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Driftwood Summer
Three sisters- responsible Riley, vivacious Maisy, and fun-loving Adalee-reunite to save the family's beach-community bookstore. But summer also marks the return of Mack Logan, whose choice of Maisy over Riley years ago destroyed the special closeness between the sisters...
Now Riley, a single mom, is hiding a shattering secret about their mother. Maisy, a California designer, still blames Riley for ruining her one true love. And Adalee resents the family's intrusion into her summer plans. All three will be forced to confront the conflicts that tore them apart and the bounds of love and loyalty that still draw them together...
Now Riley, a single mom, is hiding a shattering secret about their mother. Maisy, a California designer, still blames Riley for ruining her one true love. And Adalee resents the family's intrusion into her summer plans. All three will be forced to confront the conflicts that tore them apart and the bounds of love and loyalty that still draw them together...
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2009
380 people are currently reading
8898 people want to read
About the author
Patti Callahan Henry
38 books6,568 followersPatti Callahan Henry is a New York Times, Globe and Mail, and USA Today bestselling author of sixteen novels, including her newest, The Secret Book of Flora Lea. She’s also a podcast host of original content for her novels, Surviving Savannah and Becoming Mrs. Lewis.
She is the recipient of The Christy Award “Book of the Year”; The Harper Lee Distinguished Writer of the Year and the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year for Becoming Mrs. Lewis. She is the co-host and co-creator of the popular weekly online Friends and Fiction live web show and podcast. Patti also was a contributor to the monthly life lesson essay column for Parade Magazine. She’s published in numerous anthologies, articles, and short story collections, including an Audible Original about Florence Nightingale, titled Wild Swan narrated by the Tony Award winner, Cynthia Erivo.
A full-time author, mother of three, and grandmother of two, she lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama with her husband, Pat Henry.
She is the recipient of The Christy Award “Book of the Year”; The Harper Lee Distinguished Writer of the Year and the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year for Becoming Mrs. Lewis. She is the co-host and co-creator of the popular weekly online Friends and Fiction live web show and podcast. Patti also was a contributor to the monthly life lesson essay column for Parade Magazine. She’s published in numerous anthologies, articles, and short story collections, including an Audible Original about Florence Nightingale, titled Wild Swan narrated by the Tony Award winner, Cynthia Erivo.
A full-time author, mother of three, and grandmother of two, she lives in Mountain Brook, Alabama with her husband, Pat Henry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 339 reviews
June 24, 2010
Once again I sit here with eggs on my face. This book comes from a genre that I have publically loathed and snubbed. I am the fantasy/sci-fi chick who looks down at girls who spend their time reading 'stupid chick lit drivel’. I think I have good reason to dislike romance books. I think they put unfair and impossible standards on men to which they can never achieve and make ALL women feel inadequate. I mean, if your man won’t fly across the world and bust into your office during the year end meeting to confess his undying love in front of the whole company then you must not be that special…right? For shame.
My problem here is that I managed to clump a lot of different genres under the chick-lit banner including romance, RomCom (is that only for movies?), pretty much anything pertaining to woman’s issues, the occasional Historical Fiction book and most notably, and regrettably, books like this one.
Perhaps I should get to my actual review now. I do not like reviews that begin by having a basic outline of the book but I’m stepping out of my normal pattern so I’m going to roll with it. Liberate myself.
This book is written from the points of view of two sisters; the eldest sister, Riley, who is a single mother living above a small cottage book store on the beach in Savannah, Georgia and her one year younger sister Maisy, who left home 13 years earlier and has made a life for herself in Laguna Beach, California as an interior designer. After their elderly mother takes a tumble down some stairs and breaks a few bones right before the cottage book stores’ 200 year anniversary and can no longer help with the festivities, Maisy is forced to return home for a week to help with the weeklong events. But who should be returning for the event but Mack Logan. The boy who, 13 years earlier managed to break both the girls hearts while maintaining god-like status in their minds and totally ruining their relationship.
So the book is basically about Riley and Maisy defeating their demons.
First I should say that I have always, desperately wanted a sister. All I got was a lousy older brother. I’m kidding. I love him very much and am thankful that he’s a part of my life. But it doesn’t change the fact that I want a sister and have spent every day of my life since I was 16 berating my poor mother for closing up shop before my sister/best-friend arrived. Therefore the story revolving around these sisters was bittersweet for me. I like to read books about sisters and I like to read books that have a strong family loyalty theme because it’s important to me in my life.
The only reason I picked this one up was for a book reading challenge and I expected to hate it. I expected it to be filled with Prince Charming’s and more amazing than life heroines who are smart as tacks, beautiful, witty, hilarious and perfect. I expected to roll my eyes every other page. I kind of expected there to be throbbing members and heaving bosoms. None of these things were in this book.
What was in this book were realistic characters. Characters who were insecure, bossy, caddy, selfish, pathetic and most importantly…not good with men. These women made mistakes and had issues dealing with them. It just came across to me as very plausible. I felt like there actually were people out there who had lived this exact story.
Admittedly, it had a happy ending. Everything in its place and neatly tucked away. I usually despise happy endings but I was okay with it. I needed that for these characters. I needed to end this story knowing they would be okay and do right by each other. How totally female of me right? I had hoped that the sappy part of me wouldn’t show up until at least my 30’s. Oh well, embrace it I guess.
My problem here is that I managed to clump a lot of different genres under the chick-lit banner including romance, RomCom (is that only for movies?), pretty much anything pertaining to woman’s issues, the occasional Historical Fiction book and most notably, and regrettably, books like this one.
Perhaps I should get to my actual review now. I do not like reviews that begin by having a basic outline of the book but I’m stepping out of my normal pattern so I’m going to roll with it. Liberate myself.
This book is written from the points of view of two sisters; the eldest sister, Riley, who is a single mother living above a small cottage book store on the beach in Savannah, Georgia and her one year younger sister Maisy, who left home 13 years earlier and has made a life for herself in Laguna Beach, California as an interior designer. After their elderly mother takes a tumble down some stairs and breaks a few bones right before the cottage book stores’ 200 year anniversary and can no longer help with the festivities, Maisy is forced to return home for a week to help with the weeklong events. But who should be returning for the event but Mack Logan. The boy who, 13 years earlier managed to break both the girls hearts while maintaining god-like status in their minds and totally ruining their relationship.
So the book is basically about Riley and Maisy defeating their demons.
First I should say that I have always, desperately wanted a sister. All I got was a lousy older brother. I’m kidding. I love him very much and am thankful that he’s a part of my life. But it doesn’t change the fact that I want a sister and have spent every day of my life since I was 16 berating my poor mother for closing up shop before my sister/best-friend arrived. Therefore the story revolving around these sisters was bittersweet for me. I like to read books about sisters and I like to read books that have a strong family loyalty theme because it’s important to me in my life.
The only reason I picked this one up was for a book reading challenge and I expected to hate it. I expected it to be filled with Prince Charming’s and more amazing than life heroines who are smart as tacks, beautiful, witty, hilarious and perfect. I expected to roll my eyes every other page. I kind of expected there to be throbbing members and heaving bosoms. None of these things were in this book.
What was in this book were realistic characters. Characters who were insecure, bossy, caddy, selfish, pathetic and most importantly…not good with men. These women made mistakes and had issues dealing with them. It just came across to me as very plausible. I felt like there actually were people out there who had lived this exact story.
Admittedly, it had a happy ending. Everything in its place and neatly tucked away. I usually despise happy endings but I was okay with it. I needed that for these characters. I needed to end this story knowing they would be okay and do right by each other. How totally female of me right? I had hoped that the sappy part of me wouldn’t show up until at least my 30’s. Oh well, embrace it I guess.
September 2, 2024
Driftwood Summer by Patti Callahan Henry is a family drama novel centered about family, forgiveness, and self-discovery. The story takes place on Palmetto Beach, where three estranged sisters—Riley, Maisy, and Adalee—are brought back together to save their family's bookstore, Driftwood Cottage. The possible sale of the bookstore, with their mother's poor health, forces the sisters to confront the conflicts that have driven them apart. Riley, the responsible one, stayed in Palmetto Beach to help their mother. Maisy, the middle sister, left to pursue a career in New York and then California, and Adalee, the youngest, struggles with finding her own identity.
The novel is a character driven story which alternates between the three sisters who shows family love and loyalty by being able to heal from the past. I really enjoyed this novel. It kept pulling me back. Not too heavy for this relaxing Labor Day weekend.
The novel is a character driven story which alternates between the three sisters who shows family love and loyalty by being able to heal from the past. I really enjoyed this novel. It kept pulling me back. Not too heavy for this relaxing Labor Day weekend.
April 16, 2025
Consider the first sentence in this book…
“…even the most ordinary life was like a good novel, a tale to be told.”
As readers we find ourselves inside Riley Sheffield’s Driftwood Cottage Bookstore owned by her mother. Her mother had transformed the cottage into a bookstore, downstairs, and Riley’s home with her 12-year-old son, Brayden, upstairs. And, even if Riley runs it, this is still her mother’s pet. She knows exactly what is needed and why to keep it important to the community.
