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The Summerhouse #3
As You Wish
One fateful summer, three very different women find themselves together in Summer Hill, Virginia, where they find they have much more in common than they realized…
Sixty-year-old Olivia’s first marriage was long and unhappy, but now she is a newlywed, thrilled to finally be starting her life with the man she’s always truly loved—even if they are getting a late start. Kathy is in her forties and married to a handsome, successful businessman. Theirs would be a fairy-tale romance if it weren’t for one problem: he’s passionately in love with someone else! Twentysomething Elise is also in a troubled marriage, stuck with the man her wealthy parents chose for her. Now that he has a pregnant mistress, he seems willing to go to drastic lengths to take Elise out of the picture.
Though each of them wound up at the Summerhouse for separate reasons, it’s not long before they begin to open up about their regrets, their wishes and their dreams. And when they’re presented with the opportunity of a lifetime—a chance to right the wrongs of their past—all three discover what can happen when dreams really do come true.
Sixty-year-old Olivia’s first marriage was long and unhappy, but now she is a newlywed, thrilled to finally be starting her life with the man she’s always truly loved—even if they are getting a late start. Kathy is in her forties and married to a handsome, successful businessman. Theirs would be a fairy-tale romance if it weren’t for one problem: he’s passionately in love with someone else! Twentysomething Elise is also in a troubled marriage, stuck with the man her wealthy parents chose for her. Now that he has a pregnant mistress, he seems willing to go to drastic lengths to take Elise out of the picture.
Though each of them wound up at the Summerhouse for separate reasons, it’s not long before they begin to open up about their regrets, their wishes and their dreams. And when they’re presented with the opportunity of a lifetime—a chance to right the wrongs of their past—all three discover what can happen when dreams really do come true.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published March 6, 2018
1952 people are currently reading
5698 people want to read
About the author
Jude Deveraux
199 books7,041 followersJude Gilliam was born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky. She has a large extended family and is the elder sister of four brothers. She attended Murray State University and received a degree in Art. In 1967, Jude married and took her husband's surname of White, but four years later they divorced. For years, she worked as 5th-grade teacher.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 624 reviews
November 16, 2025
Three woman, all facing life altering decisions, are sent to a private retreat where they share in each other’s life stories, until an unfathomable opportunity arises…they can go back in time and change decisions they made to achieve the life they’ve always wanted. What would you do if you could have the life AS YOU WISH.
This is a slow building story that in the end had me completely hooked. If you don't like cheating the beginning of this book is going to be as hard for you as it was for me. But, I have to say I was utterly riveted to the three women's stories about 1/2 through. NOT AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED BY THE SYNOPSIS!
I received this copy of As You Wish from HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada) - MIRA. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is a slow building story that in the end had me completely hooked. If you don't like cheating the beginning of this book is going to be as hard for you as it was for me. But, I have to say I was utterly riveted to the three women's stories about 1/2 through. NOT AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED BY THE SYNOPSIS!
I received this copy of As You Wish from HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada) - MIRA. This is my honest and voluntary review.
March 9, 2018
First off, through the years I have read many Jude Devereaux books. And I have to admit it has been several years since I read one. This one was an ARC I won through a Goodreads giveaway.
Frankly, I had to work to make myself finish this book. Cardboard stereotypical characters that I didn't care about, stilted dialogue and great chunks of information dumped into the story instead of being woven in. And a premise that wasn't believable to be honest. I know this author can do better.
Frankly, I had to work to make myself finish this book. Cardboard stereotypical characters that I didn't care about, stilted dialogue and great chunks of information dumped into the story instead of being woven in. And a premise that wasn't believable to be honest. I know this author can do better.
March 25, 2018
This is my first Jude Deveraux novel to read and I know now, that I will definitely be reading more!
This was such an atmospheric, fun, and enjoyable read. The three main characters were realistic and relatable with the different situations each of them faced and it was nice to have characters crossing a span of different age ranges.
This book really caught me off guard at some moments! The biggest twist, I definitely didn't predict happening and also the outcome from that twist, I didn't expect. About halfway through, I found myself having difficulty in putting the book down because the story became more and more anticipatory.
This wasn't the "typical contemporary" and I really enjoyed that fact. It wasn't meaningless fluff. It was an enjoyable read that included both serious topics and also included humour. The whole concept of "What if?" was explored in a new way and it also reminded me about living in the moment.
I cannot wait to explore more novels written by Jude Deveraux as this one has become a favourite and I know that I will be recommending this one to others.
This was such an atmospheric, fun, and enjoyable read. The three main characters were realistic and relatable with the different situations each of them faced and it was nice to have characters crossing a span of different age ranges.
This book really caught me off guard at some moments! The biggest twist, I definitely didn't predict happening and also the outcome from that twist, I didn't expect. About halfway through, I found myself having difficulty in putting the book down because the story became more and more anticipatory.
This wasn't the "typical contemporary" and I really enjoyed that fact. It wasn't meaningless fluff. It was an enjoyable read that included both serious topics and also included humour. The whole concept of "What if?" was explored in a new way and it also reminded me about living in the moment.
I cannot wait to explore more novels written by Jude Deveraux as this one has become a favourite and I know that I will be recommending this one to others.
July 10, 2018
Okay that was a bit weird but I rather enjoyed it. The story of three women and their lives, regrets, loves and possibilities. It turned in a way that I didn't expect which is why I say - weird... but a little different and fun.
March 15, 2018
Disappointing
Looked forward to this book but so disappointed. Characters were unappealing and unbelievably naive and stupid. Plot was boring and life changes for characters centered mostly on changing men. Ridiculous book,sorry I purchased. Read instead "Lilac Girls" or "The Wife Between Us," both great reads.
Looked forward to this book but so disappointed. Characters were unappealing and unbelievably naive and stupid. Plot was boring and life changes for characters centered mostly on changing men. Ridiculous book,sorry I purchased. Read instead "Lilac Girls" or "The Wife Between Us," both great reads.
March 7, 2018
I just love the Summerhouse series and this latest addition is fabulous! Three very realistic women with real problems all given a chance for a "do over." That's right. Pick a critical time period in your life to live over again and get a chance to make a different decision that will change the rest of your life. You have three weeks for your "do over." What will you choose?
Great characters, great stories. I just loved it.
Great characters, great stories. I just loved it.
March 31, 2018
Read this because the time travel aspect appealed to me. Shouldn't have bothered. That was a minor part of the book. Before I could get to the time travel aspect I had to suffer through the first half of the book and a clunky, contrived setup putting these three women of different ages and backgrounds into sharing a summer house. It was weird that pretty much immediately they all share their life stories in painfully honest detail with two strangers. What a coincidence, the husband of each of the women has/had a whole other life with another woman that they really love(d). (And on the afternoon they meet, the woman in her 20s and the woman in her 60s decide to streak buck naked through the woods together. So weird). The time travel part didn't appear until more than halfway through the book and it was a big letdown. After all that setup the book only portrayed what two of the three women did differently when they got to go back and re-live a three week period in their past. And their "do-over" mostly centered around picking a different man.
September 25, 2018
I have been playing catch-up with books that I read during my house renovation that I just didn't have the energy to post reviews about. When one has plaster and dust all over them you tend to just want to go to bed and put blankets over your head (at least I did). Getting my floors, walls, and ceilings back helped return me back to a semi-normal state. When the kitchen gets started I won't know what to do with myself.
Back to my review though. I should have known better than to buy this in hardcover. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, even though I found problems with it. Did not really like the second one, and this one was a wash too. Deveraux tries to hard to connect all of the books/characters into this one and making it that one woman needs to choose a different destiny/future in order for the Summerhouse phenomenon (as I call it) to continue.
The characters in this one did not grab me at all. We had one characters story just pretty much equal, she needed an aggressive man to help her find her sexuality (yes seriously) and another one just needed to embrace love. I don't know. The whole book just jumped around too much for me to like it much. I really have to stop reading time travel books, they end up irking me mostly.
The three characters we first meet are Olivia, Elise, and Kathy's husband, Ray. Olivia is asked to help Elise and Ray get settled after their therapist is held up. Elise wants Olivia to stay since she is not in the mood to be alone with Ray and Ray doesn't want Elise hitting on him. Yeah that mess happened.
Not too much to say about Ray except I disliked him. He is also referred to as a thug a few times by Olivia and Elise and that he is aping to be white collar though he's really blue collar through and through. No, Ray isn't black so I don't know what the heck was going on there. Also how about we not call people thugs that don't come from privileged backgrounds cause it says more about you than it does them.
Eventually we get Olivia, Elise, and Ray's wife Kathy all together. We find out fairly early on that Ray is having an affair and wants to leave Kathy and he doesn't feel any chemistry with Kathy. However, we also realize that Kathy does everything for Ray so that makes him sexist? I don't know. This book had too many plot lines.
Olivia is newly married to someone she loved when she was younger. It's a second marriage for them both and Olivia is hiding a horrible secret (guess what it is) and resentful of her first husband and his having a whole second family.
Elise's husband locked her up cause you know he's in love with someone else and they tried to poison her.
All of the stories deal with women who got with the wrong men and the men cheated on them in some way. Not very appealing for a romance book.
It takes way too long for the time travel aspect to even get going and Deveraux per usual just shows us two women's story-line in the past, and has the third one come back to the present and tell the other two. I booed the whole thing cause it really came down to the women just choosing different men. At least in book one it really dealt with two out of the three women just deciding things for themselves. We had Leslie keeping her same past and choosing a different present and Madison forcing herself to go forward with being a model instead of returning home to her high school love.
And also these three women just forgive the trash men in their lives who did crap to them in the past, but it doesn't matter since nothing came to past and I don't know I just threw my hands up in the air and let it go.
The long time readers will get a kick out of seeing the Montgomery family again though.
Back to my review though. I should have known better than to buy this in hardcover. I really enjoyed the first book in the series, even though I found problems with it. Did not really like the second one, and this one was a wash too. Deveraux tries to hard to connect all of the books/characters into this one and making it that one woman needs to choose a different destiny/future in order for the Summerhouse phenomenon (as I call it) to continue.
The characters in this one did not grab me at all. We had one characters story just pretty much equal, she needed an aggressive man to help her find her sexuality (yes seriously) and another one just needed to embrace love. I don't know. The whole book just jumped around too much for me to like it much. I really have to stop reading time travel books, they end up irking me mostly.
The three characters we first meet are Olivia, Elise, and Kathy's husband, Ray. Olivia is asked to help Elise and Ray get settled after their therapist is held up. Elise wants Olivia to stay since she is not in the mood to be alone with Ray and Ray doesn't want Elise hitting on him. Yeah that mess happened.
Not too much to say about Ray except I disliked him. He is also referred to as a thug a few times by Olivia and Elise and that he is aping to be white collar though he's really blue collar through and through. No, Ray isn't black so I don't know what the heck was going on there. Also how about we not call people thugs that don't come from privileged backgrounds cause it says more about you than it does them.
Eventually we get Olivia, Elise, and Ray's wife Kathy all together. We find out fairly early on that Ray is having an affair and wants to leave Kathy and he doesn't feel any chemistry with Kathy. However, we also realize that Kathy does everything for Ray so that makes him sexist? I don't know. This book had too many plot lines.
Olivia is newly married to someone she loved when she was younger. It's a second marriage for them both and Olivia is hiding a horrible secret (guess what it is) and resentful of her first husband and his having a whole second family.
Elise's husband locked her up cause you know he's in love with someone else and they tried to poison her.
All of the stories deal with women who got with the wrong men and the men cheated on them in some way. Not very appealing for a romance book.
It takes way too long for the time travel aspect to even get going and Deveraux per usual just shows us two women's story-line in the past, and has the third one come back to the present and tell the other two. I booed the whole thing cause it really came down to the women just choosing different men. At least in book one it really dealt with two out of the three women just deciding things for themselves. We had Leslie keeping her same past and choosing a different present and Madison forcing herself to go forward with being a model instead of returning home to her high school love.
And also these three women just forgive the trash men in their lives who did crap to them in the past, but it doesn't matter since nothing came to past and I don't know I just threw my hands up in the air and let it go.
The long time readers will get a kick out of seeing the Montgomery family again though.
September 9, 2018
First time reading anything by this author. I picked it up on a whim at the library. I struggled with this...I enjoyed the characters and their individual stories, but I never understood the setting (maybe I should have read the first 2 summerhouse books?) and the entire concept was pretty ridiculous. Lots of holes in the story.
March 12, 2018
Summer House and Return to Summerhouse are two of my favorite novels and the plot lines are really my favorite.....love the ability to go back in time for "redos!" This one fell a little bit flat for me. I didn't connect with the characters as much and found Elise a bit simple minded....seriously, the black stallion? It vacillated between a good novel and a cheap romance. However, because this is my favorite type of plot line, I did love the last 1/4 of the book and hope she writes another one!
April 19, 2018
This wasn't for me, which was disappointing. I loved the cover; it's beautiful. It was the best thing about this book. Although I did like the premise, I didn't like the story. The premise made this sound like the kind of book I would love, but I didn't. I didn't like the way the story played out. I thought that it should have gone differently. I also didn't like the characters. I expected them to make better decisions and to grow more as characters, but neither happened.
July 24, 2018
A story of three women with life altering decisions meet in Summer Hill,
Virginia where they tell each other their stories and realize that they have a
lot in common. They all have a chance to right the wrongs of their past if
They want to. Each one of these individuals wound up at the summer place
for a different reason. The story was well written with very believable warm
characters that just makes it an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the tale and
And look forward to her next book.
Virginia where they tell each other their stories and realize that they have a
lot in common. They all have a chance to right the wrongs of their past if
They want to. Each one of these individuals wound up at the summer place
for a different reason. The story was well written with very believable warm
characters that just makes it an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the tale and
And look forward to her next book.
February 27, 2018
***ARC received in exchange for an Honest Review***
Every once in a while you come across one of those books that just sticks with you, that at the end you feel like you lost your friends and humbles you. In, As You Wish, by Jude Deveraux, you get so much...fiction, romance, time travel, second chances, and true to life struggles.
Jude Deveraux, delivers an easy to read story. One of the things that got me about the writing of this book is how well the flashbacks are done. She delivered just enough to fill in the blanks and move the story along so perfectly. Then adding in the bit of time travel was just the cherry on top. An added bonus is that the if you love the Summerhouse series, you will appreciate this new addition.
Olivia is a woman whose life did not turn out the way she thought it was going to. Living an unhappy life for so long can have its toll on a person. But now at 60 years old and a newlywed, she is over the moon on truly living the life she wanted, even though there are doubts and some conversations yet to be had.
Kathy in her 40s is married to the man every woman wants and every man wants to be, but he is in love with someone else.
Twenty year old, Elise, has a marriage arranged by her parents and their best friends. Her husband has a mistress that is having his baby and takes drastic measures to remove Elise from his life.
Whether you believe in fate or not, these three women end up at the Summerhouse. These three women meet and drinks flow, what do they have to lose by opening up to complete strangers with conversations of regrets, wants and dreams. When an unexpected note is delivered the women have an opportunity to go back in time and make their dreams come true.
5 Brilliant stars
**Review by Lisa, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night with Books**
Every once in a while you come across one of those books that just sticks with you, that at the end you feel like you lost your friends and humbles you. In, As You Wish, by Jude Deveraux, you get so much...fiction, romance, time travel, second chances, and true to life struggles.
Jude Deveraux, delivers an easy to read story. One of the things that got me about the writing of this book is how well the flashbacks are done. She delivered just enough to fill in the blanks and move the story along so perfectly. Then adding in the bit of time travel was just the cherry on top. An added bonus is that the if you love the Summerhouse series, you will appreciate this new addition.
Olivia is a woman whose life did not turn out the way she thought it was going to. Living an unhappy life for so long can have its toll on a person. But now at 60 years old and a newlywed, she is over the moon on truly living the life she wanted, even though there are doubts and some conversations yet to be had.
Kathy in her 40s is married to the man every woman wants and every man wants to be, but he is in love with someone else.
Twenty year old, Elise, has a marriage arranged by her parents and their best friends. Her husband has a mistress that is having his baby and takes drastic measures to remove Elise from his life.
Whether you believe in fate or not, these three women end up at the Summerhouse. These three women meet and drinks flow, what do they have to lose by opening up to complete strangers with conversations of regrets, wants and dreams. When an unexpected note is delivered the women have an opportunity to go back in time and make their dreams come true.
5 Brilliant stars
**Review by Lisa, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night with Books**
April 28, 2018
Review to come. Thanks for Arc.
December 3, 2018
Kinda disappointing :/
March 25, 2018
No. Just no.
August 30, 2019
I absolutely love the Summer house series! It seems I have been out of the look because I didn't realize this book was #3 in the series until I was browsing Audible the other day. I did pick this up on Audible after seeing it but after listening to the audio I feel like I'd like to get the Physical and read it again. I don't feel the narrator was bad I just couldn't seem to really get involved with the story via audio. I mean don't get me wrong there were definitely still things that grabbed my attention but I don't feel like it was all absorbing can't put it down must read all night long like my Jude Deveraux usually is so I think I would like to get a physical copy and see if that changes things.
Despite all that of course Jude never disappoints. This was a super engaging plot with really depth full characters all on a journey to happiness. Ever made a decision in your life that when you look back your life took a turn at that point.. In the third Summerhouse installment we get a new group of 3 ready to go back and take the path not yet traveled. Of course Jude doesn't play it the same as book 1 and 2 each has their own unique spin but its still every bit as good.
The thing I love most about these books is that even though it seems to always start with "a man" and the thought that if only I had found someone better or not let that one get away, the women in these stories always go through a transformation that in the end they realize it had more to do with what they do and don't allow, their own personality flaws, more so than just a man.. though they do take care of that too.. MEOW.. Not only that but we get to see a before, after, and new HEA that expands across years and decades with this unique style of "time travel." It always leaves me with the warm fuzzies.. every time. I can't wait till book 4!
Despite all that of course Jude never disappoints. This was a super engaging plot with really depth full characters all on a journey to happiness. Ever made a decision in your life that when you look back your life took a turn at that point.. In the third Summerhouse installment we get a new group of 3 ready to go back and take the path not yet traveled. Of course Jude doesn't play it the same as book 1 and 2 each has their own unique spin but its still every bit as good.
The thing I love most about these books is that even though it seems to always start with "a man" and the thought that if only I had found someone better or not let that one get away, the women in these stories always go through a transformation that in the end they realize it had more to do with what they do and don't allow, their own personality flaws, more so than just a man.. though they do take care of that too.. MEOW.. Not only that but we get to see a before, after, and new HEA that expands across years and decades with this unique style of "time travel." It always leaves me with the warm fuzzies.. every time. I can't wait till book 4!
August 26, 2018
The book began well with two women and a man, Olivia, Elise, and Ray, meeting at the request of Elise and Ray's therapist. They end up spending time together when Ray is called away and his wife takes his place. Up to this point the book is tooling right along but when Kathy takes Ray's place, it takes a dip for a while. Each talks about their pasts to each other and how unhappy they are at the moment, and then they get a chance for a redo by going back into the past for three weeks to change the things they regret. Although a fascinating premise and a lot of fun in some ways, it was a jog into fantasy that I could have done without. It was handled well, however, and I enjoyed what each of them did with their three weeks and the results. However, it pointed out why I am very glad that time travel is impossible and hope it always will be.
March 25, 2018
I won this book on Goodreads. Three women find themselves together in Virginia. They are very different, Olivia is 61 and had a long unhappy marriage but now she is starting her life with the man she always loved,Kathy is in her 40's, married but her husband is in love with another woman, Elise is in her 20's with a troubled marriage. They tell their stories and then are allowed to go back in time for 3 weeks to relive and change things. They are able to find out what happens when their dreams really can come true. Interesting idea.
October 22, 2021
Kopumā bija laba atslodze no ikdienas. Atsevišķi tēli bija jau no Devero romāna "Lepnums un aizspriedumi. Mistera Dārsija atgriešanās". Tiesa gan grāmatas vidus daļā ir pavērsiens un iespēja varonēm atgriezties pagātnē, un izmainīt savu dzīvi. Ja vien tā tas darbotos realitātē.
June 12, 2021
3.5 stars
March 14, 2018
... What the heck happened? This is probably the worst Jude Deveraux book I've read in a long time. After re-reading A Girl From Summer Hill to prep, I was having a hard time going through this one. Blech. I couldn't connect with the characters on any level and the underlying anger theme (that pushed them to change things in their lives) just didn't work out for me. Everything felt shallow.
Here's what disappointed me the most: Everything awesome that transpired in A Girl From Summer Hill was just wiped out by this book. (Yeah, yeah, I know the characters will still end up together in the rebooted reality but blah! Just Blah!
Here's what disappointed me the most: Everything awesome that transpired in A Girl From Summer Hill was just wiped out by this book. (Yeah, yeah, I know the characters will still end up together in the rebooted reality but blah! Just Blah!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2018
I received this book for free from Netgalley in order to prepare an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
FINAL DECISION: This book isn't really for me. The intertwined stories of three women combined with time travel/alternate realities was just too odd women's fiction. Not a bad book, but not one I would pick up again.
THE STORY: Sixty year old Oliva is a newlywed with regrets. Not over her marriage, but over the years she wasted away from the man she loves. Forty year old Kathy is married to man who is in love with someone else. Elise is married to a man who seems to want to get rid of her -- in any way possible. The three end up at Summerhouse with the opportunity to change everything in their lives and make things right.
OPINION: I'm not the audience for this book because something really bothers me about the entire premise of the story. I don't like the "let's have a redo" on stories in general. It's tricky because it feels to me like a cop-out on having to accept the choices one makes. I am often willing to suspend disbelief, but this premise always bothers me.
The multiple storylines also kept me disconnected from all of them. I prefer my books more emotion and this book just felt like a gimmick based on the plot. The story wasn't bad and neither were the characters, but the resolution just didn't work for me. I think someone who was willing to look past the plot twist might enjoy this one better.
On the positive side, I like seeing the Montgomerys.
WORTH MENTIONING: I'm not sure I like the impact of this story on THE GIRL FROM SUMMER HILL.
CONNECTED BOOKS: AS YOU WISH is the third book in the Summerhouse series, but I haven't read those books. For me, the book is a sequel of sorts to THE GIRL FROM SUMMER HILL.
STAR RATING: I give this book 2 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review and I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
FINAL DECISION: This book isn't really for me. The intertwined stories of three women combined with time travel/alternate realities was just too odd women's fiction. Not a bad book, but not one I would pick up again.
THE STORY: Sixty year old Oliva is a newlywed with regrets. Not over her marriage, but over the years she wasted away from the man she loves. Forty year old Kathy is married to man who is in love with someone else. Elise is married to a man who seems to want to get rid of her -- in any way possible. The three end up at Summerhouse with the opportunity to change everything in their lives and make things right.
OPINION: I'm not the audience for this book because something really bothers me about the entire premise of the story. I don't like the "let's have a redo" on stories in general. It's tricky because it feels to me like a cop-out on having to accept the choices one makes. I am often willing to suspend disbelief, but this premise always bothers me.
The multiple storylines also kept me disconnected from all of them. I prefer my books more emotion and this book just felt like a gimmick based on the plot. The story wasn't bad and neither were the characters, but the resolution just didn't work for me. I think someone who was willing to look past the plot twist might enjoy this one better.
On the positive side, I like seeing the Montgomerys.
WORTH MENTIONING: I'm not sure I like the impact of this story on THE GIRL FROM SUMMER HILL.
CONNECTED BOOKS: AS YOU WISH is the third book in the Summerhouse series, but I haven't read those books. For me, the book is a sequel of sorts to THE GIRL FROM SUMMER HILL.
STAR RATING: I give this book 2 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review and I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
May 12, 2018
I have enjoyed every book by Jude Deveraux I have ever read and this one is no different. I was lucky enough to win this book from Goodreads.
Three women meet at a summerhouse in Virginia. Olivia, 60, is a newlywed finally married to her long time love. She had been married previously for a long, unhappy time. Elise, twenty something, is married unhappily to a man picked out by her wealthy parents. He has a pregnant mistress and wants to get rid of Elise any way possible. Kathy, 40ish, is married to a successful, handsome businessman who is passionately in love with someone else.
The women are soon trading their life stories. They all have areas in their lives they wish they could change. What would happened if they find out they could right the wrongs from the past? Would this give them the happy life they all wished they had?
I definitely recommend this book to all Jude Deveraux fans and all new fans of hers.
Three women meet at a summerhouse in Virginia. Olivia, 60, is a newlywed finally married to her long time love. She had been married previously for a long, unhappy time. Elise, twenty something, is married unhappily to a man picked out by her wealthy parents. He has a pregnant mistress and wants to get rid of Elise any way possible. Kathy, 40ish, is married to a successful, handsome businessman who is passionately in love with someone else.
The women are soon trading their life stories. They all have areas in their lives they wish they could change. What would happened if they find out they could right the wrongs from the past? Would this give them the happy life they all wished they had?
I definitely recommend this book to all Jude Deveraux fans and all new fans of hers.
March 27, 2018
I liked some parts, other parts were pretty annoying. Olivia attempting to right all the bad things that ever happened was pretty irritating, and her anger with Kit while ignoring her own culpability in the past. I also didn't think it was believable just how badly she let her previous husband and stepson screw her over, and the unreasonable expectations and bad attitudes of the stepson and wife, etc. That's nonsense. And apparently the stepson knew about his dad's other family? Seriously? Olivia raised him from a baby, so it's a little ridiculous that he would side with his dad's mistress. Also, I'm disappointed that Alan didn't change the second time around - honestly, who we are with has a huge impact on who we become. I really expected that he would end up marrying someone that forced him to actually do work, instead of repeating his whole life over.
Elise's story was probably my favorite, though Kent was a complete asshole in so many ways, and Carmen wasn't a lot better. I mean, Elise actually knew Carmen for years before she was with Kent, so it's a little disheartening to see her become the stereotypical "other woman" talking crap about the wife instead of realizing that the guy is the actual problem.
Kathy almost got left out - we got detailed views of the other two, but her story seemed like an afterthought, crammed into a few pages toward the end, and only after you already know she had a happy ending. I still don't understand why Cal was sneering at her all the time, but whatever. And I thought she couldn't have children (according to Ray). I also can't give Ray a pass, because even though he apparently loved Kathy, he was still cheating on her and trying to get his mistress pregnant. Despite the fact that he was completely WRONG in thinking Kathy's life revolved around him and she depended on him...if he really thought that, he's even more of an asshole for trying to end the marriage in that way.
Elise's story was probably my favorite, though Kent was a complete asshole in so many ways, and Carmen wasn't a lot better. I mean, Elise actually knew Carmen for years before she was with Kent, so it's a little disheartening to see her become the stereotypical "other woman" talking crap about the wife instead of realizing that the guy is the actual problem.
Kathy almost got left out - we got detailed views of the other two, but her story seemed like an afterthought, crammed into a few pages toward the end, and only after you already know she had a happy ending. I still don't understand why Cal was sneering at her all the time, but whatever. And I thought she couldn't have children (according to Ray). I also can't give Ray a pass, because even though he apparently loved Kathy, he was still cheating on her and trying to get his mistress pregnant. Despite the fact that he was completely WRONG in thinking Kathy's life revolved around him and she depended on him...if he really thought that, he's even more of an asshole for trying to end the marriage in that way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2020
Jude Deveraux "Kaip nori"
Ar turite tokį rašytoją, kurio knygų laukiate su nekantrumu? Ir vos tik sulaukiate naujienos iš karto puolate skaityti? Aš tikrai turiu 🙂 Man tai visad bus Nora Roberts, G. Musso, Lucinda Riley, Lisa Keypas ir Jude Deveraux 🙂 O pastarosios autorės knygas tikrai mėgsta gražių ir vasariskų romanų gerbėjos 🙂
Trys labai skirtingos moterys susitinka gražiame vasarnamyje, tam, kad išspręstų savo problemas. Jos visos yra labai gražios ir kartu tokios skirtingos. Kiekviena iš jų nėra pilnai patenkintos savo gyvenimu ir norėtų, kad viskas būtų kitaip. Tik ar joks pavyks? Ir aišku, kaip gi be meilės?
Skaitydama Olivijos, Elizos ir Keitės istorijas, supratau, kad kiekviena patirtis suteikia galimybę tobulėti ir tapti geresne savo versiją. Taip pat supratau, kad tam tikri liūdni įvykiai yra neišvengiami ir jie visados įvyks. Ir dar...🙂 tai tokia graži, šilta, jauki ir pozityti knyga, kurios turinys toks paprastas ir kartu toks puikus🙂 Nežinau, kaip Jums, bet man patinka karts nuo karto perskaityti tokias istorijas 🙂
J. Deveraux šioje knygoje kuria magišką ir vilties kupiną istoriją apie galimybę būti laimingu su žmogumi, kurį tau dovanoja likimas. Šeima, meilė sau ir kitiems, savęs realizavimas ir tikslų siekimas - temos, kurios taip natūraliai įsilieja į šią nepaprastą istoriją 🙂
Tikrai patiks šios ir kitų mano išvardintų autorių gerbėjams 🙂 ir visiems, kas tiesiog nori jaukios ir vasariškas knygos 🙂
Labai ačiū Leidykla Jotema už dar vieną jaukią ir šiltą istoriją 🙂
Ar turite tokį rašytoją, kurio knygų laukiate su nekantrumu? Ir vos tik sulaukiate naujienos iš karto puolate skaityti? Aš tikrai turiu 🙂 Man tai visad bus Nora Roberts, G. Musso, Lucinda Riley, Lisa Keypas ir Jude Deveraux 🙂 O pastarosios autorės knygas tikrai mėgsta gražių ir vasariskų romanų gerbėjos 🙂
Trys labai skirtingos moterys susitinka gražiame vasarnamyje, tam, kad išspręstų savo problemas. Jos visos yra labai gražios ir kartu tokios skirtingos. Kiekviena iš jų nėra pilnai patenkintos savo gyvenimu ir norėtų, kad viskas būtų kitaip. Tik ar joks pavyks? Ir aišku, kaip gi be meilės?
Skaitydama Olivijos, Elizos ir Keitės istorijas, supratau, kad kiekviena patirtis suteikia galimybę tobulėti ir tapti geresne savo versiją. Taip pat supratau, kad tam tikri liūdni įvykiai yra neišvengiami ir jie visados įvyks. Ir dar...🙂 tai tokia graži, šilta, jauki ir pozityti knyga, kurios turinys toks paprastas ir kartu toks puikus🙂 Nežinau, kaip Jums, bet man patinka karts nuo karto perskaityti tokias istorijas 🙂
J. Deveraux šioje knygoje kuria magišką ir vilties kupiną istoriją apie galimybę būti laimingu su žmogumi, kurį tau dovanoja likimas. Šeima, meilė sau ir kitiems, savęs realizavimas ir tikslų siekimas - temos, kurios taip natūraliai įsilieja į šią nepaprastą istoriją 🙂
Tikrai patiks šios ir kitų mano išvardintų autorių gerbėjams 🙂 ir visiems, kas tiesiog nori jaukios ir vasariškas knygos 🙂
Labai ačiū Leidykla Jotema už dar vieną jaukią ir šiltą istoriją 🙂
July 12, 2018
I can sum up this story in one sentence:Three women who have bad marriages get the chance to have a do-over. But the true nature of the story is that As You Wish is a What If story. What If you had chosen someone different? What If you had responded differently to situations? And not just one character is wondering "What If...", but three women are going to get the chance to see if their What If can produce happiness. That is the premise of Jude Deveraux's new book "As You Wish."
The friendship and support between the women is beautiful to see, and some scenes were perfectly written (I love the skinny-dipping scene). The three weeks that the women have in their "What If" scenario was a mixed result for me. For Elise, I found it hard to believe that her parents would act the way that they did, but Alejandro is a keeper. Kathy's story seemed to break the rules that had been explained before she went back, without any effects. Olivia's story had a sweet conclusion. Overall, the book felt like three short stories bound together by one really long introduction, but one of my favorite short stories ever ("Matchmakers" from The Invitation) is from Deveraux so that is a compliment.
Full Review at www.ReadingObsession.com
The friendship and support between the women is beautiful to see, and some scenes were perfectly written (I love the skinny-dipping scene). The three weeks that the women have in their "What If" scenario was a mixed result for me. For Elise, I found it hard to believe that her parents would act the way that they did, but Alejandro is a keeper. Kathy's story seemed to break the rules that had been explained before she went back, without any effects. Olivia's story had a sweet conclusion. Overall, the book felt like three short stories bound together by one really long introduction, but one of my favorite short stories ever ("Matchmakers" from The Invitation) is from Deveraux so that is a compliment.
Full Review at www.ReadingObsession.com
February 25, 2018
3.5 stars
This was different from other Jude Deveraux novels I've read; not necessarily a romance (though of course there are elements) but maybe a combination of that along with chick lit.
This is the story of three women who are brought together by a therapist to help each other as they deal with the marriages they are now in. It starts out as any other chick lit novel might; but then it delves into the paranormal genre as well.
I found the book easy to read, and hard to put down because I wanted to see where the story went, and what happened as each other these women dealt with the choices they had made. A good read for the beach, or a rainy afternoon when you're home and need an escape.
ARC recieved from Netgalley for honest review.
This was different from other Jude Deveraux novels I've read; not necessarily a romance (though of course there are elements) but maybe a combination of that along with chick lit.
This is the story of three women who are brought together by a therapist to help each other as they deal with the marriages they are now in. It starts out as any other chick lit novel might; but then it delves into the paranormal genre as well.
I found the book easy to read, and hard to put down because I wanted to see where the story went, and what happened as each other these women dealt with the choices they had made. A good read for the beach, or a rainy afternoon when you're home and need an escape.
ARC recieved from Netgalley for honest review.
February 25, 2018
If you liked the Summer House and Return to Summer House, you will love this book. If you liked the characters from Summerhill, you are going to love this book. Jude Deveraux is so great at writing stories and creating characters that you instantly fall in love with. As You Wish is such a fun book to read, though I would recommend reading The Summer House first if you are new to these books, it is not going to leave you confused if you don't. I highly recommend that you do, and that you read all of Jude's books as she is the best! What makes Jude's writing so amazing? Her female characters are always about a woman you would love to be friends with. She adds history of the places she takes you that could actually be a real. One must not forget, the males are always dreamy!
November 8, 2018
Not what I expected. This goes beyond chic lit and into another dimension 3/4 of the way in. Basically, three women marry the wrong guys and wind up happy, happy lives. It's HOW they manage to find happiness that's so cool. The author goes out of the box to achieve this in a light, it could really happen way, that makes you believe that it really did.
Yes, I sound confusing but I can't say anymore without giving away the story.
I loved this book. It helped to remind me that anything IS possible.
Yes, I sound confusing but I can't say anymore without giving away the story.
I loved this book. It helped to remind me that anything IS possible.
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