Review: The Summer That Made Us by Robyn Carr

Thank you so much Little Bird Publicity for sending me a copy of this book to read and review. 

Book Blurb: Mothers and daughters, sisters and cousins, they lived for summers at the lake house until a tragic accident changed everything. The Summer That Made Us is an unforgettable story about a family learning to accept the past, to forgive and to love each other again. That was then… For the Hempsteads, summers were idyllic. Two sisters who married two brothers and had three daughters each, 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, 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. 

My Thoughts: This book really surprised me (in a good way). Before even opening the book you’ll notice the beautiful cover and think it looks like just another light summer read. While it is sort of that – the character development was simply perfect. I love how you get a real sense for each person and their own personal struggles. This was a great story about family dynamic and female relationships within a family. I loved slowly unraveling what brought this once close knit group of ladies to all go in such different directions. Carr did a really great job of describing the beautiful setting, making me wish I were there at the lake house. I also appreciated the fact that at the end of the book you were not left wondering anything. Each characters story concluded and there were no “loose ends” to leave you wondering what happened.

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