Summer Friends

by Holly Chamberlin

In this compelling novel set against the beautiful backdrop of Ogunquit, Maine, the bestselling author of Tuscan Holiday and One Week in December portrays an unexpected friendship, and its consequences for two very different women as time inevitably sweeps them into adulthood.

Over the course of one eventful summer, nine-year-old native Mainer Delphine Crandall and Maggie Weldon, a privileged girl "from away," become best friends. Despite the social gulf between them, their bond is strengthened during vacations spent rambling around Ogunquit's beaches and quiet country lanes, and lasts throughout their college years in Boston. It seems nothing can separate them, yet after graduation, Delphine and Maggie slowly drift in different directions. . .

With her MBA, Maggie acquires a lucrative career, and eventually marries. Delphine is drawn back home, her life steeped in family and the Maine community she loves. Twenty years pass, until one summer, Maggie announces she's returning to Ogunquit to pay an extended visit. And for the first time, the friends are drawn to reflect on their choices and compromises, the girls they were and the women they've become, the promises kept and broken and the deep, lasting ties that even time can never quite wash away. . .

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Beach Reads, Summer Reads, Summer, Contemporary, Friendship

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Holly Chamberlin is a native New Yorker, but she now lives in Portland, Maine - the aftermath of stumbling across Mr. Right at the one moment she wasn't watching the terrain. She's been writing and editing - poetry, children's fantasies, a romance novel or two, among many other genres and projects - her entire life. She has two cats, Betty and Cyrus, and when she's not writing her hobbies include reading, shopping, and cocktails at six.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh how I long for the sandy beaches, capris, bare feet; and carefree days of summer! I really wanted to enjoy Holly Chamberlin's 9th novel, published in 2011. However, the characters failed to captivate me and I felt the storyline was a bit dry.

[Carliegoddard · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. I understand the friendship aspect...being great friends and then growing apart and becoming different people. I've had it happpen to a few of my own friendships. Maggie kind of came off as a stalker friend when she went to Maine to visit Delphine, and I thought Delphine was a stick in the mud. The ending explained why though. At times I thought this book was just flat out corny and almost gave up on it, but I wanted to see where it went. Im surprised its gotten good reviews on Goodreads...(maybe Im the stick in the mud):)

[Jobie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Excuse me while I barf. They only saving grace was the fact that I'm on vacation at a beautiful beach while reading it.

[Rachael Cavinder · Rating 2 out of 5]

The more I read about the two main characters, the more I disliked them. One was weak, the other was selfish and self-absorbed.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow moving. Kept waiting for something more!

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maggie and Delphine hit off as friends when they were 8 years old. Maggie's well-to-do family rented a home in Ogunquit, Maine where life for the girls was filled with bike rides on country lanes, beach picnics, ice-cream cones, and pinky swears. With the exception of one summer, the girls spent every summer together through high school even though their lives were so different. Delphine was the Ogunquit resident, her family farmers and owners of a popular restaurant. Maggie lived in Concord, Massachusetts attending the best schools and moving in the best social circles; but the friendship always resumed and remarkably, the girls attended college together in Boston even though education was not as prized by Delphine's family as it was by Maggie's. Oh, and lo and behold, the girls were roommates on campus!

The friendship dissolved when Delphine left right after graduation to return to Ogunquit, a decision that Maggie just did not understand. Good-byes were strained and the girls lost touch. Delphine did attend Maggie's wedding, but not as the attendant that Maggie had thought she would be.

Now, 20 some years later, Maggie is feeling restless. Her husband is a lawyer constantly required to be out of town. Her daughters have gone off to college. Her own lucrative business career brings in big money, but not much personal satisfaction. She decides to go back to Ogunquit, reconnect with Delphine, and solve the mystery of why Delphine chose a meager life running her parents' farm.

