Rock the Boat: A Novel
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- Create Date：2021-07-03 08:31:23
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Beck Dorey-Stein
- ISBN：B08HL8VSJT
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Summary
Old friends discover how much has changed--and how much has stayed the same--when they return to their seaside hometown in this clever and poignant novel by the
New York Times
bestselling author of
From the Corner of the Oval
。
When Kate Campbell's life in Manhattan suddenly implodes， she is forced to return to Sea Point， the small town full of quirky locals， quaint bungalows， and beautiful beaches where she grew up。 With every intention （and a three-point plan） of winning back what she's lost， Kate needs one summer at home to prove she's worthy of New York。
Meanwhile， Miles Hoffman--aka The Prince of Sea Point--has also returned home to show his mother that he's capable of taking over the family business， and he's promised to help his childhood best friend， Ziggy Miller， with his own financial struggles at the same time。 Kate， Miles， and Ziggy converge in Sea Point just as the town faces an identity crisis of its own when a developer tries to cash in on its potential。 As the summer swells， white lies， and long-buried secrets prove as corrosive as the salt air， threatening to forever erode not only the bonds between the three friends but also the landscape of the beachside community they call home。
Full of heart and humor， Rock the Boat is a joyful and compelling portrait of coming of age， revealing just how far back we must go in order to move forward。
When Kate Campbell's life in Manhattan suddenly implodes， she is forced to return to Sea Point， the small town full of quirky locals， quaint bungalows， and beautiful beaches where she grew up。 With every intention （and a three-point plan） of winning back what she's lost， Kate needs one summer at home to prove she's worthy of New York。
Meanwhile， Miles Hoffman--aka The Prince of Sea Point--has also returned home to show his mother that he's capable of taking over the family business， and he's promised to help his childhood best friend， Ziggy Miller， with his own financial struggles at the same time。 Kate， Miles， and Ziggy converge in Sea Point just as the town faces an identity crisis of its own when a developer tries to cash in on its potential。 As the summer swells， white lies， and long-buried secrets prove as corrosive as the salt air， threatening to forever erode not only the bonds between the three friends but also the landscape of the beachside community they call home。
Full of heart and humor， Rock the Boat is a joyful and compelling portrait of coming of age， revealing just how far back we must go in order to move forward。
Reviews
Caroline Brooks
，
I LOVED Rock the Boat！ I had high hopes because I really enjoyed From the Corner of the Oval， but I was also nervous about Beck Dorey-Stein's transition to fiction。 No need to be nervous--the voice that I came to love in that memoir is very present in RTB。 These characters feel like real people。 They screw up， they make mistakes， they laugh， they grieve， they work hard， they enjoy small things。 I absolutely loved being a part of this small town for a summer。 I also really appreciated that these I LOVED Rock the Boat！ I had high hopes because I really enjoyed From the Corner of the Oval， but I was also nervous about Beck Dorey-Stein's transition to fiction。 No need to be nervous--the voice that I came to love in that memoir is very present in RTB。 These characters feel like real people。 They screw up， they make mistakes， they laugh， they grieve， they work hard， they enjoy small things。 I absolutely loved being a part of this small town for a summer。 I also really appreciated that these characters are in their mid-thirties and still figuring things out。 Not everyone has life nailed down by 25。 This was a fun， emotional， really well done book that I think almost anyone can find something in to enjoy。My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance reader's copy。 。。。more
Becky Corby
，
How can I not give a book that mentions Wawa within the first twenty pages five stars。 Rock the Boat is the perfect summer beach read。 It has small town drama， childhood friends reuniting， and did I mention Wawa？ Beck Dorsey Stein’s writing will transplant you to Sea Point and who doesn’t want to spend a summer on the Jersey Shore。
Meryan
，
A wonderful story about coming home for 2 of the characters， when they think they don't want to， and their friend who never left。 Kate comes home after a 12 year relationship breaks up。 She feels like she's coming home in shame that she couldn't make her relationship or life work in New York。 Miles，who is thought of as "The Prince of Sea Point" comes home when he has to prove to his Mother that he should take over the family business。 Miles has never left but his father has died and left him a b A wonderful story about coming home for 2 of the characters， when they think they don't want to， and their friend who never left。 Kate comes home after a 12 year relationship breaks up。 She feels like she's coming home in shame that she couldn't make her relationship or life work in New York。 Miles，who is thought of as "The Prince of Sea Point" comes home when he has to prove to his Mother that he should take over the family business。 Miles has never left but his father has died and left him a business that is in debt and he needs Miles help。 A wonderful story about how they all have to do some growing up and taking responsibility for their own lives。 。。。more
