Ethan Joella

“Living is fixing, living is working on everything that's wrong- or at least trying your hardest to.”

This is a overwhelming and heartbreaking story. Make sure you are ready to tackle all the pain. It was hard, at first, to push through. It felt like hit after hit with nothing good or hopefuly or happy. And just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, there was finally hope. It really is the only thing that can bring you through.

There are a lot of characters and POV in this story but they are easy to keep separate. Each is has a unique voice and definitely a unique situation but you can easily see the ways they overlap and appreciate the way this small town is woven together.

If you start and it feels heavy, just know it does get easier towards the end.… (more)

Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner, and the author for the ARC of this book.

I’ve read other Ethan Joella books, and they were significantly more engrossing than this one. Although easy to read, I had a very hard time getting into this story and investing in the characters. This could be because the characters were not particularly relatable to me as a 30 something year-old single woman living in the suburbs, however, I typically can find something to relate to most characters about.

This was a huge slow burn, and I felt like not much happened throughout the story. This was a significantly more character driven book, which may be why I struggled with it so much. I am definitely a plot driven reader. I will keep reading Joella’s books as I loved A Quiet Life. I felt like this book was fine, but not one I would jump to recommend.

As for my ratings :
Excitement level: 2
Ease of reading level: 5
Overall rating : 3… (more)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.25/5)

The setting is the beautiful town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Schmidt’s is a family owned restaurant operated by 52 year old Jack Schmidt. This restaurant is all Jack has known. Passed down from his grandparents, to his dad and then to him upon his father’s death. But, Jack is tired both physically and mentally. He is once again approached by the DelDine Corporation to buy his restaurant. Jack is sorely tempted to sell, he has no life outside the restaurant and he wants one before it’s too late.

I love to read books set in places I know and love. Plus, I’ve been reading glowing reviews of this book so I needed to jump in. Character driven books are always a tough start for me and this was no different. Once I was 40% in, I was totally vested! I loved each and ever character in this book. Joella brought the town and characters to life, revisiting connections from the past and bringing them current. But don’t think of this as ‘light’ beach read. It deals with some tough subjects. Don’t let this deter you. I look forward to reading this author again.… (more)