Title: A Summer to Remember by Erika Montgomery
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Erika Montgomery’s A Summer to Remember is “an unforgettable tale of love, loss and finding your place that glitters as brightly as the golden age of Hollywood.”–Kristy Woodson Harvey, USA Today Bestselling author of Feels Like Falling
Best Debut Novels of Spring and Summer Library Journal
For thirty-year-old Frankie Simon, selling movie memorabilia in the shop she opened with her late mother on Hollywood Boulevard is more than just her livelihood—it’s an enduring connection to the only family she has ever known. But when a mysterious package arrives containing a photograph of her mother and famous movie stars Glory Cartwright and her husband at a coastal film festival the year before Frankie’s birth, her life begins to unravel in ways unimaginable.
What begins is a journey along a path revealing buried family secrets, betrayals between lovers, bonds between friends. And for Frankie, as the past unlocks the present, the chance to learn that memories define who we are, and that they can show us the meaning of home and the magic of true love.
Experience the salty breeze of a Cape Cod summer as it sweeps through this sparkling, romantic, and timeless debut novel tinged with a love of old Hollywood.
Review:
A Summer to Remember by Erika Montgomery is a sparkling novel about healing, friendship and love.
Thirty-year-old Frankie Simon is still grieving the loss of her mom, Maeve, while continuing to work in their Hollywood memorabilia store. She and her mom were very close but an unexpected discovery raises questions about Maeve’s past. Following this revelation, she makes a spontaneous decision to go to a movie festival in Harpswich. While there, she will deliver her finding in person and hopefully be able to uncover the truth about her father’s identity. Fate is smiling on Frankie when she meets retired doctor Russ Chandler. Staying with him and his wife, Louise, she finds out details about her mother and her stunning connections to Russ, Louise, and two Hollywood stars whose lives interested with Maeve’s.
Frankie is at a bit of a crossroads about her business when she travels to Harpswich. Putting off the decision for the time being, she concentrates on learning about her mom’s time in the small town. She is also hoping to figure out who her father is, but she knows that will not be easy. She and Russ immediately hit it off and she is grateful for the Chandler’s hospitality. Frankie is enjoying the festival but she is most interested in the stories the Russ and Louise share about Maeve and their memories of their friendship with Glory Cartwright and Mitch Beckett. And Frankie hopes to convince Glory and Mitch’s son Gabe to accept something that rightfully belongs to him.
Gabe wants nothing to do with anything from his mother. Her remains very bitter about not only his childhood but also her death. His attempts to avoid softening toward Frankie are quickly upended as they spend time together with the Chandlers. An unexpected attraction between them is apparent right from the start, but will Frankie decide to indulge in an out of character vacation fling?
Flashbacks reveal the unlikely but close friendship with Hollywood star Glory and Louise. Mitch grew up in Harpswich and he is old friends with Russ. Although Mitch is thrilled with their easygoing life out of the public eye, Glory longs for their return to their old life. As the years pass and Glory’s chance to resume her career fades away, she comes up with the idea of the movie festival to reconnect with the life she left behind.
A Summer to Remember is a charming novel with a bit of a nostalgic aura. The characters are well-developed with human foibles and relatable strengths. The coastal setting is the perfect backdrop for the sometimes tumultuous story. With all of the story threads woven perfectly together, Erika Montgomery brings this fascinating debut to a heartwarming conclusion.
