Mini Review: The Homewreckers by May Kay Andrews

The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews

Published: May 3, 2022

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Hattie Kavanaugh went to work helping clean up restored homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at 18; married the boss’s son at 20; and was only 25 when her husband, Hank, was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Broken-hearted, but determined to continue the business of their dreams, she takes the life insurance money, buys a small house in a gentrifying neighborhood, flips it, then puts the money into her next project. But that house is a disaster and a money-loser, which rocks her confidence for years to come. Then, Hattie gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called The Homewreckers, cast against a male lead who may be a love interest or maybe the ultimate antagonist. It's a question of who will flip, who will flop and will Hattie ever gets her happily-ever-after.

Filled with Mary Kay Andrews's trademark wit, warmth, junking trips, and house porn, The Homewreckers is a summer beach delight. 

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this read! As a fan of Mary Kay Andrew’s books, I found this premise refreshing with the addition of a bit of mystery. The main character of Hattie is relatable with her dealing with trying to move on after her husband's death while dealing with her future as far as her romantic life goes.

Hattie’s love is restoring houses, it's the one thing that has helped her deal with her loss however when she is offered a chance to be on a TV show doing exactly that she is hesitant, to say the least. All she wanted to do was her job while the higher-ups want to focus more on pushing a romance between her co-star and herself. However, we see that sparks happen between Hattie and someone else, which I loved! While the romance was good I really felt the relationship between Hattie and her best friend was the real gem here. They have been there for each other through thick and thin and even today they have each other’s back.

While Hattie’s life and work is the main storyline I also enjoyed the second storyline of the mystery surrounding a missing teacher back in the day and how Hattie’s house flip is involved. 

All in all this book was funny and the storyline was a good one. The characters were all relatable and interesting plus the twist of the bit of mystery was a plus. Once again Mary Kay Andrews delivers a solid summer read I would recommend… hands down!

Review: Behind Every Lie by Christina McDonald

Behind Every Lie by Christina McDonald

Published: February 4, 2020

Publisher: Gallery Books

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

If you can’t remember it, how do you prove you didn’t do it?

Eva Hansen wakes in the hospital after being struck by lightning and discovers her mother, Kat, has been murdered. Eva was found unconscious down the street. She can’t remember what happened but the police are highly suspicious of her.

Determined to clear her name, Eva heads from Seattle to London—Kat’s former home—for answers. But as she unravels her mother’s carefully held secrets, Eva soon realizes that someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. And with violent memories beginning to emerge, Eva doesn’t know who to trust. Least of all herself.

My Thoughts

Eva wakes up after being struck by lightening not knowing anything but is told her mother is dead and she is the prime suspect. She can’t recall anything but knows she couldn’t have possibly killed her mother so she sets out to find out the truth since her life depends on it. Her search for the truth takes her from Seattle to London and in the process, she learns her life was a complete lie and this just makes matters worse. Not only does she have to defend herself she now has to find out who she is.

Behind Every Lie is another winner from Christina McDonald, she is quickly becoming my new go-to author. Her writing is amazing, she gives us characters and storylines that are complex but yet very human and relatable at the same time. She gives us twists and turns and her storytelling has depth and multilayers. 

I could go on about this book but I wouldn’t dare spoil it for anyone who is thinking about picking it up, and if you aren't thinking about it you really should! If you love a great suspenseful novel I highly recommend this gem of a book.

Mini Review: Under Wraps by Brynn North

Under Wraps by Brynn North

Published: November 9, 2019

Format: free Kindle read

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Luci is a serial dater, always on the lookout for Mr. Right. Heck, even Mr. Right Now would do, but even he seems to be missing in action. She's definitely not feeling the Christmas spirit, so when her boss dumps the major task of organizing the entire company's Christmas event on her lap to get the promotion she's been desperate for, she's more than annoyed.

Alex is struggling with the holiday season too, but for an entirely different reason. Not only was he recently dumped by his longtime girlfriend, but he had to let a suave doctor move into his spare room. If having a new roommate wasn’t annoying enough, Luci takes on look at this guy and swoons. Can’t Luci see that Sebastian is just another player who will just break her heart? She deserves better than that!

Luci struggles to pull off the double duty of capturing this new man's attention and creating the ultimate Christmas event to wow both her company and Sebastian. Will Luci be able to pull off both? Should she try to pull off both, or was Alex right all along?

This Christmas novella will have you laughing as you relate to the character's struggles at the holiday season. 

My Thoughts

This is a short and sweet read about Alex and Luci who are friends but once Alex breaks up with his girlfriend he finds himself caring a little too much about Luci’s personal life. While Luci hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to men she thinks Alex’s new roommate might change all that.

I really liked the characters and the storyline while nothing new was cute and who doesn’t like the potential best friends turn lovers story? The author makes it easy to root for these two to get together, their chemistry is amazing and they are simply great and funny characters. If you want something light and easy this is definitely a read worth the time.

Mini Review: 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

Published: October 1, 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Sophie wants one thing for Christmas-a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation.

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents' house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That's when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she's started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever... or is it?

My Thoughts

10 Blind Dates is a fun and cute holiday read that will definitely make you smile and give you the feels! We met Sophie who is ready to enjoy the Christmas holidays with her boyfriend but her boyfriend has other plans. He decides to break up with her and so she spends the holidays with her huge family who has other plans for her. They all decide to fix her up on 10 blind dates and they make a contest out of it. Sophie plays along and while some dates are better than others she likes spending time with her family and old friends including her grandparents’ neighbor. While she still has feelings for her ex she knows stepping back that he wasn’t the right one for her, she feels like there is someone better for her out there.

This was definitely a fun read, her family is something I can relate to. This read had me thinking of my own crazy family, in the sense how when we are together its so much fun and how we have each other backs in the time of need. The relationship she has with her grandmother is so sweet and enduring that it hit me in the heart. This is one read I highly recommend! If you want something funny and sweet this will get you out of any reading slump.

Review: Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi

Published: 1974

Publisher: W.W. Norton Company

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

The prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial, Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the twentieth century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Here is the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime. 50 pages of b/w photographs.

My Thoughts

I’ve always been fascinated by true crime stories and the one that has had me for as long as I can remember is The Manson Murders. From their evil mastermind of a leader, Charles Manson to his royal and true followers their whole story is haunting yet their story is one that decades later still has people wanting to know more.

In Helter Skelter, we get detail by detail of the Manson murders and their victims. We get how Manson and his followers decided to pick their victims and how they came together to become part of Manson’s evil cult. While we have grown to know this wickedly gruesome story but to read this book I still found out some things I didn’t know before. This is a really good book from someone close to the original case and if you're a true crime junkie like myself I’m sure you will find this book as interesting as I did.

Review: A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson

A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson

Published: June 25, 2019

Publisher: Celadon Books

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost fifteen years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone kill him?

Stella’s father, a pastor, and mother, a criminal defense attorney, find their moral compasses tested as they defend their daughter while struggling to understand why she is a suspect. Told in an unusual three-part structure, A Nearly Normal Family asks the questions: How well do you know your own children? How far would you go to protect them?

My Thoughts

In A Nearly Normal Family, Stella is accused of killing an older man. In alternating POVs and timelines, we see pieces of the puzzle and it keeps you thinking could Stella have killed this man, or was it someone else. The next question is if she did why did she? What could have happened to make her do this unspeakable crime? In the process, we met her father who is a pastor and her mother who is a lawyer. I like how we dive deeper into her family and we see how they all interact with one another. We start to see how these relationships play a part in things that have happened. They think they know their daughter but honestly how well do we really know each other? I liked the twist and turns of this book so much and the way things played out I never saw them coming. This is one book that is weird in a good way and with characters that are definitely interesting plus with a storyline that pays off in the very end.

Review: Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

Published: Scribner

Publisher: May 28, 2019

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

A profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a suburban town, the bond between their children, a tragedy that reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and the power of forgiveness.

Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, two rookie cops in the NYPD, live next door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability of Brian’s wife, Anne—sets the stage for the explosive events to come.

Ask Again, Yes is a deeply affecting exploration of the lifelong friendship and love that blossoms between Francis and Lena’s daughter, Kate, and Brian and Anne’s son, Peter. Luminous, heartbreaking, and redemptive, Ask Again, Yes reveals the way childhood memories change when viewed from the distance of adulthood—villains lose their menace and those who appeared innocent seem less so. Kate and Peter’s love story, while tested by echoes from the past, is marked by tenderness, generosity, and grace.

My Thoughts

Ask Again, Yes is the story of two families who endure a tragedy and how they overcome and try to move on from it. Francis and Bruce were two rookie cops who worked briefly together but later find themselves neighbors. When they moved in Francis wife, Lena wanted and needed a friend but Brian’s wife Anne was very closed off from the get-go. Soon Kate, Francis and Lena daughter and Peter, Brian and Anne’s son become close friends. Over the years we see their friendship grow and they become each others consent.

Peter has always known his mother is different than other moms, she has episodes and doesn't come out of her room for days or weeks and her highs are highs but her lows are really low. She continues to have these manic episodes and Peter doesn't know what exactly is wrong with her and his father is no help at all. She needs help but doesn't know what to do and all of this comes to a head one night and what happens as a result of it could end Peter and Kate’s friendship but also tie the families together forever.

This novel spans over 40 years and shows us overtime how these two families lives are embedded into each other. We see Peter and Kate grow up and apart but are always thinking of each other until they finally reunite. Kate’s life while it has its struggles family wise isn't as hard as Peter's. His family life is all but destroyed after that one night, his mother is in a mental institution and his father basically leaves him behind with his uncle never to be heard from again. Of all the characters I felt for Peter, his life is the one that could've destroyed him but his uncle and Kate were two people who wouldn't give up on him. As he got older he family problems and his past got the better of him which led to a dark period in his life but once again Kate was there to help him through it.

This is a story of love, friendship, hardships, mental illness, and addiction. We get the highs and lows of these two families who were destined to come together for better or worse. I loved the spanned of decades and how we see them grow and overcome their demons with help from each other. Ask Again, Yes is a wonderful yet gritty story at times that shows us we can overcome anything in life.

Review: Birthday by Meredith Russo

Birthday by Meredith Russo

Published: May 2, 2019

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Two kids, Morgan and Eric, are bonded for life after being born on the same day at the same time. We meet them once a year on their shared birthday as they grow and change: as Eric figures out who he is and how he fits into the world, and as Morgan makes the difficult choice to live as her true self. Over the years, they will drift apart, come together, fight, make up, and break up—and ultimately, realize how inextricably they are a part of each other.

My Thoughts

Morgan and Eric are soul mates in all ways, they were born the same day and time and have been best friends forever. They have always had a shared birthday party but as time moved on and life dealt them tragedies, like the death of Morgan’s mother they tried to keep their friendship intact. 

Each one is dealing with family and personal issues, Eric has a father who isn't the most supportive person and while Morgan is trying to come to terms with his true identity and these feelings he's having towards his best friend. Eric has known for a while that Morgan is dealing with something but doesn't want to push, he wants Morgan to come to him when he is ready but deep down Eric has an idea what Morgan is going through. Morgan hasn't been dealing with the death of mother well and with a father who isn't very expressive he doesn't know who to turn to, he wants to tell his best friend but is scared to lose the one person he truly loves in this world.

Birthday is soulful and heartbreaking at the same time. You feel for these two teens who are trying to find themselves in a world that can be cruel. The one thing that they have is each other, no matter what happens, no matter what they may do they always will be there for each other. That love is real and it will transcend everything. That love is so deep that even they become surprised as to how much its true. This story is about friendship and love and how some people truly are soul mates from birth.

Review: The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess

The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess

Published: July 9, 2019

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co

Format: via NetGalley

Rating:4/5

Synopsis

In the summer of 1987, 25-year-old Eve Rosen is an aspiring writer languishing in a low-level assistant job, unable to shake the shadow of growing up with her brilliant brother. With her professional ambitions floundering, Eve jumps at the chance to attend an early summer gathering at the Cape Cod home of famed New Yorker writer Henry Grey and his poet wife, Tillie. Dazzled by the guests and her burgeoning crush on the hosts’ artistic son, Eve lands a new job as Henry Grey’s research assistant and an invitation to Henry and Tillie’s exclusive and famed "Book Party"— where attendees dress as literary characters. But by the night of the party, Eve discovers uncomfortable truths about her summer entanglements and understands that the literary world she so desperately wanted to be a part of is not at all what it seems.

My Thoughts

The Last Book Party centers around Eve and her summer on Cape Cod working under famous writer Henry Grey and his his wife, poet Tilly. Eve is an aspiring writer but hasn't written anything worthwhile. Eve is drawn into this literary world with its intellectual elite and talented writers that she finds herself in a situation that she never thought she would be in. She falls for Henry and Tilly’s son but soon finds her sights on someone else, someone she never imagined but the situation is one that will change things. 

The spotlight of the summer is the “Book Party” hosted by Henry and Tilly that has the who's who in the literary world invited. This is the place when all of the secrets that have been ongoing finally come to the surface and not only will Eve’s secret come out but all of those around her. She finally realizes that this world she has been wanting for as long as she can remember isn't what’s it's cracked up to be.

The Last Book Party drew me in with the promise of all things literary and it didn't disappoint. We get a glimpse of this world but also so much more, Eve is a young woman who just wants to do what she loves, which is writing and being around all these great writers is something she could only dream of. However, this life she thought she wanted isn't so wonderful as she had imagined and realizes there has to be a better way. She is simply learning to come into her own and finding her path to being able to do what she loves. This read is a great coming of age novel that has a great storyline and characters that give us reasons to hate but also love them. This is an easy and quick read that is perfect for these last days of Summer.

Review: Gone Too Long by Lori Roy

Gone Too Long by Lori Roy

Published: June 25, 2019

Publisher: Dutton Books

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

On the day a black truck rattles past her house and a Klan flyer lands in her front yard, ten-year-old Beth disappears from her Simmonsville, Georgia, home. Armed with skills honed while caring for an alcoholic mother, she must battle to survive the days and months ahead.

Seven years later, Imogene Coulter is burying her father--a Klan leader she has spent her life distancing herself from--and trying to escape the memories his funeral evokes. But Imogene is forced to confront secrets long held by Simmonsville and her own family when, while clearing out her father's apparent hideout on the day of his funeral, she finds a child. Young and alive, in an abandoned basement, and behind a door that only locks from the outside.

As Imogene begins to uncover the truth of what happened to young Beth all those years ago, her father's heir apparent to the Klan's leadership threatens her and her family. Driven by a love that extends beyond the ties of blood, Imogene struggles to save a girl she never knew but will now be bound to forever and to save herself and those dearest to her. Tightly coiled and chilling, Gone Too Long ensnares, twists, and exposes the high price we are willing to pay for the ones we love. 

My Thoughts

Gone too Long is the story of how the Ku Klux Klan still has a very strong hold in the South.  It focuses on Imogene and her family after the death of her father. There is a mystery about a ten-year girl who went missing after the death of a teenager years ago, but Imogene has no idea how much her family is involved in this event.

Imogene is trying to get over a very hard tragedy in her life, the death of her husband and child. After the funeral of her father, she realizes there is someone in the basement of an old shack on the family property and when she discovers its a young boy her mind races as to who he is and more importantly who had him down there. She first thinks her father had something to do with it, but as she slowly unravels the truth she finds out there is way more to the story than she ever thought possible. Once the truth is revealed she must decide to do the right thing, which might hurt her family or make sure justice is served no matter the price it might mean to her life. Gone too Long is a story that shows us that the mean and sick dealings of the Ku Klux Klan are still very much alive and how these teachings are still going on. Imogene was raised with these teachings but knows that they are wrong and these are very bad individuals. She knows what is right and what is wrong and she knows she must do everything she can to make sure the past doesn't repeat itself.

This story is about survival and for standing up for what's right. Imogene is a survivor in all forms, she overcomes the death of her husband and child and learns that the person she thought was her father really wasn't, meaning she could escape her past and help her family live a new life. This is a page-turner one that has you wondering what will happen next. I love how most of this novel is told through Imogene and we can see how she sees her family and their connection to the Klan from the inside. This is an interesting story with a few storylines that all tie in at the end, with an ending that was surprising. This is one read that had me from page one and kept my attention until the very end.

Review: Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand

Summer of ‘69 by Elin Hilderbrand

Published: June 18, 2019

Publisher: Little Brown and Co

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5 

Synopsis

Welcome to the most tumultuous summer of the twentieth century! It's 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Every year the children have looked forward to spending the summer at their grandmother's historic home in downtown Nantucket: but this year Blair, the oldest sister, is marooned in Boston, pregnant with twins and unable to travel. Middle sister Kirby, a nursing student, is caught up in the thrilling vortex of civil rights protests, a passion which takes her to Martha's Vineyard with her best friend, Mary Jo Kopechne. Only son Tiger is an infantry soldier, recently deployed to Vietnam. Thirteen-year-old Jessie suddenly feels like an only child, marooned in the house with her out-of-touch grandmother who is hiding some secrets of her own. As the summer heats up, Teddy Kennedy sinks a car in Chappaquiddick, a man flies to the moon, and Jessie experiences some sinking and flying herself, as she grows into her own body and mind.

My Thoughts

I’ve always been obsessed with the 60’s it was a fascinating time in history so when I heard Elin Hilderbrand newest novel was focused during that time I knew I had to read it. Summer of ‘69 focuses on The Levin family. We met Jessie who is thirteen and this is the summer when everything changes for her. We get the stories of her siblings Tiger who is in Vietnam, oldest sister Blair who is married and pregnant but doesn't know if she still wants to be and is struggling with her husband who wants her to be a housewife while she loves her independence. Middle sister Kirby who is in school but is drawn to protests and the civil rights movement and wants to make a change in this world. All of this while the world is changing and with historic moments thrown in Summer of ‘69 is one year no one will ever forget.

Jessie is the main voice of this novel, it's her coming of age story of a girl who is simply trying to figure out this thing we call life. She doesn't want to spend her summer in Nantucket with her grandmother but she is forced to by her parents and while there she learns a lot about growing up and falls in love for the first time. She is dealing with grown-up issues and is hoping her family can survive all that is happening during this crazy summer. The family is on edge hoping Tiger can make it back home and that the war will end. That takes a toll on everyone but especially their mother and that takes a toll on her marriage. This novel focuses on everything from love, marriage, family, to the war.

Summer of ‘69 is a compelling story of family, secrets and is a coming of age story that also spotlights the historic moments in history that take place during this time. It's an interesting story one that spotlights every member of the family but never makes you feel overwhelmed by all the characters. Every character has a distinct voice and their stories are all very interesting. While this is a departure for Elin Hilderbrand I loved this read. Her dive into historical fiction was great and I loved it. This is another winner from her and one novel that makes for the perfect summer read.

Blog Tour/Review: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

Published: July 9, 2019

Publisher: Berkley Books

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book. 

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.

1. Completely change her name and appearance. (Too drastic, plus she likes her hair.) 

2. Flee to a deserted island. (Hard pass, see: coffee). 

3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth. (Already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.

My Thoughts

Nina Hill is fully content with her life of working at the bookstore, reading and her trivia team. She has lived her whole life being raised by her nanny while her mother traveled the world and now at nearly thirty, she discovers who her father was and that she has a large family she never knew of. 

Nina is the classic introvert, she likes to be alone and she wants the simple things in life. However one night at trivia she sees a fellow trivia nerd and finds herself kind of attracted to him. She tries to deny her feelings but she can't help herself, but she doesn't know exactly how to express herself and her feelings. With everything in her life turned upside down Nina soon learns that learning new things is okay. She learns to give into these new experiences and with that she gains a family and a new relationship.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is a fun and quirky novel one that touches your heart and makes you laugh. Nina is someone we all can relate to and you feel for her and want her to come out of her shell and get the things she deserves. This is one novel that has a main character that you will root for and you want her to expand her horizons and enjoy life to the fullest. Nina Hill will make you laugh and this is one feel-good novel that is a joy to read.

Mini Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Published: May 8, 2012

Publisher: Simon and Schuster BYR

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

My Thoughts

Second Chance Summer is the touching story of one family trying to make their Summer the most memorable yet. Taylor and her family decide to go to their Summer house after years of not going but this Summer is different, you see her father is gravely sick and this might be his last Summer. So they go to the one place where they have the best memories and hopefully this Summer will make them closer and they can focus on the good. 

Taylor loved her Summers in the Poconos, she had a best friend and her first love there, but her last Summer there she lost her best friend and she left her crush without a word. Being back feels strange yet comforting but once she runs into both of the people she left behind this Summer just became more complicated than Taylor wanted.

Second Chance Summer is all about family, friendships and love. We get the aspect of her family and them dealing with their dad and his illness and how that will have a huge effect on the family not only this Summer but for the rest of their lives. Despite her world falling apart all of this has made her family closer and stronger. We also have Taylor just trying to figure out life and trying to repair relationships from her past. I loved how this story was so real and it was touching and showed us how growing up is a very hard thing to try to navigate. Morgan Matson gives us a well-rounded story and spotlights teen life at its best, this is one book that is the perfect thing to read during the Summer.