Hannah McKinnon | Book Chatter

The Sandy Page Bookshop
By Hannah McKinnon
Atria, July 2025, 384pp.

The Short of It:

Sweet story about starting over.

The Rest of It:

After her publishing career and engagement fell apart in Boston, Leah Powell has no choice but to return to her hometown. Feeling lost and discouraged, she stumbles upon a once prominent sea captain’s historic home that now looks as dilapidated as she feels. Suddenly inspired, Leah decides to transform it into a bookstore and café she will call The Sandy Page. ~ the publisher

The Sandy Page Bookshop is a little predictable but delivers what you’d expect. A sweet story, lovely bookish moments, actually more of them would have been welcomed and a tiny bit of romance.

Leah’s engagement falls apart and her ex-fiancé seems to have moved on. What’s left to do but start over? She returns home, sees this wonderful old property and rolls up her sleeves to start something new. The bookshop becomes so much more than a just a shop. It’s a community creative space, a small cafe and the people that gather there all have a story to tell.

To do this though, Leah needs help and that help comes in the form of Luke, someone from her past that resurfaces to help make her dream a reality. Luke is handy and can build anything but he and Leah seem to connect and then, not. It’s complicated.

This is a story about starting over, taking chances, and having faith that things will work out in the end. There are some sweet moments between the characters, friends and lovers alike.

Recommend.

Source: Review copy sent to me by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

The Summer Club
By Hannah McKinnon
Atria Books,9781668025185, July 23, 2024, 336pp.

The Short of It:

Dishy neighborhood gossip.

The Rest of It:

Mayhaven is the best keep secret in Massachusetts. Tucked between old cedars and a spring-fed lake, the Mayhaven beach club has long been the ultimate escape to understated exclusivity. It’s the place where Darcy Birch is supposed to be experiencing the best summer of her life, but there are a few things standing in her way. ~ From the publisher

The Summer Club is all about the Mayhaven “country club”. Quotes because the members and staff of Mayhaven choose not to think of it as a country club per se. To them, it’s an association and not quite as exclusive as a typical country club but don’t be fooled, it is and only certain types are fit be members.

Darcy’s summer is not going as planned. Her love for golf came to an end, so there is no golf for Darcy but her proximity to the course as she works as a summer counselor reminds her daily of what she’s lost. Especially the time she and her dad spent on the course.

Mr. Birch wants what’s best for his family, but he doesn’t understand Darcy’s sudden mood swings or the complicated nature of club membership. As president, membership equates to dollars so when new folks join, he doesn’t really care if they are the right types or not. His board doesn’t agree.

Enter the Creevys. They are rich, loud and flashy and they happen to be Mr. Birch’s neighbor. Parties into the wee hours of the night, statement cars and the hugest monstrosity of all, a gigantic luxury RV, parked where everyone can see it. Mr. Birch is not happy but when the Creevy’s apply for membership, dollars are dollars after all.

There is a lot of tension in this story. Darcy’s reasons for quitting golf are revealed slowly and her relationship with Flick Creevy proves to be a little surprising. He doesn’t really seem like her type, and yet she finds herself drawn to his quiet nature. Mr. Birch is regularly caught putting out fires. Someone is stealing from the club, there’s vandalism, and there is the day to day routine of the inebriated members as they try to tell him how it should be.

This was a good read but I wouldn’t call it a beach read. There are some heavy topics and the tensions run high throughout the story. However, McKinnon held my attention and I literally read it in one sitting.

Source: Sent to me by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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