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June Baby
Some summers never leave you.
In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward.
At seventeen, Ruth lost her mother to cancer, and her father, unable to handle his grieving daughter, shipped her off to Block Island with nothing but a name scribbled on the back of a Diana Beckett. Diana, a renowned photographer, took Ruth in for the summer, and Block Island became Ruth’s refuge, a place of beauty and creativity, a place where she could nurture her dreams of being a writer, a place where she could fall in love for the first time—with Diana’s nephew, Charlie.
Now, at twenty-seven, Ruth has spent the last ten summers living and working among the lucky few who get to vacation in this wealthy beach town, and the rest of the year just scraping by, yearning to return to the place where she feels safe and unburdened. But then Ruth’s world is upended by tragedy again. Desperate for an anchor, she reaches for the person she’s been pining for since she met him—Charlie—who has his own startling revelation to share. And when another surprise comes in the form of a box left to Ruth by Diana, its contents raise questions about just how well she knew the two women who raised her. Torn between what to believe about her past, and what her future might hold, Ruth is faced with another choice: does she dare to rewrite her story entirely?
Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief, set against a backdrop of golden dunes and seaside sunsets, June Baby shows us what it might look like to embrace a life shaped not by loss, but by possibility.
In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward.
At seventeen, Ruth lost her mother to cancer, and her father, unable to handle his grieving daughter, shipped her off to Block Island with nothing but a name scribbled on the back of a Diana Beckett. Diana, a renowned photographer, took Ruth in for the summer, and Block Island became Ruth’s refuge, a place of beauty and creativity, a place where she could nurture her dreams of being a writer, a place where she could fall in love for the first time—with Diana’s nephew, Charlie.
Now, at twenty-seven, Ruth has spent the last ten summers living and working among the lucky few who get to vacation in this wealthy beach town, and the rest of the year just scraping by, yearning to return to the place where she feels safe and unburdened. But then Ruth’s world is upended by tragedy again. Desperate for an anchor, she reaches for the person she’s been pining for since she met him—Charlie—who has his own startling revelation to share. And when another surprise comes in the form of a box left to Ruth by Diana, its contents raise questions about just how well she knew the two women who raised her. Torn between what to believe about her past, and what her future might hold, Ruth is faced with another choice: does she dare to rewrite her story entirely?
Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief, set against a backdrop of golden dunes and seaside sunsets, June Baby shows us what it might look like to embrace a life shaped not by loss, but by possibility.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 19, 2026
About the author
Shannon Garvey
1 book66 followersShannon Garvey is the author of the debut novel June Baby. Born in Rhode Island, Shannon now lives on the New Hampshire coastline. She received her MFA from the University of New Hampshire where she taught undergraduate classes. Shorter work of hers has been published by The Saturday Evening Post.
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May 6, 2026i don't know much about book publishing. but if i made the rules, and i would like to, this would be released in june
May 14, 2026
A coming of age story.
Love, loss, and island summers.
Ruth’s mother died when she was 17 and she was so broken with grief that her dad sent her to Block Island to stay with Diana, a close friend of her mother’s for the summers.
Diana and Ruth grow very close.
Diana has a nephew, Charlie that also spent his summers there and they were constant companions.
The story is mostly about Ruth now, at 27.. spending what would be her last summer on Block island.. her love for Charlie intense, she is about to tell him she loves him this summer, but he arrives with a fiance in tow.
We learn of Charlie and Ruth’s growing up there and all their memories and meet some other great characters.
We learn a big family secret and why Diana was close to Ruth’s mother.
There is also another huge loss for Ruth involving Diana.
This was a good story and I love island settings!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Thousand Voices for the gifted ARC in return for an honest review.
Love, loss, and island summers.
Ruth’s mother died when she was 17 and she was so broken with grief that her dad sent her to Block Island to stay with Diana, a close friend of her mother’s for the summers.
Diana and Ruth grow very close.
Diana has a nephew, Charlie that also spent his summers there and they were constant companions.
The story is mostly about Ruth now, at 27.. spending what would be her last summer on Block island.. her love for Charlie intense, she is about to tell him she loves him this summer, but he arrives with a fiance in tow.
We learn of Charlie and Ruth’s growing up there and all their memories and meet some other great characters.
We learn a big family secret and why Diana was close to Ruth’s mother.
There is also another huge loss for Ruth involving Diana.
This was a good story and I love island settings!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Thousand Voices for the gifted ARC in return for an honest review.
May 14, 2026
For the Lily King lovers. Felt totally transported by this book. My favorite kind of affirming, sad-girl-summer read.
February 9, 2026
for lovers of “writers and lovers” !
May 7, 2026
"Some summers never leave you.
In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward."
Ruth is seventeen when her mother passes away from cancer. Reeling with grief and longing to be loved, Ruth's father sends her to live on Block Island with her mother's best friend, Diana. Ruth finds her summers with Diana one of refuge and restoration where she can focus on writing, sun drenched summers by the sea, and love. She falls in love with Diana's nephew Charlie who is charming and her best friend.
Now she is 27 and returning to the beautiful island hoping it will restore her once again. But things are different this summer. There is change, secrets that bubble to the surface, and important decisions to be made.
This coming of age story is one for the books! Full of sun, sea, sunsets, dunes, career and more, this story has something for everyone. Coming of age stories don't always resonate with me but this one is spectacular. The characters are layered and complex in dealing with career, love, loss and grief. It is somewhat atmospheric and fills your soul with summer warmth as Block Island itself becomes a character. There are some important friendships that come into play. Garvey writes with a level of emotional intelligence that is rare in a debut. I highly recommend adding this to your beach bag for the ultimate beach read!
The audiobook performance by Christine Lakin (12 hours) brings the emotions to life and animates the characters. Listening in tandem with the print copy made for an elevated reading experience.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Thousand Voices, PRH Audio, and Shannon Garvey for the gifted advance reader's copy and advance listening copy. All opinions are my own. 🎧📚
In this moving debut novel, set over the course of one transformative summer in the lush, beachy enclave of Block Island, a young woman reckons with love, loss, and the choices she must make to move forward."
Ruth is seventeen when her mother passes away from cancer. Reeling with grief and longing to be loved, Ruth's father sends her to live on Block Island with her mother's best friend, Diana. Ruth finds her summers with Diana one of refuge and restoration where she can focus on writing, sun drenched summers by the sea, and love. She falls in love with Diana's nephew Charlie who is charming and her best friend.
Now she is 27 and returning to the beautiful island hoping it will restore her once again. But things are different this summer. There is change, secrets that bubble to the surface, and important decisions to be made.
This coming of age story is one for the books! Full of sun, sea, sunsets, dunes, career and more, this story has something for everyone. Coming of age stories don't always resonate with me but this one is spectacular. The characters are layered and complex in dealing with career, love, loss and grief. It is somewhat atmospheric and fills your soul with summer warmth as Block Island itself becomes a character. There are some important friendships that come into play. Garvey writes with a level of emotional intelligence that is rare in a debut. I highly recommend adding this to your beach bag for the ultimate beach read!
The audiobook performance by Christine Lakin (12 hours) brings the emotions to life and animates the characters. Listening in tandem with the print copy made for an elevated reading experience.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Thousand Voices, PRH Audio, and Shannon Garvey for the gifted advance reader's copy and advance listening copy. All opinions are my own. 🎧📚
May 12, 2026
JUNE BABY
By Shannon Garvey
A Heartfelt Story of Love, Loss, and Possibility
3.5 rounded down
A layered debut following seventeen-year-old Ruth as she navigates grief after losing her mother to cancer. Hoping a change of scenery will help, Ruth’s father sends her to Block Island to stay with a woman named Diana, someone Ruth knows very little about. Over the years, the island becomes a refuge where she feels safe and secure, especially with Diana and her nephew Charlie in her life. But as Ruth grows older, she begins questioning how well she truly knows the people who helped raise her and what kind of future she wants for herself.
I really enjoyed the atmospheric Block Island setting with its sandy beaches, beautiful sunsets, and the blend of locals and summer workers that gave the story an authentic beach-town feel. Garvey’s writing is quiet and thoughtful, perfectly matching the reflective tone of the novel. This is very much a slow-burn, character-centered story that feels ideal for summer reading.
At times I found Ruth frustrating, though I was still rooting for her throughout. I also occasionally felt that Ruth and her friends seemed younger than their actual ages, which made it a little harder for me to fully connect with some of their choices and relationships.
A heartfelt coming-of-age story about grief, loneliness, identity, relationships, love, and second chances. I’ll be interested to see what Shannon Garvey writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.
Publishing May 19, 2026
By Shannon Garvey
A Heartfelt Story of Love, Loss, and Possibility
3.5 rounded down
A layered debut following seventeen-year-old Ruth as she navigates grief after losing her mother to cancer. Hoping a change of scenery will help, Ruth’s father sends her to Block Island to stay with a woman named Diana, someone Ruth knows very little about. Over the years, the island becomes a refuge where she feels safe and secure, especially with Diana and her nephew Charlie in her life. But as Ruth grows older, she begins questioning how well she truly knows the people who helped raise her and what kind of future she wants for herself.
I really enjoyed the atmospheric Block Island setting with its sandy beaches, beautiful sunsets, and the blend of locals and summer workers that gave the story an authentic beach-town feel. Garvey’s writing is quiet and thoughtful, perfectly matching the reflective tone of the novel. This is very much a slow-burn, character-centered story that feels ideal for summer reading.
At times I found Ruth frustrating, though I was still rooting for her throughout. I also occasionally felt that Ruth and her friends seemed younger than their actual ages, which made it a little harder for me to fully connect with some of their choices and relationships.
A heartfelt coming-of-age story about grief, loneliness, identity, relationships, love, and second chances. I’ll be interested to see what Shannon Garvey writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.
Publishing May 19, 2026
December 10, 2025
I loved this book that deals with love and loss as it's both heartwarming and heartbreaking! Ruth goes to Block Island after her artist friend, Diana dies. She's tasked with cleaning out her studio But then she discovers her old boyfriend is engaged and she realizes she hasn't done much with her own life. The island is somehow magical as she begins to realize her own mistakes and the fact that life is never perfect, but she can control her responses to it!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2025
Wow. Wow. Wow. This debut novel was incredibly well written, emotionally relatable, attention sucking, heartbreaking, hopeful, depressing, realistic. I absolutely loved it. I just know this one is going to be a huge hit in 2026.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
February 26, 2026
a wonderful, lilting, spun tale of a book. the flashbacks were used perfectly, and the lost love, mismatched family tropes were beautifully done. i loved this.
thank you netgalley for the arc!
thank you netgalley for the arc!
May 8, 2026
"She had been grieving these women, but now it seemed to Ruth that she didn't even know them, and that they hadn't wanted her to."
This book gave me very mixed feelings. Our main character, Ruth, lost her mother at age 17 and is emotionally and professionally stunted throughout the ten year span of the book. I felt frustrated at her lack of growth. But, somewhere around the 70% mark I realized that this debut may be kind of brilliant. Sometimes it takes a skilled writer to evoke emotion--even the stifiled irritation I felt toward Ruth's failure to thrive in adulthood.
I ended up giving this four stars, and I would enjoy reading Garvey's next novel. Unfortunately, this is being marketed as a commercial, beachy romance, and I think a lot of readers will feel slighted. If you enjoy literary fiction and morally gray characters with a brooding past, you may enjoy this angsty debut.
This book gave me very mixed feelings. Our main character, Ruth, lost her mother at age 17 and is emotionally and professionally stunted throughout the ten year span of the book. I felt frustrated at her lack of growth. But, somewhere around the 70% mark I realized that this debut may be kind of brilliant. Sometimes it takes a skilled writer to evoke emotion--even the stifiled irritation I felt toward Ruth's failure to thrive in adulthood.
I ended up giving this four stars, and I would enjoy reading Garvey's next novel. Unfortunately, this is being marketed as a commercial, beachy romance, and I think a lot of readers will feel slighted. If you enjoy literary fiction and morally gray characters with a brooding past, you may enjoy this angsty debut.
January 28, 2026
A novel full of sadness, abandonment and incredibly bad decisions.
When Ruth is a teenager, she loses her mother to cancer and her father abandons her by dropping her off on Block Island with a note with the name of a woman that Ruth has never met. Ruth ends up living with this lady, who becomes her guardian and mentor. As Ruth becomes an adult, she is still obsessed with Block Island and the teenage love that got away. Not able to go forward in life, Ruth is very stuck in the past, living her late twenties just like she did as a teenager. When her young love finally comes back to the island, Ruth makes bad decision after bad decision.
The author is a fantastic writer weaving the heartbreaking story among each character, but I was very irritated and angry at the main character and how she did not seem to want to change her life. This book left me rooting for other characters to go far away from Ruth.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was released May 12, 2026. #NetGalley #JuneBaby
When Ruth is a teenager, she loses her mother to cancer and her father abandons her by dropping her off on Block Island with a note with the name of a woman that Ruth has never met. Ruth ends up living with this lady, who becomes her guardian and mentor. As Ruth becomes an adult, she is still obsessed with Block Island and the teenage love that got away. Not able to go forward in life, Ruth is very stuck in the past, living her late twenties just like she did as a teenager. When her young love finally comes back to the island, Ruth makes bad decision after bad decision.
