The Summer Getaway: A Novel

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery Excellent, well crafted, satisfying, feel good story that drew me in and left me with a smile on my face as I read the last page. What I liked: * Robyn: divorced, empty nester soon, untethered, facing a fork in the road, has much to contemplate, wise, about to come into her own * Mason: retired after twenty-fiver years in the army, commanding, calm, wise, solid, capable, trustworthy, deep, admirable * Lillian: ninety-four, wealthy, lives in an intriguing home, has lived an interesting life, major force in Robyn’s life, important to many in this story * Austin: high school graduate, Robyn’s son, thinks deeply, plans before acting, smarter than most his age, engaging, loving son and brother, has a plan for his life * Harlow: college graduate, Robyn’s daughter, cancer survivor, learns and grows/matures a great deal through the story * The writing, pace, setting and character development * The house…it is a character all on its own * The strong sibling relationship between Austin and Harlow * The way more than one character in this story grew in one way or another * The development of the relationship between Robyn and Mason * The cats…I love cats but wonder how anyone could have fifteen of them! * That it seemed real and believable – and feeling I was there with the characters as they experienced what they did * The way so many people were drawn to Santa Barbara…and their reasons for ending up there * Wondering about how Harlow and Austin will end up in the future * The way all of the parts of the story were woven together and no threads left dangling at the end * All of it really except… What I didn’t like: * There were a couple characters it was easy to dislike for their selfishness, manipulative personalities, or other less than stellar traits…they were not wicked or evil but did create trouble for others. Did I enjoy this book? Yes Would I read more by this author? Definitely Thank you to NetGalley and HQN for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars

The Summer Getaway is a family drama with romance thrown into the mix. I thought the story was well-written with steady pacing. The characters are realistic and developed. They seemed like real people with realistic problems. I liked that Robyn is a mature protagonist (in her 40s). All the activity kept the book moving forward. I wanted to see what choices each character would make especially Robyn. Lillian was my favorite character. I hope I am as lively and quick witted when I am that age. I would have loved to live in Lillian’s quirky home. The Summer Getaway is an emotional novel. There are some wonderful heartwarming moments as well as some devastating ones that cause pain. There are also some laughs along the way. I especially enjoyed people’s reactions to Lillian’s home. I appreciated the epilogue that nicely wrapped up the story. I do want to warn readers there is foul language and intimate situations (some of them steamy with a little too much detail). The Summer Getaway is an entertaining story (have the popcorn ready) with family drama, romance, humor, relationship angst, poor choices, financial woes, and helpful advice. It is a great book to read on a rainy afternoon or a sunny one laying by the pool. The Summer Getaway is a diverting tale with a self-centered sister, a Don Juan dad, a flirty friend, an affable aunt, stalwart son, an ex-military man, and an odd domicile.

This was a delightfully amusing and engaging read that kept me smirking and pleasantly entertained throughout perusal. I enjoyed all the various storylines, all of which were advancing at a steady pace. Every character was in transition and actively moving forward while wading through unanticipated opportunities and conundrums. I adored the couple of Mason and Robyn, but Mason most of all, as he was not at all what I was expecting. The writing was crisp, insightful, and smartly paced with a well-honed balance of clever humor and tension and surprising conclusions to several of the threads. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of these characters in an ongoing series.