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Love & Lobsters
Female lobsterman Charlie Pinkham is content with her seaside life in Christmas Cove, Maine. Surrounded by friends and community, she has always been more comfortable braving the bold Atlantic than diving into the messy business of romance. When she writes a post for her best friend's "Happily Ever Holidays" blog, Charlie’s decidedly unromantic piece goes viral. Readers connect with lobster behavior, and how they’re hardwired to protect themselves from their own species—a trait Charlie respects. Because love hurts.
Nevertheless, she can’t quell her growing interest in Logan, the mysterious and unavailable man renting her family’s lighthouse for December. Charlie looks for distraction by messaging an online stranger and by organizing Christmas Cove’s first annual holiday festival. But as her "Love & Lobsters" posts explore how lobsters show trust and commitment, Charlie must decide whether plunging into uncharted waters is worth the risk.
Nevertheless, she can’t quell her growing interest in Logan, the mysterious and unavailable man renting her family’s lighthouse for December. Charlie looks for distraction by messaging an online stranger and by organizing Christmas Cove’s first annual holiday festival. But as her "Love & Lobsters" posts explore how lobsters show trust and commitment, Charlie must decide whether plunging into uncharted waters is worth the risk.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
December 27, 2024
Wow. This is the best book I’ve read of 2025. I just finished this book and am left speechless.
It’s hard to find a “romance” book that isn’t cheesy, corny, or unrealistic. What I loved most about this book was its simplicity, its easy way to love and relate to characters, and the way she painted the beautiful Christmas Cove area. The love between all the characters was so heartwarming. As a Mainer myself she couldn’t have written a better book that encapsulates the beauty of Maine people, Maine land, and of course the Maine tradition of lobstering. Seriously LOVED this book!
It’s hard to find a “romance” book that isn’t cheesy, corny, or unrealistic. What I loved most about this book was its simplicity, its easy way to love and relate to characters, and the way she painted the beautiful Christmas Cove area. The love between all the characters was so heartwarming. As a Mainer myself she couldn’t have written a better book that encapsulates the beauty of Maine people, Maine land, and of course the Maine tradition of lobstering. Seriously LOVED this book!
January 3, 2026
Started at a 3 but rose to a 4. Predictable but loved all the Maine references and a character named Logan Ellis😀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2024
I’ve been on Goodreads for a few years now, and I think this is my first book review, which says alot about how I felt about this book. As a Mainer from birth, I’ve read many books about Maine. It is very easy to spot books about Maine that are written by non-native Mainers. This book is truly different than those, and is a wonderful love story to Maine and the strength of its people. Being a lover of Midcoast Maine, I felt right at home in every page of this book. I recognized the personalities of many people I know who love the ocean and our coastline as much as Mem, Logan, Charlie and the rest of the characters do. One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book is the clear message of conservation in order to preserve this planet for future generations. I think that is something deeply ingrained in us even if we don’t realize it. I could go on and on about how much I love the book, but for now I’ll just look forward to the sequel next year!
January 10, 2025
Wow what a great book!! Such a light hearted easy read from start to finish! I never wanted to put this down (I didn’t, I read it in a day). This made me feel so connected to my family in Maine and look forward to my next trip to see them!! I highly recommend!
November 26, 2024
This book. There is such depth to this book. I picked it up in Maine thinking “oh, it’ll be a cute little Maine read”!!!! Little did I know it was going to be so GOOD. I’m quite obsessed with Charlie’s character development. It’s not just a book about her “falling in love”. It’s a book about so much more than that. I think everyone should read it. Literally everyone.
“You’re mocking me.”
“I’m enjoying you.”
This book only has 20 ratings on Goodreads and idk how because it’s THAT GOOD. It’s like a hidden gem.
“You’re mocking me.”
“I’m enjoying you.”
This book only has 20 ratings on Goodreads and idk how because it’s THAT GOOD. It’s like a hidden gem.
March 1, 2025
Charlie Pinkham is afraid to give up control. Her lobsterman father died when she was young, after her mother abandoned her. But Charlie believes she’s never lacked for love. Her grandmother Mem, has been her guiding light as she fishes the waters off of Christmas Cove, Maine.
