The Summer Away

by Aiessa Holland

Seventeen-year-old Lena Harris thought she'd left her reckless behavior behind, but one disastrous night of revenge changes everything. When her father sends her to New Hope Bible Camp, Lena finds herself under the care of her Aunt Lou, one of the camp directors who has been out of touch with her family for years. At camp, Lena must confront the faith she abandoned and the painful truths that drove her mother to leave without a word, tearing her family apart.





Spending the summer away, Lena navigates the challenges of camp life alongside old friends and new acquaintances, and finds herself drawn to the handsome and faith-filled Carter Rose. With his support and encouragement, Lena may rediscover her faith and finally realize that hope can be found in the most unexpected places.

Genres: Christian Romance, Christian Fiction

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2024

Reviews

[∘✿∘ɢɪᴀɴɴᴀ∘✿∘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
This book was great and I loved the super heavy Christian plot. I cried several times when Lena wanted to get saved but didn’t feel worthy enough, when she started to become obsessed with reading the Bible and getting baptized.😭 For some reason, I didn’t really like the romance😭💔, I don’t know why because I usually love slow burns! It might’ve been because of Carter, I immediately disliked him but as I got to here his story I really started to like him but I just didnt like him as the love interest. Anyway I totally recommend this for anyone looking for a cute faith-filled romance!

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfection. The author is so descriptive, it made it easy to picture the characters, environment, and everything. Lena's journey is relatable and so very encouraging. One of my favorite reads ever, it brought me to tears on more than one occasion.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that blew my whole to-do list for the day. I kept saying, “I really need to do some laundry.” An hour later, “I will get up and do laundry after this chapter.” Then the next hour, “ If I don’t get to the laundry my kids and I will be out of some key clothes for tomorrow.” Another hour later…”I suppose we could get into the winter clothes bins…” Yep. It was that good. It is super hard to put down and I just kept wanting to see how things would develop between Carter and Lena. Also, consider carefully whether you want to read this book in public because tears have been known to pour down cheeks unbidden during certain chapters…

[Naomi Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine from college wrote this book so I bought it and read it to support her. In reality this is one of my top reads of September. A wholesome story of change and the power of the love of Jesus Christ, a book I’d recommend to anyone fellow Christian for sure.

[Brittney (booksta.britt) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lena is sent to Bible camp due to some choices she has made. She is not very opened minded whenever she goes but eventually her heart starts to soften. She reconnects with her childhood friends and finds true friendship there. She also dives deep with God and studying His word.
Next, enter - Carter. She finds love even though she has major walls up. This was a great story and I enjoyed it especially all of the faith themes. I loved that this was a complete clean read with no foul language.

—Quotes
✨ “Or, maybe I should call you, Duchess. That has a much better ring to it with all this royal treatment you're receiving.”
✨ “Sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers in the way we want him to, and I learned that when His answer is no, it’s not because He doesn’t want to help me, it’s just that God’s plans are far better than any of mine.”
✨ “Give God the broken pieces of your heart, Lena, and He will put it back together.”

—Content
Alcoholsim
Child abandonment

[Erica Sherlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aiessa Holland crafted a brilliant story that perfectly braided a spiritual healing journey, deep character relatability, and a tale of courageous friendship. It evoked so much emotion throughout- if I wasn’t choked up or crying, I was covered in chills. Holland explained scripture and various stories of Jesus and the apostles in such a way that I saw new layers to the Bible I study daily. I am grateful for this read, as it has deepened my understanding of and my love for God. I can’t wait for the sequel!

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book and I immediately rushed over to my phone bc I need to write a review…this book has been so amazing in many different ways! It was such a powerful story that moved me to tears. I adored Lena's journey, her growth, and her rediscovery of faith. And I know it will be a blessing to readers that have faced similar challenges and even those who have not! This book has impacted me greatly and I am thankful to have had the chance to read it.❤️

[Gennie Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

"God doesn't allow pain without allowing something good to come from it." This is my favorite quote from The Summer Away. Aiessa's book is full of memorable quotes, brings back tons of fond summer camp memories, and reminds of us of how valuable friendships are when based on our love for our Lord. Definitely recommend for a feel good and healing read. Her sequel is out now and I can't wait to dive in!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful!!! I couldn’t put it down. The characters had deapth and were relatable. The story line had you wanting to find out what would happen next. The truth and the Word written all throughout was beautiful. I recommend it to everyone who is looking for a great book to get lost in.

[starry skies · Rating 4 out of 5]

strong christian themes where I even learnt some new things and the fmc refinds her faith and I love that! while she is annoying the character development comes in clutch. the mmc is so cool too! give me a man of god like that XD

[Sarah Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this sweet story! The characters were great and brought back many camp memories!

[Cheryl Leverett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!

Well written and easy to read , I highly recommend this book. Characters were realistic and honest. Very good fiction that respects God is hard to find.

[Donna Swilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I enjoyed Aiessa’s first book and would recommend it as a good, clean Christian read. Her use of the scriptures throughout the book was a wonderful addition!

[urverycluelessgrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I’ll admit it…I might be a little biased since my friend wrote this book. But even setting that aside, I genuinely think it’s a great story. It follows a girl dealing with family struggles who gets sent to Bible camp, where she slowly rediscovers herself and her faith.

It’s heartwarming and surprisingly relatable. And the best part? She meets someone (I know, *gasp*). That person becomes a guide in her journey of self-discovery, and the light enemies-to-lovers vibe had me smiling like an idiot the entire time.

Bias or not, I’d still recommend this book to anyone looking for quick and cute read! 💛