The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2025

5 Stars

THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME by Denise Hunter is hands-down the best romance I’ve read in some time. She wrote a believable, sweet romance with deep characters and a plot twist I didn’t see coming. Romance with a touch of mystery in a beachside town–what more could I ask for? Definitely put this book on your 2025 summer reading list!

Picture of the book cover of The Summer of You and Me by Denise HunterBook Summary

Ethan, Maggie’s military husband, was killed five years ago, shortly before their daughter Zoey was born. Although Maggie and Zoey live in a different town from Ethan’s family, they’ve stayed close. Ethan’s brother Josh has been great emotional support for Maggie. Ethan’s sister Erin is Maggie’s best friend. The in-laws have offered their house near the beach to Maggie for the summer while they’re on a European vacation. When they return, they will all honor Ethan by scattering his ashes together over the ocean. Maggie thinks this closure may help her open her heart to love again and provide a father-figure for Zoey. Maggie accepts the offer for her and Zoey to spend the summer surrounded by loving family by the beach, where she fell in love with her husband. 

While walking around the beachside carnival, Maggie is shocked to see a stranger who looks like her deceased husband, Ethan. She takes a photo on her phone and shows it to Josh. It sets them on a mission to find this man and figure out why he looks so much like Ethan. As they work together to uncover this mystery, Maggie begins to see Josh in a new light. He’s had a crush on her since the first time his sister brought her home as a teenager. However, the idea of them dating is complicated. She struggles with what others would think if she dated her deceased husband’s brother. Faithful, kind Josh doesn’t pressure her. Meanwhile, their investigation of this stranger goes through several twists.

My Thoughts 

THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME is truly a feel good, enjoyable read that you’ll want by the beach or poolside this summer. I love how close Maggie is with her family’s husband, and how Zoey gets to spend time with that side of the family. Since Erin and her family and Josh all live in town, they spend family time with Maggie and Zoey, enjoying summer activities–swimming in the pool, backyard picnics, making sand castles, beachside carnivals, etc. The stranger’s identity will keep you guessing each time you realize you’re wrong. I liked how the story was respectful to Ethan’s memory while inspiring happiness after loss. This is a story of family, support, closure with honor, personal connection, second chances, and unexpected joy.

If I had more time, I would love to read this one again because it is so sweet and well written. The story has stuck with me. Unfortunately (or fortunately), there are so many other books out there calling my name! On to the next!

THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME by Denise Hunter is out April 22, 2025. Considering buying it here through Bookshop.org. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the ARC of THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME. The opinions are my own.

Photo of author Denise Hunter, author of The Summer of You and MeAbout the Author

Denise Hunter isn’t new to the publishing world. She’s the bestselling author of more than 40 novels, and Hallmark has made three of them into movies. Her website states, “Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who struggle with real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the experience of falling in love vicariously through her characters and can expect a happily-ever-after sigh as they close the pages of her books.”

If You Like…

If you like THE SUMMER OF YOU AND ME by Denise Hunter, check out my past blog review of JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez.

Drop me a comment below! What are you reading that you’d recommend? Who are your favorite authors?  Ask me a question about books and/or writing. I’d love to hear from you!

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

Fun for the Whole Family


Robin’s Reviews 2025

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY by Jennifer E. Smith is a captivating read  exploring the childhood and adult lives of four siblings. I was excited to read it since I enjoyed her earlier novel, The Unsinkable Greta James.

Growing up in a dysfunctional family required these four siblings to stay close and support each other as children.  As adults, they followed different paths to seek happiness and success, and they’ve lost their connection with each other.  They haven’t talked in several years since the big falling out. The sibling who initiates a reunion weekend hopes they will reconnect, but she has secrets that could cause further harm.

Book cover for the novel Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith The Siblings

Jude, an Academy Award nominated actress, extends a weekend invitation to her siblings to join her in North Dakota. She needs to share three secrets weighing on her.

Gemma, the oldest child who mothered her neglected siblings, now lives in Chicago with her husband and works an average job. With a mix of hope and anxiety, she awaits her pregnancy test results, having gone through IVF and several miscarriages.

Connor, a best-selling author, wrote a fictionalized story about his childhood causing friction in the family. He’s also been through a divorce, and he doesn’t see his two children as often as he’d like. He brings them along on the trip.

Roddy, Jude’s twin, is a star soccer player struggling with physical issues that come with aging, including a knee injury. He hopes to extend his career with a new team, but the contract causes conflict with his fiancé Winston.

Summary

Photo of author Jennifer E. Smith
Jennifer E. Smith, author

All of the siblings are conflicted about attending the weekend and confronting their siblings, yet they realize the importance of reconciling. Soon after arriving at the remote cabin in North Dakota, a snowstorm traps them together. Roads are closed, and electricity and phone services are down. Forced to face old issues is hard enough, but when additional secrets are revealed, they struggle to process the emotional pain.

My Take

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY has plenty of lighter moments and additional characters to balance the tough emotions, keeping the story from being too heavy. It kept my attention by alternating between childhood summer road trips with their flaky mother, attempting to see all 50 states, and the adult North Dakota snowed-in weekend. The complex bond of these four kids and well-developed characterization makes each personality come alive. The story combines family fun, drama, secrets, dreams, and forgiveness with second chances. After growing apart, these adults go through the struggles and pain to find their way back to the bond of family.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. The opinions are my own.

Today, April 8, 2025, is FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY’s publication date, so it’s available for purchase now! Does this sounds like a book you’d like? Although it can be purchased many places, I suggest ordering through Bookshop.org. They help support small, independent bookstores across the county: order hardback or ebook .

If You Like…

If you like FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, check out my past blog review of THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES, also by Jennifer E. Smith.

Drop me a comment below! What are you reading that you’d recommend? Who are your favorite authors?  Ask me a question about books and/or writing. I’d love to hear from you!

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

Robin’s Reviews 2025

Book cover for The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND by Patti Callahan Henry is a beautifully written novel about an impossible choice made by a mother, the emotional scars left in her daughter’s heart, and a book that might heal her pain decades later.

Summary

As a child prodigy, Bronwyn writes a book that becomes famous. As an adult, she writes the long-awaited sequel. The book is written in a coded language Bronwyn created and is yet unpublished. Under mysterious circumstances in 1927, she leaves her husband and her 8-year-old daughter Clara, and takes the dictionary needed to translate the cipher. The family believes Bronwyn is dead, and the pages are gone forever.

Twenty-five years later, Clara receives a phone call from Charlie, a stranger living in London. He claims her mother’s papers have been discovered. Her mother’s abandonment has haunted Clara and driven her need for answers and resolution. Suspicious but hopeful that the papers are real, Clara travels with her daughter Wynnie from South Carolina to London to retrieve them.

They arrive during The Great Smog of 1952. To escape the toxic air in London, they travel with Charlie to his family’s retreat in the Lake district, near where Beatrix Potter lived. While staying at the country estate, Clara must find the courage to uncover her mother’s secrets and the story she left behind.

My Thoughts

It’s fascinating that the real life and disappearance of author Barbara Newhall Follett inspired Patti’s novel. I had never heard of Barbara Newhall Follett, so of course I looked her up. You should, too! I appreciate that books have the power to bring someone unknown or nearly forgotten back into the spotlight.

Photo of author Patti Callahan Henry
Author Patti Callahan Henry

So many times while reading this novel, I marveled at Patti Callahan Henry’s descriptions. Take time while you’re reading to savor the language she uses.

Clara goes through many trials in the story to get answers, but the ending is satisfying. The Story She Left Behind is filled with discovery, connection, understanding, forgiveness, lost family, and unexpected love.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. The opinion are my own.

THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND’s pub date is March 18, 2025, but preordering is VERY helpful to authors. I suggest ordering through Bookshop.org since they help support small, independent bookstores across the county: order hardback or ebook here.

If You Like…

If you like THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND, check out these past recommendations by Patti Callahan Henry: The Secret Life of Flora Lea and Once Upon a Wardrobe.

Drop me a comment below! What are you reading that you’d recommend? Who are your favorite authors?  Ask me a question about books and/or writing. I’d love to hear from you!

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2024 5 Stars

What a treat to read an advanced reader copy (ARC) of SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews!

Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews book coverThis book is just fabulous! I love it so much that I did a thing. I wrote to the author directly! Although I write a lot of reviews, I seldom write to the author personally. Even after decades of writing, Mary Kay Andrews just keeps getting better and better! She makes something so difficult (writing a book that hooks the reader) look so easy.

So let’s talk about SUMMERS AT THE SAINT!

Summary

Summertime, beach resort, romance, mystery…and murder.

The St. Cecelia resort, nicknamed “The Saint,” welcomes the rich who vacation there year after year on the Georgia coast. The people who can afford to stay here are called the Saints. Locals are the Ain’ts.

Traci, one of the Ain’ts who worked as a teenage lifeguard at the hotel, ended up marrying one of the owner’s sons. Now widowed, she’s the owner of the hotel. Her ruthless brother-in-law Ric is appalled that his brother’s death left Traci as the owner of the hotel part of the business. He is a constant thorn in her side while she’s trying to bring The Saint back to a 5-star hotel after Covid caused financial troubles and staffing issues. 

Those aren’t Traci’s only troubles. An accidental drowning from years ago comes back to haunt her. She and her friend Shannon were the lifeguards on duty when it happened. Now, when another tragic death occurs on the grounds, Traci is barely holding it all together. She’s also beginning to realize so much more is going on behind the scenes at the hotel. However, the possibility of romance adds some relief to the craziness in Traci’s life.

My Thoughts

I expected SUMMERS AT THE SAINT to be a women’s fiction/romance/ beach read. It is, but it’s so much more! Cozy mystery readers will also love this one.

It was a light, easy-read story with twists and turns you won’t see coming. Filled with juicy secrets, family discord, shady deals, murder, past indiscretions, strong females, misplaced trust, new employees with all their “baggage,” and a side dish of romance, you’ll need to set aside time for this one. Once you start it,  you’ll put everything else on hold.

Right when I thought I understood everything that was going on at The Saint, MKA threw in a new detail or twist. I kept wondering how deep she would go! Could she possibly come up with another unexpected turn?

At first I was concerned about the large cast of characters and keeping them straight. Silly me. The writing was in the hands of a master. Not only could I keep them straight, they were all necessary to the story. Every time I thought I had the whole picture of how all the characters were intertwined, Mary Kay would throw in another twist. Don’t let the introduction of all the characters discourage you from reading on.

Reserve your spot at The Saint and put SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews on your 2024 summer reading list. The pub date is coming up — May 7, 2024. Did you know it REALLY helps an author if you pre-order? You can pre-order from any bookstore, but I like to support independent bookstores here through bookshop.org. 

Book Tour

If you live in NE Ohio like me, register to meet MKA in person and have her sign your book. She’ll be at the Parma-Powers Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library on Tuesday, May 14 at 7 PM. I’ll be there! Register here. For other tour stops, click here.

 

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

The Good Part by Sophie Cousens

Robin’s Rave Reviews5 Stars

As soon as I finished The Good Part by Sophie Cousens, I wanted to start it all over again! (I don’t often say that.) Since this was such an enjoyable read, I will be reading more by this author. I was lucky to get an ARC of The Good Part, my first novel by Sophie Cousens. You can get a copy, too, because today is Sophie’s pub day! Happy Pub Day, Sophie! (November 7, 2023) 

Summary:

Tom Hanks in the movie Big asks Zoltar to grant his wish.

Lucy is disheartened by her life in her twenties – working hard and getting nowhere, going on bad dates, living in a dumpy apartment. Wanting to skip to The Good Part of her life, Lucy makes a wish on an old arcade wishing machine (inspired by the movie Big). Imagine waking up to find sixteen years have passed you by! Suddenly Lucy is married, has two children, and is a successful TV executive. The world has changed, and she has no memory of the missing years. As she adjusts to this life she’s been dropped into, she begins to question if the wishing machine worked or if she simply has amnesia.

Watching Lucy maneuver through her new circumstances included some laugh-out-loud moments, and watching her fall in love with her husband and children was especially heartwarming. So many rich characters in this story!

Toward the end I couldn’t decide if I wanted Lucy to go back in time or stay where she was. I had to see what her decision would be! This novel makes readers consider how experiencing the good and bad makes us who we become, and the necessity of going through it.

*I lean toward “clean” novels. Although this one isn’t exactly clean, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s five-star fun! Just so you know: The author handled the sex scenes with discretion. The characters drop some F bombs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam for an arc of The Good Part. The opinions are my own.

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@author.robin.shelley

Netgalley Professional Reader

The Clockmaker’s Wife by Daisy Wood

Robin’s Rave Reviews

If you like WWII historical fiction with a strong female protagonist, you should check out The Clockmaker’s Wife by Daisy Wood that was just released on July 8.

The Clockmaker's Wife by Daisy WoodBig Ben, an icon known around the world, is a tourist must-see in London. During WWII Big Ben had an important job beyond telling the time. The nine o’clock chimes encouraged people to pray for peace during the Silent Minute that followed. It also rang in the BBC evening news listened to all over Nazi-occupied Europe. The author Daisy Wood stated, “The great bell represented freedom and better times to come; as long as it tolled, at least one country resisted oppression.” The Clockmaker’s Wife imagines what could have happened if Big Ben had been targeted by the enemy, but the fiction is surrounded by facts about London during WWII. Wood said, “…the loss of such a beacon of hope as the clock tower would have been a terrible blow to morale.”

DID YOU KNOW?  “Big Ben” isn’t the name of the clock nor the clock tower. It’s the name of the bell inside the clock.

This historical fiction is told through a dual timeline: 1940s in London and current day in both New York City and London.

LONDON:  In the war timeline the protagonist Nell is the wife of Arthur, one of a team of three that keeps Big Ben operational. Nell and baby Alice leave London to escape the bombings while Arthur stays behind to work. When Arthur is suddenly and inexplicably imprisoned, Nell returns to London to help get him released. Nell never questions her husband’s loyalty to his country, yet citizens were sometimes held with little proof of “working with the enemy” during the war. When Nell doesn’t make progress in helping him through traditional routes, she decides to investigate on her own. Her suspicions and questions lead her into dangerous territory.

NYC:  Baby Alice, now in her eighties, is recovering from hip surgery in a nursing home. During a visit, her daughter Ellie asks about Alice’s parents. Alice tells her that her father comes from a long line of clockmakers and that his job was working on Big Ben. Alice knows very little about her mother Nell since she was killed in the Blitz when Alice was only a baby. Since Alice’s father couldn’t bear talking about her, Nell was always a distant shadow to Alice. Ellie decides to bring the shadow into the light so her mom can know more about her mother before it’s too late. Ellie flies to London to uncover the truth about the kind of person Nell was and how she died. She discovers much more than she ever expected.

I like Nell’s character. A typical 1940s mother, perhaps, but when harsh circumstances hits her family, she steps up. She becomes a courageous woman putting her life at risk for her husband and her country. She develops into a much more interesting person than I was expecting. The story involving Nell is full of wartime intrigue.

I also like Ellie’s character. She recognizes that time passes too quickly and opportunities to learn about the past from those who lived it is limited. Also Ellie is a bridge between Alice and some broken family relationships. Doors had been closed for a long time that Ellie is able to reopen. 

Only a few things seemed weak to me. I would have liked to get deeper with Arthur’s character.  Also the love story of Ellie and Dan seemed a bit too quick, even though they’ve known each other for many years. Minor things, though.

Although this specific story is a work of fiction, I find myself wondering how many courageous stories from wars have been lost to time. I often think about the stories that get lost after just a few generations. Many of us are blessed enough to know at least some of our grandparents, but how often do we think to ask them about their younger lives? And when they pass, their stories, and the stories of their parents and grandparents, are lost. I know I regret not asking more questions of my parents and grandfather when they were still alive.

I highly recommend this book, but I also recommend that you don’t let your life events get lost. Your grandchildren and their children CAN know a bit about who you are, rather than just a shadow in an old picture. Take time to sit down with your children/grandchildren and tell them the stories. Don’t wait for them to ask. Too often they don’t see the value in those questions until it’s too late. Even if you aren’t an author, write down stories from your childhood and about your parents and grandparents along with your reflections on the significant events you’ve lived through. If you don’t want to write it, record it! Passing down a written document, video or voice recording will keep the stories more accurate rather than relying on the memory of others who didn’t live it. Everyone has experiences of value to share with the next generations. It’s your legacy.

Whether you buy or borrow, I hope you’ll come back and comment here after you’ve read The Clockmaker’s Wife by Daisy Wood. And don’t forget to leave even a short review (like 5 stars) on places like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, etc. If you love to read, please tell others about books and authors you love! If you like this book, check out the links to these WWII historical fiction books I’ve previously reviewed by Kristin Harmel:  The Winemaker’s Wife, The Book of Lost Names, and The Forest of Vanishing Stars.

Although I loved this book, after this review I’m taking a break from historical fiction to do some lighter reading this summer! Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an ARC of The Clockmaker’s Wife. I have shared my honest opinion.

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