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The Summerhouse #1
The Summerhouse
Jude Deveraux’s marvelous New York Times bestseller is a touching and delightful exploration of the longings that live deep inside every woman’s heart, featuring three friends who get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to find out what might have been...Have you ever wanted to rewrite your past? Three best friends, all with the same birthday, are about to turn forty. Celebrating at a summerhouse in Maine, Leslie Headrick, Madison Appleby, and Ellie Abbott are taking stock of their lives and loves, their wishes and choices. But none of them expect the gift that awaits them at the the chance for each of them to turn their “what-might-have-beens” into reality... Leslie, a suburban wife and mother, follows the career of a boy who pursued her in college what if she had chosen differently? Madison dropped a modeling career to help her high school boyfriend recover from an accident, even though he’d jilted her. But what if she had said “no” when her old boyfriend had called? Ellie became a famous novelist, but a bitter divorce wiped out her earnings—and shattered her belief in herself. Why had the “justice” system failed her? And could she prevent its happening the second time around? Now, a mysterious “Madame Zoya,” offers each of them a chance to relive any three weeks from the past. Will the road not taken prove a better path? Each woman will have to decide for herself as she follows the dream that got away...and each must choose the life that will truly satisfy the heart's deepest longings.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
1684 people are currently reading
5306 people want to read
About the author
Jude Deveraux
199 books7,041 followersJude Gilliam was born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky. She has a large extended family and is the elder sister of four brothers. She attended Murray State University and received a degree in Art. In 1967, Jude married and took her husband's surname of White, but four years later they divorced. For years, she worked as 5th-grade teacher.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,096 reviews
March 18, 2018
So "The Summerhouse" series by Jude Deveraux is pretty popular. I have the first and second book in my collection, but I honestly have not read the first two books in a really long time. I just purchased the third book last weekend and thought this would be a good time to revisit the series. I have to say that it was good to re-read since I had forgotten how problematic some of the dialogue was and I didn't really care for one of the characters. A lot of reviewers that the main set-up was too unbelievable (it really is) and I have to say that the writing unfortunately falters due to splitting things between three characters. I know that in the second book Deveraux made sure her characters all went back to the same timeline so that helped make the book more cohesive. I have to re-read the second book eventually because I recall that one left me more dissatisfied than the first book did and I cannot recall why.
"The Summerhouse" has three women about to turn 40 reunite to celebrate their birthdays. I do know the synopsis mentions three best friends. These women are not best friends. The entire premise is they met when they were in the DMV years ago (when they were all 21) in New York. Due to the guy who worked at the DMV being a gross human being, he made sure he kept the three young women there so they ended up befriending each other. Cue now speaking for 19 years until one of the women contacts the other two on the advice on her therapist. The three women are Leslie Hendrick (currently married, not so happily) Madison Appleby (divorced) and Ellie Abbott (also divorced).
We find out through fits and starts what happened to the three women since they first met each other 19 years ago. Leslie out of the three women seems to have a good life except she thinks her husband is having an affair and her two kids treat her like a doormat. Ellie was left bitter and angry after a judge sided with her ex in the divorce and she is left having to support him for the rest of her life. Madison gave up her chance to be a model in New York to come home to take care of her ex-boyfriend (eventually ex-husband) who ends up leaving her.
Out of the three women I really liked Madison's story the best. I honestly liked Ellie's the least. Leslie I can't say much about since Deveraux honestly just ignores her for most of the book until the very end. It didn't even make sense what went on in her whole plot except I have to say her husband sucks even harder because apparently it's too hard to just have a conversation with people.
The secondary characters are not really developed outside of Madison and Ellie's stories. We get to see Madison's terrible ex, but also a love interest that really worked for me while I was reading. Ellie's ex-husband is just talked about, you don't get to see them interact. We also randomly have Ellie going off when she gets the chance to go back in time and the whole murder mystery she gets involved with should have been in another book.
The writing was so-so. As I said, I love time travel romance stories. I used to devour those things was a teenager. That said, the premise of this one with the three women doesn't work. I don't know why Deveraux didn't just change it so that they all stayed in touch during the 19 years and or went to school together, I don't know. I think that was the sticking point a lot of reviewers couldn't get past. The flow was not great from chapter to chapter since we kept jumping around to all three characters. Deveraux devotes the most amount of time to Madison's story I think just by my off the head calculation. The least amount of time is spent on Leslie's story. And Ellie comes in the middle.
The setting of Maine, New York and a ranch that Ellie goes to. None of them felt very real to me while I was reading. Meaning, that Deveraux doesn't incorporate the locations much into the writing. The women just meet up in Maine (and it doesn't even make sense why that's the place they meet up since they all met initially in New York City) and then they have a lot of conversations catching up with each other about what has gone on in their lives.
The ending was okay. I honestly liked Madison's story-line resolution the most. Out of the three women I thought she got the rawest deal. I didn't care about Ellie's since it got so dumb with the whole murder sub-plot. And I felt like Leslie should have listened to her mother more in this book and just left her husband and smacked some sense into her children.
"The Summerhouse" has three women about to turn 40 reunite to celebrate their birthdays. I do know the synopsis mentions three best friends. These women are not best friends. The entire premise is they met when they were in the DMV years ago (when they were all 21) in New York. Due to the guy who worked at the DMV being a gross human being, he made sure he kept the three young women there so they ended up befriending each other. Cue now speaking for 19 years until one of the women contacts the other two on the advice on her therapist. The three women are Leslie Hendrick (currently married, not so happily) Madison Appleby (divorced) and Ellie Abbott (also divorced).
We find out through fits and starts what happened to the three women since they first met each other 19 years ago. Leslie out of the three women seems to have a good life except she thinks her husband is having an affair and her two kids treat her like a doormat. Ellie was left bitter and angry after a judge sided with her ex in the divorce and she is left having to support him for the rest of her life. Madison gave up her chance to be a model in New York to come home to take care of her ex-boyfriend (eventually ex-husband) who ends up leaving her.
Out of the three women I really liked Madison's story the best. I honestly liked Ellie's the least. Leslie I can't say much about since Deveraux honestly just ignores her for most of the book until the very end. It didn't even make sense what went on in her whole plot except I have to say her husband sucks even harder because apparently it's too hard to just have a conversation with people.
The secondary characters are not really developed outside of Madison and Ellie's stories. We get to see Madison's terrible ex, but also a love interest that really worked for me while I was reading. Ellie's ex-husband is just talked about, you don't get to see them interact. We also randomly have Ellie going off when she gets the chance to go back in time and the whole murder mystery she gets involved with should have been in another book.
The writing was so-so. As I said, I love time travel romance stories. I used to devour those things was a teenager. That said, the premise of this one with the three women doesn't work. I don't know why Deveraux didn't just change it so that they all stayed in touch during the 19 years and or went to school together, I don't know. I think that was the sticking point a lot of reviewers couldn't get past. The flow was not great from chapter to chapter since we kept jumping around to all three characters. Deveraux devotes the most amount of time to Madison's story I think just by my off the head calculation. The least amount of time is spent on Leslie's story. And Ellie comes in the middle.
The setting of Maine, New York and a ranch that Ellie goes to. None of them felt very real to me while I was reading. Meaning, that Deveraux doesn't incorporate the locations much into the writing. The women just meet up in Maine (and it doesn't even make sense why that's the place they meet up since they all met initially in New York City) and then they have a lot of conversations catching up with each other about what has gone on in their lives.
The ending was okay. I honestly liked Madison's story-line resolution the most. Out of the three women I thought she got the rawest deal. I didn't care about Ellie's since it got so dumb with the whole murder sub-plot. And I felt like Leslie should have listened to her mother more in this book and just left her husband and smacked some sense into her children.
January 24, 2009
The level of suspension of disbelief it takes to get through this book is staggering. The reader is expected to believe that 3 women meet one afternoon in line at DMV. The bond the forge there is so strong {snort} that 19 years later they reunite... having never kept in touch during the interim. Uh-huh. Then of course there's the ability to travel back to relive any 3 weeks of their life, courtesy of "Madame Zoya." {double snort} The fact that the three women seemed to take the going-back-in-time-reliving-the-past so instride and without question had me further rolling my eyes. That being said, if you can get past that... and just go with it... it's an okay story of three women with the opportunity to examine their choices and decide would life have been better if they'd made different ones. (Would have given this one 2.5 stars if I could... went with 2 since it sure doesn't qualify for 3.)
December 22, 2012
Engaging. I didn’t want to stop reading. Very feel good ending.
STORY BRIEF:
Three women travel to a summerhouse in Maine for a reunion to celebrate their 40th birthday. They share the same birthday. They haven’t seen each other for nineteen years and tell each other about their lives. Terrible and depressing things happened to Madison. A terrible injustice happened to Ellie. Leslie is unhappy and disappointed with people and things. Then a mystical woman offers them a chance to go back in time and spend three weeks there, with their current memories in tact.
The first 2/3 of the book is the story of each woman’s life up until her 40th birthday. The last third is what each of them did during those three weeks and how their lives changed afterwards.
An important part of the story is men who cause heartbreak and ruin. Men also cause happiness. But this is not a “romance novel.” To be romance, more would be needed on the relationships with men. I see this as womens fiction with romantic influences.
OPINION:
Madison’s life was too depressing for me, too much heartbreak. I started thinking I don’t like this book. But the ending reversed it and more than made up for it. It was a wonderful ending. Neat things happened to all three women as a result of their do-overs. This was a creative way to explore the road not taken.
My main complaint was wanting more details and events during each woman’s three week do-over and resulting life.
A second complaint was that during the last third the author jumped around among the three stories too much. She told part of what happened to Ellie, then jumped to part of what happened to Madison and Leslie. Later she returned to finish the Ellie story. It was an “artificial device” to create suspense. The stories were naturally good and didn’t need this.
The narrator Melissa Hughes was good.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hrs and 46 mins. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one, vaguely referred to. Setting: 1981 to 2000 various U.S. locations. Book copyright: 2001. Genre: womens fiction with fantasy time-travel and romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Three women travel to a summerhouse in Maine for a reunion to celebrate their 40th birthday. They share the same birthday. They haven’t seen each other for nineteen years and tell each other about their lives. Terrible and depressing things happened to Madison. A terrible injustice happened to Ellie. Leslie is unhappy and disappointed with people and things. Then a mystical woman offers them a chance to go back in time and spend three weeks there, with their current memories in tact.
The first 2/3 of the book is the story of each woman’s life up until her 40th birthday. The last third is what each of them did during those three weeks and how their lives changed afterwards.
An important part of the story is men who cause heartbreak and ruin. Men also cause happiness. But this is not a “romance novel.” To be romance, more would be needed on the relationships with men. I see this as womens fiction with romantic influences.
OPINION:
Madison’s life was too depressing for me, too much heartbreak. I started thinking I don’t like this book. But the ending reversed it and more than made up for it. It was a wonderful ending. Neat things happened to all three women as a result of their do-overs. This was a creative way to explore the road not taken.
My main complaint was wanting more details and events during each woman’s three week do-over and resulting life.
A second complaint was that during the last third the author jumped around among the three stories too much. She told part of what happened to Ellie, then jumped to part of what happened to Madison and Leslie. Later she returned to finish the Ellie story. It was an “artificial device” to create suspense. The stories were naturally good and didn’t need this.
The narrator Melissa Hughes was good.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hrs and 46 mins. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one, vaguely referred to. Setting: 1981 to 2000 various U.S. locations. Book copyright: 2001. Genre: womens fiction with fantasy time-travel and romance.
July 6, 2008
If you could go back in time - would you? While this book is a serious summer/ice tea read, it stayed with me longer than I expected. If you could go back in time - for three weeks - change one thing - one day, one conversations, would you? When/where/what would it be. Would you be willing to risk what you have now to do so? Or maybe because of what you have now you would? Which prompts my own question - if you could change one thing -- the first credit card you ever got, the first diet you ever when on, or your first love....which would it be?
October 1, 2020
Comecei a ler o livro e ainda pensei em deixá-lo de lado, a história começa de uma forma deprimente, 3 mulheres que se junta vinte anos depois e começam a queixar-se de como foram maltratadas pela vida e de como estavam velhas e acabadas. Ora ler um livro destesm no final de Setembro, com o Outono a chegar e nós a passarmos por esta fase que já de si é deprimente, não seria a melhor leitura pois não?
Mas e há aqui aquele MAS... a história sofre uma reviravolta incrível que nos deixa vislumbrar a vida daquelas mulheres se tivessem enveredado por outro caminho.
E depois sim, foi uma história boa, mas boa de se ler, apenas achei um pouco curta e que no fim depois se precipitou, a autora poderia ter-nis dado mais um bocadinho das histórias de Madison, Ellie e Leslie porque ficamos com um vislumbre apenas no final.
Recomendo a leitura desta boa história!
Mas e há aqui aquele MAS... a história sofre uma reviravolta incrível que nos deixa vislumbrar a vida daquelas mulheres se tivessem enveredado por outro caminho.
E depois sim, foi uma história boa, mas boa de se ler, apenas achei um pouco curta e que no fim depois se precipitou, a autora poderia ter-nis dado mais um bocadinho das histórias de Madison, Ellie e Leslie porque ficamos com um vislumbre apenas no final.
Recomendo a leitura desta boa história!
July 25, 2012
I must admit I was extremely impressed with this novel. It wasn't at all what I expected it to be.
It's a very emotional tale, pulling you through the lives of three wonderful women and their very different yet equally traumatizing ordeals; then delivering that oft-dreamed fantasy: What if they were given the option to redo the last two decades of your life? Not just to change decisions, but also to change environments and social circles?
The whole narrative comes together incredibly smoothly and is deeply painful to empathize with each woman's difficulties, then becomes deeply satisfying when they unravel what changes they have chosen in life and how they achieved them.
This is a truly incredible book that I'd highly recommend to everyone, especially anyone who is emotionally sensitive or going through a very difficult transition in life. It certainly got me through my own difficulties and inspired me to completely revolutionize my own life.
It's too easy to categorize this book as half fantasy, half woman's literature - yet it is so much more than that and truly exceeds the stereotypes of both genres. I love this book so much that after borrowing it from the library I bought and read it three more times in the same week. The Madison character alone deserves a novel all to herself.
I typically reserve a 5-star rating only for the best of the best, and The Summerhouse is certainly that.
It's a very emotional tale, pulling you through the lives of three wonderful women and their very different yet equally traumatizing ordeals; then delivering that oft-dreamed fantasy: What if they were given the option to redo the last two decades of your life? Not just to change decisions, but also to change environments and social circles?
The whole narrative comes together incredibly smoothly and is deeply painful to empathize with each woman's difficulties, then becomes deeply satisfying when they unravel what changes they have chosen in life and how they achieved them.
This is a truly incredible book that I'd highly recommend to everyone, especially anyone who is emotionally sensitive or going through a very difficult transition in life. It certainly got me through my own difficulties and inspired me to completely revolutionize my own life.
It's too easy to categorize this book as half fantasy, half woman's literature - yet it is so much more than that and truly exceeds the stereotypes of both genres. I love this book so much that after borrowing it from the library I bought and read it three more times in the same week. The Madison character alone deserves a novel all to herself.
I typically reserve a 5-star rating only for the best of the best, and The Summerhouse is certainly that.
August 24, 2018
Adorei cada momento deste livro. Um livro que fala no poder da vida, da amizade e especialmente do amor. Precisamos de amor na nossa vida.
June 25, 2019
Uma leitura leve e viciante. Um romance muito bonito com um toque de magia.
June 11, 2018
I wouldn't have finished this book if I wasn't reading it for a book club. It's terrible. Real people don't talk or act like any of the people in this book. The basic premise of going back in time to relive a short time period is interesting and I wish it had been better executed.
July 25, 2018
Esperava muito mais deste livro!
January 12, 2015
This novel by Jude Deveraux that tackles the question "If you could go back in time, would you?" is an engaging read that combines time travelling, friendship and romance in a superbly written book.
After 20 years, three friends in their 40s reunite and think about what has gone on in their lives after two decades. A chance walk takes them to the mysterious Madam Zoya and her magical summerhouse. All three are given the chance to go back in time 20 years ago to modify past decisions and ultimately change who they become in the future.
What and if are two words that are harmless but deadly when put together. This is something I learned from the movie Letters to Juliet and this novel is made up of the what ifs of life and the chance to know the answers. To be honest, I can't write a proper review because it was just too good in my eyes.
The Summerhouse has everything I want: the flow of the story is good, the scenes were packed with emotions, the heroes will make you swoon, the characters are strong ladies that stood up to what life threw them, the chapters were taken from the reality of everyday life (except with the magical ones), the ending is perfect, there was a tad bit of magic involved and it's a story I want to live in and contemplate the possibilities of happening.
After 20 years, three friends in their 40s reunite and think about what has gone on in their lives after two decades. A chance walk takes them to the mysterious Madam Zoya and her magical summerhouse. All three are given the chance to go back in time 20 years ago to modify past decisions and ultimately change who they become in the future.
What and if are two words that are harmless but deadly when put together. This is something I learned from the movie Letters to Juliet and this novel is made up of the what ifs of life and the chance to know the answers. To be honest, I can't write a proper review because it was just too good in my eyes.
The Summerhouse has everything I want: the flow of the story is good, the scenes were packed with emotions, the heroes will make you swoon, the characters are strong ladies that stood up to what life threw them, the chapters were taken from the reality of everyday life (except with the magical ones), the ending is perfect, there was a tad bit of magic involved and it's a story I want to live in and contemplate the possibilities of happening.
did-not-read-b4-donating
January 17, 2016Pre-Read (4/10/15): My mother in law got this book for me for my birthday. Even though I'm basically done with Deveraux's books, but what the hell? :)
Abandoned (1/16/16): I'm being honest with myself in the fact that I don't want to read this and I probably never will.
Abandoned (1/16/16): I'm being honest with myself in the fact that I don't want to read this and I probably never will.
February 9, 2021
This is my first Jude Deveraux novel. I was a little hesitant because I'm not normally into romance novels--which Deveraux is known for. But The Summerhouse is not a traditional romance novel. This actually was a charming and relaxing read-- looking into the insights of three young promising women that meet on their shared 21st birthday. Not keeping in touch with each other, their unique bond was not forgotten so they reunite for their 40th birthdays. This is a story of how when they see each other again they all know their lives did not fulfill the promises each had seen 20 years earlier. Through meeting a time traveling/psychic/ fortune teller they are given the ability to travel back in time for three weeks and change the ways their lives turned out. While this part was a little farfetched than when i am used to reading, I loved the three characters and their stories of their lives and their journeys back in time to possible change their own destiny.
September 4, 2019
No início tive alguma dificuldade em distinguir a Ellie da Leslie devido à semelhança do nome, depois pensei, mais do mesmo. Mas no final fui verdadeiramente surpreendida. Gostei bastanye
July 20, 2018
I am only giving this book a 3 stars because i really enjoyed the first half of the book but once it got to the whole time traveling part i was really disappointed i was expecting more excitement from 3 middle age women traveling back to their 20s. it just really fell flat for me. if i wouldn't have liked the first half so much this would be a 2 star rating for me.
July 14, 2017
If you had a chance to go back in time and change one decision you have made in your life, would you do it? What an interesting premise and what a fabulous book! Onto "Return to Summerhouse."
June 13, 2024
Quantos de nós gostariam que lhes acontecesse o mesmo que aquelas três mulheres? A oportunidade de voltar atrás no tempo e fazer escolhas diferentes. Um livro leve mas que nos faz pensar nas nossas escolhas a cada momento e nos motivos pelos quais as fazemos. Disponível para descobrir mais livros desta autora.
January 5, 2020
So while I have read this book several satisfying times through the years - this review is a little different. I say that because at this reading I found some things in the beginning of the book to be beyond believable and therefore bugged me a bit. I still love the book - yet now find myself baffled as to why the author would choose some things to be so unreal when there was every opportunity with a few changes to make it believable...
Or maybe that was the point.
Anyway - still love the book!
My full thoughts are here: https://bookjourney.net/2020/01/05/th...
Or maybe that was the point.
Anyway - still love the book!
My full thoughts are here: https://bookjourney.net/2020/01/05/th...
December 30, 2019
Let me count the ways I hated this book. Cliche language about women and their looks and actions governed by how a man treats them. Not sure how its rating is so high on good reads. And since when does everyone have a summerhouse in their backyards? The characters were easily forgettable and boring. And the magical realism twist felt forced like the author tried to bring two very different plots together to make it more interesting instead of just writing something good.
February 21, 2014
This book always helps me out. Whenever I get a writer's block, I read this book, It helps me out. When I feel down, I read this book and it helps me out.
It is a beautiful book on how three weeks could change your entire life and how decisions turn your fate. This book made me laugh and cry. I could not put down this book because I felt that if I did, I would die.
It is a beautiful book on how three weeks could change your entire life and how decisions turn your fate. This book made me laugh and cry. I could not put down this book because I felt that if I did, I would die.
January 21, 2021
Adorei este livro! Adorei a história, a escrita, as personagens! Só não dou 5 estrelas porque queria muito ter acompanhado a segunda oportunidade com Thomas.. soube me a pouco.
Caso eu tivesse oportunidade de voltar ao passado sabendo o que sei hoje, alteraria alguma coisa? Penso que não .. pelo menos nas decisões mais importantes que fiz! Fico feliz por chegar a esta conclusão 😍
Caso eu tivesse oportunidade de voltar ao passado sabendo o que sei hoje, alteraria alguma coisa? Penso que não .. pelo menos nas decisões mais importantes que fiz! Fico feliz por chegar a esta conclusão 😍
October 21, 2010
I'm glad to have rediscovered an old favorite author, I have always loved Jude Deveraux. Her Night In Shining Armour started my love for historicals and time travel many many years ago. I will have to go over her back list to see which books I have read by her and those that I have missed.
November 6, 2018
Best book I have read in a long long time
I could not put this book down. I left work early just so I could come home and dive back in to it. It's rare a book grabs me like this. I hope the Author writes more Summerhouse stories.
I could not put this book down. I left work early just so I could come home and dive back in to it. It's rare a book grabs me like this. I hope the Author writes more Summerhouse stories.
April 28, 2022
Wayyyyy too much time spent on being overweight and how negatively it approached that subject. Lots of time spent on appearance in general. However, I fell in love with the characters and love the premise.
August 4, 2018
5+++++
June 27, 2023
I’ve read a few Jude Devereaux books that feature the time travel trope and, I have to say, I have enjoyed them. No, they are not great literature. No, they are not great artistry or use of language, or life-changing in theme or necessarily thought provoking. You what they are? Great fun and great escape!
I’ve read some pretty heavy stuff lately, so I was looking for something light and pleasant. This had been hanging out on my Nook for a while. Perfect. Just what I needed. A magical way to wile away some rainy summer days.
I saw several reviews that complained about the unbelievable nature of the novel and how unrealistic it is. Of course it is!! If you’re looking for realism, don’t look to this writer. But if you want to smile and tear up a little, Jude Devereaux is your girl.
I’ve read some pretty heavy stuff lately, so I was looking for something light and pleasant. This had been hanging out on my Nook for a while. Perfect. Just what I needed. A magical way to wile away some rainy summer days.
I saw several reviews that complained about the unbelievable nature of the novel and how unrealistic it is. Of course it is!! If you’re looking for realism, don’t look to this writer. But if you want to smile and tear up a little, Jude Devereaux is your girl.
August 23, 2011
The Summerhouse is a delightful and thought-provoking story where do-overs are allowed and alternate realities are possible. There’s even a bit of time travel involved in the story, which is always a big draw for me. The idea of being able to change the past is not a new one, but this book has an added twist to that idea – the ladies had to choose which few weeks they would go back and change in their lives. Which three weeks are the most important in regards to the path your life has taken? Which three would have the most impact if you could go back and live them differently?
The first half of the book covers the lives of the women after they met at a DMV and spent the day together. They all had big dreams and aspirations of becoming a dancer, a model, and an artist, however things turned out far differently than what they expected. After disappointments and personal tragedies, one of the three ladies tracks the other two down and they reunite for a weekend in Maine. All three look forward to a chance to get away from it all and reflect on how to move forward from the disappointments in their lives.
During that weekend in Maine they are given the gift of a lifetime – the opportunity to go back and change what they did in the past. The second half of the book describes their trips back to their earlier lives and what they choose to change. I couldn’t put the book down while reading this section because I was very invested in the characters by this point and wanted so badly for things to turn out well for them.
The idea that three women would meet again after so many years, only having known each other previously for a day, seemed a little unrealistic to me. After all, I have a hard time remembering the last names of some of my good friends from college, and those were people I spent a lot of time with. However, it was the only issue I had with this book, and I enjoyed the reading experience so much that I was willing to let it go. It just proves that good writing, interesting characters and a compelling plot can convince you to overlook things that would be bothersome in another book.
Although this is an easy book to read (the story flows quickly and is not bogged down by flowery descriptions or philosophical meandering), it was one of those rare stories that has made me reflect on my life and has been simmering in my mind since I read it. I think it would be difficult to read this book without looking back on your own life and speculating about what (if anything) you would change.
The first half of the book covers the lives of the women after they met at a DMV and spent the day together. They all had big dreams and aspirations of becoming a dancer, a model, and an artist, however things turned out far differently than what they expected. After disappointments and personal tragedies, one of the three ladies tracks the other two down and they reunite for a weekend in Maine. All three look forward to a chance to get away from it all and reflect on how to move forward from the disappointments in their lives.
During that weekend in Maine they are given the gift of a lifetime – the opportunity to go back and change what they did in the past. The second half of the book describes their trips back to their earlier lives and what they choose to change. I couldn’t put the book down while reading this section because I was very invested in the characters by this point and wanted so badly for things to turn out well for them.
The idea that three women would meet again after so many years, only having known each other previously for a day, seemed a little unrealistic to me. After all, I have a hard time remembering the last names of some of my good friends from college, and those were people I spent a lot of time with. However, it was the only issue I had with this book, and I enjoyed the reading experience so much that I was willing to let it go. It just proves that good writing, interesting characters and a compelling plot can convince you to overlook things that would be bothersome in another book.
Although this is an easy book to read (the story flows quickly and is not bogged down by flowery descriptions or philosophical meandering), it was one of those rare stories that has made me reflect on my life and has been simmering in my mind since I read it. I think it would be difficult to read this book without looking back on your own life and speculating about what (if anything) you would change.
April 18, 2018
i used to read jude deveraux books as a teenager - that was over 20 yrs ago. i loved knight in shining armor - coz i like time travel stories in general, but haven't read anything from this author since my teen days. that's why i thought to give this a try.
this book is horrible. at least a third of the book was spent talking about the physical appearance of those 3 women. come to think of it most of those historical romance novels do that as well, but i always thought it was coz women back in the day didn't really have much going on in their lives so there wouldn't be much to say about those kinds of characters aside from their looks, piano and embroidery skills. but this is a contemporary novel about modern women. i'm not sure what she's trying to prove... that beautiful women do stupid things and make stupid choices and end up miserable in life? i just couldn't get past all the import placed on the looks of these 3 women and how stupid they are, it was vomit inducing. and realistically if you've never talked to someone for 19 yrs, would you still consider them your "besties"? didn't you make any other friends in the 19 yrs since you last saw those people??
i also hate how the author kept stressing that the model was smart - she's so smart she was even doing her dumb jock bf's homework - even when he went to college. 1. only an idiot would do that. 2. if she was miserable in that "user-friendly" marriage then why didn't she just leave 3. wasn't it so obvious she was just being used all those years? if she couldn't figure all of that out for all the years she wasted her life with that jerk then that makes her STOOOOOPID, not smart. you can stop telling the readers she's smart. no one's buying it since all her actions/decisions point to the contrary.
i'm sure there were many more things i would have hated about this book but i already hit my quota at the 1/3 mark so i opted to stop reading instead of killing more of my brain cells. will never read another jude deveraux again. i've clearly outgrown this kind of garbage. and who has a summerhouse in their backyard anyway? it's called a TOOLSHED dumbo.
this book is horrible. at least a third of the book was spent talking about the physical appearance of those 3 women. come to think of it most of those historical romance novels do that as well, but i always thought it was coz women back in the day didn't really have much going on in their lives so there wouldn't be much to say about those kinds of characters aside from their looks, piano and embroidery skills. but this is a contemporary novel about modern women. i'm not sure what she's trying to prove... that beautiful women do stupid things and make stupid choices and end up miserable in life? i just couldn't get past all the import placed on the looks of these 3 women and how stupid they are, it was vomit inducing. and realistically if you've never talked to someone for 19 yrs, would you still consider them your "besties"? didn't you make any other friends in the 19 yrs since you last saw those people??
i also hate how the author kept stressing that the model was smart - she's so smart she was even doing her dumb jock bf's homework - even when he went to college. 1. only an idiot would do that. 2. if she was miserable in that "user-friendly" marriage then why didn't she just leave 3. wasn't it so obvious she was just being used all those years? if she couldn't figure all of that out for all the years she wasted her life with that jerk then that makes her STOOOOOPID, not smart. you can stop telling the readers she's smart. no one's buying it since all her actions/decisions point to the contrary.
i'm sure there were many more things i would have hated about this book but i already hit my quota at the 1/3 mark so i opted to stop reading instead of killing more of my brain cells. will never read another jude deveraux again. i've clearly outgrown this kind of garbage. and who has a summerhouse in their backyard anyway? it's called a TOOLSHED dumbo.
December 6, 2015
I don't read much from this genre and went in expecting something breezy; on some level I was at least entertained enough to finish. However, to me the most interesting thing about this book is the food for thought provided by the premise of going back in time to redo three weeks of the past and decide which future to embrace from there rather than anything that occurs on its pages. The time travel is a neat concept, but it takes a frustratingly long time to make its appearance. The characters are paper-thin and it is annoying and unimaginative that both the problems and solutions in their lives are tied so closely to men. There is far too much telling rather than showing of the experiences that the women encounter in the past, with much of this information relayed via conversations. I found Leslie's journey to be the most realistic and interesting of the three since she embraces her current state, flaws and all, instead of the ridiculousness that accompanies wiping the slate clean. Not everything that I read has to have weight or deep meaning, but this book unfortunately failed to deliver on being a satisfying read.
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