Review: The Summer that Made Us by Robyn Carr

The Summer That Made Us

by Robyn Carr

Publisher: Mira Books

Pages: 336

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  That was then... 

For the Hempsteads, two sisters who married two brothers and had three daughters each, summers were idyllic. The women would escape the city the moment school was out to gather at the family house on Lake Waseka. The lake was a magical place, a haven where they were happy and carefree. All of their problems drifted away as the days passed in sun-dappled contentment. Until the summer that changed everything.

This is now... 

After an accidental drowning turned the lake house into a site of tragedy and grief, it was closed up. For good. Torn apart, none of the Hempstead women speak of what happened that summer, and relationships between them are uneasy at best to hurtful at worst. But in the face of new challenges, one woman is determined to draw her family together again, and the only way that can happen is to return to the lake and face the truth.

Kritters Thoughts:  Let me start by saying I am a Robyn Carr fan and I love her romance series and the stand alone women's fiction books.  She can write a book so I was surprised throughout this whole book that I couldn't get into it or care about any of the characters.  This book was all about the characters - two sisters who marry two brothers and each have three girls and one summer at their lake house sends these families spiraling out of control and many years later two of the girls decide to return and one invites the others and of course drama ensues.

As I said above this is a character driven story and not really any of the characters drew me in and I couldn't get to caring about them.  When other girls arrived to the lake house I was hoping to find one to connect with, but I just couldn't.

The thing about this book that was entertaining was the mystery about the past.  I liked learning the details about what tore the families apart, but it didn't make me care anymore about them in the present.

This book won't keep me from continuing to read Robyn Carr.  I will pick up the next one with the same excitement I have when she releases each stand alone! 


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Little Bird Publicity.  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.