“The Same Bright Stars” by Ethan Joella is a well-written novel with deeply fleshed-out characters and complex relationships. I was completely immersed in this story and Jack’s dilemma right from the get-go.

You see, I grew up spending summers at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. It was less than an hour from my home. When I found out Joella was from Rehoboth, I asked him a couple of years ago when he would write a book that takes place at Rehoboth, and here it is. He has outdone himself.

Throughout the novel, you’ll find snippets from a guidebook to Rehoboth Beach. I love this. It puts substance to the locale:

You enter Rehoboth Beach over a drawbridge and instantly feel as if you have been transported. There is a welcome sign and a lighthouse in the middle of a traffic circle, and as you drive the main street, you see boutiques and restaurants and a local bookstore with a wide green awning.

In the summer, the shops have geraniums and impatiens spilling out of window boxes, and people leave their rescue dogs waiting for them by the parking meter as they buy croissants or coffee in the morning.

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The beach is wide and generous with striped metal sheds that rent umbrellas and chairs in the summer, and there is a mile-long boardwalk with ice cream places and souvenir shops. The rides at Playland Pier have been around since your parents and grandparents were young. And there are games like Skee-Ball and Whac-A-Mole and Frog Bog.

Rehoboth Beach is a mix of yesterday and today, at once a small town and a city. Planes creep by in the sky trailing banners, and you will look up and read their messages and feel as though the words were written just for you.

Jack Schmidt is 52 years old and in the midst of a midlife crisis, so to speak. He’s taken over his family’s restaurant after his grandmother and dad passed away. It’s his entire life.

Jean Lewis is a veteran bookseller who visits book clubs throughout Southwest Florida, speaking about the best new books of the season. She lives in Cape Coral with her husband, Jack, and their three spoiled cats. Maurice was their Siamese cat who lived to be 22 years old and loved sitting on books. Jean can be reached at www.mauriceonbooks.com.

He’s realizing he’s missing out on so much. He’s lonely, never married, no kids. He watches his friends with their families and thinks he might just take Deldine up on their offer. Deldine is a conglomerate buying up successful mom-and-pop restaurants along the coast. They have deep pockets but are hard-hearted. Jack can’t be sure they would actually keep his employees even though they promise they would. His employees are family to him, and most have been there forever. So, what’s a guy to do?

The story begins on the day before Thanksgiving. Jack pulls up to the restaurant and you begin to feel his angst. He’s thinking of the mounds of potatoes to peel, the dozens of turkeys defrosting. And knows the phone will be ringing off the hook with people hoping for a last-minute reservation. Suddenly, it’s just all too much.

There is so much local color in this novel. You will feel the sand between your toes and smell the briny aroma of the sea. For me, it brought back memories. The first time I visited the beach was as a kid. I recall how big everything on the boardwalk seemed. There was a ride with small boats floating in a circle and I honestly thought the water was as deep as the ocean. The sweet aroma of the candy corn roasting, the sight of the floss being whipped onto a cone. And, of course, since it was Rehoboth, the Grotto pizza.

Joella’s characters are so realistic. These people could be your friends, your neighbors, or even your own family. But Jack is thinking he needs more. He wants a family. Is it too late? He has a lot to contemplate.

Just when you think Jack’s decision cannot possibly become more complicated, his old girlfriend, Kitty, is suddenly back in town to help care for her ailing mom. And this is when everything begins to go off the charts.

I think you’ll enjoy following Jack as he has all sorts of barriers tossed at him that will ultimately influence his final decision. Hop on board and enjoy the ride. I loved this small novel with a big message.

Joella is also the author of “A Little Hope,” which became a Jenna Bonus Pick, and “A Quiet Life.” He lives in Rehoboth Beach with his wife and two daughters. My review copy was provided by Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, one of the most original and refreshing books this year. I loved it! ¦