The Summer It Begins: Goodbye Quilt / Wedding on Primrose Street

by Susan Wiggs, Sheila Roberts

THE GOODBYE QUILT by Susan Wiggs

Linda Davis is driving her daughter, Molly, across the country to start college. As her only child readies for this big change, Linda is torn between excitement for Molly and heartache for herself. Who will she be when she is no longer needed in her role as mom? On the trip, Linda pieces together the scraps that make up Molly's young life--the hem of a christening gown, a snippet from a costume. But in stitching the quilt, Linda realizes that making new memories are as important as cherishing those from the past.

A WEDDING ON PRIMROSE STREET by Sheila Roberts

As a wedding planner, Anne Richardson has seen mothers of the bride turn into Momzillas, and she's determined not to do that when it's her daughter's turn to get married. But once Laney gets engaged, all bets are off. Anne becomes obsessed with giving Laney the perfect wedding she herself never had. And that wedding needs to be held in Icicle Falls at Primrose Haus, the perfect setting, with owner Roberta Gilbert at the helm. Linda is the best at event planning but no expert on mother-daughter relationships, especially her own. Can these mothers and daughters put aside their differences to pull off the perfect wedding?

Genres: Romance

544 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 25, 2019

About the author

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.

According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. Readers can learn more on the web at www.susanwiggs.com and on her lively blog at www.susanwiggs.wordpress.com.

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is called The Summer it Begins, but I didn’t get it. It’s really two separate books, one called The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs, which is followed by A Wedding on Primrose Street by Sheila Roberts. No idea what the title refers to. I thought maybe there would be some intertwining of characters, but no, nothing. What the stories had in common was mother-daughter relationships. Stories were okay, a bit overwrought.

[Becky Hammack · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't get into it.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed both stories. I realize it wouldn't have been such a great story without Anne. Being a home bakery owner I was wishing I could slap Anne and make her realize what a Momzilla she was.

[Connie Glasgow]

Two stories in one book - fun weekend read!

[Karen Geurts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading both stories, it had been years since I had read them.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Wedding on Primrose Street first. Anne Richardson was a wedding planner and had seen many mothers turn into Momzillas too many times. But once her daughter gets engaged all bets were off.
They go back and forth with different idea's about flowers, locations, wanting to go to Vegas or go to Icicle Falls at Primrose Haus to get married. BUT IT IS A WONDERFUL STORY!

The Goodbye Quilt was written by Susan Wiggs and Linda Davis is driving her daughteracross country to start college (actually Molly's driving, mom is working on a goodbye quilt.) Anyway they play games along the highway, stop and eat at greasey spoons. But they had a great time, telling each other stories. After she drops off her daughter she buys a yarn shop and works there for 25 years (good).

[JoAnn M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two mother-daughter stories. First is The Goodbye Quilt, which has mom Linda driving with her daughter Molly across the country to her new college. Linda is working on a quilt with mementos of Molly’s life, and thinking about the soon-to-be empty nest. Second is A Wedding on Primrose Street, which concerns two sets of moms and daughters. Wedding planner Anne is helping with her daughter Laney with her wedding and finds a venue run by Roberta. Roberta’s daughter Daphne has just returned home after a disastrous break-up and wants to help Roberta with the business. Both nice stories.

[Carol Maciej-Weber · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are two stories in this book, the first is The Goodbye Quilt. I didn’t finish that story. It didn’t interest me, it seemed to be a mother’s thoughts as she put together a quilt for her daughter. She reminisced about each piece of fabric she added to the quilt.

The second story, A Wedding on Primrose street was more interesting. That story was again centered on mothers relationships with their daughters. There were two families stories. Again, this seemed slightly better than the first story.

[Dawn Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this was actually 2 different stories in the one book. I was reading The Summer if Begins: the Goodbye Quilt and was surprised when it ended half way through the book. Anyway I really enjoyed this as it is a situation that I will be facing in the near future. The second story wasn’t of interest so I never read it.

[Anna Ertl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going road-trip to take your daughter to college, it was a great read. It ended differently than I thought, but it was still a great read.

The second story was a little long a strung out. Ended badly as far as I am concerned. I will not be looking for anymore of Sheila Roberts books to read ever.

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Family Life Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Anthologies, Contemporary Women's Fiction

[Carolyn R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Goodbye Quilt- am a quilter and enjoyed her explanation of the events behind many pieces.

[Ellen Thielen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother daughter relationships are explored in two different stories. While not similar to my own, I found them entertaining and endearing.

[Ali Boice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed both stories a lot, but they were not amazing. I have to say I enjoyed the second story more.

[Ayny · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 for first story about the Quilt, it was okay, just could not get into it.
Did not read the second one, but have read others in the Icicle Falls series.

[Leslie Beebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two very enjoyable stories in this book. Both were very good storylines & great characters.

[Nancy Vik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book one, The Goodbye Quilt, was a very bittersweet read. This is a book relatable to all mothers. Very good!

I wasn’t as thrilled with “a Wedding on Primrose Street“. It seem to drag, and I found myself skimming through the story.

[Tammy Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wedding on PR is about relationships, with the main focus on the dynamics of mothers and their daughters, how they agree and disagree. The business of planning weddings and events provides the storyline, which takes the reader to an ending that is fun, but predictable.