The Bookstore on the Beach
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

Novak's latest (after One Perfect Summer, 2020) opens in the middle of a mystery. Autumn Divac has spent the last eighteen months searching for her missing husband. With her two teenagers, Taylor and Caden, in tow, Autumn returns to her hometown on the beach, where her mother, Mary, and her aunt own a small bookstore. Once there, Autumn learns that her high school love is back in town—and divorced. When she sees him again, sparks fly, but she is riddled with guilt. All the while Taylor and Caden are dealing with Taylor's accidental pregnancy with a boy back home. All of these storylines are intertwined, but none hold a candle to the real mystery of what Mary is hiding. With the emergence of at-home DNA tests, Mary's secret about Autumn's father is threatening to surface, and Mary grapples with the idea of telling Autumn the dark truth. Novak's novel is filled with mystery and drama, coupled with themes of family ties and secrets. This page-turner will not disappoint readers who enjoy Hope Ramsay and Anita Hughes. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Shocking family secrets and sweet second chances animate this stellar small-town contemporary from Novak (the Whiskey Creek series). Autumn Divac has spent the last 18 months searching for her husband, who disappeared while on assignment for the FBI. Now struggling to move on, she and her teenage children, Taylor and Caden, return to Sable Beach, Va., to spend the summer with Autumn's mom, Mary, and work at Mary's beachfront bookstore. Also back in town is Autumn's high school sweetheart, the recently divorced Quinn Vanderbilt. Quinn is dealing with his mother's cancer prognosis and trauma over his ex-wife's attempt on his life—but reconnecting with Autumn makes him remember happier times. As their rekindled friendship evolves into romance, the budding couple faces some serious issues: Taylor, who's questioning her sexuality, may be pregnant by her brother's archenemy; Mary's finally ready to come clean about the traumatic circumstances of Autumn's conception; and a private investigator arrives in town, digging up secrets from the town's gossipmongers. The drama only brings Autumn and Quinn closer together in strength and solidarity—but their true test is the return of Autumn's husband. Novak handles difficult topics with sensitivity, making for a heart-tugging romance. Readers are sure to be sucked in. Agent: Dan Raines, Creative Trust Literary. (Apr.)