A Summer for the Books

By: Michelle Lindo-Rice

Narrated by: Ariel Blake

Fans of Jennifer Weiner and Sunny Hostin will love this emotional dual-timeline novel about two former besties finding their way back to each other.

To heal their friendship, they’ll have to face their past.

Jewel Stone has it all—the perfect marriage, a bestselling author career, her dream home—or so she likes everyone to believe. But between her writer’s block and her husband losing his job, her picture-perfect life is in shambles. And inspiration just isn’t hitting…until she receives a call she never expected: her former best friend needs her help.

When Shelby Andrews wakes up in the hospital after a biking accident, she can’t remember the last twelve years. She knows she owns a bookstore on the beach, but she has no memory of Lacey, her nineteen-year-old adopted daughter who’s away for the summer. There’s only one person who can help Shelby through this—her bestie, Jewel.

With so many secrets and heartbreaks between them, Jewel and Shelby haven’t spoken in years. Yet Jewel can’t turn away from the friend who doesn’t remember their fallout. Besides, the best writing she’s ever done was with Shelby…

But when they learn Lacey’s really spending her summer searching for her birth parents, their tentative reunion might just unravel along with all of their secrets.

Initial premise

The initial premise of why they kept their secret didn't feel heavy enough. Would they really get in so much trouble for doing what they did but beyond that I liked the twists and turns.

Love sisterhood, for all its ups and downs

Loved how the book connected so many different pieces. A tale of friendship, lost love, the obstacles of youth, and an old fashioned search/problem solving mystery.

the realism of the story

it took a little time to get used to it switching from journal to current day

Meh

This book started a little slow, but once it picked up it was good. At the last hour, it seemed rushed and the ending was disappointing. I didn’t care for the narrator, she sounds very nasally. It would’ve been a cute story if the ending wasn’t rushed. Overall 2.5 out of 5.

They showed what true friendship is all about!

It kept me engaged from beginning to end. I would love to read a sequel