What do you think?
Rate this book
Nova Scotia Summer #1
Summer's Child
THERE’S A PLACE IN OUR HEARTS RESERVED FOR MIRACLES…
From Luanne Rice, the celebrated author of Beach Girls and many other New York Times bestsellers, comes this powerful novel of a mystery, a love affair, and a bond that cannot be broken set in a seaside town where miracles are made...
On the first day of summer, Mara Jameson went out to water her garden–and was never seen again. Years after her disappearance, no one could forget the expectant mother whose glowing smile had captured the heart of everyone who’d known her: Maeve Jameson, still mourning the loss of a granddaughter she had struggled to protect…Patrick Murphy, a dogged police detective obsessed with a vanished woman…and Lily Malone, drawn to the rugged beauty of the Nova Scotia coast and its promise of a new life.
Here Lily hopes to raise her nine-year-old daughter, Rose, far from the pain and loss of the past. Here she will meet a gifted scientist, Liam Neill, whose life is on a similar trajectory from heartbreak to hope. And before the season is over, Lily will find the magic that exists in people we love the best…the everyday miracles that can make the extraordinary happen anywhere.
From the Paperback edition.
From Luanne Rice, the celebrated author of Beach Girls and many other New York Times bestsellers, comes this powerful novel of a mystery, a love affair, and a bond that cannot be broken set in a seaside town where miracles are made...
On the first day of summer, Mara Jameson went out to water her garden–and was never seen again. Years after her disappearance, no one could forget the expectant mother whose glowing smile had captured the heart of everyone who’d known her: Maeve Jameson, still mourning the loss of a granddaughter she had struggled to protect…Patrick Murphy, a dogged police detective obsessed with a vanished woman…and Lily Malone, drawn to the rugged beauty of the Nova Scotia coast and its promise of a new life.
Here Lily hopes to raise her nine-year-old daughter, Rose, far from the pain and loss of the past. Here she will meet a gifted scientist, Liam Neill, whose life is on a similar trajectory from heartbreak to hope. And before the season is over, Lily will find the magic that exists in people we love the best…the everyday miracles that can make the extraordinary happen anywhere.
From the Paperback edition.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2005
451 people are currently reading
2169 people want to read
About the author
Luanne Rice
112 books3,162 followersLuanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-eight novels, translated into thirty languages. Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. Most recently she has written thrillers, including one based on a murder that affected her family. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
October 18, 2008
This was my first Luanne Rice book, but it certainly will not be my last. I have already gone to the library and took out the book that joins this - called Summer of Roses.
I loved this book so much that I went to my computer and looked up everything about Nova Scotia. Luanne Rice writes about people and places like they are real and you don't want the book to end. I want to go to Nova Scotia now and go on a whale watching cruise and learn everything about whales.
This book explores so many complexities in life - from domestic violence to childhood heart conditions. I enjoyed reading it all and read it slowly as I did not want it to end. I wanted to read it cover to cover in one sitting, but I didn't because I wanted it to last. I have NEVER done that with a book! I was very happy to learn there was a sequel to this book.
Read this book - you will be very happy you did.
I loved this book so much that I went to my computer and looked up everything about Nova Scotia. Luanne Rice writes about people and places like they are real and you don't want the book to end. I want to go to Nova Scotia now and go on a whale watching cruise and learn everything about whales.
This book explores so many complexities in life - from domestic violence to childhood heart conditions. I enjoyed reading it all and read it slowly as I did not want it to end. I wanted to read it cover to cover in one sitting, but I didn't because I wanted it to last. I have NEVER done that with a book! I was very happy to learn there was a sequel to this book.
Read this book - you will be very happy you did.
July 15, 2014
I really liked this book...right up until the end. The end made me feel angry because it seems like a few more chapters are just missing. It wasn't even a clever ending that made you wonder about the possibilities in a creative, fun way. It just stopped. It was just an incomplete story. What happened to the grandmother and did Lily get to her in time? Where did Marissa & Jessica end up? What happened to the beluga? And was Edward ever made to pay for his crimes? So many questions left at the end that it really ruined the rest of the book for me. I've really liked all of the Luanne Rice books I've read but this one just honestly ticked me off!
