A review by bookishpsychologist
The Seaside Sisters: A Novel by Pamela Kelley

lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

I was intrigued by the premise and excited to download this book as soon as I read the burb and saw it was about a Cape Codder turned Brooklynite. Hannah is an author from Chatham, MA (on Cape Cod), which is coincidentally the same town where I grew up. Like the main character, I left the Cape and lived in NYC for several years, but still enjoy returning to my hometown for visits. 

In the book, Hannah decides to spend the summer in Chatham to finish her next novel after a breakup and the passing of her mother. The story is definitely best characterized as a lighthearted/tame romance. Although Pamela Kelley is a prolific author of this genre, I had never read one of her books before. 

Overall, I enjoyed the descriptions of Chatham and the real-life local businesses that Kelley included, but the plot itself was typical of this genre and predictable, and much of the book was limited to fairly simplistic and sometimes repetitive dialogue between the characters. If it hadn't been set in my hometown, I may not have rated this book as highly, but only because this type of book isn't really my cup of tea. However, if you're seeking a breezy beach read, and you are interested in learning more about the Cape, then I would certainly recommend you give this a go!

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced copy of this novel to review.