Summer on the Bluffs

A Novel (Oak Bluffs, Book 1)

By: Sunny Hostin

Narrated by: January LaVoy

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller!

The View cohost and New York Times best-selling author Sunny Hostin dazzles with this brilliant novel about a life-changing summer along the beaches of Martha's Vineyard.

Welcome to Oak Bluffs, the most exclusive Black beach community in the country. Known for its gingerbread Victorian-style houses and modern architectural marvels, this picturesque town hugging the sea is a mecca for the crème de la crème of Black society — where Michelle and Barack Obama vacation and Meghan Markle has shopped for a house for her mom. Black people have lived in this pretty slip of the Vineyard since the 1600s and began buying property in the 1800s, making this posh town the embodiment of “old money.”

Thirty years ago, Amelia Vaux Tanner and her husband built a house high on the bluffs, a cottage they named Chateau Laveau. For decades, “Ama” played host to American presidents, Wall Street titans, and cultural icons. But her favorite guests have always been her three “goddaughters”: Esperanza “Perry” Soto, a beautiful, talented Afro-Latina lawyer with Ama’s strong, yet guarded personality; Olivia Jones, a gifted Wall Street analyst with Ama’s brilliant, logical mind; and Billie Hayden, a gifted marine biologist and rule-breaker with Ama’s courageous free spirit.

Growing up, these three goddaughters from different backgrounds came together each summer at Chateau Laveau. As adults, the cottage is a place this trio of successful yet very different women go to escape, to slow down from their hectic lives, share private time with Ama, and enjoy the gorgeous weather, cool water, and stunning views Oak Bluffs offers.

This summer on the Bluffs, however, will be different. An era is ending: Ama, now nearing 71, is moving to the south of France to reunite with her college sweetheart. She has invited Perry, Olivia, and Billie to spend one last golden summer together with her the way they did when they were kids. And when fall comes, she is going to give the house to one of them.

Each of the women wants the house desperately. Each is grappling with a secret she fears will hurt her and her chances. By the end of summer, old ties will fray, new bonds will be created, and these three found sisters will discover they aren’t the only ones with something to hide. Ama has a few secrets of her own. What she has to give them is far more than property. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, she will tell these surrogate daughters she fiercely loves and protects everything they never knew they needed to know.

©2020 Sunny Hostin (P)2021 HarperAudio

Book review

I loved this book from beginning to end,
The characters were well believed and the story line so easy to follow. I hated when it ended, can't wait for the next one

Spellbound!

I found the book to be very entertaining and a good summer read. I did wonder what motivated Amma and Omar to chose those three girls. Well kept secrets until the end.

Really enjoyed this book!

It began for me a little slow however around chapter eight it picked up speed. The narrator 's tone and cadence seem to change. I was all in after that!

Delightful !

I enjoyed the storyline so much I'm bookings little trip to the Bluffs.
Sunny you done good!

A beautiful summer getaway !

Life is a mixture of realities and emotions! Loved it,. I am waiting for the nsequel.

The perfect summer story

What. A. Book. I loved every minute of this delightfully dynamic and delicious story.
This combined the perfect glimpse of Black luxury, the drama unfolding with beach Bluff behavior, and the meaning of family.

Romantic mystery! Perfect summer read...

Absolutely loved this book. I have been to Martha’s Vineyard and this book transported me back to the warm memories of the vineyard. The characters beautifully written, came alive magically, feeling like old friends all sharing a mysterious secret that surprised me, the reader, as much as it surprised the characters. Well done Sunny Hostin, well done. Very impressive, beautifully written!

Enjoyable read...

Really enjoyed this lite but intriguing read.   The main characters were intentional in creating an environment that nurtured their spirits as they dealt with the daily pressures of life. The visual and cultural details provided great texture to the story that I could fully appreciate as a native New Orleanian and Martha's Vineyard vacationer.  My curiosity has been piqued by unfamiliar people, music, and food interspersed throughout. 

Summer on the Bluffs

This was a fun & exciting read that I so enjoyed reading. I have two sisters who were reading this book the same time as I was, we has fun chatting about this book as we read it.

What a Great Summer Read!

Whoo Hoo! This was a juicy summer beach read! Loved the entire book and the Audio was amazing . I didn’t want the story to end! Great read!