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Frieda Braithwaite had a loving, close-knit family a husband she adored and two young daughters they cherished. That was before Bella turned 16 and the family enjoyed a weeklong trip to Jamaica; before the last day of their trip, when Frieda and Bella stayed behind while Aaron and Ariel took a last-minute trip to a museum before their flight home to Massachusetts; before the car crash that changed everything. A year later, Bella is withdrawn and Frieda is barely surviving. Frieda's mother, Ruth Hitchens, knows that she needs to intercede. Frieda has always loved her mom's home, but for the first time, she and Bella will be spending the entire summer there, alone. In the small coastal town, Frieda reconnects with her estranged father, and Bella begins to form connections. Chamberlin is the best-selling author of heartwarming fiction about women's lives and relationships. Her followers are plentiful, and there is sure to be much clamor for this latest beach read. Recommend it to fans of Claire Cook and Elin Hilderbrand.--Milone Hill, Nanci Copyright 2017 Booklist

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Frieda Braithwaite's life was just where she wanted it. She had a wonderful husband, Aaron; two great daughters, Bella and Ariel; and a job that she loved. A family vacation in Jamaica turns everything on its head when a car accident leaves only Frieda and Bella alive. Grief counseling and the support of friends and family have helped them through the year since losing Aaron and Ariel, but as the anniversary of their deaths closes in, Bella starts to backslide. Frieda's mother, Ruby, suggests they spend the summer with her in Yorktide, ME. Frieda and Bella both bond with unexpected people there. Bella befriends a lonely, troubled girl named who is also dealing with loss; Frieda hits it off with old classmate Jack but feels guilty about loving again after the loss of her husband. Then Frieda's estranged father, who left her family when she was 11, wants to be back in her life. Verdict Chamberlin's (Summer with My Sisters) latest is a difficult read. The characters are bogged down in sadness so much so that the plot drags, and the stilted dialog makes it difficult to relate. Not a beach read, but some avid women's fiction readers may enjoy.-Brooke Bolton, Boonville-Warrick Cty. P.L., IN © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.