Rock the Boat

“Growing up is just one long effort to course-correct the best you can.”

Technically speaking, I’m not supposed to include quotes from this book, because it’s not in its final published form, but it SO epitomizes this story, that I hope I’ll be forgiven for adding it this one time!

I’d venture to say all of us struggle with “adulting” on any given day, and it can be particularly hard when you first cross that threshold into your 20’s.  Never mind the rude awakening that comes when each decade passes and you realize age STILL doesn’t give you all the answers!

When smart and ambitious NYC PR executive Kate Campbell is dumped by her wealthy boyfriend of 12 years, she’s forced to do the one thing many young adults dread most:  move back home, which in this case is quaint and quirky small town Sea Point, NJ.  There she reconnects with two old friends:  her neighbor and childhood bestie, Ziggy Miller, a third-generation plumber who’s just lost his beloved dad and business partner, Zeke, and “Prince of Sea Point” Miles Hoffman, Ziggy’s best friend and uber-privileged son of Jo Hoffman, owner of Sea Point’s biggest tourist destination, The Wharf.  

The unexpected death of Ziggy’s dad and beloved community member, Zeke, plays a central role in how the book’s events play out, and ultimately is the magnet that connects all the various characters. Kate, Ziggy and Miles struggle to redefine their futures, which they were so sure they had figured out, and it’s a wake-up call to the whole Sea Point community, which is under threat from Harry Leeper, a real estate developer with dollar signs in his eyes.  With an abundant cast of characters,  the journey there is full of humor, warmth, a lot of mistakes and unwise choices, hurt feelings, reconciliations, a little romance, and a whole lot of heart.  It’s all the messy things life is full of, but handled in such a genuinely endearing way.

I would love this story any time of year, but it would make a particularly fun summer read. The residents of Sea Point will win your heart, as will Kate, Ziggy and Miles, as they bumble their way to adulthood.  Their friendships with each other are rocky at times, but the dynamic between them is also a lot of fun and was a trip back in time for me to the joys and challenges of being a young adult. 

It’s a coming-of-age story that shows that we’re never too old to keep growing up!

★★★★ ½  

Thanks to Random House, Dial Press, NetGalley and author Beck Dorey-Stein for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.  It will be published June 29, 2021.