A Week at Surfside Beach

A Collection of Short Stories

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Pub Date 9 Jun 2020 | Archive Date 15 Aug 2020
Vertel Publishing, Loba Publishing

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Description

**Beautiful, inspirational short stories set at the beach!**

Thousands of families and individuals are attracted to the South Carolina coast each year, renting houses up and down the beach throughout the seasons. They bring their lives with them when they come to this magical place. In A Week at Surfside Beach, author Pierce Koslosky Jr. has crafted sixteen poignant short stories that paint a vivid portrait of the beach’s diverse, temporary inhabitants: those people attracted to a landscape both beautiful and overwhelming in its ability to force introspection and change.

Set over the course of a single rental season that ends at Christmas, the book’s unrelated characters all have their stays in the blue beach house, yet each story has a distinct message at its core. Readers will follow people in every stage of life—from a six-year-old entering the imaginary world of crabs to an escapee from a retirement home—and witness their varied individual experiences. These are stories of hope and redemption, connection and detachment, and lessons taught and learned.

Both original and contemplative, heartbreaking and inspirational, A Week at Surfside Beach brings together a collection of tales with seemingly ordinary, simple, and familiar details—yet underneath their calm, relatable surfaces exist the uncomfortable, extraordinary complexities of life.

**Beautiful, inspirational short stories set at the beach!**

Thousands of families and individuals are attracted to the South Carolina coast each year, renting houses up and down the beach throughout...


Advance Praise

"You'll find this book easy, thought-provoking, pleasant, funny, sad, light-hearted and deep; not easy to put down."

—Larry Sonnenberg, President, New Life Ministries

"You'll find this book easy, thought-provoking, pleasant, funny, sad, light-hearted and deep; not easy to put down."

—Larry Sonnenberg, President, New Life Ministries


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781952019005
PRICE US$14.99 (USD)
PAGES 242

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Average rating from 36 members


Featured Reviews

This was a book that was so different. The author took us on a journey of the families who came to stay for one week at Surfside Beach in South Carolina in the blue beach house. Each story was unique and had very different messages. When I decided to read the book I was expecting the typical beach read. But the stories were families who came to the beach and discovered there were problems they didn't realize that was there. How being at the beach helped them make decisions. There was an 81-year-old man who ran away from home and helped a young woman by telling her his story. What an adult could discover by building sandcastles on the beach.
Some stories made me realize what others go through, some made me cry and some were written with such honesty of what life at the beach for a week is really like. I am sad that the book has come to an end. I hope there are more books to come.
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review and I can honestly say this is a book for you to read. It is just a wonderful book.

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This book is a fantastic collection of short stories that follow the holidays of 16 different visitors renting a beach house on the American coast. Pierce Koslosky Jr. uses beautiful imagery of relatable but subtly different tales to transport you to the beach at the turn of a page. Perfect for a little escape on your lunch break or commute especially on a rainy day.

My favourite story was 'She Sells Sea Shells'

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I enjoyed reading the stories of the families who stayed in this house on Surfside Beach for a week over the course of a year. Some made me want to read more as their story felt too short. A couple stories stuck with me, Alice and Walter's saddened me at the end and David and Amy's made me smile. It was neat to find out that this house is real and that the author owns it. Would love to visit this beach!

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What we seek going on vacation doesn't always match reality. The expectations are high, but w take our family and our problems with us. Although these stories deal with that fact, they all end on a positive note of friendship and love.

Only one of the stories really merits the label Christian.

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As a family who has grown up visiting Myrtle Beach every summer and spring break, I knew I had to read this book. I started to read this book and realized I couldn't put it down. It was so good to read about others vacations to see how they loved Surfside Beach too. I have to say that it brought back memories of how it felt to stay at the beach for a week in a rental. Made me kind of sad that we had to cancel our vacation to Myrtle Beach this summer, but excited to stay hopefully again this year. I highly suggest that you read this book and imagine that you too are sitting in a vacation rental with your family making new memories!

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Well written and entertaining collection of stories with a beautiful setting. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

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Of you are in the mood for short stories,this is an excellent choice. The flow of the stories is great. I was just not in the mood for a beach book. I would definitely recommend it for our library.

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The book wasn’t what I was expecting. I really enjoyed it. It was well written. Great experiences from different families visiting this lovely place. Wishing it was me there having this experience. Beautiful cover on the book

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If you are like me and beach family vacations are something you look forward to every year, then A Week at Surfside Beach by Pierce Koslosky Jr, may just be the summer read for you. Filled with a variety of short stories, both poignant and thought provoking, this book is sure to stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

All of the stories revolve around an oceanfront rental called Portofino II-317C, in Surfside Beach, SC. If you are familiar with summer rentals, then you know the excitement of receiving the number of your house and driving down the road anxiously scanning the row of houses waiting to see your number pop into view. That same feeling is relayed in each story of the people who rent Portofino II-317C for a week. The stories span from May through December, some are happy, some reflective and others a little somber. There is a story of best friends, one a practical joker, with fond memories of renting every spring and a story of a little boy who sneaks out at night, just to get harassed by local bullies. There is the story of a wife now trying to find her way solo and the story of Hurricane Harry that prompts plans for a Thanksgiving celebration at the beach. These are just a few of the wonderful little stories that comprise this book.