OK--AMENDMENT--I JUST LEARNED THAT THERE IS A SEQUEL, WHICH I WILL BEGIN READING IMMEDIATELY.
I'm still leaving my review as is, though...the end could have been done better and it could have mentioned that readers should stay tuned for part two.
OK--AMENDMENT--I JUST LEARNED THAT THERE IS A SEQUEL, WHICH I WILL BEGIN READING IMMEDIATELY.
I'm still leaving my review as is, though...the end could have been done better and it could have mentioned that readers should stay tuned for part two.
March 9, 2012
Summer Child by Luanne Rice
This is the first story of Mara Jameson. She had gotten married and was pregnant. Then she just disappeared and years later no one had heard of her again.
Patrick Murphy is the retired state police detective who is intrigued by the reports of Maya and tries to track her down by clues left.
Her parents are dead and she had lived with her grandmother, Mauve. Mauve's best friend, Clara grew up together in the seaside town of Hubbard's Point.
At Cape Hawk Rose plays with Jessica and it's close to her birthday and she has high hopes of seeing the whale, Nanny who comes to visit her every summer.
Capt Hook is the local oceanographer and has a love interest in Lily
and captain of the ferry where he has an office near Rose's mom yarn shop where Rose's mom, Lily rented the store along with an apartment for them both.
Jessica can't even tell her best friend that her birthday is the same date as Roses cuz her dad might come find them and make them go back to live with him. She has bad dreams of what he did to a dog. She is now happy to be away from him where nobody knows them.
hate how the husband they ran away from uses the internet to get others to send him money and to trick her into sending a message under one of her alias names. He will be able to track down where she is now. Reminds me of one coming into an authors chat saying her daughter and
family had gotten burnt out of their home and she loves to read. Ended up getting the author to send her books and I'm thinking to myself what's wrong with the free library? Hope it didn't happen and I do hate scammers.
Cool to have all these various stories connected by just one person. Like how the stories are all told.
Love new things this book has taught me, pocket rosary also known as chapette, i've made these for nursing home.
Also pine needle pillows-how neat of an idea!
This book follows Rose's journey to better health.
There are just a few things that link this whole book and all the characters together. What a tale!
This is the first story of Mara Jameson. She had gotten married and was pregnant. Then she just disappeared and years later no one had heard of her again.
Patrick Murphy is the retired state police detective who is intrigued by the reports of Maya and tries to track her down by clues left.
Her parents are dead and she had lived with her grandmother, Mauve. Mauve's best friend, Clara grew up together in the seaside town of Hubbard's Point.
At Cape Hawk Rose plays with Jessica and it's close to her birthday and she has high hopes of seeing the whale, Nanny who comes to visit her every summer.
Capt Hook is the local oceanographer and has a love interest in Lily
and captain of the ferry where he has an office near Rose's mom yarn shop where Rose's mom, Lily rented the store along with an apartment for them both.
Jessica can't even tell her best friend that her birthday is the same date as Roses cuz her dad might come find them and make them go back to live with him. She has bad dreams of what he did to a dog. She is now happy to be away from him where nobody knows them.
hate how the husband they ran away from uses the internet to get others to send him money and to trick her into sending a message under one of her alias names. He will be able to track down where she is now. Reminds me of one coming into an authors chat saying her daughter and
family had gotten burnt out of their home and she loves to read. Ended up getting the author to send her books and I'm thinking to myself what's wrong with the free library? Hope it didn't happen and I do hate scammers.
Cool to have all these various stories connected by just one person. Like how the stories are all told.
Love new things this book has taught me, pocket rosary also known as chapette, i've made these for nursing home.
Also pine needle pillows-how neat of an idea!
This book follows Rose's journey to better health.
There are just a few things that link this whole book and all the characters together. What a tale!
September 22, 2014
WOW--how could I have Missed this author in all my time of readings. Wonderful story line-great characters and settings. The stories of women who have left all behind to seek refuge from abuse. In hiding they somehow find each other and form a band to protect each other and the little 9 yr old girl who was born with a heart defect. I was sad when the story ended with too many things still up in the air. Then I noticed that the story would be continued in her follow up book "Summer of Roses"--I'll have to check my shelves of books to see if I have it. I recommend it to everyone who likes love stories and stories about strong women.
January 22, 2019
I'm giving this 3 stars even though I don't think I liked it. If you like sappy stories about a large group of perfect women doing nice things for each other, with a man involved for romance, then this is not a bad book. If you like your fiction to be a based a little more in reality, then this book won't do. Also, it didn't have an ending, we don't know what happened. I guess we're supposed to think they all lived happily ever after. Blah.
October 23, 2011
Luanne Rice never failed to impress me yet. Even though this book was "spoiled" when I was reading this because I already knew the twist because I first bought Summer of Roses before this, not knowing that Summer of Roses is the sequel to Summer's Child.
I really like it, and I like Edward Hunter's character.
LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE! ♥
I really like it, and I like Edward Hunter's character.
LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE! ♥
June 18, 2019
This book was not anything special; however, the events that join the main characters gave me chills.
March 4, 2012
i just finished reading Summer’s Child by Luanne Rice… which is a bit weird because i’ve already read the sequel of this book last year… i recently found this book when the girls and i went to Booksale in MOA (by girls, i meant my girlfriends)..
it was good thing, though, that i already know how the short series would end.. that made it easier for me to put down the book every night so that i could get at least 4 hours of sleep before work..
ms. rice’s works never fail to amaze me.. each book has a unique story but it all centers into two themes: true love and family… Summer’s Child is a story of how a woman, Mara Jameson, took courage and left her abusive husband, Edward Hunter, to live a new life as Lily Malone.. but it was not a simple story with an easy “happily ever after”… lily’s child, Rose, was born with multiple heart defects just after their exile away from the warm beaches of hubbard’s point into the icy cliffs of cape hawk.. as unfair as it would seem for a child to have early tragedies in her life, i think that rose’s illness have helped lily to overcome her tragic past.. she cannot wallow in depression over her broken marriage and missing her home and grandmother, maeve.. because of rose, lily became strong and independent.. her daughter’s illness made her a mama bear who will do anything for her child..
but she cannot do everything by herself, thus she was fated to meet a kindred soul; a person who also needed healing from a broken past: Liam Neill.. he was there to witness rose’s birth and has long since became her father-figure.. he has loved lily for 9 years - the whole of rose’s lifetime, but knew that he cannot rush her into trusting again.. he was a gentleman through and through.. i wish that men in real life are more like him.. in the end, lily realized that she loved him back.. he was always there in their life.. through the good ones and the bad ones, liam became lily’s lighthouse as she and her daughter sailed through life..
three broken persons: lily’s soul, rose’s heart, liam’s body; met and completed each other.. they were so near to that “happily ever after” yet more trials await them in the next part of their life.. the rest of the summer awaits in the 2nd book, Summer of Roses..
it was good thing, though, that i already know how the short series would end.. that made it easier for me to put down the book every night so that i could get at least 4 hours of sleep before work..
ms. rice’s works never fail to amaze me.. each book has a unique story but it all centers into two themes: true love and family… Summer’s Child is a story of how a woman, Mara Jameson, took courage and left her abusive husband, Edward Hunter, to live a new life as Lily Malone.. but it was not a simple story with an easy “happily ever after”… lily’s child, Rose, was born with multiple heart defects just after their exile away from the warm beaches of hubbard’s point into the icy cliffs of cape hawk.. as unfair as it would seem for a child to have early tragedies in her life, i think that rose’s illness have helped lily to overcome her tragic past.. she cannot wallow in depression over her broken marriage and missing her home and grandmother, maeve.. because of rose, lily became strong and independent.. her daughter’s illness made her a mama bear who will do anything for her child..
but she cannot do everything by herself, thus she was fated to meet a kindred soul; a person who also needed healing from a broken past: Liam Neill.. he was there to witness rose’s birth and has long since became her father-figure.. he has loved lily for 9 years - the whole of rose’s lifetime, but knew that he cannot rush her into trusting again.. he was a gentleman through and through.. i wish that men in real life are more like him.. in the end, lily realized that she loved him back.. he was always there in their life.. through the good ones and the bad ones, liam became lily’s lighthouse as she and her daughter sailed through life..
three broken persons: lily’s soul, rose’s heart, liam’s body; met and completed each other.. they were so near to that “happily ever after” yet more trials await them in the next part of their life.. the rest of the summer awaits in the 2nd book, Summer of Roses..
January 26, 2012
Nine years ago Mara Jameson vanished. She was pregnant at the time and she became a sad statistic--missing. Now, nine years later Lily Malone and her daughter Rose are making a life for themselves in a small coastal town in Canada. Lily has formed a close bond with several women who meet at her needlework shop. Rose has met a new friend and her mother seems very reserved and secretive. When Rose's chronic health problem requires her to have surgery, the whole town steps in to help--especially Liam Neill who has been secretly in love with Lily for a long time. But retired Detective Patrick Murphy never could forget about Mara--he never could believe that she was not alive. How does he wind up in the little town in Nova Scotia where Lily and Rose live and how does he put it all together? This was a good story but not one of my favorites from Luanne Rice.
May 31, 2018
The ending was a major disappointment to me. I was not in this bad of a relationship but enough to really empathize. There was no finish to this story, I needed it to have an ending, a resolution. I actually feel sick to my stomach with this hanging ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2024
A very nice, strong female character driven novel. This is a story that celebrates mothers and daughters, friendship, and connections. I can't say that it's at all suspenseful, because the twists in the story were evidently foreshadowed. Clearly, the end is supposed to pull you right into book number two. I think I'll leave it where it is. A nice story and hopefully a happy ending.
June 16, 2018
3.5 stars. Didn't know it had a 2nd book to it.
March 4, 2017
I liked this book. I really did...mostly. 'Summer's Child' by Luanne Rice was an interesting fast read. While I would initially classify the novel as chick lit it also had a touch of intrigue and a touch of romance.
Set it present day Canada in Cape Hawk, the end of the earth, Lily and her daughter Rose have made their lives there. As Marissa and her daughter Jennifer arrive things are changing for Rose as she anticipates a major surgery for her heart defects. Marissa and Jennifer are on the run, so to speak, to escape a husband/step-dad that terrorized them. A story that Lily understands as she was hiding out when she arrived very pregnant with Rose. With the support of the Nanouk Girls of the Frozen North Lily had carved a support system of friends for herself and Rose. Marissa and Jennifer are embraced by these same women as their own as well.
The story flowed well and the characters were 'mostly' believable. Marissa trusted Lily and the Nanouk girls with her own secrets. I have a hard time believing in a character that has run away from what Marissa has run from and suddenly surrounded by other women she tells them things about her situation. Having gone so far as to change names and even birthdays I don't see some of those secrets start to unravel on a first meeting. The mystery twist I figured out before it was revealed but it wasn't contrived or followed a 'formula' so that does not detract from the story for me. I did feel the romance was a bit contrived however. I am interested in getting my hands on the next book with these characters to see how it all plays out.
I rated this book 4 stars because there was some parts that felt contrived and and weren't completely believable. I enjoyed this book however and would read it again.
Originally posted at https://fizzypopcollection.blogspot.c....
Set it present day Canada in Cape Hawk, the end of the earth, Lily and her daughter Rose have made their lives there. As Marissa and her daughter Jennifer arrive things are changing for Rose as she anticipates a major surgery for her heart defects. Marissa and Jennifer are on the run, so to speak, to escape a husband/step-dad that terrorized them. A story that Lily understands as she was hiding out when she arrived very pregnant with Rose. With the support of the Nanouk Girls of the Frozen North Lily had carved a support system of friends for herself and Rose. Marissa and Jennifer are embraced by these same women as their own as well.
The story flowed well and the characters were 'mostly' believable. Marissa trusted Lily and the Nanouk girls with her own secrets. I have a hard time believing in a character that has run away from what Marissa has run from and suddenly surrounded by other women she tells them things about her situation. Having gone so far as to change names and even birthdays I don't see some of those secrets start to unravel on a first meeting. The mystery twist I figured out before it was revealed but it wasn't contrived or followed a 'formula' so that does not detract from the story for me. I did feel the romance was a bit contrived however. I am interested in getting my hands on the next book with these characters to see how it all plays out.
I rated this book 4 stars because there was some parts that felt contrived and and weren't completely believable. I enjoyed this book however and would read it again.
Originally posted at https://fizzypopcollection.blogspot.c....
January 21, 2015
4 STARS
""On the first day of summer, Mara Jameson went out to water her garden-and was never seen again. Years after her disappearance, no one could forget the expectant mother whose glowing smile had captured the heart of everyone who'd known her: Maeve Jameson, still mourning the loss of a granddaughter she had struggled to protect...Patrick Murphy, a dogged police detective obsessed with a vanished woman...and Lily Malone, drawn to the rugged beauty of the Nova Scotia coast and its promise of a new life.
Here Lily hopes to raise her nine-year-old daughter, Rose, far from the pain and loss of the past. Here she will meet a gifted scientist, Liam Neill, whose life is on a similar trajectory from heartbreak to hope. And before the season is over, Lily will find the magic that exists in people we love the best...the everyday miracles that can make the extraordinary happen anywhere." (From Amazon)
A mother is on the run with her child...and I was glued till the end of the novel only to discover the story has not ended... A great contemporary romance novel.
""On the first day of summer, Mara Jameson went out to water her garden-and was never seen again. Years after her disappearance, no one could forget the expectant mother whose glowing smile had captured the heart of everyone who'd known her: Maeve Jameson, still mourning the loss of a granddaughter she had struggled to protect...Patrick Murphy, a dogged police detective obsessed with a vanished woman...and Lily Malone, drawn to the rugged beauty of the Nova Scotia coast and its promise of a new life.
Here Lily hopes to raise her nine-year-old daughter, Rose, far from the pain and loss of the past. Here she will meet a gifted scientist, Liam Neill, whose life is on a similar trajectory from heartbreak to hope. And before the season is over, Lily will find the magic that exists in people we love the best...the everyday miracles that can make the extraordinary happen anywhere." (From Amazon)
A mother is on the run with her child...and I was glued till the end of the novel only to discover the story has not ended... A great contemporary romance novel.
June 14, 2011
Leila Jamieson went missing years ago but Mark Murphy, a now retired police detective is still searching for her. Leila's grandmother, Maeve continues to mourn the loss of her granddaughter.
Lily Malone owns a needlework shop in Nova Scotia, Her 9 year daughter, Rose was born with heart defects and has to undergo regularly scheduled operations in order to survive. Rose has befriended a new girl in town, Jessica. When Rose must undergo another operation, Jessica comes up with a fund-raising idea.
The Neill family in Nova Scotia run whale watching tours. All except Liam who believes they may be harming the whales. Liam who is quite introverted has begun seeing Lily and is enchanted with her daughter.
All of these stories intertwine with twists and turns, near tragedy and hope. I enjoyed the story especially the part about the whale. What I didn't enjoy was the cliffhanger so that the reader is conned into buying a second book.
Lily Malone owns a needlework shop in Nova Scotia, Her 9 year daughter, Rose was born with heart defects and has to undergo regularly scheduled operations in order to survive. Rose has befriended a new girl in town, Jessica. When Rose must undergo another operation, Jessica comes up with a fund-raising idea.
The Neill family in Nova Scotia run whale watching tours. All except Liam who believes they may be harming the whales. Liam who is quite introverted has begun seeing Lily and is enchanted with her daughter.
All of these stories intertwine with twists and turns, near tragedy and hope. I enjoyed the story especially the part about the whale. What I didn't enjoy was the cliffhanger so that the reader is conned into buying a second book.
July 7, 2016
I acquired this paperback several years ago and have held on to it and have read it several times. The author tackles the serious issue of spousal abuse in the non-physical form. I have a friend whose husband abused her in this way for over 13 years before she finally got away. It was 13 years of hell for her-- that she privately lived. Her story is very similar to Lily's story, so I felt the author did a great job portraying the reality of that kind of abuse.
There are 3 story-lines in this book, but they all come together before the end. The book does end abruptly and will leave you wanting to know the rest of the story-- so I recommend getting the sequel at the same time-- Summer of Roses.
I absolutely love the setting for this story and each time I've read this, it renews my desire to go to Nova Scotia.
There are 3 story-lines in this book, but they all come together before the end. The book does end abruptly and will leave you wanting to know the rest of the story-- so I recommend getting the sequel at the same time-- Summer of Roses.
I absolutely love the setting for this story and each time I've read this, it renews my desire to go to Nova Scotia.
August 30, 2019
I'm surprised this book has a 4 star rating. This is my first Luanne Rice book. It will most likely be my last. It was predictable, which I can take. I've enjoyed my fair share of Hallmark movie like books, but this book left me totally unsatisfied. The character development was good and I really liked the characters, but the story fell completely flat. The ending, well . . . . what ending? The book seemed to end, when something interesting was actually about to happen. It took me a long time to finish this book and I was not rewarded for it. What an utter waste of time. Very disappointing.
July 25, 2016
I wish I could give this book a five. The writing was great. There were three stories moving simultaneously and I couldn't exactly figure out how they would come together. It was wonderful! Except the end was just not right. It felt like the author had reached her maximum limit of pages and had to wrap up the story immediately. After all that it took to get to the end it was painfully clipped. I can't recommend this book because of it, but the story is great!
June 9, 2010
I thought this would be an easy vacation read. lucky for me I brought several vacation reads because this book is pathetic. I gave it 80 pages and happily returned it to the library.
August 18, 2010
Not worth the time to review
July 3, 2024
It shows something about my usual reading that I do not have categories for romance novels or for chick lit. This book is both of these and not in a good way. Sappy obvious romance of the kind where you know from the first minute that they will be together even though it takes a long time to happen. Then for good measure, the author throws in another sappy obvious romance starting to happen (but you have to read the sequel to see it play out).
There are two female lead characters Lily and Marisa but as the story progresses, they gradually merge and become indistinguishable. They each have one nine year old daughter, born within a week of each other. They each have been on the run from a sociopathic abusive husband, who turns out to be the same man! They each have run to the same remote, middle of nowhere Nova Scotia town that they have no particular connection to because of a picture he had. (If you had to run, because you are afraid of your husband and living in fear that he will track you down, would you go to a place that he had a picture of, that he valued and falsely claimed as a family story?)
The story hinges on gigantic coincidences and then it all kinds of falls apart. Everyone (and there's a whole Greek chorus/cheering section of female friends and relatives) turns out to have known the story and the big secret was never really secret. There's supposed to be a mystery and a thriller aspect, but the mystery is telegraphed from the beginning and the thrill never happens. Edward the abusive ex to both of these women is supposedly tracking them down (it is never very clear which one of them he is tracking, but since they are indistinguishable and now living in the same place, it doesn't really matter). If this were a Lifetime movie, we would see him getting closer and close and then there would be some big dramatic confrontation. But none of that happens. Maybe it will in the sequel? But you spend a whole book setting up for a dramatic event in another book?
I could go on, but there's no reason to. It's a book that left me feeling bad like why did I read this. I never understood why books like this garner so many five star ratings. I hate that it tricks me into reading stuff like this. I guess there's a lot of lonely women out there who just love to lose themselves in fantasies of impossible romance heros: a beautiful, strong, sensitive man who will fall in love with you the moment he lays eyes on you and then love you and take care of you and protect you and always be there for you when you need him forever after, even though you give nothing back and spend nine years rejecting him. Then when you finally throw yourself in his arms, he will give up his whole life, career, friends, home, to follow you to where you need to go, even though you have only had an actual non-imaginary relationship for about two minutes.
There are two female lead characters Lily and Marisa but as the story progresses, they gradually merge and become indistinguishable. They each have one nine year old daughter, born within a week of each other. They each have been on the run from a sociopathic abusive husband, who turns out to be the same man! They each have run to the same remote, middle of nowhere Nova Scotia town that they have no particular connection to because of a picture he had. (If you had to run, because you are afraid of your husband and living in fear that he will track you down, would you go to a place that he had a picture of, that he valued and falsely claimed as a family story?)
The story hinges on gigantic coincidences and then it all kinds of falls apart. Everyone (and there's a whole Greek chorus/cheering section of female friends and relatives) turns out to have known the story and the big secret was never really secret. There's supposed to be a mystery and a thriller aspect, but the mystery is telegraphed from the beginning and the thrill never happens. Edward the abusive ex to both of these women is supposedly tracking them down (it is never very clear which one of them he is tracking, but since they are indistinguishable and now living in the same place, it doesn't really matter). If this were a Lifetime movie, we would see him getting closer and close and then there would be some big dramatic confrontation. But none of that happens. Maybe it will in the sequel? But you spend a whole book setting up for a dramatic event in another book?
I could go on, but there's no reason to. It's a book that left me feeling bad like why did I read this. I never understood why books like this garner so many five star ratings. I hate that it tricks me into reading stuff like this. I guess there's a lot of lonely women out there who just love to lose themselves in fantasies of impossible romance heros: a beautiful, strong, sensitive man who will fall in love with you the moment he lays eyes on you and then love you and take care of you and protect you and always be there for you when you need him forever after, even though you give nothing back and spend nine years rejecting him. Then when you finally throw yourself in his arms, he will give up his whole life, career, friends, home, to follow you to where you need to go, even though you have only had an actual non-imaginary relationship for about two minutes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2025
While Summer’s Child delivers the emotional depth and cozy, Hallmark-style characters that Luanne Rice is known for, its portrayal of Nova Scotia left me deeply disappointed. As a local, I found the setting riddled with avoidable inaccuracies. The beluga whale sighting, for instance, stretches credibility — these are Arctic mammals, rarely (if ever) seen in our waters, where humpback, minke, or fin whales are far more common. The storyline involving a child’s heart surgery was even more frustrating. The novel implies it must be done in Boston, at great personal cost, yet this exact surgery is routinely performed at Halifax’s IWK and Toronto’s SickKids — fully covered by Canada’s health care system. It also claims the procedure takes 40–60 minutes, when in reality, pediatric open-heart surgeries typically take 3–6 hours. These inaccuracies may seem small to some, but to those of us who know the place and systems well, they seriously undermine the novel’s believability. Despite these issues, the character development is warm and engaging, and readers seeking a comforting family drama may still enjoy the emotional arc. But for me, the misrepresentation of my home ultimately took me out of the story.
June 13, 2025
Summer's Child begins with a prologue by retired Connecticut state detective Patrick Murphy. He has never stopped searching for Mara Jameson, even though he believes that her husband killed her and their unborn child nine years ago.
Then the story shifts to Cape Hawk, Nova Scotia, where Lily showed up nine years ago pregnant and scared. Now everyone wants to help her daughter, Rose, who was born with a heart defect. There is a second woman and nine year old daughter who also has a secret. You suspect, of course, that one of these is going to be the the woman who disappeared nine years ago.
"Summer’s Child" had a slow build for me but once I became immersed in the story I wanted to see how it ended. Unfortunately this is the first book of a duology so the entire story won't be clearedup in "Summer's Child". I really loved the Nova Scotia setting and all the information about whales. I hope to read the second book, "Summer of Roses" later this month.
Then the story shifts to Cape Hawk, Nova Scotia, where Lily showed up nine years ago pregnant and scared. Now everyone wants to help her daughter, Rose, who was born with a heart defect. There is a second woman and nine year old daughter who also has a secret. You suspect, of course, that one of these is going to be the the woman who disappeared nine years ago.
"Summer’s Child" had a slow build for me but once I became immersed in the story I wanted to see how it ended. Unfortunately this is the first book of a duology so the entire story won't be clearedup in "Summer's Child". I really loved the Nova Scotia setting and all the information about whales. I hope to read the second book, "Summer of Roses" later this month.
July 9, 2017
3 1/2 stars - Let me preface this by saying I usually do not pick a book with the themes contained in this story. However I found it to be a very enjoyable and engaging read, and easy to lose track of time while reading and to get lost in the story. Some of the themes contained inside are abuse, as well as healing from it, loss, and having someone you love affected by a medical condition (in this case a heart defect). I liked how it alternated sharing points of view from Lily, Rose, Maeve, Liam, Patrick, Marisa and Jessica. As the story will show you they are all connected in ways that you might not first expect, and several of them have bonded from their experiences. I particularly liked Liam and his patience, protectiveness, and love for both Lily and Rose. I also enjoyed the vivid imagery of Nova Scotia, Nanny the beluga whale, and the special community and friendship shared there. Towards the end I was surprised by some of the plot and felt that all wasn't resolved. I'm happy to see there is a sequel and am already waiting to pick it up and start reading.
August 10, 2020
What I loved about this book: I��ve been binge-watching ‘When Sharks Attack! And ‘When Sharks Attack: Deep Dive,’ on tv for the past couple weeks on National Geographic station and I am obsessed with everything ‘sharks!’
And I just happened to pick this book up at a little neighborhood library on someone’s front lawn. Coincidence?!!!! Wow!!
So Liam Neill is a marine biologist in the book who loses an arm during a shark attack when he’s a child. His younger brother died in the attack.
Liam Neill is comparable to real life’s, Dr. Dan Huber of the Universality of Tampa Shark Lab from Florida, who studies sharks and shark attacks.
Story was good. Sharks are predators but they aren’t the world’s only predator.
Loved Nanny the Beluga Whale and Patrick Murphy, retired police detective. The ending did not finish this story. Many storylines are unfinished and therefore I rated 3 stars.
Thankfully there is a Book 2.
And I just happened to pick this book up at a little neighborhood library on someone’s front lawn. Coincidence?!!!! Wow!!
So Liam Neill is a marine biologist in the book who loses an arm during a shark attack when he’s a child. His younger brother died in the attack.
Liam Neill is comparable to real life’s, Dr. Dan Huber of the Universality of Tampa Shark Lab from Florida, who studies sharks and shark attacks.
Story was good. Sharks are predators but they aren’t the world’s only predator.
Loved Nanny the Beluga Whale and Patrick Murphy, retired police detective. The ending did not finish this story. Many storylines are unfinished and therefore I rated 3 stars.
Thankfully there is a Book 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2022
A fine book for sweltering summer evenings. Imagining a cooler summer (in Nova Scotia) and being drawn into a tangled tale worked for me for a few nights. I have the copy that includes the sequel, so I'll go ahead and read that next.
Overall, I felt the book tried a little too hard to be Mysterious about the plot...
It was interesting enough but I just felt it tried too hard.
I did enjoy reading more about Nova Scotia, whales, amputees, and kids with Congenital Heart Defects (I have three CHD warrirors in my own life).
Overall, I felt the book tried a little too hard to be Mysterious about the plot...
It was interesting enough but I just felt it tried too hard.
I did enjoy reading more about Nova Scotia, whales, amputees, and kids with Congenital Heart Defects (I have three CHD warrirors in my own life).
June 2, 2019
My aggravation with this book is that it traveled too slowly most of the time. It was as if the author was trying to wring every ounce of emotion out of most scenes. I really got irritated with the pace. The author traveled so slowly and dropped so many clues about what would happen next that I began to wish she'd just get on with it. But the real reason for the 3-star rating was the ending; what a contrived bit of poppycock.
On the other hand, the descriptions of Novia Scotia were lovely and the info about the whales was very interesting.
Summer's Child Series
** 1. Summer's Child (2005)
2. Summer of Roses (2005)
On the other hand, the descriptions of Novia Scotia were lovely and the info about the whales was very interesting.
Summer's Child Series
** 1. Summer's Child (2005)
2. Summer of Roses (2005)
August 17, 2017
I liked this book. Luanne Rice has a way of making her characters so realistic that I earnestly hoped things would turn out well for them. In fact, when one, a young child, had a critical health condition, I skipped ahead to be sure she would be okay. That didn't keep from going back and reading the book properly, though. Ms. Rice creates family relationships that are warm and beautiful which I find appealing. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
July 1, 2019
4.5 stars rounded up to 5
One of Rice's best!
In Summer's Child, author Luanne Rice weaves an intricate tale of whale tales and moonlight, friendship and pinecones, a life lost and resurrected and people that never stopped wishing and hoping that things will return to the way they were. As with any Rice novel, there is always evil lurking in the shadows, seeking for the next object of prey. I highly recommend this as I think it's one of Rice's finest pieces of work to date.
One of Rice's best!
In Summer's Child, author Luanne Rice weaves an intricate tale of whale tales and moonlight, friendship and pinecones, a life lost and resurrected and people that never stopped wishing and hoping that things will return to the way they were. As with any Rice novel, there is always evil lurking in the shadows, seeking for the next object of prey. I highly recommend this as I think it's one of Rice's finest pieces of work to date.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews