Book Review: The Seaside Sisters | Pamela Kelley

I’m a believer in appreciating beach reads throughout the year, but now that we are officially in beach read season, I’m even happier to appreciate a warm summer breeze while enjoying a heartwarming book. Pamela Kelley’s latest novel, The Seaside Sisters, drew me in on all possible fronts. A fantastic summertime read!

What is The Seaside Sisters about?

One summer can change everything.

Brooklyn-based Hannah is a bestselling author struggling to write her second book after personal losses. Her older sister, Sara, still lives in Chatham, Cape Cod, where they grew up, and is married with four children. Once a dedicated librarian, Sara dreams of reviving her love affair with literature, but instead, she is stuck with too many family responsibilities and a fizzling marriage.

When Hannah gets the chance to retreat to her aunt’s oceanfront house in Chatham for the summer, it seems like just the thing to get her creative juices flowing. And she’ll be able to spend more time with Sara, who is eager to find her way back into the workforce, to do something rewarding and book-related. The pair will spend the summer making friends, rekindling romance― especially Spencer, an old acquaintance from high school-turned very hot grump― and opening themselves up to the magic of books and the beach.

Perfect for fans of Mary Kay Andrews, Susan Mallery and Brenda Novak, The Seaside Sisters will delight and charm you as easily as an ocean breeze. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

What did I think?

If you weren’t hooked by the term “beach read”, then surely knowing this is a book about two sisters, one of whom is a writer and the other is a librarian, will pull you in. The setting on Chatham Cape Cod is positively idyllic. I loved the dynamic between the sisters and the point in their journey through life and creativity each was at. Their aunt is also a wonderful character and I was glad she was included with her own perspectives.

Hannah lives in Brooklyn and wrote a bestselling romance novel, but finds herself struggling with writer’s block each time she tries to start her second book. Hannah recently lost her mother to cancer and has been suffering from panic attacks (surely contributing to her creative block) and she decides a break might make all the difference. Hannah heads to her hometown of Chatham, Cape Cod in Massachusetts to stay with her Aunt Maddie for the summer.

Aunt Maddie has recently separate from her husband, and she’s looking forward to spending time with Hannah. Maddie isn’t sure she made the right choice with her marriage, though. It’s weighing on her. Meanwhile Hannah’s sister Sara still lives in Chatham. Sara used to be a librarian, but took a break to raise four kids. Now, she hopes to fall back in love with her literary side and find a job, but the shift back to that world is more difficult than she imagined. Sara feels stuck, and with family responsibilities taking up her time and energy, she can’t fully engage in her new job at the local bookstore.

Hannah is the central character, but all three women have stories to tell. The pacing is more like a lazy summer afternoon, which is perfect for a beach read. Each woman is looking for something, and reconnecting with family may be the thing that helps them heal and find happiness. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed some outdoor time, and found that Stephanie Nemeth-Parker offered a wonderful narration for this book. Her smooth tone and level emotions added to the beach read quality. This wasn’t a book that needed someone fraught with emotions, and it was perfectly delivered.

A story about family, self-love, confidence, finding yourself, and above all, finding your happiness. A lovely story with three central characters who I cared about. Their stories are touching and lovely, as are their relationships with one another.