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After finishing the book Summer Breeze by Nancy Thayer, I realized why it was for sale in the bargain bin at the grocery store. Not the worst read, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The idea of the book was enticing… the different lives of three women all living around a beautiful lake, spending their summer days swimming, boating and enjoying parties with their neighbors, each having a difficult decision to make. I thought it would be a nice breezy feel-good summer read, but it left me feeling a bit sad for these women.
It seemed each of the main characters all wanted different lives. The book was mostly focused on their relationship issues and ultimately wanting something that wasn’t theirs. One woman was in a rough spot in her marriage and dabbled in cheating on her husband. Another was in a relationship with a great guy but was emotionally cheating on him with a more exciting option. And the other character was in love with someone she didn’t think loved her back. In the end each relationship issue was solved and they all ended up happy, but I didn’t fall in love with the story line. I wanted to shout, “enjoy the lake and quit being so needy!”
Throughout the story, there wasn’t a huge focus on building the friendship between the three women, but by the end of the book it made it seem like they were the best of friends, rather than just neighbors meeting up once in awhile. While it was hard for me to buy into the strong friendship, my biggest gripe with the book was how easily Bella made a big decision in the end, giving up a lot. That was by far my favorite story line and I was sad she moved on so easily!
Who read the book and knows what I’m talking about? I’d love to hear your thoughts! I think my next SUGAR MAPLE book club pick is a MUCH better choice. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, so you’ll definitely want to read along with me. I’ll announce it by the end of the week!
View all SUGAR MAPLE book club posts.
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