She Treads Softly: The Wash-Ashores

Thursday, June 4, 2026

The Wash-Ashores

The Wash-Ashores by Hannah McKinnon
6/30/26; 336 pages
Atria/Emily Bestler Books

The Wash-Ashores by Hannah McKinnon is a highly recommended women's fiction/beach read for the right reader. Set on Cape Cod, the plot brings a feel-good Hallmark movie to mind as characters have personal entanglements.

Holly is taking over running the historic Cranberry Inn on Cape Cod in hopes of inheriting it from her grandmother Francine. Francine is ready to retire, maybe, but she is unsure Holly can run and update the inn on her own. Holly is determined to keep the Cranberry up, running, and profitable, knowing that if she doesn't her grandmother has a developer interested in buying it. The summer takes off at a gallop, Holly is working nonstop to keep her team working toward the goal and make a profit. Part of Holly's plan is to open up the inn to events and this summer a prominent New York family, the Suttons, are bring the whole bridal party there in preparation for their daughter’s wedding.

This is a very descriptive novel that creates the setting and then focuses more on the characters than the actual day to day running of the inn, although certainly some of the daily complications are necessary to keep the setting and tone of the novel realistic and create drama. The inn is the setting for the many romantic/personal relationships and complications. Employees at the inn are like family to each other in the way that many high stress jobs create a closeness between employees. It's the love lost and found plot points that drive the narrative forward.

Holly's previous love interest Ben is back. Greta and Oliver slowly make a connection. A bride is suddenly hedging. Ezra finds a purpose and pleasure in life again. Francine struggles with letting go. Guests create drama and demands. Linus keeps everything running smoothly. And Holly makes plans to expand Cranberry Inn's business. 3.5 rounded up.

The Wash-Ashores is a good choice for an entertaining summer vacation read that will appeal to women. Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.