Book Review: Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw

Pages: 304

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: July 7, 2026

Publisher: Atria

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "The night Clay Lockhart’s wife dies, a violent storm tears their home—and the eight hectares of land beneath it—away from the Scottish coast, sending it adrift into the Atlantic. Thirty years later, twelve-year-old Ellie Mills discovers the fabled floating island off the coast of Nova Scotia and finds Clay still living in the weatherworn farmhouse perched on its highest hill.

When the island vanishes overnight, Ellie is left questioning whether it ever existed at all. But decades later, now in her thirties, the island resurfaces—and Ellie returns, determined to uncover the truth. What she finds is even Clay hasn’t aged a single day.

Faced with the impossible, Ellie learns that some mysteries aren’t meant to be solved—and that a life shaped by wonder may hold more promise than one bound by certainty.

Spanning centuries and coastlines, Habits of the Sea is a haunting, romantic journey through time, memory, and the invisible tides that pull us home."

 

 

Clay Lockhart's wife dies on the night a storm ravages his home along the Scottish coast, and the storm is so strong that it tears apart the strip of land his house is on and forms an island. This island floats away into the sea, adrift forever. People question Ellie's version of the story until one day twelve-year-old Ellie Mills spots the floating island off of Nova Scotia and ends up meeting Clay. The next day, the island is gone, and it has Ellie wondering if it even existed. Years later, the island returns and is spotted by many. Now Ellis is a grown woman and she wants to meet Clay once again and finally get some answers to her long-awaited questions. When she does, she finds out Clay hasn't aged at all. Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw is a beautifully written and genre-bending sort of romance that transports readers.
 
Immediately the premise of Habits of the Sea sucked me in. I mean, what a concept! I was intrigued. People were even making comparisons to Outlander, and if you know me, you know that is right up my alley. Plus, Ernshaw, who is a new-to-me author, writes beautifully and lyrically. However in the end, Habits of the Sea had so much potential, but the romance really fell flat for me. I just didn't feel connected to the characters as much as I wanted to, and in turn, the pacing of the story felt slow to me at times.
 
What truly stood out in Ernshaw's work was her genre-bending and atmospheric storytelling. I appreciated the magical realism woven into the narrative as well as the Gothic elements, and her lyrical writing brought those elements to life beautifully. However, despite her outstanding writing, I found Habits of the Sea to be just okay in the end. Have you read Habits of the Sea? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Mini Reviews: Backlist Beach Reads

 

Every summer, I like to pick up some of the beach reads collecting dust on my shelves. I always seem to gravitate toward Elin Hilderbrand’s backlist of novels I haven’t read yet. I also picked up a summery romance that filled the Bridgerton void.

 

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

Pages:

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: November 8, 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown and Co

Source: Personal Copy

Other Books By Author:  The Five-Star Weekend,

Golden Girl,  The Hotel Nantucket, Swan Song,

Winter Street, 28 Summers,  Summer of '69,   

Beautiful Day, The Island, The Blue Bistro,

The Perfect Couple, The Castaways, and Winter in Paradise 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Meredith Martin Delinn just lost everything: her friends, her homes, her social standing - because her husband Freddy cheated rich investors out of billions of dollars.

Desperate and facing homelessness, Meredith receives a call from her old best friend, Constance Flute. Connie's had recent worries of her own, and the two depart for a summer on Nantucket in an attempt to heal. But the island can't offer complete escape, and they're plagued by new and old troubles alike. When Connie's brother Toby - Meredith's high school boyfriend - arrives, Meredith must reconcile the differences between the life she is leading and the life she could have had.

Set against the backdrop of a Nantucket summer, Elin Hilderbrand delivers a suspenseful story of the power of friendship, the pull of love, and the beauty of forgiveness."

