Thursday, September 28, 2017

THE SUMMER THAT MADE US by Robyn Carr

Mira Publishing
October 3rd, 2017
978-0-7783-3086-8
Contemporary/Women’s Fiction
Paperback ARC
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher

4.5 Hearts

 

Once, the summer at the lake house for two Hempstead’s sisters and their families were magical and fun. Both sisters married brothers, had three daughters apiece and they would escape for the summer to the lake where the kids can frolic and play, where the sisters can relax and not worry about anything and for all of them to enjoy that perfect time there, until a tragedy tore the two families apart and broke the bonds between them. Now many years have passed and the daughters are all grown up and have lives of their own. Now two of them will go back to the lake house and find that comfort and peace, healing the wounds so deep, some of them have no idea what to expect. But miracles can happen, forgiveness can be fought for and hearts can heal with the touch of the hand. When the secrets come out from that long-ago summer, it won’t change just the people involved but also the ones around them. Past, present and future are in play and as these two families find out, love has a way to heal even the hardest or wounded of hearts.

Wow, just wow! Reading the new book by Robyn Carr, THE SUMMER THAT MADE US, is deeply engrossing and emotional with me laughing one minute and the next, crying while I flip the pages to see what happens next. Ms. Carr delivers a powerful story of two sisters and their families who were once close until tragedy tore them apart in the blink of an eye.  What was once a cherished family tradition was now torn away from them and colored their memories of their one favorite place in the world. The story is moving and you definitely run the gauntlet of emotions while you read THE SUMMER THAT MADE US. This was a book I just could not put down. It left me reeling in places that had me flipping pages to see what would come next. I rooted for the families to find their way back to one another and cheered when some reconnected and when others were on the fence.

Ms. Carr is wonderful storyteller who tells of everyday people of all walks of life. Her characters are quite life-like and different as night is to day. I loved each and every one of them, even the tough nuts like Louise, Charley’s mother. She was bitter and stern yet in the end you got the glimpse of who she once was before the summer from hell and you couldn’t help but empathize with her. I don’t want to go into details about all the characters because I don’t want to reveal any plot twists but suffice to say, the reader will find all walks of life in THE SUMEMR THAT MADE US and I couldn’t help but root for each of them to get their happiness and renew their bonds with cousins, family and more.

With each book this author writes, the reader cannot help but fall in love with Ms. Carr and her wonderful stories. I know I am not the only one who finds her books quite entertaining and intriguing, either from the places they are set in or the wonderful cast of characters that populate them. With the broad stroke of her pen (or keys on the keyboard), Ms. Carr delivers a timeless tale that will thoroughly enchant you and steal your heart. At the end of the book, I just sat there with a smile on my face and a tear on my cheek. This story just hits you right in the heart and I for one can’t wait to see where this author goes next. I highly recommend THE SUMMER THAT MADE US if you enjoy captivating characters, a story that is set in the real world and with issues facing many people today and a climatic ending that will leave you breathless.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

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