Home for the Summer

Chesapeake Diaries, Book 5

By: Mariah Stewart

Narrated by: Xe Sands

Some of Lucy Sinclair's best days were those spent growing up in small town St. Dennis - working at the family inn and enjoying summers filled with swimming, sailing, tennis, and the company of Clay Madison, her best friend. But Lucy's darkest day, the one that shattered her innocence with violence and fear, also happened in St. Dennis. And the town she once loved became the place she gladly left behind-along with the terrible secret she's kept for 20 years.

While Lucy headed off for college and a career, Clay remained-more than satisfied with the life St. Dennis had to offer. But now, even after inheriting his family's thriving farm and starting up an organic brewery, he can't help feeling that something's missing. And when Lucy comes back to town to plan a celebrity wedding at the Sinclair family inn, she and Clay reconnect, and find themselves reevaluating their long-sleeping friendship that could blossom into something deeper. Like a bookend to those distant childhood days, this summer will be Lucy's chance to finally confront her hidden pain, make peace with the past, and plan her own whole new future.

©2012 Marti Robb (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

" Home for the Summer is a lovely visit to a familiar place with a number of recognizable faces." ( Romantic Times)

Becoming repetitive, but still fun.

Any additional comments?

Another quick and easy read. Predictable but fun all the same. I think the series is running out of ideas at this point. I'm hoping the author goes back to writing murder mysteries soon.

Love Xe Sands

A wonderful easy listen but a little predictable. The series is a great story and fun to listen to. Very enjoyable!

A disappointment in a good series

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I loved this series and XE Sands is an exceptional narrator. She made St Denise a very real place for me. This particular book was very uninteresting. I couldn't finish it. In the end, I had to say, "who cares". The story held no interest for me. There was no under lying mystery, no tension, nothing to hold me. I was frustrated by the lack of a journey in the story. Not her best by any means.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Clay had the potential to be a really interesting simple good guy. The story and the characters fell apart.

What about Xe Sands’s performance did you like?

Her tambour is outstanding. With very little effort her characters come alive.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

That the heroine be more decisive. There had to be a reason why Clay was special. I didn't really care about either of them.

Any additional comments?

Don't miss the series because of this one book.

Lucy Needed Counseling

I appreciate that the author wove a dark storyline into a basically lighthearted series, attempting to add realism into Lucy's story. However, I was disappointed that 30 plus Lucy did not directly deal with her past trauma, but rather she hid from relationships by working 100 hours a week and moving to the west coast. The best character by far is Gracie, Lucy's seventy something mother who refuses to act her age.

Slow, boring, horrible narration!

Would you try another book from Mariah Stewart and/or Xe Sands?

The story was a little slow moving but good.Yes to the author, NO to XE Sands! Not sure if narrator was trying to sound high class? But characters seemed bored, making it a boring listen. :(

Has Home for the Summer turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

Would you be willing to try another one of Xe Sands’s performances?

No

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Home for the Summer?

It was pretty wordy when coming to describing "things" like decorations but less so on characters personalities.

Any additional comments?

I probably wont listen to anymore of M. Stewards books but I might borrow from the library just to give her another chance.