The author is a fantastic writer weaving the heartbreaking story among each character, but I was very irritated and angry at the main character and how she did not seem to want to change her life. This book left me rooting for other characters to go far away from Ruth.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was released May 12, 2026. #NetGalley #JuneBaby
December 27, 2025
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC. I really wanted to love this book because I loved the setting but I thought it had way way too many characters and was way too long and just dragged. 2.5 stars rounded down.
May 12, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
1.5 stars.
The more I thought about this book, the more I had issues with it.
It had beautiful writing, but just because it has a pretty writing style doesn’t mean the story or the characters are well written. I thought it would be my type of book I like to read, but it just made me angry.
This was just too all over the place. It had a really strong start and I thought I was really going to enjoy it, but I did not.
I am not a huge fan of second chance romance, but this wasn’t even that to be honest. I wish the story was told chronologically. I thought we would see Ruth and Charlie spending the summer together and falling in love. We would see the build up of her dynamic with Diana. I thought it would be a linear storytelling. But no, it had a 10 year jump right off the bat. There weren’t even that many flashbacks. It would be one thing if the author wanted a time jump right away and then went back and slowly revealed their relationship, but all it did was move forward.
Everything was told to us. How Ruth felt about Charlie and Diana. I couldn’t really feel their connection. She had way more chemistry with Louis in my opinion. At least they actually spoke and had real conversations. I wasn’t rooting for Charlie and Ruth to get together.
Slight spoilers, but how am I supposed to root for a couple when there is so much emotional and actual cheating going on. If I am expected to be happy he is a cheater, I am not!! I felt so bad for Nadia. She didn’t deserve that.
Ruth was a bad person. I hate to be mean, but I did not like her at all. I feel for her and who she lost, but she really did nothing for herself. I’m not saying she can’t continue to grieve, because I think I would be a wreck, but she had no motivation to get out of the rut she was in. And she kind of treated people poorly because of that. I agreed with Lucy that she needed to move on in the sense that she can’t just sit and wallow.
I loved Louis. Part of me was rooting for him to be with Ruth because I liked them together much more than her and Charlie, but on the other hand I kept thinking to myself he is better without her! I would take him if she doesn’t want him. Charlie just didn’t have any personality other than us knowing Ruth was in love with him.
I wish the plot focused on one thing, then maybe I would have liked it better. Sometimes it was about Diana, sometimes about her mom, sometimes about Charlie, then Louis was thrown in. Then Ruth was going against Nadia, and having issues with Lynn. It was just a lot. I get that stuff can get hectic like that in real life, but it wasn’t very pleasant to read.
Spoiler: She had an abortion which was hard to read about. If you are sensitive to that, I would definitely not read this book.
The ending was just super abrupt too. There was no resolution with Charlie or Louis, or what Ruth was going to do with her life. You could kind of put the pieces together, but it just ended with no indicator what her future would look like. Which that could be a whole other book in and of itself, but I was still hoping we’d get a little more closure.
Also it makes me angry that this book is called June Baby and was released in May. But that is just a nitpicky me issue.
I thought this would be a good summer read, but you are better off looking elsewhere.
1.5 stars.
The more I thought about this book, the more I had issues with it.
It had beautiful writing, but just because it has a pretty writing style doesn’t mean the story or the characters are well written. I thought it would be my type of book I like to read, but it just made me angry.
This was just too all over the place. It had a really strong start and I thought I was really going to enjoy it, but I did not.
I am not a huge fan of second chance romance, but this wasn’t even that to be honest. I wish the story was told chronologically. I thought we would see Ruth and Charlie spending the summer together and falling in love. We would see the build up of her dynamic with Diana. I thought it would be a linear storytelling. But no, it had a 10 year jump right off the bat. There weren’t even that many flashbacks. It would be one thing if the author wanted a time jump right away and then went back and slowly revealed their relationship, but all it did was move forward.
Everything was told to us. How Ruth felt about Charlie and Diana. I couldn’t really feel their connection. She had way more chemistry with Louis in my opinion. At least they actually spoke and had real conversations. I wasn’t rooting for Charlie and Ruth to get together.
Slight spoilers, but how am I supposed to root for a couple when there is so much emotional and actual cheating going on. If I am expected to be happy he is a cheater, I am not!! I felt so bad for Nadia. She didn’t deserve that.
Ruth was a bad person. I hate to be mean, but I did not like her at all. I feel for her and who she lost, but she really did nothing for herself. I’m not saying she can’t continue to grieve, because I think I would be a wreck, but she had no motivation to get out of the rut she was in. And she kind of treated people poorly because of that. I agreed with Lucy that she needed to move on in the sense that she can’t just sit and wallow.
I loved Louis. Part of me was rooting for him to be with Ruth because I liked them together much more than her and Charlie, but on the other hand I kept thinking to myself he is better without her! I would take him if she doesn’t want him. Charlie just didn’t have any personality other than us knowing Ruth was in love with him.
I wish the plot focused on one thing, then maybe I would have liked it better. Sometimes it was about Diana, sometimes about her mom, sometimes about Charlie, then Louis was thrown in. Then Ruth was going against Nadia, and having issues with Lynn. It was just a lot. I get that stuff can get hectic like that in real life, but it wasn’t very pleasant to read.
Spoiler: She had an abortion which was hard to read about. If you are sensitive to that, I would definitely not read this book.
The ending was just super abrupt too. There was no resolution with Charlie or Louis, or what Ruth was going to do with her life. You could kind of put the pieces together, but it just ended with no indicator what her future would look like. Which that could be a whole other book in and of itself, but I was still hoping we’d get a little more closure.
Also it makes me angry that this book is called June Baby and was released in May. But that is just a nitpicky me issue.
I thought this would be a good summer read, but you are better off looking elsewhere.
March 18, 2026
I’d like to send a thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC
I was really excited to dive into Summer Baby, and while it had its moments, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The story follows Ruth, who's navigating complex grief and loss after losing her mom as a teenager. Ruth ends up spending her summers on Block Island with her friend's mom, Diana. Ten years later, grief strikes again when Diana passes away where Ruth's journey continues.
The themes of grief, loss, and healing are definitely explored, and Block Island becomes a character-like refuge for Ruth. She's stuck in the past, and the island's where she keeps returning to process everything.