What I really liked about the book was the reality of the stories. There has to be at least one short story in this book that every reader will be able to relate to. I have to admit that there have been some beach rentals that our family has occupied with a diary where renters were encouraged to journal about their stay. We used to enjoy perusing the journal entries and reading stories and comments, always being sure to leave a few remarks of our own, some pleasant and some (usually coming from Uncle Danny) funny. A Week at Surfside Beach is enjoyable on many levels and will be relatable to so many readers.

I want to thank NetGalley and Loba Publishing for an advanced reader copy of A week at Surfside Beach by Pierce Koslosky Jr. “Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own”

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This collection of short stories takes place at Surfside Beach, South Carolina. They are poignant, sweet, and humanly insightful. I feel like I've had a little vacation while remembering all the beaches in my life. I really enjoyed the book. Great writing, excellent characters, interesting stories by an obvious observer of the human condition. I will see what else he has written and read more. .

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This was an interesting collection of short vignettes. They all revolve around one beach house in South Carolina.
Each vignette is one family's story of their week or two at one particular beach house. Some funny, some sad, all entertaining. A nice beach read at anytime.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

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If you are looking for a quick break, this is the book to grab. The stories all take place at the beach but involve a myriad of personalities with problems to solve. Uplifting without being sappy, Human nature at its best and worst. The resolutions of each story make you eager to read the next one. Such a well orchestrated collection of personalities with real life issues. This is the book to keep at bedside or by the easy chair when you need a break from working at home. It will transport you away from your problems and worries. A really good read..

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I love short stories so much. I think it is really challenging to capture a complete story in such a short number of pages. It takes a really great author to be able to convey something so meaningful in such a short number of pages. The stories about families going to the beach is just the escape I needed especially during this period of self isolation. Very much enjoyed these stories.
Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy for an honest review.

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Many stories with love and friendship themes but, also, family issues, drama and problems. The stories revolve around the same beach house in South Carolina. Each story is about one family and their week at the beach house, 16 families in total. What follows are some touching and funny moments.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

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This was not what I expected! I don’t typically choose books comprised of short stories. I was drawn to this one by it’s cover and title. I am surprised by how much I actually enjoyed reading it. Set in South Carolina, the stories feature different families who stay in a beach house during the summer season. The stories are so believable and seem so real life that I had to check to make sure I wasn’t reading non-fiction. This is a great book to pick up when you only have a few minutes to read and don’t have time to use a lot of brain power to figure out where you are in the story and who all the characters are. Each story has something that draws you in and is relatable. The stories involve characters from all walks of life and the tone varies. Some stories are suspenseful, some are heartbreaking, and some are though provoking. My favorite was The Prize a story about a 40 year friendship. I also enjoyed Swimming Lessons about the connection between a father and his son. I like books that make me think, make me feel something, and entertain me. This book does all three. A quick read that has changed my opinion of collections of short stories. Give it a try. I promise you will find more than one story that you enjoy.

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Genre: Literary Fiction/Short Stories
Publisher: Vertel
Pub. Date: June 9, 2020

Author Pierce Koslosky Jr. has created sixteen slice-of-life short stories with unrelated characters. What they do have in common is that they all rent the same ocean view, blue, beach house named Portofino II-317C. All the characters become temporary inhabitants for one week in a single rental season that spans from May to December. As a beach lover, how could I resist this collection? To further capture my interest, Koslosky Jr., along with his family, has gone to Surfside Beach, South Carolina for over twenty-five years, staying in the same blue home where his shorts take place. The image of the house on the book’s cover is the actual house. My first thought was of Mark Twain’s famous quote, “write what you know.”Although the setting is on the beach this is not a typical beach book. It is not fluff. The stories characters’ are of all ages and come from varying backgrounds. The tones of the shorts fluctuate, some are laugh-aloud funny, some are sad, some are thought-provoking. However, they are not all hits with this reviewer some are unsurprising, or even dull.

