For the Love of Summer

Solid Susan Mallery Tale Of Finding Friends Even In Difficult Situations. I admit, I'm a bit weird here due to how my own family was as I was growing up, and even how my wife's family is to this day. You see, my grandparents divorced well before I was ever born. I never knew them married. And yet, my grandmother and step-grandfather lived on my grandfather's property, at times even inside his own house, at a few different points of my childhood. Similarly, my wife's mom's best friend... is the ex-wife of her husband (my wife's stepdad).

Thus, when I find myself reading a tale such as the one here, where a new wife suddenly finds that her only real chance at moving forward is the generosity of her husband's ex-wife (prodded on by their daughter)... it actually isn't that far out of the realm of "normal" for me. :D

So maybe I had an easier time accepting this plotline than some, but for me it absolutely worked quite well. Yes, it could get a touch repetitive at times as Mallery was driving home her major thematic elements, but... that is kinda part of Mallery's style, at least of late. Yes, her books - including this one - could easily be 20 or more pages shorter without all of the repetition, but I honestly think that many of Mallery's bigger fans appreciate this to some level.

Ultimately, this is a tale of hope and found family/ found friendship and how these can make life bearable even under difficult and somewhat unusual circumstances. This is a tale of women bonding even in situations that would likely tear many female bonds apart, and it is a tale of the power of friendship. I for one thoroughly enjoyed it, even if, yes, it did run perhaps a touch too long. But again, that is just something one comes to expect from Mallery, who I'm beginning to think has some kind of deep seated aversion to publishing a book with less than 400 pages in it.

Very much recommended.