The Boardwalk Bookshop by: Susan Mallery

Disclaimer: I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.


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Summer is coming and I am already enjoying books by the pool. When I'm not busy planning summer and winter vacations for my clients I am reading. Have you started your summer reading list? 

Book Description


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.

About Susan Mallery

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages. 

Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur.


My Thoughts

I have read multiple books by Susan and am always pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy them. 

When I first saw the reviews for this book I thought wow a nice summer read about friends, love, and a book store. Perfect. However, I got so much more.

Yes, when you read this book it is about women who become not only business partners by renting a building together and becoming friends but there is so much more underlining this book. 

First, there is Ashley who on the surface seems like a happy young woman. She lives with her boyfriend Seth. they seem to be happily in love and planning their future. But when Seth tells Ashley he doesn't want to marry we quickly learn that Ashley has a lot of emotional problems stemming from an accident that almost took her brother. 

Mikki is a divorced mom of 2 who is struggling with self-esteem issues. When she becomes involved with a new man who is everything she dreams of she almost ruins it by not letting go of her past marriage. 

Then we have Bree the most damaged of the 3 women. A woman who suffered emotional abuse for years and whose marriage was not picture perfect must learn to let go, love and trust again. 

So yes the book is about friendship, love, and family. It is also a story of healing, hope, and of learning to trust not only themselves but others. 

This truly was a multi-layered book that had me thinking a lot about my own personal journey of healing. 

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