title: Beach Vibesauthor: Susan Mallery
published: 3.18.2025
publisher: Canary Street Press
genre(s): contemporary
pages: 370
source: library
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | BookBub | BookHype | StoryGraph | Goodreads
rating:
the blurb
What would you do if you caught your brother cheating on your best friend?
While Beth is proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches, she's even prouder of her charismatic brother, Rick, who rose from foster care all the way through surgical residency. She makes subs, he saves lives. Things takes a turn for the happy after she finds out Rick is dating her new best friend, Jana. Then Jana’s handsome brother adds even more sparkle to Beth’s days…and nights.
But when she catches Rick with another woman—like, with with—her visions of an idyllic family future disappear in one awful instant. Either she betrays her brother or she keeps his secret and risks losing the man she loves and her best friend.
Love and loyalty collide with secrets and betrayal in this witty and emotional tale about the lengths we’ll go to for family, from Susan Mallery, bestselling author of The Boardwalk Bookshop.
a few notes
POV: 3rd person
setting: Malibu, CA
keywords/phrases: beach, family, divorce, dysfunction, betrayal
tropes: interpersonal relationship conflict, family drama
spice: 3/5🔥🔥🔥
language: 2/5🤬🤬
mood reading: in the mood for angsty family/friend conflict in a beautiful setting
bonus points: Kai, the early 20’s surfer who’s an old soul
my review
I went into this expecting a summery, beach read that was light on the angst. But this was not that. Instead, it was a story of secrets, questionable decisions, and a whole lot of betrayal.
The themes in this were deep and highly relatable for many of us. At the forefront was the hard choice between loyalty and doing the right thing in a given situation. The author further complicates it by adding a divided loyalty into the mix. That created an incredibly messy, complex dynamic which felt all too real. With it comes the notion of blind loyalty and the ways that can completely encompass how people can view those close to them. There are some deeply twisted dynamics in this book, and it made for a great read.
If I had a complaint, it would be the way in which the two women are able to be surprised by their shared connection. It just seems unrealistic that, in conversation, no one would mention a name. It seemed glaring enough that it took a star for me because I just couldn’t get past that.
About Susan Mallery
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. She’s best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Critics have dubbed Mallery “the new queen of romantic fiction.” (Walmart) Booklist says, “Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling,” and RT Book Reviews puts her “in a class by herself!” It’s no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool’s Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 52 Books Reading Challenge
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