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The Summer of Secrets
Hope Gardener has always been a drifter. A career, responsibilities, being tied down – there is no way she’s risking any of that. All she wants to do is to be free and have fun. But when Hope plans a trip abroad in a last ditch attempt to take control of her life, tragedy strikes. Instead of the US, Hope finds herself back in Ireland, in the one place she has spent her life running away from. There, alongside her two friends, Hope has to confront the secrets of her childhood that she has been desperate to avoid. But maybe Hope isn’t the only one keeping secrets...
418 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
10 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Martina Reilly
32 books98 followersHi. It’s Martina Reilly here, the artist formally known as Tina Reilly! And before that, I was teen writer, Martina Murphy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 11, 2010
I have just finished reading this book, and it has left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling, which I don't get from many other romantic comedy chicklits. There are so many twists and turns within the relationships between the characters, which I found fascinating.
The characters in it are really interesting to explore with all the issues the book brings up. E.g. family problems, especially with parents, loss, depression, bereavement, trying to work out how it all went wrong and trying to put it all right again. There is also some good humour running throughout the book, which is in all the right places.
Hope realising so much about her earlier life's decisions and how they impacted on her later on in life was intricately written. Following Hope's journey through her PTSD has helped me realise many things about myself. It's touched me in a way no other book has.
The characters in it are really interesting to explore with all the issues the book brings up. E.g. family problems, especially with parents, loss, depression, bereavement, trying to work out how it all went wrong and trying to put it all right again. There is also some good humour running throughout the book, which is in all the right places.
Hope realising so much about her earlier life's decisions and how they impacted on her later on in life was intricately written. Following Hope's journey through her PTSD has helped me realise many things about myself. It's touched me in a way no other book has.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2013
I truly enjoyed Martina Reilly's the Summer of Secrets. I laughed out loud quite a lot because the conversation was so natural, and yet it was in fact set around a disaster necessitating Hope the main character to undergo PTSD counselling which is extremely well handled. All the characters have something in their life that they would prefer not to be known which keeps the story flowing with ongoing revelations. Easy book to pick up and set down without losing the thread.
October 27, 2008
I totally loved it - it was very readable and yet it explored the dark subject of Post traumatic syndrome. Not an easy topic to make an easy-to-read book about!
I admire the authors courage in tackling it and thought the main character in this book was immensely likeable.
I admire the authors courage in tackling it and thought the main character in this book was immensely likeable.
December 7, 2020
I am pleasantly surprise by how much I enjoyed this one. I had this book for years, and I have always felt like this book would be a cliché disappointment. After reading the first few chapters, I knew that I was wrong. I wouldn't say that this book is amazing or eye-opening. I feel that this book is the book you need if you want something light, or something to unwind after reading a thought-provoking book. I definitely picked up this book at the right time as I am looking for an easy read.
I love how all the characters in this book have different things going on in their life which the author has neatly describe in a way that it doesn't seem all over the place. Everyone has their 'moment' in this book. I find the plot interesting, the conversations are not cheesy, and the romance is definitely cute (but there's not much of it which I appreciate!). And for the main character Hope, I like how the author makes her thoughts appear to be judgmental, cold and selfish; because it was due to her tragic childhood.
This book talks about serious subjects such as PTSD, family drama, strict parents, absent parents, depression, crazy exes, bullying, death of family members and even on the challenges to find the perfect career. However, the author has set the mood as funny and cringey, but also touching and heartbreaking.
I do like this book a lot and it reminded me a little of Eleanor Oliphant (which is my favorite) - with the therapy and the tragic past. So, I will definitely read this book again.
I love how all the characters in this book have different things going on in their life which the author has neatly describe in a way that it doesn't seem all over the place. Everyone has their 'moment' in this book. I find the plot interesting, the conversations are not cheesy, and the romance is definitely cute (but there's not much of it which I appreciate!). And for the main character Hope, I like how the author makes her thoughts appear to be judgmental, cold and selfish; because it was due to her tragic childhood.
This book talks about serious subjects such as PTSD, family drama, strict parents, absent parents, depression, crazy exes, bullying, death of family members and even on the challenges to find the perfect career. However, the author has set the mood as funny and cringey, but also touching and heartbreaking.
I do like this book a lot and it reminded me a little of Eleanor Oliphant (which is my favorite) - with the therapy and the tragic past. So, I will definitely read this book again.
May 14, 2021
Nice little story, well, the topic isn't the nicest, but it is told well with a lot of humour. Hope is an Irish lass living in London, trying to forget her traumatic childhood. She can't hold down a job. When she loses her current one, she decides to take time out to travel and books a flight from London to Boston, MA. Julie is her best friend with whom she shares a house rented from Adam. Adam is also best friends with Hope and Julie.
