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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery—a story of friends who become family, giving each other courage to start over…When fate brings three strangers to a charming space for lease on the California coast, the Boardwalk Bookshop is born. Part bookstore, part gift shop, part bakery, it's a dream come true for Bree, Mikki and Ashley. But while their business is thriving, their personal lives are…not.Bree, wounded by brilliant but cold parents and her late husband's ultimate betrayal, has sworn to protect her heart at all costs. Even from Ashley's brother, a writer and adventurer who has inspired millions. He's the first man to see past Bree's barricades to her true self, which terrifies her. Mikki has this divorce thing all figured out—somehow, she's stayed friends with her ex and her in-laws…until a new man changes how everyone looks at her, and how she sees herself. Meanwhile, Ashley discovers that the love of her life never intends to marry. Can she live without being a wife if it means she can have everything else she's ever wanted?At sunset every Friday on the beach in front of the Boardwalk Bookshop, the three friends share a champagne toast. As their bond grows closer, they challenge one another to become the best versions of themselves in this heartachingly beautiful story of friendship, sisterhood and the transformative power of love.
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4.5 stars
The way these three business partners come together and their friendship blossoms is really the most beautiful thing about this story. Bree, Mikki, and Ashley are three very different women. The are different ages, have wildly different upbringings, and seem to be in very different places in their lives. But they’re more alike than meets the eye, and that all seeps out as this story goes along.
Each of these FMCs have a romantic storyline as well as the story of friendship. Bree keeps herself at a distance from everyone, especially when it comes to romance. She’s the use them and lose them type and doesn’t ever let anyone get too deep into her reasons behind that…until she does. She has a lot to overcome to find happiness. Mikki is divorced and, after 3 years, finally feels ready to start dating again. But is there still something between her and her ex-husband that is worth exploring? And Ashley is in a wonderful and loving relationship. New, young love is so exciting. That is, until she realizes what she wants and needs is drastically different from what her boyfriend sees for their future.
Once again, this author expertly weaves all of these tales together in a seamless way. All of the characters, from the FMCs to the in-laws to the past conquests are given their own voice instead of blending too far into the background so as to be unnecessary. Instead, I found myself looking forward to what they had to say in each situation.
I appreciate that each character looked within to find their happiness before making final decisions. Not that there weren’t bumps along the way where some of them tried to make others happy. In the end, they all realized they had to be comfortable with themselves and their decisions before pulling others into their sphere.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
You can find an excerpt from this story on my blog, All In Good Time.
0The heroines were all so unlikeable, and the heroes weren’t much better. The story jumped around, most of the time without any transitions. Finished it, but by the end I was hate reading.
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