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Yorktide, Maine #5
Home for the Summer
In bestselling author Holly Chamberlin’s poignant novel, a mother and daughter escape to a beautiful coastal town in Maine to find healing in the wake of heartbreaking loss.
The journey to Yorktide, Maine, was always a happy one for Frieda and Aaron Braithwaite and their two daughters. Frieda loves her mother’s old farmhouse, and the girls have grown closer there, sharing a bedroom and spinning stories into the night. But that was before—when tragedy was something that happened to other families.
Since the car crash that claimed the lives of her husband, and their younger daughter, Frieda has struggled emotionally and financially. Bella, now seventeen, is withdrawn and wary, and Frieda fears losing her too.
At her mother’s urging, Frieda decides to return to Yorktide with Bella for the summer. Bella gets a job in a local shop, and little by little edges her way back into the world. But it’s the unexpected connections they make—with a former schoolmate, a troubled teenage girl, and Frieda’s estranged father—that will spur them to find healing amid bittersweet memories, and discover if their bond is strong enough to guide them back to hope once more.
The journey to Yorktide, Maine, was always a happy one for Frieda and Aaron Braithwaite and their two daughters. Frieda loves her mother’s old farmhouse, and the girls have grown closer there, sharing a bedroom and spinning stories into the night. But that was before—when tragedy was something that happened to other families.
Since the car crash that claimed the lives of her husband, and their younger daughter, Frieda has struggled emotionally and financially. Bella, now seventeen, is withdrawn and wary, and Frieda fears losing her too.
At her mother’s urging, Frieda decides to return to Yorktide with Bella for the summer. Bella gets a job in a local shop, and little by little edges her way back into the world. But it’s the unexpected connections they make—with a former schoolmate, a troubled teenage girl, and Frieda’s estranged father—that will spur them to find healing amid bittersweet memories, and discover if their bond is strong enough to guide them back to hope once more.
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2017
217 people are currently reading
1774 people want to read
About the author
Holly Chamberlin
38 books563 followersHolly Chamberlin is a native New Yorker, but she now lives in Portland, Maine - the aftermath of stumbling across Mr. Right at the one moment she wasn't watching the terrain. She's been writing and editing - poetry, children's fantasies, a romance novel or two, among many other genres and projects - her entire life. She has two cats, Betty and Cyrus, and when she's not writing her hobbies include reading, shopping, and cocktails at six.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
June 28, 2017
I really don't like writing negative reviews. I get no joy from it. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting through this book. Almost every conversation the characters had with each other was in-depth about their innermost feelings, and it just seemed so unnatural and exhausting to me. The plotlines were many. The three main characters we read perspectives from were at times hard to distinguish from each other even though they were vastly different in age, from a teenager to a grandmother in her sixties. If you enjoy books that are extremely emotional and heartfelt, this one may be for you. Sadly, it was not for me. I need more realism in stories like this.
Frieda and teenage daughter Bella are struggling to come to terms with a huge loss. While on vacation, half of their family unit was involved in an auto accident and died. Frieda has lost a husband and daughter. Bella has lost her father and younger sister. Their family has shrunk and their lives have changed forever.
What hasn't changed is lively grandmother Ruby, mother to Frieda. She invites the two women to stay with her and Maine for the summer. The year anniversary of the tragic accident is approaching, and she hopes that it will help them to heal.
Bella isn't dealing with it well at all, despite her grandmother hooking her up with a job and being able to spend time in a seaside paradise. She makes a friend, but it's soon obvious that Clara is not the kind of friend that she needs. Frieda begins to reconnect with a man she knew as a child, but Bella can't accept that her mother is spending time with a new man. Even Ruby has some romantic difficulties of her own. The man she's been in love with for some time has asked for her hand in marriage, but she's very hesitant. Her one and only husband and father to her daughter abandoned them when Frieda was just a child, and they haven't seen him since. She's terrified to be abandoned again.
One thing is for certain: all of these ladies will face significant challenges and changes this summer.
Very minor spoiler:
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Net Galley and Kensington Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
Frieda and teenage daughter Bella are struggling to come to terms with a huge loss. While on vacation, half of their family unit was involved in an auto accident and died. Frieda has lost a husband and daughter. Bella has lost her father and younger sister. Their family has shrunk and their lives have changed forever.
What hasn't changed is lively grandmother Ruby, mother to Frieda. She invites the two women to stay with her and Maine for the summer. The year anniversary of the tragic accident is approaching, and she hopes that it will help them to heal.
Bella isn't dealing with it well at all, despite her grandmother hooking her up with a job and being able to spend time in a seaside paradise. She makes a friend, but it's soon obvious that Clara is not the kind of friend that she needs. Frieda begins to reconnect with a man she knew as a child, but Bella can't accept that her mother is spending time with a new man. Even Ruby has some romantic difficulties of her own. The man she's been in love with for some time has asked for her hand in marriage, but she's very hesitant. Her one and only husband and father to her daughter abandoned them when Frieda was just a child, and they haven't seen him since. She's terrified to be abandoned again.
One thing is for certain: all of these ladies will face significant challenges and changes this summer.
Very minor spoiler:
I received an advanced review copy of this book from Net Galley and Kensington Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
April 7, 2019
Three and a half stars.
A tragic accident resulting in the death of loved ones sees Frieda and Bella head to Yorktide, Maine to spend the summer with Frieda’s mother Ruby. Struggling with her great sorrow, Frieda finds herself at a loss to know how to help teenage Bella work though her grief and the guilt she feels. Bella has already cut herself off from most of her friends and especially her best friend Kerri. Ruby calls on her friend Phil to give Bella a summer job in an effort to give her something else to focus on. Then Bella meets up with a young girl called Clara and Frieda reconnects with Jack, an old friend whose wife died several years earlier. Ruby meanwhile has a decision to make about her relationship with the lovely, patient George but the past and her ex-husband who left Ruby when Frieda was eleven has left her wary. Over the course of the summer secrets will come to life and each of the three females in the family have a few issues to work through. Each of them will have a critical decision to make.
This is very obviously a character driven book. The three main characters spend a lot of time in introspection so if that is not your thing, you probably won’t enjoy this book. I quite like character study books, so I didn’t have an issue with it most of the time. Just occasionally it felt overdone, repetitive and a bit slow. Still overall, I enjoyed it and it does raise interesting issues about drug abuse, grief and family relationships.
I actually read this while I was in the middle of another book as I needed a break from the tone of the other one. This got me in quickly and kept me reading to the end but then, I like stories about families and the interaction between generations. If you’re looking for a fast paced page turner steer clear of this. However, if you are interested in an exploration of family, loss and perhaps second chances you might enjoy this one as I did.
A tragic accident resulting in the death of loved ones sees Frieda and Bella head to Yorktide, Maine to spend the summer with Frieda’s mother Ruby. Struggling with her great sorrow, Frieda finds herself at a loss to know how to help teenage Bella work though her grief and the guilt she feels. Bella has already cut herself off from most of her friends and especially her best friend Kerri. Ruby calls on her friend Phil to give Bella a summer job in an effort to give her something else to focus on. Then Bella meets up with a young girl called Clara and Frieda reconnects with Jack, an old friend whose wife died several years earlier. Ruby meanwhile has a decision to make about her relationship with the lovely, patient George but the past and her ex-husband who left Ruby when Frieda was eleven has left her wary. Over the course of the summer secrets will come to life and each of the three females in the family have a few issues to work through. Each of them will have a critical decision to make.
This is very obviously a character driven book. The three main characters spend a lot of time in introspection so if that is not your thing, you probably won’t enjoy this book. I quite like character study books, so I didn’t have an issue with it most of the time. Just occasionally it felt overdone, repetitive and a bit slow. Still overall, I enjoyed it and it does raise interesting issues about drug abuse, grief and family relationships.
I actually read this while I was in the middle of another book as I needed a break from the tone of the other one. This got me in quickly and kept me reading to the end but then, I like stories about families and the interaction between generations. If you’re looking for a fast paced page turner steer clear of this. However, if you are interested in an exploration of family, loss and perhaps second chances you might enjoy this one as I did.
June 11, 2017
The book starts with these beautiful soul-touching lines :
What we have once loved deeply, we can never lose. For all that we love deeply becomes a part of us - Helen Keller
A book of healing and second chances, of tragedy and strength, of hope and love between three generations of women; grandmother Ruby, mother Frieda, and granddaughter Bella.
An auto accident during a vacation takes the life of husband Aaron and younger daughter Ariel, a happy and loving family gets destroyed by one tragedy. In the days following that, Frieda is distraught and heartbroken but her resilience bounces back till Bella starts withdrawing from life, on the eve of the first anniversary. Frieda is at her wit's end, nothing seems to work for her daughter. Fearing for Bella's life, she decides to return home to her mother, Ruby, for the summer. The story thus moves forward, dealing with all stages of grief; the silence, the disbelief, the anger, the tears, the acceptance and finally the healing and moving towards life.
This book shows how fragile life is and each moment has to be lived fully; a moment once gone is always gone. Focus on the present, forget the past and the future and remain confident in the knowledge that nothing stays the same forever. Nothing stops with death but nothing ends with death too. Love is fleeting and momentary sometimes, so, hold your love close, caress it, bathe in its warmth and thank the powers to be for these precious moments.
Holly Chamberlin has written well, full of emotions, especially the pain of losing a sister wrenched my heart and filled my eyes with tears. Holly has brought home a lot of topics people face in today's life addiction to prescription drugs and more, loss of close family members, homosexuality and losing a partner to AIDS, opening the heart again to love and being vulnerable. There is a supernatural aspect too which would provide solace to all of us who have lost someone special. The only teeny tiny gripe I had was, there were 90 chapters for 90 days of summer, a little editing would have helped the book to go faster and emotions to be close knit.
But all in all a very good, enlightening book of second chances and living life to the maximum. Respect life with a capital letter by respecting oneself. Few lines from the book I quote:
Forgiveness means letting go of all hope of a better PAST
We take such a risk when we choose to love, but it's all worth it and we wind up with a family we never thought we would have
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee... Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so.... Death, thou shalt die.
For life wins always....
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and publisher and this is my honest and unbiased opinion
What we have once loved deeply, we can never lose. For all that we love deeply becomes a part of us - Helen Keller
A book of healing and second chances, of tragedy and strength, of hope and love between three generations of women; grandmother Ruby, mother Frieda, and granddaughter Bella.
An auto accident during a vacation takes the life of husband Aaron and younger daughter Ariel, a happy and loving family gets destroyed by one tragedy. In the days following that, Frieda is distraught and heartbroken but her resilience bounces back till Bella starts withdrawing from life, on the eve of the first anniversary. Frieda is at her wit's end, nothing seems to work for her daughter. Fearing for Bella's life, she decides to return home to her mother, Ruby, for the summer. The story thus moves forward, dealing with all stages of grief; the silence, the disbelief, the anger, the tears, the acceptance and finally the healing and moving towards life.
This book shows how fragile life is and each moment has to be lived fully; a moment once gone is always gone. Focus on the present, forget the past and the future and remain confident in the knowledge that nothing stays the same forever. Nothing stops with death but nothing ends with death too. Love is fleeting and momentary sometimes, so, hold your love close, caress it, bathe in its warmth and thank the powers to be for these precious moments.
Holly Chamberlin has written well, full of emotions, especially the pain of losing a sister wrenched my heart and filled my eyes with tears. Holly has brought home a lot of topics people face in today's life addiction to prescription drugs and more, loss of close family members, homosexuality and losing a partner to AIDS, opening the heart again to love and being vulnerable. There is a supernatural aspect too which would provide solace to all of us who have lost someone special. The only teeny tiny gripe I had was, there were 90 chapters for 90 days of summer, a little editing would have helped the book to go faster and emotions to be close knit.
But all in all a very good, enlightening book of second chances and living life to the maximum. Respect life with a capital letter by respecting oneself. Few lines from the book I quote:
Forgiveness means letting go of all hope of a better PAST
We take such a risk when we choose to love, but it's all worth it and we wind up with a family we never thought we would have
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee... Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so.... Death, thou shalt die.
For life wins always....
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and publisher and this is my honest and unbiased opinion
May 18, 2017
This is the second Holly Chamberlin book I've read, and I can honestly say I'm not a fan. (Spoilers ahead!)
I can't quite put my finger on exactly why this book didn't resonate with me.
A woman is tragically widowed while on vacation with her family: her husband and youngest daughter are killed in car accident. She and her older daughter must return home and pick up the pieces of their lives. Fast forward to the following summer - about 15 months later - and the two women have moved in to Maine to live in their mother's (Grandmother's) house for the summer.
And so the story begins.
Some impressions I had while reading it were:
The widow, Freida, has not seen her father since he left her and her mother when she was 11. Her mother, Ruby, has been in contact with him off and on, but he never reached out to his daughter in all the years since his leaving. Yet he starts calling to talk to Freida while she is staying at the house with her mother.
This story line was, in my opinion, useless. I didn't feel it helped the story at all, and I found myself skimming those parts to get to the next scene.
In chapter 8, right near the beginning of the book , Freida bumps into a man she used to know when she lived in town when she went to school. As soon as he enters the picture, you know he is going to be her love interest. However, right when she meets him in the gardening store, we read that: "Freida bet he could still fit into his high school basketball uniform. The thought made her flush with embarrassment."
Really? I didn't think this was necessary, it seemed over the top.
Bella is your average teenager, dealing with grief and survivor's guilt from the trauma of the loss of her father and sister. At the beginning of the book she is sullen and at times hurtful, and selfish. Throughout the story she changes, makes a dangerous friend (only one person as a friend in the entire summer?), smokes pot, starts to lie to her mother and grandmother. Then the dangerous friend gets more dangerous and so Bella suddenly reverts to being the 'good kid', the voice of reason. Is this reality? I don't know, as we really have no way of knowing how this character was before the accident,so we can't know if this is common for her or a new persona coming out of the summer experience.
The final main character, Ruby, the grandmother, put me off because she was written as if she was a 40-year old, not a 64 year-old woman. I am all for people who defy their ages, but all three characters seemed to have the same voice. The voice of a middle aged adult in the way they spoke.
I did enjoy the hints of Maine - the mentions of Wells and Ogunquit as I am a frequent visitor to the area and so it was nice to read the descriptions of the locations however, I thought that these people should really have spent more time at the beach. In only a few mentions did they spend any time there and while I understand being busy, it just seemed that if you are going to write a book that takes place at the southern coast of Maine in the summer, your characters should spend more than one rainy day at Marginal Way, an evening picnic at Ogunquit and shopping in Portland. (Seriously, no mention of the trolleys?)
As this is the second novel I have read from this author, and neither of them impressed me, I doubt I will read another. But I thank Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I can't quite put my finger on exactly why this book didn't resonate with me.
A woman is tragically widowed while on vacation with her family: her husband and youngest daughter are killed in car accident. She and her older daughter must return home and pick up the pieces of their lives. Fast forward to the following summer - about 15 months later - and the two women have moved in to Maine to live in their mother's (Grandmother's) house for the summer.
And so the story begins.
Some impressions I had while reading it were:
The widow, Freida, has not seen her father since he left her and her mother when she was 11. Her mother, Ruby, has been in contact with him off and on, but he never reached out to his daughter in all the years since his leaving. Yet he starts calling to talk to Freida while she is staying at the house with her mother.
This story line was, in my opinion, useless. I didn't feel it helped the story at all, and I found myself skimming those parts to get to the next scene.
In chapter 8, right near the beginning of the book , Freida bumps into a man she used to know when she lived in town when she went to school. As soon as he enters the picture, you know he is going to be her love interest. However, right when she meets him in the gardening store, we read that: "Freida bet he could still fit into his high school basketball uniform. The thought made her flush with embarrassment."
Really? I didn't think this was necessary, it seemed over the top.
