The Summerhouse

The Summerhouse is a delightful and thought-provoking story where do-overs are allowed and alternate realities are possible. There’s even a bit of time travel involved in the story, which is always a big draw for me. The idea of being able to change the past is not a new one, but this book has an added twist to that idea – the ladies had to choose which few weeks they would go back and change in their lives. Which three weeks are the most important in regards to the path your life has taken? Which three would have the most impact if you could go back and live them differently?

The first half of the book covers the lives of the women after they met at a DMV and spent the day together. They all had big dreams and aspirations of becoming a dancer, a model, and an artist, however things turned out far differently than what they expected. After disappointments and personal tragedies, one of the three ladies tracks the other two down and they reunite for a weekend in Maine. All three look forward to a chance to get away from it all and reflect on how to move forward from the disappointments in their lives.

During that weekend in Maine they are given the gift of a lifetime – the opportunity to go back and change what they did in the past. The second half of the book describes their trips back to their earlier lives and what they choose to change. I couldn’t put the book down while reading this section because I was very invested in the characters by this point and wanted so badly for things to turn out well for them.

The idea that three women would meet again after so many years, only having known each other previously for a day, seemed a little unrealistic to me. After all, I have a hard time remembering the last names of some of my good friends from college, and those were people I spent a lot of time with. However, it was the only issue I had with this book, and I enjoyed the reading experience so much that I was willing to let it go. It just proves that good writing, interesting characters and a compelling plot can convince you to overlook things that would be bothersome in another book.

Although this is an easy book to read (the story flows quickly and is not bogged down by flowery descriptions or philosophical meandering), it was one of those rare stories that has made me reflect on my life and has been simmering in my mind since I read it. I think it would be difficult to read this book without looking back on your own life and speculating about what (if anything) you would change. ( )

The Summerhouse
Summerhouse Book One
By Jude Deveraux

On their twenty-first birthday three women met in New York as they are renewing their driver’s licenses. The three soon hit it off Leslie has come to New York to become a dancer, Madison was sent by her small home town to become a model, and Ellie has dreams of becoming an artist. Nineteen years later after Ellie has been through a horrific divorce she decides to reconnect with the two women who touched her life forever inviting them to spend their fortieth birthday at a Summerhouse in Maine. What turns out to be an ordinary vacation soon turns into an extraordinary opportunity that will alter their lives.

This is a novel of choices, the choices we have made in our lives and where those decisions have brought us. What if you had the chance to change something in your past? This is the idea that Jude Deveraux takes on with this novel, not only is it thought provoking the author is simple brilliant in the execution of this novel intertwining three very unique stories. The only thing I must say is that the story itself starts off a bit slow, but each character has an interesting back story somewhat making up for the lack of anything truly happening, the novel truly kicks off about halfway through when the three women meet Madame Zoya. Once this happens you truly cannot put this novel down until you find out how it will end, I cannot say weather this novel is suprising the first time I read it myself I was a teenager and I absolutely fell in love, so re-reading it for review I knew what would happen and I find myself falling in love with this novel all over again, definitely worth the read.

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http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/ ( )

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! If I had the opportunity to have an alternate view of my life and still get a choice of which life I'd take, I'd do it just to see.

These women's lives before the time travel seemed unbearable. For one in particular, I'm surprised she didn't "accidentally" kill her husband.

Definitely a book for someone who LOVES books with happy endings. ( )

fun fluff. Magic happens in Searsport. ( )

The Summerhouse is a delightful and thought-provoking story where do-overs are allowed and alternate realities are possible. There’s even a bit of time travel involved in the story, which is always a big draw for me. The idea of being able to change the past is not a new one, but this book has an added twist to that idea – the ladies had to choose which few weeks they would go back and change in their lives. Which three weeks are the most important in regards to the path your life has taken? Which three would have the most impact if you could go back and live them differently?

The first half of the book covers the lives of the women after they met at a DMV and spent the day together. They all had big dreams and aspirations of becoming a dancer, a model, and an artist, however things turned out far differently than what they expected. After disappointments and personal tragedies, one of the three ladies tracks the other two down and they reunite for a weekend in Maine. All three look forward to a chance to get away from it all and reflect on how to move forward from the disappointments in their lives.

During that weekend in Maine they are given the gift of a lifetime – the opportunity to go back and change what they did in the past. The second half of the book describes their trips back to their earlier lives and what they choose to change. I couldn’t put the book down while reading this section because I was very invested in the characters by this point and wanted so badly for things to turn out well for them.

The idea that three women would meet again after so many years, only having known each other previously for a day, seemed a little unrealistic to me. After all, I have a hard time remembering the last names of some of my good friends from college, and those were people I spent a lot of time with. However, it was the only issue I had with this book, and I enjoyed the reading experience so much that I was willing to let it go. It just proves that good writing, interesting characters and a compelling plot can convince you to overlook things that would be bothersome in another book.

Although this is an easy book to read (the story flows quickly and is not bogged down by flowery descriptions or philosophical meandering), it was one of those rare stories that has made me reflect on my life and has been simmering in my mind since I read it. I think it would be difficult to read this book without looking back on your own life and speculating about what (if anything) you would change. ( )