Can a summer on the Cape reboot their lives?

A trip to the ER after a panic attack shows romance author Hannah Brewster that she needs to do something about the stressors in her life.  She just broke up with her boyfriend of two years, her mother passed away from cancer, and even the success of her first published romance novel has a downside….namely the looming contract deadline to submit her second book (the writing of which is not going well at all). Her best friend Lucy suggests that a change of venue might be in order, and Hannah decides to leave Brooklyn and spend the summer in Chatham, MA, in the seaside town of Chatham where she grew up.  Her aunt (and literary agent) Maddie lives there with her husband Richie, and so does her older sister Sara, married to Tom and with four active young sons.  Maddie readily offers her guest room, and Hannah arrives two weeks later.  She adapts to the rhythm of life on the Cape quite easily, making new friends and feeling the flow of writing as well.  Oh, and there are a couple of men in her orbit, her former high school crush Spencer who is now a lawyer in town and bestselling author Niall, who like Hannah is summering on the Cape but lives in NYC.  It turns out that Hannah is not the only person in her family whose life has hit a snag…Sara is feeling under-appreciated in her role as wife and mother, and her husband is not supportive of her finding a new outlet to challenge herself, while Maddie and Richie’s relationship has drifted apart to the point that they are living separately.  Together and separately, the women search for the life balance and love they need against the backdrop of the beautiful seaside town they call home.
Most readers can relate to a person whose life needs a reboot for one reason or another, as the characters in The Seaside Sisters do.  Hannah is mourning the death of her mother, and coming back to the town where she grew up is a healthy step in the right direction, as is spending time with the remaining members of her family.  She isn’t looking for love but, as others in the story tell her more than once, that is often when it finds you.  Which is the better choice for her, the hometown boy who is happy living right where he is when Hannah is sure that she wants to return to her life in Brooklyn? Or the wealthy and charming writer who prefers city life as she does?  Does she even want either one at this point? For Maddie, did she and Richie stop putting in the work to keep their love alive?  What does she want from their relationship and her life at this point? And for Sara, how can she make her husband and sons realize that while she loves them she needs more, and needs them to want it for her?  This is a pleasant story, situated in a charming town full of warm and welcoming people.  Those looking for a gentle story rather than sizzling action between the sheets will find it here.  Readers of Susan Mallory, Jan Moran and Mary Kay Andrews will find The Seaside Sisters a quick summer read, particularly if they want a vicarious trip to the Cape to boot.  Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Griffin for allowing me early access.