|
The Summer of Us - Book Review |
|
|
|
|
Book Reviews -
Women's Fiction
|
|
Written by Jennifer Thompson
|
 The
Summer of Us, by Holly Chamberlin
Three women + one beach house + one fiancee + two potential boyfriends
= the recipe for an interesting summer!
Three women, strangers to one another, agree to room together
in a rental at Martha's Vineyard for the summer. Gincy is smart-mouthed,
street-smart and not looking for commitment. Danielle is wealthy,
pampered and on the prowl for her husband-to-be. Clare is a teacher
engaged to a man who does all the thinking for the both of them.
The three women have nothing in common at first glance, but as
the summer wears on, each seems to complement the other two,
and genuine bonds are formed.
There isn't much in The
Summer of Us
that is surprising; much of what happens when all is said and done is
quite predictable. In that regard, it's a happy beach or poolside read.
One potential boyfriend seems to be unnecessarily vilified in the end,
but I suppose that is so we readers can cheer for the women, despite
their very apparent flaws. It does affirm the power and worth of female
friendships and serves as an inspiration to find camaraderie in
unexpected places and people. Granted, this is fiction, but I couldn't
help but think about women I've known and wonder if there was some
opportunity for a deeper friendship there that we missed just by a lack
of trying.
From the back cover:
Three
city-smart girlfriends are about to take the plunge into love, lust, an
letting it all hang out, Vineyard-style. It will be a summer of change
- but long after the tan lines have faded, they'll still have each
other.
Some of the characters, both main and supporting, seemed a bit too
cliche. More than once I found myself saying, "Are there really people
like this? Puh-leeze." Like Danielle, with her three-ring binder full
of checklists and requirements for her future husband. Or Clare's
fiancee, who treats her more like a puppy than a partner. And Clare
felt like the token down-to-earth girl - caring teacher, LL Bean
wardrobe, but never mind the monthly allowance she was receiving from
her wealthy parents.
The
Summer of Us is a fast and easy read. It might not have the edginess of Bridget
Jones or the preposterousness of The
Wife of Reilly,
but it has its moments and makes for an entertaining tale. The girls
ultimately do what's right by each other and for themselves, and that's
what a feel-good story is all about.
|
