A Hundred Summers

By: Beatriz Williams

Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

As the 1938 hurricane approaches Rhode Island, another storm brews in this New York Times best-selling beach listen from the author of Her Last Flight and The Golden Hour. Lily Dane has returned to Seaview, Rhode Island, where her family has summered for generations. It’s an escape not only from New York’s social scene but from a heartbreak that still haunts her. Here, among the seaside community that has embraced her since childhood, she finds comfort in the familiar rituals of summer.

But this summer is different. Budgie and Nick Greenwald - Lily’s former best friend and former fiancé - have arrived, too, and Seaview’s elite are abuzz. Under Budgie’s glamorous influence, Lily is seduced into a complicated web of renewed friendship and dangerous longing.

As a cataclysmic hurricane churns north through the Atlantic, and uneasy secrets slowly reveal themselves, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional storm that will change their worlds forever...

Listeners guide included.

©2013 Beatriz Williams (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"[A] fast-paced love story...the scorching sun illuminates a friend’s betrayal and reignites a romance." (O, The Oprah Magazine)

"Perfect for fans of the Gossip Girl series." (People)

"Summer of 1938: A scandalous love triangle and a famous hurricane converge in a New England beach community. Add in a betrayal between friends, a marriage for money, and a Yankee pitcher, and it’s a perfect storm."(Good Housekeeping)

Predictable

I love historical fiction. A good story has a somewhat predictable ending. Great performance. Great summer beach read.

Here We Go - the '13 Best Summer/Beach Reads...

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer...the barrage of "Best Summer/Beach Books* lists have hit; two of my favorite words in the English language" "Beach" & "Books" -- and giddy with the prospect of glorious summer, I decided to accept a challenge and tackle every one of them. It seemed doable time-wise, and it's always good to adventure outside of your zone, so I downloaded those that were available now, and headed off for a weekend at the lake. After about an hour with the one about the Camperdowns, and thinking I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than go on, I realized my biggest challenge would be subject matter...which brings me to A Hundred Summers.

Rather than throw in the beach towel, so to speak, I decided to have a 50page/1hr. audio rule for my summer challenge (unless there is some big sign of promise). I'm not generally a fan of chick-lit, but the cover of A Hundred Summers reminded me of Tigers in Red Weather, a book I enjoyed very much during the summer of 2012. So I began book #2 with my fingers crossed, and Belief, Reality, and Logic suspended deep in my beach bag. Happy to report that after an hour I was still listening -- not a needle in sight -- thoroughly enjoying myself as I listened and baked.

Another languid summer at the beach house in Seaview, RI, where the setting is swell, the sun is scorching, the ocean deep breezy blue, the drinks are icy and loaded with gin. Everyone is rich, the girls are sassy, the guys are dreamy, the romance is swoony, the sex is risqué, and the family secrets jooooooosie. But not everything is as fabulous as it seems under those glittery sheaths and searsucker suits. It is 1938 and the gossip in town carries the rumors of war, both in the world and in Seaview. Lily's old friend, the beautiful and scandalous Budgie, has returned to her family beach house after years away, bringing along her new husband, Lily's former boyfriend Nick Greenwald. As the summer heats up so does the social atmosphere; it is the eve of WWII (did I mention Nick was Jewish?) and there is a *hundred-year hurricane* in the forecast, threatening to blow the roof off more than just the seaside cottages.

I was content to spend the entire day (and a few evening hours) finishing this book, and think it really might be the perfect beach read for the ladies. It is predictable, mindless, the characters are figments of every woman's imagination, the ending was a little schmarmy, but I liked it--sue me! As books go - 3 *'s; but as beach reads go - 5 bottles of sunscreen. McInerney does a nice job with the narration, and makes the back and forth transition of years, and different characters, effortlessly. I've heard it compared to some of author Daphne du Maurier's books and agree (she wrote during the same time period in which this novel is placed). With all the elements of those great beach reads from my past: romance, intrigue, drama -- the only thing missing here was the warning from the Surgeon General...(seriously)...the suitable subtitle would be "smoke 'em if you've got 'em" and not because of the hot sex (although that too was smoking). Great fun, loved it, I'm 1 for 2, and on to my next beach read. Hope you enjoy this, and your summer.

Star Crossed Lovers

This was a feel good listen for the beach with an enjoyable, somewhat predictable plot.  It's great to come across a really good, easy read for those wonderful mindless summer days.  Heads up for some five alarm, steamy love/lust scenes that may require headphones in mixed company. 

Somewhat tortured characters who's complex personalities are intertwined from 1931 to 1938. The time period is depicted beautifully and Seaview, RI almost becomes a character in itself. Heartsick lovers Nick and Lily are separated because of tragic events, secrets and guilt.  Time, revelation, confessions and true love may be just enough to bring them back into each others arms and lives. Or......, will they just be blown away?

Kathleen Mclnerney did an excellent job bringing all the different characters to life.  Her pace and timing definitely added to the story, especially the turbulent ending.  I am looking forward to listening to her narration of, "The Nine Lives of Christmas", in December.

So great!!! 10 stars

Love love love the story line, narrator brings it to life as if I could visualize the characters. Easy listen, didn’t want it to end!!

Great “Beach Read”

This is what I like to call a “beach read”. I loved the characters and enjoyed the story.

Melodramatic and Predictable

Any additional comments?

"Nick!"
"Lilly!"
"Oh, Nick!"
"Oh, Lilly!"
Oh for goodness' sake just shoot me. Two dimensional characters, predictable story. And how many cigarettes get smoked in this melodramatic piece of drivel??? LOTS. They're clearly the author's favorite prop. Hair, lipstick, booze, cigarettes, Nick and Lilly. For goodness' sake.

Very Entertaining

I really enjoyed this book. The story was captivating and the narrator was excellent. This book really came to life for me and began to feel as if I really knew the characters.

Charming Story

What made the experience of listening to A Hundred Summers the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the novel, and the narration was very complementary rather than distracting.

What did you like best about this story?

The story isn't predictable, and I found myself interested in the characters' story.

Captivating Period Romance

Pure and simple this is a gripping love story that spans nearly a decade in the lives of Lily, Nick and Budgie. Lily has come to Seaview, Rhode Island where her socialite family has a summer home. She plans to relax and spend time getting over the difficult breakup with her fiancé, Nick. Budgie, Lily’s best friend suddenly appears with Nick and surprisingly they are married (gasp), which sends Lily into a heartbreak like she has never known before because she knows that she still loves him. The pain of the breakup and spending time with Nick and Budgie is almost more than she can bear. Alternating from 1931 to 1938 the author brings the two time periods together giving you a good picture of the astonishing story of these three people as they head into major hurricane that will change life for everyone.

I love period stories and this one is enthralling and hard to put down. I also like a good romance that is told with elegance and grace and pulls you into the story so far that you feel like you are right there on the beach with them. The 1938 major hurricane was very real and the worst one that the East Coast has ever seen. It looks as though the author researched this time period carefully. She cleverly used it as a metaphor for the volatile relationship of the three longtime friends while working it into a breathtaking and intense novel.

I immensely enjoyed the narrator, Kathleen Mcinnerney.

Longing for summer

What did you love best about A Hundred Summers?

The messiness of the characters lives was convincing. The author didn't pull any punches in order to advance the plot. The love of Nick and Lily was heartachingly portrayed.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes