Wednesday, June 05, 2013

My Review - That Certain Summer



 4 out of 5 stars
As a fan of Irene Hannon’s suspense books, I didn’t know what to expect from THAT CERTAIN SUMMER.  A story about the dysfunctional relationship between sisters isn’t really a storyline I would gravitate to.  But, since I love Hannon’s writing, I wanted to give it a try.  I am glad I did.

Karen has always been a pleaser to her mom, her husband, her daughter.  But it’s never been enough.  Her mother has always belittled her, her husband has left her for a younger woman, and her daughter blames her for their broken family.  When her mother suffers a mild stroke, Karen asks her wayward sister for help.

Val is everything Karen is not.  Talented, beautiful, and independent enough to leave her hometown without looking back.  But it wasn’t her talent or drive for success that made her leave, but a secret she’s kept hidden for several years.  Now she’s back in Washington, helping Karen with her mother’s recovery, but also trying to reconcile her past.

Mending fences with her sister, a new self-confidence, and the interest of a local musician has Karen optimistic about her future.  But for Val, her attraction to her mother’s physical therapist is only proving to make things more difficult as she continues to struggle with her past.

THAT CERTAIN SUMMER was quite enjoyable becomes of the wonderful characters Irene Hannon fleshed out for us to identify with.  Seeing the growth of both Karen and Val, and the bond that brought them closer together made THAT CERTAIN SUMMER as entertaining as any of Hannon’s suspense novels.  Instead of setting my heart racing with action and adventure, my heartstrings were tugged at with emotion and sentiment.  

Book provided for review purposes.

“Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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