The sense of place and feelings of comfort continued beyond that first sentence. I found myself entranced by the author’s description of that experience.
“The sea-infused air mingled with the scents of ink and paper. The ocean breeze coming through the open windows created a symphony with the creaking walls and groaning bookshelves. The same sand that found its way between her toes was also embedded in the cracks between the uneven floorboards.”
Could you smell the sea and books, too?
Even when Riley “ran her fingertips lazily across the spines of the books lining the crooked shelves” I found myself blissfully feeling those books, too.
I could easily get lost within this bookstore and its book clubs.
“Book clubs acted as a balm on the ache for intimacy.”
I wondered if I would ever get through this book with the way I kept finding so many quotes within the story to love.
I remember when this happened to me during the reading of Erica Bauermeister’s book, “No Two Persons.” ‘No Two Persons’ was my favorite book for 2023. I kept stopping every few lines to reflect on what was being said in the book. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In this story, Callahan Henry also included one of my favorite Thomas Jefferson quotes at the beginning of the book.
“I cannot live without books.”
That would definitely be me. I love when books do this to me. I want to be a part of the character’s lives. Live within the pages, and be aware of every aspect of what is happening around them. Especially when the centerpiece setting involves a bookstore.
But as I read on, in this book, I noticed something happening to me. With less quotable moments the story started to lose its’ appeal. Oh no! What happened? For me, it seemed to devolve into a chic-lit, been-here-before, soap opera of sorts.
Would it, or could it redeem itself for this reader?
Readers find that the story revolves around this family of 3 estranged sisters, asked to come back home to help save the bookstore. And, to be available for Kitsy, their mother, who has suffered a fall.
Maisy the now southern California designer, and Adalee, a college student, reluctantly come to support Riley and celebrate their mother’s upcoming birthday. Not knowing that there is more to their mother’s story. What secret is she hiding from her daughters?
At times it was hard to like the sisters. Adalee seemed like a selfish teenager, and Maisy seemed filled with mean energy. While Riley seemed to bathe herself in guilt and shame.
With past tensions, and jealousies, will these sisters be able to come together?
What about when Mack Logan decides to come back home, too? Could what happened between the sisters have something to do with Mack Logan? What did Mack do? Would sisters really allow a man to get between their sacred sisterly bond?
Can the sisters forgive each other and come together to help save the bookstore?
And, will they find their happily-ever-after? Afterall, it is chic-lit.
Redeeming qualities for story…
In some ways this chic-lit story of sisters, and old loves felt like a bridge towards finding the importance of family and community healing. With a backdrop of the beach and a bookstore and the importance of books. Especially with book clubs that foster compassion for others and a sense of community.
The story may have felt overly dramatic at times for this reader, but I appreciated the moments of celebration of those things I dearly love – books, the beach, a local town bookstore, and an imperfect love story.
Last note…This story also includes references to books to read within book discussion groups. The full list is provided by the author at the end of the story.
3.5 stars rounded up
“…even the most ordinary life was like a good novel, a tale to be told.”
As readers we find ourselves inside Riley Sheffield’s Driftwood Cottage Bookstore owned by her mother. Her mother had transformed the cottage into a bookstore, downstairs, and Riley’s home with her 12-year-old son, Brayden, upstairs. And, even if Riley runs it, this is still her mother’s pet. She knows exactly what is needed and why to keep it important to the community.
The sense of place and feelings of comfort continued beyond that first sentence. I found myself entranced by the author’s description of that experience.
“The sea-infused air mingled with the scents of ink and paper. The ocean breeze coming through the open windows created a symphony with the creaking walls and groaning bookshelves. The same sand that found its way between her toes was also embedded in the cracks between the uneven floorboards.”
Could you smell the sea and books, too?
Even when Riley “ran her fingertips lazily across the spines of the books lining the crooked shelves” I found myself blissfully feeling those books, too.
I could easily get lost within this bookstore and its book clubs.
“Book clubs acted as a balm on the ache for intimacy.”
I wondered if I would ever get through this book with the way I kept finding so many quotes within the story to love.
I remember when this happened to me during the reading of Erica Bauermeister’s book, “No Two Persons.” ‘No Two Persons’ was my favorite book for 2023. I kept stopping every few lines to reflect on what was being said in the book. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
In this story, Callahan Henry also included one of my favorite Thomas Jefferson quotes at the beginning of the book.
“I cannot live without books.”
That would definitely be me. I love when books do this to me. I want to be a part of the character’s lives. Live within the pages, and be aware of every aspect of what is happening around them. Especially when the centerpiece setting involves a bookstore.
But as I read on, in this book, I noticed something happening to me. With less quotable moments the story started to lose its’ appeal. Oh no! What happened? For me, it seemed to devolve into a chic-lit, been-here-before, soap opera of sorts.
Would it, or could it redeem itself for this reader?
Readers find that the story revolves around this family of 3 estranged sisters, asked to come back home to help save the bookstore. And, to be available for Kitsy, their mother, who has suffered a fall.
Maisy the now southern California designer, and Adalee, a college student, reluctantly come to support Riley and celebrate their mother’s upcoming birthday. Not knowing that there is more to their mother’s story. What secret is she hiding from her daughters?
At times it was hard to like the sisters. Adalee seemed like a selfish teenager, and Maisy seemed filled with mean energy. While Riley seemed to bathe herself in guilt and shame.
With past tensions, and jealousies, will these sisters be able to come together?
What about when Mack Logan decides to come back home, too? Could what happened between the sisters have something to do with Mack Logan? What did Mack do? Would sisters really allow a man to get between their sacred sisterly bond?
Can the sisters forgive each other and come together to help save the bookstore?
And, will they find their happily-ever-after? Afterall, it is chic-lit.
Redeeming qualities for story…
In some ways this chic-lit story of sisters, and old loves felt like a bridge towards finding the importance of family and community healing. With a backdrop of the beach and a bookstore and the importance of books. Especially with book clubs that foster compassion for others and a sense of community.
The story may have felt overly dramatic at times for this reader, but I appreciated the moments of celebration of those things I dearly love – books, the beach, a local town bookstore, and an imperfect love story.
Last note…This story also includes references to books to read within book discussion groups. The full list is provided by the author at the end of the story.
3.5 stars rounded up
July 27, 2012
this was a truly beautiful book! i think i finished the entire second half today because i just couldn't bear to put it down. this book has it all; love, family, secrets, hurt, betrayal, and so much more, all wrapped around my favorite two things: books and the beach! a perfect summer read, if you can get your hands on this book it's a must read!!
June 2, 2010
Beach read--breezy, not substantial. The setting, which is, in fact, a beach town, is described beautifully. The character development is not as well done. Two sisters return home (where mom & a 3rd sister live & run a bookstore). The town is buzzing with the anniversary of the store/historic home, which is being marked with a week of celebratory events. One man returning is the guy two of the sisters were in love with the last time they saw him, back when they were in their late teens. (This also lead to some huge tension still plaguing the sisters, mainly because one tattled on the other for breaking curfew on the last night the boy was in town.) Basically, I couldn't understand what the huge deal was--the author didn't let us see what was so special about this guy, what either sister did that was so unforgiveable, or what was likeable about the sisters. The oldest is a martyr raising the son she conceived in a one-night-stand precipitated by her feelings of rejection from the boy dating her sister (and for some reason, she never told the great guy who fathered her son that he has a kid). She seems to feel very put-upon by the mom, but we never see what is so bad about the mom...And she is always having trouble going places even during the day, like for a haircut, because she has no one to babysit her son--a mature-sounding twelve-year-old who goes off fishing all day anyway?? The middle sister grudgingly comes home, leaving her married lover back in CA. The youngest is a whiny brat who seems obsessed with her knob of a boyfriend, but her redemption comes when she and the middle sister spiff up the bookstore?
Seems like it would make a good chick flick--beautiful setting, makeovers of the oldest sister and of the store, and problems that can be easily and neatly resolved. In other words, enjoyable but cheesy.
Seems like it would make a good chick flick--beautiful setting, makeovers of the oldest sister and of the store, and problems that can be easily and neatly resolved. In other words, enjoyable but cheesy.
August 1, 2009
I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. I think it's a good vacation read. Funny how I've gravitated that way lately. No actual beach vacation for us this year so I'm reading books about people who live at the shore! I liked the author's writing. Having 6 sisters, I think Patti Callahan Henry did a great job portraying the Sheffield sisters' relationships with each other. It may have gotten a little dramatic and intense at times but that was believable as well. Another aspect of the novel that I enjoyed was the interaction between the 'summer people' and the town people. Not in a negative way - just that both groups seem to idealize each other and the location's effect on their lives. I have wonderful memories of family vacations at the shore and the people who live there year-round. So, if you're looking for a story about family dynamics and idealized relationships, Driftwood Summer may be just the book.
July 10, 2012
If I could give a book 10 stars, I would give it to this one. Better review to come but overall, a wonderful great read!
*updated July 10*
In a word, I would call this book, refreshing. This was one of those books that had me laughing out loud, crying at certain moments, and at the end, I was sad it was over.
We start off with Riley, the oldest of the three sisters, who runs a bookstore with her mom and young son. "Mama" as all good southern kids call their mom, took a stumble down the stairs and is now on bed rest at a very inopportune time. See, Riley and Mama are throwing a week long celebration in honor of Driftwood Cottage- where their bookstore is located- turning 200 years old, and Mama turning 70. The other sisters, Maisy and Adalee (whom I've decided will be the name of my daughter) are returning home just for the weekend for the party, until Mama's accident and now somehow, they've been swept up in the feeling of being home.
The book takes you back and forth, to what happened to cause a rift between Riley and her sister Maisy, to first loves, revealing buried secrets, and overall, a second chance at love, life, and family.
If you're looking for a book with a zany cast of characters, this book doesn't disappoint. So many of the secondary characters really provide a lot of comic relief. And if you want that wistful feeling at the end that you know you've just read a really great book, then pick this one up.
February 14, 2016
This was my first introduction to Patti Callahan Henry and really... it was a good one. I enjoyed the audiobook version. I liked the story of the three sisters, all different but when it comes down to it family is important. I liked the setting and the bookstore within Driftwood Cottage and all the characters that entered that store. Riley's story I particularly liked and lastly I liked that it was the sisters that bonded together and saved the day.
February 1, 2017
A book about a bookstore? Sign me up! Although at first glance this appears to be little more than summer chick lit, it was throughly engaging and I could not help but love all the name dropping of books and authors. However, I had difficulty comprehending how the grudge between the two eldest sisters carried on for so many years. Get over it already people! Overall, a worthwhile read and a welcome bright spot during the winter months.
June 26, 2022
A great summer read. Three sisters come together again on the anniversary of the home/bookstore the eldest sister, Riley, lives in and works in. Maisy ran off to California thirteen years ago and the youngest sister, Adalee, is focused more on her boyfriend than her college studies.
There is a love interest, Mack Logan, that two of the sisters have history with, but who gets him in the end? That’s the joy of the story.
I like that all of the books mentioned throughout are listed in the back.
There is a love interest, Mack Logan, that two of the sisters have history with, but who gets him in the end? That’s the joy of the story.
I like that all of the books mentioned throughout are listed in the back.
January 8, 2022
Beautiful family story !
June 27, 2018
Oh, this book makes my heart shine. Through happy tears and sad tears and the understanding of family issues; this book weaves together the beach and the sand and family.
July 26, 2012
"Good read for summer - beach town with 3 sisters coming together after a long period of time over falling in love with same guy years ago - and a mother about to lose her book store - if you love reading and summer beach small towns you will love it" Great author - read all her books!
November 13, 2023
Lots of romance drama along with family drama, but I did enjoy the characters and the setting. A beach house turned into a small town library with book clubs and mistakes that needed to be dealt with in order to heal. There were 3 sisters that needed this reconnect for forgiveness, and learning just how important family is. I liked the author's statement, "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." I think there is a lot of truth in that.
December 2, 2020
Review to follow
November 8, 2021
Great story. I really enjoyed
September 7, 2011
Driftwood Summer is the story of three sisters, all raised in small beach side town where people flock every summer to get away from their busy city lives. Although they were all raised there, the oldest, Riley, is the only one permanently living there, along with her son Brayden. The two live over the bookstore that Riley and her mother own. Maisy ran away from the sleepy little town twelve years ago, and the youngest sister, Adalee, has been busy at college.
But now it's the bookstore's 200th birthday...and Mama's 70th. And all three sisters are brought together by a series of events for longer than any of them really wanted. And as old friends come into town for the celebration, they find themselves half living in the past. Will they be able to get over it, or will it just tear them further apart? Will they be able to save the bookstore from it's debt?
I loved this book. I didn't think I was going to like I quite as much as I thought I was going to, maybe a three star rating, but look how wrong I was! It's a heart warming story. And it kind of makes you think about your life. Wonder if you're holding onto some things that you maybe should've let go of a while past. My only complaint is that Adalee didn't have a very big role in the book. I know that the age gap was a big one, ten years, but she didn't even get a perspective. The book was told entirely by Maisy and Riley.
But now it's the bookstore's 200th birthday...and Mama's 70th. And all three sisters are brought together by a series of events for longer than any of them really wanted. And as old friends come into town for the celebration, they find themselves half living in the past. Will they be able to get over it, or will it just tear them further apart? Will they be able to save the bookstore from it's debt?