My favorite and one of the funniest shorts in the collection is “The Right To Bare Arms, June 20-27.” Going on a vacation with close friends who have a brood of children who are the same age as your brood always seems like a good idea. However, being on vacation disrupts one's everyday routines, which is what bonds these two families to one another in the first place. The battle begins right from the moment they arrive. They are large families so they rented two homes that sit next to one another. Portofino II-317C has a glorious ocean view. Portofino II-317B does not. The family that is stuck with 317B begins the feud. Not helping the situation, is that a Romeo and Juliet romance begins. The young teens learn to kiss between their braces making their already annoyed parents see red. The night before they are to return home, the wives set up a dinner at a restaurant on the pier. The purpose is to discuss how to ease back into their normal suburban routines where they are forced to depend on one another for car-pooling, school meetings, and after school activities. I chuckle just remembering the words from the two parties when they arrive for their reservation. Two long tables waiting for them sit opposite one another. One table faces the ocean and the other faces the kitchen.

When a stressed young family with three little ones goes on a vacation there is no vacation from the fighting between mom and dad. Spending every waking moment with an eight-year-old, a three-year-old, and a baby would cause any parents to quarrel. “Lucy, June 27-July 4” is a story about three-year-old Lucy who goes missing on the beach while her parents are lost in a nitpicking argument. This tale is too preachy for my taste. The author does a good job of laying the foundation from that first moment of panic to calling the police, leading to the parents' despair of imaging their child’s face on a milk carton. There is also an elderly couple who makes an appearance in this short who plays a key role. Saying more would be a spoiler. The suspense in the story is well written. Plus, the author has me wondering why do us readers enjoy reading about missing children? Is it because we are grateful that our kids are safe, no one has abducted them? No matter, the tale seems to be written to remind us not to sweat the small stuff with our family in an obvious and tedious manner.
“Swimming Lessons, July 4-11” could feel preachy but it doesn’t. Readers will follow a father brave enough to take on the challenge of going on vacation with his two teenage sons and one of their friends. One thing that can grind the fun to a halt faster than bad weather on a beach vacation is teenagers. Of course, the plane ride was hell with the constant bickering and shoving amongst the boys. Naturally, dad needs a cocktail to calm himself down. Once inside the blue beach house, the atmosphere of the boys is, get out of my life, but first, drive me, give me, etc. More cocktails are needed. What could be worse? How about if the oldest, most sullen son, was recently arrested for stealing. The week on the beach isn’t a reward but rather the dad is hoping to teach his oldest a lesson on the meaning of owning up to one's mistakes through relaxed heart-to-heart conversations. If you have ever had a teenager you can guess how these chats can go. This short has many funny scenes because the dad is so over his head. As well as touching scenes, because the dad learns a lesson himself. I think this story didn’t have that holier-than-thou vibe because of the humor that dominates the tale.

The author has an appealing folksy writing style sharply focused on the pros and cons of a beach vacation. He packs his characters’ suitcases with sunscreen, kids' toys, and their individual life experiences. There may be one too many tales with a projected happy ending. Still, the themes of community, friendship, family, love, and loss create scenarios in which all readers can relate. I mean, who hasn’t had at least one rainy beach vacation in a cramped rental that tests your patience and pronounces your worst behaviors?

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This was an easy five-star book for me. I grew up going to Myrtle Beach since I was a child, spending a week down in the sandy water every summer. This book brought me right back. I could picture every essay in my head, easily placing restaurants in my memory, the piers, and the beach combing. I loved the authors descriptive style while never wasting time on unimportant details. I couldn't recommend this enough to those who visit the beaches of North and South Carolina enough.

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The setting of the short stories in A Week at Surfside Beach is Portofino 11 317C, which is the name of a beautiful vacation house on Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Each story covers a week, beginning May 30th through December 26th. In this skillfully crafted collection readers become acquainted with a marvelous cast of characters and we get a brief look into their lives as they occupy the house at different.
These stories take readers on a journey of discovery of human nature. Written in appealing and well crafted narrative, each story is engrossing to its end. The subject matter is varied. The Prize is about two couples who are good friends who enjoy their annual vacation. One of the men is the recipient of his friend's practical jokes. By the time the week is over, all is not as it seemed. Lucy opens with two parents bickering while their children play on the beach. One child goes missing. She Sells Seashells is the tale of a young family's much anticipated vacation that doesn't go as expected. The rest of the stories are just as interesting. Beautifully told, they are packed with emotion and heart. This collection is well worth reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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A Week at Surfside Beach by Pierce Koslosky Jr.
Publication Date: June 9, 2020
🗓Happy Publication Day🗓

Description from NetGalley...
“Thousands of families and individuals are attracted to the South Carolina coast each year, renting houses up and down the beach throughout the seasons. They bring their lives with them when they come to this magical place. In A Week at Surfside Beach, author Pierce Koslosky Jr. has crafted sixteen poignant short stories that paint a vivid portrait of the beach’s diverse, temporary inhabitants: those people attracted to a landscape both beautiful and overwhelming in its ability to force introspection and change.”

Thank you to @NetGalley Vertel Publishing, Loba Publishing for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.

My thoughts...
Bookish friends, I 💛💛💛 this book. The author wrote sixteen short stories about different aspects of human life of unrelated characters. The short stories are set over one rental season, from May to December, of a blue, beach house known as Portofino II - 317C. It’s not a “beach read” book, although it is set on a beach. Each stories differ in delivery: a story can be laugh out loud, sad, heartwarming or heartbreaking. But all were thought-provoking as you become an audience to the best and worst of human nature. It’s simply a good read.

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This book is a really relaxing and enjoyable read. It pulls you into the lives of the people renting the beach house. I love how Pierce tells the stories of his guests, he draws you into the stories and makes you feel as though you were there with them on each vacation trip. It shows how one place can play such a big role in the lives of many people, people who are otherwise not connected to each other in any other way than this vacation home. The stories of his guests also teach us some very valuable lessons about life.

I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone, especially beach lovers. I received a complimentary copy of the ‘A Week at Surfside Beach’ galley from Loba Publishing for my honest review.

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This was for the most part an enjoyable collection of short stories centred around Surfside Beach, SC. It features an interestingly wide array of stories and characters in an effort to reflect the guests that stay at the Portofino Apartments.

Sometimes the stories had a tendency to feel a little rushed, but overall most stories were of an ideal legnth and proved easy to immerse oneself in.

The main gripe I have with this book is the lack of character depth that was somtimes evident, as it tended to affect the overall memorability of that particular story.

If the author had lingered longer on a select few stories to paint and explore the characters more thoroughly, I would perhaps have enjoyed it more.

Nonetheless, I really liked the idea behind this collection and thought that it was, for the most part, executed well.

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this book is actually 16 short stories about a beach house in Surfside SC.. i liked the stories and how they go through an entire beach season. It was a bit quirky but sometimes that can be a good thing. Over all I liked this book..

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A collection of short stories comes from a beach hose rentals at Surfside Beach, South Carolina. Families from all over enjoy vacations at the beach. This collection of stories introduces you to many families there for all reason.

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#AWeekAtSurfsideBeach#Net Galley
This book is a collection of short stories about a beach house on Surfside Beach in South Carolina and the people who vacation there. It shows how different people react to their beach vacations. Some make you laugh and some make you sad. This book will bring you back to a vacation you may have had or one you hope to take. It is a quick read, and it can be read when you only have a few minutes to read as their are not story lines to follow from one story to the next. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

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This collection of short stories delves into various family and friend relationships written in a light hand.
Pierce Koslosky Jr doesn’t get fancy with the writing and he doesn’t need to. The stories tackle some dark issues and the les complex writing helps those ideas stay front and center. It is easy to read and hard for the reader to become confused.
There are a few stories I really enjoyed. My favorites include “The Inflatable Dragon” and “Little Town of Surfside Beach”. The first is a story about a man rebelling against his body and running away from a retirement home. Things are a little different than he imagined they would be. As someone with a chronic illness, O felt the fight in John and loved him immensely. The secondary story is a Christmas story and delves into the religious meaning of Christmas.
I enjoyed other but there were others that bothered me for various reasons. I felt like some ideas weren’t clean and realistic but one must remember that duplicity is this world. The true criticism is that some stories stopped short of reaching their potential; they just fall off without bring our story to a meaningful close.
Overall, I would not suggest you read this at the beach for a fun, light time. But I would recommend it to those who are tired of the many insipid beach stories that flood the shelves.

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A Week at Surfside Beach is a sweet collection of short stories inspired by real guest-book entries at the author's beachfront rental home in South Carolina. The fictional stories cover a six-month period of consecutive weeks, each one giving the reader a glimpse into that week's vacationers stay at Portofino II 317C and a tiny peek into their lives and personal relationships.

Each story is as different as the lives and personalities of the renters who come from all over the country, yet they all share the beach house at Portofino II 317C. Koslosky gives his characters impressive depth in such a short span. These stories are told in elegant emotion-packed narrative that left me wishing for my own week at The Blue House.

If you need a tidy ending with closure for all, these short stories may leave you dissatisfied. But if you can handle a bit of a cliffhanger, you may enjoy these beautifully told stories that will make you feel deeply and give you something to think about.

Thank you NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

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This author has the talent of immersing you into each of these short stories in such a small amount of time! Contrary to other opinions, I think this book is the perfect beach read. There are so many distractions when you're on a beach vacation that it's nice to read a short story and come back to the book later on.
Many of these stories highlight family drama and heightened emotions, the good, the bad, and the ugly! It really is a nice reminder to appreciate those close to you a little bit more.
I wasn't ready for some of these short stories to end though. I have so many questions still about "Swimming Lessons" in particular!!
Overall a great read.

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