goes back to Maine where she grew up after being fired from, her job in North Carolina. She has nowhere to go but the rundown cottage that her parents owned. She runs into old friends she went to school with and doesn’t know how much one of them has changed. She has no money or job and one of the old friends offers to loan her enough money for the cottage and her bills . The cottage is haunted by friendly ghosts and she meets a young girl that is living in the woods beside the cottage. This book was written so well I was surprised it was her first book.
I would highly recommend it.

Port Anna by Libby Buck is a beautifully atmospheric debut set along the coast of Maine. I loved the rich sense of place and, surprisingly, even enjoyed the supernatural elements. “The Misses” were a fascinating presence, always watching over the cottage and each other, adding a unique layer to the story. While it took some time for the novel to fully hook me, and I found myself wanting a bit more by the end, I still appreciated its quiet charm. I’ll be keeping an eye on this author—her storytelling is promising, and I imagine her work will only get better from here.

Port Anna focuses on main character, Gwen, who is down on her luck and decides to move back to her family’s summer home in Port Anna, Maine. In Port Anna, Gwen must confront the figurative and literal ghosts of her past while trying to get a fresh start in her life.

Gwen’s story contains themes of romance, mystery, grief, betrayal, growth, found family, and even some magical realism. I think author Libby Buck did a fantastic job of setting the scene of this story. Her depictions of this fictional town made me want to book a trip to Maine ASAP. The story kept me entertained and overall I really enjoyed it. I’m so glad I took a chance on this author debut and this book will definitely be on my recommendation list.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and of course Libby Buck for this advanced copy!

Port Anna was a disappointment for me. I really expected to like it more than I did. There was way too much crammed into a fairly short book for my liking. I never could figure out what the true message was. There was climate change, new buildings replacing historical buildings, a missing teen, reuniting with old friends, local history/myths, mystery, romance, birds, grief, and even ghosts. In this case, I didn’t find more is better. About the time something had my interest, the story went off in another direction.

Gwen returned to her family cabin in Maine to begin a different life. She reunited with her high school friends - some to be trusted and others not so much. She gets herself into a real estate nightmare while figuring out her life in Maine.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced e-copy. This book is released on July 1, 2025. The ratings on Goodreads have been very high so come July give it a try.

Set along the coast of Maine, Port Anna is a story about 2nd chances, about friendships - old and new - and about love and forgiveness of yourself and others.

What a fantastic debut novel! "Port Anna" is both a heartbreaking and heartwarming story that many will find incredibly relatable.

This must-read centers around Gwen Gilmore, who finds herself at a crossroads both personally and professionally. After inheriting her mother’s home following her recent passing, she decides to return to her small hometown in Maine. Here, she embarks on the journey of creating a new normal in a very familiar place.

This novel is packed with depth and emotion on every page! As Gwen navigates her challenges, I appreciated how Libby Buck framed Periwinkle, Maine, as a healing balm for both the characters and the readers. I loved Gwen's journey, and I felt her character arc was incredibly organic. I'm amazed that this is Libby Buck’s first novel, and I will certainly read everything she writes in the future!