 

 

 

 

Meredith Delinn is living in the lap of luxury at her Park Avenue apartment along with her husband and two sons. Her husband, Freddy, is a self-made businessman, but one fateful day her world is turned upside down. Freddy is arrested as he is the creator of a Ponzi scheme; it's a financial disaster for her family, not to mention all the families he swindled money from. She flees her Park Ave apartment for her best friend's beach house on Nantucket. Things with her best friend, Connie, have been shaky for the last few years, but Connie knows her friend needs her, so she opens her house to her. Plus, Connie has been dealing with her own problems; her husband has died of cancer, she is all alone now, and her daughter isn't speaking to her. These two women need each other, and Nantucket is the perfect spot to hide from the world. Elin Hilderbrand's Silver Girl is a beach read that tackles heavy topics, but keeps it light overall and keeps the focus on strong female friendship as well as the chance to start over after tragedy.
 
Meredith is now living as an outcast in New York City, where people recognize her and give her grief; she can’t even visit her hairdresser. Once she arrives in Nantucket, she hopes to fly under the radar, but soon people start to notice her there as well. Her husband has embezzled so much money that she has become a national figure, leading to her recognition on Nantucket, which adds stress to Connie. Also, the story alternates between the perspectives of Meredith and Connie as both women navigate difficult issues during the summer. It also includes flashbacks to their childhood and adolescence on Philadelphia's Main Line. As someone who is very familiar with the Main Line, I got a kick out of all the references to local landmarks included in the story.  To complicate matters further, Toby, Connie's brother and Meredith’s first love, is also coming to Nantucket for the summer. It becomes a season for new beginnings, second chances, forgiveness, and rebuilding their lives step by step. While Silver Girl wasn’t my favorite of Hilderbrand’s beach reads, it was still a solid tale set in a memorable location.

 

 

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Pages: 384

Genre: Romance

Pub. Date: October 26, 2004

Publisher: Avon

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Four young ladies at the side of the ballroom make a pact to help each other find husbands . . . no matter what it takes.

Proud and beautiful Annabelle Peyton could have her pick of suitors—if only she had a dowry. Her family is on the brink of disaster, and the only way Annabelle can save them is to marry a wealthy man. Unfortunately her most persistent admirer is the brash Simon Hunt, a handsome and ambitious entrepreneur who wants her as his mistress.

Annabelle is determined to resist Simon's wicked propositions, but she can't deny her attraction to the boldly seductive rogue, any more than he can resist the challenge she presents. As they try to outmaneuver each other, they find themselves surrendering to a love more powerful than they could have ever imagined. But fate may have other plans—and it will take all of Annabelle's courage to face a peril that could destroy everything she holds dear."

 

 

 

Annabelle Peyton is tired of being looked over. Her family, once extremely wealthy and part of the aristocracy, is going through difficult times. This is making it hard to find an advantageous match. She, along with three of her friends, are referred to as The Wallflowers as they are always left aside towards the wall of the ballroom. The Wallflowers decide they will work together to help one another find a successful match. Annabelle has her sights set on a wealthy aristocrat, but she is constantly distracted by Simon Hunt, a brash entrepreneur not entirely accepted by society. At first, he wants to make Annabelle his mistress, but soon, he is getting more serious with his propositions, and it gets Annabelle thinking about what she wants, not what society dictates. Lisa Kleypas tackles the Regency period as well as the issues in society during this time in Secrets of a Summer Night, the first installment of her Wallflowers series.  
 
I am a huge fan of the Bridgerton series, and I thought that Kleypas's Wallflower series might fill that void. And while I don't find it as compelling as Bridgerton, it was still very similar and enjoyable. In Secrets of a Summer Night, I enjoyed Annabelle and had high hopes for her quest to find a match as she is without a dowry. Also, I enjoyed her friendship with the other wallflowers, Dasy, Lillian, and Evie; they are all unique and each character gets their own book going forward in the series. This was my first novel by Kleypas, and I enjoyed it, especially the audiobook, which I occasionally listened to as it is narrated by the fantastic Rosayln Landor, who also narrates the Bridgerton series. 

 

Have you read either of these backlist books? Let me know in the comments below. 

Mini Reviews: A Touch of Magic

 

Sometimes some of the best romances are the ones with touches of magic in it. That's the case with these two new romances that are perfect for a light summer read.

 

 

An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton 

Pages: 352

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: July 7, 2026

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author:  The House on Biscayne Bay,

The Last Train to Key West,  When We Left Cuba, Next Year in Havana, Our Last Days in Barcelona, The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes,

The Cuban Heiress,  The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door.

Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars.

As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her."

 

 

Vivian Mitchell is a former journalist from D.C. and is now married to Joe, an astronaut at NASA. It's the 1960s, the peak of the Space Race, and her husband is on a mission to the moon. Joe's spacecraft loses contact with mission control. NASA says that Joe and his crew are now lost in space and is pointing the blame at Joe, who was the mission commander. Vivian knows this can't be right, and from talking for countless hours with Joe, perhaps NASA rushed this mission, and things weren't as safe as they thought. She plans on partaking in an interview with a top journalist in D.C. about this very issue, but then Vivian starts to get weird and unexplainable messages from Joe, who is supposed to be dead. One message says, "Wait for me," and now it has Vivian thinking about wormholes, time travel, and more. How could Joe be communicating with her? Chanel Cleeton's An Infinite Love Story is just that. It's a swoonworthy romance set during the space race of the 1960s. It's compelling, emotional, and a perfect summer escape. 
 
I really loved Joe and Vivian's romance from the start in An Infinite Love Story. Cleeton provides flashbacks to the start of their courtship and Vivian's time working as a journalist. Cleeton does a really great job bringing to life the 1960s and the excitement around astronauts, NASA, and the race to get to space. The real star of the show is Vivian and Joe's romance, which was oh-so-sweet and memorable. Even when the story started to venture into magical realism with the discussion of wormholes and time travel, I was still entirely invested. While it wasn't my favorite of Cleeton's historical novels, I thought it was a solid novel about a most compelling time period in America.

 

 

Every Version of You by Natalie Messier 

Pages: 368

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: July 7, 2026

Publisher: Gallery

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says,  "Joey Vasquez’s life is the definition of good on paper. At thirty-two, she’s a Los Angeles lawyer on the cusp of making partner, but while she’s a professional success, she’s a personal disaster. Her social life mostly consists of nights spent watching TV with her elderly cat. Life isn’t quite what she dreamed when she was younger, but really, whose life is?

But a dinner party with the best friend she’s secretly pined after for years and its aftermath changes everything.

When Joey is given a second chance at life, she finds herself in college again. Armed with memories from her first life, Joey is certain she’s come back to finally convince the one man she ever loved to love her back—so why does she find herself strangely drawn to the man she thought she hated?"

 

 

 

 

Josephina Vasquez, or Joey for short, is a corporate lawyer living a most uninspired life. She isn't talking to her best friend, things with her family are strained, and she has so many regrets. Regret number one: never sharing her feelings with her college crush, Elijah Aarons. She missed her chance, and Elijah, or Ellie for short, is now married. During a dinner party at his house, she finds out that he and his wife are expecting a baby, and to top it off, she finds herself in an argument with another college friend, Alex, who drives her nuts. Feeling rather forlorn, she drives home in a cloud of sadness and gets into an accident. Then she finds herself in a strange room being offered a second chance at her life. So Joey finds herself able to start fresh again; she is back at college and able to do everything all over. Maybe she doesn't want to be a lawyer anymore, and maybe this time she will pursue Ellie differently and make her feelings known. But what is even more compelling is the fact that she finds herself hitting it off with Alex this time around. Every Version of You by Natalie Messier is a lovely story involving some magical touches and second chances.
 
Who doesn't wish they could wake up and re-do parts of their life again? Knowing what you know now, maybe you would play it out differently this time? Well, Joey gets this chance due to her many regrets, and she finds herself back at college, where her regrets really started. She has a chance to pursue Ellie, change things with her family, and even switch her major, ultimately starting a different career. Who says she wants to be a lawyer anyway? Every Version of You examines life and how every moment counts and makes you think about the decisions we make. It tugged on my heartstrings for sure, so if you are looking for an emotional and contemplative summer read, this fits the bill.

 

 

Have you read An Infinite Love Story or Every Version of You? Let me know in the comments below.  

 

Book Review: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Pages: 400

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: April 7, 2026

Publisher: Knopf

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and her followers are sick with envy. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What her followers don’t know won’t hurt them.

Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.

As darkly funny as it is shocking and gripping, Yesteryear is an electrifying examination of tradition, fame, faith and the grand performance of womanhood, from a thrilling new talent in fiction."

 

 

 

Natalie Heller Mills is living what looks like the perfect life online. She has married into a powerful political family; she and her husband share a bunch of kids on an idyllic farm in Idaho, and she has scored a ton of internet followers by peddling her tradwife life on her ranch, Yesteryear. She isn't your usual country wife though; she churns her own butter, makes her own bread, takes care of the farm, and lives (what appears to be) a life on her sprawling farmhouse. Except behind the scenes, she has two nannies, a marriage that is crumbling, and a team of producers to film her. She doesn't even spend time with her kids; instead, she cultivates her online presence and exploits the children for her online fame. When a new producer, Shannon, comes on board, she threatens to expose online Natalie versus offline Natalie, and in turn, her world threatens to come crumbling down. Plus, there's the huge problem that after some indeterminate amount of time, Natalie wakes up at Yesteryear, but in 1855. Her kids look like her kids, but aren't, and same with Caleb, her husband. She is trapped in a different and dangerous time, and she wants out. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke is a sizzling debut that is satirical, compelling, and at times, very dark.
 
Natalie is a character that you can't help but dislike right from the start in Yesteryear. I knew this going into Yesteryear, but her character really bothered me. She is so tragically flawed that I found it difficult to get through the book. It's clear that she struggles with mental health issues, and I didn't enjoy being immersed in her world. The stress! The flashbacks to her childhood and college years do help to illustrate her background and how she ended up to became an online tradwife influencer. I don't know much about tradwife influencers. I've heard that Ballerina Farms inspired this novel, but perhaps that lack of knowledge affected my understanding of the story. It felt like the book was trying too hard to convey a message about women, MAGA culture, unconventional society, and a specific group of individuals who believe this is the superior way to live. Natalie appeared to be deluded, and I found it uncomfortable to navigate her existence, which involved medicating just to get through the day and dissociating from reality. 
 
Nonetheless, Yesteryear made for a compelling novel. It was like a car crash on the side of the road. I knew it was going to be rough, but I couldn't stop looking as we drove past. I will give Burke a lot of credit, though; she created a novel that is compulsively readable and crafty. I just wish it was easier to stomach. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. 
 
Have you read Yesteryear? Many people feel it is one of the best books of the year, but ultimately, it was just ok for me. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  

 

Mini Reviews: Beach Reads with Memorable Settings

 

There's nothing like a beach read with a setting that is beautiful, glamorous, and, of course, memorable. That's immediately what I thought when I read that The May House is set on Coronado Island, set across from the bay from downtown San Diego. Who wouldn't want to spend a glorious week there? And then, of course, there's Nantucket, the setting of Worse Than Strangers. It's where everyone's favorite beach read always seems to take place.

 

The May House by Jillian Cantor

Pages: 368

Genre: Adult Fiction/Beach Read

Publisher: Atria

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "No matter what’s going on in the May sisters’ lives, the one thing they can rely upon is seeing each other for one week each year, while staying at their grandmother’s beachside home in gorgeous Coronado. As adults, Julia, Emily, and Nora aren’t particularly close, spread out across the country and busy with careers, relationships, and the minutia of life, but their promise to Grandma Vera keeps them anchored together, if only for one week every May.

One year Julia, the oldest and most dependable sister, doesn’t show. And suddenly Nora and Emily start to question how much they truly know about their sister’s life. Told in alternating points of view, spanning from their time together with Grandma Vera as kids into their adult lives, The May House explores how a decades-long family secret has unknowingly shaped each sister and, ultimately, how it brings them closer together.

Funny, poignant, and brimming with heart, The May House is an irresistible story about the special bond between sisters and figuring out what matters most in life, in all its ups and downs.

 

The May sisters have inherited a beach house from their Grandmother on beautiful Coronado Island. They have been going there for a week in May ever since they were little, and they always promised their grandmother they would return every year. Now the sisters are adults and dealing with real-world issues, finding it hard to carve out time to come back. However, despite their obstacles, all three sisters have met each year for a week of bonding by the sea. Except this year, Julia, the eldest sister, doesn't come and is nowhere to be found. This leaves Emily and Nora confused, as their older sister has always been dependable. How well do they know her? The May House by Jillian Cantor is a solid beach read with a gorgeous California setting, perfect for fans of stories involving sisterhood and family drama.
 