KPaigeReads
，
Three childhood friends， Kate Campbell， Miles Hoffman and Ziggy Miller have made lives for themselves and for most that doesn’t include Sea Point。Kate Campbell has it all going for her in Manhattan！ She has her whole future planned out。 She has a long term boyfriend who she just KNOWS is about to propose。 She has plans for their kids and how they’ll raise them and what life has in store for their perfect future…。 until the proposal is actually a break up。 Determined to win him back she moves bac Three childhood friends， Kate Campbell， Miles Hoffman and Ziggy Miller have made lives for themselves and for most that doesn’t include Sea Point。Kate Campbell has it all going for her in Manhattan！ She has her whole future planned out。 She has a long term boyfriend who she just KNOWS is about to propose。 She has plans for their kids and how they’ll raise them and what life has in store for their perfect future…。 until the proposal is actually a break up。 Determined to win him back she moves back to Sea point and comes up with a three point plan that only requires one summer to be carried out。 She just knows this is all it’ll take to get her future back on track。Miles Hoffman， the Prince of Sea Point， he has always been a player。 He’s a shoe in for the CEO position of his mother’s business so he’s never had to take anything serious。 Why take relationships and work serious if you don’t have to right？ Except， he’s not going to be handed that CEO title like he thinks。 He’s going to have to work for it。 Determined to prove his worth he winds up back in Sea Point to show what he’s made of。Last but certainly not least， we have Ziggy Martin。 Ziggy has taken over the family business after the death of his father。 He’s always stayed in Sea Point but now he needs the help of his best friend Miles to decipher his father’s books。 Unfortunately， it’s not going to be as easy as Ziggy had hoped。This book was such an adorable coming of age book。 I loved watching the characters grow and discover themselves。 I loved them finding their worth and forgiving each other for childhood mistakes and building their friendships as adults。 You see a lot of resentment and anger at first stemming from their childhood and watching the characters mature and let go of that anger。 I love how relatable and real the characters were。 Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 。。。more
Charlotte Hastings
，
Beck GETS it and she’s witty beyond belief。 So grateful that she’s given us her first novel and I can’t wait for more。
Sarah
，
6。5/10
Carla （happiestwhenreading）
，
This is the perfect summer read as it takes place over the summer months in the coastal town of Sea Point， New Jersey。 I loved the complicated characters and revisiting the past to understand the future。 While I didn't particulaly like two out of the three main characters， there was enough growth and interest to keep me reading。 By the end， they all won me over and I really appreciated this "quieter" novel。 This is the perfect summer read as it takes place over the summer months in the coastal town of Sea Point， New Jersey。 I loved the complicated characters and revisiting the past to understand the future。 While I didn't particulaly like two out of the three main characters， there was enough growth and interest to keep me reading。 By the end， they all won me over and I really appreciated this "quieter" novel。 。。。more
Sydney
，
3。5 for me This book made me want to run away to the Jersey shore， the Hamptons or some beach front destination and move into a small town。 The character development in this book was great as well as the setting descriptions。 There were three characters with their own problems and things happening that I didn't really feel too connected by any at the end。 I felt like the book skipped back and forth a bit。 While meant to be quirky， there were some longwinded metaphors that felt oddly placed/made 3。5 for me This book made me want to run away to the Jersey shore， the Hamptons or some beach front destination and move into a small town。 The character development in this book was great as well as the setting descriptions。 There were three characters with their own problems and things happening that I didn't really feel too connected by any at the end。 I felt like the book skipped back and forth a bit。 While meant to be quirky， there were some longwinded metaphors that felt oddly placed/made some passages awkward。 Overall， it was a cute summer read and was a satisfying story。 Thanks to the Dial Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest review。 。。。more
Rachel Azevedo
，
[ps: this book is now be out - for sale - as in June 29， so the quote presented in here and this review are from a ARC/ARE]“That was the thing about the sea - it went from a commiserating audience to a merciless anarchist in seconds。 It was as predictable as life itself。”~ every time I would put this book down， I would caught myself with this weird feeling that I was in a middle with a conversation with a friend。 You know when you chatting or message with a friend， and you stopped to do somethin [ps: this book is now be out - for sale - as in June 29， so the quote presented in here and this review are from a ARC/ARE]“That was the thing about the sea - it went from a commiserating audience to a merciless anarchist in seconds。 It was as predictable as life itself。”~ every time I would put this book down， I would caught myself with this weird feeling that I was in a middle with a conversation with a friend。 You know when you chatting or message with a friend， and you stopped to do something， and you just knew you had to come back to them and to where you had left off？ That’s how I felt about Kate， as she was my friend and I needed to get back to chatting with her， and listening her， and living life with her。That， my darlings， is a sign of a well written book！ And how we all have our grievances - not only from death - and that we all should from time to time scream to the ocean or to the mountains。 。。。more
Lisa Cobb Sabatini
，
I won a copy of Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Stein from Goodreads。Nothing is as expected as three childhood friends converge again in their small seaside town in Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Stein。 Starting over， standing up， and figuring out one's own heart is never easy， and when three individuals are trying to do these things at the same time in a small town， they are bound to get in each other's way even as they help each other out， and readers will keep turning pages as this story unfolds。 A I won a copy of Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Stein from Goodreads。Nothing is as expected as three childhood friends converge again in their small seaside town in Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Stein。 Starting over， standing up， and figuring out one's own heart is never easy， and when three individuals are trying to do these things at the same time in a small town， they are bound to get in each other's way even as they help each other out， and readers will keep turning pages as this story unfolds。 A beautiful novel about friendship and belonging， Rock the Boat will rock your heart。 。。。more
Mary G。
，
Happy pub day to Rock the Boat！ Thank you to Random House/The DIal Press for my NetGalley ARC。In one sentence: Three friends learn old secrets and find new happiness in a small coastal town。Kate thinks she has it all figured out - until her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her and she's forced to head home to Sea Point， New Jersey。 While there， she reconnects with Miles， "the prince of Sea Point"， and Ziggy， his best friend。 Each struggles to determine where to go next， as well as how Sea Point f Happy pub day to Rock the Boat！ Thank you to Random House/The DIal Press for my NetGalley ARC。In one sentence: Three friends learn old secrets and find new happiness in a small coastal town。Kate thinks she has it all figured out - until her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her and she's forced to head home to Sea Point， New Jersey。 While there， she reconnects with Miles， "the prince of Sea Point"， and Ziggy， his best friend。 Each struggles to determine where to go next， as well as how Sea Point fits into their lives。A beach read about a group of friends - clearly I was going to read this book！ The plot started off a bit slow to me， but by halfway through I was really invested in the story。 I particularly enjoyed seeing Kate balance a job at the library and The Wharf restaurant。 Miles had a great arc too - he found a great path forward for himself。 I loved Sea Point - quirky characters full of heart abound in this small town。 I wish I could head to the beach and attend the Rock The Boat party！If you ever wish you could stop adulting （or you think you're not yet really adulting）， you might enjoy this book。 I think a lot of readers will relate to the struggles of Kate， Miles， and Ziggy。Review posted to Instagram and Goodreads on June 29， 2021。 。。。more
Rachel Marie
，
Beck Dorey-Stein has become an auto-buy author for me。 After reading and loving From the Corner of the Oval， I had a feeling Rock the Boat was going to be incredible， and I was correct！This beachy， sun-soaked novel hits surprisingly hard。 We follow Kate Campbell， Miles Hoffman， and Ziggy Miller as they find themselves unexpectedly reunited in their hometown of Sea Point， New Jersey。 Kate is fresh off a break-up， moved back in with her parents， and has a 3-step plan to get her life back on trac Beck Dorey-Stein has become an auto-buy author for me。 After reading and loving From the Corner of the Oval， I had a feeling Rock the Boat was going to be incredible， and I was correct！This beachy， sun-soaked novel hits surprisingly hard。 We follow Kate Campbell， Miles Hoffman， and Ziggy Miller as they find themselves unexpectedly reunited in their hometown of Sea Point， New Jersey。 Kate is fresh off a break-up， moved back in with her parents， and has a 3-step plan to get her life back on track and her ex to propose。 Miles is home for the first time in a decade， determined to prove to his mother that he can put his party-boy days behind him and take over the family business。 Ziggy never left Sea Point， but he’s entering a new chapter regardless。 After his father unexpectedly passed away， Ziggy is trying to run Miller Values Plumbing on his own， support his mom， and figure out what the future looks like without his dad。Kate， Miles， and Ziggy are all flawed people who don’t make the best choices， but somehow that only makes them more endearing。 I feel like I know these characters so well that I can’t believe they aren’t real people。 The trio’s friendship， with all its trials and tribulations， pulled on all my heartstrings。 Kate， Miles， & Ziggy are all in their thirties， and I really appreciated the dialogue about how you never stop growing up and finding yourself。 The character growth in here was beautiful to read。Dorey-Stein’s writing style is my favorite thing about reading her books。 Filled with flashbacks and tangents， it almost feels like a stream-of-consciousness。 It's one of the reasons I felt so immersed in the characters' lives， because we see things through their eyes。 Being back in the town they grew up in， each interaction our three main characters have reminds them of the past and we get the layers of who they were， who they are， and who they’re becoming。 I really can’t recommend it enough！ This is absolutely the feel-good summer read you need in your life。 。。。more
Violet
，
Such a cute book。 Fun summer read。 I am a sucker for hometown/you can’t go home again story lines。 Although it’s a familiar storyline， this felt fresh and new。 Likable characters and I love the beach theme。 Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ecopy in exchange for an honest review。
Jane Dennish
，
This is a 4。5 star book for me。 This is Beck Dorey-Stein's second book， but her first attempt at fiction and I am here for it！ I am here for all of it！ I love her humor and she weaves that throughout this book as effortlessly as she did in her memoir。 The characters have great names， from common names like Kate to crazy names like Ziggy。 Each character's name fits the character's personality。 The book seems predictable and then BAM！ There is a surprise at the end that will leave your mouth open。 This is a 4。5 star book for me。 This is Beck Dorey-Stein's second book， but her first attempt at fiction and I am here for it！ I am here for all of it！ I love her humor and she weaves that throughout this book as effortlessly as she did in her memoir。 The characters have great names， from common names like Kate to crazy names like Ziggy。 Each character's name fits the character's personality。 The book seems predictable and then BAM！ There is a surprise at the end that will leave your mouth open。 I had heard there was a surprise。 And I was like， "She can't fool me！" She did。 I have spent the past 11 years going to Cape May with my husband and his family。 Then， four years ago my family bought a house in Rehoboth DE。 The connections between the two beaches made this book even more special for me。 This is a great debut fiction novel and I can't wait to see what else she comes up with。Thank you to @NetGalley and @DialPress for the ebook。 The book comes out today， June 29th， 2021。 Go buy yours now！ 。。。more
Sara K
，
What a fun summer read！ This book sucks you into the beach town and the 3 main characters in it。 By the middle of the book you feel as if you are friends with them and totally invested in their life and growth。 The dynamic between these three adults， who grew up together， is wonderful。 Seriously， if you're looking for a fun， great read for the summer， this is the book for you！Thank you netgalley and random house publishing for my advanced reader copy。 What a fun summer read！ This book sucks you into the beach town and the 3 main characters in it。 By the middle of the book you feel as if you are friends with them and totally invested in their life and growth。 The dynamic between these three adults， who grew up together， is wonderful。 Seriously， if you're looking for a fun， great read for the summer， this is the book for you！Thank you netgalley and random house publishing for my advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。3。5 stars， rounded up。 With this book， Beck Dorey-Stein shows that she's got great fiction writing skills in addition to excellent memoir writing talents。 This is an entertaining， long summer day book about three grown adults who are really just finding themselves for the first time as they've all had to face some new realities that push them beyond their boundaries。 This felt a little long at times， and I personal Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。3。5 stars， rounded up。 With this book， Beck Dorey-Stein shows that she's got great fiction writing skills in addition to excellent memoir writing talents。 This is an entertaining， long summer day book about three grown adults who are really just finding themselves for the first time as they've all had to face some new realities that push them beyond their boundaries。 This felt a little long at times， and I personally felt like the characters behaved pretty immaturely as a collective group for their ages， but I did enjoy their journeys and found the ending satisfying。 。。。more
Carrie Cappiello
，
This is another great summer read！ The small town of Sea Point， New Jersey is the central character here。 This is the story of friends coming together in their hometown， some never left， some friends return home。 There are a lot of characters to keep track of and it’s a little overwhelming at the beginning but once you figure things out， it’s not a problem。 In this book you’ll find friendships， love， identity crises， town drama， heartbreak and more but it’s all done in a light， fun style。 If you This is another great summer read！ The small town of Sea Point， New Jersey is the central character here。 This is the story of friends coming together in their hometown， some never left， some friends return home。 There are a lot of characters to keep track of and it’s a little overwhelming at the beginning but once you figure things out， it’s not a problem。 In this book you’ll find friendships， love， identity crises， town drama， heartbreak and more but it’s all done in a light， fun style。 If you’re looking for something to read poolside， this is it。 。。。more
Ticey Geyer
，
I so enjoyed this book！ It’s a wonderful coming of age story about three childhood friends （now in their 30s） who reunite in their hometown as they all have secrets and struggles to overcome。 It’s part friendship， part romance， part family， and part forging your own path in life。 It’s heartwarming， funny， and a book you don’t want to miss！ What I liked most:•tKate & Ziggy – their lifelong friendship and whether they could be more than friends or not。•tMiles as he learns what hard work actually m I so enjoyed this book！ It’s a wonderful coming of age story about three childhood friends （now in their 30s） who reunite in their hometown as they all have secrets and struggles to overcome。 It’s part friendship， part romance， part family， and part forging your own path in life。 It’s heartwarming， funny， and a book you don’t want to miss！ What I liked most:•tKate & Ziggy – their lifelong friendship and whether they could be more than friends or not。•tMiles as he learns what hard work actually means。 Bonus for me that it includes restaurant life。 Give me all the books about food and the inner workings of a restaurant。•tZeke – enough said！ •tSeaside setting – perfect for a summer beach read。 。。。more
Drea
，
A delightful beach read！！ This is one of those books everyone will love - story about going home and rebuilding yourself as well as relationships and secrets and arguments and love and loss…and what’s important in life。 You can’t go wrong with this one。 A quick read with something for everyone。 Thanks to Dial Press for the copy of this wonderful book。 I’m grateful。
Brittany | Brittany_the_Bookworm
，
3。5 starsWhile this book had a bit of a slow start， it had a good message and was an easy read。 It’s a drama about family and friendship and multiple characters figuring out their lives when things haven’t gone exactly as they had planned。 I enjoyed the small seaside town setting and was pretty hooked on the story from the way it started。 I liked this one fine， but it is definitely too long and there are lots of details added in that aren’t necessary。 Thank you NetGalley， The Dial Press and Rand 3。5 starsWhile this book had a bit of a slow start， it had a good message and was an easy read。 It’s a drama about family and friendship and multiple characters figuring out their lives when things haven’t gone exactly as they had planned。 I enjoyed the small seaside town setting and was pretty hooked on the story from the way it started。 I liked this one fine， but it is definitely too long and there are lots of details added in that aren’t necessary。 Thank you NetGalley， The Dial Press and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Isabella Viducich
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 First， I would like to thank Penguin Random House for my ARC， which I won through an Instagram giveaway。This was a really enjoyable book！ It seems like a light summery read （and in many ways it is）- but it ultimately had much more substance than I expected。 My favorite things about this book:- I loved the setting。 The author describes Sea Point in such rich detail that it feels like a real place （and a real place that I would love to visit！ Drinks at the Wharf anyone？？）- I loved how detailed the First， I would like to thank Penguin Random House for my ARC， which I won through an Instagram giveaway。This was a really enjoyable book！ It seems like a light summery read （and in many ways it is）- but it ultimately had much more substance than I expected。 My favorite things about this book:- I loved the setting。 The author describes Sea Point in such rich detail that it feels like a real place （and a real place that I would love to visit！ Drinks at the Wharf anyone？？）- I loved how detailed the characters were and how intimately their relationships to one another were described。 Even the supporting characters （e。g。， Gertie， Barry） were so wholesome and well written。 These characters felt so real and really helped to paint a clear picture of what living in this town would be like。Things I didn't love:- I found the writing to be overall excellent but there were a few passages that felt quite cringey to me （e。g。， Freaky Freakazoid- maybe I am just a really boring person but everything about this song did not work for me）- I felt that some of the characters （especially Kate） were written to be so immature/petty that it was hard to believe that within 40 pages of their most egregious behavior， we were supposed to believe that they had grown up and forgiven each other。Anyway， I really recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun summery read with a lot of heart， especially if you're a fan of richly rendered settings and characters！ 。。。more
Barbara
，
Throw this book in your tote， grab your beach chair， don your sunglasses， and head to the shore to soak up this great read，。。。oh， and enjoy the sun， sand， and surf。 As a Jersey girl， I totally enjoyed this tale of Kate Campbell who heads back to her Jersey shore home when her Manhattan life implodes。 The story is so interesting and relevant， the characters are very real and complex， and the setting is perfection。 It's not only a story about people， but time and place too。 Enjoy this great book a Throw this book in your tote， grab your beach chair， don your sunglasses， and head to the shore to soak up this great read，。。。oh， and enjoy the sun， sand， and surf。 As a Jersey girl， I totally enjoyed this tale of Kate Campbell who heads back to her Jersey shore home when her Manhattan life implodes。 The story is so interesting and relevant， the characters are very real and complex， and the setting is perfection。 It's not only a story about people， but time and place too。 Enjoy this great book and don't forget your sunscreen。 。。。more
Sherrie Howey
，
Kate's living the life in New York City with a job she really enjoys and is expecting her boyfriend of 12 years to propose。 Instead of proposing， he breaks up with her and she returns to her hometown in New Jersey to live with her parents。 Her good friend and neighbor Ziggy， is struggling after the unexpected death of his father。 His mom is also struggling and Ziggy is trying to understand the financial aspects of his dad's plumbing business。 Ziggy has asked his best friend Miles for help and Mi Kate's living the life in New York City with a job she really enjoys and is expecting her boyfriend of 12 years to propose。 Instead of proposing， he breaks up with her and she returns to her hometown in New Jersey to live with her parents。 Her good friend and neighbor Ziggy， is struggling after the unexpected death of his father。 His mom is also struggling and Ziggy is trying to understand the financial aspects of his dad's plumbing business。 Ziggy has asked his best friend Miles for help and Miles returns home to help as well as to show his mom that he's capable of running the family business。This book centers on repairing friendships， dealing with grief and for the main characters， figuring out their career paths。 At times， Miles and Kate irritated me but their hearts were in the right place。 I loved Ziggy and all of the characters were well developed。 Having enjoyed the author's previous book，"From the Corner of the Oval Office"， I was so pleased that her excellent writing and storytelling were in full effect in this book as well。 Definitely add this to your summer reading list！ 。。。more
Desiree
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Rock the Boat had one of the slowest burns I have ever encountered。 I would almost call it boring， but I truly enjoyed Beck Dorey-Stein's writing style and would find that it was difficult to put the book down。 Kate， Ziggy， Miles and even Bernadette weren't wholly likeable， but there was sincerity that pushed me to sympathize with them when they were at their worst。 （They could always surprise with how bad their decisions could be。） Though I loved the Bell plot twists， the resolution after the d Rock the Boat had one of the slowest burns I have ever encountered。 I would almost call it boring， but I truly enjoyed Beck Dorey-Stein's writing style and would find that it was difficult to put the book down。 Kate， Ziggy， Miles and even Bernadette weren't wholly likeable， but there was sincerity that pushed me to sympathize with them when they were at their worst。 （They could always surprise with how bad their decisions could be。） Though I loved the Bell plot twists， the resolution after the dramatic climax left a lot to be desired。 After this slow growth and build up， things felt forced being patched up so quickly。 （Quick in character interactions; the texts express that time had passed。） Overall， Rock the Boat is an easy summer read and I don't doubt it could be someone's favorite， thought it wasn't mine。 。。。more
Danielle
，
I received this book in a giveaway win and I am so glad I did！ Not only did this introduce me to a new author， the story brought me back to the little perfections of small town life and the people that will have your back， no matter what。I really enjoyed the small town beachside vibes， the strength the characters had to keep wait they loved around and the main characters。 Their development was fantastically written。 The writing also keeps you reading and wanting to know more。 I was very happy wi I received this book in a giveaway win and I am so glad I did！ Not only did this introduce me to a new author， the story brought me back to the little perfections of small town life and the people that will have your back， no matter what。I really enjoyed the small town beachside vibes， the strength the characters had to keep wait they loved around and the main characters。 Their development was fantastically written。 The writing also keeps you reading and wanting to know more。 I was very happy with how this ended。 Can't wait to read more of Becks work！ 。。。more
Carly Howe
，
I loved this quirky， heartwarming， funny novel！ This story is set on the jersey shore， which is near and dear to my heart。 The three main characters get into your heart and you wind up really rooting for them。 This is a great summer read。 Thanks netgalley for this ARC！
Lynette Murphy
，
It was a good book， nothing special， but still interesting and fun to read。
Katie Feige
，
This story had its ups and downs for me。 I wished the multiple POV was done a little bit better in terms of giving each of the characters a bit more substance; I had a hard time connecting with them for the first half of the book。 I really liked the premise of the story but wished each of the characters were shown a bit more depth so that at the end it felt more resolved。
Kathleen Gray
，
Kate and Miles both find you can go home again to reboot in your thirties in this light and well crafted tale set in a Jersey shore town。 They tell their stories- she's a former PR exec now working in a bar and he's trying to convince his mother that he's the one to take over the Wharf， the big tourist attraction。 But more importantly， they tell the story of their friend Ziggy， who never left Sea Point because he worked with his father Zeke as a plumber and Zeke has just died。 Ziggy's not dealin Kate and Miles both find you can go home again to reboot in your thirties in this light and well crafted tale set in a Jersey shore town。 They tell their stories- she's a former PR exec now working in a bar and he's trying to convince his mother that he's the one to take over the Wharf， the big tourist attraction。 But more importantly， they tell the story of their friend Ziggy， who never left Sea Point because he worked with his father Zeke as a plumber and Zeke has just died。 Ziggy's not dealing well with his grief or with the challenges of running the business on his own but together， these three manage to make things work。 There's an evil developer （isn't there always） but there are also positive people in the community。 This might be a little trope-y but it's got a big heart。 You'll find yourself rooting for this trio。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 A good beach read for sure but the storytelling means it would also be nice in the depths of winter。 。。。more
Lindsay
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4。5 stars // Read if you’re in the mood for:➱ allllll the beach read vibes➱ a story about three thirtysomethings rediscovering their identities， with hints of romcom➱ a peek behind the scenes at a small-town library （and a fancy restaurant， but did I mention a library！？）➱ multiple POVsRock the Boat is a quintessential summer read and you definitely need it in your beach bag！It’s a fun and mostly light story that touches on a couple heavier themes （like grief）， set in the quaint beachside vacatio 4。5 stars // Read if you’re in the mood for:➱ allllll the beach read vibes➱ a story about three thirtysomethings rediscovering their identities， with hints of romcom➱ a peek behind the scenes at a small-town library （and a fancy restaurant， but did I mention a library！？）➱ multiple POVsRock the Boat is a quintessential summer read and you definitely need it in your beach bag！It’s a fun and mostly light story that touches on a couple heavier themes （like grief）， set in the quaint beachside vacation town of Sea Point， New Jersey， over the course of one summer。Kate Campbell returns to her parents’ home in Sea Point after her seemingly perfect life in NYC suddenly implodes。 She’s initially humiliated to be back home， but a summer in Sea Point turns out to be just what she needs to find her way。Rock the Boat provides plenty of chuckles， a couple emotional moments， a bit of romance， and it’s got themes of friendship， family， being true to yourself， and the idea that it’s never too late to fight for your dreams。It took me a minute to warm up to our three protagonists — Kate， along with her childhood neighbor Ziggy and his best friend Miles， the “prince of Sea Point，” who all find themselves at crossroads in life — but I quickly fell in love with them and got totally sucked into the story。I enjoyed Dorey-Stein’s memoir， From the Corner of the Oval， about her time as a stenographer for Barack Obama， and I was curious and excited to read her fiction debut。 I loved it， and if she keeps writing in this vein， she’ll definitely become a summertime standard！Many thanks to NetGalley and Dial Press for a free review copy。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Rock the Boat: A Novel
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Rock the Boat: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft