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The Girls of August
Anne Rivers Siddons's New York Times bestselling novel about four friends whose lives are forever changed by the events of one summer. For fifteen years, four "girls of August" would gather together to spend a week at the beach, until tragedy interrupts their ritual. Now they reunite for a startling week of discoveries. The ritual began when they were in their twenties and their husbands were in medical school, and became a mainstay of every summer thereafter. Their only criteria was oceanfront and isolation, their only desire to strengthen their far-flung friendships. They called themselves the Girls of August. But when one of the Girls dies tragically, the group slowly drifts apart and their vacations together are brought to a halt. Years later, a new marriage reunites them and they decide to come together once again on a remote barrier island off the South Carolina coast. There, far from civilization, the women uncover secrets that will change them in ways they never expected.
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2014
829 people are currently reading
6194 people want to read
About the author
Anne Rivers Siddons
50 books1,256 followersBorn Sybil Anne Rivers in Atlanta, Georgia, she was raised in Fairburn, Georgia, and attended Auburn University, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority.
While at Auburn she wrote a column for the student newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman, that favored integration. The university administration attempted to suppress the column, and ultimately fired her, and the column garnered national attention. She later became a senior editor for Atlanta magazine.
At the age of thirty she married Heyward Siddons, and she and her husband lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and spent summers in Maine. Siddons died of lung cancer on September 11, 2019
While at Auburn she wrote a column for the student newspaper, The Auburn Plainsman, that favored integration. The university administration attempted to suppress the column, and ultimately fired her, and the column garnered national attention. She later became a senior editor for Atlanta magazine.
At the age of thirty she married Heyward Siddons, and she and her husband lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and spent summers in Maine. Siddons died of lung cancer on September 11, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,670 reviews
July 10, 2014
Wow. To use the words "major disappointment" would be an understatement. I have read every book that Siddons has ever written, but this one reads like what results when an author has a contract but no concrete ideas for a story. It's nothing more than a mishmash of random bits of stories; there's no characterization, no plot to speak of and nothing to hook a reader.
I believe the publication date of this was pushed back at least once. The publishers should have pushed it back again or, better yet, postponed it until Siddons had an actual idea for a coherent story.
I believe the publication date of this was pushed back at least once. The publishers should have pushed it back again or, better yet, postponed it until Siddons had an actual idea for a coherent story.
July 17, 2014
Siddons employs all of the hackneyed developments that make for a good beach read--affairs, cancer, unexpected pregnancy, clueless trophy wife--all capped by the requisite storm. Unfortunately, it's all been done before, and while I have loved Siddons' earlier books, I was ultimately frustrated and annoyed by these characters and the cliched subplots, not to mention some of the trite writing and phrases.
If you've never read Siddons before, earlier books such as COLONY, OUTER BANKS, and the creepy HOUSE NEXT DOOR are much better bets, or for other good novels that take place at a beach, try Elin Hilderbrand, Nancy Thayer, or Dorothea Benton Frank.
If you've never read Siddons before, earlier books such as COLONY, OUTER BANKS, and the creepy HOUSE NEXT DOOR are much better bets, or for other good novels that take place at a beach, try Elin Hilderbrand, Nancy Thayer, or Dorothea Benton Frank.
July 11, 2014
I'm not entirely sure where to start with this review, because I almost didn't finish the book. At 240 pages it was a quick read, which was an incredibly good thing. Had it taken more than two or three hours to read this book, I would have put it down. I was looking forward to a sweet, touching book about women supporting each other through their friendships, and instead I got a ridiculous, scrambled book about women acting like mean middle school girls.
The characters were flat, cardboard people that Siddons apparently couldn't be bothered to develop. Until one of the characters began acting erratic and a major life event was revealed about halfway through the book, I honestly kept confusing two of the characters because there was so little depth to either of their characters. What Siddons did reveal about their personalities through their behaviors was so hateful and mean that I couldn't imagine she was writing about characters she liked. Grown women were catty, sarcastic, and downright cruel and bullying to one another. Apparently this was because some of them were "going through things." I didn't find this in the least bit believable.
The writing was painfully simple and uninspired. These women were vacationing on a beautiful semi-private island off the coast of South Carolina and Siddons spent more time describing the decor of the house and the details of their food than the supposedly beautiful locale. The story itself was jumbled and made no sense. The women spend most of their trip bitching, sniping, and being generally unfriendly to the new wife and eventually even to each other. Accusations of assault, sabotage, and affairs abound, and in the end...well, the ending came out of no where and made absolutely no sense. When the bomb was dropped regarding a major event in the life of one of the women...I hardly paused in my reading. There was so little build up to the announcement that I couldn't bring myself to care. That, to me, is the sign of an unsuccessful book.
(I received a copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)
The characters were flat, cardboard people that Siddons apparently couldn't be bothered to develop. Until one of the characters began acting erratic and a major life event was revealed about halfway through the book, I honestly kept confusing two of the characters because there was so little depth to either of their characters. What Siddons did reveal about their personalities through their behaviors was so hateful and mean that I couldn't imagine she was writing about characters she liked. Grown women were catty, sarcastic, and downright cruel and bullying to one another. Apparently this was because some of them were "going through things." I didn't find this in the least bit believable.
The writing was painfully simple and uninspired. These women were vacationing on a beautiful semi-private island off the coast of South Carolina and Siddons spent more time describing the decor of the house and the details of their food than the supposedly beautiful locale. The story itself was jumbled and made no sense. The women spend most of their trip bitching, sniping, and being generally unfriendly to the new wife and eventually even to each other. Accusations of assault, sabotage, and affairs abound, and in the end...well, the ending came out of no where and made absolutely no sense. When the bomb was dropped regarding a major event in the life of one of the women...I hardly paused in my reading. There was so little build up to the announcement that I couldn't bring myself to care. That, to me, is the sign of an unsuccessful book.
(I received a copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)
December 4, 2014
I am usually a great fan of Anne Rivers Siddons' books. The Girls of August, however, was a big disappointment. I thought the writing style was simplistic, the characters underdeveloped, and the story line weak. I never felt like I really knew any of the characters very well and what I little I did learn about them made them appear petulant and childish. Their treatment of the much younger newcomer to the group, named appropriately "Baby," bordered on bullying. Maddie was concerned that she had never been able to conceive a child, Rachel has breast cancer, and Barbara is divorcing her husband who cheated on her with a younger woman. Did we not just encounter three stereotypical women's issues in one fell swoop? Of course, Maddie learns on their vacation that she is, at long last, pregnant. How much more intriguing it would have been to delve deeper into the fear, isolation, and heartbreak each of these women were facing! Maddie's pregnancy seemed like a cop-out. I would have preferred if Siddons had given Maddie the strength to make her life full and rewarding without her having a child. All in all, this book was a light, fluffy read without much substance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2014
Disappointing. Still enjoyable for the beach-house porn she's always been so good at, but the house was the only likable character in the whole thing.
September 13, 2015
I've read a lot of Anne River Siddons books in the past. Some favorites include Colony, Hill Towns, and Low Country. As I haven't read anything of hers of late, I thought I'd pick up The Girls of August as a nice summer read. I couldn't even finished the book as the writing was so bad. The book shouldn't have been published.
Abandoned. 1 out of 5 stars.
Abandoned. 1 out of 5 stars.
July 12, 2014
I read some bad reviews about this book, but still decided to give it a try since I am a fan of Siddons. Plus I had pre ordered the book awhile ago. Yes, the book is very predictable and a typical "beach read". Someone is pregnant, someone has cancer, and someone is getting a divorce. All foreshadowed of course. I grew to love the characters and their daily adventures on Tiger Island. The Girls of August vacation together for one week a year, this is their reunion story. The book ended with me wanting more. At least an epilogue would have satisfied me.
June 18, 2014
Back in the 1990s, I read a lot of Anne Rivers Siddons books and enjoyed them. Not sure if my tastes have changed, or her writing, but I thought this one was not so great. The story and all the characters seemed overly simplistic, and the writing wasn't very good either. Note: I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
October 16, 2015
No. Just no.
- no development
- no story
- no personalities
- no recommendation.
- no development
- no story
- no personalities
- no recommendation.
September 25, 2014
If I could, I would give this books NO/ZERO/ZILCH stars . . . in fact I would go into the negative stars rating this book.
This book was terrible! There is nothing positive I could even make up about this book. I would like back the time it took to read it.
There was no connection to the characters; the 3 remaining girls of August were flatly written as only Baby seemed to have any personality.
Mama Bonaparte reveals that at some point the Gullahs accused Mac of stealing boat causing him to never ever return - DUMB!
It was obvious from the first mention of her getting sick that Maddy was pregnant, her only concern in the world was not having kids and she suddenly starts getting queasy - dear Lord this was terrible beyond words! Add in the part where Baby starts calling everyone Mother - oh for the love of God – I cannot believe I actually continued to read this garbage.
And Earl’s baby dies and he has a ocelot as a pet - TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE!
Whoever wrote "lush prose and richly imagined" must have only read Dr. Seuss until reading this piece of crap, because then and only then could this statement apply. The person must also live under a rock and have no friends at all if they think this book depicts "a poignant depiction of female friendship" these women interact like they've only just met each other, not like women who have 25 years history!! I have more chemistry with people I abhor than these women had with each other.
This book was terrible! There is nothing positive I could even make up about this book. I would like back the time it took to read it.
There was no connection to the characters; the 3 remaining girls of August were flatly written as only Baby seemed to have any personality.
Mama Bonaparte reveals that at some point the Gullahs accused Mac of stealing boat causing him to never ever return - DUMB!
It was obvious from the first mention of her getting sick that Maddy was pregnant, her only concern in the world was not having kids and she suddenly starts getting queasy - dear Lord this was terrible beyond words! Add in the part where Baby starts calling everyone Mother - oh for the love of God – I cannot believe I actually continued to read this garbage.
And Earl’s baby dies and he has a ocelot as a pet - TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE!
Whoever wrote "lush prose and richly imagined" must have only read Dr. Seuss until reading this piece of crap, because then and only then could this statement apply. The person must also live under a rock and have no friends at all if they think this book depicts "a poignant depiction of female friendship" these women interact like they've only just met each other, not like women who have 25 years history!! I have more chemistry with people I abhor than these women had with each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2014
The Girls of August by Anne River Siddons should probably be titled The Mean Girls of August. It is a rushed, relatively undeveloped story that goes something like this. Mean girls (who are really middle aged women) unite against the new girl. New girl perseveres. Repeat. Repeat some more. Insert some big melodramatic events that may or may not change relationships. Repeat. The end. That's it. A disappointing re-introduction to the author's work for me.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014...
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014...
July 10, 2014
This is the first book I've read by this author, I was very disappointed and struggled to read each page. I don't think I've ever seen such superficial characters and a storyline that was totally boring...nothing happens. There's really nothing else left to say about it.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2014
Oh my, Anne Rivers Siddons. I hate to say it, but I think it's time to retire.
I can't believe I ever used to enjoy and look forward her novels. Granted, it was way back in the 90s when I was a big fan of her work. I loved reading one of her big, family dramas on vacation every year. Have my tastes changed so drastically, or has her work gone downhill so significantly?
Whatever the reason, this particular novel was b-a-d. The dialog was forced and unrealistic. The characters were flat and one-dimensional. The plot was dull and predictable; using every classic "beach read" theme possible. Perhaps most bizarre was the strange juxtaposition of the last two chapters. Why were they seemingly reversed? And to what purpose was the BIG ending thrown in at the last (literally, last) possible moment. It did nothing to help move the "drama" (newsflash: there was none) or the story along. It just seemed like ARS had some story notes and suddenly realized she had forgotten a key element and threw it in. She should have ended the book at the end of chapter seven, in my opinion.
As usual, my question when it comes to poorly written books like this is; where was the editor, and why wasn't she/he doing their job?
I can't believe I ever used to enjoy and look forward her novels. Granted, it was way back in the 90s when I was a big fan of her work. I loved reading one of her big, family dramas on vacation every year. Have my tastes changed so drastically, or has her work gone downhill so significantly?
Whatever the reason, this particular novel was b-a-d. The dialog was forced and unrealistic. The characters were flat and one-dimensional. The plot was dull and predictable; using every classic "beach read" theme possible. Perhaps most bizarre was the strange juxtaposition of the last two chapters. Why were they seemingly reversed? And to what purpose was the BIG ending thrown in at the last (literally, last) possible moment. It did nothing to help move the "drama" (newsflash: there was none) or the story along. It just seemed like ARS had some story notes and suddenly realized she had forgotten a key element and threw it in. She should have ended the book at the end of chapter seven, in my opinion.
As usual, my question when it comes to poorly written books like this is; where was the editor, and why wasn't she/he doing their job?
November 5, 2016
This book tells the story of the Girls of August, a group of friends who for years have met for an annual women-only vacation by the sea. A few years before the start of the story, one of the original Girls died in a car accident, leaving the remaining women heartbroken. After a hiatus, the Girls of August are back at the beach again, this time accompanied by the new, young trophy wife of the widower of their dear friend.
Every time I turned to a new page in this book, I hoped that it would finally contain the key for me to begin to understand and love the three original members of the Girls of August 'club'. I've reached the end, and no such luck. As a woman in her forties, I suppose I am intended to identify with these older women. Unfortunately, I found them to be bitter, spoiled, self-centered, close-minded brats who were ceaselessly and unjustifiably rude to the young bride.
Besides the immensely unlikable characters, the complete absence of a plot dooms this book to failure.
Every time I turned to a new page in this book, I hoped that it would finally contain the key for me to begin to understand and love the three original members of the Girls of August 'club'. I've reached the end, and no such luck. As a woman in her forties, I suppose I am intended to identify with these older women. Unfortunately, I found them to be bitter, spoiled, self-centered, close-minded brats who were ceaselessly and unjustifiably rude to the young bride.
Besides the immensely unlikable characters, the complete absence of a plot dooms this book to failure.
July 3, 2023
this book was the definition of boring. it was just a bunch of old ladies bickering and being haters toward the 20 year girl. i only liked the 20 year old cause she’s a organized neat freak like me, loves to tan, and wears disney pjs
August 10, 2016
This would be a fantastic book to listen to in the car on the way to the beach for a week. Or while basking in the sun on your back deck. It's a beach read... about the beach and its freedom and isolation and peace.
I admit I went into this book expecting something heavy. Instead I found an easygoing story about four women who get together for two weeks at the beach. The catch is, one woman is the new girl. The other three don't let her forget it, and make her life miserable until personal tragedies bring them all together.
The Girls of August leaves many loose ends: we don't know what happens with the health of two of the women, or the marriages of the other two. We never find out what happens to the island natives, or to the land that was supposedly left to one of the husbands. We don't know if there's a next vacation planned or a wedding.
I'm uncomfortable finishing a book without closure. I felt like I read a short story that was supposed to share a moral or a theme, but left the plot hanging. The 240 pages went by very quickly.
However, The Girls of August has the wonderful redemptive quality of authentic friendships and introversion. These ladies were real with each other. They were snarky and sarcastic and bitter and loving and comforting and witty. They used the quiet of the beach to peel away their layers and discover themselves - not the women other people *expected * them to be, but who they really were. These women didn't necessarily change, they just figured out who they were and who they were going to be from now on.
I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 3, 2022
It opens with the promise of mystery. What secrets will be unlocked. Mandy dates someone before Mac. Will that come back? Why is Baby sneaking off?
Nothing happens. Talk. Cliche drama. Talk. It’s over and back to life.
Nothing happens. Talk. Cliche drama. Talk. It’s over and back to life.
October 17, 2015
Four women have been getting together for 20 years and going away for 1 week each summer to the ocean, but then one of them dies and so they don't get together for a couple of years, but when that widowed husband remarries they decide to all get together again along with the new wife, who is 18 years younger than them. They go to Tiger Island and instead of a week they go for two weeks, and get to know each other. The three older women don't always treat the new wife very well, but she endures and before long they get to know the new wife with all her faults and attributes. It's chick lit!
October 22, 2014
I can't say I wasn't warned that the reviews weren't great but I had the book in hand so I decided to read it. This book had so much going on that it had NOTHING going on. Each character had major woes but none of them were developed well enough to elicit any emotional response from me.
July 21, 2014
I only wish it had been twice as long - it definitely feels like there still more stories to tell about the Girls of August
February 7, 2019
The blissful days of youth is something every one remembers when they get older. Friendships that appeared to withstand the test of time can be shattered by life events.
These women; Rachel, Madeline, & Barbara plus Cornelia & Melanie, were known as the girls of August. The girls of August was a group of four women but due to divorce and death, the main three drifted away from each other. This summer, they have the opportunity to enjoy two weeks on Tiger Island. The only catch is the home they're staying in belongs to Baby, their friends' 22-year-old wife znd the ladies have no intentions of allowing her to be the new fourth member.
Witty, whimsical, and wildly entertaining. It focuses on the issues in today's world but with a satirical edge. The author was able to capture the fight women take on as they age against time. The imagery was exact and the storyline was very active; kept my attention.
These women; Rachel, Madeline, & Barbara plus Cornelia & Melanie, were known as the girls of August. The girls of August was a group of four women but due to divorce and death, the main three drifted away from each other. This summer, they have the opportunity to enjoy two weeks on Tiger Island. The only catch is the home they're staying in belongs to Baby, their friends' 22-year-old wife znd the ladies have no intentions of allowing her to be the new fourth member.
Witty, whimsical, and wildly entertaining. It focuses on the issues in today's world but with a satirical edge. The author was able to capture the fight women take on as they age against time. The imagery was exact and the storyline was very active; kept my attention.
April 18, 2017
This was a great book, as usual, from Siddons. She has such a wonderfully rich & full vocabulary, and she uses her words in her books. I can see a sequel in the future since many questions were left unanswered in this story.
August 5, 2014
I didn't even get 50 pages into this. Just dreadful!!
I am a HUGE A.R.S. fan. I have owned multiple copies of all her books (up to Burnt Mountain) and have read and reread favorites like Outer Banks, Downtown, Hill Towns, and Peachtree Road upwards of 5 times each. Of course, the quality of her last few books, starting with Sweetwater Creek, has gone down slowly, I imagine that she has been getting older and running out of steam as the years go by. Burnt Mountain, Off Season, and now this book (which honestly I'm not even sure was written by her!) are nowhere near the wonderful quality of her best work.
The issues: The last four books have cobbled together recycled plotlines and instead of the logical and tight plotting that makes internal sense in her best work, we have breezy "oh by the way" plotlines and explanations that are so vague they require a footnote. In Off Season, an otherwise okay book, the editors had to add an addendum explaining what on earth happened in the last scene, since it was so jarring and odd.
I hung with it up until now. Girls of August is a thinly reworked retread of Islands, a much better novel. The writing is basic, thin, and honestly, dull.
A.R.S.'s style is descriptive bordering on hyperbolic. She has certain stylistic phrases and tropes we've come to love that are nowhere in this book.
I even noticed the print was larger than normal, possibly concealing the fact that there was hardly enough of a manuscript to justify a full hardcover novel. Look, publishers, the gig is up. You're using the same picture of the 'author' since, oh, 1993. I'm sure she's long dead or in a nursing home by now and you're using the last of her drafts and unpublished manuscripts to make money. Let it go. Her heyday is over. Let her memory be untarnished by this awful facsimile of "Anne Rivers Siddons".
Oh, and if this really WAS her and she's trying for a new style or something, sorry ARS! I love you!!
I am a HUGE A.R.S. fan. I have owned multiple copies of all her books (up to Burnt Mountain) and have read and reread favorites like Outer Banks, Downtown, Hill Towns, and Peachtree Road upwards of 5 times each. Of course, the quality of her last few books, starting with Sweetwater Creek, has gone down slowly, I imagine that she has been getting older and running out of steam as the years go by. Burnt Mountain, Off Season, and now this book (which honestly I'm not even sure was written by her!) are nowhere near the wonderful quality of her best work.
The issues: The last four books have cobbled together recycled plotlines and instead of the logical and tight plotting that makes internal sense in her best work, we have breezy "oh by the way" plotlines and explanations that are so vague they require a footnote. In Off Season, an otherwise okay book, the editors had to add an addendum explaining what on earth happened in the last scene, since it was so jarring and odd.
I hung with it up until now. Girls of August is a thinly reworked retread of Islands, a much better novel. The writing is basic, thin, and honestly, dull.
A.R.S.'s style is descriptive bordering on hyperbolic. She has certain stylistic phrases and tropes we've come to love that are nowhere in this book.
I even noticed the print was larger than normal, possibly concealing the fact that there was hardly enough of a manuscript to justify a full hardcover novel. Look, publishers, the gig is up. You're using the same picture of the 'author' since, oh, 1993. I'm sure she's long dead or in a nursing home by now and you're using the last of her drafts and unpublished manuscripts to make money. Let it go. Her heyday is over. Let her memory be untarnished by this awful facsimile of "Anne Rivers Siddons".
Oh, and if this really WAS her and she's trying for a new style or something, sorry ARS! I love you!!
August 22, 2014
Why did I like The Girls of August? I liked it because it is a novel that is true to what happens when women reach middle age. In my opinion, it was not meant to be anything else.
Yes, there are the usual stereotypes. One woman is dealing with cancer. Another is dealing with an unexpected late in life pregnancy. Another is dealing with a wandering husband and divorce. And, all are dealing with the unexpected death of a previous girl of August.
In other words, this book is about how real women interact and react when they reach that point in life -- their forties -- when they know they will not reach all of their dreams -- which often pushes them to reach those that they can.
In my opinion, then, what makes this novel a good read is the fact that it is about what it is like for achieving, assertive, women to reach middle age -- when they realize they are fast closing in on that point in life where child-bearing is no longer possible and there is less time in front than there is behind.
Was this book perfect? No. Was there just a bit too much "drama?" Absolutely! Like the ending.
However, that said, the novel is certainly worth reading.
See also my blog's review here.
Yes, there are the usual stereotypes. One woman is dealing with cancer. Another is dealing with an unexpected late in life pregnancy. Another is dealing with a wandering husband and divorce. And, all are dealing with the unexpected death of a previous girl of August.
In other words, this book is about how real women interact and react when they reach that point in life -- their forties -- when they know they will not reach all of their dreams -- which often pushes them to reach those that they can.
In my opinion, then, what makes this novel a good read is the fact that it is about what it is like for achieving, assertive, women to reach middle age -- when they realize they are fast closing in on that point in life where child-bearing is no longer possible and there is less time in front than there is behind.
Was this book perfect? No. Was there just a bit too much "drama?" Absolutely! Like the ending.
However, that said, the novel is certainly worth reading.
See also my blog's review here.
September 22, 2014
Have you ever read a book that you know you've not read before, but when you finish it, it felt like you had, because the plot was so similar to about a dozen other books that you've read?
That sums up The Girls Of August in a nutshell.
If you've read one book about women who rent houses on the beach each summer, you might have read them all.
Considering how great a writer Anne Rivers Siddons is, this book is quite a let down.
You have 3 original wives of doctors (ho hum, I'm supposed to feel sorry for wealthy doctor's wives..nope, no can do). The fourth wife, is a twentysomething bombshell.
Can you see where this story is going?
Yes, the other wives resent her, hate her, whatever. Yes, their lives are changing/ending, but somehow, this young thing helps alter there summer.
I wanted to feel sad for Rachel and Barbara, but other than their nasty behavior, I didn't feel like I got to know them well enough to have any emotional attachment. Maddie is the likable peacemaker of the bunch. She's the only one willing to give "Baby" a chance.
The story is short and fast paced, with a few flashbacks of Maddie's life. It definitely fits into the beach read category. Its light and fluffy, but unfortunately not very satisfying.
That sums up The Girls Of August in a nutshell.
If you've read one book about women who rent houses on the beach each summer, you might have read them all.
Considering how great a writer Anne Rivers Siddons is, this book is quite a let down.
You have 3 original wives of doctors (ho hum, I'm supposed to feel sorry for wealthy doctor's wives..nope, no can do). The fourth wife, is a twentysomething bombshell.
Can you see where this story is going?
Yes, the other wives resent her, hate her, whatever. Yes, their lives are changing/ending, but somehow, this young thing helps alter there summer.
I wanted to feel sad for Rachel and Barbara, but other than their nasty behavior, I didn't feel like I got to know them well enough to have any emotional attachment. Maddie is the likable peacemaker of the bunch. She's the only one willing to give "Baby" a chance.
The story is short and fast paced, with a few flashbacks of Maddie's life. It definitely fits into the beach read category. Its light and fluffy, but unfortunately not very satisfying.
January 29, 2017
Funny at times , fast read...they drank too much. A
July 30, 2018
Anne Rivers Siddons is never going to win the National Book Award, but I can usually count on her for a good mindless beach read. This book, however, was just preposterous. A good 4th of July weekend i'll never get back
September 1, 2025
This was an extremely fast read even for me. The book is large print- definitely appreciated at my age. Character development was minimal but not nonexistent. The ending however, left me wondering how it could be left so unfinished? Not what I was expecting but what I got left me eh.
April 19, 2021
I’ll pass on this one - too much like Dorothea Benton Frank! DNF
August 2, 2017
This is the first book I have ever read by Anne Rivers Siddons and if this is typical of her work, I don't think I'll be reading anything else by her in awhile. The characters were flat and the storyline was practically nonexistent. The house on the island sounded beautiful and I was really hoping that at one point it would be a haunted house plot. But, alas, that fell flat also. It's a good thing that this book will fill in some spots in my Goodreads reading challenges.
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
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