The Summer We Met

The Destin Diaries, Book 1

By: Hope Holloway, Cecelia Scott

Narrated by: Leslie Howard

Seven summers. Two families. One beach house. And a diary that holds all the secrets.

Thirty years ago, two families shared seven magical summers together, vacationing in a shared beach house on the white sands of Destin, Florida. For three months every year, they basked in laughter, love, and endless beachside memories... until a mysterious falling out ended those sun-soaked summers, leaving the families estranged for decades.

When that very house—newly renovated and twice the original size—goes up for sale, it sparks an unexpected reunion among the five adults who'd spent their teenage summers there. Now navigating their forties and fifties, this group of sisters and friends decide to share the beach house for one more summer, hoping to recapture the joy of those sunlit years and create new memories.

Returning to Destin rekindles emotional fires and launches personal transformations. Old crushes deepen to love, childhood friendships grow and mature, and the enduring power of sisterhood is tested. But the discovery of long-lost diaries that chronicle those seven summers of decades ago puts everything at risk again. Forced to face the truth of their past, these families must join forces to protect what they've created... or let love sail away for good.

Can their lifelong relationships, shared memories, and newfound connections be enough to mend what was shattered... or will old wounds drive these families apart once again?

The Summer We Met captures the spirit of summers gone by and the promise of second chances, set against the backdrop of the beautiful white sands of Destin. The Destin Diaries is a heartwarming family saga co-written by bestselling women's fiction authors Hope Holloway and Cecelia Scott.

©2025 Hope Holloway (P)2025 Podium Audio

captivating

Can't wait to read next book. Check it out, you'll love it! Starting right now!

really enjoyed it until the end, its like you left everything unfinished

I do not like the whispered reading it is very annoying and unrealistic. Otherwise I loved the book until the end

Loved It

Can’t wait for book 2. Now I have to find another story to tide me over until July -Book 2

Loved it all!

This is one of those books that leaves you sad when it ends. It also has a cliffhanger, so be sure and buy all three in this series! The story flows easily and I had to pace myself, so it wouldn’t end too soon! Truly fell in love with the characters and the setting. The performance by the narrator was excellent, there was not a single cringe! Book 2 comes out in two weeks from the time of this review. I have pre-ordered it and I can’t wait! Well done to the authors and the narrator!

Charming story

I’m on the road a lot, and I was really looking forward to listening to this story about the area in which I live. While I like the story, I’m struggling with the narration. I have heard this narrator for other stories and liked her just fine. I feel like her take on the Destin diaries is a little off the mark. First, I had to bump up the speed of the narration. And I feel like she needs a little more of a southern accent. Speaking slowly, does not create a Southern dialect. She should also have prepared more for correct pronunciations of cities and towns. Most of the characters are from the south, and I do not feel like that our dialect is represented at all. Very good story though, and I am planning to complete the series.