Port Anna was such a treat! This had love, family, secrets, a little bit of a summer vibe with the town it takes place in, and a tiny bit of paranormal. It was sheer perfection. Everything about this book felt amazing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Libby Buck, and Simon & Schuster for the eARC. This was a hauntingly heartbreaking story set against the striking backdrop of coastal Maine. So many layers to uncover—it stayed with me long after the final page.

A love letter to second chances, and a moving story of healing after loss and finding your way after setbacks, PORT ANNA is a wonderful debut! I just loved how atmospheric the book felt. The writing style was easy to get absorbed in, and Libby Buck does a great job of developing the titular coastal Maine town. If you enjoy books where the setting practically feels like its own character, this one is not to be missed! Port Anna was just so idyllic and charming. I also really liked following Gwen’s journey in general, and seeing how she ultimately found hope, love, and a fresh start throughout the story.

Overall, I’d recommend PORT ANNA for a summer read that truly has something for everyone. I was personally more drawn to the contemporary fiction aspects of the story rather than the magical realism, but I still thought all of the different elements of the story and subplots were well-done! I’m looking forward to seeing what Libby Buck writes next. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

⭐ Rating: 4.5

A woman returns to her hometown in coastal Maine where she must confront the ghosts of her past.

I really enjoyed this debut. One of my criteria for a 4.5 is a strong sense of place. The language used to describe Gwen's cottage, the land, and the sea had me fully immersed in the story. I'm always a fan of a main character's return to her hometown. Great cast of characters which includes found family, and one villain to root against! The story includes a little magical realism, which worked well overall.

"Soon the scent of pine and lemon oil filled the cottage, every surface clean, the fire laid with the last few logs left in the woodshed. Everything looked as it once had, as if time had rolled backward and erased all her mistakes and missteps. The light slowly crossed the floor, warming the wide oak boards. Gwen stretched her toes and laid her head against the sofa, listening to the tide splash the ledges out front."

"His images told a story she understood, a narrative of humans as custodians, temporary beings who lived on granite foundations destined to outlast them."

"The world, Gwen told Shania, would be hers to explore. And then she would come home, to Port Anna. The words slipped from her mouth before she could reflect whether this was something she should say, and yet, as she uttered them, she was seized with a fierce sort of joy, a desire that gushed from her core, a sensation so powerful, she was unable to fight it."

Thank you Simon Books for the review copy! gorgeous cover art draws you into a subtle small town story that filled my heart as I got more and more into the story and setting.

Port Anna is a charming, atmospheric debut that feels like a love letter to coastal Maine, full of heart, healing, and just a hint of magic. While the plot occasionally meanders and tries to juggle a few too many threads, the setting more than makes up for it—it’s richly drawn and immersive, practically a character itself. Gwen’s journey is slow and quiet, but ultimately hopeful, and the supporting cast of small-town characters adds warmth and depth to her return home. I appreciated the subtle romantic thread and found the magical realism elements—especially the ghostly Misses—whimsical, even if underdeveloped. Though the story takes time to find its footing, by the end I genuinely didn’t want to leave Port Anna. Pick this one up if you're craving a cozy, coastal escape with heart, healing, and seals

“‘But, you know . . . we just drifted apart. It happens. Things change.’ 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦, she thought. Granite stayed put.”

What an atmospheric tale of a small coastal town and the ways that those small towns can shape a person.

Gwen comes back to Port Anna with her tail between her legs, so to speak, and reclaims her family land. And no one looking to make a buck is happy about this. This is a peek into the loyalty of small towns and the greed that can destroy us all. I felt like I was IN this coastal Maine town while reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This atmospheric debut set on the Maine coast as summer fades into fall was exactly what I needed this long July 4th weekend. It’s a character-driven slow burn until the last quarter, when several threads come together for an unputdownable finish.

Gwen returns to her family cottage in Maine after hard turns in her family, work, and love lives. She reconnects with childhood friends and community as she tries to rebuild and deal with her financial woes, and she also makes new friends in her new old life. The writing in this is gorgeous, and you’ll be pulling for Gwen and her second chance in Maine.

Thank you @simonbooks #simonbooksbuddy for the free book! It came out this past week - scoop it up!

3.5⭐️
Thank you @simonbooks @simon.audio for the free copy♡₊˚⊹

🦞 A love letter to port towns in Maine, to artists, and to healing after loss and grief.
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If you like the small town stories, where the pace of life is slower, where everyone knows your name, where folks pitch in to help their neighbors, this is for you.
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You’ll know who you’re supposed to root for, and who is not here for the right reasons. So, despite the predictability there is a comfort. There’s also a slow blooming romance and artistry in the writing.
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🌊 The mysticism of the sea and its creatures contributes to the charm and magic of the setting. I particularly enjoyed the 🦭seals and the enchanting yet perilous allure of open water.
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On the other hand, the ghosts of Periwinkle cottage had so small a role that I’d have just as soon had them written out.
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▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||။‌‌‌‌‌|• My preference on this one was written format. Audio was not bad, just not as much a standout as some others.

🐚 A charming, slower paced debut to pick up when you’re in the mood for a comforting, feel good read.

“You know what they say, don’t you? That wherever you go, you take yourself.”

3.5 ⭐️

Port Anna by Libby Buck is a love letter to Maine. This book had the dreamiest writing style that was so easy to get lost in. It tackles themes of grief, finding your place in life after setbacks, and a surprisingly interesting exploration of how greed changes people that I found incredibly accurate as someone who lives in a small town myself.

This story follows Gwen, a woman who returns to her family cottage in the town of Port Anna in an attempt to rebuild her life after suffering career setbacks. Back at home, she begins to rekindle old friendships, confront her past, fall for someone new, and help a mysterious missing girl, all while struggling to keep the home she loves.

The setting is the truly the best part of this story. I guarantee you will feel immersed in an idyllic coastal Maine town throughout your reading. I did have some gripes with Port Anna, specifically how all over the place the plot was. Up until 70% I genuinely had no idea where the story was going, and once it became clear to me, it felt as if the first two parts of the book were just buildup giving you the background information necessary to understand the plot that begins to unfold. The pacing also felt off in places as we’d rush through some scenes/ weeks and then linger on others. It felt a bit jumbled and like the author wanted to throw in every idea she had into one story. I did enjoy some of the mystery aspects, the plot line of saving the cottage and the relationship between Shania and Gwen. I also liked the magical realism elements with the ghosts (the Misses) but understand that it may turn some readers off as the ghosts and the purpose they serve in the story felt slightly underdeveloped. Overall, despite getting off to a slow start, I really enjoyed reading this story and by the end of the book I wished it was even longer. If you want to live out your coastal granddaughter summer fantasies, Port Anna is the perfect book for you!

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I liked pieces of the plot. There were a lot of things going on here that converged at the end. Characters felt a little flat for me and Gwen could have had more voice.

PORT ANNA is an atmospheric, character driven story of redemption and starting over set along the craggy coast of Maine. Libby Buck crafted a gently paced and deeply moving novel where the setting is so descriptive, it becomes a character itself.

Gwen Gilmore returns to Periwinkle, her family’s ancient cabin, in the coastal Maine town of Port Anna after a series of personal setbacks. Short on funds, facing professional uncertainty, and carrying decades old grief; Gwen hopes to retreat to the familiar. Like many small towns, Port Anna seems unchanged on the surface. Gwen returns to find old friends, including The Misses, a pair of benevolent spirits who have long occupied Periwinkle.

But nothing remains untouched by time. Old friendships are strained and the modest homes that once defined Port Anna have been replaced by modern condos. Even The Misses seem unsettled. Gwen soon learns that not everyone from her past can be trusted. With funds running low and her home about to be condemned, Gwen is facing a crisis.

But Port Anna also offers the hope of starting over. There’s a handsome, charismatic artist who attracts Gwen’s interest and the mysterious appearance of a missing teenager. I was swept away by Gwen’s journey; feeling every setback and cheering each step forward.

Fans of richly drawn character studies will find Port Anna to be an appealing destination.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I feel so lucky that @SimonBooks ( #SimonBuddyReads) sent me Port Anna—what a magical, unexpected treat! While it took me a little time to fully settle into the story, once I did, I was completely immersed in this beautiful blend of fiction and magical realism.

The story follows Gwen Gilmore, who returns to her family’s cottage, Periwinkle, on the rugged Maine coast after losing her mother, her job, and her boyfriend. Adrift and grieving, Gwen has no choice but to go back to Port Anna, where her childhood memories, and a few surprises, await.

One of my favorite elements was the introduction of the spirits, lovingly known as the Misses, who reside in the cottage. Their presence added so much warmth, humor, and depth to the story. The atmosphere of the Maine coast was captured so vividly.

Admittedly, there were moments when I felt frustrated with Gwen’s choices, but she also had some strong, redemptive growth that made her journey worthwhile. With themes of found family, healing, and second chances—plus a dash of romance and rich coastal history—Port Anna truly has something for everyone.

A heartfelt debut from Libby Buck. I’ll be keeping an eye out for what she writes next!

Loved this book.. it was a great story! It kept me reading and wanting more! Thank you so much netgalley!

A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
The characters were all realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.
A great debut title.

Can a return to her past home lead to a better future?

Gwen Gilmore is a woman in her late thirties whose past year has been a series of losses. Her mother, her only immediate family, has died, her relationship with her longtime boyfriend is over (and not by her choice), and she was terminated from her university teaching job for giving a bad grade to a student whose family are generous donors to the college. Not knowing where else she could go, Gwen threw her belongings into her car and drove to the small coastal Maine town of Port Anna, to the family summer cottage where she and her family had once spent many happy months. It has been years since anyone has lived in the cottage called Periwinkle; Gwen's sister Molly had died there, drowned in the ocean in a tragedy that fractured the once happy family. Its not a perfect solution...the cottage isn't made to be lived in year round, though that is what Gwen intends to do, and it also has a couple of ghosts in residence known as The Misses, the two women (Gwen is the descendant of one of them) who built the cottage and lived in it together for decades. In addition to facing literal and figurative ghosts, Gwen must deal with the many changes to the small town of her youth, The three boys who were her circle of friends back in the day are still there but have changed, not always for the better, and like many areas Port Anna has seen an influx of outsiders with money looking to buy property. Locals are being priced out of the market and family homes are giving way to condo complexes; in fact, an aggressive realtor in town immediately starts angling for Gwen to put Periwinkle on the market so that the land on which it sits can be developed. Add in a possible romantic interest and a missing teenaged girl, and Gwen finds that she has a lot of decisions to make as she charts a new course.
Port Anna is a tale of loss and love, grief and healing, with a dash of romance tucked in for good measure. Gwen is a flawed protagonist who is at a low point in life with no one to help her through it. She finds herself slowly creating a new family composed of both friends from the past and new connections who are eager to help her navigate her challenges. The descriptions of her corner of Maine are quite vivid, bringing to life the quaint town There is a lot going on, at times almost too much so, with the guilt and grief over the loss of Molly, starting life over, rekindled friendships, aggressive real estate developers, a runaway teen, and then there's the ghosts of the Misses, And the seal. All interesting elements, but with so many threads not all were as developed as they might have been. Still I found it to be an enjoyable read, one likely to appeal to readers of Hannah Orenstein, J. Courteney Sullivan and Catherine Newman, a solid 3.5⭐️ rounded up to a 4, My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me access to this quintessential summer read in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @bookdparks and @simonbooks for my free copy💖.

🗓️Out tomorrow! 7/1/25

Booksparks’ summer reading challenge #src2025 is in full swing, and the books in the challenge are so diverse, you’re bound to find something you like. Have you seen all the titles being highlighted? I’ve reviewed several already and have more to come, but this one takes place in the foggy, coastal Maine town of Port Anna. Gwen Gilmore retreats to her late family’s seaside cottage there, after a year of personal losses, including her mother, her job, and boyfriend. Haunted by memories and watched over by a trio of playful but restless spirits known as The Misses, Gwen tries to rebuild her life amid both supernatural disturbances and real world challenges, like gentrification and a town rattled by an unsolved disappearance.

As Gwen reconnects with her past and sparks fly with Leandro, a charming Argentinian artist, she finds new hope and fresh possibilities. But as summer ends, she must confront old secrets and make life changing decisions about her future.
Super atmospheric, this debut has a lot going on. I found myself getting a little disengaged at times; however, I stuck with it, and the final part of the book held my attention until the end, and I enjoyed seeing all of Gwen’s personal growth and healing throughout her journey.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🌿 Contemporary women’s fiction
👻 Magical realism/ supernatural elements
🌊 Small town & coastal settings/ atmospheric New England settings with tight knit communities and secrets
💔 Emotional depth/ grief, unresolved trauma
💞 Slow burn romance
🕵️‍♀️ Light mystery subplots/ town secrets and a person’s disappearance

⚠️CW: Loss of a sibling, loss of a parent, grief, unresolved trauma.

Port Anna is an atmospheric, and charming character driven story about second chances and finding yourself again. Gwen left her family's coastal cottage, Periwinkle, in Port Anna Maine 24 years ago after a tragedy. Now she has lost her job, lost her boyfriend, her mom passed away and finances are a struggle. She decides to return to Periwinkle when she inherits it from her family.

Taking place in Maine, it really was like a character in itself. The descriptions and the way the author just has you feeling like you're there was just lovely. As for Gwen, her story makes for an enjoyable read. There's some magical realism, as Periwinkle has friendly ghosts that live there. That was really fun. There's romance with a torch of mystery too. I found this to be a hopeful story and I love reading it. This was a great beach read.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I always love a New England setting and I enjoyed the evocative descriptions of the Maine coastline in Port Anna. This has a bit of magical realism sprinkled in, in the form of ghosts who live at the summer cottage the main character, Gwen, has retreated to after losing her mother and being fired. While I didn't connect with the story or the writing as much as I hoped, it there are some nice moments and you really felt the beauty of the Maine coastline. 3.5 stars.

📜Quick Summary: After Gwen loses her mother, her teaching job, and a crappy boyfriend, she feels she has no choice but to trek to her family cottage, one she recently inherited. This crumbling cottage in Periwinkle, Maine, is her childhood home and harbors many memories and ghosts. The town doesn’t seem to have changed much, but she sees the new buildings, the new construction team who wants to take over her cottage and land. Although this may not be the idealistic place to be, Gwen feels it's the right choice. The Misses, the friendly spirits who watch over the cottage, have strong feelings about Gwen and her choices. Will this town bring up ghosts of the past, or allow Gwen to start over?

❣️Initial Feels: I am in a weird funk right now, so this has been slow for me to get into… I’m not sure if it’s me or the book yet…we will see.

👀Trigger Warnings: loss of parent, grief, betrayal

🌶️Spice Level: nada

📖Read if you want: a debut, story about second chances, semi ghost/magical realism, character driven story

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Usually I connect with a few characters but this time around, everyone was not my cup of tea. I really wanted to like Gwen and root for her, but I think because of too many moving plot points, it was hard to connect on a deep level with her.

🗨️Thoughtful Words: “Being alone doesn’t mean you are lonely.”

💡Final Sentiments: I really wanted to love this one, especially based off it’s cover. It’s just perfectly put together. But this novel felt lost, kind of like Gwen. There were way too many storylines;This would have made a much stronger debut for me, if it stuck with 1-2, even 3, plot lines and focused on that. The missing girl angle, the ghosts of the house, grief, finding a new love, little sister’s drowning, etc. It kept going on and on…and then the finances and the betrayal. Many readers will still resonate with Gwen and her story, and I hope it’s a homerun for you!

🌟Overall Rating: 3.25 stars

🔉Special thanks to Libby Buck, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for this arc of Port Anna.

📘Grab yourself a copy on July 1, 2025!

Port Anna by Libby Buck is one of those books that I wanted to read the minute I laid eyes on the cover. The plot sounded unique and interesting, and I couldn’t wait to dive in.

Highlights:
• Coastal Maine
• Small town
• Journey of self-discovery
• Found family
• Haunting
• Magical realism

Gwen is desperate for a fresh start. After losing her job, she leaves her life in North Carolina behind and heads to her hometown of Port Anna, Maine.

There, she’s greeted by old friends, a new love interest, long-buried memories, and her family cottage’s friendly ghosts. Faced with past traumas and a manipulative individual, Gwen must lean on her found family and her own strength to save her seaside home.
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I wanted so badly to love this book. The minute I saw it with its breezy, coastal Maine vibes, I was hooked. But the feeling was fleeting.

This book certainly isn’t boring; it’s actually the opposite. It’s overwhelming. There’s so much happening… ghosts in the family home, a duplicitous childhood friend, a potential love interest, a lost girl in the woods, past grief surrounding her sister’s death, a broken career, financial issues, and the need to save her childhood home. All the different threads distract from potential character and relationship development that’s missing.

While the plot is super muddy, the setting is what really works in this book. The author painted a picture of this quaint seaside town that made me want to hop on a plane to Maine ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Port Anna hits shelves on July 1!