This and That with Karen : The Seaside Library by Brenda Novak

Apr 7, 2023

The Seaside Library by Brenda Novak

Hello my friends,

Today I am reviewing “ The Seaside Library” by Brenda Novak. I found it different from the last book I read of this authors but I still enjoyed it and read in one day.

There are secrets that bring friends together, and others that drive them apart…

Mariners Island is barely ten miles long, but when Ivy, Ariana and Cam were teenagers, it was their whole world. Beyond the pristine beaches and iconic lighthouse lies the beautiful old library that belongs to Ivy’s family. While that bound Ivy to the island as an adult, Ariana could not leave Mariners behind fast enough. The town holds too many…memories. Not only her unrequited feelings for Cam, but the tragedy that left a scar on the community.

When a young girl went missing, a teenage Cam was unthinkably the prime suspect. Ariana and Ivy knew he couldn’t have hurt anyone, and they promised to protect him—even if it meant lying on his behalf.

Now, twenty years later, Ariana returns to Mariners just as new evidence emerges on the case, calling into question everything the three friends thought they knew—and everyone they thought they could trust. What really happened that night? Over the course of one eventful summer, Ariana, Ivy and Cam will learn the truth—about their pasts, their futures and the ties that still bind them as closely as the pages of a book…

The story follows three friends — Ivy, Ariana and Cam. It had everything you could want in a story, regret, love, sadness, friendship, forgiveness, and family however that might look.

I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. There were multiple sub-plots to keep you engaged and interested. I was able to figure out who murdered Emily about halfway through, but still had to be sure. I liked how the author wrapped everything up neatly and didn’t leave us hanging.

I will definitely read other books by this author.