Summer Rental

By: Mary Kay Andrews

Narrated by: Isabel Keating

Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Sometimes, when you need a change in your life, the tide just happens to pull you in the right direction…

Ellis, Julia, and Dorie. Best friends since Catholic grade school, they now find themselves, in their mid-thirties, at the crossroads of life and love. Ellis, recently fired from a job she gave everything to, is rudderless and now beginning to question the choices she's made over the past decade of her life. Julia—whose caustic wit covers up her wounds—has a man who loves her and is offering her the world, but she can't hide from how deeply insecure she feels about her looks, her brains, her life. And Dorie has just been shockingly betrayed by the man she loved and trusted the most in the world…though this is just the tip of the iceberg of her problems and secrets. A month in North Carolina's Outer Banks is just what they each of them needs.

Ty Bazemore is their landlord, though he's hanging on to the rambling old beach house by a thin thread. After an inauspicious first meeting with Ellis, the two find themselves disturbingly attracted to one another, even as Ty is about to lose everything he's ever cared about.

Maryn Shackleford is a stranger, and a woman on the run. Maryn needs just a few things in life: no questions, a good hiding place, and a new identity. Ellis, Julia, and Dorie can provide what Maryn wants; can they also provide what she needs?

Mary Kay Andrews' audiobook is the story of five people questioning everything they ever thought they knew about life. Five people on a journey that will uncover their secrets and point them on the path to forgiveness. Five people who each need a sea change, and one month in a summer rental that might just give it to them.
Summer Rental is one of Library Journal's Best Women's Fiction Books of 2011.

This program includes a bonus interview with the author.

©2011 Whodunnit, Inc. (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Isabel Keating's treatment of dialogue enhances the characters in this easy summer read...The over-the-top dialect of some of the minor characters combined with some amusing scenes give the listener some laughs that balance the challenging choices the main players face. The dialogue and individual characterizations make this especially good on audio.” —AudioFile Magazine

“Narrator Isabel Keating makes the most of the material, giving each character a distinctive Southern accent, fitting for these girls from Savannah. Recommended for Andrews's fans and those wishing some light fair.” —Library Journal

“Andrews…is at her warm and funny best…[she] simply excels at creating the kind of characters readers can relate to, and she has a fabulous sense of humor to boot.” —Library Journal (starred review)

a good listen

I liked the story, but I had a hard time with the narrator, she was very distracting I would have chosen someone else

Great summer read!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me happy. It brought back memories of past days at the beach and hope for more great beach memories in the future.

Any additional comments?

Fun, fun, fun.

great read!

just the right amount of intrigue with wonderful characters who really come to life, from written word.

Just Ok

the characters were good, but it felt like the mystery lady and her story of running was a little rushed and forced. also hated that the book toots whimsical acts over logical decisions. I'm too much of a realist for this "throw caution to the wind" attitude.

Not the Best

When three young BFF females take to Nags Head for a month long vacation, the reader expects some chick lit fun in the sun. But Mary Kay Andrews misses her usual mark in this book. While the plot itself could have been delightful and full of Andrews' wit and Southern Charm, it fell flat. Andrews must have dialed this one in. Its primary sin was info dumping of the women's common child and teen experiences. Enough already! Get on with it. The most interesting aspect of the book was Madison, a loner who Dorie befriends in a diner and brings her back to the house, without prior approval from her buds.

Every author is entitled to a bad write now and again, so I accept that Andrews was in a rush when she wrote this. I can forgive the narrator because she did have to go back and forth between a Southern accent and a Jersey accent, but there were times she she forgot which character she was reading. That may have been the funniest part of the book.

If this is your first Andrews read, don't give up. This is not a shining example of her true writing talent.

PET PEEVE

While I enjoyed this book, I have to say, once again, that books with Southern characters should be read by narrators with genuine honest-to-God Southern accents. It is SO annoying when people try - and fail - to fake it.

Light OBX listen

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Enjoyed this OBX listen, mostly predictable. Being from NC and familar with OBX I identify with the areas and some of the places they mentioned in the book.-Could hear the screen doors slamming, ocean breeze off the water, with a little bit of sandy grit in every room of the house no matter how hard you clean.

If you’ve listened to books by Mary Kay Andrews before, how does this one compare?

Similar to most of her books, enjoy them when I just want a relaxing listen!

What does Isabel Keating bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her accent and voice inflections makes makes the characters real and bring more emphasis to parts of the story

Did Summer Rental inspire you to do anything?

Go to the beach for the day !

This story pulls you in!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The twists and turns in this story are fun

What was one of the most memorable moments of Summer Rental?

The end of the summer is not what you would think

Light & Fun!

Would you listen to Summer Rental again? Why?

I like all the different characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Julia was my favorite character because she doesn't hold back and goes after what she wants.

Which scene was your favorite?

Differnt have a specific one, I loved the whole book.

If you could take any character from Summer Rental out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Julia - she speaks her mind and doesn't hold back.

Great Story About Lifelong Friendships

Would you listen to Summer Rental again? Why?

Yes - it allows you to escape and relax as if you were actually in the story.

What other book might you compare Summer Rental to and why?

Savannah Breeze - by the same author - another great MKA must read!

Have you listened to any of Isabel Keating’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes - just as good

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Surf, Sand, and Mayhem make you want to check into this Summer Rental