The Top of the World by Ethan Joella

The Top of the World by Ethan Joella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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June 1975. Maggie Bishop has just graduated high school, the future hers to embrace—but she’s still reeling from the death of her older brother, Chip. A devastating diagnosis the summer before prompted Chip to leave home for a few months, never revealing where he went. Maggie’s search for clues leads her to The Red Maple Inn, a mountaintop resort in the Poconos.

At the Red Maple, Maggie is welcomed into a tight-knit community. As she unravels secrets about her brother’s final days, she begins to connect with the people he loved, and whose lives he touched. Through the warmth of strangers, Maggie begins to heal and is able to help others cope with loss.

Set in a nostalgic resort town over two transformative summers, this dual-narrative novel explores sibling relationships, coming of age, and the quiet power of human connection. Perfect for fans of emotional storytelling and small-town summer books, The Top of the World is a timeless story about memory, grief, second chances, and hope.
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Fun fact: My parents honeymooned at a resort in the Poconos in 1975.

Moving on...I don't think there are enough words to use to explain to you how much I love the way Ethan Joella writes books. I was first introduced to his writing with his debut novel, and I have loved everything he has written since then. I live in the Lehigh Valley in PA, so it is fun to read references to places that are very real to me, but that is not what makes his books special. There is just a quality that I can't really put my finger on that makes them all lovely, lovely books.

Now, specific to this book...I think we all want to believe that we are living our lives to the fullest. However, especially in these days of hustle culture, it is easy to spend too much time scrolling on social media and not enough time out there living. In the summers or 1974 and 1975, social media is not in play, so first Chip and then Maggie are able to set out and really explore what it's like to throw yourself into finding yourself in a new place, but without quite being able to leave behind the tragedy that has shaped them. There was something comforting about taking this trip to The Red Maple Inn with them and seeing first Chip then Maggie reconcile with what his summer away from his family meant to him and for her future. I expect to remember them both for a long time to come.

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The Rainy Day Bookshop by RaeAnne Thayne

The Rainy Day Bookshop by RaeAnne Thayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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Sandwiched between caring for her mother and rebuilding the relationship with her estranged daughter, Emma, Rosie Lucas’s life is full. In the best way. With Emma and her 3-year old daughter, Olive, back home, Rosie has a partner for The Rainy Day Bookshop, the family business, and a chance to fix the past. What she doesn’t have time for is a romantic relationship. And even if she did, Andrew Morgan is the last person she’d choose. Not only is he an arrogant and reclusive writer, but he’s a single dad with two young kids. She’s already been there, done that. Still as an irresistible flirtation builds between them, he becomes her unexpected confidante on the distance Rosie can’t seem to overcome with Emma, a secret she can’t quite unravel…

Emma isn’t proud of her past. But she’s pulled herself up by the bootstraps, caring for her own daughter, and protecting her mom at all costs. Just as she always has. She never told Rosie what she saw all those years ago and she never will. But some secrets refuse to stay buried, and sometimes the truth is more shocking than fiction. Rosie and Emma will have to navigate an unimaginable path forward. Together.
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I have been reading RaeAnne Thayne's books for a long time, and I have always enjoyed her particular brand of romance novel. In this newest offering, she brings us a multi-generational romance, and as I have aged as her writing career has progressed, I have loved that I am starting to find more and more books to read with characters that reflect my demographic in them.

Along with being a romance, this is a story of family relationships, as four generations of women live together in close proximity and work to overcome some fractures in their relationships from the past. As usual, Thayne captures so well the emotion and tension in these relationships. Emma and Rosie's relationship is messy and raw, and it's a journey to come back together.

This was another reliably enjoyable addition to Thayne's long list of hits for me. She has a style that will always have me coming back for more of her heartfelt, emotional writing that feels like meeting up with an old friend.

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June Baby by Shannon Garvey

June Baby by Shannon Garvey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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At seventeen, Ruth lost her mother to cancer, and her father, unable to handle his grieving daughter, shipped her off to Block Island with nothing but a name scribbled on the back of a receipt: Diana Beckett. Diana, a renowned photographer, took Ruth in for the summer, and Block Island became Ruth’s refuge, a place of beauty and creativity, a place where she could nurture her dreams of being a writer, a place where she could fall in love for the first time—with Diana’s nephew, Charlie.

Now, at twenty-seven, Ruth has spent the last ten summers living and working among the lucky few who get to vacation in this wealthy beach town, and the rest of the year just scraping by, yearning to return to the place where she feels safe and unburdened. But then Ruth’s world is upended by tragedy again. Desperate for an anchor, she reaches for the person she’s been pining for since she met him—Charlie—who has his own startling revelation to share. And when another surprise comes in the form of a box left to Ruth by Diana, its contents raise questions about just how well she knew the two women who raised her. Torn between what to believe about her past, and what her future might hold, Ruth is faced with another choice: does she dare to rewrite her story entirely?

Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief, set against a backdrop of golden dunes and seaside sunsets, June Baby shows us what it might look like to embrace a life shaped not by loss, but by possibility.
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When I think of a "beach read," I think of a light, breezy read, maybe a contemporary romance or a romcom or even a women's fiction novel. This book is not that. It does take place on an island in the summer. However, beyond that, it does not resemble the kind of book that I usually would stick in my beach bag and bring with me for a light, breezy summer read. Does that mean I didn't like it? Obviously not, as I gave it four stars.

This is instead a meaty, character-driven story that allows the reader to dig deep into the lives of characters and get to see their many facets as they move through one summer on Block Island. This is most of all a novel that is a study of grief and how it impacts different people. However, in the midst of great loss, there exists the possibility of new beginnings. The main character, Ruth, is, at different turns, sympathetic and wildly frustrating, and the descriptions of Block Island had me able to picture in my mind a place I have never visited before due to the vivid detailed writing. This speaks to the beautiful writing of this debut novelist.

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Brighter than Before by Courtney Walsh

Brighter than Before by Courtney Walsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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After a painfully public discovery shatters her marriage, along with her picture-perfect, country club life, Claire finds herself suddenly single and faced with a blank page for a future. On that page she writes a simple list that reads like equal parts dare and daydream--Move to a new city. Make a real friend. Get a job I love--and she vows to accomplish every single one.

Before she can talk herself out of it, she takes a step of faith, puts her old life in the rearview mirror, and leases an apartment in Chicago, the city that has always had her heart. This one step sends Claire on a journey of self-discovery, giving her the courage to conquer her fears, one checklist item at a time, and showing her that life can be a whole lot brighter than she imagined.

She rediscovers a love for baking, stumbles into new friendships, and even allows her daughter, Minnie, to create a dating profile and choose her dates for her. Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, is Miles, the charming, off-limits neighbor whose kindness makes it hard to remember why he's off-limits at all.

Between late-night journaling, disastrous first dates, great big lessons and priceless small victories, Claire learns to quiet the voice telling her she wasn't enough and listens to the one that asks the harder question . . .

What do I really want?

As old expectations loosen their grip, Claire discovers that belonging isn't a place you're invited to--it's a life you build one brave choice at a time. And the sweetest things often show up when you finally get out of your own way.
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When I read The Summer of Yes two years ago, it was one of the best surprises I have ever had in a book. I loved every page. Therefore, when I heard that Courtney Walsh was releasing another novel, I could not wait to get my hands on it. And when I read that it was about a woman reinventing herself after a divorce, I was even more excited because, well, been there, done that. I did not make the radical changes that Claire made, but I still loved going along with her as she took the reins of her life and went on an amazing journey to discover what it was she really wanted.

I am a big fan of closed door romance, and Walsh writes it well. She also really captures the magic of found family in the pages of her latest work, and if I had to pick a favorite trope in modern novels, it would be that one. As she gathered her village around herself and rebuilt her life from the ground up, it was impossible not to root for this new version of Claire, who is brave and bold, as she headed into her bright new future. I could not give anything less than five stars to this one. I loved it!

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Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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Maeve and Therese Dunigan haven’t spoken in years. Raised under the same roof in Savannah, the two sisters could not be more opposite—Maeve the rule follower, Therese the unapologetic rebel. But when their mother’s death pulls them back together, they inherit more than just grief: a mysterious painting that may be worth millions…if it’s real.

Determined to uncover the truth—and desperately in need of the money—the sisters set out on a journey to Ireland, tracing their family’s roots and the origins of the portrait. What begins as a search for answers soon becomes something deeper—a reckoning with the past, as they uncover secrets that span generations and reshape everything they thought they knew about their family.

With tensions simmering, the two hit the road and find themselves on twisty lanes, in colorful villages, at local pubs, and with handsome men whose gift of the gab is surpassed only by their charm.

Can Maeve and Therese actually survive the journey without killing each other? Join Mary Kay Andrews on a road trip that will entertain you for miles.
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I have long been a fan of Mary Key Andrews, and while I usually gravitate toward her more beachy reads, there were some very delightful aspects of her newest book. As someone who has a sister myself, I tend to really enjoy books that explore the bond and relationship between sisters, so I really loved the exploration of Maeve's and Therese's. I also really had fun meeting the colorful characters that they crossed paths with as they went on their journey to Ireland to try to get to the bottom of the mysterious secrets of their family's past. It did take a bit of time for me to really feel invested in the dual timeline story, but once I got there, I was hooked. And there was a nice slow burn to the romance, which I always enjoy. This is definitely a good choice to add to your summer reading list!

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Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore

Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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It’s the week after Fourth of July, and the Shipman sisters are returning to their picturesque summer home on the New Hampshire coast for what they believe is a family reunion, the first without their late mother. However, their tranquil setting quickly becomes a stage for drama when their father, Calvin, drops the bombshell news that he plans to sell the cherished beach house.

Mae, the youngest daughter, who has a newfound penchant for attracting trouble, is distraught, already dealing with her own emotional scars and a problematic rescue dog. Natalie, the middle sister and social media darling known for her seemingly idyllic life as a tradwife, is equally anxious, especially since her flawless public image is on the verge of imploding. Meanwhile, Jordan, the eldest, a high-powered crisis communications expert, is ready to be rid of the house so she can tend to her own professional disaster.

As old memories are stirred up and the sisters navigate both the packing of the house and their personal crises, the arrival of Calvin’s new wife pushes Jordan, Natalie, and Mae to decide how far they’re willing to go to preserve the Shipman bond.

A delicious summer read that explores the enduring power of family and sister connections, Down with the Shipmans is a humorous, heartfelt reminder that home is not a place, but the people who love you, no matter how imperfectly.
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When summer comes along, I want nothing more than to head to the beach...and if I can't be on a beach, I want at least to be able to visit one in the pages of whatever book I happen to be reading. For the past two years, Meg Mitchell Moore has given me that opportunity, and I am happy to say that I enjoyed her latest novel just as much as I did last year's Mansion Beach, although they were very different kinds of stories. In this book, we are introduced to three very different sisters, living three very different lives, who are brought back together at the behest of their father to spend what turns out to be their last summer in their late mother's beloved beach house. This turns into a exploration of their grief over the loss of their mother and this important tie to her, as they learn new things about each other and repair cracks in their relationships with one another that have been forming for a long time. Along the way, they also find out that some assumptions they have made in the past might not be true, and they all grow, both together and separately, in profound ways. While this presents as a beach read, there is complexity to the writing that had me wanting to sit with the Shipman sisters and dive deep into their individual stories...until I reached the point of the book where I could not put it down, and then I raced through to the finish and stayed up way too late until I had read every last word. And that, in my opinion, is the best kind of book. I look forward to reading more from this author.

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The Final Target by Nora Roberts

The Final Target by Nora Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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He showed up at Arden Bowie’s debut author appearance with a copy of her novel and an eager smile. He showered her with compliments and got her autograph. Then he came to her next event. And the one after that.

Dustin was just an aspiring writer who wanted advice, Arden reassured herself. But after giving in to one of his incessant invitations and chatting with him over coffee, she discovered that ignoring her inner alarm bell had been a terrible mistake…

An introvert at heart, Arden had long craved solitude—but now, after a harrowing assault, she finds herself hiding behind locked doors and startling at every sound. And her relief at his imprisonment is tempered by anxiety when Dustin’s wealthy mother helps to get him a paltry five-year sentence at a psychiatric facility.

Arden decides to write a new story for herself, moving to a tiny Oregon town and befriending Gideon, an ex-LAPD detective. But while she learns to thrive, Dustin remains his delusional, twisted self, as fixated as ever and now seething with anger. He still believes Arden's purpose on earth is to serve and please him. And his job is to protect her. But who will protect her from him?
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No one does romantic suspense like Nora Roberts, and over the last several years, these standalone books she releases each year have become one of the highlights of my early summer reading list. Books like Mind Games and Identity still live rent-free in my head several years after I have read them. Well, they are going to have to make room for The Final Target because this is another memorable thriller from an author who continues write hits year after year.

Arden is the strong female protagonist that we can always expect in Roberts's books, and she finds herself up against a "fan" who initially appears unassuming but quickly becomes terrifying. She rebuilds her life and finds happiness, but is her foe waiting in the wings, just waiting for another chance with his favorite author?

The level of suspense in this book was perfect. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and the twists and turns had me reading straight through the day until I made it to the last page. The romance story that was interwoven throughout had a nice slow burn that did not fall into the trap of a hero rescuing a lady in distress (even though there were times that Arden was definitely in distress). I was left completely satisfied, which is exactly what I have come to expect from Nora Roberts's standalone novels and what keeps me coming back to read them year after year. This was an easy 5-star rating for me.

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