As this is a debut novel, I do have some thoughts. I thought the story was solid, but at times I felt like there was a lot of repetitiveness and over-describing. The book truly didn’t pick up until the last third, and even then, it had its ups and downs. The pacing was uneven - there were parts where it picked up and had me hooked, but then it would slow down again.
I wanted more from the ending of the book. I understand the symbolism behind it, but I did want more out of it. It felt a bit like a stopping point rather than a full stop. This debut has potential, but didn’t work for me.
Pub date. May 12th, 2026
I was really excited to dive into Summer Baby, and while it had its moments, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The story follows Ruth, who's navigating complex grief and loss after losing her mom as a teenager. Ruth ends up spending her summers on Block Island with her friend's mom, Diana. Ten years later, grief strikes again when Diana passes away where Ruth's journey continues.
The themes of grief, loss, and healing are definitely explored, and Block Island becomes a character-like refuge for Ruth. She's stuck in the past, and the island's where she keeps returning to process everything.
As this is a debut novel, I do have some thoughts. I thought the story was solid, but at times I felt like there was a lot of repetitiveness and over-describing. The book truly didn’t pick up until the last third, and even then, it had its ups and downs. The pacing was uneven - there were parts where it picked up and had me hooked, but then it would slow down again.
I wanted more from the ending of the book. I understand the symbolism behind it, but I did want more out of it. It felt a bit like a stopping point rather than a full stop. This debut has potential, but didn’t work for me.
Pub date. May 12th, 2026
May 8, 2026
I was fortunate to win an advanced copy of this book. The story takes place during one summer on Block Island(off the Rhode Island coast),with some flashbacks to earlier times. Ruth is a young woman dealing with the trauma of her mother’s death. The novel explores themes of grief, loss, anxiety, fear, love, and friendship. The reader meets Ruth’s friends and family, seeing the complex relationships. We see the difficulties Ruth faces as she discovers hidden secrets, and the lack of communication even between family and friends. But we also see Ruth develop her self confidence and see her future with growing possibilities.
I enjoyed the author’s writing style, her descriptions of the Block Island setting, and the development of the characters. Though parts of the story dealt with sad themes, I liked the satisfying ending of the story. I was happy for Ruth, as she looked forward to the future. I would highly recommend this book to others.
I enjoyed the author’s writing style, her descriptions of the Block Island setting, and the development of the characters. Though parts of the story dealt with sad themes, I liked the satisfying ending of the story. I was happy for Ruth, as she looked forward to the future. I would highly recommend this book to others.
May 14, 2026
3.5 ★
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.
I was really surprised by the characters’ ages, especially Ruth’s, because the way she thought and acted felt much more like a teenager to me. I could relate to her spiralling thoughts, but overall she felt quite immature and I honestly didn’t like her that much.
I did love the writing though. It was so easy to read and it really felt like you were inside the mind of a young woman trying to figure her life out. I do want to read more from this author, just maybe a different kind of story.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.
I was really surprised by the characters’ ages, especially Ruth’s, because the way she thought and acted felt much more like a teenager to me. I could relate to her spiralling thoughts, but overall she felt quite immature and I honestly didn’t like her that much.
I did love the writing though. It was so easy to read and it really felt like you were inside the mind of a young woman trying to figure her life out. I do want to read more from this author, just maybe a different kind of story.
February 26, 2026
4.5 stars
This wonderful debut novel is about a young woman named Ruth, who has had her share of loss. It follows her emotional journey through life, love and friendships, with her underlying grief omnipresent.
One chapter in, and I was giddy with joy and anticipation. Shannon’s descriptive writing style, which drew me in immediately, held me captive throughout. At no point, did I willingly want to put it down.
I loved her character development, felt the raw emotion and became immersed in the world of Block Island. While Ruth didn’t always make the best decisions, it came with understanding and not a place of dislike or detachment. Each character interaction wove perfectly together.
While a few parts were predictable, this didn’t hamper the overall story. The different timelines coordinated flawlessly, never leaving me overwhelmed or scurrying back to previous pages. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it - it’s a book I’d highly recommend.
A huge thank-you to NetGalley, Shannon Garvey and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy.
This wonderful debut novel is about a young woman named Ruth, who has had her share of loss. It follows her emotional journey through life, love and friendships, with her underlying grief omnipresent.
One chapter in, and I was giddy with joy and anticipation. Shannon’s descriptive writing style, which drew me in immediately, held me captive throughout. At no point, did I willingly want to put it down.
I loved her character development, felt the raw emotion and became immersed in the world of Block Island. While Ruth didn’t always make the best decisions, it came with understanding and not a place of dislike or detachment. Each character interaction wove perfectly together.
While a few parts were predictable, this didn’t hamper the overall story. The different timelines coordinated flawlessly, never leaving me overwhelmed or scurrying back to previous pages. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it - it’s a book I’d highly recommend.
A huge thank-you to NetGalley, Shannon Garvey and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected ebook ARC of 'June Baby' by Shannon Garvey - expected release date of 05/12/2026
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a solidly written, well paced debut novel. I love the Easter egg of when the reason for the book title comes to light! I know we were supposed to be rooting for everything to work out for the FMC Ruth, and I know I'm in the minority here but I think she was quite an unlikeable character. She had a very woe-is-me attitude and was a user of everyone in her life. She had a decent support system (minus her clueless dad) and a lot of people who cared for her but she found ways to sabotage, find fault in and not appreciate every relationship with everyone her life. Her friends and family were all there for her in so many ways yet she disregarded all their offers of help and support to lead a mediocre, miserable, empty life. I really liked the descriptive storytelling and premise of the story though!
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a solidly written, well paced debut novel. I love the Easter egg of when the reason for the book title comes to light! I know we were supposed to be rooting for everything to work out for the FMC Ruth, and I know I'm in the minority here but I think she was quite an unlikeable character. She had a very woe-is-me attitude and was a user of everyone in her life. She had a decent support system (minus her clueless dad) and a lot of people who cared for her but she found ways to sabotage, find fault in and not appreciate every relationship with everyone her life. Her friends and family were all there for her in so many ways yet she disregarded all their offers of help and support to lead a mediocre, miserable, empty life. I really liked the descriptive storytelling and premise of the story though!
January 16, 2026
I actually don't know how I am going to be able to put my thoughts in an orderly fashion but let's try! Thank you Net Galley, Shannon Garvey, and Random House for this advanced readers copy of June Baby. I don't say this lightly but this may have been added to my top 10 books ever and for sure a great kick off to 2026. June Baby is a beautiful, bittersweet, realistic story of navigating life through the mess of love, loss, confusion, and grief.
