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Zoe's a security specialist and a Costas through and through. Her eccentric, rather dubious family runs an Atlantic City spa that's just this side of legit. So Zoe isn't inclined to trust handsome, charming Ryan Baldwin when he shows up claiming to be related to Sam, the girl the Costas family is about to adopt. But Ryan is Sam's uncle and one of the famously rich and snooty Boston Baldwins.Ryan's search for his sister Faith has led him to news of her death, and to a niece he's never met. show more But someone else has also tracked Sam down--someone who never wanted the child to be found. Ryan is determined to protect Sam and find out what really happened to his sister. And Zoe "Whatever-It-Takes" Costas is just the woman to help him do it....
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Summer of Love is the second (and last) book in the Costas Sisters series by Carly Phillips. I consider this book a continuation of "Under the Boardwalk" since some parts of this story are connected to what happened in the previous book and the most important of them is Sam.
It took me three days to finish this book, while I could have read it in one afternoon and I lost my reading streak on kindle because of it. I am not happy about either thing. I was not a big fan of either main character and the plot got even crazier. At this point, I consider the Costas house a zoo, and no, that's not a reference to the animals they have.
Zoe and Ryan did not have chemistry and they didn't work for me as a couple. The mystery behind the show more disappearance of Sam's mother/Ryan's sister was very week and it didn't really make sense to me.
This book is written in the same style and has the same tones as Under the Boardwalk and whether you should read it or not really depends on what you thought of the previous book. If you haven't read UTB, I would recommend either to pick that book first or not read any of them. I really was not a big fan of this one. show less
It took me three days to finish this book, while I could have read it in one afternoon and I lost my reading streak on kindle because of it. I am not happy about either thing. I was not a big fan of either main character and the plot got even crazier. At this point, I consider the Costas house a zoo, and no, that's not a reference to the animals they have.
Zoe and Ryan did not have chemistry and they didn't work for me as a couple. The mystery behind the show more disappearance of Sam's mother/Ryan's sister was very week and it didn't really make sense to me.
This book is written in the same style and has the same tones as Under the Boardwalk and whether you should read it or not really depends on what you thought of the previous book. If you haven't read UTB, I would recommend either to pick that book first or not read any of them. I really was not a big fan of this one. show less
Phillips has always been a hit or miss author for me, and SUMMER LOVIN' falls into the miss category. This is a category romance inflated to turn it into a lengthier contemporary and it just didn't work that well for me. The plot was interesting enough but there was just too much repetition of information to hold my interest for very long; I kept picking it up and putting it down, and I actually read four books in between starting and finishing SUMMER LOVIN. Tightening up the prose would have kicked up the suspense level a bit (heck, I figured out what was going on from the get-go but it took the characters nearly to the end to do so and one of them was ex-FBI!). I liked the big, crazy, loving Greek family with all their kookiness but I show more just couldn't get over the padded prose that really needed trimming down. I read Phillips via the library, just can't justify spending $$$ on her books. Suggestion to other "reviewers": please watch the spoilers. Don''t ruin the book by giving out too much information. show less
Summer Lovin' is the continuation of the Costa Family story. There are lots of family get-togethers, with family dynamic and misdynamic. The teen that the senior Costa's took under their wing and into their hearts turns out not to be without relatives. Actually she has wealthy, sneaky, stuck-up relatives. Naturally, the only 'nice' relative finds the teen and has to deal with the loving family she's found for herself. Specifically her older 'sister'. This book is fairly predictable, but Phillips has a way with characters that makes you keep on reading, just to see what happens next. If you are hooked on finding out what happens to characters throughout a series, Phillips is high up in the pecking order
This is yet another book from the stack of freebies from the writers' conference in April. I only read a few romance books a year, and I never read contemporary ones. I read through this so I can trade it away.
There is nothing to see here plot wise. Move along. It's as cliche and transparent a romance plot as you can write, but cover blurb espouses that as a positive. The heroine, Zoe, is turning 30, has lots of sexual experience but doesn't want a committed relationship, and when she meets her in-the-adoption-process sister's new "social worker," she hops in the sack with him right away. Kinda kills the chemistry and suspense as far as their relationship. The rest of the book is trying to figure out who is stalking the sister, who is show more really going to adopt the sister, oh, and for Zoe to admit she's in wuv. The bad guys are predictable, and I patiently waited for the characters to get a clue. It was also tiresome how Zoe's family is constantly described as "insane, wacky, unusual, eccentric, etc." You know, by the second reference, I got it. I didn't need it pounded into my head five times every chapter. Also, I think the mention of summer in the title is meant to indicate when this should be read, because there is no emphasis on summer itself except for Zoe's constant wearing of mini skirts.
I guess I'm not the fluffy "beach read" type. show less
There is nothing to see here plot wise. Move along. It's as cliche and transparent a romance plot as you can write, but cover blurb espouses that as a positive. The heroine, Zoe, is turning 30, has lots of sexual experience but doesn't want a committed relationship, and when she meets her in-the-adoption-process sister's new "social worker," she hops in the sack with him right away. Kinda kills the chemistry and suspense as far as their relationship. The rest of the book is trying to figure out who is stalking the sister, who is show more really going to adopt the sister, oh, and for Zoe to admit she's in wuv. The bad guys are predictable, and I patiently waited for the characters to get a clue. It was also tiresome how Zoe's family is constantly described as "insane, wacky, unusual, eccentric, etc." You know, by the second reference, I got it. I didn't need it pounded into my head five times every chapter. Also, I think the mention of summer in the title is meant to indicate when this should be read, because there is no emphasis on summer itself except for Zoe's constant wearing of mini skirts.
I guess I'm not the fluffy "beach read" type. show less
Zoe, a security specialist and family member of the Costas discovered Ryan was really Sam's uncle and one of the rich, upright, uptight, Boston Baldwins. Ryan's seach for his siter Faith, the family's black sheep, ahs led him to the news of her death. Sam had to adjust to his snobbish mother, her grandmother and did so very well. She ended up still being adopted by the Costas family though.
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189+ Works 13,956 Members
Carly Phillips, whose real name is Karen Drogin, was born on July 7, 1965 in New York. She received an undergraduate degree from Brandeis University. She eventually became a lawyer, but never really enjoyed practicing law. After having her first child, she decided she wanted to write a romance novel. Seven years later, she sold her first book, show more Brazen, to Harlequin Temptation. She is now the best-selling author of numerous romances including Simply Sinful, The Playboy, Summer Lovin', Hot Property, Cross My Heart, and Lucky Break. She also writes the New York Times bestselling Dare to Love series. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Summer Lovin'
- Original publication date
- 2005-08-02
- People/Characters
- Zoe Costas (heroine); Ryan Baldwin (hero)
- Dedication
- To Brenda Chin and everyone at Harlequin -- you gave me my start and you worked hard to make sure I stayed home. Brenda, who'd have thought when we started that one day we'd be doing hardcover together? Thank you! You're the... (show all) best!
To the Plotmonkeys -- Janelle Denison, Julie Leto and Leslie Kelly. Not only do we need a stinking plot, but we need each other!
Happy 40th to us all. XXX OOO.
And a special acknowledgment to the Greek friends in my life:
my college roommate Ariane Economon Mastrototaro and Tony and Lori Karayianni. Thanks for answering a question or two, and please... don't hold any mistakes against me! - First words
- Chapter One
THE COSTASES' BACKYARD was packed with people all circling the capuchin monkey, who was performing on a makeshift stage set up on the green grass. - Original language
- English
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- Members
- 380
- Popularity
- 82,080
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.54)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 22
- ASINs
- 5