I loved this book. I didn't think I was going to like I quite as much as I thought I was going to, maybe a three star rating, but look how wrong I was! It's a heart warming story. And it kind of makes you think about your life. Wonder if you're holding onto some things that you maybe should've let go of a while past. My only complaint is that Adalee didn't have a very big role in the book. I know that the age gap was a big one, ten years, but she didn't even get a perspective. The book was told entirely by Maisy and Riley.
May 12, 2019
3 sisters coming together and to save 1 sister’s Bookstore and home on the beach they all grew up on.
Is it chic lit? Yes but it had more depth than you think it might.
Do the characters have their own individual personalities that I was able to connect with? Yes!
I picked this book up because one of the 3 sisters is named Maisy, which is also my oldest daughter’s name. I’m so glad I did because it was a story I loved reading - pick this one up and sit on the beach for a great read.
Is it chic lit? Yes but it had more depth than you think it might.
Do the characters have their own individual personalities that I was able to connect with? Yes!
I picked this book up because one of the 3 sisters is named Maisy, which is also my oldest daughter’s name. I’m so glad I did because it was a story I loved reading - pick this one up and sit on the beach for a great read.
July 18, 2016
Nice beach read with a family of 3 sisters at odds with their lives. Most beach reads have that summer angst going on (have to, or there wouldn't be a book), make you think of summer love, and provide a "happily ever after" kind of ending. This was no exception, and as long as you don't expect anything terribly deep and thought-provoking, we're all fine. I'm on a mission to do no "deep" reading this summer, and am doing just fine with that philosophy 'til September comes.
July 19, 2009
Every summer I look forward to a Patti Callahan Henry novel as a pleasant beach read. This one didn't disappoint. How could I resist a story set in a southern beach town with an old beach home turned bookstore as the center of action? Add to that the tale of sisters, jealousies and an old flame to spark a sure-fire summer pleaser.
August 9, 2010
Good summer read for the beach. Predictable.
November 9, 2018
Bleh...
May 9, 2019
Sisters Riley and Maisy had a rift so big as teenagers that I wasn’t sure whether they’d even become friends again by the end of this book.
Riley, Maisy and their baby sister Adalee grew up together in a beach town. They were year long residents and they loved when summer rolled around and the vacationers came to town.
Riley and Mack were best friends as kids and Riley fell in love with him as she entered her teens. The summer before college, everything changed. Riley was hoping that her 18th year would be the summer Mack fell In love with her.
But one day, when Mack came to pick up Riley, he saw 16 year old Maisy again. Suddenly Maisy had a big crush on Mack. Unfortunately for Riley, Mack seemed to return the feelings.
Now, this might have been the thing that sisters could eventually get past. They are both in their 30’s now. But the situation with Mack set off a chain of events that changed the course of everyone’s life. And unfortunately, both women still think they’re in love with Mack.
How could this possibly resolve amicably right? Neither sister has seen him in over a decade but they both think he’s the one who got away.
In addition, both have made questionable choices over the years and chalked it up to a broken heart.
When Riley saw Mack with her sister, she got so jealous that she told her father that Maisy had broken curfew.
Their father made a huge scene and Mack left without saying bye to either sister.
Riley, on the very same night, had a few drinks and slept with a kind friend that she didn’t have feelings for. She got pregnant and had to drop out of college when she found out.
She moved home and her mother opened a bookstore, allowing Riley and her baby to live upstairs.
Maisy kept expecting to hear from Mack and when he never called or showed up the next summer, Maisy got drunk and slept with her best friend’s fiancée. She fled to California to try to outrun her guilt.
13 years have passed since the super dramatic summer. The girl’s’ mother invites Maisy and Adalee to come home for a big celebration at the bookstore.
It’s the 200th birthday of the house the bookstore is within. Mack was a previous resident, so he is invited to the party too.
The girl’s’ mother has recently learned she has cancer and she wants all her daughters to be home together.
Adalee is the youngest and has the least drama between her sisters. She has nearly managed to fail out of college and gotten a DUI but honestly she still brings way less drama to the table than Maisy.
I enjoyed the story but I would have liked it better if I liked Maisy more. I feel like she caused the problem in the first place. She went after a guy she knew her sister had feelings for, she slept with her friend’s fiancée and then had continued on a similar path of unavailable men over the years. Why is no one mad at Mack? He stopped talking to both sisters that summer.
I have to give the author a lot of credit for how real she made the characters. I don’t think I could have disliked Maisy so much if she hadn’t felt real, right? :)
I also appreciated the ending of the story. I very much appreciated that the epilogue took place a few months later. It was too soon to wrap the story up at the end of a week and I am grateful that the ending wasn’t open to interpretation.
Riley, Maisy and their baby sister Adalee grew up together in a beach town. They were year long residents and they loved when summer rolled around and the vacationers came to town.
Riley and Mack were best friends as kids and Riley fell in love with him as she entered her teens. The summer before college, everything changed. Riley was hoping that her 18th year would be the summer Mack fell In love with her.
But one day, when Mack came to pick up Riley, he saw 16 year old Maisy again. Suddenly Maisy had a big crush on Mack. Unfortunately for Riley, Mack seemed to return the feelings.
Now, this might have been the thing that sisters could eventually get past. They are both in their 30’s now. But the situation with Mack set off a chain of events that changed the course of everyone’s life. And unfortunately, both women still think they’re in love with Mack.
How could this possibly resolve amicably right? Neither sister has seen him in over a decade but they both think he’s the one who got away.
In addition, both have made questionable choices over the years and chalked it up to a broken heart.
When Riley saw Mack with her sister, she got so jealous that she told her father that Maisy had broken curfew.
Their father made a huge scene and Mack left without saying bye to either sister.
Riley, on the very same night, had a few drinks and slept with a kind friend that she didn’t have feelings for. She got pregnant and had to drop out of college when she found out.
She moved home and her mother opened a bookstore, allowing Riley and her baby to live upstairs.
Maisy kept expecting to hear from Mack and when he never called or showed up the next summer, Maisy got drunk and slept with her best friend’s fiancée. She fled to California to try to outrun her guilt.
13 years have passed since the super dramatic summer. The girl’s’ mother invites Maisy and Adalee to come home for a big celebration at the bookstore.
It’s the 200th birthday of the house the bookstore is within. Mack was a previous resident, so he is invited to the party too.
The girl’s’ mother has recently learned she has cancer and she wants all her daughters to be home together.
Adalee is the youngest and has the least drama between her sisters. She has nearly managed to fail out of college and gotten a DUI but honestly she still brings way less drama to the table than Maisy.
I enjoyed the story but I would have liked it better if I liked Maisy more. I feel like she caused the problem in the first place. She went after a guy she knew her sister had feelings for, she slept with her friend’s fiancée and then had continued on a similar path of unavailable men over the years. Why is no one mad at Mack? He stopped talking to both sisters that summer.
I have to give the author a lot of credit for how real she made the characters. I don’t think I could have disliked Maisy so much if she hadn’t felt real, right? :)
I also appreciated the ending of the story. I very much appreciated that the epilogue took place a few months later. It was too soon to wrap the story up at the end of a week and I am grateful that the ending wasn’t open to interpretation.
July 13, 2020
Women's fiction focuses on mothers and daughters a great deal it seems, and Driftwood Summer by Patti Callahan Henry is a good example. The three daughters -- Riley, Maisy, and Adalee -- need to come together as a family and pull off a celebration of the family bookstore as their mother Kitsie has taken a fall down the stairs at home.
Riley, the daughter who stayed home and runs the bookstore, has a 12-year-old son. Maisy took off for California a dozen years ago to live her own life. Adalee is a college student...and flunking some classes as they do get in her way with partying and romance. With some heavy-handed persuasion, Riley convinces the two to help her get through the party and face the facts that if enough money is not made, the bookstore will become history.
Of course, there are other issues to face as well. Two sisters in love with the same guy doesn't work out so well so there is that. Riley comes face-to-face with dealing with the father of her son that she has never revealed to anyone. A secret illness complicates the situation as well.
While some might call this a beach read since it is set on a beach in Georgia, I found it to be more women's fiction or domestic fiction. I have been spending time getting to know Patti Callahan Henry's writing, and each book I have read has been quite different. She is not going to be pigeon-h0led as one type of writer.
Her best known novel is likely Becoming Mrs. Lewis about the love story of Joy Davidman and the author C.S. Lewis. A Pennsylvania native, Henry lives in Alabama and South Carolina with her husband and family.
Riley, the daughter who stayed home and runs the bookstore, has a 12-year-old son. Maisy took off for California a dozen years ago to live her own life. Adalee is a college student...and flunking some classes as they do get in her way with partying and romance. With some heavy-handed persuasion, Riley convinces the two to help her get through the party and face the facts that if enough money is not made, the bookstore will become history.
Of course, there are other issues to face as well. Two sisters in love with the same guy doesn't work out so well so there is that. Riley comes face-to-face with dealing with the father of her son that she has never revealed to anyone. A secret illness complicates the situation as well.
While some might call this a beach read since it is set on a beach in Georgia, I found it to be more women's fiction or domestic fiction. I have been spending time getting to know Patti Callahan Henry's writing, and each book I have read has been quite different. She is not going to be pigeon-h0led as one type of writer.
Her best known novel is likely Becoming Mrs. Lewis about the love story of Joy Davidman and the author C.S. Lewis. A Pennsylvania native, Henry lives in Alabama and South Carolina with her husband and family.
January 16, 2025
Driftwood Cottage Bookstore is celebrating 200 years. Owners Kitsy Sheffield (70) and daughter Riley (32) are preparing a huge gala and invite the other 2 sisters, Maisy (31) and Adalee (22) to come home and help out. We're in Palmetto Beach, GA, a tiny touristy coastal beach town. Maisy is an interior designer located in Cali and Adalee is a college student, failing out. Old childhood flames are in the picture. Riley has a son Brayden (12) and we don't know who the dad is. She was knocked up while a freshman in college and had to leave school. There are so many issues: sibling rivalry, angst, drinking, cancer, running a store, debt, pining for old love interests, friendships lost, secrets, and of course hop. Does the family come together? The book is full of tension and you can't put it down. Most of the issues are based on reality of course so you will identify with them. Well done!
October 26, 2021
3.5 stars. This chick lit novel had realistic characters and issues ranging from estranged and complicated relationships, financial hardships, the pain of lost love, and health concerns. The mom and her three daughters, in which two sisters - Riley and Maisy- (the main POVs)- find themselves “unpacking” a past full of regrets and misunderstandings of their younger years while dealing with declining health of their mom and the threat of selling their family bookstore due to tight finances. The character development and pace was good, and the ending was real sweet. I loved the backdrop of summers at the beach, a cottage bookstore with a rich history, and several mentions of classic and contemporary books/authors, too. This was another buddy read with my friend, Tamara. It’s a solid summer read.
March 13, 2019
Ok I’m only about 2/3 way through this book. I’m enjoying the plot a lot, but what is up with the editing? Names seem to be confused constantly...Logan and Lodge are used interchangeably even though they are 2 separate characters. One minute a guy’s first name is Sheppard and the next he’s Mr. Sheppard as is it’s his last name. There’s a character named Ethel that they sometimes call Edith. And there are spelling errors everywhere, combining 3 words into one.
Normally small errors don’t bother me but this is so distracting! I had to stop reading to write this because I’m so annoyed. Not sure how anyone could charge money for a book with this many editing issues. It’s just so sloppy and lazy, and it’s really ruining what could be a great book.
Normally small errors don’t bother me but this is so distracting! I had to stop reading to write this because I’m so annoyed. Not sure how anyone could charge money for a book with this many editing issues. It’s just so sloppy and lazy, and it’s really ruining what could be a great book.
June 19, 2018
One of my favorite authors. I love her style! Probably because her novels are thick with all the sweet things of the south, and this book especially was filled the things that comfort my soul: books, a quaint family owned bookshop, decades long friendships, family ties, tiny southeastern coastal towns, coffee, books, beach, love, friendship, and more books, beach and family ! This, like all of her novels I have read, was a super fast and easy read. This one ranks at the top of my favorites by her! All the warm feels after reading this one.
May 3, 2019
What I kept thinking when considering how I would rate this book is, "well, it's a lot more interesting than a Hallmark movie!" Driftwood Summer falls in a genre that I don't normally read. It felt like a southern family soap opera at first - lots of drama - but with more wholesome themes and an ultimately redemptive plot line. I enjoyed reading it! It was quick, interesting, and fun to read. I was introduced to the author through her Becoming Mrs. Lewis novel. Driftwood Summer is a much lighter "beach read."
April 14, 2021
This, I believe is only the second book I have read by this author, and I am now officially hooked! Guess I will have to add her to my regular favorite author rotation. Glad I purchased a few of her reads. Looking forward to them.
This book was great. Sister and mother relationships explored through what becomes a character in its own right, the Driftwood Cottage Bookstore. Mostly likable, flawed characters, beautifully described so that I could picture who they were. The ending was very satisfactory. But not too mushy and perfectly imperfect.
This book was great. Sister and mother relationships explored through what becomes a character in its own right, the Driftwood Cottage Bookstore. Mostly likable, flawed characters, beautifully described so that I could picture who they were. The ending was very satisfactory. But not too mushy and perfectly imperfect.
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