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literarylover37's review
3.0
This was an ARC giveaway through goodreads and I was excited to receive it. I enjoyed this story. It is a good mix of romance and historical fiction and certainly more in the romance side than I am used to. In spite of that, I very much enjoyed it. The story alternates between 1931 and 1938 and follows the romance of the four main characters, Lily, Budgie, Nick and Graham. If not done well, this technique can make the story muddled and confusing but in this case it seemed to still flow quite nicely. Overall, the plot moves well and the characters are well written. I don't know if Budgie was as well developed as the others but it all seemed to come together in the end. I will probably read more of Ms. Williams' work in the future.
sunshine608's review
I tried so hard to get into this book ( twice) but I just kept waiting for something, anything to "happen", some sort of action. At about page 107, I got bored and just gave up. A lot of the dialogue reads like a romance novel so if you are into that, you might enjoy it. I did not.
wendyskeenan's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
littletaiko's review
4.0
I've become quite a fan of her books. This isn't part of the Schuyler sister series but I would recommend reading it first as some of the characters who appear in later books make their debut here. Lily Dane is spending the summer at the family home in Rhode Island with her much younger sister, mother, and aunt. When an estranged friend and ex-fiancee show up it causes Lily to confront several truths about her family's past. Lily was strong and real which was refreshing. Not sure if I bought her friendship with Budgie being as close as it supposedly was but that's just me.
mhoechsmann's review
3.0
A little more chick-lit/romance than the other books I've read by Beatriz Williams. However, I enjoyed it, kept interested throughout the book, with a few plots twists (some I guessed).
mellabella's review
4.0
Once I picked up A Hundred Summers, I could not put it down. It's told from Lily's point of view and alternating between her present day (1938) and seven years before. Lily is a socialite. She meets a young man named Nick at a football game and they fall in love. It's not at all an easy road. Nick is Jewish. It was interesting reading about the stigma attached to dating or marrying someone that was Jewish back then. How you could become socially ostracized, just because you chose to be with someone you loved. Lily has a friend named Budgie. Beautiful, life of the party. The type that attracts men and women. Friend is a term to be used lightly. As we go back and forth, we learn that due to a unfortunate turn of events, misunderstandings, and Budgie's blackmail Lily and Nick break up. Nick marries Budgie. When the book opens we meet Kiki, Lily's younger sister. I have to admit that I did think Kiki was Nick and Lily's daughter. The author threw me for a loop when I learned that she was, indeed Lily's sister. I liked Lily's character. She was smart and had aspirations beyond being a mom or just being seen. She wanted to be a writer. She didn't care if her parents didn't support her relationship. She was pretty, maybe not conventionally so. But, she didn't focus on it. The way she was described (hourglass shape, nice skin, etc.) made the reader think she was prettier than she thought. The secrets that came tumbling out and the sad ending made the book a great read.
whatiswhatwas's review
2.0
This book gets a resounding meh. The last quarter (if that) with the hurricane was interesting and I wish there'd been more detail on that part. The rest of the book is a contrived plot filled with cardboard characters.
kdurham2's review
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Historical fiction with mystery, intrigue and quite a few twists around a few corners! There are two story lines going on, with 7 years in between and it was different and I loved it! Reading the story of how these friends met and got to know each other while at the same time reading them reunite and confront things from the past was so unique.
The reader knows from the beginning that there is drama and just can't wait to get all the pieces to put the puzzle together. Although there were a few characters that I didn't love, that didn't keep me from loving the book, it was nice to read characters that were despicable and still love the story.
Historical fiction with mystery, intrigue and quite a few twists around a few corners! There are two story lines going on, with 7 years in between and it was different and I loved it! Reading the story of how these friends met and got to know each other while at the same time reading them reunite and confront things from the past was so unique.
The reader knows from the beginning that there is drama and just can't wait to get all the pieces to put the puzzle together. Although there were a few characters that I didn't love, that didn't keep me from loving the book, it was nice to read characters that were despicable and still love the story.