The three May sisters don't have much in common except for their beach house, as they don't actively participate in each other's adult lives. Their bond is rooted in their Grandmother Vera, who has helped care for them since their mother's death. The story unfolds through the various points of view of the sisters, along with flashbacks to past summers, providing readers with deeper insights into the May sisters' backstories. A common thread among the sisters is their next-door neighbor, Nate, who is Julia's former boyfriend and Nora's long-time crush. There is also a secret box of letters that Grandma Vera keeps hidden, which threatens to reveal some family secrets. The May House offers a charming beach read, and having just visited Coronado made the experience even more enjoyable.
 

 

 

 

 

Worse Than Strangers by Kyleigh Leddy 

Pages: 320

Genre: Romance/Beach Read

Pub. Date: June 23, 2026

Publisher: Gallery

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "A debut novel for fans of Jane Austen, Elin Hilderbrand, and Gilmore Girls, Worse Than Strangers is a Nantucket-set retelling of Austen’s Persuasion about finding romance, second chances, and a new path in life.

Rose and Lily are best friends first, mother-daughter second, which is good because right now, Lily could really use a friend. Recently fired from her NYC magazine job and heartbroken, Lily has fled to the family cottage in Siasconset. She is shocked when she stumbles across her first love at the grocery store holding hands with his new fiancé—a fiancé he never mentioned on their many, many late-night phone calls.

Rose has secrets, too. A therapist about to start her own private practice, Rose’s world is rocked by the handsome renter staying in their guest cottage, Thomas Wentworth: the one person she thought she would never see again and the man who has always (unfortunately) held her heart.

A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion set against a backdrop of blue and purple hydrangeas, swollen brick sidewalks, tall sea grass, and uniform, shingled houses, Lily and Rose Gardner’s summer journey of second chances, healing, and hope begs the question: Can you repeat the past, and is it ever too late to try again?"

 

Rose and Lily are a mother-daughter duo similar to The Gilmore Girls. Rose is a beautiful single mother and therapist, and Lily is making her way in the world in NYC, but they are still as close as ever. Unfortunately, Lily gets fired from her job in NYC and returns home with her tail between her legs to her mother's cottage on Nantucket. This cottage holds a special place in her heart as it was her beloved great-aunt's cottage and she spent many summers there. Upon her arrival on the small island, she runs into her first love and former boyfriend, Henry, at the grocery store holding hands with his new fiancée. This shocks Lily as they had just spoken not too long ago and he never mentioned her. Lily and Henry never really had a clean break, so this hits her hard. She is set for a summer of rebuilding her life when her mother rents out the other cottage next door and finds out it's been rented to Thomas Wentworth, a man who played an important role in Rose's life. This is proving to be a complicated summer for Rose and Lily, filled with second chances and finding their way. Kyleigh Leddy's Worse Than Strangers is a wonderful retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion and makes for a delightful beach read.
 
First and foremost, Persuasion is my favorite of Austen's novels, so I couldn't wait to dive into a modern retelling. I enjoyed every aspect of this novel, especially how each chapter was presented from the perspectives of Lily and Rose, along with a few chapters from their beloved aunt, Lottie. Leddy also did a fantastic job of bringing Nantucket to life; she truly conveyed a strong sense of place. It was clear that she spent a lot of time there, and I appreciated the vivid details about the gardens, restaurants, beaches, and more. While Leddy addressed some difficult topics, such as cancer and addiction, she managed to keep the narrative light, ensuring it never felt overly heavy. The arrival of extra family members at the cottage added humor to the story while maintaining a strong focus on rebuilding their lives and mending past relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed the debut novel Worse Than Strangers and can't wait to see what Leddy writes next.
 
Have you read either The May House or Worse Than Strangers? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  

 

Book Review: Love You More by Emily Giffin

 

Pages: 336

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: July 7, 2026

Publisher: Ballantine

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Summer Pact,

Meant to Be, The Lies that Bind, First Comes Love, 

and Something Borrowed 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Billie has built the perfect life. Her practice as a doctor in New York City is thriving, and she’s finally found the right partner in Dean after years spent trying to move on from her high-school sweetheart, Mick. Their young love had been intense and true, but distance and ambition pulled them apart when she left Wisconsin for medical school.

Then one morning, just after accepting Dean’s romantic marriage proposal, Billie’s phone rings. It’s Mick—calling for the first time in nearly a decade. His news is urgent, and in a moment, everything changes.

As Billie boards a plane back to Wisconsin, the past comes rushing in—her friendships from home, the love she shared with Mick, and the choices that shaped them. What awaits her is a reckoning with what she’s lost, what she’s built, and what she still wants.

Gripping and deeply moving, Love You More is a story about the plot twists life throws at us—and how love, in all its forms, has the power to change everything."

 

 

Billie is an established doctor in New York City; she owns her own fertility clinic, and she is married to Dean, a successful surgeon. Things are going well for her, and she is newly engaged. A perfect life? Pretty close. But she receives a phone call from her ex-boyfriend back home in Wisconsin. Mick calls her with some upsetting and life-altering news, and she has to return to her hometown. Once there, she is reunited with her parents, her friends, and of course, Mick. Being in this close proximity to Mick brings back a lot of memories, and spending more time in Wisconsin adds to the nostalgia; New York City feels like a world away. Some big decisions and big changes are in store for Billie as she tackles the family friend emergency, and the more time she spends in Wisconsin, the more she is questioning what she wants. Emily Giffin's Love You More is being described as a Midwest Sweet Home Alabama, and that description fits it perfectly. Even though the novel tackles some depressing issues, the story kept me flipping the pages, and I wanted a happy ending for Billie. 
 
Giffin does a good job developing Billie in Love You More, as there are many flashbacks to high school and her close friend group, including her blossoming romance with Mick. It spans all of high school and college, so Giffin takes us through it all. She also develops the friendship between Erin and Billie, which also spans many years. Billie leaves both Mick and Erin behind, though, as she pursues her dreams of being a doctor. While she tries to make things work with Mick, the extended absences and all the studying, tests, etc, have her spread too thin. But the question in the back of her mind was always what would her life look like if she decided to stay or even pursue medicine closer to home? What about the path not taken?
 
While the flashbacks to high school and their romance were a bit rushed and felt like choppy narrative at times, I really enjoyed it. The summers they spent together, Mick's family orchard, and the descriptions of a Wisconsin summer were some of my favorite aspects of Love You More. Once Billie gets that phone call, things start to get serious and, in turn, a bit more melancholy.
 
My only issue with Love You More is the unrealistic turn of events after the phone call. I just don't see a successful doctor who owns a clinic in New York City upend her life as quickly as Billie did. I don't want to give too much away, but the whole thing felt rushed and really unrealistic; however, once I suspended my disbelief, I enjoyed the story a bit more.
 
While this isn't my favorite of Giffin's, I tend to enjoy some of her earlier works a bit more, I still thought Love You More was a solid beach read, especially for fans who like a story about the different paths we take in life and ultimately the question of what if? Let me know in the comments if you are a fan of Emily Giffin and if you plan on reading Love You More this summer.   

 

Book Review: Down with the Shipmans by Meg Mitchell Moore

 

Pages: 320

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: June 2, 2026

Publisher:William Morrow

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books by Author: Mansion Beach, 

The Islanders, Summer Stage, Two Truths and a Lie, 

and Vacationland 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "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.

 

Three Shipman sisters gather at their family's New Hampshire beach house for a sort of reunion after their mother's untimely passing. Except their father, Calvin, has different plans. Not only has he remarried since their mother's death, but he also wants to sell their beach house, unbeknownst to the sisters. So, this week is looking to be more than just a relaxing trip. The eldest sister, Jordan, is a high-powered communication consultant who lives and breathes her job. Natalie, the middle sister, is a bit of a tradwife influencer, except her social image is about to blow up. And lastly, there is Mae, the youngest daughter, who is dealing with some issues of her own and working on training a rescue dog. All of the sisters and their families come together for this week, and they have to deal with memories of summer's past, memories of their mother, and how each person grieves in their own way. Meg Mitchell Moore's Down with the Shipmans is a heartfelt beach read for those who enjoy a family drama with a beachy setting. 
 
I thoroughly enjoy stories that alternate between each sister's point of view, as it paints a more vivid picture of the family that way, and that's the case in Down with the Shipmans. Each sister grieves their mother's death differently and tackles the selling of the house in their own way, not to mention dealing with their father's new wife. While this is a heavy topic for a beach read, I believe Moore balances it nicely with the beach house setting and the fact that story takes place right around 4th of July.
 
If you enjoy family drama with issues that are relatable, look no further. I laughed at a few parts in Down with the Shipmans, especially dealing with the training of a rescue dog. Also, the novel tackles the complicated love of sisters, family bonds, resentments, and ultimately moving on from a death in the family. While this wasn't my favorite of Moore's novels, I enjoyed the sisters' heartfelt stories and their chance to come together once again at their beloved beach house.
 
Are you a fan of Meg Mitchell Moore? Is Down with the Shipmans on your summer TBR list? Let me know in the comments below.  
 

Book Review: The Shippers by Katherine Center

 

Pages: 336

Genre: Romance

Pub. Date: May 19. 2026

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books by Author: The Bodyguard

and The Love Haters 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "She wants him to help her woo someone else. Genius. Foolproof. Can't go wrong. After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. Armed with pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly divorced wedding guest). Determined to woo him for closure, she ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, as her wingman. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but showed up anyway. Cooper: who moved to London without a word four years ago. Cooper: who broke her heart.

Shipboard antics abound in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, as JoJo and Cooper team up, fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, get jealous, answer long-held questions, and finally, at last, discover truths about each other that will change everything."

 

 

 

 

Jojo has left her fiancé at the altar and finds herself starting over yet again; she feels she is notoriously bad at love. When her sister gets married and has a destination wedding on a cruise, she is forced to spend time not only with her quirky family but also with her childhood best friend, Cooper. Not only were they inseparable growing up, but to complicate matters further, they stopped talking after she got engaged and he moved to London four years ago. But the more time they spend together on the cruise, the more they fall into their old friendship. Cooper decides to help Jojo in the love department as she wants to gain the attention of newly divorced Finn, who was her first crush. So, over the course of the cruise, Jojo and Cooper try to flirt (and other antics) to gain Finn's attention, but the more time they spend together, the more they realize that maybe they have something there that's more than friendship. Katherine Center's The Shippers is a delightful rom-com with a great cruise ship setting; it makes for fun summer reading.
 
Jojo is a quirky kind of main character that I usually enjoy. I found myself laughing more often than not at some of the antics Jojo and her family get into on the cruise. At times, though, I did feel some of the "games" that she and Cooper were involved in felt a bit immature and got to be a little much. Nonetheless, I felt The Shippers redeemed itself, especially if you enjoy a good friends-to-lovers romance.
 
Center really did a good job developing the secondary characters in The Shippers, such as Jojo's grandmother and her cousin, Harmony. Imagine spending a week on a cruise with all of your extended family and the hilarity that would ensue. Center captured that and more. Plus, the cruise ship setting to a tropical destination makes this a great book to throw in your beach bag this summer.
 
While I felt some parts of the novel were a little overdone, and Jojo irritated me from time to time, overall, I thought The Shippers was a fun summer novel, and her fans will especially enjoy it. Readers know they can always count on a happy ending from Center! Let me know in the comments if you are a fan of Katherine Center and if you plan to read The Shippers this summer.

Book Review: June Baby by Shannon Garvey

 

Pages: 352

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: May 12, 2026

Publisher: Random House

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "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 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.

 

Ruth is seventeen years old, and her world is turned upside down when her mother dies of cancer. Her dad, unable to deal with it all, sends her to her mother's friend on Block Island. Diana is a successful photographer with her images in Vogue and other prestigious magazines. Ruth looks forward to the change of scenery and working with Diana on her upcoming book. Ruth has always aspired to be a writer, and after Diana's push, she wants to help her write her photography book. Ruth also has a transformative summer when she meets Diana's nephew, Charlie. Sparks fly, and their relationship crosses many years, all set against the backdrop of glistening Block Island. Years later, Ruth is still on Block Island, but she no longer has Diana as her anchor, and things with Charlie are strained. June Baby by Shannon Garvey is a compelling and emotional debut novel that is part coming-of-age story and part beach read. 
 
The first quarter of June Baby is heavy; it's filled with a lot of grief as Ruth deals with her mother's death from cancer. She has a lot to work through, and the book takes readers through Ruth's process. This felt pretty heavy for a beach read and, if I am honest, pretty depressing because the story kept coming back to that. It also tackled other serious topics like abortion, and at times, it felt too heavy for me. Once Ruth was able to process her grief a bit more and start her transformation while on Block Island, I felt like a heavy weight was lifted. 

I enjoyed Ruth's relationship with Diana and kept wondering what her connection was to her mother. Many secrets unfold throughout the story that kept me flipping the pages, especially those tied to her mother. Also, the romance between Charlie and Ruth was beautifully executed and perfect for a summer read. The picturesque setting of Block Island, with its dunes, seafood restaurants, sunny paths, and stunning sunsets, added to the charm. Garvey effectively brought the setting to life, creating a very atmospheric experience in June Baby.
 
While I do not like my beach reads this heavy, I still enjoyed the novel overall, and June Baby would be best suited for those readers who like a more emotional beach read than something fluffy and light. Let me know in the comments if June Baby is on your summer TBR list. 

 

Book Review: Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

 

Pages: 384

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: May 5, 2026

Publisher: Gallery

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: Slightly South of Simple, 

Feels Like Falling, Beach House Rules, A Happier Life,

Under the Southern Sky, The Wedding Veil, and

The Summer of Songbirds 

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong."

 

Daisy Stevens is burnt out; her life as a NICU nurse is exhausting, and after a rough time at work, she is hoping to start over at the coastal town of Cape Carolina in North Carolina. She is looking for a simpler way of life, but things start very complicated when, on her first day on the job, the local high school baseball coach, Mason Thaysden, brings in an abandoned baby he found in the dumpster. This kind of thing doesn't happen in sleepy Cape Carolina, so this sends shockwaves through the community. As Daisy spends more time with the abandoned baby, she not only starts to feel closer to the baby, but also to Mason as they spend more time together with his family and friends in the community. More secrets are about to unfold in Cape Carolina, and perhaps this isn't as simple as Daisy thought it was going to be. Kristy Woodson Harvey's Summer State of Mind is a family drama filled with small-town Southern charm and family secrets.
 
At first, I really enjoyed Daisy as she is starting her life over in a coastal community to escape the trauma that she left behind in the busy city. What better way to start over than in the town that once brought her solace? But things have been complicated since she arrived. Also, I enjoyed her budding romance with Mason, the baseball coach, and I loved the subplot of small-town baseball. This added to the "summery" feel of the novel; however, as the story progressed, I had so many issues with Daisy. I get that she is escaping trauma, but she brings all that baggage and more to Cape Carolina and becomes overly attached to her patient. I feel like she crossed some ethical lines in the story, and it really bothered me. Her over-attachment became really unhealthy, so unfortunately, this part of the story really rubbed me the wrong way. 
 
What did work in Summer State of Mind was the fantastic Southern setting, which you can always count on from Harvey. I also enjoyed Mason's family, including his quirky Aunt Tilley, who is also trying to escape her past and start over her life in her 50s. I do feel like she was written to be much older than she was, but other than that, I liked her subplot, including the entire Thaysden clan. 
 
I do feel like Summer State of Mind, compared to her other novels, lacked those extra special touches that make it a "summer" novel. It felt more like a family drama with a coastal setting. Summer State of Mind dealt with some heavier topics, so it wasn't as light a summer read as I was hoping. Nonetheless, I think Harvey's fans will enjoy returning to Cape Carolina and being drawn in by all the small-town antics. Not to mention the burning question of whose baby is it?
 
In the comments below, let me know if you are a fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey and if you plan to read Summer State of Mind this summer.