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)

But....

What happens next??? Left me wanting MORE! Please write a sequel! I really did love it!

entertaining

very good performance with great nuanced characters but a little long for such a formulaic story.

Great narrator

I enjoyed this book a lot, in large part because of the skilled narration by Isabel Keating. Her regional accents were spot on and not over-blown. She voiced the characters consistently. The speed at which she read was perfect. She somehow made the male characters voices sound very male without pitching her voice extremely low. Well done!!

Great Summer Read

This book was exactly what I was looking for - a GREAT summer read. I am not into sappy love stories but really loved the story line and the narrator was easy to listen to. I highly recommend this book!!

Wonderful characters and story! 1 of my favs!

I really enjoyed the stories with a group of women like this one I have listen to most of Mary Kay Andrews book tonight have to say this is one of my favorites and I absolutely love this voice actress!

Isabel Keating is the best reader ever

What made the experience of listening to Summer Rental the most enjoyable?

Ms. Keating is able to adopt a unique voice for each character, distinct and clearly recognizable. This makes following along both easier, as the listener knows who's speaking by the voice but also very enjoyable. She also has the required traits of clear diction, no harshness, and a voice that is easy to understand.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The story was enjoyable and interesting as written, just not as compelling as some of Ms. Andrews other books. I think the story was as good as it could have been given the circumstances of the setting. I do wonder whether Ellis Sullivan will be successful with the life she has chosen for herself.

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

Yes, other Mary Kay Andrews books. They are equally outstanding.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was surprised by the reason for the money in the computer case. That was interesting.

SUMMER RENTAL

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

YES I WOULD

What did you like best about this story?

THE FEMALES THAT HAVE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE GRADE SCHOOL, VERY FUNNY CHARACTERS, LOVE THEM, WANT MORE OF THEM.

Which character – as performed by Isabel Keating – was your favorite?

ALL OF THE GIRL FRIENDS

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

ASK THE AUTHOR

Any additional comments?

I WANT A SERIES OF THIS BOOK ALSO!

Fun Beach Read

I enjoyed this beach read! My first Mary Kay Andrews book. Kept me interested. Not going to win a Pulitzer Prize or anything but it was an enjoyable escape!

I love Mary Kay Andrews books!

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

Yes. I liked how the book followed the lives of multiple characters. The friendships of the women was such enjoyable reading. Great light mystery/romance, relaxing reading and a pleasurable escape. Savannah Breeze is my favorite, but this book is probably my 2nd favorite. I liked it better than Fixer Upper, but I would recommend all of Andrews' books.

What about Isabel Keating’s performance did you like?

I'm not from the south, so maybe this is why but I did not mind the southern accent in the book. I think Isabel Keating has a very enjoyable voice to listen to.

Voice altered app applied to the narrators voice

I did not pay that much attention in the beginning and then it became more noticeable as the characters were added that this was not a true voice narration, but some type of voice altered app was used. The story was good, but the more I got into the book it became very noticeable and kind of distracting that the voices were altered. Maybe I am the only one that was bothered by this.