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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
After finishing The Summer List last summer, my only thought was, “What’s next?” I was so excited to see that another one of Amy Mason Doan’s novels would be arriving this summer.
Even though this novel is far from a suspense thriller, I found myself on the edge of my seat eager to know who was in the car with Becc, along with her unfolding secrets. I think the only break I took while reading was just to sleep, immediately returning to the novel when I woke up.
I love the way Doan creates flawed characters that are honest with who they are. As a reader, you could chalk up certain “mistakes” of main characters to qualities you don’t like about them. There is nothing like that for Becc. Seeing the world through her eyes, you feel the thrill of the relationship with Cal, not regret.
I suppose the only part of the novel I would have liked to know more on was Eric’s absence throughout college. I guess that’s also just part of me wishing for more of Eric.
It is very tempting to skip to the end to figure out the puzzle of Becc’s life. I’m glad I managed to resist. Having downloaded Doan’s novels on my kindle, I find myself reading the Summer List over again when I’m in between books. I know this is another story I will be happy to revisit.
Even though this novel is far from a suspense thriller, I found myself on the edge of my seat eager to know who was in the car with Becc, along with her unfolding secrets. I think the only break I took while reading was just to sleep, immediately returning to the novel when I woke up.
I love the way Doan creates flawed characters that are honest with who they are. As a reader, you could chalk up certain “mistakes” of main characters to qualities you don’t like about them. There is nothing like that for Becc. Seeing the world through her eyes, you feel the thrill of the relationship with Cal, not regret.
I suppose the only part of the novel I would have liked to know more on was Eric’s absence throughout college. I guess that’s also just part of me wishing for more of Eric.
It is very tempting to skip to the end to figure out the puzzle of Becc’s life. I’m glad I managed to resist. Having downloaded Doan’s novels on my kindle, I find myself reading the Summer List over again when I’m in between books. I know this is another story I will be happy to revisit.
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this wonderful novel. There is so much to love about The Summer Hours. The characters are well-drawn and complex, the setting up and down the west coast took me on a glorious trip, and the story felt nostalgic and familiar. This is a story about growing up, coming of age, and learning to balance ambition with happiness—but above all it's really a story of the one who got away. This central theme along with the myriad of movie and song references had me thinking about my high school experiences and how things could have been different, what ifs playing through my head as I kept reading to see how Becca's affair with an older man, Cal, would affect her relationship with her high school best friend, Eric. Would Becca and Eric find each other or would her decision change the course of her life forever? I love that Doan used her experience as a journalist to create Becca's career—I learned so much about working as a journalist along the way. You are in a for a luscious summer treat with this confection of a novel. Now I need to go back and read The Summer List!
Quick Read: An enjoyable romance that reads quickly and touches on larger issues with misogyny.
Long Form: At its core, Summer Hours is about a tale as old as time: a woman's journey towards happiness and her One True Love. However, the path she takes to achieve happiness is slightly out of the norm. It involves a growing understanding of how young women are treated by certain men. It involves recognizing her own passivity when it comes to her future compared to the passion of her friends and how easy it can be to inadvertently keep a dream simply a dream. It involves life lessons about how lies are sometimes more damaging than the actions they protect.
It involves a teenager having a relationship with an older man, and how that relationship can affect that teenager as a woman in her thirties.
Summer Hours takes place over two time periods, interspersed with each other throughout the book. The first period details the happenings of the protagonist, Rebecca Reardon, as teenager and young adult in 1990's California. The second time period is more compact, following "Bec" on a road trip centered around attending her long time friend Sera's wedding. Bec is accompanied by Eric Logan, the third member of their high school trio. Also accompanying them is the emotional baggage of high school friends who struggled finding a way to become something more. Also also, there is a really large box.
The novel gently touches on deeper issues. The portrayal and discussion of sexual harassment, power dynamics in relationships, and the repercussions women face for their sexuality is heavy enough so the reader understands the author takes the topics seriously, but light enough that they don't deter from what is essentially a coming of age romance novel. While those topics certainly could have been explored more, doing so would result in a completely different story.
Summer Hours is filled with Easter Eggs for movie fans and anyone nostalgic for the 90's. Classic movie references and descriptions of 90's culture abound, but not enough to distract if someone doesn't get the reference. Instead, they add another layer to the relationship between the characters. What doesn't seem to add is the way the author designates the location of the protagonist. While it goes with the general theme of deciding if where you are is where you should be, it can comes across as gimmicky.
Overall this book is a fast read. It's light and enjoyable and the core romance is sweet enough. And while that is more than enough for a satisfying read, it is the deeper lessons the protagonist learns that takes this novel to a more interesting place.
Long Form: At its core, Summer Hours is about a tale as old as time: a woman's journey towards happiness and her One True Love. However, the path she takes to achieve happiness is slightly out of the norm. It involves a growing understanding of how young women are treated by certain men. It involves recognizing her own passivity when it comes to her future compared to the passion of her friends and how easy it can be to inadvertently keep a dream simply a dream. It involves life lessons about how lies are sometimes more damaging than the actions they protect.
It involves a teenager having a relationship with an older man, and how that relationship can affect that teenager as a woman in her thirties.
Summer Hours takes place over two time periods, interspersed with each other throughout the book. The first period details the happenings of the protagonist, Rebecca Reardon, as teenager and young adult in 1990's California. The second time period is more compact, following "Bec" on a road trip centered around attending her long time friend Sera's wedding. Bec is accompanied by Eric Logan, the third member of their high school trio. Also accompanying them is the emotional baggage of high school friends who struggled finding a way to become something more. Also also, there is a really large box.
The novel gently touches on deeper issues. The portrayal and discussion of sexual harassment, power dynamics in relationships, and the repercussions women face for their sexuality is heavy enough so the reader understands the author takes the topics seriously, but light enough that they don't deter from what is essentially a coming of age romance novel. While those topics certainly could have been explored more, doing so would result in a completely different story.
Summer Hours is filled with Easter Eggs for movie fans and anyone nostalgic for the 90's. Classic movie references and descriptions of 90's culture abound, but not enough to distract if someone doesn't get the reference. Instead, they add another layer to the relationship between the characters. What doesn't seem to add is the way the author designates the location of the protagonist. While it goes with the general theme of deciding if where you are is where you should be, it can comes across as gimmicky.
Overall this book is a fast read. It's light and enjoyable and the core romance is sweet enough. And while that is more than enough for a satisfying read, it is the deeper lessons the protagonist learns that takes this novel to a more interesting place.
Becc was the prototypical good girl, never straying from where she was supposed to be and always doing what was expected of her. She never felt she could truly be herself until an affair one summer with the very handsome and older Cal. Fast-forward 10 years and she knows she cannot undo the past, but she will discover whether hours spent with an old friend are worth fighting for or if they're lost forever.
This book was definitely easy to read and flowed nicely. For me, however, the plot had tons of potential, yet it fell a little flat. The biggest problem is I failed to connect with the characters, in fact, I didn't feel a strong sense of liking for any of them. In fact, the opposite was true and I had strong dislike for most of the characters, even the protagonist Becc. One aspect I really enjoyed was the flipping back and forth between the mid 90s and 2008. This made me want to keep reading to see how things would develop and allowed the story to flourish and be revealed bit by bit.
Although, this book wasn't everything I had hoped it to be, I still enjoyed it. It's a good choice for taking along to the beach.
I received an ARC of this book from Harlequin Books through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
This book was definitely easy to read and flowed nicely. For me, however, the plot had tons of potential, yet it fell a little flat. The biggest problem is I failed to connect with the characters, in fact, I didn't feel a strong sense of liking for any of them. In fact, the opposite was true and I had strong dislike for most of the characters, even the protagonist Becc. One aspect I really enjoyed was the flipping back and forth between the mid 90s and 2008. This made me want to keep reading to see how things would develop and allowed the story to flourish and be revealed bit by bit.
Although, this book wasn't everything I had hoped it to be, I still enjoyed it. It's a good choice for taking along to the beach.
I received an ARC of this book from Harlequin Books through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars. Summer Hours is nostalgic, atmospheric, and consuming. I would have preferred to read it all in one sitting, but life is always getting in the way.
I so enjoyed Amy's debut novel The Summer List, and I loved Summer Hours even more. I remember saying in my review of The Summer List that the only thing that would have made it better was if I'd read it by a lake, and I feel the same way about this one. It would have only been better if I'd read it by the ocean. Preferably the Pacific Ocean, somewhere off Highway 1, where much of this novel is set.
I love the alternating timelines, the slow reveal of what has pulled these close friends apart. I love the main character Becc, who is flawed and real and discovering who she wants to be despite what the rest of the world wants her to be. I love her friends and how they weave in and out of her life. It's a perfect 'beach read' or book club book. Lots to think about and discuss. I know I'll be thinking about this heartfelt novel for a long time, and I'm happy I've found another auto-buy author.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2020 (prompt #13)
I so enjoyed Amy's debut novel The Summer List, and I loved Summer Hours even more. I remember saying in my review of The Summer List that the only thing that would have made it better was if I'd read it by a lake, and I feel the same way about this one. It would have only been better if I'd read it by the ocean. Preferably the Pacific Ocean, somewhere off Highway 1, where much of this novel is set.
I love the alternating timelines, the slow reveal of what has pulled these close friends apart. I love the main character Becc, who is flawed and real and discovering who she wants to be despite what the rest of the world wants her to be. I love her friends and how they weave in and out of her life. It's a perfect 'beach read' or book club book. Lots to think about and discuss. I know I'll be thinking about this heartfelt novel for a long time, and I'm happy I've found another auto-buy author.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2020 (prompt #13)
Summer Hours is the story of a love triangle between Becc and her relationship between both Cal and Eric. Told in two timelines, it follows the story of Becc over many years.
I loved Amy Mason Doan’s previous release The Summer List, but unfortunately never connected with the characters in this one. In this case I just think the storyline didn’t end up being a match for my interests. But I will definitely keep Amy’s writing on my radar.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!
I loved Amy Mason Doan’s previous release The Summer List, but unfortunately never connected with the characters in this one. In this case I just think the storyline didn’t end up being a match for my interests. But I will definitely keep Amy’s writing on my radar.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Summer Hours takes you back to the carefree days of college summer. You know, the ones where your internship is ruling your life and you are still trying to figure out who you are. In this character driven novel, you watch 3 friends go from high school seniors to the early college graduate, prefamily days. The years where you really grow and learn. Summer Hours touches on some deeper #metoo and women empowerment issues, but not overbearing. I would highly recomend this book for your beach bag this summer!
There is nothing more satisfying than that feeling when one of your most anticipated summer reads matches the expectations. This is a perfect coming-of-age story, with the bittersweet realizations that all the “bad stuff” will help shape the adult you become. Nostalgia blended with reality, first love juxtaposed with misogyny and sexist influences, friendships that stand the test of time. Amy Mason Doan has touched that summer-kissed spot in my heart, and has made me smile. That’s all that I ask of my books
Amy Mason Doan, you are becoming one of my favorite storytellers! The Summer List was my favorite book of 2018, so I could not wait to read Summer Hours and I absolutely loved it. From the characters who you feel like are your own friends because with the way Amy writes, you are feeling every emotion alongside them, through the tour through California, I could not put this book down and had to keep reading to find out what happens.
Becc story is relatable from so many angles, what teenager isn't ready to break free of what is expected of them when the graduate high school and go off to college? The story follows Becc from a high school senior enjoying the last summer before college with her best friends Serra and Eric to a 33 year-old driving up the coast of California to a wedding reliving a decision at 20 years old that she knew would hurt those around her who loved her most. As Becc gets closer to her destination and deals with her past, she learns to also confront the mistakes she has made.
Its a coming of age story where I think you can't help but root for Becc to find her way. As much as I didn't want the book to end, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. Highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more by Amy Mason Doan!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.
Becc story is relatable from so many angles, what teenager isn't ready to break free of what is expected of them when the graduate high school and go off to college? The story follows Becc from a high school senior enjoying the last summer before college with her best friends Serra and Eric to a 33 year-old driving up the coast of California to a wedding reliving a decision at 20 years old that she knew would hurt those around her who loved her most. As Becc gets closer to her destination and deals with her past, she learns to also confront the mistakes she has made.
Its a coming of age story where I think you can't help but root for Becc to find her way. As much as I didn't want the book to end, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. Highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more by Amy Mason Doan!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.