I wanted to like the story, but it dragged out so much that I lost interest at times. There was a lot of "back and forth" between Maggie and Delphine. Delphine was welcoming, then resentful of Maggie's presence. Maggie was scornful of Delphine's life, then contrite. They were on the road to being friends again. They were not on the road to being friends again. Both were judgmental of the other's life. Maggie was pushy. Delphine was cold. There was a lot of bickering about "the meaning of life" and the definition of living a meaningful life. I never felt that these two could have ever been the best friends they claimed to be and I didn't feel that I really knew the character of Maggie all that well. Delphine's background was more defined. I didn't really like either of them.

For me, the epilogue was the best writing of the entire book. No theories, analogies, philosophies...just good story-telling that finally drew me in to the story, but far too late.

[Samantha March · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delphine Crandall and Maggie Weldon become instant best friends at the age of nine, when life has complications such as which flavor of ice cream to choose. Delphine is a native of Maine, while Maggie’s family visits Maine each year for a vacation. Maggie’s family is well off, and she has many opportunities in life. Delphine doesn’t have the same social status as Maggie, but the girls don’t let that get in the way of become friends. Their friendship stays strong for years, and the girls even go to college together in Boston. But during college, something changes for Delphine. While Maggie gets her degree, a great career, a husband, and eventually children, Delphine slinks back to Maine to work for her family business. She cuts off her friendship with Maggie, and Maggie is devastated over the loss of her childhood friend. But after twenty years, Maggie decides she wants answers- and hopefully her friend back. She tracks down Delphine, still living in Maine and working with her family, with no husband or children. Maggie tries reconnecting with the woman who she once shared all her secrets with…but can their friendship still last despite all that’s been thrown at them?

I was a little torn while reading Summer Friends by Holly Chamberlin. While I loved the vivid scenes that paint the quaint town of Maine and thought Maggie’s character was kind, generous, and good-hearted, I could never really get into Delphine. I was a little confused at why she dropped Maggie’s friendship so quickly. It is kind of explained towards the end, but I didn’t find it to be a real powerful motive for completely shunning someone out of your life. I did enjoy the ending, I thought Chamberlin wrapped up the story of these two women nicely, but the book didn’t really move me like I was hoping it would.

[Wicked Lil Pixie (Natasha) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Friends tells the story of two 49 year old friends reuniting after over 20 years. Maggie is having a crisis & wants nothing more then to reconnect with her bestfriend Del, but Del isn’t easily swayed. To Del, things changed all those years ago & she can’t let go of the issues she has from the past.

It’s a real friends for life story & it shows what true friends will do to stay in your life. I liked the way the story would go backwards to the past while confronting the issues Maggie & Del are having in the present. The storyline was well paced & the small beach town life was perfect reading for the summer.

My only issue with the storyline was Del, I really didn’t feel anything for her character. She was hard on herself, to the point I wanted to shake her & tell her to stand up for herself, live her life for her! I totally understood her need to be there for her family, but to the point she was making herself sick bugged me. Maggie was awesome, she fought like a pitbull for their friendship & I adored her! And of course, my favorite secondary character, Melchoir, Del’s Mainecoon kitty. Cause I have one myself, Melchoir totally reminded me of him.

Holly Chamberlin writing draws you right in, I sat down & read 200 pages in half a day. It flows at a pace that keeps you turning the pages well into the night, which I totally did. The ending was perfect, but I’m hoping there is a part 2 as there was a few ends I wished would have been tied up.

Summer Friends is the book you give to your bestfriend when you are in a fight or have lost touch. It’s the book you bring on summer vacation when you want a feel good story.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The setting was the best part of this book!

[Lorraine Montgomery · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems that every summer there is spate of paperbacks for light reading at the cottage that feature childhood friendships at the beach which are picked up later in life. Often they show a pair of adirondack chairs on a dock or footprints along the beach on the cover. I haven't read too many of these but I picked one up last week and thought I would give it a whirl. It's by Holly Chamberlin; an author I've not read before. (I noticed inside the front cover that one of her other books does indeed have a pair of chairs with the striped cotton backs side by side on the beach.) Any way, this book is called Summer Friends. (The lack of capitals is the publisher's idea, not mine.) The subtitle is: Some friendships last a lifetime. . . Implied is that sometimes they don't and in this book, you're left wondering if this friendship will or not last right up to the end.

It's about rich girl (Maggie) meets local poor girl (Delphine) on her summer vacation when they're both nine years old and they form a friendship that is strongly forged and maintained over many summers at the same Atlantic seaside location and into college away from both their homes, in Boston. These early episodes are flashback chapters interspersed quite neatly in between the current ones where Maggie, unsettled in her marriage now that her girls have gone off to university in California and husband, Gregory, is often out of town on business, decides she has to find out why Delphine walked away from marriage to a grad student who was heading into a brilliant career in writing/journalism, graduate school, and, most of all, from her friendship with Maggie.

Delphine, on the other hand, deliberately walked away from all that to return to her small community to run the farm belonging to her aging parents and has settled into a relationship with an older man with whom she has nothing really in common. Worse, in Maggie's eyes, is that this relationship is going nowhere slowly. The boyfriend, Harry, has a wife, Ellen, who has been in the hospital on life support over the ten years of their relationship whom Harry visits every week and won't even consider divorcing her. They never go out anywhere; Harry just shows up for dinner a couple of times a week and feels free to invite people to join them at the last minute that Delphine doesn't even know. For some reason, Delphine thinks that just maybe that's all she deserves.

Well, I had the motives all figured out by the end of Chapter 10. It seemed quite obvious to me but . . . I was wrong! It was very close to the end of the story when I started to realize that the niece wasn't Delphine's child by the ex-fiance and then I really started to pay attention. Why was Delphine settling, enabling others to use her and make her feel indispensable on the farm, and having absolutely no life of her own to do all the things she obviously enjoyed and wanted, like going to museums and art galleries, reading the Sunday Times, and taking a vacation once in while?

I really liked the way the characters and the relationships developed. The writing is excellent and the plot was developed carefully. I liked the quotes both characters used from favourite authors and those that were used at the beginning of Chapter 1 and the epilogue; they were very apt! I must admit I was a bit disappointed at the end because it didn't seem to resolve the issue about why Delphine's parents were prepared to accept what had happened, how Delphine had just abandoned her university plans and was so totally caught up in farm life in Ogunquit, Maine, why they didn't hope for something better for her. The other thing was, I was hoping that Delphine's dreadful neighbour and friend, Jemima, would get her comeuppance but she didn't really. Did the friendship last forever? You'll have to read it to find out!

[Diana Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and there were definitely some good thoughts about friendships in it, however, it did drag quite a bit in parts. I don't generally put books down for long periods of time, but this one I did.

[Nancy Narma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes friendship can withstand the test of time, distance, patience, determination and love. When Delphine Crandall, a native of Ogunquit, Maine, met Maggie Weldon ,
a summer visitor in 1971, they struck up a friendship and “pinky-swore” they would be best friends forever and ever. This stayed true throughout countless summers and into their college years, then, as personalities changed, with fear setting in and self-confidence retreating, their friendship took “a leave of absence” over many years encompassing changes in their families and the path of life both had chosen to take. After 20+ years and many unanswered letters, Maggie contacted Delphine through her parents and announced she had decided to spend her vacation in Ogunquit and catch up on life with her old friend . Delphine dreaded this. She was satisfied with her life and didn’t want Maggie butting into her business and asking questions she had no intensions of answering. Delphine liked her privacy and ignored the constant battle within herself that she was indispensable and unappreciated around the family farm business plus dealing with her unhealed heart from breaking up with the now famous Robert Evans so many years ago. Had she done the right thing? Or, was she just scared of what the outcome could have been for both of them? There were times she wished she could “try her wings” and experience life as Maggie had done—complete with career, husband and family. However, this seemed not to be, especially with her long-standing relationship with Harry. Maggie, on the other hand, envied her long-lost friend’s capabilities and independence, Through many trials , tribulations and arguments, their friendship triumphs, changing both, with lessons learned, such as, no one is indispensable and sometimes you just have to accept the offer of a helping hand—not only for your sake, but for the giver’s as well. This was a slow, extremely detailed read that may “hit you in the gut” as it, perhaps, will tug at your own memories.
Nancy L. Narma

[Marta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Admittedly, I 100% checked this book out from the Library because it had the word “summer” in the title and the cover reminded me of Elin Hilderbrand and Dorthea Benton Franks. The cover is where the comparisons end. I probably should have DNFed this, but I kept waiting for it to get fluffier and more fun. Sadly, that never happened.

Our two main characters Delphine and Maggie left something to be desired - dry and one-dimensional. Maggie grew up visiting Delphine’s Maine beach hometown every summer, where they became best friends. When Delphine moved home after college, the friends grew apart - Delphine a no-frills farm girl, Maggie a successful banker. Now nearly a quarter century later, Maggie is determined to rekindle their friendship - and Delphine seemingly has no desire to do so.

The whole book was Maggie trying too hard to befriend (refriend?) Delphine, and Delphine rudely pushing her away. Over and over again. The writing was detailed, almost overly so. The plot didn’t amount to much. This book might be fun in the way some would consider the carousel the most thrilling ride at the amusement park.

This book came out in 2011 and it’s probably best not to re-up. I’m sure this book is a cup of tea for some, but I wish I spent my time elsewhere. After all, #somanybookssolittletime.

This review first appeared on my Instagram page, @capitolhillbookclub. Check us out!

[CJ Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’ve decided Holly Chamberlin definitely isn’t for me. After 2 attempts, I’m giving up. She tells WAY more than she shows and I just cannot get into her writing. The main characters of this book just annoyed me and I finally just skimmed the last half of the book because I didn’t want to DNF it, but I really just wanted it over.

[Sharyl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I admit that I did read this book til the end, but did not have any attachment to the characters or story. I thought that Maggie was a needy fool and Delphine was a thoughtless jerk toward her. She also appeared spineless, but hot-headed, depending on the situation. Harry was a jerk as were her parents and her friend Jemima. The only character worth reading about was Jackie, and she wasn't in the book as much as I would have liked. I didn't understand what Delphine's BIG secret was about regarding why she broke off her friendship with Maggie. It sounded so childish and silly that I can't believe the story was based around it. The only reason the book gets 2 stars instead of only 1 is because the small town life descriptions and Ogunquit itself takes me off to another place, daydreaming about my summer vacations in places just like that.

[Nicole Galbraith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept of this book much more than the book itself. Delphine and Maggie were childhood friends who lost touch. Maggie decides to visit and rekindle the relationship, causing them both to reflect on the choices they've made. It's the self-reflective, female friendship book I usually love. But, I just didn't feel it. I guess my problem was that I didn't really like either of them. Maggie was way too clingy. Delphine was way too closed off. And they were both way too judgmental. I just didn't care about them.

[katinameow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found these women to be weak, timid, and pathetic. They lived with such self doubt and there moods were so erratic that I felt like I was reading about 9 year-olds, not 49 year-olds. What sad, wasted lives! Overall, it wasn't terrible but I wish I had read something else, and saved my $7.00 used to purchase the book and 5 hours spend reading it.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a 4 hour plane ride book....annoying book about friendship between two friends who lost track of each other, found each other, and renewed their friendship after 30 years. I kept waiting for it to get better and to like one of them. The story dragged on and I was happy to land in Boston!

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely unlikeable and uninteresting characters with a storyline that was tedious, if not downright dull. The only redeeming feature of this book was the setting. I enjoyed reading about places in Maine that I have been. Happy to put this one in the donate pile.

[J R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty dull read. I tried giving this book a chance, because I've been surprised a few times this year by books that start off slow. Unfortunately, this one just didn't do it for me. Kinda boring, through and through.

[Jean Mccutchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is very little story to this book. If you want to read a very thin story line with no climax this is the book for you. It does seem to explore women's relationships to some extent, but not very deeply or eloquently.

[Kathy Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow to friends who discovers and renews their friendship after years being apart.

[Lynne Thompson Schauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2. Unlikeable characters, surprised I even finished

[Caroline Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a monotonous plot. It took me 2 months to finish the book when I usually finish a book within a week. Don’t read it.

[Janah Del Gatto · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my. This was so tough to finish. The description of the book is as far as the plot goes. Awful. I was so tired reading this.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Winding, bloated with repetitive narrative in choppy writing. I didn't feel the bond between these two women at all. I completed it quickly thanks to a lot of skimming.

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not for me. The entire way through it I was like, "Nothing is happening, and that nothing is not happening...ever...so...slowly." And then I got to page 150 or so and all these new, and I felt, fairly pointless characters, started getting introduced. Not only that, but they were seeming to be all gay. That annoys me these days. Then I was like, "Why am I still reading this? Why can't I just stop?" but I had already put so much time in it so I held out and kept going. Then I pretty much gave up all hope and my favorite part happened...I finally made it to the end. I felt like I had spent way too much time with Eeyore when I was reading this book. So sorry. Maybe it's just not my thing. Maybe her other books are so much better. But I made it. I DID, however, have a couple of keepers I wanted to write down in my book, so I guess THOSE were my favorite things about this book, because really, once again (this has happened recently and when it happened it was really the first time for me) I didn't even really like ANY of the characters. Not even the cat. (I'm not a cat lover at all though, so I suppose that's not surprising.) But right...I liked these:

"They say the Internet and all those machines like Kindle are going to kill the book, but I say that's ridiculous. There will always be those of us who love the feel of paper between our fingers, the turning of pages." (I agree with that librarian!)

Because one little step in a new direction might just lead to a whole series of steps in that new direction. (I have considered that before, and also...kind of seen it happen. It definitely can happen.)

[BethanyKate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This.was.so.boring. For 250 pages, it was the same story over and over and over.
Maggie and Delphine were best friends throughout childhood and college. After college, Delphine went back home to work on the family farm and at the family diner. I don't know many farmers that can pull off running a farm and a diner. Nor do I know many restaurant owners that could do the same.
Anyway, 24 years go by, and they lose touch. Maggie decides she needs a break from her own life and goes to visit Delphine, who is less than excited.
For 250 pages, Maggie is trying so hard to rekindle their old friendship, and Delphine is just this miserable martyr who thinks the world will stop if she hangs with her friend for a few hours. There were hints that something major took place for them to have not been friends anymore. There was nothing other than Delphine's own insecurities. There were also hints that another character, Kitty, had something terribly wrong with her. With less than 100 pages to go, we find out there is.
With the exception of Maggie, I didn't like any of the characters. I think Chamberlin had good intentions with this book. Her writing is just very green.

[Emily Eitniear · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.

I was able to finish and understand this book, but I was left with a sense that something was missing. It was good, not great.

Small-town girl Delphine and Maggie, a summer regular, become the best of friends as kids. Delphine, the tomboy type is as the complete opposite from well-to-do Maggie. They attend college together, but drift apart beyond that part of their life. Delphine goes back to Maine to become a farmer and Maggie goes on to grad school, marriage and a successful career in banking. Delphine withdraws most connection to Maggie for no known reasons.
So after years away Maggie returns to Maine for a month of the summer in hopes to rekindle the friendship they once had. Delphine is not very receiving to Maggie's return. Maggie does not see the differences between her lavish lifestyle and Delphine's modest one.

Giving that, I still feel that the characters are very under developed and the plot line is missing in spots. The pace was slow alot of the time as well as being a little plain and predictable.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Summer Friends” by Holly Chamberlain is the quintessential summer read, perfect for lazy afternoons by the pool. The novel revolves around the enduring friendship between Maggie and Delphine, who navigate various trials and tribulations that test their bond.

While the story had its moments of warmth and nostalgia, I found the character development a bit uneven. Maggie’s character was the highlight for me—she was relatable and grounded, making her journey enjoyable to follow. In contrast, Delphine’s actions often came across as self-centered and unsympathetic, which made it challenging to root for her. By the end, everything wrapped up a little too neatly for my taste, lacking the complexity I was hoping for.

Overall, if you’re looking for an easy, light-hearted read with some classic friendship drama, “Summer Friends” fits the bill. However, don’t expect too many surprises or deep character arcs. It’s a pleasant enough read, but it may not leave a lasting impression.