Thank you to #NetGalley for my advance copy of #GoodbyeAgain
This is the second book in the series entered around Maggie, Liddy and Emma.
Lovely story with just enough intrigue. Perfect for a winter night by the fire.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

EXCERPT: On the day she turned sixteen - when she was still Lydia Hess, the Bryant still seven years into her future - Liddy thought she knew how it was all going to shake out. She and her two besties - Emma Harper and Maggie Lloyd - would finish college and return to their hometown, Wyndham Beach, on the lower coast of Massachusetts, to live their happily-ever-afters with the to-be-determined loves of their lives and raise their families. Maggie, of course, would marry Brett, her high school love, but wouldn't move home until his professional football career was over (no one in the entire states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island doubted Brett Crawford would be drafted by a pro team, but they all, naturally, prayed he'd go to the Patriots). The three of them - Liddy, Emma and Maggie - would always be best friends, and their children would play (and be BFFs), too. They'd live out their best lives together, grow old together, and support each other in what ever life might throw their way.

At fifty-nine, Liddy was in turn amused and chagrined by her younger self's naivety when she considered her bold predictions hadn't even been half right once it was all added up.

ABOUT 'GOODBYE AGAIN': A woman strives to move beyond her devastating past in an uplifting novel filled with hope and second chances by New York Times bestselling author Mariah Stewart.

In the wake of her daughter’s unexplained suicide and her husband Jim’s sudden abandonment, Liddy Bryant is determined to move on and make some positive changes in her life. In her hometown of Wyndham Beach, the neglected and shuttered bookstore is also in need of renewal, and Liddy recognizes an opportunity to get herself and the bookshop back on track. With a little help from her friends, she’s well on her way.

Local contractor Tuck Shelby has been a friend of Liddy’s forever. He’s made himself indispensable in the rehab of her shop—and in her life—but now he wants out of the friend zone. Then Jim returns with a long-overdue apology, hoping for forgiveness and a chance to start over, and Liddy has a life-changing choice to make.

Into a year when Liddy’s faced changes and the shocking truth of a well-kept secret comes not only a second chance at love, but a second chance at life.

MY THOUGHTS: What lovely characters! I started reading and it felt like I'd come across old friends I hadn't seen for some time and we were catching up on one another's lives.

I loved Liddy. She has been in a deep, dark place following her daughter's unexplained suicide but her decision to buy and renovate the town's old book store has given her life some purpose. She will never get over the loss of her daughter, but she is learning to live with it. Liddy is kind and generous, her empathy unlimited. And she has the support of her friends Emma and Maggie, and Maggie's daughter Grace.

This is a story of the strength of friendship and second chances. I love that the characters are more mature, as their life experiences enrich the storyline. I also really enjoy these series in which the setting is the common factor, and each book focuses on a different character, so that each may be read as a stand-alone.

Having said that, I loved this and Mariah Stewart's writing style so much that I have just purchased the first book in this series, An Invincible Summer, and I am excited to see that she has a long backlist of books for me to enjoy.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#GoodbyeAgain #NetGalley

I: @mariah_stewart_books @amazonpublishing

T: @AmazonPub

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #friendship #romance #womensfiction

THE AUTHOR: Mariah Stewart considers herself one lucky son of a gun to have landed the best job in the world: getting paid for making up stories. At home. In sweats and J. Crew flip flops. Could life be sweeter?

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Montlake via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Goodbye Again by Mariah Stewart for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I loved catching up with the ladies of Wyndham beach.. This time it is Liddy's turn. The suicide of her daughter and the break down of her marriage leave her broken. but determined to make some positive changes in her life. This story is about second changes. So sweet and so gratifying! I enjoyed this story so much.

This story is quintessential Mariah Stewart. Set in a small beach community where life continues at a slow pace. Tucker and Liddy have been friends forever. He has made himself indispensable to her in small ways. Can she see him as more than a friend?
He's definitely giving her a lot of clues, but it truly isn't until a barracuda school mate of Liddy's makes a play for Tucker that Liddy decides to make her own play. Perhaps there's a twofer here with Maggie's daughter and Tucker's son that seems to be brewing. Oh, and let's not forget Maggie's other daughter and Emma's son. I really liked how the strong girlfriend relationship between Liddy, Emma and Maggie is rekindled and then full circle the next generation most particularly Maggie's daughters seem to be finding themselves too.
A lot of the book is devoted to Liddy's devastation over the suicide of her only daughter and the breakup of her marriage within a year. She's just starting to dig herself out of the abyss that the two blows had pushed her into: buying and restoring the local bookstore, finding love and happiness. Ironically the husband who once walked out with no explanation is back sniffing around just as Liddy is trying to find a new rhythm with Tucker.
I am eagerly awaiting the final chapter of this story and I'm sure Ms. Stewart will find other worthy characters in Wyndham Beach to write about possibly.

I continue to love and read Mariah Stewart. Really enjoying this series and hoping to read more! She gives us romance and heartbreak, without leaving her readers destroyed. Thank you netgalley!

Very. sad story but uplifting at the same time. Liddy lost her adult daughter to suicide and a year later her husband left her with no explanation. Three years later she is starting to move on with her life. She buys a book store and it has given her a new lease on life. This is a great read that will make you laugh and make you cry. Wonderful characters and beautifully written.

I might be in the minority here but I couldn’t get into this story. Maybe it was just too slow a pace for me. Also, it’s about the aftermath of the MC’s daughter’s suicide and it got to me when she reminisces about how her daughter would love books and run to her asking her to buy it. That was just too sad and I couldn’t go forward with the rest of the story.

In Goodbye Again Mariah Stewart explores the aftermath of a young woman's suicide, the impact on her parents and the questions why?

As well she shows a deep connection between friends, small town life and building anew after dreams fall apart for some of the characters.

It's a warmhearted approach and I like how it includes characters from the previous book, in an ongoing way. It explores the rebuilding of a bookshop and plans for an abandoned small house. The part I liked the most was about the uninvited lodger to the bookshop and the owner's response.There are a couple of touching moments, that were well shown, but there needed to be more.

It's a good beach read, although to me it was somewhat bland, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. However  I am sure those who enjoy a Mariah Stewart book will welcome it.

A wonderfully well written story about three best friends trying to navigate life in their later years, Goodbye Again (the second book in the Wyndham Beach series) centers mainly on Liddy with side trips again into Grace's journey. There are a few triggering issues but they are dealt with such amazing sensitivity. I definitely had tears in my eyes and want to visit the location so much (well I know it is technically fictional but I need a trip to the general area again soon), the author makes it feel so inviting. I look forward to more in this world.

I liked Mariah Stewart’s second Wyndham Beach novel, Goodbye Again, so much that I suggested it to all the women in my immediate family, but I did recommend that they start with the first book, An Invincible Summer. If you like women’s fiction featuring mature women who have life experiences already, not twenty-somethings who are just finding their way, you might want to try these books. They are connected by the three women who were friends in high school in Wyndham Beach, Massachusetts, but they can actually be read as standalones. Why would you want to, though, if you like these women?

Liddy Bryant returned home to Wyndham Beach where she married Jim Bryant. After their daughter, Jessie, committed suicide at the age of thirty-two, Liddy sank into grief. A year later, Jim asked for a divorce. Now, at fifty-nine, Liddy is starting over. She buys the town’s only bookstore, a shabby leftover whose owner has dementia. With the help of her friends, Maggie and Emma, along with Maggie’s daughter, Grace, she’s determined to make a success of the store, with book clubs, author appearances, and storytimes. Tuck Shelby, owner of Shelby & Son, renovated her house. Now, she relies on him to renovate her new bookstore, Wyndham Beach Reads.

If you read a summary of Goodbye Again, it mentions that Liddy’s ex-husband, Jim, wants back in her life, and Tuck Shelby wants to be more than a friend. There’s nothing wrong with a good romance, but this book is so much more. It’s the story of women in their late fifties who have had to start over, due to divorce or a husband’s death. For one of the three, it means a return to Wyndham Beach where she has close friends, a support network. For Liddy, it means learning to move on with her life after her daughter’s suicide, a suicide she doesn’t understand. Even younger women, Maggie’s daughters in their thirties, are dealing with decisions as to relationships and jobs.

Liddy Bryant is described as tall with a few extra pounds on a large-boned frame. She has salt-and-pepper hair. She’s attractive, but certainly not the twenty-some-year-old beauty often found in romance novels. It’s so refreshing to read about a woman who has had loss in her life, still grieves, but finds ways to continue to live. It’s refreshing to read about women who provide friendship and support for each other.

Goodbye Again isn’t a story of deception and lies in romance. It’s not a story filled with high drama. Mariah Stewart’s latest novel is filled with realistic characters coping with life and day-to-day small dramas. It’s a story of likable people. It’s just right.

This story flowed at a pace that was calming, thoughtful, and relaxing. I know reading about what the book is about you would never think that. Liddy finds herself at a place she never dreamed of being. Her daughter had committed suicide and her husband walked out on her. She has choices of how she is going to handle this, and she starts to make choices and rebuild her life.
She learns a lot about herself, and the friends and neighbors in the community also have choices to make. Each one has an impact on their lives, sometimes someone else's life, but we see what happens. It is a story of people's lives and everything that happens, but they build on what their lives really are by the choices they make and moving forward.
I received an ARC from Montlake through NetGalley.

Mariah Stewart delivers another novel that pulls on the heart strings. This one explores the powers of love and kindness and the bonds of family and friends.

Sorrow, friendships, and life changes

I didn't read the first book in this Wyndham Beach, Massachusetts series and I'm sure I would have enjoyed it but there was enough backstory that I didn't feel too lost.

Liddy is 59 years old and lost her beloved daughter to suicide four years ago with no explanation of why her daughter felt she had to do this. And then her husband of forty years walked out a year later with no explanation.

Luckily she has her two best friends that have helped her through this terrible time in her life and now she's starting to rebuild herself. She just bought a rundown bookstore, is renovating it with the help of her friends and a hunky local contractor and is starting to feel hope and happiness for the first time in a long time.

I loved Liddy's story and all the side stories included in this excellent romance/women's fiction novel. I also always tend to love stories about successful bookstores. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from Montclair Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I received a copy from NetGalley/publishers! I always love Mariah's book's! I couldn't put it down once I was able to sit down and read.
I love the cover and title and story, can't wait for more!

Liddy Bryant was devastated when her daughter Jessica unexpectedly committed suicide, and a year later her husband of forty years leaves her. Without the support of her best friends Maggie and Emma, Liddy doubts she would have found the strength to keep going and now she’s ready to start a new chapter in her life. Liddy’s decided to buy the rundown bookstore in her hometown of Wyndham Beach, and it needs a lot of work. Liddy completely transforms the shop from top to bottom, with help from her friends Maggie, Emma, Grace and builder Tuck Shelby.

Liddy’s rather nervous the day Wyndham Beach Reads opens, she has so many things she wants to try and other plans for her bookshop. She’s still unsure if she has done the right thing financially, Liddy’s worried the novelty of a new business will wear off and her shop will fail. Tuck has been very supportive, he’s a really nice man and Liddy wonders if they could ever be more than just friends. When Jim returns, Liddy's not overjoyed to see her ex-husband, he does say he’s sorry about hurting her and wants Liddy to forgive him and start over?

A long kept secret is finally revealed, Liddy feels Jessica can finally rest in peace, she loves running her own business, she’s accomplished more than she ever thought she could, she helps a young man in need, and decides who she wants to spend her future with.

I received a copy of Goodbye Again from NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for an honest review, and I have also read the first book in the Wyndham Beach Series, An Invincible Summer and I absolutely adored both books. Mariah Stewart writes with real tenderness and is sensitive to people’s feelings regarding difficult subjects and she’s an extremely talented author. Liddy’s story will make you feel really emotional, I can’t wait for the next book in the wonderful series and five stars from me.

Goodbye Again is book two in the Wyndham Beach series. This book can be read as a stand alone but you will want to go back and read about Maggie in An Invincible Summer. Liddy decides to start over after her daughter’s suicide and her husband Jim leaving after 40 years together. With her divorce settlement, Liddy decides to buy a bookstore in Wyndham Beach after the owner let it go due to dementia. With some help from her friends, she opens up the bookstore with success.
I enjoyed this book very much, it’s about second chances, forgiveness and sweet romance.

The Wyndham series has become my bookish comfort equivalent of a programme like Virgin River. Set on the Massachusetts coast I can spend plenty of time sitting on the beach, out on a boat or stepping into town and having a coffee and a catch up and indulging in a bit of shopping - the nice shopping that you do in independent stores..And I’ve got rather fond of the three main characters - Liddy, Maggie and Emma. I love that these ladies are all in their fifties and navigating life and relationships as older women, as Mothers, partners and working women…
Talking of shops you are going to love the fact that a lot of Goodbye Again takes place in a book store! The second In the series this time we focus on Libby who has bought a book store. Liddy’s beloved daughter took her own life and Liddy’s husband left her a year later..so she’s throwing all of herself into revitalising the town’s bookstore. Her project has ups and downs from structural problems to the former owner wandering around in a state of dementia. Liddy has so many plans for her store and I loved reading about her book clubs, story times author promotion ideas..Sometimes I did worry that she had far too many projects on the go and I wasn’t sure she had ordered enough bestsellers.
The story deals with many issues with a lightness of touch - suicide, adoption, abuse..and although it is a lighter read it doesn’t wrap things up neatly. But this is a book filled with mainly nice people, with friendship and family..with a glass of wine at sunset and a blooming wonderful bookstore and I really enjoy my time at Wyndham Beach..
So far the series has focused on Maggie and then Liddy and I’m really hoping that there will be another one to focus on Emma…I would love to return!

Goodbye Again is a heartwarming and uplifting novel about friendship, love, and starting over. I was struck by the sincerity of the characters and their relationships; whether it was friendship, the love between partners, the love of a parent for a child, or child for a parent, none of them were easy and carefree, but they were always genuine. The characters were all dealing with some sort of pain or loss, but they were also open to new possibilities, new opportunities, and second chances at happiness.

Let’s all move to Wyndham Beach!
Just reading about Wyndham Beach makes you want to be there hanging out with all the awesome characters.
The first book in the series covers three young women, best friends forever they thought. Things happen and now it is 25 years later…..what has life brought them? So much has happened and changed for all three women.
A story of opening ones heart to overcome tragedies and heartache…..can they move forward?
Overall, a beautiful story of friendship and taking chances.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

A woman strives to move beyond her devastating past in an uplifting novel filled with hope and second chances. I would recommend this book as well-written, escapism I highly recommend this book for a nice lighthearted read with a very deep meaning which will stay with you once you have finished reading the book.