The Seaside Sisters by Pamela Kelley

Contemporary chick lit, women’s fiction with romance. Multiple POV. 

After a personal loss and now suffering from panic attacks, Hannah Brewster is struggling to write her second book. She accepts an invite to return home to Chatham, Cape Cod for the summer. She’s hoping that being back in her home town will help her reconnect with life, family and hope. Plus, she’ll be able to spend time with her sister Sara.

Sara is married with four children and feels stuck in her life. So many family responsibilities and no time for herself. Sara gets a job at a local bookstore which puts pressure on other needed changes in her life. 

Aunt Maddie is having her own marriage issues. Having Hannah and Sara back in her life for the summer helps her make some of her own changes. 

It’s a summer of family. 

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook which was narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. There are distinct voices for the main three women in the story bit for me they did tend to blend together. I had to listen closely to the beginning of each section or chapter to make sure I knew who I was following. Of course, they lead very different lives with different issues so the content was easily allocated. There were no drastic emotions so the audiobook was smooth and well modulated with no discernible subsequent editing. It was a wonderful performance overall. I listened to this at 1.5 which is my preferred speed. 

Choosing between an ebook and audiobook is really choosing between two different experiences. For this book, I would recommend the ebook simply because of the multiple POV’s and inconsistencies of when the POV changes occur. 

Family and personal connections, self respect, confidence and most importantly, happiness in the one life we get to lead.  

3.5

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio.