The Summer Sail

by Wendy Francis

"A trio of college friends who reunite aboard a cruise ship experience an unforgettable vacation in this compelling novel from the author of The Summer of Good Intentions, which was hailed as "everything a summer read should be" by Elin Hilderbrand. Three college roommates are celebrating a twentieth wedding anniversary by taking a cruise to Bermuda. As the ship pulls away from the pier, everyone is looking forward to lounging by the pool, sipping sunset cocktails, and reminiscing. Abby, the mother hen of the group, will be celebrating her wedding anniversary in style, even as she and her husband keep a secret from the group. Ambitious career woman Caroline happily anticipates several stress-free days away from her magazine job with her boyfriend, Javier, who may or may not be finally inspired to propose. And single mom Lee (annoyingly gorgeous and irresistibly popular in college) hopes she'll win back the affections of her formerly sweet daughter Lacey, who after her first year in college, has inexplicably become a little bit of a monster. As the balmy pink shores of Bermuda come into view, tensions simmer, and old jealousies flare, sending the temperature from soothing to scorching in this engrossing tale of three best friends on a vacation they won't soon forget--but not for the reasons they expect"--

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Summer, Contemporary, Romance, Beach Reads, Summer Reads

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2018

About the author

Wendy Francis is a former book editor (Houghton Mifflin Co.) and the author of Feels Like Summer, Summertime Guests, Best Behavior, The Summer Sail, The Summer of Good Intentions, and Three Good Things. Her new book, Betting on Good, will be out in May 2025. Her essays have appeared in Good Housekeeping, The Washington Post, YahooParenting, The Huffington Post, and WBUR's Cognoscenti. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and 16-year-old son. For events and updates, check out her webpage at www.facebook.com/wendyfrancisauthor or follow her on Instagram @wendyfrancisauthor.

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 smooth sailing stars to The Summer Sail! 🚢 🚢 🚢 🚢

I L.O.V.E. to cruise. There is nothing better than unpacking your suitcase in your cabin, going to sleep, and magically waking up in a new place every single day. I’m especially drawn to books about cruising (and I haven’t found many!) because I’m trying to recapture that sense of adventure, which my inner 80s child will always equate with “The Love Boat!”

The Summer Sail is about three college friends who reunite for a cruise to Bermuda. Abby is celebrating her 20th anniversary with her husband while on the cruise, and she’s keeping some secrets. Caroline is on the trip with her boyfriend, and Lee is a single mom who brought her college-age daughter with her.

Unfortunately, the vacation is not as stress-free as the friends had hoped. Past transgressions surface, dynamics shift, and their relationships are tested.

Bottom line, Wendy Francis has delivered a fantastic escapist read in every sense with a fabulous setting, smooth writing, likable characters, and dilemmas that just about anyone could relate to. I enjoyed my time aboard The Summer Sail!

Thank you to Wendy Francis, Touchstone, and Netgalley for the ARC. The Summer Sail is available now!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Summer Sail by Wendy Francis is a contemporary novel of friendship, family, life and love. The story is told from multiple points of view of Abby, Caroline, Lee and Lacey.

Abby is celebrating her twentieth wedding anniversary and after getting some rather devastating news she decides to do it in style by booking a cruise for not only herself, husband and two sons but also her college friends Caroline and Lee and their families.

As the group sets said for Bermuda it quickly becomes apparent that all have different things going on in their lives that they are focused on. Not only is Abby struggling with sharing her news but Caroline struggling with wanting a proposal and Lee with reconnecting with her daughter, Lacey.

As a fan of cruising it only took one glance at the cover of this book to sell me on reading it. I was hoping to find the author had done a wonderful job with the setting as much as I was hoping for some lovely characters. Thankfully when finished I found both of these things and was even highly impressed at how well the author knows her cruising even including tips and tricks veteran cruisers have come to rely on. This was definitely a wonderful read all around.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5

Do not be alarmed if The Summer Sail by Wendy Francis makes you want to go on a cruise because now I desperately want to!

The Summer Sail focuses on 3 best friends that were roommates in college - Abby, Lee, and Caroline. To celebrate Abby's 20th wedding anniversary, she invites them to join her and her husband Sam on a cruise to Bermuda all expenses paid. Lee is a single mom living in South Carolina while Caroline is living in New York with her longtime boyfriend Javier. Everyone has something going on; Abby is carrying a large secret from her friends and 2 sons, Lee is struggling with her teenage daughter Lacey as she has become a bit of a handful after her first year of college in Maine, and Lee desperately wants Javier to propose on the cruise or she is considering calling things quits. Everyone is together on the cruise and it's amazing how much happens in the week that this book covers.

The Summer Sail switches viewpoints from Lee, Abby and Caroline with a little of Lacey interspersed as well. It was interesting to see how each person is dealing with their own issues, and what Lacey is thinking while also knowing what her mom Lee is thinking. I think this might be the epitome of a beach read. It was incredibly readable and I was able to finish the entire book plus the conversation with the author all under 4 hours, something someone could easily accomplish at a day at the beach.

I loved that there were serious topics told in an overall light hearted manner, plus the book leaves you feeling hopeful. I really connected to these women and Lacey, and I was tearing up throughout but especially towards the end. This was a super sweet book that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy at the end.

Final Thought: I think The Summer Sail will be relatable for a lot of women, and it's such a fun read about friendship, parenting and romance. Even though the characters are in their 40s and Lacey is 19, I still felt like I could connect to each of them in a way. If you like Hallmark movies there is a good chance you will love this book because I could totally see this as a Hallmark movie (and I personally love them). I definitely recommend this to people that need a lighter beach read to brighten up their summer.

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three college friends getting together for their yearly catch-up decided on a cruise paid for by Abby and her husband.

Abby had a loving husband, twin boys, and a secret.

Lee was a single mother with a college-aged daughter who had problems of her own.

Caroline was single and hoping her boyfriend of three years would propose to her on the cruise.

All the characters worked well with each other. Ms. Francis made each character come alive with most being likable.

The story line was pleasant and made you want to go on a cruise to Bermuda as well as think about all your blessings.

If you need a pick me up and an idea for getting back together with friends from your younger years, THE SUMMER SAIL will make you want to give your best girlfriends a call and suggest meeting.

THE SUMMER SAIL was a lovely change of pace for me. This book is about love, friendship, caring, and learning to live life to the fullest.

There were some nice quotes to think about as well.

ENJOY when you read THE SUMMER SAIL. 4/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the author. All opinions are my own.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book about a group of friends vacationing together on a cruise. At times, I felt like I was on the cruise with them and then once they got to Bermuda, I felt like I was there in the pink sand with them too. This is a great summer read for anyone! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Reeca Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, love, love this cover. Who does not love a cover which looks like instant relaxation!

Three college friends and their families are setting sail on a cruise to Bermuda, basically to celebrate the renewal of vows for Abby and her husband. This turns into a trip to remember.

This is a quick, good, all around beach read. And to tell you the truth, I have no idea what was so great about it. It really is a normal beach read about life, family, friends. Nothing special. But, I was captivated! All the way through.

Each character brings a different story into the mix. Caroline and her boyfriend Javier..is he going to propose? Single mom Lee and her college aged daughter Lacey…is she pregnant? And then there is Abby with her twins and her great husband…what is wrong with Abby? On top of all these questions, the setting of the cruise ship and Bermuda just kept me glued to the pages.

All the characters compliment each other and really give this story the kick you need to start off BEACH SEASON! HOORAY!

I received this novel from Edelweiss for a honest review

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will be the first to admit that I picked this book up at the library because of the cover. The cover is absolutely gorgeous; kudos to the designer. This is a book about a group of old college friends who meet up for a cruise to celebrate one friend's twentieth wedding anniversary. The characters are supposed to be around my age, but in truth, they think and act decades older. I felt like I was reading about people in their sixties at least, particularly Sam and Abby. Lacey was the most realistic and relatable character, with insightful views that really hit home. I am not a fan of books about idealized female friendship, because no one is like this in real life. The concept of this novel was good, but the characters were just too outdated. As someone who is precisely this age group, these people felt totally foreign to me. No one I know communicates any other way except texting, no one would be shocked that their teenage son was making out with a girl, no one thinks feminism is anything but misandry, no one in their forties thinks they are middle-aged, etc. The list goes on and on. Also, people have children later now. Almost all of my friends have elementary school aged children, we're nowhere near the teen years yet. Out of the adults, Caroline was the most believable. I wish women's fiction would catch up with modern women. Even my mother says that she finds books about 30/40 ish women to make them seem so much older than they are. We've changed and fiction hasn't.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though the topic about women's relationships with friends and family has been done before, Francis has created a cast of likable characters and a very enticing cruise ship and Bermuda setting. In fact, I'm ready to book the next ship bound for Bermuda--or any place warm and sunny. This is a solid entry for my list of Beach Books for 2018.

I enjoyed Francis' previous title THE SUMMER OF GOOD INTENTIONS, and would this recommend for fans of Nancy Thayer and Wendy Wax. It's a bit lighter in tone but readers of Elin Hilderbrand might also enjoy.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance digital reading copy.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too cutesy and fluffy for me. Not much depth and I think I needed a bit more out of the characters. Probably be a good read on the deck of a cruise for easy reading.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy #pubday to The Summer Sail! 🎉 Three college roommates reunite every summer, this year going on a cruise to Bermuda to celebrate the 20th wedding anniversary of Abby and her husband. Abby has a secret that makes this trip even more meaningful, will her best friends find out the truth? Caroline comes along with her boyfriend Javier, with whom she wants more of a commitment. Rounding out the trio is Lee, a single mom to Lacey. Lacey is in her first year of college and on uneven ground with her mom. I loved the details of the cruise ship and the beaches of Bermuda. This was everything a good beach read should be- it was light, witty, juicy, and has the right touch of mystery. Chock full of details that helps the reader slip away with them on the cruise to Bermuda, this was an enjoyable easy read. For me, this was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars (rounded up from 3.5). Thank you @touchstonebooks for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review of ” The Summer Sail” by Wendy Francis Published by Touchstone May, 2018

“The Summer Sail” by Wendy Francis is a perfect enjoyable summer read. What more could you ask for in a novel about friends and cruising to the sea and surf in beautiful Bermuda? I love the author’s scenic descriptions of the landscape on the boat, in the water, and on the land. The Genres of this novel are Fiction and Women’s Fiction.The timeline of this story is in the present and goes back to the past or mentions the future when it pertains to the events or the characters.

Wendy Francis describes her colorful cast of characters as complex, troubled, secretive, and loyal. This is a wonderful book about friends and sisterhood. Three college roommates meet together with their families and significant others on a cruise to celebrate one of their twentieth Anniversary Wedding Celebrations.

Many things have changed ,yet stayed the same in the twenty years span for the friends. Abby and her husband Sam along with their twin teenage sons are celebrating twenty years of being married by taking her friends on a cruise. Caroline in now a high-profile Magazine writer and is with her boyfriend Javier. Caroline is hoping for a proposal, but is Javier, who has been with her three years on board with that? Single Mom Lee, is trying to stabilize her relationship with her daughter Lacey, who has changed since her first year of college.

This is a heartwarming, captivating and endearing story of friendship, sisterhood, family, love, faith and hope. I would recommend this novel to readers that enjoy Woman’s Literature.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

On our road trip this summer, I flew through this one in one day. Good thing the husband was driving! I really liked the idea of this book, but honestly, I found myself skimming through some of the more uninteresting parts.

The story focuses on three former roommates in college and how they try to get together once a year. This year, one of the women invites the other two, along with their immediate families, to go on a cruise so she and her husband can renew their vows after 20 years of marriage. All three of the women are dealing with their own issues, so each chapter jumps around and focuses on each woman at a time.

The only one I was remotely interested in was the daughter, and even then, she was a bit shallow. The ending just seemed to appear without a whole lot of resolution, so that was rather disappointing. There were parts of the story that seemed a little too full of fluff, and there were other parts that made me wonder. Like whatever happened to the other twin after his brother got in trouble? It just wasn't a very memorable read for me.

[Kristen Freiburger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summer read! 3.5 ⭐️

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abby, Caroline, and Lee are best friends dating back to their college years when they all roomed together. Years later, Abby and her husband Sam are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary with a cruise and a renewal of vows on the shores of Bermuda. Joining them on the cruise are their twin boys, Caroline and her boyfriend Javier, and Lee and her daughter Lacey. As they board the cruise, each family unit is harboring secrets of some sort - Caroline desperately wants to get married and is thinking about giving Javier an ultimatum; Lacey, home for the summer after her first year of college, is late (in the female way, not the white rabbit way); and Abby is dealing with serious health issues that only Sam knows about and she needs to find a way to tell her best friends.

I've never been on a cruise before, but this book definitely made me think about wanting to go. I definitely want to go to Bermuda for vacation!

The story, however, was just ok. I enjoyed the relationship between the three women and love the idea of a friendship lasting so long with yearly reunions. I can totally relate to reverting back to your college self when you get around your old college friends (I do the same). However, each of their dilemmas seemed to get resolved and wrapped up way too easily. I usually don't like a huge amount of conflict in stories, but with this book, there wasn't enough. I gave it three stars, but I'd say it's somewhere between two and three stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Touchstone for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book fits the description "beach read" to a T. Lots of sun, drinks, a dash of romance, and a few minor snafus to deal with- hey, no one is perfect!

It's slowly revealed that one of the characters is sick, and while I guess this was added to give some more weight to the fluffy plot, I'm not sure that it does. It's kind of treated as a "that's a shame" rather than ever really dealing with the issue full on. Which makes sense for a beach read, but it made me wonder why it was even necessary to have.

Over all, a cute read, and one you could easily get through in an afternoon on a beach, even after a few cocktails.

[Lisa Gemert]

Don't you hate giving poor reviews? I do.

You know what else I don't like? Books that deserve poor reviews.

I loathe books where a secret is kept from the reader. It's so rarely done well. It's not done well here. Not only is the secret not well kept, but the characters are so flat, you don't even care.

I thought I would like this because I love cruising, but I didn't. I didn't like the casual sex with a stranger.

It was just too shallow. I felt like all of the characters were flat.

Why, oh why didn't I stop reading? I don't know. I kept expecting the author to pull it out. Nope.

Don't recommend.

[Lisa Keeffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very light summer read. I loved that it took place on a cruise and in Bermuda as I’ve been to the Swizzle Inn. That part was fun. The characters were not well shown. More of it was telling. There was also no twist or surprises of any kind, just a straight forward read as you know almost immediately what Abby is “hiding”. Fun book, nothing deep or thought provoking but a great option for the pool when you need to keep your eye on the kids while you read.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay too many books to read and when I am bored by a book I just have to stop reading it. This is just chugging along, lalala. These women just don't grab me. I was expecting so much from all the rave author reviews of her other books, but... not for me. My first DNF of 2018

[Samantha March · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous women’s fiction novel for your summer reading list! Right off the bat I was hooked on the story of three college friends who reunite on a cruise ship. I love friendship fiction and each woman’s story was interesting to read about, and the cruise ship setting was so much fun. We follow Abby, Caroline and Lee, and even though they have their own busy lives, families, and careers, their bond of friendship is still strong. Each is going through their own thing of course – Abby and her husband hiding a secret from their loved ones, Caroline hoping her boyfriend will finally propose, and Lee struggling with her suddenly sullen daughter.
This was a story that made me crave a sequel. How would each woman’s story continue? I read this on a plane, and toward the end I simply had to finish the book, even as we hit turbulence and my motion sickness wanted to kick in. That’s how much I enjoyed this story and had to get to the end. The writing is strong and moves at a quick pace, the scenery is vivid, and this is one I highly recommend.
I received a review copy

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "The Summer Sail," Abby has the idea to bring her two best friends from college, Lee and Caroline. on the cruise. Lee wants to bring her college age daughter, Lacey, to get closer to her and repair their frayed relationship but Lacey may be hiding a secret of her own. Caroline is bringing her long term boyfriend and hoping for an engagement or at least some sign that he wants to be with her for the long haul. Abby is hiding her own secret and reason for bringing everyone together.

I really liked this story. It's a good story of friendship and why it's so important to surround yourself with really good people. Although Abby is definitely hiding the biggest secret (no spoilers), everyone else is hiding their own hopes and fears throughout the book. Part of the fun of this book is seeing how the characters initially hide things from each other only to realize how important it is to let your friends in to help you when you need it!

The pacing and the writing of this book was great. I really liked how the author captured the warmth of the relationship between Abby, Lee, and Caroline! The author does a really good job of giving the reader just enough of a hint of where the story was going to keep you reading. I read this book super quickly because of that. This was a great summer read about friendship!

[Leith Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much, it's a classic "beach book". A group of friends from college who now have careers, spouses/partners, and children meet up on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate a wedding anniversary.

Abby and her husband Sam are celebrating their 2oth wedding anniversary with her 2 sons and she's invited her old friends on the cruise with them. Her never-married friend Lee comes with her college-aged daughter Lacey, and their friend Caroline comes with her long-time partner.

Each of the three friends brings their own personal baggage to the cruise - Abby has a secret, Lee is struggling with her daughter, Caroline wants a proposal. As the cruise progresses, they realize that their longtime friendship is stronger than ever.

I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Touchstone and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three women who were college friends have kept in touch over the years and decide to take their families on a cruise reunion. Twenty years have passed and Caroline, Abby and Lee are are all looking forward to hitting the beaches in Bermuda and catching up. Little do they know that one of the group is facing a health crisis, one is trying to repair her relationship with her daughter and one is hoping to get engaged as they sail in the sun. Pretty well written and realistic from my point of view as I get also get together with roommates from 40+ years ago. I'm hoping that Wendy Francis will write a follow up story that there is a little more closure with all three story lines.

[Sharlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book about the friendship of 3 women who were college friends. They are all older now and are going on a cruise to celebrate one of the three's 20th wedding anniversary. This book will appeal to those that like women's fiction and stories about friendship and families. I enjoyed the descriptions of Bermuda. I gave this book 4 stars.

[Janet Friesner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read. Second book I have read by this author and liked it as much as the first one. Story of three college roommates twenty years later who join the married roommate and her husband on a week cruise to Bermuda. Abby, the married roommate wants to renew her wedding vows there for her 20th wedding anniversary. Its a lovely story of three friends who are there for each other through thick and thin and they have need for each other at this point in their lives. A really touching story. A much read. Loved it.

[Jen Parenti · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5⭐️
This was an easy read but very enjoyable! I don’t read a lot of contemporary or chick lit but I definitely enjoyed this. First of all, the settings are great; you’ve left the port of Boston and you’re cruising on a large ship to Bermuda. Next the description of Bermuda’s pink beaches is great! Always fun to read a book in an exotic setting!

The three former college roommates all have different personal problems to resolve in this 20th wedding anniversary trip. There is a lot of love, friendship, and support between them. There are even some great classic book references made on the ship! That made me smile, imagining the character taking her books out of her beach bag while she sets up to bask in sunshine and read. Especially since that’s something I do a lot!

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable summer read about 3 college roommates who became best friends and still get together with their families. This vacation sees them off on a cruise ship where they will relax, and celebrate a 20 year vow renewal and help each other with their current problematic situations. This is my first time reading a book by this author and I look forward to more books by her. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Chantal Côté · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book as I wanted a light read. As I once went to a cruise to Bermuda, it seemed like the perfect setting. However, the location was not set as I had hoped. There were not many references to Bermuda or even cruise setting. The story revolved about the 3 college friends and their personal situations.

It was not a bad book but I was expecting more.

[Sherrie Howey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abby, Caroline and Lee have been best friends since college. Abby and her husband Sam are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary and invite Caroline and her boyfriend and Lee and her daughter to join them on a cruise to Bermuda.
There is plenty of family drama in this delightful book.The descriptions in the book makes you feel like you are on the cruise and on the beach in Bermuda. Abby is withholding a secret which she shares with her friends at the end of the cruise. This is a great book about friendship and family and I would love to see a sequel about what the future holds for Abby, Caroline and Lee.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the perfect end of summer book for reading by the pool or the beach. This is a nicely written story of 3 women now in their forties who were friends in college. They decide to take a cruise together with their families in tow to celebrate together the anniversary one of the group. What they learn is that their friendships are endearing , the fun and laughter never ends and they stay friends beyond the cruise. I enjoyed it as a chick lit book about strong female friendships. Reading about the cruise ship was a fun aspect of this book. A enjoyable read. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

[Cherry (_forevermint) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect summer/ beach read <3