June

A Novel

By: Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

Narrated by: Sofia Willingham

Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

From the New York Times best-selling author of Bittersweet comes a novel of suspense and passion about a terrible mistake made 60 years ago that threatens to change a modern family forever.

Twenty-five-year-old Cassie Danvers is holed up in her family's crumbling mansion in rural St. Jude, Ohio, mourning the loss of the woman who raised her - her grandmother, June. But a knock on the door forces her out of isolation. Cassie has been named the sole heir to legendary matinee idol Jack Montgomery's vast fortune. How did Jack Montgomery know her name? Could he have crossed paths with her grandmother all those years ago? What other shocking secrets could June's once-stately mansion hold?

Soon Jack's famous daughters come knocking, determined to wrestle Cassie away from the inheritance they feel is their due. Together, they all come to discover the true reasons for June's silence about that long-ago summer when Hollywood came to town and June's and Jack's lives were forever altered by murder, blackmail, and betrayal. As this pause resister shifts deftly between the past and present, Cassie and her guests will be forced to reexamine their legacies, their definition of family, and what it truly means to love someone steadfastly across the ages.

Praise for June

“Intrigue? Yes, please. Scandals and surprise inheritances? All the yesses!... Savor every page of this twisty novel.” (Cosmopolitan)

“Cinematic.” (Vanity Fair)

"An enthralling story of Hollywood glamour, first love and shifting loyalties.... June invites readers to sink into its narrative the way Cassie sinks into the embrace of Two Oaks: with a thirst for a good story and a tall glass of lemonade.” (Shelf Awareness)

“[It's] the perfect kind of literary love story, a thrilling Hollywood plot of murder and blackmail commingled with the steady, capacious Midwest. Best read with a glass of cold lemonade.” (Andrew Unger (BookCourt), New York Post)

“From Castle Otranto to Wuthering Heights, houses have inhabited our fictions for centuries, shaping the narrative and characters. In Miranda Beverly-Whittemore’s absorbing Gothic mystery, June, Two Oaks, a mansion in rural Ohio, influences the dreams and desires of the two generations of unyielding women.... [A] bittersweet love story hidden beneath blackmail and murder.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

©2016 Miranda Beverly-Whittemore (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"A crumbling family home, a shockingly large inheritance, a small-town mystery, and a high-wattage Hollywood star: June is atmospheric, ambitious, and filled with enough intrigue, betrayal, passion, and heartbreak to keep you reading all the way to the explosively satisfying end." (Christina Baker Kline, number-one New York Times best-selling author of Orphan Train)

"A delicious and delightful tale about what happens when small-town secrets and family bonds collide with the intrigue and romance of Hollywood. Beverly-Whittemore draws a rich and detailed portrait of two parallel summers that will draw you in from the beginning and keep you guessing until the end." (J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times best-selling author of Maine and Commencement)

"At turns lush and tender, harrowing and poignant, Miranda Beverly-Whittemore's June is historical fiction at its most masterful, and a love story rich in complication and heartbreak." (Megan Abbott, award-winning author of Dare Me and The Fever)

Overly Descriptive

I really liked the story, however I felt that it was, at times, overly descriptive. Had I been reading an actual book, I would have skimmed over most of the descriptions about the house. The narration was great!

Unusual and engaging

The characters, the anecdotes, the plot, the setting, all of it is really well done and will not only keep you entertained, but will make you think about yourself, your family, people you know...

A Surprise

I worried at the beginning of this story that I had made a mistake with my purchase. However, as the story began to unfold, I found myself immersed.

Love love love this book

This is a novel I would reread and suggest to my friends. It was a beautiful journey and unfolding. Thank you Miranda Beverly Whittemore

"A simple love story" With a surprising ride.

Loved it, the story snaked around like a water ride with a tickeling drop near the end. The backstory was tucked in here and there like a loose sheet on an unmade bed until...
The book was excellent in every way.

A Darned Good Story

While the may not be true literature, it is a good multigenerational story. There are many twists, some predictable and others a total surprise. And, I do like books where the loose ends are tied up at the end.

Loved it!

Such a beautiful, interesting and well written story. You'll get involved in all the details.

Slow and implausible

This is the first Audible book that I did not like. I had such a hard time getting through it and, all through out, the story did not seem real - like it could have actually occurred.