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olivias_bookrecs's review
slow-paced
3.5
Loved Keaton’s relationship with her brother and am glad we got POVs from Keaton and her grandmother. Slower-paced, some romance and mystery, cute southern beach town. Not a lot of depth to Keaton’s relationship with Bowen but I loved her interactions with Anderson.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Suicide
kdailyreads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infertility and War
hellosarahpham's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Dementia
chailady's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is a cute meet romance, with a lovely duel timeline that is so well written. The Saint James home has been in the family for two hundred and fifty four years, but no one has lived there since 1976. When Kenton’s life falls apart her mother and uncle ask her to go to their family home and ready it for sale.
Beaufort is a lovely coastal town where everyone knows you and your business. The setting is wonderful, the house is locked into the ‘70’s, and the neighbor is handsome and his son is adorable. The author moves easily through the two timelines of Beck Saint James and her granddaughter, Keaton. Several lovely minor characters who help make this story. One does have to suspend some beliefs in order to accept why no one has lived there since the Saint James disappeared. But it is a heartwarming story of love.
Beaufort is a lovely coastal town where everyone knows you and your business. The setting is wonderful, the house is locked into the ‘70’s, and the neighbor is handsome and his son is adorable. The author moves easily through the two timelines of Beck Saint James and her granddaughter, Keaton. Several lovely minor characters who help make this story. One does have to suspend some beliefs in order to accept why no one has lived there since the Saint James disappeared. But it is a heartwarming story of love.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Dementia, and Death of parent
tklear's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
There should be trigger warnings about this book.
There are so many flashbacks and flash forwards, it is disorienting.
Additionally, the author does understand the Christian faith or Catholic faith the way she suggests. It makes me sad for her, the author.
I live in Carteret County and believe the author did capture the tenor of the town’s culture.
There are so many flashbacks and flash forwards, it is disorienting.
Additionally, the author does understand the Christian faith or Catholic faith the way she suggests. It makes me sad for her, the author.
I live in Carteret County and believe the author did capture the tenor of the town’s culture.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Abandonment, and Alcohol
okiecozyreader's review
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I don’t know if I could love a book more than this one. I really didn’t want it to end. I love Kristy’s writing - the way she chooses phrases that make me smile and are just plain clever. I love how her books have multiple generations and are always full of love.
This one follows Keaton back to her grandparent’s house to clean it up for sale after she and her influencer boss part ways. Once she gets to Beaufort, NC, she finds the house just as it was the day their car was found in a lake and the grandparents missing.
She quickly runs into a precocious boy, who happens to live next door with his (single) father. As she begins to go through her grandparent’s things, she finds journals and entertaining tips that help her piece more of their story to her. Through alternating chapters with these tips and her grandmother Becks’ words, we get to learn their story, too.
She also meets her grandmother’s closest friends, The Dockhouse Dames, that worked together to raise money for the historical society with a house tour. They would like her house to be on the tour as a representation of the 70s when the tour started.
So much to love in this perfect summer read. A mystery, family / generational difficulties and secrets, and a little romance.
Kristy’s release party with Friends and Fiction is so much fun and worth watching. She talks about how she came up with character names, the tips from Becks, the idea behind the book and so much more! https://www.youtube.com/live/kmt5LjWgorc?si=McB5ytk14RFGUxY1
"Where the sky meets the sea" p106
"I could not possibly have had a happier life." P160
“My relationship with Allison is a lot like my relationship with my mother. I take care of her. I do her dirty work. Maybe it's dysfunctional, but this is what makes us work. This is a role I know how to play.” P174
“…maybe I coula stay here, that maybe I could make a new life, a happier life.” P193
This one follows Keaton back to her grandparent’s house to clean it up for sale after she and her influencer boss part ways. Once she gets to Beaufort, NC, she finds the house just as it was the day their car was found in a lake and the grandparents missing.
She quickly runs into a precocious boy, who happens to live next door with his (single) father. As she begins to go through her grandparent’s things, she finds journals and entertaining tips that help her piece more of their story to her. Through alternating chapters with these tips and her grandmother Becks’ words, we get to learn their story, too.
She also meets her grandmother’s closest friends, The Dockhouse Dames, that worked together to raise money for the historical society with a house tour. They would like her house to be on the tour as a representation of the 70s when the tour started.
So much to love in this perfect summer read. A mystery, family / generational difficulties and secrets, and a little romance.
Kristy’s release party with Friends and Fiction is so much fun and worth watching. She talks about how she came up with character names, the tips from Becks, the idea behind the book and so much more! https://www.youtube.com/live/kmt5LjWgorc?si=McB5ytk14RFGUxY1
"Where the sky meets the sea" p106
"I could not possibly have had a happier life." P160
“My relationship with Allison is a lot like my relationship with my mother. I take care of her. I do her dirty work. Maybe it's dysfunctional, but this is what makes us work. This is a role I know how to play.” P174
“…maybe I coula stay here, that maybe I could make a new life, a happier life.” P193
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer and Suicide
hilarymaloy's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
andrearbooks's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.25
I will offer the disclaimer that the feelings I have about this book are more about me as a reader than the book. I think there are a group of humans who will love this, but for me, it was emotionally heavier than I was expecting. I found that a lot to process, however I can also appreciate the way this component part of the story around family secrets was built, especially as the truth was revealed.
I do always love a story of a woman finding her way even when that restart is hard, and I especially love a hometown return, so those pieces of this one were great for me. This was a story that was easy to read and well-told, but again, be ready for some feels when you jump in. Thanks to the publisher for the early look at this June 2024 release!
I do always love a story of a woman finding her way even when that restart is hard, and I especially love a hometown return, so those pieces of this one were great for me. This was a story that was easy to read and well-told, but again, be ready for some feels when you jump in. Thanks to the publisher for the early look at this June 2024 release!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, and Dementia
mishale1's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really, really enjoyed this book. It dealt with some topics that I don’t love reading about (cancer!) but I was still completely compelled!
Keaton needs a fresh start after leaving a job she loved and ending a relationship. She winds up getting pulled into a project to help her mom but it helps Keaton too.
Keaton never knew her grandparents. They passed away long before Keaton was born. It’s been 50 years and their sudden deaths were so traumatizing to Keaton’s mom and uncle that they just never went back to their old house again.
Here’s the amazing part…because of what I previously mentioned, Keaton is able to walk into her grandparents’ home exactly as it was 50 years ago!
Just imagine that. Imagine being able to walk back into a family home that was unchanged. The shoes are by the couch, notes by the phone, books on tables, you name it.
Of course at first this just seems daunting. There’s a lot of work Keaton will have to do before she can sell the house.
But soon she starts learning about her grandparents and their love story. She starts getting to know her own family, then though they had passed away before her birth.
As she gets the house ready, she starts meeting the neighbors. She feels attached to her handsome neighbor and his young son.
And the older generation share stories with Keaton about her grandparents.
Between their stories, and the journals they left behind, Keaton starts to understand her mother’s concern that her parents didn’t really did in a car accident.
So we get a mystery as well as a love story.
I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend reading it!
Keaton needs a fresh start after leaving a job she loved and ending a relationship. She winds up getting pulled into a project to help her mom but it helps Keaton too.
Keaton never knew her grandparents. They passed away long before Keaton was born. It’s been 50 years and their sudden deaths were so traumatizing to Keaton’s mom and uncle that they just never went back to their old house again.
Here’s the amazing part…because of what I previously mentioned, Keaton is able to walk into her grandparents’ home exactly as it was 50 years ago!
Just imagine that. Imagine being able to walk back into a family home that was unchanged. The shoes are by the couch, notes by the phone, books on tables, you name it.
Of course at first this just seems daunting. There’s a lot of work Keaton will have to do before she can sell the house.
But soon she starts learning about her grandparents and their love story. She starts getting to know her own family, then though they had passed away before her birth.
As she gets the house ready, she starts meeting the neighbors. She feels attached to her handsome neighbor and his young son.
And the older generation share stories with Keaton about her grandparents.
Between their stories, and the journals they left behind, Keaton starts to understand her mother’s concern that her parents didn’t really did in a car accident.
So we get a mystery as well as a love story.
I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend reading it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Minor: Death of parent