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Hubbard's Point/Black Hall #4
The Perfect Summer
Old friendships--and love--make all things new again.
The acclaimed author of Safe Harbor and other New York Times bestsellers returns to the seaside, delving into the heart of a once happy family facing troubled waters.
Bay McCabe relishes life's simple pleasures, her children, her home by the sea. She has never forgotten the values of her Irish granny--the everyday happiness of family, good friends, and hard work. Bay and her husband, Sean, have weathered rough spells and moved on. Now a perfect summer, filled with the scent of beach roses, lies before them.
Charming and ambitious, Sean splits his energy between the town bank, his old fishing boat, and the family he seems to adore--until he leaves his young daughter stranded after school. As troubling memories resurface, a phone call confirms that Sean is missing. So begins a season that will change everything. As the door to all Bay cherishes seems to close forever, another opens, and an old love steps through. Embraced by enduring friendships, Bay will discover the truth of who she is--what love is--and how life's deepest mysteries are often those closest to home.
The acclaimed author of Safe Harbor and other New York Times bestsellers returns to the seaside, delving into the heart of a once happy family facing troubled waters.
Bay McCabe relishes life's simple pleasures, her children, her home by the sea. She has never forgotten the values of her Irish granny--the everyday happiness of family, good friends, and hard work. Bay and her husband, Sean, have weathered rough spells and moved on. Now a perfect summer, filled with the scent of beach roses, lies before them.
Charming and ambitious, Sean splits his energy between the town bank, his old fishing boat, and the family he seems to adore--until he leaves his young daughter stranded after school. As troubling memories resurface, a phone call confirms that Sean is missing. So begins a season that will change everything. As the door to all Bay cherishes seems to close forever, another opens, and an old love steps through. Embraced by enduring friendships, Bay will discover the truth of who she is--what love is--and how life's deepest mysteries are often those closest to home.
429 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
323 people are currently reading
1698 people want to read
About the author
Luanne Rice
109 books3,145 followersLuanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-eight novels, translated into thirty languages. Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. Most recently she has written thrillers, including one based on a murder that affected her family. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
March 21, 2019
Wasn’t a book I would usually chose but I was given it by a friend and must say I enjoyed it, it was easy to read, with lots of action and the description of the settings made me feel like I was there.
May 23, 2010
Wonderful story and true to what can happen in life.
I understood so many of the dynamics and Ms. Rice was spot-on with her characters!
This is a great read and now I'm looking to catch up on all novels in the Hubbard's Point / Black Hall series...(-:
I understood so many of the dynamics and Ms. Rice was spot-on with her characters!
This is a great read and now I'm looking to catch up on all novels in the Hubbard's Point / Black Hall series...(-:
September 3, 2015
Very much enjoyed reading this tale of friendship and being a parent. Of the quest for power and riches. Of the quest for the simple life with all its joys. Of finding people you truly love.
September 25, 2021
3,5 out of 5 stars.
September 27, 2012
When it comes to writing about Irish culture and life along the northeastern coastline, no one does it better than Luanne Rice. The story of widow Bay McCabe and her fatherless children dealing with the aftermath of her husband's embezzlement scheme is absolutely heartbreaking. However, it is inspiring to watch Bay pull the pieces of their broken lives together while somehow trying to heal after years of estrangement with Sean. It's even more heartwarming to watch this tight-knit community pull together with an FBI investigation in progress and Sean's co-conspirators still on the loose. One of Luanne Rice's best, complete with mystery, suspense, heartbreak and love.
August 15, 2021
Was ok but, I wouldn't recommend. Little boring.
January 29, 2010
The summer begins with a problem, a child not picked up from an after school activity. Things rapidly get worse. A missing spouse, shocking aligations arise and culminate in a nail-biting finale.
Bay is a woman who lives a simple life. She loves her kids, the sea, her garden and her best friend, Tara, and most of the time, her husband, or she once did; she's not sure. She is satisfied with the simple things in life. Bay is married to her opposite, the outgoing and unsatisfied Sean whose manic energy is split between work as a banker and his fast motorboat, no slow and lazy sailboat for Sean. For him it's always about speed. The race is the thing. He want to win, at any cost.
When she was in High School, Bay met a wonderful man who was building the boardwalk in town. He treated her like a little sister because she was just 16 and he 11 years older, a grown man. He made her his official helper. She was head over heels in love with the big, strong, gentle Danny Morrison. But they drifted apart and lost contact over the years.
Just as she's leaving the house, she gets a fax from a Dan Morrion, a boat-builder confirming her husband's order of a boat. The door that closed decades before reopens and her old flame is now drawn into the mystery which is forming around her missing husband.
The begins and ends on the brink of a perfect summer during which Bay learns that the deepest mystery is often closest to home.
Bay is a woman who lives a simple life. She loves her kids, the sea, her garden and her best friend, Tara, and most of the time, her husband, or she once did; she's not sure. She is satisfied with the simple things in life. Bay is married to her opposite, the outgoing and unsatisfied Sean whose manic energy is split between work as a banker and his fast motorboat, no slow and lazy sailboat for Sean. For him it's always about speed. The race is the thing. He want to win, at any cost.
When she was in High School, Bay met a wonderful man who was building the boardwalk in town. He treated her like a little sister because she was just 16 and he 11 years older, a grown man. He made her his official helper. She was head over heels in love with the big, strong, gentle Danny Morrison. But they drifted apart and lost contact over the years.
Just as she's leaving the house, she gets a fax from a Dan Morrion, a boat-builder confirming her husband's order of a boat. The door that closed decades before reopens and her old flame is now drawn into the mystery which is forming around her missing husband.
The begins and ends on the brink of a perfect summer during which Bay learns that the deepest mystery is often closest to home.
January 21, 2015
4 STARS
"Old friendships--and love--make all things new again.
The acclaimed author of Safe Harbor and other "New York Times" bestsellers returns to the seaside, delving into the heart of a once happy family facing troubled waters.
Bay McCabe relishes life's simple pleasures, her children, her home by the sea. She has never forgotten the values of her Irish granny--the everyday happiness of family, good friends, and hard work. Bay and her husband, Sean, have weathered rough spells and moved on. Now a perfect summer, filled with the scent of beach roses, lies before them.
Charming and ambitious, Sean splits his energy between the town bank, his old fishing boat, and the family he seems to adore--until he leaves his young daughter stranded after school. As troubling memories resurface, a phone call confirms that Sean is missing. So begins a season that will change everything. As the door to all Bay cherishes seems to close forever, another opens, and an old love steps through. Embraced by enduring friendships, Bay will discover the truth of who she is--what love is--and how life's deepest mysteries are often those closest to home." (From Amazon)
I really enjoyed this contemporary romance with suspense novel. I liked the story and characters.
"Old friendships--and love--make all things new again.
The acclaimed author of Safe Harbor and other "New York Times" bestsellers returns to the seaside, delving into the heart of a once happy family facing troubled waters.
Bay McCabe relishes life's simple pleasures, her children, her home by the sea. She has never forgotten the values of her Irish granny--the everyday happiness of family, good friends, and hard work. Bay and her husband, Sean, have weathered rough spells and moved on. Now a perfect summer, filled with the scent of beach roses, lies before them.
Charming and ambitious, Sean splits his energy between the town bank, his old fishing boat, and the family he seems to adore--until he leaves his young daughter stranded after school. As troubling memories resurface, a phone call confirms that Sean is missing. So begins a season that will change everything. As the door to all Bay cherishes seems to close forever, another opens, and an old love steps through. Embraced by enduring friendships, Bay will discover the truth of who she is--what love is--and how life's deepest mysteries are often those closest to home." (From Amazon)
I really enjoyed this contemporary romance with suspense novel. I liked the story and characters.
July 10, 2016
I SO, SO, SO, SO LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE LUANNE RICE!
May 9, 2017
this was a nice read. Rice weaves together several themes in a creative and pleasing to read way.
June 19, 2022
This was the first book I have read from Luanne Rice and I have to say I really enjoyed it. She drew me in with her wonderful descriptions and characters. The story line was interesting with many twists and turns. I look forward to reading more of her books.
July 22, 2024
My first book by this author. Romance, mystery, dislike of a character...lots going on in a well written way. I very much enjoyed this one
January 23, 2020
My second Luanne Rice book. Still loving the twists and turns. Superb
August 13, 2016
Did I 3 star like it? Or did I really, 4 star, like it?
So much of the emotion we attach to a book can be based on the circumstances in which it was read and how we were feeling at the time. My son bought me this book as a Mother's Day present in a second hand store with a magnet of painted roses that matched the cover, and some chocolate. Spring had finally come to upstate NY. So I read it on my porch, ate my chocolate and thought nice thoughts about my son. That brought the book from like to really like territory through no special merit of the book's own! But the book itself is a good, on your porch, spring read.
Two friends. One missing husband. A murder. One mystery, waiting to be solved. One new love interest. Nothing too gruesome, no one too gorgeous or young. Riveting enough, dialogue engaging enough, scenery as picturesque (and maybe a bit more so) than any of the small town characters. The allusions to the moon made me roll my eyes a bit, and I guessed the ending, but still had fun getting there. Bottom line, I liked the book enough I went to a second hand bookstore and got another book by the same author so I could re-visit Black Hall and Augusta Renwick, one of the characters, again.
"Firefly Beach", here I come.
So much of the emotion we attach to a book can be based on the circumstances in which it was read and how we were feeling at the time. My son bought me this book as a Mother's Day present in a second hand store with a magnet of painted roses that matched the cover, and some chocolate. Spring had finally come to upstate NY. So I read it on my porch, ate my chocolate and thought nice thoughts about my son. That brought the book from like to really like territory through no special merit of the book's own! But the book itself is a good, on your porch, spring read.
Two friends. One missing husband. A murder. One mystery, waiting to be solved. One new love interest. Nothing too gruesome, no one too gorgeous or young. Riveting enough, dialogue engaging enough, scenery as picturesque (and maybe a bit more so) than any of the small town characters. The allusions to the moon made me roll my eyes a bit, and I guessed the ending, but still had fun getting there. Bottom line, I liked the book enough I went to a second hand bookstore and got another book by the same author so I could re-visit Black Hall and Augusta Renwick, one of the characters, again.
"Firefly Beach", here I come.
July 6, 2009
I wasn't going to even list books that would come under this category. But I have to make an exception for Luanne Rice. When I first started reading her books they were understandably light reading romance novels. This book changed my mind.
I picked this one up to read at the lakehouse knowing it would be an easy read for the few days I would be there. It turned out to be a very good read and I do not think it belongs strictly in the romance novel category.
It starts out with a seemingly normal family shattered by the discovery of a husband and fathers betrayal. The story that follows is not what you expect. It is a little more complex than normal in these books. It is a mystery and a suspense.
I wondered what Luanne Rice could really do if she decided to veer from this familiar genre. Towards the end though she heads back to safe waters which was a little disappointing. The ending was satisfying but cliche. I could have imagined a few other endings that would have really made you sit up and take notice.
I think she has a lot of potential for a writer and hope she will stretch from the 'formula-writing' someday.
I picked this one up to read at the lakehouse knowing it would be an easy read for the few days I would be there. It turned out to be a very good read and I do not think it belongs strictly in the romance novel category.
It starts out with a seemingly normal family shattered by the discovery of a husband and fathers betrayal. The story that follows is not what you expect. It is a little more complex than normal in these books. It is a mystery and a suspense.
I wondered what Luanne Rice could really do if she decided to veer from this familiar genre. Towards the end though she heads back to safe waters which was a little disappointing. The ending was satisfying but cliche. I could have imagined a few other endings that would have really made you sit up and take notice.
I think she has a lot of potential for a writer and hope she will stretch from the 'formula-writing' someday.
August 16, 2014
Bay McCabe relishes life's simple pleasures, her children, her home by the sea. She has never forgotten the values of her Irish granny--the everyday happiness of family, good friends, and hard work. Bay and her husband, Sean, have weathered rough spells and moved on. Now a perfect summer, filled with the scent of beach roses, lies before them.
Charming and ambitious, Sean splits his energy between the town bank, his old fishing boat, and the family he seems to adore--until he leaves his young daughter stranded after school. As troubling memories resurface, a phone call confirms that Sean is missing. So begins a season that will change everything. As the door to all Bay cherishes seems to close forever, another opens, and an old love steps through. Embraced by enduring friendships, Bay will discover the truth of who she is--what love is--and how life's deepest mysteries are often those closest to home.
When I got this book from library and I saw it was 428 pages, I found it a bit daunting. I'll be honest, I almost always go for the shorter book. But I gave it a try. I really enjoyed the story and found myself turning page after page till I was done.
Charming and ambitious, Sean splits his energy between the town bank, his old fishing boat, and the family he seems to adore--until he leaves his young daughter stranded after school. As troubling memories resurface, a phone call confirms that Sean is missing. So begins a season that will change everything. As the door to all Bay cherishes seems to close forever, another opens, and an old love steps through. Embraced by enduring friendships, Bay will discover the truth of who she is--what love is--and how life's deepest mysteries are often those closest to home.
When I got this book from library and I saw it was 428 pages, I found it a bit daunting. I'll be honest, I almost always go for the shorter book. But I gave it a try. I really enjoyed the story and found myself turning page after page till I was done.
April 28, 2014
I'm a tremendous fan of Luanne Rice's books, but this book was a bit of a disappointment for me. I loved the relationships in it, the descriptions, all that I usually love about Ms. Rice's books. And while I agreed with how a person such as Bay would feel about being betrayed by the person she should be able to trust the most, and how horrible it was that he stole and cheated and lied ... He was MURDERED. I would be TERRIFIED that I would be next, or my children would be next or that somebody in the community would be next. Instead, it was as if his murder were beside the point. Also, most of the mystery could have been solved by perhaps three conversations, and instead it took half a year what seemed a fairly obvious crime. Bay says something at the end about seeming stupid, and by that point, I had to agree.
Don't get me wrong. As I type I'm already thinking toward which Luanne Rice I'll reread next. She is the master of her craft and I hope that she writes many more stories. Er, just not murder mysteries, perhaps.
Don't get me wrong. As I type I'm already thinking toward which Luanne Rice I'll reread next. She is the master of her craft and I hope that she writes many more stories. Er, just not murder mysteries, perhaps.
April 25, 2008
Whoever said, "don't judge a book by it's cover" was talking about this book. My friend Cara gave me this book like 5 years ago and I thought it looked like a sappy love story so I was not keen to read...but, I picked it up to give it a try and it was very good! Luanne Rice is a bit flowery in some spots but all in all her books are great mysteries...without all the Paterson/Coben/Cornwell gore. A great summer read!
September 26, 2016
This book was filled with so much emotion. The story takes place in a small town during one summer. During that time, a father is murdered, long lost friends are reunited and new friendships are formed. The murder ties all of the families together, but one does not know how much until the book is almost over. The book is well written and kept me wanting more. Luanne Rice is an excellent author and one that I will continue to read in the future.
March 10, 2017
I gave this book 4 stars even tho' there were a couple things I did not feel good about. Its the story of a family, 3 children and husband and wife. The husband turns up missing which changes everything as he is accused up many things. The family is shamed, tries to go on with life with a lot of sadness. The book centers on discovering what has happened to the husband/father. Lots of twist & turns.
March 12, 2010
I really enjoyed this book as I usually do all of Luanne Rice's books. Bay McCabe thought it was going to be a perfect summer but it was a summer that changed her life. First was the devestating news about her husband Sean. Where was he and what had he been doing? Thank goodness Bay had her dearest friend Tara to help her through it all. Part mystery, part romance--just a really good book.
June 26, 2016
It has been a long time since I read a book in 24 hours. From first to last page I was hooked. The story was well conceived and characters well developed. As a reader I could find a bit of myself in each character causing me to read straight through. A story of forgiveness, loss, discovery and well worth the read.
June 24, 2011
Book not my favorite. Book about a family who loses their father and family tries to move on. They eventually figure out what happened to father. You know how the book is going to end before finishing it.
October 31, 2017
Luanne Rice does it again. A super story of families getting through the toughest times of death in the family and then survive and live to love again. The characters are ones you would recognise in your own family. The their feelings are true for us too.
May 29, 2019
3.5 more of a mystery than a romance which suited me fine. Good description of CT seaboard as well how youth react to trauma. Although this book is included in a series, it can be read as a stand alone.
June 1, 2017
Loved it.....tragic,heartbreaking yet warm and tender
August 31, 2017
Bay McCabe was savoring the perfect summer day until she discovered that her husband was not who she believed he was.
October 26, 2017
This story was like an old quilt softened with age. All of the pieces fitting together in their own way and time. So alike yet different. I loved it!
August 16, 2019
This book gave me all the feels. As I read, I laughed, cried, felt outraged, warmed with tenderness, and even a bit nostolgic from time to time. It made me think of people lost and, perhaps even more strongly, of the people they left behind. It reaffirmed the power and purpose of a true friend, how being there through the worst days, weeks, or even months of someone's life is just as important as sharing in the good times. Maybe more so.
In the early chapters of this book Bay's husband is killed in a car crash. She and her three kids are left reeling, especially after it's discovered that he was embezzeling from the bank where he worked. Grief, shame, and denial are powerful emotions for a distraught family to juggle when faced with the FBI, media, and gossiping neighbors. As the investigation continues, Bay is further thrown off kilter when her husband's last actions take her to door of a man who had been her first true love. Widowed himself with a daughter to raise, Dan is still somehow the same man she had fallen in love with as a teenager. Drawn together by circumstances and a timeless affection for one another, Bay and Dan begin to reconnect.
It's easy to guess this is a love story given Bay and Dan's history and the recent reconnection. And it is. It's a bit of a romance novel. However, it's so much more than that. It's also a book about women and their friendships. Bay's best friend Tess lives within waving distance, is godmother to her oldest daughter, and shares a lifetime of adventures with Bay. Tess is the best friend every girl needs. She is fierce, loyal, honest, compassionate, and present. She is also a role model, setting a fine example of female friendship for Bay's daughters as well as Dan's motherless child.
It was so refreshing to read a female friendship done right. Nothing felt contrived or forced. There was no betrayal or unnecessary drama. There was love, pure and true.
I think it was actually this friendship that put the book into the five star range for me. While I was rooting for Bay and Dan to find happiness together, I was drawn to the passages where Bay and Tess interacted. I loved their friendship more than I loved anything else in this book.
In the early chapters of this book Bay's husband is killed in a car crash. She and her three kids are left reeling, especially after it's discovered that he was embezzeling from the bank where he worked. Grief, shame, and denial are powerful emotions for a distraught family to juggle when faced with the FBI, media, and gossiping neighbors. As the investigation continues, Bay is further thrown off kilter when her husband's last actions take her to door of a man who had been her first true love. Widowed himself with a daughter to raise, Dan is still somehow the same man she had fallen in love with as a teenager. Drawn together by circumstances and a timeless affection for one another, Bay and Dan begin to reconnect.
It's easy to guess this is a love story given Bay and Dan's history and the recent reconnection. And it is. It's a bit of a romance novel. However, it's so much more than that. It's also a book about women and their friendships. Bay's best friend Tess lives within waving distance, is godmother to her oldest daughter, and shares a lifetime of adventures with Bay. Tess is the best friend every girl needs. She is fierce, loyal, honest, compassionate, and present. She is also a role model, setting a fine example of female friendship for Bay's daughters as well as Dan's motherless child.
It was so refreshing to read a female friendship done right. Nothing felt contrived or forced. There was no betrayal or unnecessary drama. There was love, pure and true.
I think it was actually this friendship that put the book into the five star range for me. While I was rooting for Bay and Dan to find happiness together, I was drawn to the passages where Bay and Tess interacted. I loved their friendship more than I loved anything else in this book.
January 23, 2019
Ok, just plain ole WOW. I've never read a Luanne Rice book, but I loved "The Perfect Summer." In the midst of a hot, dry Kansas summer, I picked up this book, as I was hoping it would be a "perfect" summer read. I got the book for a buck at a thrift store and it was the best dollar I've spent in a long time.
Bay and Tara are two amazing women that have a friendship forged in iron. Through thick and thin, they back one another and due to a lifetime of knowing each other, they can anticipate and accomplish whatever the other needs. Rice added to the beauty of their friendship, but creating meaning to their names "Bay - water" and "Tara - earth". I love when authors go deeper with their characters and bring some enrichment to life.
Friendship, romance and raising children were the backbone of the book, but I was pleased that there was a great mystery that was woven into Bay's life. The gut-wrenching loss of her husband, Sean, was an ever-increasing mystery that took the reader from wondering if it was accidental, on purpose or murder. The storyline was far from predictable and the intrigue was enthralling. I could not put the book down, as Anne and Eliza were the two special characters who captivate the reader's heart. All of the what, when, how, where and whys were creative and gripping. I caught myself trying to play detective, only to find out I'm not very good at it. Rice's ending to the mystery had a captivating twist, yet left me satisfied in the knowing.
Bay has a perfect summer at the age of 15. All these years later, through sorrow and tragedy, she finds another perfect summer. The reader must accompany her through the trials of life, but alas, life shines with a beacon of light and love.
Because the characters were interesting, the plot intriguing and the setting appealing, I recommend this book to all who love romance and mystery combined. I'm looking forward to reading other Rice novels.
Bay and Tara are two amazing women that have a friendship forged in iron. Through thick and thin, they back one another and due to a lifetime of knowing each other, they can anticipate and accomplish whatever the other needs. Rice added to the beauty of their friendship, but creating meaning to their names "Bay - water" and "Tara - earth". I love when authors go deeper with their characters and bring some enrichment to life.
Friendship, romance and raising children were the backbone of the book, but I was pleased that there was a great mystery that was woven into Bay's life. The gut-wrenching loss of her husband, Sean, was an ever-increasing mystery that took the reader from wondering if it was accidental, on purpose or murder. The storyline was far from predictable and the intrigue was enthralling. I could not put the book down, as Anne and Eliza were the two special characters who captivate the reader's heart. All of the what, when, how, where and whys were creative and gripping. I caught myself trying to play detective, only to find out I'm not very good at it. Rice's ending to the mystery had a captivating twist, yet left me satisfied in the knowing.
Bay has a perfect summer at the age of 15. All these years later, through sorrow and tragedy, she finds another perfect summer. The reader must accompany her through the trials of life, but alas, life shines with a beacon of light and love.
Because the characters were interesting, the plot intriguing and the setting appealing, I recommend this book to all who love romance and mystery combined. I'm looking forward to reading other Rice novels.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews