The rules of summer book club are simple:
No sad books
No pressure
Yessssss, wine!
Besties Laurel and Paris are excited to welcome Cassie to
the group. This year, the book club is all about fill-your-heart reads, an
escape from the chaos of the everyday -- running a business, raising a family,
juggling a hundred to-dos. Even the dog is demanding (but the bestest boy).
Since Laurel's divorce, she feels like the Worst Mom
Ever. Her skepticism of men may have scarred her vulnerable daughters. Cassie
has an unfortunate habit of falling for ridiculous man-boys who dump her once
she fixes them. Paris knows good men exist. She's still reeling after chasing
off the only one brave enough -- and foolish enough -- to marry her.
Inspired by the heroines who risk everything for
fulfillment, Laurel, Paris and Cassie begin to take chances -- big chances --
in life, in love. Facing an unwritten chapter can be terrifying. But it can be
exhilarating, too, if only they can find the courage to change.
I loved this book. The situations felt realistic, and the
characters' actions believable. The author writes about the lives of three
women: Laurel and Paris, who have been friends since the first grade, and
Cassie, a newcomer to town. All three women have baggage that keeps them from
moving on with their lives. I loved seeing each woman face their pasts and
fears and find hope for the future with each other's help and support.
Laurel is a divorced mother of two tween girls, Jagger
and Ariana. Her husband left them to "follow his dream" and took all
of their savings. It took her a while to get back on her feet using her resale
business, but things are looking better now. Unfortunately, her bitterness and
anger toward her ex has affected Jagger, who frequently comments about how terrible
men are. Laurel is advised to find a good male role model or two - a task
easier said than done, especially as she has no interest in another
relationship. How she finds that male role model to be friends with is amusing.
I loved watching Colton become part of their lives. He's excellent with the
girls and the perfect example to show Laurel that not all men are jerks. It's
easy to see them grow closer, and Colton's feelings are apparent. But Laurel
fights her feelings for him until it's almost too late. Run-ins with her ex
complicate their lives.
Paris is also divorced with no children. She runs a
successful farm stand, and I loved seeing her marketing creativity. Her divorce
happened ten years earlier when her husband could no longer handle her volatile
temper. Years of therapy have taught Paris how to handle her emotions, but she
still doesn't trust herself, so she has avoided any romantic entanglements. Her
life and sense of calm are upended when her ex, Jonah, returns to town with his
eight-year-old son, Danny. Jonah holds no grudges against Paris and makes it
clear that he would like to be friends. I got a little frustrated with Paris as
she frequently mentioned her past treatment of him as a reason he should stay
away from her, even though she realizes she still loves him. I loved Jonah's
patience and persistence as he helped Paris overcome her guilt and fears.
Cassie is the newcomer to town. The youngest in her
family, she was the most affected when their parents died when she was fourteen.
She coped by becoming the person who stepped up whenever her older brother or
sister needed help, putting her dreams and activities aside. She also tends to
form relationships with men/boys who need fixing and then gets dumped when they
no longer need her. As the story opens, Cassie's brother and sister sit her
down and tell her it's time for her to live her own life. They use a
"tough love" method of kicking her out and sending her to California
to check on the property she inherited from their uncle. Cassie is hurt, angry,
and a little scared, and determined to survive her six-month exile and return
to Maine as soon as possible. She doesn't count on making two good friends in
Laurel and Paige, discovering a connection with the land she inherited, or
finding a man who sees past her insecurities.
I loved the intertwining of Laurel's, Paris's, and
Cassie's lives. Paris was there for Laurel when her husband walked out, and
Laurel gave Paris the support she needed to confront her anger issues. I loved
how they welcomed Cassie into their circle. Each was always ready to back up
the others in an emergency - emotional or physical. They were also prepared to
call each other out when they avoided the truth of their feelings about the men
in their lives or the issues they tried to ignore. With her years of therapy,
Paris is especially good at getting to the heart of a problem.
I also liked the realistic depiction of the children's
reactions to various things. I ached for Jagger and Ariana as they dealt with
their father's desertion. Each girl handled it differently, and I liked seeing
the results as the summer progressed. I especially enjoyed seeing the changes
in Jagger as she got to know Colton and his parents, Jonah, and Raphael. Jonah's
son Danny was a sweet kid who was dealing with his mother's death. I liked his
quick connection with Paris. I laughed when his love of Paris's dog, Bandit,
resulted in his pestering Jonah for a dog of his own.
I wish there had been an epilogue, as I would love to see
how everyone's lives are going a few years later.
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