J. Courtney Sullivan meets Jennifer Weiner in this page-turning and heartfelt multi-generational debut about the smart, headstrong, and equally flawed Harris women, forging their own paths in life, set on the idyllic shores of Cape Cod. It’s the summer of 2002, and 21-year-old Sarah Harris has experienced enough heartache this past year to last a lifetime. She escapes to the solace of her aunt’s Cape Cod beach cottage to work at a swanky golf resort, and save up enough money to put herself through college and help her family’s dwindling finances. When she meets Luke, she’s hit with the realization that this man might be the love of her life. But is their love for the ages? Or just for the summer?

Nearly two decades later, 16-year-old Madelyn is going through struggles of her own — an overworked and overprotective single mom who doesn’t approve of Madelyn’s older boyfriend and an absentee father her mom refuses divulge anything about. More and more, she finds herself longing to know more about this man who she sees in her own features and mannerisms. When the friction between the two of them reaches a boiling point, Madelyn’s mom sends her to Cape Cod to spend the summer with her grandmother, where she comes as close as she’s ever been to figuring out her father’s identity. But at what cost?

As their storylines converge, both Sarah and Madelyn must confront the far-reaching consequences of their choices. Is it ever too late to ask for forgiveness?

Spanning two summers and nearly two decades, Pleasant Bay captures a powerful portrait of the unwavering bonds of family, the fragility of second chances, and the tender truths we can discover if we dare to look deeper within ourselves.