Serendipity - by Becky Chalsen (Paperback)

About the Book

"This summer, will three weekends in a Fire Island share house be enough time for Maggie Monroe to fix her life, find love, and make sure she doesn't lose her friends for good? It's been six years since Maggie followed her screenwriting dreams to Los Angeles and forgot to look back. But things in Hollywood didn't go quite to plan. Now, twenty-five and suddenly home in New York, Maggie doesn't know who she's more anxious to see: her ex-boyfriend, Mac, or her ex-best friend, Liz. For Liz, Maggie is the girl who abandoned her at the worst possible moment and an unwelcome surprise who could derail her perfect summer. Liz is recently engaged to her high school sweetheart, Cam, but Maggie's arrival brings old wounds bubbling to the surface, exposing the cracks in Liz's apparent happily ever after. When Maggie accepts her former friends' unexpected invitation to join in their summer share house, a rental named Serendipity, she knows it's the chance she needs to get her life back on track. For three weekends, Maggie, Liz, Cam, Mac and their closest friends will take the ferry to Ocean Beach, Fire Island for some sun-kissed bliss, if only they can avoid the drama of their past catching up to the present. With the nostalgic flavor of a stack of sepia-toned Polaroids, and perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Jennifer Weiner, and Ann Brashares, this big-hearted, page-turning story delves deep into a complicated friend group as they navigate one messy yet magical midtwenties summer"--

Book Synopsis

Named Most Anticipated by Bustle Brit + Co.

This summer, will three weekends in a Fire Island share house be enough time for Maggie Monroe to fix her life, find love, and make sure she doesn't lose her friends for good?

It's been six years since Maggie followed her screenwriting dreams to Los Angeles and forgot to look back. But things in Hollywood didn't go quite to plan. Now, twenty-five and suddenly home in New York, Maggie doesn't know who she's more anxious to see: her ex-boyfriend, Mac, or her ex-best friend, Liz.

For Liz, Maggie is the girl who abandoned her at the worst possible moment and an unwelcome surprise who could derail her perfect summer. Liz is recently engaged to her high school sweetheart, Cam, but Maggie's arrival brings old wounds bubbling to the surface, exposing the cracks in Liz's apparent happily ever after.

When Maggie accepts her former friends' unexpected invitation to join in their summer share house, a rental named Serendipity, she knows it's the chance she needs to get her life back on track. For three weekends, Maggie, Liz, Cam, Mac, and their closest friends will take the ferry to Ocean Beach, Fire Island, for some sun-kissed bliss, if only they can avoid the drama of their past catching up to the present.

With the nostalgic flavor of a stack of sepia-toned Polaroids, and perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Jennifer Weiner, and Ann Brashares, this big-hearted, page-turning story delves deep into a complicated friend group as they navigate one messy yet magical midtwenties summer.

Review Quotes

Praise for Serendipity
"With her sparking new voice and endearing love for Fire Island, Becky Chalsen has a forever fan in me."--Jane Rosen, author of On Fire Island

"Moving and insightful, Serendipity perfectly captures the complexities of long-term friendships and romances. Chalsen's charm sparkles in this perfect summer read with enduring resonance."--Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Breakup Tour

"Sun-soaked, breezy, and charming, this book deftly reminds us that while romances may come and go, some of life's greatest love stories are our long-term friendships."--Mikki Brammer author of The Collected Regrets of Clover

"Chock-full of joy and drama, humor and heart, Serendipity reads like a bright, balmy weekend spent on Fire Island - Rocket Fuels and all. With a charming cast of characters and a perfectly summery setting, Chalsen has once again crafted the quintessential beach read, capturing the all-too-relatable highs and lows that come with ushering relationships into adulthood (romantic or otherwise). It's a sunny celebration of love in all its forms; I savored every word."--Genevieve Wheeler, author of Adelaide

"Ocean Beach comes alive on the page like a sun-bleached postcard; a dreamy and vivid story about a group of old friends looking for a summer of fun but finding so much more. I adored Maggie; a very relatable creative woman whose life hits the rocks, and she comes back to her roots to face her past and find her purpose again. Becky's writing is so rich and vivid, and this book is totally transportive. Serendipity is all heart; a glorious page turner, the perfect summer read--absolutely magic."--Lizzy Dent, author of The Summer Job

"Serendipity is a sun-kissed love letter to old friendships and new adventures, to making mistakes and growing up, to dancing with your friends until your feet hurt. Reading it feels like framing a photo from your favorite vacation and smiling at it every morning. Chalsen writes with the tender pen of someone who cherishes true friendship, the bonds that survive beauty and heartache, sun-filled days, and rainy ones, knowing the clouds will open up again. Serendipity made me dream of sandy skin, sunscreen, and soulmates."--Taylor Hahn, author of The Lifestyle

"Becky Chalsen absolutely delivers with her sophomore novel! I devoured this book in one sitting--it is a perfect beach read! Chalsen deftly weaves together a realistic coming of age story about friendship, growing up and growing apart, and what happens when old friends come back together. I fell in love with each of the characters and with the gorgeous summer setting. Move this one to the top of your summer TBR!"--Falon Ballard, author of Right on Cue

"This warm and witty novel about the people and places we choose to call home is the perfect beach read. Chalsen mixes light, sparkling summer fun with profound meditations on that period in our lives--usually mid-to-late-twenties--when our childhood expectations fall apart, and we're forced to reinvent who we are and what it takes to make us happy. Fans of Emily Henry's Happy Place will fall head over heels for Serendipity's gorgeous second-chance love stories between a group of friends, set against the alluring sun and surf of Fire Island."--Ashley Winstead, author of The Boyfriend Candidate

"Serendipity is as unforgettable as the perfect beach rental. Absorbing and deeply relatable, this book sparkles with the textured truth and complications of long held relationships. A coming-of-age, romantic comedy, and dazzling ode to friendship all in one. As to be expected with Chalsen, this book is a thoughtful meditation on the choices, pain and love that come for a person in their 20s, wrapped up in a radiant, beachy sweetness. The Serendipity House gang will stay with me for a long time."--Cat Shook, author of If We're Being Honest

"With the friend group dynamics of The Big Chill and the romance of Emily Henry's Happy Place, Serendipity is the perfect summer romp."--Bustle

"Light, summery contemporary...Maggie's personal growth as she reconnects with her past unfolds with a cozy and comforting vibe, and though Chalsen keeps things breezy, the emotions are real. This fast-paced and sun-filled romp is sure to brighten readers' spirits."--Publishers Weekly

"Chalsen name-checks How I Met Your Mother...and this book gives off that show's vibe. Many of the plot points will resonate with readers reminiscing about those postcollege years."--Booklist

"Serendipity is, at its core, a book about friends, and the relationships that stay with you or fall away as you grow."--Long Island Weekly

"At its core, the book is about friendship and the honesty and forgiveness it takes to maintain its lasting bond. It's also about change and the burden of secrets, and how a group of twentysomethings learn to be themselves, by themselves. How they own up to their mistakes and missed opportunities. Growing up is hard to do."--Fire Island News

About the Author

Becky Chalsen is a writer and film/TV development executive. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and now lives in New York City. Becky is a quadruplet and married to her high school sweetheart--an identical twin--whose family has spent summers on Fire Island for more than three decades. Her debut novel, Kismet, was published by Dutton in 2023. Serendipity is her second novel.