I know some of you will stop right now when I tell you the main character of Jane L. Rosen’s novel, On Fire Island, died of cancer. That’s not a spoiler. Julia Morse is the narrator of the book, and she starts the story at her funeral. But, cancer will be a trigger for some readers, so I wanted to get it out of the way immediately.

Julia Morse was a book editor, and she landed the author she always wanted, Benjamin Morse. She read his first manuscript, but didn’t have the clout to get her oily boss to buy it. When she finally met Ben, they were both shy, but she privately fangirled over him. They eloped to avoid her mother’s plans for a big wedding, and they were married almost ten years when she died.

Julia knew Ben would be lost. He agreed to sit shiva for seven days, but he couldn’t even handle the crowds at their house, and he took their dog and escaped. Julia knew where he was heading, and she wanted one last summer at Bay Harbor on Fire Island. So, like Ben, she caught the ferry. No one expects to die at thirty-seven. A summer of Fire Island will give her one last season with the people she loves.

Julia recounts her love of the island. Now, she can observe Ben as he mourns, her best friend, Renee, after the brutal breakup of her marriage, and two teenagers experiencing summer love. Then, there’s Shep, the eighty-year-old man from across the street who has moved into Ben and Julia’s house, mourning his own wife. He’s one step ahead of Ben, and together they get through every day, sometimes with music and laughter, sometimes drowning their tears. Julia tells of a small community where everyone knows each other, roots for the local baseball team, shops at the only market in town. The gossip isn’t a secret, but people can choose to laugh at it, or cry.

Although the narrator is dead, On Fire Island is actually just a summer beach read with a few losses, disappointments, and successes. There’s also several hilarious scenes. It’s a story of mourning, and learning to get on with life despite loss. It’s obvious the author shares her love of a community and an island, and shares a few secrets with her readers. If you can move beyond Julia’s death (Julia does), it’s an enjoyable beach read.

On Fire Island by Jane L. Rosen. Berkley, 2023. ISBN 9780593546109 (paperback), 320p.

FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher granted me access via NetGalley.