We meet Ruth, a typical, at least in my experience 28 year old, grappling with what life means, where she is going, and everything she doesn't have at almost 30. We begin the novel, at 17, Ruth has just lost her mom to cancer, and with her dad seeing no way to help, he ships her off to Block Island with nothing but a name and a phone number. That summer she spends with Dianne, an artist, and friend of her later mother, and Charlie, Dianne's nephew changes her mind, body, and spirit.
Now, 10 years later facing the loss of Dianne, Ruth is forced to sit in the truth and deal with complicated feelings she's been running from the past decade of her life. This novel tugged at my heart strings in a million different ways. The characters, flaws and all, drew me in from the prologue, we watch Ruth navigate the complications of life, and a jam packed summer full of huge life altering decisions. The rawness and realness of the characters is something that really drew me in, but the novel being set in block island is every summer persons dream, life myself. Last, but most definitely not least, the words, the emotions, the writings of Shanon Garvey blew me away, so beautiful and so rich.
There were so many important take aways from this novel, but the way we discover grief in every form and every way was so relatable; grief in the textbook term, but also grieving your mistakes, your friendships, your relationships, your many different pathways you could take in life, those are all a huge part of coming of age, in your teens and twenties, and so on. This novel will stick with me for a very long time, and is a 6 star in my eyes. Thank you again Net Galley and Random House!
We meet Ruth, a typical, at least in my experience 28 year old, grappling with what life means, where she is going, and everything she doesn't have at almost 30. We begin the novel, at 17, Ruth has just lost her mom to cancer, and with her dad seeing no way to help, he ships her off to Block Island with nothing but a name and a phone number. That summer she spends with Dianne, an artist, and friend of her later mother, and Charlie, Dianne's nephew changes her mind, body, and spirit.
Now, 10 years later facing the loss of Dianne, Ruth is forced to sit in the truth and deal with complicated feelings she's been running from the past decade of her life. This novel tugged at my heart strings in a million different ways. The characters, flaws and all, drew me in from the prologue, we watch Ruth navigate the complications of life, and a jam packed summer full of huge life altering decisions. The rawness and realness of the characters is something that really drew me in, but the novel being set in block island is every summer persons dream, life myself. Last, but most definitely not least, the words, the emotions, the writings of Shanon Garvey blew me away, so beautiful and so rich.
There were so many important take aways from this novel, but the way we discover grief in every form and every way was so relatable; grief in the textbook term, but also grieving your mistakes, your friendships, your relationships, your many different pathways you could take in life, those are all a huge part of coming of age, in your teens and twenties, and so on. This novel will stick with me for a very long time, and is a 6 star in my eyes. Thank you again Net Galley and Random House!
May 4, 2026
June Baby is a book I could easily see being chosen for one of those noted book clubs in the media that slap (well, print now) their sticker on the cover. Ruth finds herself unmoored with her life- she splits her time between Block Island a vacation location for the rich, and elsewhere in New England in the winter waiting for her time that she can return to Block Island. Her deep connection with the island began in her late teens, where after her mother died of cancer, her father did not know how to deal with both of their grief and sent her off to live with Diana, a woman that her mother knew in her younger years. Diana's connection with Ruth's mother only becomes clear after Diana's death (not really a spoiler as it happens early in the book). Most of the book takes place in the present, with looks back at Ruth's summers with Diana and notably her blossoming feelings for Diana's nephew Charlie. When Charlie returns to the island for Diana's funeral, he comes with his own surprise for Ruth. Will Ruth be able to find her way? Will her and Charlie get together? What does Ruth want to do with her life? I am going to struggle here with this review because I almost stopped reading this book multiple times because I got so incredibly frustrated with Ruth throughout the book. I only stuck with it in hopes she would finally get her act together. Multiple people in the book try and snap her out of it, with little to show for it. She was such an unsympathetic character throughout the course for me(I don't really think Garvey had this intention, and probably wanted her to be more nuanced) I struggled with any sort of investment in the outcome of her story. Perhaps if the relationship with Diana and Charlie were better established, I could have understand Ruth better, but this book did not work for me. As I said though, I think many will like it and I could see it being highlighted for book clubs, as it seems in their wheelhouses.
Thank you to Random House for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.
Thank you to Random House for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.
April 18, 2026
June Baby is a beautiful debut that demands to be read slowly.
Shannon Garvey has created a deeply atmospheric story set against the golden dunes and seaside sunsets of Block Island.
The story follows Ruth, a young woman grappling with love and loss across a decade. After being sent to the island at seventeen following her mother's death, Ruth finds a temporary home with Diana, a photographer who nurtures her creativity. But when we catch up with Ruth at 27, her world is upended once more. Between a box of secrets left by Diana and the reappearance of her first love, Charlie, Ruth has to decide if she is brave enough to move past her grief and embrace a life of possibility.
Garvey writes Ruth’s journey with such realism that I found myself experiencing a lot of motherly frustration. I wanted so badly to guide her through her choices, which is a testament to how human and relatable her character is. The prose has a literary quality that makes it perfect for a quiet afternoon at the beach.
Thank you to Thousand Voices for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Shannon Garvey has created a deeply atmospheric story set against the golden dunes and seaside sunsets of Block Island.
The story follows Ruth, a young woman grappling with love and loss across a decade. After being sent to the island at seventeen following her mother's death, Ruth finds a temporary home with Diana, a photographer who nurtures her creativity. But when we catch up with Ruth at 27, her world is upended once more. Between a box of secrets left by Diana and the reappearance of her first love, Charlie, Ruth has to decide if she is brave enough to move past her grief and embrace a life of possibility.
Garvey writes Ruth’s journey with such realism that I found myself experiencing a lot of motherly frustration. I wanted so badly to guide her through her choices, which is a testament to how human and relatable her character is. The prose has a literary quality that makes it perfect for a quiet afternoon at the beach.
Thank you to Thousand Voices for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
December 20, 2025
This book was beautifully written,. The language was very rich and descriptive. I felt like I was with Ruth on Block Island. “June Baby” is the story of a young girl named Ruth who is struggling to find her way after losing her mother at a young age and then losing her good friend, Diana, years later. After Ruth’s mother died, her father didn’t know how to handle his grief and hers. He sent her to spend the next few summers with Diana, her mother’s friend. Ruth had many rich experiences on Block Island and met her first love, Charlie.
Years later, Diana died and Ruth goes to her funeral. Ruth hadn’t spoken to Diana for some time and never knew she was sick. She discovers that still has feelings for Charlie after all this time. A series of events take place that help Ruth grow out of the funk she is in. Along the way she discovers things about Diana and her mother, her parents’ marriage, and her own life.
It is a well-paced, exquisitely detailed story of love, growth, and grief. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. Please read June Baby when it is released in May 2026.
Years later, Diana died and Ruth goes to her funeral. Ruth hadn’t spoken to Diana for some time and never knew she was sick. She discovers that still has feelings for Charlie after all this time. A series of events take place that help Ruth grow out of the funk she is in. Along the way she discovers things about Diana and her mother, her parents’ marriage, and her own life.
It is a well-paced, exquisitely detailed story of love, growth, and grief. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. Please read June Baby when it is released in May 2026.
May 14, 2026
'tis a sad girl summer!
we follow ruth and her transformative summer on block island. after she loses her mother to cancer, her father sends ruth off to block island with nothing but a piece of paper that says 'diana beckett'. fast forward to age 27, ruth reconciles memories of her past and present to understand what happened between her mother and diana.
my favorite part of the novel is learning about ruth's mother and diana. their relationship is a strong point in this novel. to be honest - i didn't care much about charlie and felt like there was too much airtime there.
i could heavily relate with ruth, especially with that ever-presenting feeling that life is just passing by you. i'm glad at the end, she finds her purpose and sets off to a new life. i am proud of her! we're rooting for you, ruth!!
we follow ruth and her transformative summer on block island. after she loses her mother to cancer, her father sends ruth off to block island with nothing but a piece of paper that says 'diana beckett'. fast forward to age 27, ruth reconciles memories of her past and present to understand what happened between her mother and diana.
my favorite part of the novel is learning about ruth's mother and diana. their relationship is a strong point in this novel. to be honest - i didn't care much about charlie and felt like there was too much airtime there.
i could heavily relate with ruth, especially with that ever-presenting feeling that life is just passing by you. i'm glad at the end, she finds her purpose and sets off to a new life. i am proud of her! we're rooting for you, ruth!!
March 24, 2026
I received this copy as an ARC and couldn’t put it down. I’ll admit the first couple chapters had me wondering if I’d like it, but I am SO happy I stayed with it. This is a coming of age story about Ruth, a 17 year old girl who loses her mom. Her dad sends her to Block Island for the summer to stay with an old friend of her mom’s. We follow Ruth over the next 10 years as she navigates deciding where she wants her life to take her. Beautifully written and character driven, I really enjoyed this coming of age novel. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this advanced reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Enjoyable read. Perfect by the ocean this summer. I felt like I was on Block Island. The author captured some of the idiosyncrasies of island life.
May 8, 2026
consider it emily June'd -- sweet, stunning, SUMMER!!!!
May 4, 2026
Adding Block Island to my travel bucket list for the summer!!!
In JUNE BABY by Shannon Garvey transported me straight to Block Island, just off the coast of Rhode Island. The descriptive setting of this book is so vivid, I could practically feel the salt air and hear the waves hitting the shore.
This story takes place over one summer with flash backs to previous summers spent on Block Island. At its core this is a coming of age story of a girl named Ruth. Ruth is seventeen and has lost her mother to cancer. Her dad unable to handle her grieving sends her off to Block Island to find a lady named Diana to live with for the summer. What unfolds is a beautiful story that explores grief, love, family, and friendship.
In JUNE BABY by Shannon Garvey transported me straight to Block Island, just off the coast of Rhode Island. The descriptive setting of this book is so vivid, I could practically feel the salt air and hear the waves hitting the shore.
This story takes place over one summer with flash backs to previous summers spent on Block Island. At its core this is a coming of age story of a girl named Ruth. Ruth is seventeen and has lost her mother to cancer. Her dad unable to handle her grieving sends her off to Block Island to find a lady named Diana to live with for the summer. What unfolds is a beautiful story that explores grief, love, family, and friendship.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Thousand Voices, NetGalley, and Shannon Garvey for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
NOTE: Goodreads does not offer half-stars. In the interest of fairness, I've rounded this up to 5 stars. I would've given it 4.5 had that been an option.
Everyone has that one summer they'll always remember, that summer that brought about irrevocable change, or unbearable heartbreak, or unfailing love. June Baby, a new novel by Shannon Garvey, manages to take the "that summer" feeling and stretch it out over a series of years, showcasing the slow growth and heartbreak of a young woman stuck in a moment, mired in grief while life slowly passes her by.
The story follows Ruth, a young woman of 17 whose mother had died three months ago from cancer. Overcome with grief and caught in a deep depression, Ruth can barely get out of bed most days and treats her mother's belongings like a shrine, unwilling or unable to change anything from the way it was left. Her father, overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, decides to send Ruth away to live with a friend of the family, Diana Beckett, on the coastal community of Block Island. Bewildered, Ruth shows up on Diana's door only to realize that Diana had not been expecting her, adding further confusion and hurt to the encounter. Yet, Ruth stays, drawn in by Diana's artist lifestyle and charming cottage, and desperate to make a new start.
Ruth spends the summer living with Diana, where she meets Charlie, Diana's niece. For the first time since her mother died, Ruth finds herself in the company of a friend, depression's fog slowly lifting a day at a time. They build a slow, fragile friendship that promises more but never quite gets there, Ruth still too afraid of loss to admit what she's feeling.
As the years pass and others in her life grow up, go to college, and get "real" jobs, Ruth finds herself returning to Block Island year after year, helping Diana with her photography business and working in local restaurants. Without any true ambition, she spends her days waiting for her life to start while watching it slowly slip away.
Yet, even that simple lifestyle can't last, as another tragedy strikes and Ruth soon finds out that the people she loved most were also keeping deep secrets from her. Now, she must reconcile everything she thought she knew with what she's feeling now, or else she might find herself swept under by the tide of grief and missed chances.
This is the fifth book I've read from Jenna Bush Hager's Thousand Voices imprint, and once again they've delivered a deep, nuanced story filled with conflicting emotions, memorable characters, and strong themes that linger long after I've closed the book. The author does an incredible job of capturing that strange feeling of a person's mid-20s when they feel like their entire life is over even though it's barely begun. Through Ruth's eyes, we see an array of endless possibilities that never came to pass, but we understand the suffocating weight of her grief, that quicksand feeling of never being able to move on. Ruth makes bad choice after bad choice, but as an adult whose 20s are firmly in the rearview mirror, it's easy to recognize that immediacy that comes with youth; the feeling that you're never going to get anywhere because you're too young to see you've got your whole life ahead of you.
The heart of this novel explores three key types of love: familial, friendship, and romantic. Ruth's relationship with her father and Diana couldn't be more different, with her father having difficulty expressing his emotions and Ruth feeling like he abandoned her because he couldn't manage his own grief. Though Diana is not family by blood, the intimacy and depth of friendship Ruth experiences with Diana is the closest thing to it, which is why she feels even more betrayed when secrets Diana had been keeping come to light. Ruth deals with her emotions by guarding her heart, so she feels even more raw and vulnerable when that fragile shield is broken.
We also see Ruth's relationship with Charlie, the proverbial one who got away. Charlie comes from money and quietly builds a cushy life for himself away from the tide pool of block island: an Ivy League education, a solid career in finance, and a home in New York. When he returns to the island, Ruth tries to reconcile 17-year old Charlie who stayed in the house with her and Diana with this new, mature young man with dreams on his mind. One of the things I enjoyed most about the novel was the complexity of the characters; there is no "perfectly good" or "perfectly bad" person in this story. Instead, they're messy humans with messier feelings, and the sense of confusion and bewilderment is a deep current that runs throughout the novel.
I think you'll enjoy this novel if you enjoy character-driven stories steeped in emotion, filled with yearning and heartbreak. It's as much a treatise on grief and loss as it is a love letter to a lost series of summer, and watching Ruth painfully, slowly untangle her own wants and desires reminds me of some of my own younger struggles. The setting of Block Island is almost a character onto itself; a stretch of land that remains the same year after year, beckoning visitors and summer workers alike to get swept away in its hypnotic breezes. Though this is a standalone, I would very much like to see where Ruth ends up five years after the end of the novel, and whether she gets the life she always dreamed for herself. I'd like to think she would, but that Block Island remains, always waiting for her to come home.
NOTE: Goodreads does not offer half-stars. In the interest of fairness, I've rounded this up to 5 stars. I would've given it 4.5 had that been an option.
Everyone has that one summer they'll always remember, that summer that brought about irrevocable change, or unbearable heartbreak, or unfailing love. June Baby, a new novel by Shannon Garvey, manages to take the "that summer" feeling and stretch it out over a series of years, showcasing the slow growth and heartbreak of a young woman stuck in a moment, mired in grief while life slowly passes her by.
The story follows Ruth, a young woman of 17 whose mother had died three months ago from cancer. Overcome with grief and caught in a deep depression, Ruth can barely get out of bed most days and treats her mother's belongings like a shrine, unwilling or unable to change anything from the way it was left. Her father, overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, decides to send Ruth away to live with a friend of the family, Diana Beckett, on the coastal community of Block Island. Bewildered, Ruth shows up on Diana's door only to realize that Diana had not been expecting her, adding further confusion and hurt to the encounter. Yet, Ruth stays, drawn in by Diana's artist lifestyle and charming cottage, and desperate to make a new start.
Ruth spends the summer living with Diana, where she meets Charlie, Diana's niece. For the first time since her mother died, Ruth finds herself in the company of a friend, depression's fog slowly lifting a day at a time. They build a slow, fragile friendship that promises more but never quite gets there, Ruth still too afraid of loss to admit what she's feeling.
As the years pass and others in her life grow up, go to college, and get "real" jobs, Ruth finds herself returning to Block Island year after year, helping Diana with her photography business and working in local restaurants. Without any true ambition, she spends her days waiting for her life to start while watching it slowly slip away.
Yet, even that simple lifestyle can't last, as another tragedy strikes and Ruth soon finds out that the people she loved most were also keeping deep secrets from her. Now, she must reconcile everything she thought she knew with what she's feeling now, or else she might find herself swept under by the tide of grief and missed chances.
This is the fifth book I've read from Jenna Bush Hager's Thousand Voices imprint, and once again they've delivered a deep, nuanced story filled with conflicting emotions, memorable characters, and strong themes that linger long after I've closed the book. The author does an incredible job of capturing that strange feeling of a person's mid-20s when they feel like their entire life is over even though it's barely begun. Through Ruth's eyes, we see an array of endless possibilities that never came to pass, but we understand the suffocating weight of her grief, that quicksand feeling of never being able to move on. Ruth makes bad choice after bad choice, but as an adult whose 20s are firmly in the rearview mirror, it's easy to recognize that immediacy that comes with youth; the feeling that you're never going to get anywhere because you're too young to see you've got your whole life ahead of you.
The heart of this novel explores three key types of love: familial, friendship, and romantic. Ruth's relationship with her father and Diana couldn't be more different, with her father having difficulty expressing his emotions and Ruth feeling like he abandoned her because he couldn't manage his own grief. Though Diana is not family by blood, the intimacy and depth of friendship Ruth experiences with Diana is the closest thing to it, which is why she feels even more betrayed when secrets Diana had been keeping come to light. Ruth deals with her emotions by guarding her heart, so she feels even more raw and vulnerable when that fragile shield is broken.
We also see Ruth's relationship with Charlie, the proverbial one who got away. Charlie comes from money and quietly builds a cushy life for himself away from the tide pool of block island: an Ivy League education, a solid career in finance, and a home in New York. When he returns to the island, Ruth tries to reconcile 17-year old Charlie who stayed in the house with her and Diana with this new, mature young man with dreams on his mind. One of the things I enjoyed most about the novel was the complexity of the characters; there is no "perfectly good" or "perfectly bad" person in this story. Instead, they're messy humans with messier feelings, and the sense of confusion and bewilderment is a deep current that runs throughout the novel.
I think you'll enjoy this novel if you enjoy character-driven stories steeped in emotion, filled with yearning and heartbreak. It's as much a treatise on grief and loss as it is a love letter to a lost series of summer, and watching Ruth painfully, slowly untangle her own wants and desires reminds me of some of my own younger struggles. The setting of Block Island is almost a character onto itself; a stretch of land that remains the same year after year, beckoning visitors and summer workers alike to get swept away in its hypnotic breezes. Though this is a standalone, I would very much like to see where Ruth ends up five years after the end of the novel, and whether she gets the life she always dreamed for herself. I'd like to think she would, but that Block Island remains, always waiting for her to come home.
December 10, 2025
This was such a beautiful novel with an amazing summer setting. Ruth is an endearing main character with relatable predicaments as she navigates love and loss and we watch as she grows over a decade. At times my heart broke and at others my heart smiled. Loved the coming of age aspect and then the early adulthood life of Ruth in her twenties. This book will make you reflect on your own life. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
June Baby starts like a foggy beach morning... gray, a little cold, and you’re not totally sure why you’re here yet. But then, out of nowhere, the sun shows up and blinds you with EMOTIONS. I’m not saying this book ambushed me with grief, longing, and a not-so-subtle yearning for emotional closure, but I am saying I almost threw it across the room and then immediately picked it back up like, “No no, I need to see how this turns out, I’m just being dramatic.”
We start with Ruth, who, at seventeen, is freshly motherless, freshly abandoned by her emotionally useless father, and basically shipped off to Block Island with the literary equivalent of a sticky note that says “Good luck, kid.” Enter Diana Beckett, effortlessly artsy, emotionally cryptic, and the kind of woman who probably smells like sea salt and secrets. Diana lets Ruth stay with her for the summer, and this strange, sandy island becomes Ruth’s accidental home base. The one place she starts to feel like herself again. Oh, and then there’s Charlie. Of course there’s a Charlie. Nephew of the woman who took her in. Hot. Protective. Tragic backstory potential. You already know this man has a well-worn hoodie and a playlist that could destroy your soul.
Fast-forward ten years and Ruth is STILL doing seasonal summers on Block Island like it's her emotional Groundhog Day. She’s stuck. Emotionally, professionally, romantically. And then BAM, Diana dies. Charlie shows up engaged, because of course he does. Ruth spirals. It's messy. It’s gutting. And it's handled with the kind of raw, lived-in grief that doesn’t try to wrap itself up in a tidy beach bow. Ruth isn’t always likable. I mean, sometimes she’s one bad decision away from main character-ing herself into a full-blown life implosion. But she feels real. Like someone you’ve known since high school who still hasn’t figured out how to stop dating emotionally unavailable men or ordering the same thing at the diner every Sunday.
This book is very emotionally mid-twenties existential crisis core. You’re not where you thought you’d be, everyone else seems to be moving forward, and you’re just... still working the same summer job and sleeping with someone who doesn’t ask follow-up questions. Ruth is absolutely flailing, but her flailing makes sense. She’s tangled up in unresolved grief, in first love nostalgia, in her need to belong somewhere, and the story doesn’t rush her out of that. Which I respect. Sometimes you need to marinate in your mess before you clean it up.
That said, yeah. It takes a hot minute to get going. The pacing in the beginning is like trying to walk through wet sand in flip-flops. You're doing it, but it’s slow and vaguely annoying. And if you’re someone who needs action in the first few chapters, you might bail early. Don’t. Stick with it. There’s a scene around the halfway mark (you’ll know it when you read it) that made me close the book and stare into the void for five solid minutes. Shannon Garvey writes those little emotional gut-punch moments like she’s personally trying to ruin your day in the best way.
Also, I want to give a slow clap to the vibes. Block Island feels like a character in itself. The writing is cinematic without being show-offy. You can taste the sea spray. You can feel the sticky night air. You know the exact kind of faded beach towel these people are emotionally unraveling on. The whole book feels like watching summer roll over you in slow, painful, beautiful waves.
Is this a romance? Not really. Is it a breakup recovery? Not exactly. It’s more like a grief memoir disguised as a beach read, with a side of queer vibes, family secrets, and emotionally avoidant men who probably own record players. And honestly? I loved that for us.
Solid four stars. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s honest, and that counts for more. It hits that rare sweet spot of hauntingly tender while also wanting to scream into the sea. I just wish the emotional payoff wasn’t packed into the last 15 percent like a chaotic emotional piñata.
Huge thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC, and for emotionally dropkicking me into my early twenties all over again.
We start with Ruth, who, at seventeen, is freshly motherless, freshly abandoned by her emotionally useless father, and basically shipped off to Block Island with the literary equivalent of a sticky note that says “Good luck, kid.” Enter Diana Beckett, effortlessly artsy, emotionally cryptic, and the kind of woman who probably smells like sea salt and secrets. Diana lets Ruth stay with her for the summer, and this strange, sandy island becomes Ruth’s accidental home base. The one place she starts to feel like herself again. Oh, and then there’s Charlie. Of course there’s a Charlie. Nephew of the woman who took her in. Hot. Protective. Tragic backstory potential. You already know this man has a well-worn hoodie and a playlist that could destroy your soul.
Fast-forward ten years and Ruth is STILL doing seasonal summers on Block Island like it's her emotional Groundhog Day. She’s stuck. Emotionally, professionally, romantically. And then BAM, Diana dies. Charlie shows up engaged, because of course he does. Ruth spirals. It's messy. It’s gutting. And it's handled with the kind of raw, lived-in grief that doesn’t try to wrap itself up in a tidy beach bow. Ruth isn’t always likable. I mean, sometimes she’s one bad decision away from main character-ing herself into a full-blown life implosion. But she feels real. Like someone you’ve known since high school who still hasn’t figured out how to stop dating emotionally unavailable men or ordering the same thing at the diner every Sunday.
This book is very emotionally mid-twenties existential crisis core. You’re not where you thought you’d be, everyone else seems to be moving forward, and you’re just... still working the same summer job and sleeping with someone who doesn’t ask follow-up questions. Ruth is absolutely flailing, but her flailing makes sense. She’s tangled up in unresolved grief, in first love nostalgia, in her need to belong somewhere, and the story doesn’t rush her out of that. Which I respect. Sometimes you need to marinate in your mess before you clean it up.
That said, yeah. It takes a hot minute to get going. The pacing in the beginning is like trying to walk through wet sand in flip-flops. You're doing it, but it’s slow and vaguely annoying. And if you’re someone who needs action in the first few chapters, you might bail early. Don’t. Stick with it. There’s a scene around the halfway mark (you’ll know it when you read it) that made me close the book and stare into the void for five solid minutes. Shannon Garvey writes those little emotional gut-punch moments like she’s personally trying to ruin your day in the best way.
Also, I want to give a slow clap to the vibes. Block Island feels like a character in itself. The writing is cinematic without being show-offy. You can taste the sea spray. You can feel the sticky night air. You know the exact kind of faded beach towel these people are emotionally unraveling on. The whole book feels like watching summer roll over you in slow, painful, beautiful waves.
Is this a romance? Not really. Is it a breakup recovery? Not exactly. It’s more like a grief memoir disguised as a beach read, with a side of queer vibes, family secrets, and emotionally avoidant men who probably own record players. And honestly? I loved that for us.
Solid four stars. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s honest, and that counts for more. It hits that rare sweet spot of hauntingly tender while also wanting to scream into the sea. I just wish the emotional payoff wasn’t packed into the last 15 percent like a chaotic emotional piñata.
Huge thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC, and for emotionally dropkicking me into my early twenties all over again.
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