Bella is your average teenager, dealing with grief and survivor's guilt from the trauma of the loss of her father and sister. At the beginning of the book she is sullen and at times hurtful, and selfish. Throughout the story she changes, makes a dangerous friend (only one person as a friend in the entire summer?), smokes pot, starts to lie to her mother and grandmother. Then the dangerous friend gets more dangerous and so Bella suddenly reverts to being the 'good kid', the voice of reason. Is this reality? I don't know, as we really have no way of knowing how this character was before the accident,so we can't know if this is common for her or a new persona coming out of the summer experience.
The final main character, Ruby, the grandmother, put me off because she was written as if she was a 40-year old, not a 64 year-old woman. I am all for people who defy their ages, but all three characters seemed to have the same voice. The voice of a middle aged adult in the way they spoke.
I did enjoy the hints of Maine - the mentions of Wells and Ogunquit as I am a frequent visitor to the area and so it was nice to read the descriptions of the locations however, I thought that these people should really have spent more time at the beach. In only a few mentions did they spend any time there and while I understand being busy, it just seemed that if you are going to write a book that takes place at the southern coast of Maine in the summer, your characters should spend more than one rainy day at Marginal Way, an evening picnic at Ogunquit and shopping in Portland. (Seriously, no mention of the trolleys?)
As this is the second novel I have read from this author, and neither of them impressed me, I doubt I will read another. But I thank Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2022
The pretty cover did me in. Do not recommend. It was like reading a bad superficial hallmark movie that would never end.
January 20, 2025
I hope that the author never reads this review because I am sure she is a lovely person and is obviously a more talented writer than I am, however as a reader I have a lot of not very nice things to say about this book. Let me preface with the fact my mom liked it so it isn’t a bad book and I know other people have liked it, so if you like emotional heartwarming stories you may like this. I personally however found this to be the most painfully boring book in the entire world. I have a number of things I didn’t like:
1- The fact there were 3 storylines going on at once, but they weren’t really easy to tell apart despite the fact they were following people of 3 different generations, so they shouldn’t be that similar. Plus, they were written the exact same way so it was just confusing and impossible to actually connect with the characters.
2- The fact it was written in 3rd person. I feel like if we’re going to have a whole chapter where a character is thinking, I need it to be as though the character is narrating their own thoughts so it a) makes sense and b) has context, as well would let me feel as though I were taking the perspective of each character and able to see their POV, instead of just watch the author tell 3 boring stories the exact same way.
3- Nobody talks like that. Literally nobody has conversations that emotional and profound, and only conversations like that. I feel like I never need therapy ever again because these people all talked like therapists. Maybe that’s the point, to bring some emotional maturity into this and just tell us these profound deep thoughts with the hope of changing our lives and idk touching our souls, but nobody engages in conversations like these characters did and it not only was so boring but made it so painful.
4- Clara’s drug addiction was so stupid. I’m not saying drug addiction is stupid- I’m saying how Clara’s was written was stupid. Nobody goes from weed to pain killers to heroine in the span of 3 weeks. Maybe they do, but also I doubt it. Also, Bella was so dramatic about the whole weed thing. Obviously her mom and grandmother are supportive- tell them your friend needs help, don’t not tell them because you’re ashamed you smoked weed. So frustrating.
5- The biggest thing for me was just how boring the plot was. It was literally 90% just the characters reflecting in the same way, from the same 3rd person narrator. The only interesting thing was the car crash right off the bat. I kept waiting for something interesting- I thought maybe that would happen when Bella smoked weed but she smoked it like twice and then that was that. The grandmothers plot was boring, I don’t care the slightest about her and George. The mother, Freida’s plot was slightly better, her and Jack’s budding romance, but their conversations made me want to pull my hair out they were so unrealistic and just therapist coded that it wasn’t entertaining. And then Clara’s overdose was so dumb and there was nothing to it. The only interesting part of the story wasn’t even built up well, and even Clara’s entire character, as soon as the story was getting good and finally we got to see what a little crazy freak Clara was, Bella got rid of her (which was a good call for Bella and necessary for Bella’s character development but made for a very boring story).
That’s all. I’m sorry this review wasn’t so nice.
1- The fact there were 3 storylines going on at once, but they weren’t really easy to tell apart despite the fact they were following people of 3 different generations, so they shouldn’t be that similar. Plus, they were written the exact same way so it was just confusing and impossible to actually connect with the characters.
2- The fact it was written in 3rd person. I feel like if we’re going to have a whole chapter where a character is thinking, I need it to be as though the character is narrating their own thoughts so it a) makes sense and b) has context, as well would let me feel as though I were taking the perspective of each character and able to see their POV, instead of just watch the author tell 3 boring stories the exact same way.
3- Nobody talks like that. Literally nobody has conversations that emotional and profound, and only conversations like that. I feel like I never need therapy ever again because these people all talked like therapists. Maybe that’s the point, to bring some emotional maturity into this and just tell us these profound deep thoughts with the hope of changing our lives and idk touching our souls, but nobody engages in conversations like these characters did and it not only was so boring but made it so painful.
4- Clara’s drug addiction was so stupid. I’m not saying drug addiction is stupid- I’m saying how Clara’s was written was stupid. Nobody goes from weed to pain killers to heroine in the span of 3 weeks. Maybe they do, but also I doubt it. Also, Bella was so dramatic about the whole weed thing. Obviously her mom and grandmother are supportive- tell them your friend needs help, don’t not tell them because you’re ashamed you smoked weed. So frustrating.
5- The biggest thing for me was just how boring the plot was. It was literally 90% just the characters reflecting in the same way, from the same 3rd person narrator. The only interesting thing was the car crash right off the bat. I kept waiting for something interesting- I thought maybe that would happen when Bella smoked weed but she smoked it like twice and then that was that. The grandmothers plot was boring, I don’t care the slightest about her and George. The mother, Freida’s plot was slightly better, her and Jack’s budding romance, but their conversations made me want to pull my hair out they were so unrealistic and just therapist coded that it wasn’t entertaining. And then Clara’s overdose was so dumb and there was nothing to it. The only interesting part of the story wasn’t even built up well, and even Clara’s entire character, as soon as the story was getting good and finally we got to see what a little crazy freak Clara was, Bella got rid of her (which was a good call for Bella and necessary for Bella’s character development but made for a very boring story).
That’s all. I’m sorry this review wasn’t so nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2021
What a great book about a family getting stronger & healing after the death of 2 family members. “Love is love is love”
June 13, 2017
A story about three generations of a family moving beyond tragedy, there was much to like about the book. The three main characters, Freida, her mother Ruby, and daughter Bella are together for the summer in the family home in Yorktide, a seaside vacation community. Getting past guilt and grief to acceptance and self respect are major themes, but some of the story lines seem a bit forced and unrealistic, like Ruby's and Frieda's acceptance of the husband/father who left them. Some important themes, such as drug abuse, add a needed touch of realism.
September 1, 2018
Very simple writing, and redundant. I didn’t give up on it, but found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit.
May 25, 2017
After Frieda's husband and younger daughter are killed in an accident, Frieda and her older daughter Bella return to Frieda's Mom's house for the summer. Bella is withdrawing from life and Frieda will do anything to try and reach her daughter. With the help of Frieda's mom Ruby, some old and new friends, and the love of family, Frieda and Bella are able to heal from the tragedy. This was a beautiful story of love and family, and learning to live again. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for an ARC in return for an honest review
April 16, 2025
Great read with so many great stories and how they all connect.
September 29, 2017
Kind of slow, and a sad story that was a bit too much focused on backstory and character development then moving the story along for my taste.
July 14, 2022
This was just a cheesy, Hallmark movie of a book… and not in a good way.
This could’ve been a really beautiful story showcasing the journey of 3 generations (a grandmother, her daughter & granddaughter) as they spend the summer together learning to grow & heal from their grief but sadly, it was very lackluster.
The characters, writing & dialogue were all very generic & one dimensional. It really was just one redundant chapter after another. Example: one unexciting thing would happen to the mom. The next chapter would just be the mom telling the grandmother what happened. The next chapter after that would just be the grandmother telling her friend what happened to her daughter, etc…. The only bright side was that the chapters were extremely short.
Also, on the topic of redundancy, while I knew that one of the major aspects of this was the family’s grief, I wasn’t expecting every single chapter and conversation to be about their grief & the accident that happened in their family. It ended up just being… too much.
