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East Coast Girls
Four friends reunite in Montauk to celebrate their thirtieth birthdays, twelve years after one fateful summer, in this novel of friendship and secrets.
Childhood friends Hannah, Maya, Blue and Renee share a bond that feels more like family. Growing up, they had difficult home lives, and the summers they spent together in Montauk were the happiest memories they ever made. Then, the summer after graduation, one terrible night changed everything.
Twelve years have passed since that fateful incident, and their sisterhood has drifted apart, each woman haunted by her own lost innocence. But just as they reunite in Montauk for one last summer escape, hoping to find happiness once more, tragedy strikes again. This time it’ll test them like never before, forcing them to confront decisions they’ve each had to live with and old secrets that refuse to stay buried.
“Masterfully drawn characters who feel like family. . . . Pitch-perfect pacing and language reveals all the right pieces at just the right moments and the idyllic Montauk setting is skillfully depicted. Kletter will be an author to watch for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Emily Giffin.” — Booklist
“A mix of gorgeous writing and page-turning suspense as four friends enjoy summer pleasures that lead to terrible mistakes, desperate choices, and, as we all hope from the ones we love, the grace of forgiveness.” —Nancy Thayer, New York Times –bestselling author of Surfside Sisters
“Lush prose and poignant reflections on fate, forks in the road and the power of female friendships. . . . I’ve already made a permanent place for it right beside Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters in the bookshelf of my heart.” —Chandler Baker, New York Times– bestselling author of Whisper Network
Childhood friends Hannah, Maya, Blue and Renee share a bond that feels more like family. Growing up, they had difficult home lives, and the summers they spent together in Montauk were the happiest memories they ever made. Then, the summer after graduation, one terrible night changed everything.
Twelve years have passed since that fateful incident, and their sisterhood has drifted apart, each woman haunted by her own lost innocence. But just as they reunite in Montauk for one last summer escape, hoping to find happiness once more, tragedy strikes again. This time it’ll test them like never before, forcing them to confront decisions they’ve each had to live with and old secrets that refuse to stay buried.
“Masterfully drawn characters who feel like family. . . . Pitch-perfect pacing and language reveals all the right pieces at just the right moments and the idyllic Montauk setting is skillfully depicted. Kletter will be an author to watch for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Emily Giffin.” — Booklist
“A mix of gorgeous writing and page-turning suspense as four friends enjoy summer pleasures that lead to terrible mistakes, desperate choices, and, as we all hope from the ones we love, the grace of forgiveness.” —Nancy Thayer, New York Times –bestselling author of Surfside Sisters
“Lush prose and poignant reflections on fate, forks in the road and the power of female friendships. . . . I’ve already made a permanent place for it right beside Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters in the bookshelf of my heart.” —Chandler Baker, New York Times– bestselling author of Whisper Network
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2020
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About the author
Kerry Kletter
2 books438 followersAuthor of The First Time She Drowned (Penguin/Randomhouse) and EAST COAST GIRLS (Mira/Harpercollins)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 519 reviews
May 26, 2020
This book is out today, and I wanted to elaborate just a bit on what to expect.
This is the epitome of a book that breaks you down and builds you back up. You will feel anxious, sad, irritated as hell, angry, ecstatic, and healed. It's a beautiful book about friendship and forgiveness, and finding ways to move on. I wish so badly I could be rereading it on the beach with my best friends splayed out on towels next to me, but reading it, period, will make you feel like you are.
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One of my favorite books of 2020. It's rare that I'm as entranced by a book's language as I am by its characters, but that was absolutely the case for EAST COAST GIRLS. I sobbed.
This is the epitome of a book that breaks you down and builds you back up. You will feel anxious, sad, irritated as hell, angry, ecstatic, and healed. It's a beautiful book about friendship and forgiveness, and finding ways to move on. I wish so badly I could be rereading it on the beach with my best friends splayed out on towels next to me, but reading it, period, will make you feel like you are.
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One of my favorite books of 2020. It's rare that I'm as entranced by a book's language as I am by its characters, but that was absolutely the case for EAST COAST GIRLS. I sobbed.
May 10, 2020
What a beautifully written, raw, and evocative story. Kerry Kletter has a new fan and constant reader in me.
East Coast Girls is the lyrically-gifted story of four friends who experience a terrible tragedy during their final summer together before college...and the long-term mental and emotional suffering which ensues throughout the years that follow. It explores the bonds of friendship so perfectly...those complex, somewhat fractured relationships which had me in tears one minute, and snorting with laughter the next. Every character--from Hannah and her anxieties; to Blue and her tendency to shut down when dealing with emotion; to Maya and her over-the-top personality; and even to Renee, who doesn't seem to know exactly who she is without a man's validation--was so poignantly authentic. The writing was truly gorgeous.
This is a slow-burning, compelling, and life-affirming read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who enjoy stories about forks in the road, and the absolute depth and longevity of female friendships...regardless.
4 brilliant stars
**Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
East Coast Girls is the lyrically-gifted story of four friends who experience a terrible tragedy during their final summer together before college...and the long-term mental and emotional suffering which ensues throughout the years that follow. It explores the bonds of friendship so perfectly...those complex, somewhat fractured relationships which had me in tears one minute, and snorting with laughter the next. Every character--from Hannah and her anxieties; to Blue and her tendency to shut down when dealing with emotion; to Maya and her over-the-top personality; and even to Renee, who doesn't seem to know exactly who she is without a man's validation--was so poignantly authentic. The writing was truly gorgeous.
This is a slow-burning, compelling, and life-affirming read, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who enjoy stories about forks in the road, and the absolute depth and longevity of female friendships...regardless.
4 brilliant stars
**Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
September 11, 2021
East Coast Girls by Kerry Kletter is a contemporary women’s fiction or chicklit title that also has a little bit of mystery involved in the story. The book is one that changes the point of view between the main characters as it goes along.
The story is one about four childhood best friends, Hannah, Maya, Blue and Renee who come together again after twelve years apart after an incident had occured right before they were to head to college. Hannah, Blue, and Maya had planned a weekend in Montauk where the girls used to gather but since Renee and Blue have not spoken all this time she was to be left out until Maya invites her as a surprise. Of course having them all together again brings back the memories of just what happened as the four face the past.
East Coast Girls sounds like a book that would be right up my alley and one that I should have totally fell in love with. However, when finished with this one I just thought this one was just alright, I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t fall in love either. The story was a slow burner and that is something that often drags a book down for me and Kerry Kletter’s writing style was one that was lyrical and sometimes that works for me and sometimes it doesn’t. I also really didn’t care for one of the characters while just thinking the others were just ok too so in the end this one could only fall into that middle three star rating.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The story is one about four childhood best friends, Hannah, Maya, Blue and Renee who come together again after twelve years apart after an incident had occured right before they were to head to college. Hannah, Blue, and Maya had planned a weekend in Montauk where the girls used to gather but since Renee and Blue have not spoken all this time she was to be left out until Maya invites her as a surprise. Of course having them all together again brings back the memories of just what happened as the four face the past.
East Coast Girls sounds like a book that would be right up my alley and one that I should have totally fell in love with. However, when finished with this one I just thought this one was just alright, I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t fall in love either. The story was a slow burner and that is something that often drags a book down for me and Kerry Kletter’s writing style was one that was lyrical and sometimes that works for me and sometimes it doesn’t. I also really didn’t care for one of the characters while just thinking the others were just ok too so in the end this one could only fall into that middle three star rating.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
May 26, 2020
It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I worship Kerry Kletter’s writing. And if you’ve ever wondered why, just read this book. From the first sentence to the last, it’s a wrenchingly gorgeous, vital, lyrical, funny, and true-to-life portrait of four best friends. I love books about friendship. They’ve always been my favorite sort of books. And EAST COAST GIRLS has entered my canon of best friendship books ever written. It perfectly captures how the best sorts of friendships are their own universes, with their own languages, histories, triumphs, tragedies, and exasperations.
Every character in this book is immaculately drawn and breathes and bleeds on the page. Every sentence is polished to gleaming, luminous perfection. Kletter wrote the sort of debut novel that most writers aspire their whole careers to write. So she would be forgiven for not living up to it with this, her second novel. But she somehow managed to surpass the brilliance of her first novel in EAST COAST GIRLS. It’s a Herculean feat. Read this book.
Every character in this book is immaculately drawn and breathes and bleeds on the page. Every sentence is polished to gleaming, luminous perfection. Kletter wrote the sort of debut novel that most writers aspire their whole careers to write. So she would be forgiven for not living up to it with this, her second novel. But she somehow managed to surpass the brilliance of her first novel in EAST COAST GIRLS. It’s a Herculean feat. Read this book.
May 27, 2020
First off, I was definitely intrigued by this one by that gorgeous cover!!
East Coast Girls is a compelling, raw, and beautiful book about female friendships. Kerry Kletter does a wonderful job of portraying the complexities of female friendships and the power of moving on.
Kerry is one hell of a writer and found myself going back to re-read paragraphs that were just absolutely complex but beautiful. This was my first read by Kerry Kletter but certainly not be my last!
I was a bit sad when the story was over.... you know that's a sign that it's a great read!!
Overall, 4 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 5/26/20
Published to GR: 5/26/20
East Coast Girls is a compelling, raw, and beautiful book about female friendships. Kerry Kletter does a wonderful job of portraying the complexities of female friendships and the power of moving on.
Kerry is one hell of a writer and found myself going back to re-read paragraphs that were just absolutely complex but beautiful. This was my first read by Kerry Kletter but certainly not be my last!
I was a bit sad when the story was over.... you know that's a sign that it's a great read!!
Overall, 4 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 5/26/20
Published to GR: 5/26/20
December 6, 2019
Everything. This book has everything to love. Wonderful and complex female friendships that both break your heart and make you laugh-snort, and writing that is so gorgeous that you go back to reread Kletter’s sentences. But the best part is that it’s good fun. You look forward to this story with anticipation and you miss it when it’s over.
July 27, 2020
Four best friends who lack strong mother figures become their own chosen families. Summers in Montauk, Long Island provide their best memories until tragedy struck before the girls were set to go off to college. They vow to reunite in twelve years. To celebrate their thirtieth birthdays, a visit back to Montauk is planned between Hannah, Blue, and Maya. Renee, the fourth friend, is not invited to the getaway to take place at Blue’s family beach house. Blue and Renee have not spoken since the tragedy. When Maya invites Renee as a surprise, Blue’s deep wounds from an unspoken incident with Renee remain unhealed.
Hannah’s world revolves around Henry, the love of her life since childhood. Henry is in a vegetative state with little hope for recovery yet Hannah is always there for him. Blue is a highly successful Wall Street executive yet she harbors deep personal insecurities. Maya is irresponsible, carefree and deeply in debt. Renee appears to have it all.
As their reunion progresses, they bare their souls and seek a path to healing and forgiveness as we learn about the tragic event that changed their lives. “There has to be room for mistakes, you know? The question is how much room, how many mistakes? When is a mistake too big to forgive? I don’t know. Sometimes I think we’re all too tough on each other…. Other times I think the opposite – that we accept behaviors we shouldn’t because loneliness suck.”
Author Kerry Kletter has an appealing and lyrical writing style. East Coast Girls will have you thinking about the friends you are still lucky to have in your life and precious memories of simpler times.
Rated 3.75 stars rounded up.
Hannah’s world revolves around Henry, the love of her life since childhood. Henry is in a vegetative state with little hope for recovery yet Hannah is always there for him. Blue is a highly successful Wall Street executive yet she harbors deep personal insecurities. Maya is irresponsible, carefree and deeply in debt. Renee appears to have it all.
As their reunion progresses, they bare their souls and seek a path to healing and forgiveness as we learn about the tragic event that changed their lives. “There has to be room for mistakes, you know? The question is how much room, how many mistakes? When is a mistake too big to forgive? I don’t know. Sometimes I think we’re all too tough on each other…. Other times I think the opposite – that we accept behaviors we shouldn’t because loneliness suck.”
Author Kerry Kletter has an appealing and lyrical writing style. East Coast Girls will have you thinking about the friends you are still lucky to have in your life and precious memories of simpler times.
Rated 3.75 stars rounded up.
June 13, 2020
Our book club selected this as a "beach read". It is a quick read with a "mystery" element that keeps you turning the page to find out what happened, but it just fell totally flat for me. The friendships aren't compelling or believable, no matter how many times the author repeats (and she does repeat it, over and over) that the girls were like family to each other. How could these 4 women be lifelong best friends/family, but completely lose touch with one of them for 12 years, for reasons unknown to two of them? The author tells us (over and over) that their bond was so strong, and yet nobody tried to repair it for over a decade? And when they finally, at age 30, get together for a weekend away, nobody thinks they need to have an honest, heartfelt conversation, but instead they just pick up with their teenage banter and crushes? The characters were one-dimensional and the dialogue was immature. For a novel that has a traumatic event at the heart of it, the writing is too superficial and predictable.
December 10, 2019
Oh wow. No one writes as beautifully as @kkletter does. I repeatedly went back & reread many lines (& also read them to coworkers) because EAST COAST GIRLS is gorgeous. & powerful, & heartbreaking & funny & so very compelling.
May 24, 2020
DNF @65%
Ugh. I have been pushing myself through this book in the hopes that it will somehow turn around. The pacing is very slow and the characters are very mundane and hard to relate to. I have just arrived at the point in the story where the "mystery" of what happened to Henry and the group of friends is revealed. I am very surprised that it is so unbelievably unrealistic. I have to give up on this one, unfortunately.
Ugh. I have been pushing myself through this book in the hopes that it will somehow turn around. The pacing is very slow and the characters are very mundane and hard to relate to. I have just arrived at the point in the story where the "mystery" of what happened to Henry and the group of friends is revealed. I am very surprised that it is so unbelievably unrealistic. I have to give up on this one, unfortunately.
August 2, 2019
I loved this book so so much. It has everything I adore: beautiful writing, complicated female friendships, humor and heartbreak. As soon as I finished I wanted to start it over again. Seriously, magical!!
September 14, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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Ok so a solid 3 1/2⭐️ the book did not have that happy tied in a bow feeling that I was hoping for once I got half way. This is a real life book about how sometimes you don’t get the guy, you don’t succeed in obtaining that picture perfect life, and sometimes even if you’re an amazing person you life doesn’t reciprocate that back. The only thing that really bothered me is they talk about Maya and how the whole incident was kinda her fault by not keeping her mouth shut (but she never did so was it really her fault?) and how she wanted to apologize to Hannah for it really being her mouth that cause the guys to follow etc. I was so upset when Maya never formally apologized even though Hannah would not have blamed her. I feel Hannah would have appreciated that act of “growing up” in Maya as she is by far the most irresponsible one, and then in the end Maya seemed to be the only one who found a guy and had the chance to be happy?! It just seemed weird to me out of all the people Maya was chosen. I wish it was Blue as she had the horrible self image issues after that tragic night. I was rooting for Blue & Jack—wish the author elaborated on that more. It was nice to see Blue & Renees friendship not go instantly back to perfect because in real life you can do a million things perfectly and all it takes it one bad decision to tear down all the good. And Renee really betrayed Blue but it was nice to see them make amends and start on the path to becoming close again. All in all it was a great read—not super uplifting or life altering and almost brought you to tears, but it’s a very real book.
⬇️
S
P
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I
L
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Ok so a solid 3 1/2⭐️ the book did not have that happy tied in a bow feeling that I was hoping for once I got half way. This is a real life book about how sometimes you don’t get the guy, you don’t succeed in obtaining that picture perfect life, and sometimes even if you’re an amazing person you life doesn’t reciprocate that back. The only thing that really bothered me is they talk about Maya and how the whole incident was kinda her fault by not keeping her mouth shut (but she never did so was it really her fault?) and how she wanted to apologize to Hannah for it really being her mouth that cause the guys to follow etc. I was so upset when Maya never formally apologized even though Hannah would not have blamed her. I feel Hannah would have appreciated that act of “growing up” in Maya as she is by far the most irresponsible one, and then in the end Maya seemed to be the only one who found a guy and had the chance to be happy?! It just seemed weird to me out of all the people Maya was chosen. I wish it was Blue as she had the horrible self image issues after that tragic night. I was rooting for Blue & Jack—wish the author elaborated on that more. It was nice to see Blue & Renees friendship not go instantly back to perfect because in real life you can do a million things perfectly and all it takes it one bad decision to tear down all the good. And Renee really betrayed Blue but it was nice to see them make amends and start on the path to becoming close again. All in all it was a great read—not super uplifting or life altering and almost brought you to tears, but it’s a very real book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2020
East Coast Girls is a story about the bonds between four childhood friends that suddenly become complicated and fractured after a traumatic incident when they were 18 years old. Now, after 12 years apart, the foursome decides to reunite at the cottage in the seaside town of Montauk, New York where they spent many summers in their youth in the hopes of renewing their friendship.
While the focus is on the friendship between Maya, Blue, Renee and Hannah, there's also a couple of mysteries. The main mystery is about what happened that fateful night 12 years previously that changed the trajectory of the friendship and the second focuses on what caused the rift between Blue and Renee. These two aspects linger through much of the story as readers are introduced to the characters and their issues but aren't resolved until much later in the book.
The four main characters have a lot of history and each stands out for different reasons. Unfortunately, Maya and Blue came off a little too strong and extreme with their reactions while Hannah was overly naïve leaving these three feeling predictable and bordering on irritating. I enjoyed the humorous banter between the women that added some levity and I liked how the mystery surrounding how their rift began was slowly revealed, but the actual revelation, while intense at times, was just okay and not as emotional as I had anticipated after the big build up.
This story, with its beautiful cover, is about forgiveness, moving on and the strong bonds of friendship. While it deals with some bigger issues, the story didn't quite get as deep as I had hoped, and I didn't connect strongly with the characters. I think, with its setting, characters and focus on friendship, East Coast Girls would be a good pick for fans of Elin Hilderbrand.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Harlequin (MIRA) for my advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
While the focus is on the friendship between Maya, Blue, Renee and Hannah, there's also a couple of mysteries. The main mystery is about what happened that fateful night 12 years previously that changed the trajectory of the friendship and the second focuses on what caused the rift between Blue and Renee. These two aspects linger through much of the story as readers are introduced to the characters and their issues but aren't resolved until much later in the book.
The four main characters have a lot of history and each stands out for different reasons. Unfortunately, Maya and Blue came off a little too strong and extreme with their reactions while Hannah was overly naïve leaving these three feeling predictable and bordering on irritating. I enjoyed the humorous banter between the women that added some levity and I liked how the mystery surrounding how their rift began was slowly revealed, but the actual revelation, while intense at times, was just okay and not as emotional as I had anticipated after the big build up.
This story, with its beautiful cover, is about forgiveness, moving on and the strong bonds of friendship. While it deals with some bigger issues, the story didn't quite get as deep as I had hoped, and I didn't connect strongly with the characters. I think, with its setting, characters and focus on friendship, East Coast Girls would be a good pick for fans of Elin Hilderbrand.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Harlequin (MIRA) for my advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 21, 2020
I have a confession to make. I started reading this two to three months ago and, although greatly impressed by the author's writing skills, put the book down without the least desire to pick it up again. This has much more to do with me than with the book itself. I am an emotional wimp who doesn't like to read books that make me feel too sad or are gut-wrenching and unsettling, especially at this particular moment in time.
So when this novel begins with Hannah and the tragic state of her present life with her high school sweetheart, this was too many "feels" for me to handle. But the book was an Amazon Vine selection and a required finish for me so I "girded my loins," as they say, and soldiered on.
It continued to be emotionally troublesome for me all the way to an end that brought me to tears, but I am so glad I did finish the read. As I mentioned before, the prose is exquisite and lyrical. As an example, here's the book's first sentence in the prologue: "It was mid-July, when the sun shined the memory of every good summer before it, and the days wandered like beach walkers, hot and indolent, catching breezes off the ocean."
It is always advised to begin as you mean to go on and this author did. There were too many beautiful turns of phrases and insightful reflections to count or highlight. This is lovely writing. And that is what kept me reading even when bubbly escape reading is more to my taste at the moment.
All one should say about the plot is what can be read on the back cover or on the product page. Childhood friends, twelve years ago, lived a traumatic experience that changed all their lives. The reader doesn't at first know exactly what happened, just the end result that the boyfriend of one of the girls has been in a more-or-less vegetative state since that fateful night. It takes until almost the end of the book to completely clarify the events of twelve years ago and to see how they impacted each girl differently.
Somewhat estranged now, they decide to get together in Montauk for a summer reunion. This brings the trauma to the forefront again and they are forced to face it and talk about it, and, it is hoped, to finally heal. This is a book about friendship, tragedy, and how we deal with trauma and unhappiness. It's well done. As mentioned before, the writing is beautiful, but I must also commend the author on how well she gets into each character's thoughts and has given each girl such a distinct personality.
So when this novel begins with Hannah and the tragic state of her present life with her high school sweetheart, this was too many "feels" for me to handle. But the book was an Amazon Vine selection and a required finish for me so I "girded my loins," as they say, and soldiered on.
It continued to be emotionally troublesome for me all the way to an end that brought me to tears, but I am so glad I did finish the read. As I mentioned before, the prose is exquisite and lyrical. As an example, here's the book's first sentence in the prologue: "It was mid-July, when the sun shined the memory of every good summer before it, and the days wandered like beach walkers, hot and indolent, catching breezes off the ocean."
It is always advised to begin as you mean to go on and this author did. There were too many beautiful turns of phrases and insightful reflections to count or highlight. This is lovely writing. And that is what kept me reading even when bubbly escape reading is more to my taste at the moment.
All one should say about the plot is what can be read on the back cover or on the product page. Childhood friends, twelve years ago, lived a traumatic experience that changed all their lives. The reader doesn't at first know exactly what happened, just the end result that the boyfriend of one of the girls has been in a more-or-less vegetative state since that fateful night. It takes until almost the end of the book to completely clarify the events of twelve years ago and to see how they impacted each girl differently.
Somewhat estranged now, they decide to get together in Montauk for a summer reunion. This brings the trauma to the forefront again and they are forced to face it and talk about it, and, it is hoped, to finally heal. This is a book about friendship, tragedy, and how we deal with trauma and unhappiness. It's well done. As mentioned before, the writing is beautiful, but I must also commend the author on how well she gets into each character's thoughts and has given each girl such a distinct personality.
October 2, 2024
Good. Great depiction of female friendship - love and loss, ebbs and flows. I want a sequel! Her writing style has a natural flow making the reader crave more. It felt real to me
December 14, 2019
This was a really good story that I read in one sitting. It centers around Maya, Hannah, Blue, and Renee, who were close childhood friends but have become disconnected from each other over the ensuing 12 years after finishing high school, and after an event that changed the course of their lives. They reconvene for a last weekend at Blue's family's beach house in the Hamptons before it is sold, and reveal some of the secrets that had fractured their friendship over the years.
Each character was very different but the connections between them were believable. They were alternately funny, strong, vulnerable, and frustrating in a way that felt authentic. Though flawed, I could easily empathize with them, and felt that the author did a great job of really making the reader "know" them.. They dynamics between the characters, as well as the less prominent characters in the book, felt real. The story itself was fast-paced and kept me reading as the secrets unfolded.
I have only a couple minor nits with this book. One is around how Hannah was described as having a crippling germ phobia in the beginning of the book, but as the story continued, she is at restaurants, the beach, on a train, on a boat, and at a carnival with no real symptoms of this terrible phobia other than a need to take xanax. This felt unrealistic to me based on how she behaved at the beginning of the book. I assume the author was trying to portray the gravity of Hannah's situation from the get-go, but think that it came on too strong and left me disconcerted by Hannah's actions over the rest of the book. My other (even smaller) nit was that there was never any allusion to how Blue got her name, which I think we can all agree, is a very unique name. I wanted to know what the story was behind it but the book never goes there.
I would definitely recommend this book- a fast read with just the right amount of humor and pain that endears you to these unique characters.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Each character was very different but the connections between them were believable. They were alternately funny, strong, vulnerable, and frustrating in a way that felt authentic. Though flawed, I could easily empathize with them, and felt that the author did a great job of really making the reader "know" them.. They dynamics between the characters, as well as the less prominent characters in the book, felt real. The story itself was fast-paced and kept me reading as the secrets unfolded.
I have only a couple minor nits with this book. One is around how Hannah was described as having a crippling germ phobia in the beginning of the book, but as the story continued, she is at restaurants, the beach, on a train, on a boat, and at a carnival with no real symptoms of this terrible phobia other than a need to take xanax. This felt unrealistic to me based on how she behaved at the beginning of the book. I assume the author was trying to portray the gravity of Hannah's situation from the get-go, but think that it came on too strong and left me disconcerted by Hannah's actions over the rest of the book. My other (even smaller) nit was that there was never any allusion to how Blue got her name, which I think we can all agree, is a very unique name. I wanted to know what the story was behind it but the book never goes there.
I would definitely recommend this book- a fast read with just the right amount of humor and pain that endears you to these unique characters.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
dnf
May 28, 2020DNF @ 12%
It was evident very early on that the purple in this prose was too much for me to handle. I skimmed for another 10-15% to see if any of the other POVs changed my feelings, but I could not get into it.
Thank you to NetGalley, MIRA Books, & HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
It was evident very early on that the purple in this prose was too much for me to handle. I skimmed for another 10-15% to see if any of the other POVs changed my feelings, but I could not get into it.
Thank you to NetGalley, MIRA Books, & HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
February 15, 2021
This is a story about BFFs and what can happen to their lives after one tragic night shatters their friendship. Maya, Hannah, Blue, and Renee were close childhood friends but after highschool, they became disconnected. For twelve years they have talked on the phone, met up in pairs once or twice, helped each other at times, but have not gotten together as the four friends promised years ago. This is the weekend. They get together for one last weekend at Blue's family's beach house in the Hamptons before it is sold. During this weekend, they will reveal secrets that they have held close for all those years, the secrets of that tragic night that fractured this once close friendship.
This story had me experiencing a myriad of emotions. I was not prepared for some of them and found myself sobbing at one point. This is not a story of angst, this is a realistic story of events that were realistic and at times relatable. Kerry Kletter writes with heart and emotion. These women are all dealing with the fallout of an event that changed all their lives forever. They were all flawed, hiding true feelings and stumbling through life. This is a story about women, their friendships, how they can hurt one another and how they can heal them as well. It is a well-written story with wonderfully developed characters that I grew to care about. I recommend this story, but it is one that I wished I had read in the summer with the sun shining to offset the tragic event and fallout that these women had to deal with.
This story had me experiencing a myriad of emotions. I was not prepared for some of them and found myself sobbing at one point. This is not a story of angst, this is a realistic story of events that were realistic and at times relatable. Kerry Kletter writes with heart and emotion. These women are all dealing with the fallout of an event that changed all their lives forever. They were all flawed, hiding true feelings and stumbling through life. This is a story about women, their friendships, how they can hurt one another and how they can heal them as well. It is a well-written story with wonderfully developed characters that I grew to care about. I recommend this story, but it is one that I wished I had read in the summer with the sun shining to offset the tragic event and fallout that these women had to deal with.
June 3, 2020
The sun is beating down on your shoulders and you’re in the presence of your best friends. The ocean waves lap in front of you as you hold a cone in your hand dripping with vanilla ice cream. It’s sweet on the tongue. The sticky drops landing on your fingers as the sun competes with you to make the ice cream vanish create a reminder that nothing lasts.
That night the happiness and love you hold dear, the friends you think you have for a lifetime, vanish, you break down. You’re not whole anymore. Your mind reels as memories flood the forefront of your mind. Nothing will ever be the same again. One split second of time has changed everything and erased all that you once held so close.
This book was a heavy read. I expected it in a way, but didn’t fully comprehend what I was getting into. A lot of heavy topics, especially with mental health are dealt with in this book, so I caution you going forward with that.
Now, although this was a heavier read, it was also beautiful. The friendship of the four girls in this book was refreshing to see unfold. Even when we have rough waters to traverse through, there is always a way to come back. You just have to put the work in and allow you heart to heal.
I enjoyed getting to know these girls and their stories. I recommend this one!
TW: Mental Health (depression, OCD, hypochondriac, anxiety), Abuse (physical, mental, emotional), Loss of a Loved One (both in mind and in body).
*I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.
That night the happiness and love you hold dear, the friends you think you have for a lifetime, vanish, you break down. You’re not whole anymore. Your mind reels as memories flood the forefront of your mind. Nothing will ever be the same again. One split second of time has changed everything and erased all that you once held so close.
This book was a heavy read. I expected it in a way, but didn’t fully comprehend what I was getting into. A lot of heavy topics, especially with mental health are dealt with in this book, so I caution you going forward with that.
Now, although this was a heavier read, it was also beautiful. The friendship of the four girls in this book was refreshing to see unfold. Even when we have rough waters to traverse through, there is always a way to come back. You just have to put the work in and allow you heart to heal.
I enjoyed getting to know these girls and their stories. I recommend this one!
TW: Mental Health (depression, OCD, hypochondriac, anxiety), Abuse (physical, mental, emotional), Loss of a Loved One (both in mind and in body).
*I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.
April 27, 2020
An interesting story of 4 childhood friends, their friendships with each other, and how trauma from their teens still impacts them today. I was hoping for more of a beach read but this book is fraught with tension and bad decisions. I had a hard time getting invested in the characters. This one didn’t work out for me like I had hoped and I had a hard time finishing it. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
December 7, 2019
Lovely, heartwarming, and a bit sad. I felt like I know a version of all of these women.
December 6, 2019
This is an absolutely beautiful story about the power of female friendship. I loved it so much. Would give more than 5 stars if I could.
July 11, 2020
Kerry Kletter is back! This time in the adult market with one of the best books about friendship I've read in a long time. Brava!
June 16, 2020
Ugh! Slow read that just dragged on. Mundane characters. The whole time I was shouting in my head to just get to the point. Unrealistic and far fetched ending.
October 22, 2020
East Coast Girls will make you laugh, break your heart, and have you running to the phone to call up all those old friends who made you who you are. Kerry Kletter creates characters that feel so vivid, they could jump off the page and right into your home (with some wine coolers, of course). I read it in just a couple of days, always telling myself I would stop after the next chapter. (Spoiler alert: I never did.) All in all, it's a beautifully written ode to the complexities of female friendship, and I'm excited for whatever she writes next.
September 30, 2024
After a *very* slow start for me, I fell for this book and the way the author writes so truthfully about female friendships
July 25, 2023
Super good but also made me cry like a baby
April 8, 2020
This story, while not as light as I expected, held my attention throughout. I love stories that go back and forth between present and past, uncovering details as it goes. This book was about a group of four close-knit friends who after a tragic night in high school, part ways for many years.
Their attempt to rekindle their friendship is full of challenge, hardship, and honesty, while ultimately proving how strong true friendships can be. While I did find the subject matter a little heavy for the current time we are living in, I did really enjoy this read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an advanced copy.
Their attempt to rekindle their friendship is full of challenge, hardship, and honesty, while ultimately proving how strong true friendships can be. While I did find the subject matter a little heavy for the current time we are living in, I did really enjoy this read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an advanced copy.
February 17, 2020
WOW. 5/5 Stars. I am so so happy i got sent this arc it was the book i was most excited to read in 2020 and it lived up to my hype for it. The author is such an amazing woman and such an amazing personality on twitter i was so excited to read her work for the first time and it was great.
It was about friends reuniting after along time on a short vacation and alot happened that i dont want to spoil but one part in the book made me emotional and i dont really ever get emotional with books but this book def brought that out in one of the chapters. The ending WOW was not expecting that at all. If you love books about friends reuniting and kindling old flames then this book is def up your alley. I cant wait to read more from this author in the future
It was about friends reuniting after along time on a short vacation and alot happened that i dont want to spoil but one part in the book made me emotional and i dont really ever get emotional with books but this book def brought that out in one of the chapters. The ending WOW was not expecting that at all. If you love books about friends reuniting and kindling old flames then this book is def up your alley. I cant wait to read more from this author in the future
January 3, 2021
East Coast Girls by Kerry Kletter is a light summer read that wants very badly to be deep.
I found myself rolling my eyes at the long, overly descriptive sentences and metaphors/symbolism laid out and then unnecessarily awkwardly explained in the next sentence. As well, the sense of time in the book was completely off with every single character (even minor love interests to the main characters) focused on who they were 12 years before to an unrealistic extent.
There were some sweet moments related to the complexities of female friendship, but overall it was a painful, albeit easy read. I most likely would have not finished if not for an ultimately overhyped plot reveal that I held out for and that didn’t arrive until way too late in the book.
I found myself rolling my eyes at the long, overly descriptive sentences and metaphors/symbolism laid out and then unnecessarily awkwardly explained in the next sentence. As well, the sense of time in the book was completely off with every single character (even minor love interests to the main characters) focused on who they were 12 years before to an unrealistic extent.
There were some sweet moments related to the complexities of female friendship, but overall it was a painful, albeit easy read. I most likely would have not finished if not for an ultimately overhyped plot reveal that I held out for and that didn’t arrive until way too late in the book.
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