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There are currently 41 member reviews
for The Summer Wives
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Mary B. (Laguna Woods, CA)
Escape to Summer Island
This book is an enjoyable read about the haves and have-nots on an island off of Long Island. The wealthy summer residents spend most of their time drunk and the year round poor residents work hard & are not appreciated by the summer visitors.
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georgialadyj
I loved this book!
This was the first book I have read by this author. I have read good reviews of this author's other books so I was excited to receive this ARC. I loved this book. I enjoyed the story and the writing style. The descriptions were vivid and I almost felt like I was on the beach with the characters I will definitely recommend this book to my friends.
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Chris (CA)
Summer Wives
The story grabbed me from the beginning and I didn't want to stop reading. It is well written. Alternating between time periods and social classes helped build the suspense of the novel. What is the back story of these characters? What secrets are they hiding? I enjoyed reading about the summer lives of the wealthy. Are all island resort communities like this? The descriptions were so good that I felt as though I were there. I felt I got to know the characters fairly well. I cared about several of them and just felt sorry for others. I did think the story dragged a little toward the end and then the pace picked up again. There is much to discus here for book clubs. I look forward to reading more from this author.
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Tracey S.
Loved this book!
I really loved this book! I had never read anything by Beatriz Williams and I want to read all that she has written. I like reading about families that vacation somewhere year after year and those who remain year-round, like Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard, for example and how the locals treat the vacationers. I was hooked from the beginning with wondering why Miranda has returned to the island. But I was a little confused at first because the book jumped from time period to another. But eventually I kept it all straight and enjoyed the book and all it's characters.
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Shannon L. (Portland, OR)
Summer Wives is a great read!
This was my introduction to Beatriz Williams and I will read her again. While I have mixed thoughts about this book I will start by saying I enjoyed it very much. The book has a book that has everything from love to angst, genteel versus real down-home folks, secrets, murder and redemption and Williams manages to pull it off!
My number one rule in reviewing a novel is there has to be at least one character that I care about and in Summer Wives that was easy. Where I was disappointed is that I wanted just a little more depth in her main characters. I found them, especially the upper society, a little too shallow and wanted more.
That said, the settings were beautifully written and I could picture them even though I have never been in one of these communities. I wanted to go visit....The story line had me right there most of the time but it began to drag towards the end. The predictability left me wondering if Williams was trying to suggest more mystery than she had created or she really didn't know how to finish it.
Beatriz Williams is a great story-teller. I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who just wanted to be entertained with a good story and didn't need award winning depth. Thank you Beatriz...I am ready for your next story.
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Sharon R. (Deerfield, IL)
First Love/Summer Love
First loves, enduring love and family love all play a part in this spectacular novel. Alternating between social and economic classes, Ms. Williams invites us into the world of privilege and societal nuances during the 1930s off the eastern coast of America. Our heroine, Miranda, has just been exposed to the wealthy through the marriage of her mother into one of the areas most wealthy and influential families. Miranda wants to "fit in" as all girls her age do, but her educational background make it difficult for her to separate the "classes" that society as imposed upon the East Coast elite. Her father had taught her that everyone is equal, but this is clearly not the case in her stepfather's world.
She struggles with wanting to be accepted by her peers and new stepsister and with the morality that she has grown up with.
I had an extremely hard time putting this book down to carry on with "life". I encourage you to find your "beach" and curl up for the day to devour this book. If you, like me, have read all of Ms. Williams novels you will find yourself asking "When is the next one coming out?"
Bravo, Beatriz, Bravo!
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Terri C. (Litchfield, NH)
Must read for this summer!
The summer wives by Beatriz Williams was an excellent read gorgeously written and worth the time invested as I was transported to another place with friends I came to know and love. The author is truly talented and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging read during those precious summer moments when we seek out time to do what we love most. For me, that is relaxing with a great, well crafted book. This qualifies as a must read!
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