The one thing that I did really enjoy about the book was Bella’s growth. I know the book was supposed to be about the 3 generations, but I do wish the author would’ve focused more on Bella’s storyline. It was the most interesting, in my opinion & I feel like so much more could’ve been done with it. The mother’s storyline was okay, but the grandmother’s storyline, in my opinion, was a complete snooze fest.
The book started picking up a *little* bit more towards the end, but not enough to save itself.
To sum this up, it was a simple & dull book about a heavy topic. I personally wouldn’t recommend this book, but if you’re into the Hallmark style, slow burn with unremarkable characters, this might just be the one for you.
This could’ve been a really beautiful story showcasing the journey of 3 generations (a grandmother, her daughter & granddaughter) as they spend the summer together learning to grow & heal from their grief but sadly, it was very lackluster.
The characters, writing & dialogue were all very generic & one dimensional. It really was just one redundant chapter after another. Example: one unexciting thing would happen to the mom. The next chapter would just be the mom telling the grandmother what happened. The next chapter after that would just be the grandmother telling her friend what happened to her daughter, etc…. The only bright side was that the chapters were extremely short.
Also, on the topic of redundancy, while I knew that one of the major aspects of this was the family’s grief, I wasn’t expecting every single chapter and conversation to be about their grief & the accident that happened in their family. It ended up just being… too much.
The one thing that I did really enjoy about the book was Bella’s growth. I know the book was supposed to be about the 3 generations, but I do wish the author would’ve focused more on Bella’s storyline. It was the most interesting, in my opinion & I feel like so much more could’ve been done with it. The mother’s storyline was okay, but the grandmother’s storyline, in my opinion, was a complete snooze fest.
The book started picking up a *little* bit more towards the end, but not enough to save itself.
To sum this up, it was a simple & dull book about a heavy topic. I personally wouldn’t recommend this book, but if you’re into the Hallmark style, slow burn with unremarkable characters, this might just be the one for you.
February 4, 2018
I think this was my first time giving a book that I finished just two stars...but I’m being honest. My mom gave me this book for Christmas so I read it because it was a gift. I didn’t love the plot and I really got annoyed by the characters. I left the book in the hotel I was staying. I know it takes effort to write a book but I didn’t find the characters memorable or the plot gripping enough to recommend. Sorry.
April 10, 2023
While the overall message of this book was a good one, it was like pulling teeth to get through. The characters were extremely dull and underdeveloped, the dialogue felt forced and each time I put the book down I didn’t have any overwhelming feeling of wanting to know what was going to happen next. Definitely a disappointment.
November 12, 2022
Although a beach read, I found this book slow and predictable. The remaining daughter's unlikely friendship w a random girl was a drag to the story. My favorite character was the independent, but loving grandma who tried to keep the visiting family "in line" and to move on w life
April 13, 2022
I slogged through this book mainly because I wanted to see how the author was going to end it. Mediocre book, didn't hate it, didn't love it.
July 6, 2017
*FTC Disclaimer: I received a paperback of Home for the Summer from Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. I have in no way been influenced by the author and/or publisher's generosity. You can't fake these stars, baby!
Review originally published at NDP Book Review.
Home for the Summer is E-M-O-T-I-O-N-A-L! Heartache, loss, regret, Holly Chamberlin gives us a trip to Level-5-hurricane-projecting-off-my-FACE-land in this stunning portrait of finding home.
If there’s anything I learned from this book, it’s this: Do not go to Jamaica. I repeat: DO NOT GO TO JAMAICA.
Jamaica is actually quite fabulous... but not for Bella and her mother Frieda.
Let’s begin.
It’s Bella’s 16th birthday and her family (mom, dad, and little sister) are in Jamaica. Bring out the rum and Redbull – yes, that’s a thing in the Caribbean – and let’s Macarena! *snort* Yah, the Macarena-of-Doom because Bella’s father and sister are tragically killed in a car accident.
Queue the tears. Gaaawd this book! How is Bella going to recover from this? (She doesn’t.) Her mother, Frieda, isn’t doing too hot either. Grief, doubt, regret, blame… Holly Chamberlin is sending us all on a self-pity stroll and there ain’t no comin’ BACK! 😱
Bella and Frieda try to move on. Keyword: TRY. Therapy, bottling up emotions, you name it and these two have tried it. Eventually, Bella withdraws from her mother and Frieda is desperate for her fun-loving daughter to return. Bella is this corpse moseying around without a soul nor personality.
What’s a woman to do when her daughter is distant? Frieda and Bella go to Frieda’s mother (Ruby) and stay at her home for the summer in hopes to reconstruct their lives; and these two need more than just some additional rebar in their foundation.
So off to Grandma's house we go! Yorktide, Maine to be exact.
Ohh-la-la… but wait… there’s a man. Incoming: Jack. Jack isn’t a superhero of a man, nor is he extraordinarily sexy in any way, but he is PATIENT. Yaaaas a patient hunk-o-man! This is just what I need, friends! It’s also what Frieda needs after mourning the loss of her husband for what seems like AGES. Jack, also, happens to be an old friend of Frieda’s… friends-to-lovers-syndrome? I say #YESPLEASETHANKYOU! Whoot whoot!
Bella, too, finds friends and Ruby is the catalyst to all of this healing. Generations apart, Bella, Frieda, and Ruby are all harboring their own fears and what-ifs. But now that they are all together – and home – they are able to heal.
This book is immaculate. It’s an emotional journey from regret to absolution, from being lost to being found, a path from abuse to healing. Frieda opens her mind and gives herself permission to find love again, Ruby is on a mission to repair her small family (isn’t every mother… *tears*), and Bella finally sees that happiness is not having the best things but making the best of what you have: family.
Holly Chamberlin’s writing is slow, and eloquent. Your heart will surrender and be completely encased in these unforgettable characters. Home for the Summer is heart wrenching and addictive. I was completely engrossed in this story of loss and strength. I also cried like my little heart wouldn’t heal, and I concurrently found peace as Bella, Frieda, and Ruby traveled on this epic journey towards happiness.
Review originally published at NDP Book Review.
Home for the Summer is E-M-O-T-I-O-N-A-L! Heartache, loss, regret, Holly Chamberlin gives us a trip to Level-5-hurricane-projecting-off-my-FACE-land in this stunning portrait of finding home.
If there’s anything I learned from this book, it’s this: Do not go to Jamaica. I repeat: DO NOT GO TO JAMAICA.
Jamaica is actually quite fabulous... but not for Bella and her mother Frieda.
Let’s begin.
It’s Bella’s 16th birthday and her family (mom, dad, and little sister) are in Jamaica. Bring out the rum and Redbull – yes, that’s a thing in the Caribbean – and let’s Macarena! *snort* Yah, the Macarena-of-Doom because Bella’s father and sister are tragically killed in a car accident.
Queue the tears. Gaaawd this book! How is Bella going to recover from this? (She doesn’t.) Her mother, Frieda, isn’t doing too hot either. Grief, doubt, regret, blame… Holly Chamberlin is sending us all on a self-pity stroll and there ain’t no comin’ BACK! 😱
Bella and Frieda try to move on. Keyword: TRY. Therapy, bottling up emotions, you name it and these two have tried it. Eventually, Bella withdraws from her mother and Frieda is desperate for her fun-loving daughter to return. Bella is this corpse moseying around without a soul nor personality.
Maybe she should have left Bella alone in the library, content with her own thoughts. Lately it seemed so hard to know the right thing to do or to say…
What’s a woman to do when her daughter is distant? Frieda and Bella go to Frieda’s mother (Ruby) and stay at her home for the summer in hopes to reconstruct their lives; and these two need more than just some additional rebar in their foundation.
So off to Grandma's house we go! Yorktide, Maine to be exact.
Ohh-la-la… but wait… there’s a man. Incoming: Jack. Jack isn’t a superhero of a man, nor is he extraordinarily sexy in any way, but he is PATIENT. Yaaaas a patient hunk-o-man! This is just what I need, friends! It’s also what Frieda needs after mourning the loss of her husband for what seems like AGES. Jack, also, happens to be an old friend of Frieda’s… friends-to-lovers-syndrome? I say #YESPLEASETHANKYOU! Whoot whoot!
Bella, too, finds friends and Ruby is the catalyst to all of this healing. Generations apart, Bella, Frieda, and Ruby are all harboring their own fears and what-ifs. But now that they are all together – and home – they are able to heal.
This book is immaculate. It’s an emotional journey from regret to absolution, from being lost to being found, a path from abuse to healing. Frieda opens her mind and gives herself permission to find love again, Ruby is on a mission to repair her small family (isn’t every mother… *tears*), and Bella finally sees that happiness is not having the best things but making the best of what you have: family.
There was no choice but to succeed. There was no choice but the accept the new reality and face the new future.
Holly Chamberlin’s writing is slow, and eloquent. Your heart will surrender and be completely encased in these unforgettable characters. Home for the Summer is heart wrenching and addictive. I was completely engrossed in this story of loss and strength. I also cried like my little heart wouldn’t heal, and I concurrently found peace as Bella, Frieda, and Ruby traveled on this epic journey towards happiness.
July 7, 2017
Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! This story was just released.
Full Disclosure: Life got in the way between the time that I finished this story and now when I am finally sitting down to write my thoughts. As I had many swirling around in my head when I completed it, some of those thoughts may now be lost with the passage of time. I apologize in advance if my words are not eloquent or if all of my thoughts do not make it to "paper as I had planned them. Hopefully I will not do any disservice as a result.
I am going to try not to rehash the plot of the book. The synopsis captures it well and the rest can be discovered by reading the story for yourself.
My first thought upon completion of this story is that this would make a great book club read. The reason? It covers many topics which there are a wide variety of views and differing opinions on. I can just visualize the heated debates that could take place from some of the themes touched on.
First, how long is appropriate to grieve the death of a spouse before beginning a new relationship? I myself have not opinion on the matter however I can see how there could be two distinctive camps on this one. The ones that think Frieda moved on too soon while the others who think that love should be captured whenever it is presented to itself.
The second would be Frieda's relationship with her father, and I say the word father very loosely. As you can tell, I do have a strong opinion on this one. I felt that he did not deserve any acknowledgement from Frieda. I can argue this one until I am blue in the face. I don't care about the good memories that occurred up until he left when Frieda was eleven (hopefully I remembered the age correctly, as mentioned I finished the book a few days ago). The fact that her left without contact until she was an adult is unforgiveable in my books. I know the story angles it as a story of forgiveness and unconventional family dynamics however it would never fly in my world. I would have that door shut, locked with a deadbolt, and the key thrown away. AND....when he did call, I would have reamed him a new one, told him where to go and how he can get there. Family is not about DNA but about those who love and support you through their actions. As mentioned, book clubs could have a field day with this one.
Another topic would be how Bella was dealing with her grief and the dysfunctional friendship she struck up while spending the summer with her grandmother. Talk about a friendship that has train wreck written all over it from the start.
So, if I were to recommend something, it would be to read this story however have at least one ther person you know also read it. Trust me, you are going to want to discuss it with someone. While it is not necessarily a fast moving story and its main focus is on dealing with the grief after the loss of a loved one (in this case loved ones), it is a story that will make you think.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! This story was just released.
Full Disclosure: Life got in the way between the time that I finished this story and now when I am finally sitting down to write my thoughts. As I had many swirling around in my head when I completed it, some of those thoughts may now be lost with the passage of time. I apologize in advance if my words are not eloquent or if all of my thoughts do not make it to "paper as I had planned them. Hopefully I will not do any disservice as a result.
I am going to try not to rehash the plot of the book. The synopsis captures it well and the rest can be discovered by reading the story for yourself.
My first thought upon completion of this story is that this would make a great book club read. The reason? It covers many topics which there are a wide variety of views and differing opinions on. I can just visualize the heated debates that could take place from some of the themes touched on.
First, how long is appropriate to grieve the death of a spouse before beginning a new relationship? I myself have not opinion on the matter however I can see how there could be two distinctive camps on this one. The ones that think Frieda moved on too soon while the others who think that love should be captured whenever it is presented to itself.
The second would be Frieda's relationship with her father, and I say the word father very loosely. As you can tell, I do have a strong opinion on this one. I felt that he did not deserve any acknowledgement from Frieda. I can argue this one until I am blue in the face. I don't care about the good memories that occurred up until he left when Frieda was eleven (hopefully I remembered the age correctly, as mentioned I finished the book a few days ago). The fact that her left without contact until she was an adult is unforgiveable in my books. I know the story angles it as a story of forgiveness and unconventional family dynamics however it would never fly in my world. I would have that door shut, locked with a deadbolt, and the key thrown away. AND....when he did call, I would have reamed him a new one, told him where to go and how he can get there. Family is not about DNA but about those who love and support you through their actions. As mentioned, book clubs could have a field day with this one.
Another topic would be how Bella was dealing with her grief and the dysfunctional friendship she struck up while spending the summer with her grandmother. Talk about a friendship that has train wreck written all over it from the start.
So, if I were to recommend something, it would be to read this story however have at least one ther person you know also read it. Trust me, you are going to want to discuss it with someone. While it is not necessarily a fast moving story and its main focus is on dealing with the grief after the loss of a loved one (in this case loved ones), it is a story that will make you think.
June 11, 2017
After a devastating car accident during a family vacation, that killed Frieda’s husband and teenaged daughter, Frieda and her other daughter travel to Frieda’s mother’s home for the summer, hoping to heal and re-calibrate their lives after this tragedy. Frieda is unsure whether she can even help her daughter, Bella, become again the easy going, fun-loving teenager she once was, and has no idea how or if she herself can even continue. In addition, Bella herself is wracked with grief and despair, unsure of who she is or how to go on after the accident. There are several other sub-plots that crop up in this story all of which are related, though not overpowering, to this same theme. The one sub-plot I could not really understand was the re-entrance of Frieda’s father, who had deserted the family years before and who had maintained no contact during these intervening years, into Frieda’s life. Since it had no real resolution and since it added nothing to the story, it became an unnecessary distraction, and I could not figure out why the author even included it. The story is a story of healing, rebirth, family togetherness and love, and how all help to overcome something like this accident as well as how family members, together, emerge from the event’s depths of despair and grief to healing, moving-toward- normal lives.
The book is well written and flows smoothly. The topic is not an easy one tackle, but the author has done a fantastic job. Initially, I figured this was one more feel-good, summer chick lit story but was surprised and impressed with the depth of emotions the author has elicited throughout. This definitely not a light, fluff summer beach read, but one with a powerful story line and premise. I found the characters Frieda and her daughter well done. The one thing I found difficult to take was the way the author tried to portray Frieda’s mother Ruby as a forty something woman when you knew she had to be in sixties. A lot of her actions did not ring true. She tried too hard to make her a vibrant, sixty something matriarch of the family. I also found her reluctance to go for a second marriage with a man I could easily see would become a perfect mate was a bit drawn out—especially since she seemed to have gotten over her first husband, Frieda’s father, so well. Nevertheless, Ruby, Frieda’s mother, did come across as a wonderful, loving, wise mother and grandmother to Frieda and Bella. Some of the other characters in the story likewise came across well. This is a great read. It has substance that has been woven well into a fascinating tale of two women’s healing in their loving family. This is a story I will not forget soon. I highly recommend it. I hope the author is planning a follow on about how Frieda and Bella and the rest continue to grow. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.
The book is well written and flows smoothly. The topic is not an easy one tackle, but the author has done a fantastic job. Initially, I figured this was one more feel-good, summer chick lit story but was surprised and impressed with the depth of emotions the author has elicited throughout. This definitely not a light, fluff summer beach read, but one with a powerful story line and premise. I found the characters Frieda and her daughter well done. The one thing I found difficult to take was the way the author tried to portray Frieda’s mother Ruby as a forty something woman when you knew she had to be in sixties. A lot of her actions did not ring true. She tried too hard to make her a vibrant, sixty something matriarch of the family. I also found her reluctance to go for a second marriage with a man I could easily see would become a perfect mate was a bit drawn out—especially since she seemed to have gotten over her first husband, Frieda’s father, so well. Nevertheless, Ruby, Frieda’s mother, did come across as a wonderful, loving, wise mother and grandmother to Frieda and Bella. Some of the other characters in the story likewise came across well. This is a great read. It has substance that has been woven well into a fascinating tale of two women’s healing in their loving family. This is a story I will not forget soon. I highly recommend it. I hope the author is planning a follow on about how Frieda and Bella and the rest continue to grow. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.
June 22, 2025
This book was a snoozefest. Unfortunately I don’t usually allow myself to DNF a book so I read the whole thing, but about a quarter into the book I could not wait for it to be over.
I was going to give a higher rating only because I was under the impression that this was the author’s first novel (just based on how bad the plot was). But after learning that she had written a lot of books before this one, I will not be so generous.
- The plot is essentially nonexistent. Frieda and Bella are sad at the beginning and then magically after moving in with Ruby over the summer they are healed.
- The dialogue sucks. Every single conversation is a sermon. These are the most pleasantly grieving bunch of people I’ve ever heard of. Even when they do argue, they get over it almost immediately.
- Ruby’s character is SO annoying. Her entire dilema is that, George.her boyfriend of 3 years proposed but she is afraid to get married again because her ex husband emotionally wrecked her. Which would be valid, except for the fact that Ruby continues to regularly keep in touch with her ex husband? Also, it would be totally reasonable for a 60-year old woman to just say to her boyfriend “hey, I want to be with you but I’ve done the marriage thing before and I’m not into it, so can we just stay together without getting married?” but apparently Ruby does not see this as an option.
- Frickin Steve Hitchens. Frieda is healed by the rekindling of her relationship with her father, except at the end he still sucks. After talking to her all summer over the phone (at his request), and saying they love eachother, Frieda asks Steve if he will ever come to visit her and he’s basically like “Nah, I’m good.” And Frieda’s completely fine with this.
- Don’t even get me started on Clara. The only friend that Bella managed to make the entire summer was a substance using stalker. Bella gets bad vibes from Clara pretty much immediately but continues to make plans to hang out with her out of a completely false sense of loyalty. Also, Bella is so worried about Clara but refuses to seek any kind of adult guidance regarding Clara’s substance use and suicide attempt. And despite Bella being in a terrible place and highly vulnerable, this terrible friendship that she has with Clara gives her a new lease on life. This whole part of the plot seemed like the author was trying to make some kind of ill-informed statement about drug use.
- Why did everyone keep it a secret from Bella that Phil’s late husband had AIDS? This part of the story was so strange. Not to mention the fact that Bella’s reaction to learning this was way too dramatic.
I was going to give a higher rating only because I was under the impression that this was the author’s first novel (just based on how bad the plot was). But after learning that she had written a lot of books before this one, I will not be so generous.
- The plot is essentially nonexistent. Frieda and Bella are sad at the beginning and then magically after moving in with Ruby over the summer they are healed.
- The dialogue sucks. Every single conversation is a sermon. These are the most pleasantly grieving bunch of people I’ve ever heard of. Even when they do argue, they get over it almost immediately.
- Ruby’s character is SO annoying. Her entire dilema is that, George.her boyfriend of 3 years proposed but she is afraid to get married again because her ex husband emotionally wrecked her. Which would be valid, except for the fact that Ruby continues to regularly keep in touch with her ex husband? Also, it would be totally reasonable for a 60-year old woman to just say to her boyfriend “hey, I want to be with you but I’ve done the marriage thing before and I’m not into it, so can we just stay together without getting married?” but apparently Ruby does not see this as an option.
- Frickin Steve Hitchens. Frieda is healed by the rekindling of her relationship with her father, except at the end he still sucks. After talking to her all summer over the phone (at his request), and saying they love eachother, Frieda asks Steve if he will ever come to visit her and he’s basically like “Nah, I’m good.” And Frieda’s completely fine with this.
- Don’t even get me started on Clara. The only friend that Bella managed to make the entire summer was a substance using stalker. Bella gets bad vibes from Clara pretty much immediately but continues to make plans to hang out with her out of a completely false sense of loyalty. Also, Bella is so worried about Clara but refuses to seek any kind of adult guidance regarding Clara’s substance use and suicide attempt. And despite Bella being in a terrible place and highly vulnerable, this terrible friendship that she has with Clara gives her a new lease on life. This whole part of the plot seemed like the author was trying to make some kind of ill-informed statement about drug use.
- Why did everyone keep it a secret from Bella that Phil’s late husband had AIDS? This part of the story was so strange. Not to mention the fact that Bella’s reaction to learning this was way too dramatic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2017
Home for the Summer by Holly Chamberlin is a moving story of love and loss and the importance of friends and family. An idyllic vacation in Jamaica to celebrate Aaron and Freida Braithwaite’s eldest daughter Bella’s birthday turns to unexpected tragedy when an automobile accident takes the lives of Aaron and their youngest daughter Ariel. Returning home to Massachusetts Freida and Bella are left to deal with the devastating loss of their loved ones with very limited success. After making small strides with a grief counselor, Bella at the anniversary of the accident becomes sullen and withdrawn. Desperate for a change in scenery and a way to help her daughter, Freida accepts her mother’s invitation to spend the summer in Yorktide, Maine.
As the summer progresses events take shape that begin to change everyone’s lives. Freida is once again reunited with her father and Jack, an old school friend that opens her eyes and heart to the possibility of finding love. Ruby, Freida’s compassionate and gregarious mother determined to assist her small family to heal, finds a way to let go of the broken marriage of her past to trust again. And Bella, through the pain of a new friendship with a girl named Clara and her grandmother’s best friend Phil, discovers how much she is blessed despite the tragedy she endured. With a new found love for her family and a determination to live fully, Bella once again sees the value of her life and all that it has to offer.
Holly Chamberlin always writes about the beauty of family and relationships and Home for the Summer doesn’t fail. I really liked the compassion shown to each other in this novel even in the worst and the most painful of circumstances. Freida and Ruby both learn they need to let go and trust. The male characters are all different, but caring and patient which I found particularly found endearing. Bella, was the most complex of the characters and showed the most change throughout the novel. It took the patience of her loved ones and the dysfunctional friendship with Clara to show her what she had in her life was worth living and fighting for. The changes in Bella were gradual and believable and I love a happy, realistic ending.
Home for the Summer by Holly Chamberlin is a heartfelt and moving story of family and love and finding your way home. Pack it up with your sunscreen and beach towels and settle in for a tender and ardent read.
I want to thank Kensington Books for an advanced copy of Home for the Summer by Holly Chamberlin for a fair and honest review.
Book Matron
As the summer progresses events take shape that begin to change everyone’s lives. Freida is once again reunited with her father and Jack, an old school friend that opens her eyes and heart to the possibility of finding love. Ruby, Freida’s compassionate and gregarious mother determined to assist her small family to heal, finds a way to let go of the broken marriage of her past to trust again. And Bella, through the pain of a new friendship with a girl named Clara and her grandmother’s best friend Phil, discovers how much she is blessed despite the tragedy she endured. With a new found love for her family and a determination to live fully, Bella once again sees the value of her life and all that it has to offer.
Holly Chamberlin always writes about the beauty of family and relationships and Home for the Summer doesn’t fail. I really liked the compassion shown to each other in this novel even in the worst and the most painful of circumstances. Freida and Ruby both learn they need to let go and trust. The male characters are all different, but caring and patient which I found particularly found endearing. Bella, was the most complex of the characters and showed the most change throughout the novel. It took the patience of her loved ones and the dysfunctional friendship with Clara to show her what she had in her life was worth living and fighting for. The changes in Bella were gradual and believable and I love a happy, realistic ending.
Home for the Summer by Holly Chamberlin is a heartfelt and moving story of family and love and finding your way home. Pack it up with your sunscreen and beach towels and settle in for a tender and ardent read.
I want to thank Kensington Books for an advanced copy of Home for the Summer by Holly Chamberlin for a fair and honest review.
Book Matron
July 4, 2017
Three generations of one family--a grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter--escape to a beautiful coastal town in Maine to find healing in the wake of heartbreaking loss.
Frieda Braithwaite is tragically widowed while on vacation with husband Aaron and daughters Ariel and Isabella (Bella)--there's survivor guilt and financial and emotional struggles;fearing she'll lose her remaining daughter, Frieda and Bella leave their home for Maine, where Ruby, Frieda's mother has always lived in an old farmhouse.
With the help of new friends and old--plus, the healing balm of family, Frieda and Bella mend their broken hearts. HOME FOR THE SUMMER is a sweet, tender read set in a tranquil coastal town that will carry along with those who yearn for simpler times, but also readers who resonate with the works of Diane Chamberlain and Nicholas Sparks.
For me, I wanted a slightly less saccharine tale. There are hints of 'something darker' with Bella wondering just what exactly caused the accident that claimed the lives of her father and sister, but that thread was never really followed through. Also, there is a slightly darker storyline with an 18-year old 'friend' Bella meets in Yorktide, yet some of it seemed a little forced and not entirely plausible (at least from my POV). Much of the dialogue is very on-the-nose and read a bit choppy, but keep in mind, I was reading an early edition and this may be more polished in the final edition.
I had a bit of difficulty connecting with the widowed mother (Frieda), the one who would presumably be closer to my own age. For some reason, I felt her character and Ruby's (the grandmother) voices tended to blur and I had difficulty connecting with either--though I will say--my mouth watered every time Ruby was in the kitchen. For me, it was 17 year old Bella's voice that resonated most with me--perhaps because she worked at a home decor place in Maine, which let's face it, would be a bit of a dream job for me.
Overall, I found HOME FOR THE SUMMER a perfect beach read for just about anyone who enjoys stories with a happy ending.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com
This ARC provided by Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Frieda Braithwaite is tragically widowed while on vacation with husband Aaron and daughters Ariel and Isabella (Bella)--there's survivor guilt and financial and emotional struggles;fearing she'll lose her remaining daughter, Frieda and Bella leave their home for Maine, where Ruby, Frieda's mother has always lived in an old farmhouse.
With the help of new friends and old--plus, the healing balm of family, Frieda and Bella mend their broken hearts. HOME FOR THE SUMMER is a sweet, tender read set in a tranquil coastal town that will carry along with those who yearn for simpler times, but also readers who resonate with the works of Diane Chamberlain and Nicholas Sparks.
For me, I wanted a slightly less saccharine tale. There are hints of 'something darker' with Bella wondering just what exactly caused the accident that claimed the lives of her father and sister, but that thread was never really followed through. Also, there is a slightly darker storyline with an 18-year old 'friend' Bella meets in Yorktide, yet some of it seemed a little forced and not entirely plausible (at least from my POV). Much of the dialogue is very on-the-nose and read a bit choppy, but keep in mind, I was reading an early edition and this may be more polished in the final edition.
I had a bit of difficulty connecting with the widowed mother (Frieda), the one who would presumably be closer to my own age. For some reason, I felt her character and Ruby's (the grandmother) voices tended to blur and I had difficulty connecting with either--though I will say--my mouth watered every time Ruby was in the kitchen. For me, it was 17 year old Bella's voice that resonated most with me--perhaps because she worked at a home decor place in Maine, which let's face it, would be a bit of a dream job for me.
Overall, I found HOME FOR THE SUMMER a perfect beach read for just about anyone who enjoys stories with a happy ending.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com
This ARC provided by Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
August 19, 2018
Frieda and Adam had a marriage full of love for each other and for their daughters. Bella is 16 and Ariel is 15. For Ariel's birthday the family is vacationing in Jamaica.
The girls are close, but they are total opposites. Bella is into sports and music and her group of friends. Ariel is quiet and reserved and prefers anything to do with history, art or plants. She is close to her sister, and prefers her company over that of friends.
Just before time to head home, Ariel finds a brochure showcasing a museum of Jamaican culture--artifacts dating to pre Columbia Days. While it will be cutting the time to catch the flight home, Adam promises to take Ariel while Frieda and Bella remain at the hotel. The bags are packed, the check-out has been done, the drive is not far.
As time goes on, it becomes apparent that something has happened. Frieda and Bella are notified by the authorities that a faulty rental car is responsible for taking the lives of both Adam and Ariel.
Life has changed.
For a while it seemed that Bella was handling the deaths as well as could be expected with the help of her counselor, but then she took a turn. She stopped contact with her friends and her grades in school are sliding. She refuses to see her counselor. Frieda makes the decision to go back home...to her mother in Yorktide, Maine. It is time for healing, a time for change.
While I liked the premise that you often have to back before you can forward, this book was just not right for me. There were many issues here, those of Bella, of her mother, of her grandmother, of nearly every character in the book.
As I read, each character was going through a variety of things that had affected their lives....death, abandonment, drug addiction, obsession, AIDS, anger, resentment, guilt, dishonesty...the list went on and on. I felt as though so many issues were distracting and certainly depressing. It seemed that there were a lot of filler chapters that featured filler dialogue that didn't add to the story. I found myself skimming words, then pages, then chapters to get to the end. Thankfully, near the end, the story began to once again come alive, and finally, finally, there was closure to everyone's situation.
The girls are close, but they are total opposites. Bella is into sports and music and her group of friends. Ariel is quiet and reserved and prefers anything to do with history, art or plants. She is close to her sister, and prefers her company over that of friends.
Just before time to head home, Ariel finds a brochure showcasing a museum of Jamaican culture--artifacts dating to pre Columbia Days. While it will be cutting the time to catch the flight home, Adam promises to take Ariel while Frieda and Bella remain at the hotel. The bags are packed, the check-out has been done, the drive is not far.
As time goes on, it becomes apparent that something has happened. Frieda and Bella are notified by the authorities that a faulty rental car is responsible for taking the lives of both Adam and Ariel.
Life has changed.
For a while it seemed that Bella was handling the deaths as well as could be expected with the help of her counselor, but then she took a turn. She stopped contact with her friends and her grades in school are sliding. She refuses to see her counselor. Frieda makes the decision to go back home...to her mother in Yorktide, Maine. It is time for healing, a time for change.
While I liked the premise that you often have to back before you can forward, this book was just not right for me. There were many issues here, those of Bella, of her mother, of her grandmother, of nearly every character in the book.
As I read, each character was going through a variety of things that had affected their lives....death, abandonment, drug addiction, obsession, AIDS, anger, resentment, guilt, dishonesty...the list went on and on. I felt as though so many issues were distracting and certainly depressing. It seemed that there were a lot of filler chapters that featured filler dialogue that didn't add to the story. I found myself skimming words, then pages, then chapters to get to the end. Thankfully, near the end, the story began to once again come alive, and finally, finally, there was closure to everyone's situation.
July 25, 2022
Although the book started our very slow and did not drag me in very quickly I did get immersed about half way in. This happened once character growth started emerging and the story became less redundant. There was more events happening, trials and tribulations, heart felt moments, and overall healing for the characters. At first I didn’t like that each character had their own viewpoint and seemed to only care about how they felt at first with their loss. However towards the middle and end it transformed to a more caring and understanding viewpoint of loss, how everyone grieves differently, how everyone’s needs are different, and how people need to heal in different ways. I think by having these different viewpoints really showed how much each character grew. Although there were no tears at the end only a little bit teary eyed I turned out to be moved by this book. I contemplated stopping reading it but I am glad I pushed through it. As a student getting my masters in social work I found myself evaluating how each character went through grief and really appreciated how the author brought awareness to therapy and actual facts/tips an actual therapist would give to someone going through loss. I can see how this book could be helpful for someone experiencing loss and may not be on the path of therapy yet. This book represents new beginnings, love is love, and healing isn’t a bad thing is just shows you can move on without forgetting and developing that new normal. A new life isn’t always a bad thing.
April 3, 2018
Kensington Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Home for the Summer. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.
After a tragedy while on vacation claims the lives of both her husband and her youngest daughter, Frieda Braithwaite must find a way to reach her grieving daughter Bella. At her mother's urging, Frieda decides that they need a change of scenery. The three generations of women come together under her mother's roof, at the old farmhouse in Yorktide, Maine. As the women work through their assorted issues, will the healing power of the beautiful coastal town be what they all need?
The biggest issue that I had with Home for the Summer is that there are simply too many main characters with too many problems. The main premise would have been enough to propel the book forward, so the side plots just serve to fracture the story. The three main characters, working their way through their collective grief, would have been compelling enough. The author spent too much time telling how the characters were feeling, instead of allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions. In a genre full of similar books, this is just not one that will stand out and be memorable. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Home for the Summer to other readers.
After a tragedy while on vacation claims the lives of both her husband and her youngest daughter, Frieda Braithwaite must find a way to reach her grieving daughter Bella. At her mother's urging, Frieda decides that they need a change of scenery. The three generations of women come together under her mother's roof, at the old farmhouse in Yorktide, Maine. As the women work through their assorted issues, will the healing power of the beautiful coastal town be what they all need?
The biggest issue that I had with Home for the Summer is that there are simply too many main characters with too many problems. The main premise would have been enough to propel the book forward, so the side plots just serve to fracture the story. The three main characters, working their way through their collective grief, would have been compelling enough. The author spent too much time telling how the characters were feeling, instead of allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions. In a genre full of similar books, this is just not one that will stand out and be memorable. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Home for the Summer to other readers.
May 17, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the publisher on Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This book starts out with a terrible tragedy (no spoiler here, since it is in the description) -when the family is on vacation, a car crash claims the lives of the father and younger sister. A year later, Frieda and her older daughter Bella are left to try to piece their lives back together. Frieda's mom invites them to her home in Maine for the summer to heal, but also because she is avoiding dealing with something in her own life. Other friends and characters come into the story, but every one is still dealing with their own losses, some recent and some more distant.
Sounds more than a little depressing, doesn't it? I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised that despite the heavy topics, this is a story that is more characterized by healing than loss, and a sense of hope is present throughout the book. It is clear that despite being touched by tragedy, the characters have a very strong bonds with each other that helps them deal with their losses. Yes, there is loss, but there is also so much love.
This is a good book to pick up if you are looking for something with a little more depth and character development than some of the other light summer books set at the beach.
This book starts out with a terrible tragedy (no spoiler here, since it is in the description) -when the family is on vacation, a car crash claims the lives of the father and younger sister. A year later, Frieda and her older daughter Bella are left to try to piece their lives back together. Frieda's mom invites them to her home in Maine for the summer to heal, but also because she is avoiding dealing with something in her own life. Other friends and characters come into the story, but every one is still dealing with their own losses, some recent and some more distant.
Sounds more than a little depressing, doesn't it? I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised that despite the heavy topics, this is a story that is more characterized by healing than loss, and a sense of hope is present throughout the book. It is clear that despite being touched by tragedy, the characters have a very strong bonds with each other that helps them deal with their losses. Yes, there is loss, but there is also so much love.
This is a good book to pick up if you are looking for something with a little more depth and character development than some of the other light summer books set at the beach.
June 27, 2019
See this review on 1776books.net...
http://1776books.blogspot.com/2019/06...
Holly Chamberlin's Home for the Summer begins with an unfathomable tragedy while a family is on vacation. The rest of the book is about how to go on in the wake of an event like this, ending with breakthroughs and hope.
Frieda and Aaron Braithwaite and their two daughters, Bella and Ariel, are having the time of their lives in Jamaica. When a car crash claims the lives of Aaron and Ariel, Frieda and Bella escape to Yorktide, Maine. They stay with Frieda's mother, where they have had happy memories in the past, but of course, they are still profoundly grieving. As they begin to pick up the pieces of their lives, they come to realize that they are not over. Both of them can have happiness and love again.
While the story itself is very moving, there are a few issues with Home for the Summer. The first is that almost every single interaction is long, lengthy, and introspective. This comes across as unnatural. So if you are looking for a book with lots of action, this probably isn't the one for you. It's extremely character driven.
All of the dialogue makes the book seem very long. There are no surprises at the end, so it probably could have been cut by a few chapters and it wouldn't have made a difference. However, all of this doesn't mean that Home for the Summer isn't a worthwhile read. Just know what you're getting into before you start it.
MY RATING - 3.5
http://1776books.blogspot.com/2019/06...
Holly Chamberlin's Home for the Summer begins with an unfathomable tragedy while a family is on vacation. The rest of the book is about how to go on in the wake of an event like this, ending with breakthroughs and hope.
Frieda and Aaron Braithwaite and their two daughters, Bella and Ariel, are having the time of their lives in Jamaica. When a car crash claims the lives of Aaron and Ariel, Frieda and Bella escape to Yorktide, Maine. They stay with Frieda's mother, where they have had happy memories in the past, but of course, they are still profoundly grieving. As they begin to pick up the pieces of their lives, they come to realize that they are not over. Both of them can have happiness and love again.
While the story itself is very moving, there are a few issues with Home for the Summer. The first is that almost every single interaction is long, lengthy, and introspective. This comes across as unnatural. So if you are looking for a book with lots of action, this probably isn't the one for you. It's extremely character driven.
All of the dialogue makes the book seem very long. There are no surprises at the end, so it probably could have been cut by a few chapters and it wouldn't have made a difference. However, all of this doesn't mean that Home for the Summer isn't a worthwhile read. Just know what you're getting into before you start it.
MY RATING - 3.5
July 18, 2017
When on holiday in Jamaica for Bella's 16th birthday her father Aaron and sister Ariel are killed in a car accident. Devastated Bella and her mother Frieda return home but struggle with the double tragedy.
After the first anniversary of the accident Bella who used to be the outgoing sister starts to withdraw, not interested in anything in life, falls out with her best friend and starts to fall behind with school work, Frieda is unable get through to her at all and their old easy relationship seems a thing of the past. When Frieda's mother suggests that they go and stay with her for the summer in the lovely old farmhouse that she grew up in Frieda jumps at the chance.
As the summer progresses Bella gets a job at a local shop and befriends another troubled teenager and gradually starts to come back out of herself - but will her mother think of herself and take a chance on an old school friend and will her Grandmother sort out her own love life or will they both run scared?
A good story, possibly a bit slow hence four stars but that is probably the nature of the book and the time taken for the problems to be sorted out so that they can all move on as a happy family
After the first anniversary of the accident Bella who used to be the outgoing sister starts to withdraw, not interested in anything in life, falls out with her best friend and starts to fall behind with school work, Frieda is unable get through to her at all and their old easy relationship seems a thing of the past. When Frieda's mother suggests that they go and stay with her for the summer in the lovely old farmhouse that she grew up in Frieda jumps at the chance.
As the summer progresses Bella gets a job at a local shop and befriends another troubled teenager and gradually starts to come back out of herself - but will her mother think of herself and take a chance on an old school friend and will her Grandmother sort out her own love life or will they both run scared?
A good story, possibly a bit slow hence four stars but that is probably the nature of the book and the time taken for the problems to be sorted out so that they can all move on as a happy family
June 25, 2017
Home for the Summer by Holly Chamberlin is a book to read! The three generations of women working through some serious issues while spending the summer in Yorktide, Maine is a book that will pull at your heartstrings. Ruby, the grandmother, Frieda, the mother and Bella, the granddaughter are in mourning. A horrid accident and two lives gone in an instant. Frieda and Bella are struggling with what has happened and all the surrounding guilt by being survivors. I love the interaction between the main characters and I love how their they stumble and try again to succeed in moving forward.
I love books set on the coast of Northern New England, perhaps because It is home. Holly Chamberlin is a new find for me in the last few years. (Although when I reviewed her list of books, a couple popped at me as books I may have read in the past.) I think her way of drawing out the story is inspired and inspiring. Her intermixing of common issues in today’s society helps keep the book grounded in our daily lives.
Home for the Summer is a great book; certainly one to read this summer!
I love books set on the coast of Northern New England, perhaps because It is home. Holly Chamberlin is a new find for me in the last few years. (Although when I reviewed her list of books, a couple popped at me as books I may have read in the past.) I think her way of drawing out the story is inspired and inspiring. Her intermixing of common issues in today’s society helps keep the book grounded in our daily lives.
Home for the Summer is a great book; certainly one to read this summer!
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