ABL Review At-A-Glance
Ø Title: The Summer Retreat
Ø My Rating: 4
Ø Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Ø Author:
Sheila Roberts
Sheila Roberts
Ø Format:
ARC ebook*
ARC ebook*
Ø Publication Date: April 23, 2019
Compare To:
Synopsis
Celeste Jones has plans for a perfect summer
with her boyfriend (and hopefully soon-to-be fiancé)—until he dumps her to be
with the woman he’s had on the side for months. Heartbroken and furious,
Celeste resolves to move on. When the going gets tough, the tough…okay, the
not-so-tough go to the beach.
with her boyfriend (and hopefully soon-to-be fiancé)—until he dumps her to be
with the woman he’s had on the side for months. Heartbroken and furious,
Celeste resolves to move on. When the going gets tough, the tough…okay, the
not-so-tough go to the beach.
As soon as school lets out for the summer, she
waves goodbye to her first-graders, packs up her bikini and heads for Moonlight
Harbor, where she knows her big sister, Jenna, will receive her with open arms.
Jenna could probably use some help at the Driftwood Inn, and Celeste is happy
to do chores around the place in exchange for a relaxing summer escape. She
just needs something—or someone—to distract her from her troubles.
waves goodbye to her first-graders, packs up her bikini and heads for Moonlight
Harbor, where she knows her big sister, Jenna, will receive her with open arms.
Jenna could probably use some help at the Driftwood Inn, and Celeste is happy
to do chores around the place in exchange for a relaxing summer escape. She
just needs something—or someone—to distract her from her troubles.
Finding The One can be tricky, and Jenna is
determined to make sure Celeste gets it right this time around. Not that
Jenna’s an expert. She’s still trying to sort out her own love life. But if
both sisters listen to their hearts, eventually they’re bound to discover that
life—and love—is good at the beach.
determined to make sure Celeste gets it right this time around. Not that
Jenna’s an expert. She’s still trying to sort out her own love life. But if
both sisters listen to their hearts, eventually they’re bound to discover that
life—and love—is good at the beach.
My Thoughts…
There are lots of things to really love about
this book. Let’s start with
Celeste. Celeste is a great character,
for both her strengths and her flaws.
She’s so real and any woman can relate to her. Who hasn’t made mistakes picking their
partner for life? Learning not to let
those mistakes define you is a lesson we all must learn and is at the heart of
this book, with a humorous canine friend thrown in.
this book. Let’s start with
Celeste. Celeste is a great character,
for both her strengths and her flaws.
She’s so real and any woman can relate to her. Who hasn’t made mistakes picking their
partner for life? Learning not to let
those mistakes define you is a lesson we all must learn and is at the heart of
this book, with a humorous canine friend thrown in.
Speaking of canine friends, it is no secret that
I am a dog lover and a big fan of any book that features a furry sidekick. I fell in love with, Nemo, the mix breed pup
who follows Celeste home. It’s an interesting bit of symbolism here. Nero, trusts his natural instincts about
people and chooses Celeste, while Celeste has trouble trusting her instincts,
hence the premise of this book. I have
to admit a little bias, Nero is part golden retriever, and I am a happy golden
mom.
I am a dog lover and a big fan of any book that features a furry sidekick. I fell in love with, Nemo, the mix breed pup
who follows Celeste home. It’s an interesting bit of symbolism here. Nero, trusts his natural instincts about
people and chooses Celeste, while Celeste has trouble trusting her instincts,
hence the premise of this book. I have
to admit a little bias, Nero is part golden retriever, and I am a happy golden
mom.
I will say that though this book can be read as
a stand alone novel, I felt at times like I was missing some depth to the
story. I knew everything I needed to
know, but at times I didn’t feel everything I think I was supposed to
feel. For example, Celeste’s sister,
Jenna, has two love interests. We learn
their backstory, but I feel like I was missing the details that fill out their
story. Now that is just a feeling, and
is in no way definitive, but I noticed it enough that I thought it should be
mentioned.
a stand alone novel, I felt at times like I was missing some depth to the
story. I knew everything I needed to
know, but at times I didn’t feel everything I think I was supposed to
feel. For example, Celeste’s sister,
Jenna, has two love interests. We learn
their backstory, but I feel like I was missing the details that fill out their
story. Now that is just a feeling, and
is in no way definitive, but I noticed it enough that I thought it should be
mentioned.
This is a very cute book with lots of humor and
realism. It’s so hard finding your
person, especially when you’ve been burned before. This is a great summer read while you’re sitting
on your porch sipping a sweet tea.
realism. It’s so hard finding your
person, especially when you’ve been burned before. This is a great summer read while you’re sitting
on your porch sipping a sweet tea.
* Special thanks to Sheila Roberts, MIRA, and PUMP UP YOUR BOOK for providing a copy of The Summer Retreat in exchange for an honest review.
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