In a Nutshell Reviews - The "Summer" Edition

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights. Today, I am featuring two books that continue my theme of "summer" this week. 

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Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore
Published by William Morrow on May 23, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

A spirited summer page-turner following a family of actors grappling with fame, scandal, and ambition.

Amy Trevino, a former aspiring playwright, has stayed close to her Rhode Island hometown while her famous brother, Timothy Fleming, pursued and achieved his Hollywood dreams. Now a high school English teacher and occasional drama director, Amy takes on the production manager role for her brother’s play in an effort to mend rifting family relationships. Sam, Amy’s daughter, was a Disney child star who continued her pursuit for fame in a Manhattan TikTok house. Now she’s returned home unexpectedly. Her sudden arrival is shrouded in secrets, and Sam refuses to open up to her mother, deciding instead to join her uncle on Block Island for the summer. Timothy, a successful and well-loved actor, is directing a summer production at a storied Block Island theater—and his famous ex-wife has the lead role. As they work together to ensure the production is a success, Amy, Sam, and Timothy are forced to grapple with their desires for recognition and fortune, stand up for what they believe art and fame actually mean, and discover what they really want out of life. A bighearted and delicious novel about family, ambition, and opportunity, Summer Stage is the must-read book of the summer.

I loved this! I had never read anything from Moore before, but the cover called to me. Glad I heeded its call because I devoured this book.

The book is mostly told from the points of view of Timothy, an aging movie star, his sister Amy, and her daughter Sam, a TikTok celeb who had fallen from grace. Their stories seemed so disparate until I could see the common threads. The exploration of their pasts, their futures, and their family dynamic kept me turning the pages.

I was very happy that Moore gave us peek into the near future for all three main characters. I was a bit disappointed for one character as I really hoped for something, but then I was surprised by the others.

Overall, I had a fantastic summer on Block Island.

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The Summer That Made Us by Robyn Carr
Published by MIRA on September 5, 2017
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

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, two sisters who married two brothers and had three daughters each, summers were idyllic. 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 to 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.

I cannot stop the tears when I think about this book. It was sad at times, but so, so touching. It was about a family that had been in disarray for too long. They suffered losses, but the biggest loss was the connection to each other. 

Once upon a time, there were two sisters who were thick as thieves, and they vacationed at the lake house with their girls. These were magical times until an accident rocked this family's foundation. The events of that summer affected each person in a different way and even created some issues for the next generation. There were so many things going on, some things which were kept secret and built walls between them. 

There was a lot going on with the number of characters in this tale, but Carr did a fantastic job weaving their stories together. This summer was a time of healing for the whole family. I loved learning their stories and watching them renew their bonds. My heart ached a bit but was also very full in the end.

What's your favorite summer town?
Let us know in the comments!