From the publisher:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes an unforgettable beach read about the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters and finding friendship with the unlikeliest person, perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Emily Giffin…
As the owner of Twisted, Seattle’s best salons, Erica knows that the sharpest cuts come from the people we love. She’s terrified that she’s losing her teen daughter, Summer, to her “other” family, especially to her stepmom, Allison.
All it takes to blow up Allison’s happy life is one collect call. From prison. Her beloved husband, Peter, has been arrested, leaving Allison pregnant, broke, scared and alone with a toddler. But when her stepdaughter ferrets out the truth, the teen rushes to the last person Allison wants to ask for help—her husband’s battle-ax ex.
Erica would do anything for Summer, even take in the woman her daughter loves like a second mom. Allison feels intimidated by Erica—a woman who would never let herself become so dependent on a man. But the more time they spend together, the more Allison realizes what Erica truly needs is a friend. Can two women who married the same man move beyond their complicated past and rethink what it means to be family?
“Beautifully illustrates the power of female friendship and the importance of reaching for one’s dreams”-Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3XgXsll
Erica has the career of her dreams, and she’s worked damned hard to get it. As the owner of Twisted, a small chain of high-end, full service spas that include hair salons, she is big on giving back, especially to single moms. Top-tier stylists at her salons make six figures, and many of them came through her scholarship and training programs. But her personal life isn’t quite as full as her professional life.
Divorced for many years, she had pushed her ex-husband to start his own accounting business. And when he shocked her by demanding a divorce that she never saw coming, she pulls her business from his firm. Eventually, he meets and marries Allison, and fills her head with tales of his horrible ex-wife. But when she gets a call from him that he’s in prison, she is completely lost. All their bank accounts have been frozen, she’s six months pregnant and has a toddler. With no formal education, Allison works part time at the day care center to earn enough to cover daycare while she works her other job as a grocery store cashier. Both jobs are becoming more difficult as the physical aspects of her pregnancy make it hard to be on her feet all day or to get up and down from the floor at the preschool.
Erica’s daughter, Summer, is a pretty good kid for a sixteen-year-old. Erica doesn’t know her ex’s wife, but Summer adores her and her little half-brother. So when Summer finds out what happened to her dad, she goes into savior mode and convinces her mother to let Allison and her little boy move in with them. She has no family and no other resources, and Erica reluctantly agrees.
Erica and Allison slowly get to know one another, and while their worlds are completely different, they were both married to the same man, so they have that in common. As her pregnancy progresses, Erica starts doing more for Allison, from buying nursery furniture and having her mother, Summer’s grandmother, help out with the little boy. As the days move on, they become pretty close friends.
Erica has a boyfriend, or rather a man who takes her out for lovely dinners, and she accompanies him to business social events. And they have sex. But after being burned by her ex, Erica has refused to put her heart on the line. Eventually, everyone can see that he is besotted with her, but she is burying her feelings so deep she can’t even find them.
This was such a good read! I loved all these characters and all the little moments that made up their lives. The romance takes a back seat to the women’s burgeoning friendship, but in the end, everything works out the way it is supposed to. Another terrific read by one of my favorite authors.
6/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
FOR THE LOVE OF SUMMER by Susan Mallery. MIRA; Original edition (June 4, 2024). ISBN: 978-0778305521. 400p.
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