The Summer Society

Gull's Landing #1

by Elizabeth Bromke

Dive into a spellbinding story of friendship, secrets, and the pact that started it all in this USA Today bestseller.

Thirty years ago, Beatrice and Sophia Russo and their two best friends swore to reunite every summer in Gull's Landing. Now Sophia is gone and Beatrice is on the verge of losing their family beach house. Determined to protect her sister's memory and their girlhood oath, Beatrice turns to the two others for help. But saving the house means facing old secrets...

Diane's nest is empty but her weekly planner is full. Still, she needs more than Bunco nights and Taco Tuesdays to be happy.

Sue is cracking under the heat of a dysfunctional marriage. When she learns the truth about her husband, a summer with old friends could change everything.

The three women are at a crossroads: leave the past behind them or conquer their ghosts with heart and laughter on the boardwalk of Gull's Landing. With a beachfront setting and flashbacks to their teenage years, The Summer Society is a moving and witty story about love, loss, and everlasting friendship.

The Summer Society is a standalone women's fiction featuring romance and mystery set against the backdrop of a boardwalk reunion. Readers can enjoy novels in the Gull's Landing series in any order.

The Summer Society

The Garden Guild

The Country Club

Genres: Fiction

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 16, 2020

About the author

Elizabeth Bromke is the USA Today bestselling author of The Summer Society and The Innkeepers and over 30 more titles set in the heartland.

Across her works, readers will find buried family secrets, slow-burn sweet romance, and, of course, the true meaning of home.

Come for the quaint houses, stay for the beautiful writing. Elizabeth is about to be your next favorite small-town storyteller.

Share your own story with her at elizabethbromkebooks.com

Reviews

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 update: I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. I didn't realized it had been 2.5 years since I'd read it and it was nice to listen to this story again.

Heads up: this is women's fiction, not a romance. Four girls--sisters Sophia and Beatrice (aka Bea), their cousin Diane, and Sophia's best friend Sue form The Summer Society. They'll meet every summer at Gull's Landing and be friends forever.

Of course young women grow up and the responsibilities of life get in the way. Fast forward 35 years, when Bea, Diane and Sue meet up at Sophia's funeral. A year after the funeral Bea sends postcards to Diane and Sue to meet at Aunt Lil's old house in Gull's Landing. She needs to go through the house and her sister's belongings but can't do it alone.

While The Summer Society meets one last time, they reminisce about the good old days, share long-time secrets they've kept to themselves and each woman makes life altering decisions about her future.

I love stories of women who remain friends for years and years. I liked the flashbacks that showed us these women as young girls and teenagers and how they became the women they were. I really like mysteries and suspense and this story had a little bit of a mystery running through it. I liked the changes Bea, Diane and Sue decided to make in their lives.

There's mild swearing and topics such as miscarriage discussed.

I received a complimentary copy through BookSprout, but also bought a copy for my personal library. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Summer Society” is a book full of unique characters and full of potential.

Read full review in the 2020 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. I love stories where women continue a friendship from their childhood days. I don't have that and I certainly wish I did.
There is more to this than just old friends reuniting. There is a bit of a mystery running throughout the book. One of the women has died. That's pretty much all you know and the mystery is surrounding her death. You also get some other dramas with relationships of the other women. Not just their relationships to each other. Their relationships with husbands and possibly a new romance for one of them.
Ms. Bromke is a master at drawing the mystery out and giving you tidbits of information that makes you starved for the next. Very entertaining book.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

[Elise Derr Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four young girls once made a pact. A promise to be there for each other -- any time, for any reason. They called themselves "The Summer Society".
***
Nearly 4 decades later, Sophia has passed away unexpectedly. Her older sister, Bea, calls one final gathering of The Summer Society to Aunt Lil's beach house in Gull's Landing. Cousin Diane and close friend Sue meet her there. They reminisce about the past, share their most closely guarded secrets and, in the process, find unanticipated healing, closure, and the power to move forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OVERALL
A touching story of three women who come together over the memory of a lost friend, supporting each other in their current predicaments. Bromke gives well-placed glimpses into each woman's life (past and present), gradually building up to the final resolution.

Language: mild profanity and vulgarity

Adult themes include: teen sexuality (no explicit sex); miscarriage; substance use: drinking wine, reliance on prescription medications; infidelity; bankruptcy; mild romantic undertones (mostly teenage relationships).

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of lasting childhood friendships through the years into adulthood. There's reminiscing , mystery and drama as the story unfolds. The author does a great job describing her characters and scenes and moves the story fluidly. I was glued to the pages from start to finish reading. I loved this book!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow, where to start. I've read several books by Elizabeth Bromke but this was by far my favorite. An endearing group of friends and the secrets that surrounded them in the summer of 1985 made for a fantastic summer read that brings back memories of yesteryear. Whether you grew up vacationing at the beach or on a lake or even camping in the woods, this book brings back memories of childhood vacations for the reader. Or so it did for me. I truly fell in love with the characters. Even Aunt Lil who wasn't actually there for present day happenings. This book pulls you in and takes you on a journey through the lives of the summer society during the summer of 1985 and present day in the setting of Gull's Landing in Aunt Lil's two bedroom beachfront home. And what a journey it was. It leaves you with feelings of nostalgia and slight sadness that time slips by so fast without you even realizing it, but also with the satisfaction that you've just read a really good book.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can never go wrong when you pick up a book by Ms. Bromke. I can always count on a sweet, clean and heartwarming story that will leave me with a nice warm feeling afterwards. This book surely did not disappoint. This is a very touching story about a group of girls who reunite again after one from their group has passed away. These girls share a special bond and we get glimpses of their earlier years when they were all together. They reconnect at the summer home where had spent many summers together when they were younger. They reflect on their lives and where they are now and where they should go from here. A touching and emotional book that I really enjoyed. I would definitely recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt story about friendships, the pitfalls of life & overcoming them. Loved the three main characters— real, honest, strong women.

[Pam Merrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four girls--two sisters, their cousin, and the younger sisters friend spent several summers together at Aunt Lil's beach house. In this book they meet there again after a death. You learn more about their summers together and more about their adult lives. It goes back in the past several times but gives you the year so you aren't taken by surprise. All have decisions to make about their lives and how they are going to live them now. An enjoyable read that makes you wonder what happened to your high school friends. I enjoyed my ARC from the author.

[Daphne Manning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really, really boring.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four girls grew up together and hang together every summer at aunt Lil´s beach house. They discovered love and decided to put a club together devised to discuss their ruses and their feelings. Most unfortunately, everything that should be shared was not and those hidden truths became more than they were and permeated their lives with sorrow and sadness until they got together again after one of them died. They outgrow the mourning, the difficult times they had in their lives and find their way. They learn to enjoy life and be happy again. The 4 main characters in this book are easy to find in any group of women who shared their childhood and teens together and one way or another had much less in common in their adult years and therefore are really, really relatable as is the story. It´s - as always is - a very entertaing book by Elizabeth Bromke which also is easy to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lcr · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Summer Society is a story of friendship and reminiscing. Four friends spent many summers together whilst growing up. Their friendship has continued and this is their last get together before the house is sold. There is a mystery and secrets are revealed..
This is an easy to read story and whilst it was entertaining I did question the friendships. True friends don't keep these kind of major secrets from each other... and it isn't just one person but all of them. Elizabeth Bromke is a terrific author and can be relied up for heartfelt and interesting books. There are some truly beautiful moments in this book and some interesting characters but overall, for me, it was just ok. However I definitely think you should read this book if you are a fan or love this genre as there is a lot to like and this is only my opinion.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cynthia Isaacs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four young girls ( two sisters, a cousin and a friend) spend their summers at Aunt Lil's beachside house and form The Summer Society, making a pact that they will always be there for each other.
30 years later there are only three of them left.
This story tells how they reconnect during a tumultuous time in each of their lives and also goes back in time to show the reader how they came to be where they are now.
The Summer Society is a very easy book to read and I was pleased to discover that it is the first in a series called Gull's Landing. Looking forward to reading The Garden Guild which is the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pam Vogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story of friendship from young teens to adulthood. The four girls called their little group The Summer Society. Every summer they would meet at Aunt Lil's beach house. They were each sworn to keep each others secrets. Gull's Landing sounds like a great place to spend the summer. Bea's sister, Sophia, passed away. Bea wanted them all to meet at Aunt Lil's one last time. What will happen to Aunt Lil's beach house? Will new secrets be revealed? They each need to decide on their own futures. I highly recommend this book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Janet Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing Up Living Summers on the Jersey Shore
This is the story of 4 young girls who spend the summers together on the Jersey Shore. They meet up again for a Big Chill reunion to prep the house for sale. During this final summer, they relive and finally settle all the memories of the past. The story gets really stretched out, sometimes getting one new piece of information is like pulling teeth. There is so much angst before the author finally releases this or that tidbit of the needed info. More than once I felt like yelling. 'Get on with it!' It was a good story that ended well. I received this ARC book for free from Booksprouts and this is my honest review.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting, engaging story about 3 women, all with lives in turmoil, who go back to the beach house where they spent summers, as children. Originally there were 4, but one has died.

All the women have held secrets and pain from the others. This book covers several time periods and follows each of the women. I thought it was well written and I thought that the end was satisfying. I would recommend this book to young adult readers through mature audiences, although there are some difficult topics covered.

I listened to the audio version of the book. The narrator did a great job.

[Elaine Coghlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Summer Society is about four friends who make a pact back in 1985, there are two sisters and a cousin. The story is told in the perspectives of each girl, we are able to see how each of the characters think. This story goes back in time telling you apart from each of the girls and then goes back to the present day.
I have read Elizabeth's books before and I can honestly say this is very good, well written a definite attention grabber and will keep you coming back for more.
It is different from Elizabeth's other books but still not one to be missed, I look forward to the next one in the series.
Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

The four girls spent their summers together on the Jersey Shore. They formed a secret group who would be together every summer. Life pulled them in different directions and they lost each other. When a tragedy occurs, it brings out all sorts of emotions and secrets. It changes their lives in many ways. This a wonderful story about what is important and to work on your friendships. I can't wait to see what comes next from Elizabeth Bromke.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books written by Elizabeth Bromke; she has done a great job at writing a good book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of books her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[SEng · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of four childhood friends Beatrice, Sophia, Diane and Sue and their time spent at Gull’s Landing. Beatrice is determined to save the family beach house and her sister Sophia’s memory so she gathers the Summer Society together again. I enjoyed this beautiful story of these best friends and how they remember the past and face the future. I look forward to the next one. I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

When they were girls in the eighties and nineties they spent their summers at the Shore with Aunt Lil.

Years later, the sudden death of Sophia almost brings the survivors of their Summer Society back together. A year later, each of the women finds a need and a new reason to connect again

With support from important parts of their past, each reaches for a new future with a respect for and connection with their past.

Moving sisterhood and built and chosen extended family story

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three childhood friends return to Gull's Landing to renew their friendship and share secrets. Can they get past losing the fourth member of the Summer Society? Can they change their lives as middle-aged women?
I enjoyed reading this book which showed the danger of keeping too many important secrets from people you love.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sherri Geisler Locke]

I mostly enjoyed the book. It seemed at times a bit confusing with the time jumps. The characters maybe could have used a bit more development. But it does have a nice story line. I did enjoy it enough to want to check out the other books in the series, even with the negatives. A friendship amongst a group of women that spans a lot of years and a small bit of mystery built in.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exceptional with realistic characters and a world that is full of friendship, heartache, drama, love, and more. If you love this type of book I recommend reading this one, you will need some tissues because this is an emotional book about life. This author is extraordinary and knows how to captivate the hearts and minds of her readers. I received this book for a fair and honest review via BookSprout.

[Kirstie Ibrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice story about a group of best friends who reunite many years later when one of them passes away. They reconnect at their old summer home where they confide in each other about their not so perfect lives. They learn secrets from the present as well as from the past and make their way onto new paths for the future. Loved the epilogue for this, wrapped it all up nicely.

[Michaela (Reading in the Heartland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was on pins and needles waiting to find out all the secrets these girls held. I enjoyed the mix of pat and present as the girls each had to go on a journey of discovery and make decisions about their futures.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!! I know when I get one of Elizabeth's books I'm not going to be disappointed. Beautiful characters you can easily fall in love with and they are easy to relate to. The story line is captivating, flows smoothly and is a truly enjoyable read. Highly, highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stefanie Lozinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a really sweet read, well worth the price of the E-book. The author definitely had me turning pages to see what the twists would be, and the secrets were satisfying. My only gripe is that I found the writing a bit confusing at times and didn’t always know who each character was.

[Marilyn Friga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story with lots of inspiring relationships

I especially enjoyed the relationship among the ladies. The book reminded me of my own childhood dreams and friends in which, I truly miss as we grow up and move on in life. Many of times, I wonder where they are now? Great story!

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Promising start to a series

The characters are likable but just a tad too eccentric. Information about Sophia could have been given a little earlier and in more detail but things got more cohesive in the last couple of chapters and the ending was satisfying. I’ll probably read the next one.