The Girl from Summer Hill

A Summer Hill Novel

By: Jude Deveraux

Narrated by: Emily Rankin

The first novel of New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux’s breathtaking new series set in Summer Hill, a small town where love takes center stage against the backdrop of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

Enter Elizabeth Bennet. Chef Casey Reddick has had it up to here with men. When she arrives in the charming town of Summer Hill, Virginia, she leaves behind a demanding boss at a famous D.C. restaurant and a breakup with a boyfriend jealous of her success. Some peace and quiet on the picturesque Tattwell plantation is just what she needs to start fresh. But the tranquility is broken one misty morning when she sees a gorgeous naked man on the porch of her cottage.

Enter Mr. Darcy. What Tate Landers, Hollywood heartthrob and owner of Tattwell, doesn’t need on a bittersweet trip to his ancestral home is a woman spying on him from his guest cottage. Mistaking Casey for a reporter, Tate tries to run her out of her own house. His anger, which looks so good on the screen, makes a very bad first impression on Casey. Hollywood he may be, but he’s no sweetheart to Casey—and she lets him know it!

The plot thickens. Sparks fly—literally—when Casey is recruited to play Elizabeth Bennet opposite Tate’s Mr. Darcy in a stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Just brushing past Tate makes Casey’s whole body hum. As they spar on and off stage, Casey begins to think she’s been too quick to judge. Tate is more down-to-earth than Casey expected, and she finds herself melting under his smoldering gaze. But then Tate’s handsome ex-brother-in-law, Devlin Haines, who is playing Wickham, tells Casey some horrifying stories about Tate. She is upset and confused as she tries to figure out who and what to believe. As she finds herself falling for Tate, Casey needs to know: Is the intense, undeniable chemistry between them real, or is this just a performance that ends when the curtain falls?

Praise for The Girl from Summer Hill

“Kicking off a new series set in Summer Hill, Virginia, the New York Times bestselling author brings Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to the theater—and into the twenty-first century. . . . A steamy and delightfully outlandish retelling of a literary classic.”—Kirkus Reviews

“[An] enjoyable start to a new trilogy . . . This book will delight fans of Austen and Deveraux alike.”—Publishers Weekly

Critic reviews

Praise for The Girl from Summer Hill

“Kicking off a new series set in Summer Hill, Virginia, the New York Times bestselling author brings Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to the theater—and into the twenty-first century. . . . A steamy and delightfully outlandish retelling of a literary classic.”—Kirkus Reviews

“[An] enjoyable start to a new trilogy . . . This book will delight fans of Austen and [Jude] Deveraux alike.”—Publishers Weekly

“Deveraux kicks off her new small-town Summer Hill romance trilogy and treats readers to an irresistibly delicious tale of love, passion, and the unknown.”—Booklist

“This brand-new series from Deveraux is off to a fantastic start! Set as a modern-day Pride and Prejudice, the formulaic story is a classic for a reason. Casey is a lovable Elizabeth Bennet and Tate is a quintessential Mr. Darcy, naturally making them a couple with chemistry readers will enjoy until the very end.”—RT Book Reviews

“Will The Girl from Summer Hill knock Pride and Prejudice off its throne? Of course not—that’s a classic for a reason. But conscripting Austen’s plot doesn’t take away from the clever and well-executed hook on which Deveraux hangs an engaging, page-turning story.”—BookPage

Praise for Jude Deveraux

“A new Jude Deveraux novel means a very late night turning the pages straight through to the delicious end.”—Susan Elizabeth Phillips

A relaxing read

What did you love best about The Girl from Summer Hill?

This was an easy to listen to and relaxing story. The narrator was pleasant and I have enjoyed the story. Very pleased with my purchase.

Simply Addicting.

This book grabs you from the beginning words and holds you tight through to the very last. So very addicting. Full of emotions. and excitement. I absolutely love it.

Loved the Play on Pride and Prejudice!

What a light-hearted romantic farce. I would recommend it to anyone who likes any genre of literature and who doesn't take themselves too seriously to enjoy a fun read.

Great

very enjoyable great voices love this author no matter what it's about. Going to start her next one.

A Play within a Play

If you aren't familiar with Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" you will still enjoy this book, however, if you are it will multiply your enjoyment significantly. The storyline revolves around the staging of the play in a small town in Virginia. And the lives of the actors and actresses plays out paralleling the play. There is humor, mystery and romance. The narration could have been improved with a second narrator, a male, but Ms. Rankin did an excellent job of handling both.