Summer Light

Few romance authors are able to portray the complex and contradictory emotions that bind family members as effortlessly as Rice (Firefly Beach, etc.), and in this enchanting, heartfelt tale, she showcases her considerable talent. Wedding planner May Taylor has suffered her share of life's blows. Both her parents died when she was young; her first love turned out to be married; and her six-year-old daughter, Kylie, claims to see angels. Nevertheless, May has managed to build a rewarding life for herself in Black Hall, Conn. When fate lands her on a plane with famed Boston Bruins hockey player Martin Cartier, she realizes how desperately she needs a soul mate and Kylie needs a father. The romance between May and Martin is swift but show more satisfying, and their lives seem almost perfect until Martin is forced to confront the ghosts of his past and the realization that he is going blind. Martin's blindness is symbolic of his lack of insight into his relationship with his father, Serge, a former hockey star who is serving hard time for gambling. Martin blames the older man for the accidental death of Martin's daughter, Natalie, and refuses to answer Serge's appeals. But the tragedy weighs heavily on Martin's conscience and, with May's guidance, he slowly learns to forgive and to have faith in those who love him. show less

I can't believe how much I really liked this book even though it had angels in it. There was romance, the male protagonist was a professional athlete, and the writing was excellent. Sentimental without being soppy IMO. Also, the plot was fresh and the book had some some suspense. I had a hard time putting it down.

This book was a good read for a nice long summer weekend. We were supposed to have bad weather Sunday so I sat down with it to finish it and it ended up nice weather, I just kept reading anyway. The plot came together really fast, a little clairvoyance here and there kept the spirit world in me intrigued. I wondered where the book could go since the main story line was already done and Luanne Rice took a turn here and there and kept it interesting until the end. She's a good writer and I have found her books go so many different places then you suspect.

Summer Light by Luanne Rice
This novel is about May who is a wedding planner with others and their business is in a barn in CT. Her daughter Cali is a clairvoyant and she hears from things that are hurt: animals, angels in a different time.
On a plane she got a vision of a little girl asking her to help her father-the hockey player. When the plane crash lands he is able to help May and Cali and their relationship develops. Each opens up to one another telling of their secrets-not all of them.
As time goes on they spend more time with martin at his hockey games where we learn more about the sport and at different places they travel to. May thinks he must talk to his father who's in prison and forgive him for what he did.
Each of them have show more hurts and secrets that they must over time learn to share with others to help them heal.
Love the travel and romance and learning new things. Felt right at home with all the technical eye talk as I also am blind.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). show less

Did Not Finish at 2 percent.

I can't take seriously this book. We know that a child (Kylie) is apparently clairvoyant or has visions and is being studied at a university? I just noped out of the book at this point. I like romance and magical realism, but this is definitely not the book for me.

The writing also reads as off to me. It's very flat to me. When the heroine (May) tells you how she got pregnant with her daughter Kylie I was flabbergast. She was dating some guy, got pregnant, he tells her hold up, I'm really married, sorry about that? I just...there's not enough time to absorb information before the author moves to something else. There's no build up that is grabbing me at all.

Did Not Finish at 2 percent.

I can't take seriously this book. We know that a child (Kylie) is apparently clairvoyant or has visions and is being studied at a university? I just noped out of the book at this point. I like romance and magical realism, but this is definitely not the book for me.


The writing also reads as off to me. It's very flat to me. When the heroine (May) tells you how she got pregnant with her daughter Kylie I was flabbergast. She was dating some guy, got pregnant, he tells her hold up, I'm really married, sorry about that? I just...there's not enough time to absorb information before the author moves to something else. There's no build up that is grabbing me at all.

May Taylor supports herself as a wedding planner w/best friend and great aunt. Kylie, a very special child sees and hears things no one else can. Martin Cartier, a professional hockey player lost his daughter by his father's negligence and sudden death. Kylie is the same age. Kylie broght her mother and Martin together when the plane caught fire. Mother and daughter also brought Martin and his father back together at jail. Martin went blind after all the "hits" in the rink.