When a stranger comes to the Cove and rents out the disabled lighthouse, Charlie is intrigued. Little does she know this stranger will make her question so much about herself; but one thing will remain the same-the love she has for her family and friends, and her unshakable community.
When a stranger comes to the Cove and rents out the disabled lighthouse, Charlie is intrigued. Little does she know this stranger will make her question so much about herself; but one thing will remain the same-the love she has for her family and friends, and her unshakable community.
December 17, 2025
Adorable love story set in Christmas Cove, Maine during the Christmas season. While it’s quite predictable and reminiscent of a Lifetime movie, I loved this story. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the harbor next to Christmas Cove, or because my dad is a lobsterman and the main character is a female lobsterman. Whatever the reason, this was an adorable story with a wonderful setting. One of the reviews said “this book is love letter to Maine,” and they’re not wrong.
June 15, 2026
A sweet story based in Maine with a strong FMC! Kept me interested but the ending fell flat for me unfortunately. Still a sweet story of loss, grief, discovery, and love. And of course lobsters!
November 7, 2024
This was one of the most beautifully written books that I've read in a while. I tend to gravitate towards the unserious side of the romance genre, but I was lucky enough to win a copy of Love & Lobsters and I cannot sing its praises enough.
Charlie, our bad ass, tough as nails, female lobsterman, is a complex, fully developed character. She's been grieving her whole life it seems, from the abandonment of her mother, the early death of her father, and pre-grieving the loss of her grandmother after a health scare. Even with that, Charlie is comfortable in her tiny village on the coast of Maine, comfortable with her job as a lobsterman, comfortable with her world exactly how it is. Throughout the novel, Charlie is confronted with the fact that the world is ever changing, and she cannot expect her world to stand still for her forever.
These changes start with the arrival of Logan, the handsome and mysterious renter of Charlie's family's lighthouse, right next door to the cottage she shares with her grandmother. He immediately shakes Charlie up, even though she knows he's off limits as she believes his wife booked the lighthouse for the month.
Charlie also has to come to terms with the fact that while her grandmother and best friend are her whole world... there is room in her grandmother's heart for romantic love as well.
As Charlie's world shift around her, she agrees to write blog posts for her best friend's lifestyle blog. Using Lobsters (of course) as her mode of storytelling, Charlie explores human relationships through the lens of lobsters.
This book is about community, about learning and letting yourself love, and about the late twenties journey of coming to terms with the fact that your parents/guardians in fact can and should have a life outside of raising you. It's also a love letter to coastal Maine, and even though I'm from away, I have lived in New England my entire life and hold a special place in my heart for Maine's rugged beauty.
Just a beautiful, excellent read.
Charlie, our bad ass, tough as nails, female lobsterman, is a complex, fully developed character. She's been grieving her whole life it seems, from the abandonment of her mother, the early death of her father, and pre-grieving the loss of her grandmother after a health scare. Even with that, Charlie is comfortable in her tiny village on the coast of Maine, comfortable with her job as a lobsterman, comfortable with her world exactly how it is. Throughout the novel, Charlie is confronted with the fact that the world is ever changing, and she cannot expect her world to stand still for her forever.
These changes start with the arrival of Logan, the handsome and mysterious renter of Charlie's family's lighthouse, right next door to the cottage she shares with her grandmother. He immediately shakes Charlie up, even though she knows he's off limits as she believes his wife booked the lighthouse for the month.
Charlie also has to come to terms with the fact that while her grandmother and best friend are her whole world... there is room in her grandmother's heart for romantic love as well.
As Charlie's world shift around her, she agrees to write blog posts for her best friend's lifestyle blog. Using Lobsters (of course) as her mode of storytelling, Charlie explores human relationships through the lens of lobsters.
This book is about community, about learning and letting yourself love, and about the late twenties journey of coming to terms with the fact that your parents/guardians in fact can and should have a life outside of raising you. It's also a love letter to coastal Maine, and even though I'm from away, I have lived in New England my entire life and hold a special place in my heart for Maine's rugged beauty.
Just a beautiful, excellent read.
November 21, 2024
The chapter in which they finally had (fade to black) sex was entitled “The Coitus” and I think that sums this book up nicely
August 11, 2025
Romance is definitely not my favorite genre, but there was a lot to like in this sweet romance set on the coast of Maine. I enjoyed learning all the lobster facts as well, and there were a couple of fun twists. One thing that really bugged me was the multiple typos in the book. The word “taut” was misspelled at least three times as “taught,” “peek” was misspelled as “peak,” there were some its/it’s problems, and “poured” was incorrectly used for “pored.” It’s hard for me not to be distracted by these errors, especially when there are so many. They could easily be fixed by having someone like me read through the book before it’s published. Spell check is not enough.
February 20, 2025
Recently, I had the best opportunity to meet Shannon at her book event in Windham at Sherman's where I was finally able to pick up physical copies of her gorgeous, heartfelt book.
To be honest, I don't enjoy the romance or rom-com genre, but some authors I do make the exeption for. Books set in Maine with relatable, strong female characters are an automatic hook for me.
When I say that this one gave me all the feels and that Shannon expressed so much in her writing that hits home, I mean it! This one is a keeper 😉🦞 One passage that rings true to me is a part of one of Charlie's blogs that says, "I learn so much from the people I meet and the love they share, and I think this is the point, this is why we risk everything. Because we are all only stories in the end, and all our origins and characters and plot twists are forged of love." (p. 323). Just meeting new authors, friends, or lovers and learning their stories, passions, and fears, they become a part of ours, too. We learn from each other, and sometimes in the process we also find ourselves navigating how to open up, share love, and take more risks as well.
Love & Lobsters has had me thinking that maybe a part of why I avoid the general theme of love and romance is because it makes me uncomfortable, maybe because I have never felt like I am good at it or will ever find my "lobster" myself. Another quote that caught me was, "...sometimes in the face of grief and in the midst of all the universal unknowns, there are no words to say." (P. 79). I think especially these days and in the midst of what's going on in the world right now, sometimes we can't find the right words at all, or there are no words and only silence or actions. Sometimes it's what is said through that silence or actions that really gets a message through to us or helps eliminate miscommunication, fear, and pain. The best books are always the ones that make you face your discomforts, challenge your thoughts and perspectives, and put your waves of feelings and fears into words.
As I began reading this, I was sucked right in. Maybe it's because I relate to Charlie Pinkham in so many ways, being a single, unmarried, childless woman at almost 34 still. Longing for a close, best friend relationship the way she shares with her bestie, Maia. Craving my own "meet cute", but feeling too afraid to fully open up and be out in the open ever again because I've been through a lot myself. Feeling stuck in so many ways, tied to the past and fears, using those as a shield and protection, but also having a burning desire to molt (I guess?) and shed the old in search for the new and bigger. To grow and learn and feel, even if it's sometimes out of control and unpredictable, uncomfortable, and potentially heartbreaking and lonely. There's this huge need to see the people I love being loved, even if I'm not as open to it myself.
Yeah, I think I relate to Charlie in a lot of ways. And not just because I enjoy writing, or because I'm also a Mainer with family ties for many generations and love living in Maine so much. A sentiment I echo is that, "Maybe it would be easier to be a lobster. To know our bodies and boundaries so intuitively we’d rarely need companionship. But we are not lobsters. We are young. Limitless. And wild at heart." (P. 200). Sometimes, it does feel like everything would be so much easier to just be less human, to have less emotion, but even the creatures of the darkest, depths and with the toughest shells end up finding their "lobster" sometimes. Whether or not things last forever, taking risks and being vulnerable is all part of the life we live, and even the ones who try to deny nature at its best and the motion of the ocean eventually feel a big thaw out in their sometimes a little icy, hardened hearts and souls. Sometimes that's from a lobster, a book, or both!
Here's to a fantastic read, that is going to become a movie, and here's to everyone finding their own version of love & lobsters 🦞 ❤️
To be honest, I don't enjoy the romance or rom-com genre, but some authors I do make the exeption for. Books set in Maine with relatable, strong female characters are an automatic hook for me.
When I say that this one gave me all the feels and that Shannon expressed so much in her writing that hits home, I mean it! This one is a keeper 😉🦞 One passage that rings true to me is a part of one of Charlie's blogs that says, "I learn so much from the people I meet and the love they share, and I think this is the point, this is why we risk everything. Because we are all only stories in the end, and all our origins and characters and plot twists are forged of love." (p. 323). Just meeting new authors, friends, or lovers and learning their stories, passions, and fears, they become a part of ours, too. We learn from each other, and sometimes in the process we also find ourselves navigating how to open up, share love, and take more risks as well.
Love & Lobsters has had me thinking that maybe a part of why I avoid the general theme of love and romance is because it makes me uncomfortable, maybe because I have never felt like I am good at it or will ever find my "lobster" myself. Another quote that caught me was, "...sometimes in the face of grief and in the midst of all the universal unknowns, there are no words to say." (P. 79). I think especially these days and in the midst of what's going on in the world right now, sometimes we can't find the right words at all, or there are no words and only silence or actions. Sometimes it's what is said through that silence or actions that really gets a message through to us or helps eliminate miscommunication, fear, and pain. The best books are always the ones that make you face your discomforts, challenge your thoughts and perspectives, and put your waves of feelings and fears into words.
As I began reading this, I was sucked right in. Maybe it's because I relate to Charlie Pinkham in so many ways, being a single, unmarried, childless woman at almost 34 still. Longing for a close, best friend relationship the way she shares with her bestie, Maia. Craving my own "meet cute", but feeling too afraid to fully open up and be out in the open ever again because I've been through a lot myself. Feeling stuck in so many ways, tied to the past and fears, using those as a shield and protection, but also having a burning desire to molt (I guess?) and shed the old in search for the new and bigger. To grow and learn and feel, even if it's sometimes out of control and unpredictable, uncomfortable, and potentially heartbreaking and lonely. There's this huge need to see the people I love being loved, even if I'm not as open to it myself.
Yeah, I think I relate to Charlie in a lot of ways. And not just because I enjoy writing, or because I'm also a Mainer with family ties for many generations and love living in Maine so much. A sentiment I echo is that, "Maybe it would be easier to be a lobster. To know our bodies and boundaries so intuitively we’d rarely need companionship. But we are not lobsters. We are young. Limitless. And wild at heart." (P. 200). Sometimes, it does feel like everything would be so much easier to just be less human, to have less emotion, but even the creatures of the darkest, depths and with the toughest shells end up finding their "lobster" sometimes. Whether or not things last forever, taking risks and being vulnerable is all part of the life we live, and even the ones who try to deny nature at its best and the motion of the ocean eventually feel a big thaw out in their sometimes a little icy, hardened hearts and souls. Sometimes that's from a lobster, a book, or both!
Here's to a fantastic read, that is going to become a movie, and here's to everyone finding their own version of love & lobsters 🦞 ❤️
December 13, 2025
I found this book accidentally while looking for a memoir on a female lobsterman and bought it at full price just based off the summary - rare for me. I really enjoy animal facts (and lobsters specifically for whatever reason) so I did really enjoy the blog posts where the main character is making analogies between lobster ecology and love; however, the last blog post is so unintentionally funny. I almost DNFed a time or two because I did not enjoy the non-blog post writing specifically the dialog of the best friend and love interest and most characters were rather annoying. The last chapter saved it for me.
July 26, 2026
I bought this book from a local bookstore while visiting Maine this summer, with no expectations other than a book that sounded sweet and had lobsters on the cover. So of course I had to take it home as a souvenir, and I’m so glad I did! This book made me feel all the warm and fuzzy feelings in the best way — best friends who are more like family, small town traditions (old and new), lobster facts I didn’t know I needed, flirty banter that had me giggling and kicking my feet, and a refreshing romance without to much of the typical cheese! Makes me want to go back to Maine in a heartbeat, especially If I could visit Christmas Cove🦞🦞 Easily one of my top reads of the year so far!
June 10, 2025
This book felt like home...
I picked this one up at The Barn in Southport on a weekend visiting my girlfriend’s family. I love her town and where she grew up and this felt like a storyline of just that. I loved Charlie and Maia’s friendship, Mem and Charlie’s relationship, the community of Christmas Cove, and all the unexpected twists! This book was incredibly wholesome and was the best feel-good of 2025. Chapter 21 had me in tears 🥹 I can’t wait to ready the next one!
I picked this one up at The Barn in Southport on a weekend visiting my girlfriend’s family. I love her town and where she grew up and this felt like a storyline of just that. I loved Charlie and Maia’s friendship, Mem and Charlie’s relationship, the community of Christmas Cove, and all the unexpected twists! This book was incredibly wholesome and was the best feel-good of 2025. Chapter 21 had me in tears 🥹 I can’t wait to ready the next one!
July 21, 2025
Beautiful Maine
I have lived in Maine my whole life and this book reminds me of how wonderful it is growing up here. It really brought back my true love of this state and it's generations. I highly recommend this book.
I have lived in Maine my whole life and this book reminds me of how wonderful it is growing up here. It really brought back my true love of this state and it's generations. I highly recommend this book.
January 24, 2026
Of course I loved it. Maine setting, love. Lobster ecology, love. Cute characters and romance, love! I noticed a couple typos, which always catches me off guard with a published work. And what’s with all the hate on Camden, ME!? Jeeeez! Sure, it’s fancy, and a little(?) pretentious, but it’s still a nice, coastal Maine town that I happened to name my dog after.
April 22, 2025
4.5 ⭐️! This story was beautiful! I loved the variety of relationships that were explored; from romantic, to friendship, to family. As a Mainer I loved the care and respect that was put into making sure the Maine way of life was represented accurately. A wonderful read!!
July 21, 2025
this is the sure winner for a great summer read. It is full of all the feels that make a book real. I loved every minute of it. I am looking forward to more great books from this wonderful author.
August 7, 2025
Cute!!!!!!
August 25, 2025
Very cute, very well written book about staying true to yourself, trusting yourself, and finding your 1 in 100 million 🦞
July 30, 2026
Entertaining and held my attention, but extremely cheesy and cringey. A Hallmark move in book form. Also felt like it was trying too hard to be “modern” and “woke”.
March 26, 2025
So very much enjoyed reading this book!
The characters and storyline and feel good moments it gave me while reading it were perfect!
Can't wait to read more books by Shannon M. Parker!
The characters and storyline and feel good moments it gave me while reading it were perfect!
Can't wait to read more books by Shannon M. Parker!
July 19, 2026
I feel like I’d love this book a lot more if I didn’t grow up in south Bristol it was a tad painful to read; the storyline was great and her writing beautiful. As a native it was just too sweater necky for me.
August 9, 2025
It was fine, pacing felt weird and it was hard to get through the last few chapters
August 16, 2025
I loved everything about this book! A strong female lead, a beautiful love story, great character arcs, fantastic writing, and the most incredible and heartwarming depiction of Maine. This is one of those books that I’ll forever be sad I can’t read for the first time again!
September 22, 2025
I wanted to like this book much more than I did, because it's a cute concept, but the execution just didn't work for me.
The pluses: Maine as a setting; learning cool facts about lobsters. And the real romance in this book was Mem and Hermon. Hermon is absolutely a romantic and i'm obsessed.
The rest of the story just didn't come together for me. The romance felt flat and unromantic to me; this relied on the trope of "unknown info equals tension" but, as is too often the case, it was a flimsy premise. (Seriously, you can't just ask, "Where is your wife?") The male love interest was too perfect; how the heck was he so instantly good at lobster fishing? What on earth is his job: is he an engineer, or does he do social media for a lobster association? And because of complicated backstory, Charlie and Logan supposedly have trouble being vulnerable and getting close and this is the Big Tension between them. Yet there was barely any space dedicated to the backstory, so I just felt frustrated by the "will they won't they," because we had very little context for their wounds and how they could heal each other. (Her mother abandoned her at a young age; his fiance left after a ten-year relationship. These are huge wounds, but each gets no more than a few paragraphs in total. Yikes!) So their love and coming together felt completely unearned.
The intimacy scenes were cringe, and Charlie's best friend is somehow super perfect AND also annoyingly and repeatedly refers to herself in third person: "Mama has needs." Again, I wanted to love that a friendship was elevated and celebrated as being crucially important; however, something about Maia grated on me.
The book was also riddled with typos, the most prevalent being constant ridiculous homophone mix-ups. The author also insisted on using a structural conceit where every chapter title starts with a "C" word. This had literally no purpose and boxed her into having a chapter actually titled "The Coitus." Which is possibly the grossest word in the English language.
Just disappointing. The author's vision for this simply didn't come across on the page. I wish there hadn't been a romance plotline and that this was just about a community in Maine coming together to support each other at Christmas time. Or that the romance had been handled better. It's a shame because I love Maine and stories about it. Very cute cover though.
The pluses: Maine as a setting; learning cool facts about lobsters. And the real romance in this book was Mem and Hermon. Hermon is absolutely a romantic and i'm obsessed.
The rest of the story just didn't come together for me. The romance felt flat and unromantic to me; this relied on the trope of "unknown info equals tension" but, as is too often the case, it was a flimsy premise. (Seriously, you can't just ask, "Where is your wife?") The male love interest was too perfect; how the heck was he so instantly good at lobster fishing? What on earth is his job: is he an engineer, or does he do social media for a lobster association? And because of complicated backstory, Charlie and Logan supposedly have trouble being vulnerable and getting close and this is the Big Tension between them. Yet there was barely any space dedicated to the backstory, so I just felt frustrated by the "will they won't they," because we had very little context for their wounds and how they could heal each other. (Her mother abandoned her at a young age; his fiance left after a ten-year relationship. These are huge wounds, but each gets no more than a few paragraphs in total. Yikes!) So their love and coming together felt completely unearned.
The intimacy scenes were cringe, and Charlie's best friend is somehow super perfect AND also annoyingly and repeatedly refers to herself in third person: "Mama has needs." Again, I wanted to love that a friendship was elevated and celebrated as being crucially important; however, something about Maia grated on me.
The book was also riddled with typos, the most prevalent being constant ridiculous homophone mix-ups. The author also insisted on using a structural conceit where every chapter title starts with a "C" word. This had literally no purpose and boxed her into having a chapter actually titled "The Coitus." Which is possibly the grossest word in the English language.
Just disappointing. The author's vision for this simply didn't come across on the page. I wish there hadn't been a romance plotline and that this was just about a community in Maine coming together to support each other at Christmas time. Or that the romance had been handled better. It's a shame because I love Maine and stories about it. Very cute cover though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2025
As a native Mainer, I enjoy reading books set in Maine. This book did not disappoint. Shannon Parker encapsulates life in Maine perfectly. Everytime Mem or Hermon said "ayuh," I thought of my own grandmother who grew up in the Mid Coast area. Shannon did a wonderful job weaving in information on lobsters and love.
This book is so much more than a love story. Charlie is learning to love and open her heart up. I enjoy love stories where the main characters are a little awkward. Charlie and Logan are relatable and realistic.
I am excited for her next book, Love & Lighthouses. I hope it is another Charlie and Logan adventure!
This book is so much more than a love story. Charlie is learning to love and open her heart up. I enjoy love stories where the main characters are a little awkward. Charlie and Logan are relatable and realistic.
I am excited for her next book, Love & Lighthouses. I hope it is another Charlie and Logan adventure!
December 27, 2024
Loved this book 🦞💙
February 24, 2025
This was such a great book! It really represents the feeling of simple life and genuine love that you get from Maine. I loved how realistic the story was & it was so easy/enjoyable to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews