The Summerhouse

I cheated, since I've actually read The Summerhouse before and wanted to experience the audible version. What I love the best is the concept of being able to go back and change something that might affect your future for the better.

There are a many books with this concept and Deveraux actually did a Summerhouse Returns, really good as well, though the trip back went way back in history! I actually read a short e-book called "Anything" and the main character wanted to know his fiance more deeply and was able to go back and change something bad that happened to her with the caveat that when you change one thing, it can ripple to the present and perhaps change something, yes, for the better, but possibly for the worst. I just love that idea!

Leslie, by far is my fave, trying not to give anything away here, as she herself was changed.Something for us to think about sometimes. Leslie had children, so to me you have to think, though her present life left a bit to be desired, you would have to think about the ripple effects. This was my first book with this Narrator as well and I really enjoyed her and will look for other books by her.

I guess I'd say something like 'What would you do to make your life better or perhaps realize its the best life for you after all?'

I read a lot and have read many of the reviews on audible so I feel my reviews are going to be somewhat plain but I know what I look for in the books I read so that is what I'll most likely be sharing.

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.

Genre: womens fiction with fantasy time-travel and romance.