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Suddenly That Summer
1967 They called it the Summer of Love . . .
For small-town Wisconsin siblings Billy and Jay Johnson, it’s a summer of change, confusion, and self-discovery.
Billy enlists in the army and is soon on his way to Vietnam. The letters and sketches he sends home tell the story of the crack-shot soldier he has become. ‘Slayer’ is a sniper the Vietcong both fear and loathe, an enemy they will never stop hunting. But the more violence Billy sees, the more he kills, the farther he drifts from who he thought he was––or at least who he thought he wanted to be. He draws strength from the friends he makes on his journey and the camaraderie he finds. Billy begins to wonder if he is there for the mission or the men or if, maybe, his mission has become these men.
Jay expects to enjoy the summer with her three lifelong friends, but the Four Musketeers have grown up and grown apart leaving Jay adrift and alone. Then she meets Paul, the dazzling new boy from California, whose anti-war views make her question if things are as cut and dried as she’s been taught. Shouldn’t she be on the same side of this war as her brother, who believes just as strongly in the right of the conflict as the protestors believe in the wrong of it? Torn, Jay struggles to make sense of her lifelong beliefs versus the turning cultural tide when surprising support comes from the friends she thought she’d lost.
From the voice of New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland, a heartfelt, coming-of-age story that brings back the feelings of innocence, fireworks and fireflies, warm summer sun on your skin––and the moment you realized everything was about to change.
For small-town Wisconsin siblings Billy and Jay Johnson, it’s a summer of change, confusion, and self-discovery.
Billy enlists in the army and is soon on his way to Vietnam. The letters and sketches he sends home tell the story of the crack-shot soldier he has become. ‘Slayer’ is a sniper the Vietcong both fear and loathe, an enemy they will never stop hunting. But the more violence Billy sees, the more he kills, the farther he drifts from who he thought he was––or at least who he thought he wanted to be. He draws strength from the friends he makes on his journey and the camaraderie he finds. Billy begins to wonder if he is there for the mission or the men or if, maybe, his mission has become these men.
Jay expects to enjoy the summer with her three lifelong friends, but the Four Musketeers have grown up and grown apart leaving Jay adrift and alone. Then she meets Paul, the dazzling new boy from California, whose anti-war views make her question if things are as cut and dried as she’s been taught. Shouldn’t she be on the same side of this war as her brother, who believes just as strongly in the right of the conflict as the protestors believe in the wrong of it? Torn, Jay struggles to make sense of her lifelong beliefs versus the turning cultural tide when surprising support comes from the friends she thought she’d lost.
From the voice of New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland, a heartfelt, coming-of-age story that brings back the feelings of innocence, fireworks and fireflies, warm summer sun on your skin––and the moment you realized everything was about to change.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2023
25 people are currently reading
2669 people want to read
About the author
Lori Handeland
122 books1,347 followersLori Handeland is a five-time nominee and two-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty novels spanning the genres of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, contemporary romance, historical romance and historical fantasy.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 22, 2023
Billy and Jay Johnson are brother and sister, who grew up in Wisconsin in the 1960’s. Billy has just enlisted in the Army and finds himself in Vietnam pretty quickly. Jay is really missing her brother, but has her three best friends to help the summer pass, or so she thought. They have always been known as the Four Musketeers, but now that they are all mostly grown up, they seem to have moved on. Jay is lonely until she meets a cute boy from California, named Paul who believes the opposite of just about everything she was taught or that she knows. SUDDENLY THAT SUMMER is going to pull on your heart strings as well as bring back so many memories if you grew up in that time.
SUDDENLY THAT SUMMER is truly the time when Americans started to question their government. There were protests, sit ins, lots of drugs, and everyone questioning the war in Vietnam. Billy is now a sniper and Jay begins to question the government. Jay is torn between what she has always believed and her support of her brother but is starting to believe what Paul and those in the anti war movement are telling her. SUDDENLY THAT SUMMER is going to stay with the reader for a very long time after they finishing reading it. You will finding yourself quickly turning the pages as you have to know what happens to each one of them!
Ive never read Lori Handeland before but after reading SUDDENLY THAT SUMMER, I quickly made a list of all of her previous books to read! I find myself thinking of the characters and the story often, and feel privileged to have been able to read it. The characters are all relatable and their journeys were at times, heartbreaking. The sibling bond between Sam and Billy is very strong. When SUDDENLY THAT SUMMER ended I was thinking that with their personal revelations, many of the characters’ stories were just beginning. This book hooked me from the very first page. I do not want to tell too much because I don’t want to give anything away, but while reading, I felt every possible emotion I could think of and loved every minute of it! There is so much going on in this story, but Lori Handel and does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from TLC Book Tours. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
SUDDENLY THAT SUMMER is truly the time when Americans started to question their government. There were protests, sit ins, lots of drugs, and everyone questioning the war in Vietnam. Billy is now a sniper and Jay begins to question the government. Jay is torn between what she has always believed and her support of her brother but is starting to believe what Paul and those in the anti war movement are telling her. SUDDENLY THAT SUMMER is going to stay with the reader for a very long time after they finishing reading it. You will finding yourself quickly turning the pages as you have to know what happens to each one of them!
Ive never read Lori Handeland before but after reading SUDDENLY THAT SUMMER, I quickly made a list of all of her previous books to read! I find myself thinking of the characters and the story often, and feel privileged to have been able to read it. The characters are all relatable and their journeys were at times, heartbreaking. The sibling bond between Sam and Billy is very strong. When SUDDENLY THAT SUMMER ended I was thinking that with their personal revelations, many of the characters’ stories were just beginning. This book hooked me from the very first page. I do not want to tell too much because I don’t want to give anything away, but while reading, I felt every possible emotion I could think of and loved every minute of it! There is so much going on in this story, but Lori Handel and does a wonderful job of weaving all the pieces together.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from TLC Book Tours. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 4, 2023
Suddenly That Summer takes place in 1967, a turbulent time in America's history. This book jumps right into that time, following two siblings. One is near the end of high school in a small town while her brother enlists and is sent to Vietnam. Chapters alternate between the two siblings. I found the book very interesting and a fast read. The main characters were well drawn and I cared about what happened to them. Thanks to author Lori Handeland for an autographed copy of the book won through a Goodreads giveaway.
May 10, 2023
The Summer of 1967 was called the Summer of Love but in reality it was the summer that changed the country and began the divide between people that has only gotten worse over the years and effects us today. This was the summer of the hippies, free love, sex-drugs and rock &roll. More importantly it was the year that young Americans began to question their government and the war in Vietnam. It was a summer of protests and marches - not only against the War but also for women's rights and civil rights. It also increased the chasm of beliefs between the young and the older people. I was in college during 1967 and even though I wasn't much involved in political issues, I can tell you that the people and events in this book ring true to what was going on.
Billy and Jay were a brother and sister who lived in small town Wisconsin. They both fervently believed the government and supported the war in Vietnam. Billy had been called a coward by his grandfather for his entire life and as soon as he graduated from high school, he volunteered for the Army. As was the norm, he quickly went through a shortened basic training and was soon stationed in Vietnam. He soon earned the nickname of Slayer and was a sniper that the Viet Cong Army wanted to capture. As he starts to question the war and the killing, he becomes closer to the men in his unit. Billy begins to wonder if he is there for the mission or the men or if, maybe, his mission has become these men.
Jay's plans for the summer are to enjoy life with her three best friends to help alleviate her worry about her brother. She is still very supportive of the government's stance in the war but then she meets a boy. Not just any boy but Paul, a handsome boy from California who is very opposed to the war. She is torn between her lifelong beliefs and her support of her brother but is beginning to believe what Paul and the anti war movement are telling her. Will her new beliefs make her best friends turn from her or will they too change their lifelong beliefs?
This book is told in alternating chapters by Billy and Jay. While Jay endures the heat and the bugs and the fear on a daily basis, Jay is having fun with her friends. While Billy is becoming a sniper to protect his friends and ultimately his country, Jay is beginning to question her long held beliefs in the government.
If you grew up during this time, this book will bring back a lot of memories like it did for me. If you are younger, this would be a good book to read to better understand what really happened during the summer of love and the years that followed.
Billy and Jay were a brother and sister who lived in small town Wisconsin. They both fervently believed the government and supported the war in Vietnam. Billy had been called a coward by his grandfather for his entire life and as soon as he graduated from high school, he volunteered for the Army. As was the norm, he quickly went through a shortened basic training and was soon stationed in Vietnam. He soon earned the nickname of Slayer and was a sniper that the Viet Cong Army wanted to capture. As he starts to question the war and the killing, he becomes closer to the men in his unit. Billy begins to wonder if he is there for the mission or the men or if, maybe, his mission has become these men.
Jay's plans for the summer are to enjoy life with her three best friends to help alleviate her worry about her brother. She is still very supportive of the government's stance in the war but then she meets a boy. Not just any boy but Paul, a handsome boy from California who is very opposed to the war. She is torn between her lifelong beliefs and her support of her brother but is beginning to believe what Paul and the anti war movement are telling her. Will her new beliefs make her best friends turn from her or will they too change their lifelong beliefs?
This book is told in alternating chapters by Billy and Jay. While Jay endures the heat and the bugs and the fear on a daily basis, Jay is having fun with her friends. While Billy is becoming a sniper to protect his friends and ultimately his country, Jay is beginning to question her long held beliefs in the government.
If you grew up during this time, this book will bring back a lot of memories like it did for me. If you are younger, this would be a good book to read to better understand what really happened during the summer of love and the years that followed.
May 31, 2023
In the summer of 1967 in the small Wisconsin city of Willow Creek, two siblings are about to have their lives changed forever. Billy has enlisted in the Army and finds his world altered by his tour of Vietnam. His sister Jay has her world changed when one of her three best friends decides she no longer wants to be friends. A newcomer to their conservative town, Paul, brings anti-war sentiments that don’t match anything that Jay has heard from anyone in her town. As she starts to receive disturbing drawings from her brother Billy, she starts to wonder, is Vietnam really the just war to end communism that she has been led to believe?
Suddenly That Summer is an intriguing book. I really liked the alternating chapters telling both Billy and Jay’s points of view. The harsh realities of the war in Vietnam are juxtaposed against Jay’s summer and her changing views on the war in Vietnam. I also like how this is visualized on the very nice cover of this book by having the girls with a seemingly happy summer on the top with their shadows being soldiers in Vietnam.
I loved how both Billy and Jay have a coming-of-age journey through the novel as they both try to work through the expectations they have been taught by family and their town, and what the realities are in their ever-changing world. I really liked the ending of this book. It also has great questions at the conclusion of the novel and would be a great book to discuss at a book club.
Book Source: Review Copy from author Lori Handeland. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2023...
May 10, 2023
In 1967, they called it the Summer of Love . . .
For small-town Wisconsin siblings Billy and Jay Johnson, it’s a summer of change, confusion, and self-discovery. Billy enlists in the army and is soon on his way to Vietnam. The letters and sketches he sends home tell the story of the crack-shot soldier he has become. But the more violence Billy sees, the more he kills, the farther he drifts from who he thought he was––or at least who he thought he wanted to be. Jay expects to enjoy the summer with her three lifelong friends, but the Four Musketeers have grown up and grown apart leaving Jay adrift and alone. Then she meets Paul, the dazzling new boy from California, whose anti-war views make her question if things are as cut and dried as she’s been taught.
My thoughts:
I absolutely loved this coming of age story set during the Vietnam war. I really enjoyed seeing the war through Billy's eyes and how he had to think or not think to survive. I loved that he was able to draw what he saw to get the images out of his mind in order to move on. His story arc and character development throughout this novel really interested me and I just wish there was more from him. Jay came across as a bit immature for the age she was supposed to be, but I loved her growth throughout the story. The twist at the end was just perfect and this is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come.
For small-town Wisconsin siblings Billy and Jay Johnson, it’s a summer of change, confusion, and self-discovery. Billy enlists in the army and is soon on his way to Vietnam. The letters and sketches he sends home tell the story of the crack-shot soldier he has become. But the more violence Billy sees, the more he kills, the farther he drifts from who he thought he was––or at least who he thought he wanted to be. Jay expects to enjoy the summer with her three lifelong friends, but the Four Musketeers have grown up and grown apart leaving Jay adrift and alone. Then she meets Paul, the dazzling new boy from California, whose anti-war views make her question if things are as cut and dried as she’s been taught.
My thoughts:
I absolutely loved this coming of age story set during the Vietnam war. I really enjoyed seeing the war through Billy's eyes and how he had to think or not think to survive. I loved that he was able to draw what he saw to get the images out of his mind in order to move on. His story arc and character development throughout this novel really interested me and I just wish there was more from him. Jay came across as a bit immature for the age she was supposed to be, but I loved her growth throughout the story. The twist at the end was just perfect and this is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come.
June 18, 2023
I will again state that my brain finds it hard to parse “historical fiction” that takes place within my lifetime but I suppose I AM getting old and have lived through some very historical events.
I was 8 in 1967 so I can’t say that I was overly politically aware. What I do know is that my mother’s only brother died in Viet Nam so my family was definitely impacted by that war.
Suddenly That Summer brings the time period alive for the reader as the characters navigate through very trying times. Four close friends who all have to deal with how the war impacts them and changes them.
It is a fast paced, page turning read that keeps you engaged from start to finish. War is never an easy “character” and it’s not here, particularly given the relatively recent nature of this war. Many of us of a certain age have family members who were impacted by the Viet Nam war.
Good stories are welcome no matter the time period in which they occur. Even if, as noted, I find it hard to wrap my head around my own lifetime being part of “history.”
I received a free copy for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
4.5
I was 8 in 1967 so I can’t say that I was overly politically aware. What I do know is that my mother’s only brother died in Viet Nam so my family was definitely impacted by that war.
Suddenly That Summer brings the time period alive for the reader as the characters navigate through very trying times. Four close friends who all have to deal with how the war impacts them and changes them.
It is a fast paced, page turning read that keeps you engaged from start to finish. War is never an easy “character” and it’s not here, particularly given the relatively recent nature of this war. Many of us of a certain age have family members who were impacted by the Viet Nam war.
Good stories are welcome no matter the time period in which they occur. Even if, as noted, I find it hard to wrap my head around my own lifetime being part of “history.”
I received a free copy for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
4.5
July 31, 2023
The magical and turbulent days of the 60’s and 70’s are vividly revisited in Suddenly that Summer by Lori Handeland. Jay and her three best friends spend the summer of 1967 like most teenage girls, having sleepovers, exploring, arguing and hanging out. When Jay’s brother Billy enlists in the Army and is sent to Vietnam, the tempo of the summer changes. The girls are maturing and the war is showing them a very different world than the one they have been living in.
This novel could have been a quick read, however; I took my time remembering what it was like to have best friends to explore the changing world with as a young girl growing up during that time, of boys going off to war when they barely had a chance to enter adulthood. The story is tender, brutal, thought-provoking and one that I will definitely re-read. And yes, it does give a vibe of Stephen King’s The Body (Stand by Me) which is a favorite of mine.
This novel could have been a quick read, however; I took my time remembering what it was like to have best friends to explore the changing world with as a young girl growing up during that time, of boys going off to war when they barely had a chance to enter adulthood. The story is tender, brutal, thought-provoking and one that I will definitely re-read. And yes, it does give a vibe of Stephen King’s The Body (Stand by Me) which is a favorite of mine.
June 16, 2023
This is a very good but difficult book to read. Good, because it has appealing characters and is well researched. Difficult, because it brings back not good memories of that time. If you're reading it as historical fiction (ouch!) you'll find it evokes accurately a very chaotic and divisive time. Public opinion of the Vietnam War slowly shifted but unfortunately the soldiers still suffered. One thing this story makes clear is that in war soldiers fight for each other, not some vague idea of freedom or democracy. The reality is trying to stay alive and keep your brothers alive too.
February 25, 2024
After reading Kristin Hannah's The Women, I remembered that I had this one sitting on my massive TBR pile and could not resist picking it up. I have always enjoyed Lori's books and this was no exception. Thoughtfully organized and told through two perspectives, the story moves along nicely. Great supporting characters and overall a heartfelt coming of age story set amidst the Vietnam War era. Glad I finally got around to it.
November 13, 2023
An amazing story of friendship, love and the horrors of Vietnam. I loved it and would give 6 stars if I could!
May 14, 2023
Powerful story!
This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve finished the last page. The author has an incredible way of making the reader feel like you’ve been sent back in time to the jungles in Vietnam to small town Wisconsin. You do not want to miss this story.
This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve finished the last page. The author has an incredible way of making the reader feel like you’ve been sent back in time to the jungles in Vietnam to small town Wisconsin. You do not want to miss this story.
June 1, 2023
Thank you to TLC Book Tours and author Lori Handeland for the review copy.
Billy is leaving for the Vietnam War while his younger sister, Jay, is hanging around with her group of friends who are having friendship problems. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, taking us to the harsh realities of the war, then back to Willow Creek, Wisconsin. Toward the end of the book, this technique really makes a reader want to read more to see what is happening.
The characters are amazing, people I would've wanted to be friends with at that age or serve with. The ending is tissue-worthy.
Billy is leaving for the Vietnam War while his younger sister, Jay, is hanging around with her group of friends who are having friendship problems. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, taking us to the harsh realities of the war, then back to Willow Creek, Wisconsin. Toward the end of the book, this technique really makes a reader want to read more to see what is happening.
The characters are amazing, people I would've wanted to be friends with at that age or serve with. The ending is tissue-worthy.
February 24, 2025
Enjoyed this book. I can relate with the story. In 1967 I was 21 years old. I enlisted in the Navy. I felt I was doing my patriotic duty. But by the time my enlistment was up I felt that the war was wrong.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews