Review: Summer Secrets by Jane Green

Summer Secrest

by Jane Green

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Pages: 320

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  June, 1998: At twenty seven, Catherine Coombs, also known as Cat, is struggling. She lives in London, works as a journalist, and parties hard. Her lunchtimes consist of several glasses of wine at the bar downstairs in the office, her evenings much the same, swigging the free booze and eating the free food at a different launch or party every night. When she discovers the identity of the father she never knew she had, it sends her into a spiral. She makes mistakes that cost her the budding friendship of the only women who have ever welcomed her. And nothing is ever the same after that.

June, 2014: Cat has finally come to the end of herself. She no longer drinks. She wants to make amends to those she has hurt. Her quest takes her to Nantucket, to the gorgeous summer community where the women she once called family still live. Despite her sins, will they welcome her again? What Cat doesn’t realize is that these women, her real father’s daughters, have secrets of their own. As the past collides with the present, Cat must confront the darkest things in her own life and uncover the depths of someone’s need for revenge.


Kritters Thoughts:  Cat Coombs is the main character, but the reader gets to get to know her at different moments in her life.  One story line take place in her late 20s and she is not in the best place in life.  She is struggling with alcoholism, but won't admit it which is the first step you must take to recover.  The other main storyline is "current" and she has been divorced for a few years and now sober for a few years and is realizing the destruction that she left behind in her drinking days.

I love that this is almost two small novels in one and the reader gets the full story of what happened in the past and what she must do to regain trust with her family and friends.  As much as this story is about alcoholism, I really took the redemption story to heart in this book and no matter what you do to your loved ones, a good apology is the only way to start repairing a damaged relationship.  

After reading the book I found out that there was a novella introducing us to Cat (Cat and Jemima J), I wish I had read it first, but will definitely be reading it to see the connection to one of Jane Green's previous characters - Jemima J.

As most Jane Green books go, this book read quickly and easily.  Cat was an easy character to fall for and as a reader you just wanted to root for her from the beginning.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Booksparks PR.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.