After Adam and Julie drop Hope off at the airport, the plane departs as usual, and Hope has a conversation with the young man next to her. Suddenly the pilot announces there is a problem, they must return to Heathrow. On landing the plane crashes, and Hope is one of 17 people to survive. She is the last survivor found under wreckage. When she is found, she is in a coma.
When she wakes up in the hospital, Julie and Adam announce they are taking time off work to take her to her home town to recuperate over the summer. She has many secrets she doesn't want her friends to discover, but she's not able to dissuade them. Once in Ireland, she begins to have nightmares, and agrees to see a counsellor for PTSD. The treatment has to go back to her childhood, though, to when her world changed when her father died.
After Adam and Julie drop Hope off at the airport, the plane departs as usual, and Hope has a conversation with the young man next to her. Suddenly the pilot announces there is a problem, they must return to Heathrow. On landing the plane crashes, and Hope is one of 17 people to survive. She is the last survivor found under wreckage. When she is found, she is in a coma.
When she wakes up in the hospital, Julie and Adam announce they are taking time off work to take her to her home town to recuperate over the summer. She has many secrets she doesn't want her friends to discover, but she's not able to dissuade them. Once in Ireland, she begins to have nightmares, and agrees to see a counsellor for PTSD. The treatment has to go back to her childhood, though, to when her world changed when her father died.
December 29, 2018
I really enjoyed this book which mainly focuses on the effects of post traumatic stress and how the main character Hope Gardener deals with the disorder. I felt i could relate to Hope and part of what she was going through, which made the book all the more interesting for me. This was a very insightful and thought provoking read, yet light and lovely at the same time. A great summery read.
3/5
3/5
October 30, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this read. It had all the feels without the heaviness that can be associated with PTSD. The dialogue between Hope Gardner and her friends was perfect and natural. The reader could appreciate the realness of Hope's friendships -- could laugh when they laughed and be frustrated when they were frustrated. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more books by this author.
September 14, 2018
There was huge possibility with this book and I was a little disappointed, but there were some interesting things happening along the way - and it did bring a tear to my eye at the end. A nice read if you're looking for something light and easy.
July 18, 2021
This started off pretty well, and grabbed me way more than I expected. But the weakness in character development meant it petered out through the middle, and the end didn't wow me. It was readable, with some good moments, but ultimately kinda forgettable.
May 13, 2020
Been a while since read a book by this author and it certainly did not disappoint. Great story great characters didnt want it to end
December 20, 2020
A great read ...
June 7, 2022
easy and enjoyable read
May 16, 2024
Could not put down! Great read!
July 1, 2021
How she explores such a dark theme like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and yet manages to combine it with humour and adventure-turning this book into a fun read as well as a page turner- is highly commendable. I don't know why this book is so underrated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2011
I’m a huge huge fan of Martina Reilly and have read the majority of her novels, thoroughly enjoying every one. The Summer of Secrets is one of the few I haven’t read and I bought it a few years back and it’s sat on my shelf since. But after reading a brilliant review of the novel, it spurred me on to pick it up as I was floundering about what to read next. I’m so pleased I did listen to the reviewer and read the novel, because it was just as wonderful as Martina’s other novels!
The Summer of Secrets is quite a clever novel. Whereas her newest book A Moment Like Forever waited until the end for the big reveal, the events that change Hope’s life in The Summer of Secrets actually occur at the beginning of the book. I’m not going to mention what happens to force Hope to cancel her trip abroad as it’s surprising when what occurs, occurs. I wasn’t expecting it, let’s put it that way and it was definitely a fast-paced start to the book and it allows for Martina to explore the after-effects of such a tragedy. In her Acknowledgements Martina thanks someone for telling her all about PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and that gave me a clue about what the book itself would be about.
The PTSD is definitely a large part of the novel and I think Martina has researched it well and presented it very realistically, although it has to be said I’m no expert on the matter. But I found it to be realistic, and I felt for Hope going through it as she did. The beginning of the novel is set in London, but after the tragic incident, Hope’s best friends Adam and Julie take Hope to a cottage in Dunport where Hope grew up and that’s where the bulk of the novel is set. I could very easily picture the quaint little cottage the three friends stayed at with the magnificent view and mountains everywhere. It was very well described and it sounds like a wonderful place. Obviously going home, for Hope, isn’t what she wants but it’s the best place for her to recuperate and to possibly come to terms with not only the recent tragedy but also the past.
I loved the characters in the novel. Hope is the kind of character you can root for. Yes she has a sad history, but she doesn’t play on that for your sympathy. She’s tough and she’s direct and I really warmed to her. Julie and Adam, her two best friends were also amazing and it seemed a matter of time before they got together, I kept hoping they’d spill their guts to each other but it looked as though it was never going to happen! My favourite character, though, was the spiky Logan (“Are you really called Logan?” Hope asks when he tells her his name!). He and Hope sparked off each other really well and their banter was amazing to watch. It was like a tennis match, back and forth, back and forth. It wasn’t a very large cast, we also meet Tim Hope’s counsellor along with her mother, but it was a well-rounded cast, full of great characters.
I loved The Summer of Secrets from the first page until the last. Martina Reilly is brilliant at taking a difficult issue and making it into a must-read novel. She has quite a deft touch when it comes to turning thorny subjects into something everyday folk like myself can relate to. She’s an exceptional writer, there’s no doubt about it. Time after time, book after book, she manages to keep me hooked until I read the last page and I can’t get enough of her stories. The ending almost had me in tears, it was the moment I’d waited for since the beginning when it all happened and for it to come full circle was pretty amazing. I mean not only is the book about such a difficult thing as PTSD but it also keeps the humour. I was laughing from page one, and even after everything that happened it did still make me laugh. That, for me, is the hallmark of a good novel. To keep the humour and warmth despite the relatively gloomy topic takes a lot and Martina does that with every novel. I hugely recommend this book.
The Summer of Secrets is quite a clever novel. Whereas her newest book A Moment Like Forever waited until the end for the big reveal, the events that change Hope’s life in The Summer of Secrets actually occur at the beginning of the book. I’m not going to mention what happens to force Hope to cancel her trip abroad as it’s surprising when what occurs, occurs. I wasn’t expecting it, let’s put it that way and it was definitely a fast-paced start to the book and it allows for Martina to explore the after-effects of such a tragedy. In her Acknowledgements Martina thanks someone for telling her all about PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and that gave me a clue about what the book itself would be about.
The PTSD is definitely a large part of the novel and I think Martina has researched it well and presented it very realistically, although it has to be said I’m no expert on the matter. But I found it to be realistic, and I felt for Hope going through it as she did. The beginning of the novel is set in London, but after the tragic incident, Hope’s best friends Adam and Julie take Hope to a cottage in Dunport where Hope grew up and that’s where the bulk of the novel is set. I could very easily picture the quaint little cottage the three friends stayed at with the magnificent view and mountains everywhere. It was very well described and it sounds like a wonderful place. Obviously going home, for Hope, isn’t what she wants but it’s the best place for her to recuperate and to possibly come to terms with not only the recent tragedy but also the past.
I loved the characters in the novel. Hope is the kind of character you can root for. Yes she has a sad history, but she doesn’t play on that for your sympathy. She’s tough and she’s direct and I really warmed to her. Julie and Adam, her two best friends were also amazing and it seemed a matter of time before they got together, I kept hoping they’d spill their guts to each other but it looked as though it was never going to happen! My favourite character, though, was the spiky Logan (“Are you really called Logan?” Hope asks when he tells her his name!). He and Hope sparked off each other really well and their banter was amazing to watch. It was like a tennis match, back and forth, back and forth. It wasn’t a very large cast, we also meet Tim Hope’s counsellor along with her mother, but it was a well-rounded cast, full of great characters.
I loved The Summer of Secrets from the first page until the last. Martina Reilly is brilliant at taking a difficult issue and making it into a must-read novel. She has quite a deft touch when it comes to turning thorny subjects into something everyday folk like myself can relate to. She’s an exceptional writer, there’s no doubt about it. Time after time, book after book, she manages to keep me hooked until I read the last page and I can’t get enough of her stories. The ending almost had me in tears, it was the moment I’d waited for since the beginning when it all happened and for it to come full circle was pretty amazing. I mean not only is the book about such a difficult thing as PTSD but it also keeps the humour. I was laughing from page one, and even after everything that happened it did still make me laugh. That, for me, is the hallmark of a good novel. To keep the humour and warmth despite the relatively gloomy topic takes a lot and Martina does that with every novel. I hugely recommend this book.
March 4, 2012
This book was great! Just when you think Hope Gardner has survived something catastrophic you learn more that rocks you. Ms. Reilly has done a great job at making this book completely unpredictable. It's not just Hope, but her friends Julie and Adam too. Each has their own set of issues that one can't see from the outside, and not even the friends recognize each others true selves even after having lived together for years.
This book had me hooked, especially emotionally. This is the third book by Ms.Reilly that I've read, and it has been just as mesmerizing. The subject matter dealt with in this book is sensitive and dealt as such. It's not sugar coated or completely in your face either. Ms.Reilly is definitely consistent with her books. I think I've just found a new favorite author!
This book had me hooked, especially emotionally. This is the third book by Ms.Reilly that I've read, and it has been just as mesmerizing. The subject matter dealt with in this book is sensitive and dealt as such. It's not sugar coated or completely in your face either. Ms.Reilly is definitely consistent with her books. I think I've just found a new favorite author!
June 17, 2011
Absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down from the minute I started it. It's now 02:15 am and I have stayed up to finish it. The characters are likeable , funny and all have their own identities. The chemistry between Hope and Logan was sizzling, but to be honest I was rooting for her friends Adam and Julie to become a couple.
A great romantic book with some tragedy thrown in. The tragedy really makes you sit up and pay attention and has a very important role in the book and makes Hope become a much better person.
A great romantic book with some tragedy thrown in. The tragedy really makes you sit up and pay attention and has a very important role in the book and makes Hope become a much better person.
June 14, 2015
I'm usually dubious about books which look like chic lit but thought I'd give this a go...Hope is a woman who struggles to cope with life after a difficult childhood. On a long holiday back in Ireland to recover from surviving a plane crash she undergoes therapy which opens her eyes to herself and her past. Will she be able to make peace with the memories and move forward? This is a well written novel with well developed and believable characters who all struggle with their imperfections. I enjoyed it and will look out for more of Martina Reilly's books.
September 7, 2015
I've only recently started reading Martina Reilly books. love them. just one thing that annoyed me in 'Summer Of Secrets.' Chapter 30 "As the morning is damp and misty, I pull on the horrible pink pig boots over my jeans and stride off across the field." Same chapter "I stare at my trainers." Couple lines later " when she notices my footwear.'Are they my boots you're wearing?'" Maybe I'm too thorough. Maybe I should become an editor!!!!
June 6, 2016
Loved every bit of it it sweet, breezy, romantic, lovable and all...specially loved the character of Hope...Even the other characters are all likeable and very easy to relate too.
We cant run away from our past, its ok to make mistakes, we shouldnt lose control trying to control, a family are made of humans and no one is perfect, its ok to be not so perfect daughter to a not so perfect parent.
Highly recommended!
We cant run away from our past, its ok to make mistakes, we shouldnt lose control trying to control, a family are made of humans and no one is perfect, its ok to be not so perfect daughter to a not so perfect parent.
Highly recommended!
September 2, 2010
Feel good book with some neat nuances, enjoyed in all, the kind of book you could take on a trip and could put it down if needed. I took awhile at the beginning to get into it, but about 30 pages in I started to enjoy it. Having been to the area that the book takes place in (Ring of Kerry, Killarney, Cork, Dingle, etc) I could visualize the setting very well!
July 25, 2011
When I picked up this book I was expecting a simple chick lit novel but it turned out to be so much more than that and so much better. I enjoyed reading it, sympathised and empathised with all the characters, and was kept wanting to read more and more throughout. Full of the twists and turns life brings us, this a book I expect I'll be reading again in the future.
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May 15, 2010you may loose you memory , your hair and be one step away from death, but with friends that are always there for you, you get back on your feet, fall in love with a guy you hated and live a life you always wanted.
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August 6, 2011A story about self discovery in many different forms. I loved all the characters in this story and the way their relationships grew and changed from beginning to end. Martina Reilly cleverly took the reader on a journey along with these characters.
July 12, 2013
I can see this being a popular book, but its not for me. Not a page turner, but is a safe, steady read, albeit a bit too predictable. I knew early on, who was going to end up with who and where, but its a safe, comfortable book.
September 26, 2014
A really enjoyable read.
Loved the characters, they felt like well-rounded believable people with faults and all.
It was fun and it was poignant. All in all a good book. I'll be on the look out for more of Martina Reilly's books.
Loved the characters, they felt like well-rounded believable people with faults and all.
It was fun and it was poignant. All in all a good book. I'll be on the look out for more of Martina Reilly's books.
May 23, 2009
Unputdownable. (:
December 23, 2009
I love this book! She writes very similar to that of Cathy Kelly and the story, although cliche, is heartwrenching and has some light humour. I didn't want to put it down.
June 17, 2011
loved this novel, loved the characters - felt empathy with them especially with Hope who tells the story in 1st person. A thoroughly good read, did not want to put it down.
July 17, 2011
Good summer read themes around growing up and facing your past.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews