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april_soukup's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
vlynch5's review against another edition
3.0
When we meet Hannah, she’s stuck. She has an okay job as an advice columnist and spends her days caring for her high school boyfriend who has been in a semi-vegetative state for the past twelve years. Sounds fun, right?
While we don’t know what happened to Hannah’s boyfriend, but it’s clear that something traumatic happened, and that Hannah blames herself. It all very Dive From Clausen’s Pier-esce. So when her old friends, who she spent her summers with on Montauk growing up, decide to reunite for a weekend, Hannah reluctantly gives in.
Things have changed and the girls have grown into very different women. They can’t really go back, but there is something that stays the same when old friends get together. Spending the weekend together, memories are dug up, some good, some bad, and secrets are shared.
East Coast Girls is a solid novel dealing with friendship and what we carry with us from our past. I normally love these types of books. Give me some female friends, a beach, some secrets, maybe a hunk or two and I’m set.
This one took a little bit of time for me to get into. And it’s not quite straight female friendship, but also a little suspense, so I wasn’t sure exactly what I was reading for maybe the first fourth of the novel.
Still, it’s a great read for anyone who loved Summer Sisters, Maine, or even Dive From Clausen’s Pier. Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out May 26, 2020. Get your copy!
While we don’t know what happened to Hannah’s boyfriend, but it’s clear that something traumatic happened, and that Hannah blames herself. It all very Dive From Clausen’s Pier-esce. So when her old friends, who she spent her summers with on Montauk growing up, decide to reunite for a weekend, Hannah reluctantly gives in.
Things have changed and the girls have grown into very different women. They can’t really go back, but there is something that stays the same when old friends get together. Spending the weekend together, memories are dug up, some good, some bad, and secrets are shared.
East Coast Girls is a solid novel dealing with friendship and what we carry with us from our past. I normally love these types of books. Give me some female friends, a beach, some secrets, maybe a hunk or two and I’m set.
This one took a little bit of time for me to get into. And it’s not quite straight female friendship, but also a little suspense, so I wasn’t sure exactly what I was reading for maybe the first fourth of the novel.
Still, it’s a great read for anyone who loved Summer Sisters, Maine, or even Dive From Clausen’s Pier. Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out May 26, 2020. Get your copy!
myrdyr's review against another edition
4.0
3.7/5 stars. I borrowed this book from a friend and didn’t really read the description. My usual genre is Mystery/Thriller, so I kept expecting the plot to go in that direction and had to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t going to. I enjoyed it.
wolfalex's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
youtookmyfries's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
meganwhitis's review against another edition
3.0
Oh this book. I wanted to love it, I really did. But unfortunately, it fell flat for me. In a number of ways. Let me start with what I did like...
The friendships between the girls and the changing perspectives - I am all for reading about how friendships have unfolded & manged throughout the years!
The build up to the "accident" - because of course this hooked me into the book and made me want to read more
Their time spent back at the beach
What I didn't like:
The accident didn't seem to connect with the story at all
We only got perspective from 3 of the 4 girls - where was the other's one perspective?
I normally like unlikable characters but man, every one of these girls was so unlikable
Overall, it's a good summer read if you're into drama & reading about friendships but it just wasn't the book for me.
The friendships between the girls and the changing perspectives - I am all for reading about how friendships have unfolded & manged throughout the years!
The build up to the "accident" - because of course this hooked me into the book and made me want to read more
Their time spent back at the beach
What I didn't like:
The accident didn't seem to connect with the story at all
We only got perspective from 3 of the 4 girls - where was the other's one perspective?
I normally like unlikable characters but man, every one of these girls was so unlikable
Overall, it's a good summer read if you're into drama & reading about friendships but it just wasn't the book for me.
mgierosky's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book because I really enjoy the author’s writing style and how she depicts her characters. However, this just wasn’t for me. I hate the overdone plot of “something traumatic happened but we don’t know what it was but it’s constantly being brought up and danced around.” Also, the synopsis for the book says “tragedy strikes again” when they return to Montauk. Did I miss something??? I kept waiting for a catastrophe to occur and nothing happened?
lindsayjoie's review against another edition
5.0
If you're looking for a beachy read to get you through this pandemic, East Coast Girls has you covered. Though so much more than just a beach read, the setting of Montauk is so wonderfully alive in this novel. It's a character in and of itself - making you feel like you are back in the beach house and town with these girls.
"But there was no way to explain a phobia to anyone who didn't have one."
Being in Hannah, Blue, and Maya's point of view in alternating chapters gives this novel a depth that I think would be lost if there was only one POV. I identified most with Hannah, having my own OCD tendencies and fear of germs. Some of the descriptions of her panic attacks and obsessions felt so real to me. (Trigger Warning: if you have an anxiety disorder or anxious tendencies, read this book when you are in a good place mentally).
"How much she'd taken those friendships for granted. No one told her how much harder it was in adulthood to build a family out of nothing. How unmoored a person could be without those connections. but then, who would have?"
I love the friendship of the four girls. The found family dynamic is one that I really enjoy in novels, and I liked the added depth that each of these girls felt uniquely rejected by their families, but bonded over the universal hurt that came with those rejections.
"May was starting to think that all people were in need of love's rescue and women were sometimes just more honest about it."
What I love most about this novel is how unique each woman is. Their stories are so different, but each one is super important and integral to both the group's past and future. In the end, nothing can keep them from coming together, to be there for each other during life's toughest moments.
This novel is about forgiveness, love, friendship, and most of all, growing up. What a wonderful follow up novel for Kerry Kletter.
East Coast Girls by Kerry Kletter releases May 26, 2020. You can preorder it wherever books are sold.
"But there was no way to explain a phobia to anyone who didn't have one."
Being in Hannah, Blue, and Maya's point of view in alternating chapters gives this novel a depth that I think would be lost if there was only one POV. I identified most with Hannah, having my own OCD tendencies and fear of germs. Some of the descriptions of her panic attacks and obsessions felt so real to me. (Trigger Warning: if you have an anxiety disorder or anxious tendencies, read this book when you are in a good place mentally).
"How much she'd taken those friendships for granted. No one told her how much harder it was in adulthood to build a family out of nothing. How unmoored a person could be without those connections. but then, who would have?"
I love the friendship of the four girls. The found family dynamic is one that I really enjoy in novels, and I liked the added depth that each of these girls felt uniquely rejected by their families, but bonded over the universal hurt that came with those rejections.
"May was starting to think that all people were in need of love's rescue and women were sometimes just more honest about it."
What I love most about this novel is how unique each woman is. Their stories are so different, but each one is super important and integral to both the group's past and future. In the end, nothing can keep them from coming together, to be there for each other during life's toughest moments.
This novel is about forgiveness, love, friendship, and most of all, growing up. What a wonderful follow up novel for Kerry Kletter.
East Coast Girls by Kerry Kletter releases May 26, 2020. You can preorder it wherever books are sold.
ltzreads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0