I loved this book. The situations felt realistic, and the characters' actions believable. The author writes about the lives of three women: Laurel and Paris, who have been friends since the first grade, and Cassie, a newcomer to town. All three women have baggage that keeps them from moving on with their lives. I loved seeing each woman face their pasts and fears and find hope for the future with each other's help and support.
Laurel is a divorced mother of two tween girls, Jagger and Ariana. Her husband left them to "follow his dream" and took all of their savings. It took her a while to get back on her feet using her resale business, but things are looking better now. Unfortunately, her bitterness and anger toward her ex has affected Jagger, who frequently comments about how terrible men are. Laurel is advised to find a good male role model or two - a task easier said than done, especially as she has no interest in another relationship. How she finds that male role model to be friends with is amusing. I loved watching Colton become part of their lives. He's excellent with the girls and the perfect example to show Laurel that not all men are jerks. It's easy to see them grow closer, and Colton's feelings are apparent. But Laurel fights her feelings for him until it's almost too late. Run-ins with her ex complicate their lives.
Paris is also divorced with no children. She runs a successful farm stand, and I loved seeing her marketing creativity. Her divorce happened ten years earlier when her husband could no longer handle her volatile temper. Years of therapy have taught Paris how to handle her emotions, but she still doesn't trust herself, so she has avoided any romantic entanglements. Her life and sense of calm are upended when her ex, Jonah, returns to town with his eight-year-old son, Danny. Jonah holds no grudges against Paris and makes it clear that he would like to be friends. I got a little frustrated with Paris as she frequently mentioned her past treatment of him as a reason he should stay away from her, even though she realizes she still loves him. I loved Jonah's patience and persistence as he helped Paris overcome her guilt and fears.
Cassie is the newcomer to town. The youngest in her family, she was the most affected when their parents died when she was fourteen. She coped by becoming the person who stepped up whenever her older brother or sister needed help, putting her dreams and activities aside. She also tends to form relationships with men/boys who need fixing and then gets dumped when they no longer need her. As the story opens, Cassie's brother and sister sit her down and tell her it's time for her to live her own life. They use a "tough love" method of kicking her out and sending her to California to check on the property she inherited from their uncle. Cassie is hurt, angry, and a little scared, and determined to survive her six-month exile and return to Maine as soon as possible. She doesn't count on making two good friends in Laurel and Paige, discovering a connection with the land she inherited, or finding a man who sees past her insecurities.
I loved the intertwining of Laurel's, Paris's, and Cassie's lives. Paris was there for Laurel when her husband walked out, and Laurel gave Paris the support she needed to confront her anger issues. I loved how they welcomed Cassie into their circle. Each was always ready to back up the others in an emergency - emotional or physical. They were also prepared to call each other out when they avoided the truth of their feelings about the men in their lives or the issues they tried to ignore. With her years of therapy, Paris is especially good at getting to the heart of a problem.
I also liked the realistic depiction of the children's reactions to various things. I ached for Jagger and Ariana as they dealt with their father's desertion. Each girl handled it differently, and I liked seeing the results as the summer progressed. I especially enjoyed seeing the changes in Jagger as she got to know Colton and his parents, Jonah, and Raphael. Jonah's son Danny was a sweet kid who was dealing with his mother's death. I liked his quick connection with Paris. I laughed when his love of Paris's dog, Bandit, resulted in his pestering Jonah for a dog of his own.
I wish there had been an epilogue, as I would love to see how everyone's lives are going a few years later.
#netgalley
Laurel is a divorced mother of two tween girls, Jagger and Ariana. Her husband left them to "follow his dream" and took all of their savings. It took her a while to get back on her feet using her resale business, but things are looking better now. Unfortunately, her bitterness and anger toward her ex has affected Jagger, who frequently comments about how terrible men are. Laurel is advised to find a good male role model or two - a task easier said than done, especially as she has no interest in another relationship. How she finds that male role model to be friends with is amusing. I loved watching Colton become part of their lives. He's excellent with the girls and the perfect example to show Laurel that not all men are jerks. It's easy to see them grow closer, and Colton's feelings are apparent. But Laurel fights her feelings for him until it's almost too late. Run-ins with her ex complicate their lives.
Paris is also divorced with no children. She runs a successful farm stand, and I loved seeing her marketing creativity. Her divorce happened ten years earlier when her husband could no longer handle her volatile temper. Years of therapy have taught Paris how to handle her emotions, but she still doesn't trust herself, so she has avoided any romantic entanglements. Her life and sense of calm are upended when her ex, Jonah, returns to town with his eight-year-old son, Danny. Jonah holds no grudges against Paris and makes it clear that he would like to be friends. I got a little frustrated with Paris as she frequently mentioned her past treatment of him as a reason he should stay away from her, even though she realizes she still loves him. I loved Jonah's patience and persistence as he helped Paris overcome her guilt and fears.
Cassie is the newcomer to town. The youngest in her family, she was the most affected when their parents died when she was fourteen. She coped by becoming the person who stepped up whenever her older brother or sister needed help, putting her dreams and activities aside. She also tends to form relationships with men/boys who need fixing and then gets dumped when they no longer need her. As the story opens, Cassie's brother and sister sit her down and tell her it's time for her to live her own life. They use a "tough love" method of kicking her out and sending her to California to check on the property she inherited from their uncle. Cassie is hurt, angry, and a little scared, and determined to survive her six-month exile and return to Maine as soon as possible. She doesn't count on making two good friends in Laurel and Paige, discovering a connection with the land she inherited, or finding a man who sees past her insecurities.
I loved the intertwining of Laurel's, Paris's, and Cassie's lives. Paris was there for Laurel when her husband walked out, and Laurel gave Paris the support she needed to confront her anger issues. I loved how they welcomed Cassie into their circle. Each was always ready to back up the others in an emergency - emotional or physical. They were also prepared to call each other out when they avoided the truth of their feelings about the men in their lives or the issues they tried to ignore. With her years of therapy, Paris is especially good at getting to the heart of a problem.
I also liked the realistic depiction of the children's reactions to various things. I ached for Jagger and Ariana as they dealt with their father's desertion. Each girl handled it differently, and I liked seeing the results as the summer progressed. I especially enjoyed seeing the changes in Jagger as she got to know Colton and his parents, Jonah, and Raphael. Jonah's son Danny was a sweet kid who was dealing with his mother's death. I liked his quick connection with Paris. I laughed when his love of Paris's dog, Bandit, resulted in his pestering Jonah for a dog of his own.
I wish there had been an epilogue, as I would love to see how everyone's lives are going a few years later.
#netgalley
