Review: The Summer Sail by Wendy Francis

The Summer Sail by Wendy Francis

Expected Publication: May 1, 2018

Publisher: Touchstone

Format: via Edelweiss

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Three college roommates are celebrating a twentieth wedding anniversary by taking a cruise to Bermuda. As the ship pulls away from the pier, everyone is looking forward to lounging by the pool, sipping sunset cocktails, and reminiscing. Abby, the mother hen of the group, will be celebrating her wedding anniversary in style, even as she and her husband keep a secret from the group. Ambitious career woman Caroline happily anticipates several stress-free days away from her magazine job with her boyfriend, Javier, who may or may not be finally inspired to propose. And single mom Lee (annoyingly gorgeous and irresistibly popular in college) hopes she’ll win back the affections of her formerly sweet daughter Lacey, who after her first year in college, has inexplicably become a little bit of a monster.

As the balmy pink shores of Bermuda come into view, tensions simmer, and old jealousies flare, sending the temperature from soothing to scorching in this engrossing tale of three best friends on a vacation they won’t soon forget—but not for the reasons they expect.

My Thoughts

The Summer Sail is the quintessential summer read that focuses on a group of friends whom met at college and have stayed besties from that day on. Abby who is married and has two sons wants to bring together her friends for a week of sun, fun and relaxing on a cruise to celebrate her twentieth wedding anniversary. However, when all is said and done Abby might have interior motives than just a fun friends cruise, it could be something no one ever expected.

While it seems like a great vacation each of her friends is dealing with their own mini problems. Lee is single and has devoted her life to her daughter Lacey who is off in college but doesn’t know how to deal with being alone. It has always just been the two of them and Lee simply can't cut the strings when it comes to Lacey. Caroline is a successful magazine writer and while she has gotten everything she wants career-wise now she now wants nothing more but to get married but she is afraid her boyfriend doesn’t want that but she is determined to get a proposal on this cruise or she might just dump him.

I really did fall in the love with the scenery and got pulled into the storyline, and while I felt something was looming when it was finally revealed to everyone I just didn’t feel the impact I was expecting. I just felt when it finally came out it was rushed all of a sudden. Granted it was towards the end but I just felt like the payoff wasn’t there but overall I liked how we got to know each friend and each had their own storyline. I also loved the message of friendship and how each one had each others backs. They were true friends and would do anything for each other. I also wouldn’t mind a sequel of sorts I thought there was plenty of story that could still be told. This is one read that is a summer must!

Review: The Summer of Good Intentions by Wendy Francis

The Summer of Good Intentions by Wendy Francis

Published: July 7, 2015

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Challenges: 2015 NG/EW

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Cape Cod summers are supposed to remain reassuringly the same, but everything falls apart when three sisters and their families come together for their annual summer vacation—and they are carrying more secrets than suitcases.

Maggie is the oldest. She feels responsible for managing the summer house and making sure everything is as it always has been. But she’s hurt that her parents’ recent divorce has destroyed the family’s comfortable summer routines, and her own kids seem to be growing up at high speed. Is it too late to have another baby?

Jess is the middle sister. She loves her job but isn’t as passionate about her marriage. She’s not sure she can find the courage to tell Maggie what she’s done—much less talk to her husband about it.

Virgie is the youngest, her dad’s favorite. She’s always been the career girl, but now there’s a man in her life. Her television job on the west coast is beyond stressful, and it’s taking its toll on her—emotionally and physically. She’s counting on this vacation to erase the symptoms she’s not talking about.

The Herington girls are together again, with their husbands and kids, for another summer in the family’s old Cape Cod house. When their mother, Gloria, announces she’s coming for an unscheduled visit—with her new boyfriend—no one is more surprised than their father, Arthur, who has not quite gotten over his divorce. Still, everyone manages to navigate the challenges of living grown-up lives in close quarters, until an accident reveals a new secret that brings everyone together in heartbreak…and then healing.

My Thoughts

The Summer of Good Intentions focuses on the Herington family and how one summer has changed their lives forever. When all three sisters and their families comes together for their annual summer getaway at the family house but this year feels and is very different from summers past. Their parents are recently divorced and they have to deal with having them there separately since their mother is bringing a new boyfriend and their father just isn’t acting himself these days. Plus they all have to deal with their own lives and families and how their choices will not only affect themselves but the family as a whole.

Maggie is the oldest the family’s rock. Her life and marriage is the most solid and she is the one who is determined that her family doesn’t fall apart, so much so that she takes on everything only adding more stress to her own life.

Jess is the middle sister who we discover is having an affair after she feels her life is boring and her husband doesn’t give her what she feels is missing. She takes this summer to discover if she wants to save her marriage or if she wants to see if this “affair” is really anything or just a fling.

And then there is Virgie. She is the baby of the family her father’s favorite who up to this point has put her career first and personal happiness second. She recently has met a nice guy who she is quickly falling for and for the first time she rethinks her decisions in life.

The Summer of Good Intentions gives us everything that makes it an amazing read. I loved this story of family and how while everyone has their own problems in the end it’s all about family. They are truly there for one another and this summer of the tragedies, illnesses and obstacles they face will truly test just that. This book defines a summer read. It gives you a nice summer background of sun and fun but it is so much more than that. I loved the family dynamics between everyone; however the bonds the sisters have with one another is so true to life. It isn’t perfect they fight and argue and I liked how the author didn’t try to sugar coat this family and showed them flaws and all. In the end this read digs below the surface and shows us that family is the most important thing, that you can have all the money, fame and career but nothing means anything if you don’t have that backbone of love and support behind you. This is one is a MUST on any summer reading list.