For the Love of Summer

BySusan Mallery

Release Date: 2024-06-04
Genre: Family Fiction & Literature

Score: 4.5

4.5

From 375 Ratings

Description

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes an unforgettable beach read about the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters and finding friendship with the unlikeliest person, perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Emily Giffin…

As the owner of Twisted, Seattle’s best salons, Erica knows that the sharpest cuts come from the people we love. She’s terrified that she’s losing her teen daughter, Summer, to her “other” family, especially to her stepmom, Allison.

All it takes to blow up Allison’s happy life is one collect call. From prison. Her beloved husband, Peter, has been arrested, leaving Allison pregnant, broke, scared and alone with a toddler. But when her stepdaughter ferrets out the truth, the teen rushes to the last person Allison wants to ask for help—her husband’s battle-ax ex.

Erica would do anything for Summer, even take in the woman her daughter loves like a second mom. Allison feels intimidated by Erica—a woman who would never let herself become so dependent on a man. But the more time they spend together, the more Allison realizes what Erica truly needs is a friend. Can two women who married the same man move beyond their complicated past and rethink what it means to be family?

Don’t miss Susan Mallery’s brand new novel, BEACH VIBES, a dazzling, clever and poignant story about the family we’re born into—and the one we create for ourselves, coming March 2025!

Discover more heartwarming tales by Susan Mallery: One Big Happy Family The Summer Book Club The Happiness Plan Home Sweet Christmas The Boardwalk Bookshop

Reviews

For The Love of Summer
5
By Angie Atwood
Great book. The characters kept me engaged. Easy reading and nice story line.
I quit
1
By kris10km
I couldn’t take listening to Summer go on and on about helping these people. Ridiculous. The mother needed to teach her to grow up.
Perfect Read
5
By CKA74!
I loved this book! I love how Erica and Allison become friends (sisters) without even realizing it.
What’s love?
5
By 1963ljb
How much will we do when we truly love others? This book has turns that make you realize what love is and isn’t.
Good Summer Read
4
By chell u
Another good summer read! Many twists and turns to the story. Two compelling women with a complicated past.The book is full of friendships, love, and family. It makes you rethink your definition of family.
Not your normal beach read but in a good way
4
By DDJoy1969
I’m pretty sure I haven’t come across a storyline like “For the Love of Summer” before. Sure, “man and woman meet, fall in love, get married, have a baby, man turns into a jerk, they get divorced” has been done but now add Summer (the daughter) begs Erica (her mom) to take in Allison and Jackson (her pregnant step-mom and 18-month old half-brother) because her dad (Peter) is in prison and all the bank accounts are frozen!

I really enjoyed the pace of the book and how each character developed. I was also happy that the time Erica and Killion (Erica’s “friend”) spent broken up wasn’t very long. I know there’s a formula but sometimes it seems to take forever for characters to reunite.

Oh yeah, at first, Peter was a real jerk, then I wasn’t sure, but no…Peter’s a jerk. 👎🏻
Wow!
5
By Xiaguan2014
I didn’t think Susan Mallery could get any better and than this story comes along! These women will put you through the wringer and leave you just amazed at home much depth of emotion flows from the pages. This is a story that will grab you from chapter one and not let go! A must read!
Complicated Relationships and Great Story
5
By Nanna Teacher
This is a story of complicated relationships and unlikely friendships. Erica is divorced from Peter and their child Summer is a precocious and compassionate teen with a lot of energy and persuasive abilities. Peter’s current wife Allison finds herself in the unhappy predicament of being a single mom to a toddler while she is pregnant and while Peter is jailed for all kinds of fraud. Allison is shocked, torn apart by the circumstances and barely hanging on to her sanity when sweet, solution-seeking Summer decides to help out by persuading her mom Erica to allow Allison and little Jackson to move into their roomy home. But is there enough room there for an ex, a current and a blended family? This family drama was fun to read and imagine what would happen next, with plenty of surprises popping up along the way. Erica is a lot bigger person than I could ever be in accepting Allison into her home and them providing all that she needs to prepare for a new baby as well as a more secure future. That scenario itself captivated me with the way the relationship between the two women progressed as they really got to know each other. I loved the characters, the fast plot and the whole idea of helping others along when they are challenged by life’s curve balls. I especially liked Erica’s love interest, Killion, a man who can do it all, have it all and be all for everyone whenever they need it. Talk about a swoonworthy hero! Every time I read a new Susan Mallery book, I say that it’s my favorite because they just are all so wonderful! Getting to know Summer and her family was like a breath of fresh air on a hot and humid day…refreshing and delightful!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Family ties
5
By Karen'sKorner
Susan Mallery has a unique knack for developing characters that are believable and show real growth throughout the book. We know we will get a happily ever after but we will have to work for it and enjoy the ride as we do it. I love her writing style. It flows so well it’s easy to get lost and say just a few more pages until you are up way too late! This is a book well worth reading I highly recommend it. The only downfall for me was I wasn’t sitting at the beach while I read it!!