East Coast Girls

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.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Kerry Kletter

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publisher: Harlequine (MIRA)

First Published: May 26, 2020

Opening Lines: 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 chance breezes off the ocean.

Book Description from GoodReads: They share countless perfect memories—and one they wish they could forget.

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 vacationing together in Montauk were the happiest memories they ever made—campfires on the beach, salt-spray hair and the effervescent excitement of the bright future ahead. Then, the summer after graduation, one terrible night changed everything.

Twelve years have passed since that fateful incident, and during that time, their sisterhood has drifted apart, each woman haunted by her own lost innocence. But just as they reunite in Montauk for one last summer together, hoping to heal those wounds and 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.

Told with lyrical prose and sharp insights into human nature, East Coast Girls unveils the dark truths that can threaten even the deepest friendships and the unconditional love that makes them stronger than ever.