The Shore House is a great read to throw in your beach bag and get lost sitting by the ocean. The women of the Bennett Family descend on the family short house with much more than their suitcases. Each dragging their own emotional dramatic baggage it becomes clear very quickly to matriarch Kaye that the family is in desperate need of a reconnection with each other. She sets out to make this her mission all while holding back her own baggage.

This book fell flat for me. Both Kaye and Stacy were whiny and pushy and it turned out, I just didn't care about either of them, which was sad because the book centers on them. I wish more had been fleshed out with their relationship, which perhaps might have provided me with a little empathy for them. The male characters had minor roles but I actually liked them more than the female leads. Ryan was a good guy trying to do his best to support his family and deal with Stacy, and poor Chase was three years recovered from a heart attack and dealing with Kaye's obsessive control over him. I wish he had stood up to Kaye sooner. Brad needed more development as I was happy to see him start to settle down (even if it was entirely predictible) but why was Iona even introduced as a character? She showed up for what, half a chapter and then poof! Gone, never to be seen again. Totally not needed for the plot, had her relationship with Brad been long-distance instead of in-person, the drama still could have been used for developing Brad.

This is a wonderful summer read! The characters (One you'll want to slap and the others you'll want to hug) are well developed and the story is heartlifting. The story reminded me so much of childhood trips to St. George Island. If you're a fan of family redemption and growth, you'll enjoy this. I'm excited to read book #2!

The Shore House is an entertaining and well written book.. great plot and character development. A story of a family their problems and secrets. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

Review The Shore House – Heidi Hostetter

Three years have passed since the last visit of the Bennett family to their shore house in Dewberry Beach. Chase, father of the family, had suffered a heart attack, needing those three years to rehabilitate. Now that he’s been feeling better his wife Kaye decides it’s high time to spend a summer at Dewberry Beach again, together with their grown children and their families. Daughter Stacy arrives with her husband Ryan and their two kids Connor and Sophie. Stacy is a bit hesitant, as her relationship with her mother hasn’t been all that good. Although he is late, Stacy’s brother Brad is on his way as well.
Unsurprisingly not everything goes according to plan. Kaye is very anxious and afraid her husband will suffer another attack. Chase feels suffocated by his wife’s rules for a healthy lifestyle. Stacy carries an unexplainable fear for the ocean with her, which of course doesn’t go well with two little children who want to go to the beach every day. Brad is trying to make a life for himself, but does not want to disappoint his father, who wants Brad to be a businessman like himself. All things considered, this situation can only lead to frustration.
However, the summer does offer chances. A chance for Kaye to forgive herself, a chance for Chase and Brad to determine a new lifestyle for themselves and a chance for Stacy to come to terms with an unresolved childhood trauma. What’s a better setting to go through these processes than at a family shore house in Dewberry Beach?

The Shore House is a lovely book, filled with everyday realities. Who doesn’t recognize friction between a mother or father and a daughter or brother? Or meaningless fights with a spouse, only because you’re tired and need sleep? Everyday incidents that make the characters come to life, that makes the reader able to imagine what a family vacation in a shore house might really be like. It is a book about the things in life that are the most important: love, friendship and security. A book that puts an end to the illusion that money or a big career are essential. Follow you heart and your dreams.

In the back of the book a letter by author Heidi Hostetter is attached. In the letter Hostetter tells the reader about her youth in a place similar to Dewberry Beach. Writing The Shore House felt like coming home, something that is felt in every detail of the book. The homely familiarity of for instance, the owner of the store Applegate’s, where you can get literally anything you need for your summer vacation and even find things you did not know you needed before you went there!
In the same letter Hostetter announces a sequel. Not about the same family, but about another family but once again situated in Dewberry Beach. I am looking forward to it!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing the review copy.

The Shore House is a delightful novel about the Bennett family and the summer they spent in the quaint coastal town of Dewberry Beach, New Jersey. The town and summertime traditions seem so charming, I wish I could escape there! The characters are relatable and tackle realistic issues like health challenges, stressful jobs, and importance of family bonds. Hostetter artfully writes about childhood memories, both good and bad. The characters navigate how to juggle careers, parenting roles, and finding one's purpose. The Shore House will be published July 20, 2020 from Bookouture and can be purchased from Amazon for $3.99 in Kindle format. Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an advanced copy.

A perfect summer beach read circling around a family tradition! Great character lines and a lovely story.

I loved this book so much. It was so emotional and heart warming at the same time. Shows how things can be forgiven even after decades. Shows trying to follow your dreams can be breast or can be really bad and stressful.

Probably 3 1/2 stars, but I'll go ahead and round up. Just as the preview states, "When the Bennett family arrive at the shore house to spend the summer together, they bring more baggage than just suitcases..."

This was a very uplifting story. There is definitely the rocky start, with lots of parent/child conflict that we get to watch resolve as the story unfolds. I liked the characters overall and it was very easy to paint the picture in my mind of this quaint NJ shore town. It's a perfect summer beach read- flows along nicely with the conflicts and resolutions that leave you with a smile at the end!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC for my honest opinion!

Kaye Bennett summoned her 2 children to the shore house for the entire summer after not having been there for 3 years.
A feel-good story about how your family is always there for you if you will just listen and get them to listen, and how you can work things out if you can do that.

Thank you to Heidi Hostetter, Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a wonderful story about family, and forgiveness. I loved both Kaye and Stacy equally, as I felt I could relate to both of them. Kaye just wants her family to be as they once were, happy and together. Stacy wants her family to be whole and happy, but she also wants her own identity. This story is basically about two mothers who want the best for their families. I enjoyed this one very much.

This is a perfect summer read while at the beach, the pool or your backyard. It’s a story about the Bennett family, who have spent very little time together for several years, So Kaye, the mother, plans a vacation at their house at the New Jersey shore for the summer which will include their adult children, Brad and Stacey plus her husband and their two children.. This will be the first time they’ve all returned since Kaye’s husband, Chase,, had his heart attack three years ago. The story focuses on issues between Kaye and Chase as well as some with their adult children, This was my first book by their author. It’s a light, easy read and I enjoyed it. I received an early copy of this book in exchange for my review.

When a loved one has had severe health problems, you want to do everything you can to make sure they fully recover. It's only natural because you don't want to lose them. You have be careful not to start running that person's life completely and lock them up in a box. You have to let go of the fears you have and start living again. 

Parents love their children, but not always in the same way. It's good to encourage children who are struggling a bit, but don't forget about the others ones. They crave compliments too.

Sometimes you like a book, because the story is great. Sometimes you like a book because of the fluent writing style. A combination of these two things turns an 'I like it' into an 'I love it' and transforms a good book into a great one. 

This book definitely belongs in the 'I love it' category. A wonderful start to a new series, a lovely summer beach read about family, compromising and finding your destiny. 5 stars.

Thank you, Heidi Hostetter and Bookouture

This is a gorgeous summer read and I have adored the Bennett family. This read has allowed me to escape- when not able to go anywhere. I have found Kaye slightly irritating but she has made this book a good read. 
I have adored the author's writing style, she has pulled me in and made this book a great read. I have devoured this book in just one sitting and this book has completely lifted my spirits. The plot has flowed and I have been completely engaged in this one.
The family dynamics within the book are complicated but that has made this book the read that it is. I have adored this book and although this is my first read by this author, it definitely will not be the last. I am a converted fan after reading this book.

I received an ARC for an honest review and I loved this book. It is about family, old friends, summers gone by and living life today. It is about going down memory lane, keeping traditions alive, and seeing how the choices they made have created the life they have today.
It wasn't just an easy beach read, it was their journey and parts of this book felt like I was right there in the neighborhood and other parts were the complicated family relationships. I think every family has them and it was interesting to see how they interacted, dealt with an argument or two and what the younger generation learned that summer when they came back as adults.
Grab yourself a copy and even if you are still sheltering at home, books transport us to wonderful places and this book did just that. I haven't been able to go to my happy place on the ocean yet this year, but reading this book I relived the memories from going there so many times over the years. It helped tide, yes, I meant to write it this way because the tide coming in and going out is one of my favorite things about going there. I smiled while reading the book and I am still smiling and happy after reading this book because it isn't often a book that will remind me of so many wonderful memories of stepping back in time and thinking about the decisions I made back then created who I am now. This isn't a beach read, this is also a wonderful book to read, while you are in a long, long winter, getting cabin fever and need something to get you through. I will read it again and again, I am so confident that this will get me through the long, long winters we have.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion

The Shore House is the story of Kaye Bennett and the tumultuous relationships with her family. After enduring a very hard 3 years, she decides to get her grown up children and husband back to their beloved shore house for one more summer of memories. Once they get there, can Kaye rebuild her relationships with those she loves most at the Shore House?

This was a very enjoyable summer book. It has everything in it you would enjoy reading while relaxing by the pool, on a chair at the beach or soaking in the sun on your porch. The only thing I think it could’ve improved on was the ending. It seemed like there was sooo much buildup to the underlying issues that Kaye had with everyone seemed to just be suddenly gone and forget about. I wish the author would’ve spent a little more time on the forgiving part of the story.

A summer read as a family gathers at their shore house to reflect on a family illness, jobs, relationships. The characters find themselves, resolve past disagreements, and all find ways to grow over the summer season.

A story about about a family with unresolved and complicated issues. They haven’t spent time together for years when the mother, Kaye, devises a way to get the whole family back together for the summer. As they work through their personal problems, they start to share things they have never talked about before or, known about each other.
The Shore House is a sweet, quick read but there is nothing memorable about it. It is a book you could easily enjoy at the beach or by the pool.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

I just finished reading “The Shore House: An Emotional and Uplifting Page Turner” from Heidi Hostetter. This women’s fiction book is set to be published on July 20, 2020 from Bookouture. It can be purchased from Amazon for $3.99 in Kindle format.
Heidi Hostetter grew up in New Jersey and has spent time in the Pacific Northwest and South Carolina. Sher and her family currently reside in the DC area. She is the author of five novels including “Things We Keep”, “Things We Surrender”, “The Inheritance”, and “A Light in the Window”.
This is the first book that I have read by Hostetter. In “The Shore House” her writing style is common to other books in this genre. Varied sentence structures, and words that flow together seamlessly. The resounding phrase that I come up with reflecting on this book is “chaos turned clarity”.
This book takes place in Dewberry Beach, New Jersey. Dewberry Beach is a small coastal community. From the descriptions, I gather that the houses are quaint cottages, and is a town where simplicity is key. There are several references to “big city” houses or companies and how that type of living doesn’t fit in the community. I picture this place to be a coastal Mayberry.
This story follows the Bennett family. Patriarch Chase and his wife, Kaye, as well as their two children Stacy and Brad. Stacy is joined by her husband Ryan, and their two children. The Shore House has been in the Bennett family for years and was once the summer home of the family. However, three years ago, Chase suffered a heart attack that left him clinging to life.
After all of the doctor appointments, physical therapy, and tests needed to treat his condition, it is decided that the summer home be reopened, and the family spends the summer there together. Kaye and Stacy have a bit of a conflicted relationship, as do Chase and Brad. Can the summer at the Shore House bring everything back into perspective and help heal the relationships that have been broken?
Each of the characters are integral to the story. Chase, once a very successful businessman, is dealing with the change his life has taken, and an overbearing wife who is trying desperately to keep him healthy. He seems to take things in stride but is struggling with the change in who he is. Kaye is a forced to be reckoned with. She is stubborn and determined, yet, likable. Stacy is handing by a thread as a stay-at-home mom to two, soon to be three children. She has the classic “mom guilt” about every choice she makes and finds that balancing her children’s schedules is her only purpose in life. Ryan, her husband, is the founder of a start-up. He is torn between work and his family. Brad is a free spirit. He has spent time traveling and is looking for his purpose in life.
My favorite character is Stacy. I think I most identify with her. Many times, while reading her scenes, I felt like I was reading my own feelings on paper. My least favorite character was a minor character in the story. She was rude, demanding, manipulative. I was so thankful to see that her part was short.
I think the character that showed the most growth was Brad. He went from being a vagabond to someone who has a set plan for the future, connected to his roots.
The ending of the book left me wanting to know more about the family and how their journey continues. I noticed on the cover that it is called “Dewberry Beach Book One” which has me wishing that there is a sequel in the works.
I always try to inform readers about sensitive areas that might be a trigger. The only sensitive areas that I could find in this story is the heart attack that Chase suffers and how it impacts Kaye, as well as a very brief mention of 9/11.
Overall, I would rate “The Shore House” with four stars. I could almost picture this book as a plot in a Hallmark movie that I would enjoy to watch.
I received this advanced electronic book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. It did not impact my opinion in any way.

Kaye wants to have a full summer on the Jersey Shore with her family. Really enjoying the characters and story here. A lot of issues to get to the HEA, but worth it. Highly recommend this book and author.