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Three generations of Schmidts have run their family's beachfront restaurant and Jack has been at the helm since the death of his father. Jack puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with a string of failed relationships, no hobbies, and no days off as proof of his commitment to the place. He can't remember the last time he sat on the beach, or even enjoyed a moment to himself.
Meanwhile, the DelDine group has been gradually snapping up beloved eateries along this stretch of coast and are pursuing Jack with a very generous offer to take Schmidt's off his hands.
Jack craves companionship and maybe even a family. He wonders if closing the door on the restaurant might open a new window for him. But who would he be without Schmidt's, and can he trust DelDine's claims that they will continue to employ his staff and honor his family's legacy?
When he receives startling news from the past, Jack begins to reshape his life and forge unexpected new friendships. But will he really let go of the very things that have defined him?
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
July 2, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781797176284
- File size: 220276 KB
- Duration: 07:38:54
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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May 6, 2024
The colorful latest from Joella (A Quiet Life) finds 52-year-old Jack Schmidt at a crossroads in his diligent management of his family’s restaurant in Rehobeth Beach, Del., which he took over from his father decades earlier. When corporate bully DelDine, which has been scooping up dining establishments up and down the Delaware coast, approaches Jack with a lucrative offer, he’s tempted to take it. Though his high school buddy Deacon and others urge him not to sell, Jack remains torn. Meanwhile, he rekindles his romance with former fiancé Kitty, and the narrative flashes back to the 1980s, when the pair fell in love as teens. Eventually, Jack enters into negotiations with DelDine, but revelations about the developer’s true intentions complicate matters. The plot is predictable and sentimental, but Joella adds in meaty themes of gentrification, corporate greed, and the burdens and privileges of family tradition. Those in search of a feel-good summer tale will find what they’re looking for. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Agency. -
Escape with narrator Chris Henry Coffey to the small town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in this heartfelt contemporary romance. Jack Schmidt's beachfront restaurant has been run by his family for three generations. After his father's death, Jack took over, making the restaurant his entire life. But isn't there more to life than work? Now a popular restaurant group has come into town and made Jack a generous offer to sell. Coffey captures Jack's dedicated and caring personality and creates a recognizable voice for each character. Listeners will root for a nice guy who is searching for happiness. J.J.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
September 13, 2024
Joella's (A Little Hope) latest is warmly presented in audio by narrator Chris Henry Coffey. Fifty-two-year-old Jack has only one commitment, and he spends all of his time dedicated to it--running his family's beachfront Delaware restaurant. Told in dual timelines, set in the present day and the 1980s, readers watch Jack reflect on his past choices, his future, and his lack of relationships and family. Jack begins to seriously consider taking a buyout offer from the corporate restaurant conglomerate DelDine as a chance to start over. Coffey smoothly navigates between the two timelines and interludes from a fictional guidebook about Rehoboth Beach, DE, as he gives voice to Jack's internal tension about his life's dramatic events. Joella seamlessly interweaves themes of grief, death of family members, suicide, addiction, abortion, aging, and corporate vs. family-owned businesses, while providing listeners with an emotional reprieve through the idyllic beach setting and Jack's kind personality. Coffey's amiable tones help illustrate Jack's wise and thoughtful nature. VERDICT Sensitive, character-driven literary fiction, satisfying and quietly nostalgic. Recommended for those who enjoyed Jennifer Close's Marrying the Ketchups.--Taylor Skorski
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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