I got this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. It sounded like a great summer/beach read and basically, it is! Although, the plot is engaging along with some surprises thrown in, I did not really connect with the characters and therefore could not get into the story 100%. Although, I enjoyed parts of the story, I just can't help feeling disappointed. I'm torn between giving it 2 or 3 stars and =really wish I could give it 2.5 stars.

The Forever Summer was a modern, emotionally charged story about very complicated family dynamics. It was so relevant to our society right now, and hit all of the new hot spots of discovering secrets that some didn't want unearthed. If I mention anything, it will spoil the unraveling of this masterpiece. All I can say is it is a must read for all, and you won't be disappointed in this heart-warming story about family coming first no matter what hurt feelings may have occurred.

Marin Bishop seems to have it all. She has a fiancee, a very successful career as a lawyer, a loving family. But looks can be deceiving. Her parents are splitting up. She breaks off her engagement because she is having a fling with a fellow attorney while working for a company dealing with genetics. Because of that company, she gets a message from Rachel who claims to be her half sister. Rachel says her father was a sperm donor. Did that happen with Marin too and why? When things start to go from bad to worse, Marin decides to take Rachel up on her offer to go and meet their paternal grandmother. Marin’s mother Blythe tags along and the adventure begins! They arrive at the beautiful Beach Rose Inn in Provincetown and get so much more than just a grandmother. Can these people find what they are looking for? Can they ever really be family?

This is a wonderfully written story about family and all the ins and outs of what makes us who we are. Each chapter blends seamlessly between the different voices and it would be hard not to love each one. I loved how they all were so separate in their thinking in the beginning and yet, found each other in little ways. The relationships were all so well thought out. There were a few twists that I may not have seen coming and my only problem with any of it was the way one of the characters changed very drastically at the end but this is a great read. You will want to head to that inn as soon as you can.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company in exchange for an honest review.

I can't say enough about this beautiful, book, The Forever Summer; it stole my heart with characters so real they are still in my mind! The ambiance of a summer at Beach Rose Inn in Provincetown, Cape Cod swept me away immediately. This book was a perfect blend of a non-traditional family brought together through many serendipitous events. A story filled with life, love, secrets, grief and forgiveness was intertwined in a such a way just like the beautiful mosiac of sea shells, and sea glass that was crafted by Kelly in a true love gift for Amelia. The shocking news that Marin and Rachel were sisters revealed through a DNA test brought suspicions about their heritage . The loves that were haunting from the past kept you guessing what would happen to each sister. Their mothers Blythe and Fran were drawn into the mystery of the truth about their daughters with their own secrets . The plot was well written with cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. The characters were superbly described and each one became integral to the weaving of each others lives. This is my first book by Jamie Brenner, but it won't be my last! I loved every page through many tears and warm smiles. You don't want to miss reading this wonderful book!

Very enjoyable, not necessarily predictable read. This is my first Jamie Brenner book, but it won't be my last. I truly enjoyed reading about the multi-faceted, yet believable characters in engaging and true to life settings. This book has characters that will appeal to readers of all ages. This one can be passed around the beach house this summer!

Secrets, mistakes, and revelations abound in THE FOREVER SUMMER.

We meet the Bishop family with members having secrets from the past as well as the present.

We also meet family members that were not known to exist.

THE FOREVER SUMMER brings together an unknown half sister, a grandmother, and memories of a father the sisters never knew.

The generations of women and how they connected as strangers was wonderful, and the beach setting was perfect for the connections and story line.

THE FOREVER SUMMER was filled with character disappointments, but it was also filled with love and making family connections and approval very enjoyable.

I enjoyed the characters....especially Grandmother Amelia. Amelia made everything pleasant and made everything and everyone come together.

THE FOREVER SUMMER was an enjoyable read and filled with what women do best when they are together....nurture and care for each other.

A heartwarming beach read...ENJOY when you get to read this book. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to experience Jamie Brenner for the very first time. I have never wanted to visit a summer home more than I do right now, especially in a place like Provincetown. Brenner makes it sound perfectly eclectic among the lives of Marin, her newfound sister Rachel, and all of the other family included in this scrumptious piece of summer fiction. Need a beach read? Pick this one up now.

This book is full of family secrets that keep the story moving at a fast pace. I must admit that once I started it, I couldn't put it down because I wanted to see how it all ended. It's a story about what it takes to create a family and about the love that pulls a family together. I enjoyed all of the main characters and was really invested in their stories.

Marin is a lawyer at a NYC law firm and was always the good girl until she fell in love with another lawyer at the firm while engaged to someone else. At the same time they both ended up losing their jobs, a girl shows up claiming to be her half sister on her way to Cape Cod to meet family that she didn't know she had. Marin, at loose ends, agrees to go with her and finds out more about her family - both the family that raised her and the family she didn't know existed - during that summer as she started to learn what was really important in life.

I loved this book. Thanks toNetGalley and Andrea at Great Thoughts, Great Readers for a copy to read and review.

4.5 stars

The Forever Summer is such a fun book and a great read to get ready for summer. Jamie Brenner explores the many meanings of family, the impact of long-held secrets on both the secret keeper and those affected by the secret, and the joy of friendship. Her characters are richly crafted and highly entertaining, and I wish I could spend a summer with them in Provincetown (except for maybe Nadine). Brenner’s descriptive manner made me feel like I was at the Beach Rose Inn and elsewhere on Cape Cod. The story cleverly unfolded revealing secrets that I often did not see coming. For anyone headed on vacation this summer, grab this wonderful book and take it with you! You will not want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book stole my heart. From the very first marvelous chapter to the emotional words on the very last page I was glued to every sentence and invested in every character and dying to know how it was all going to work out.

I adored The Beach Rose Inn and found myself wanting to spend some time there with Marin, Rachel and Amelia. They all felt so real to me and for me that's the absolute hallmark of fabulous writing. This author had me feeling a part of this book from the very first page. It's rare that I cry when a book is over not just because there was a very emotional ending, which there was, but also because I was so sad that the book was over. I will miss spending time with these people and in this setting. I love when a book can make me feel that way!

I absolutely highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to be transported to the beach, to be absorbed in the lives of people you really come to love, and who doesn't mind a tear or two to fall while reading about these people. This will be a favorite of the summer and the year for me!

Have you always longed for a summer spent on the New England coast? Jamie Brenner gives you that outlet with the entwined lives of different women as they navigate through the summer with love, lost, and hopes of reconciliation. I really liked this book and would have preferred a book devoted to just Marin & Julian, but it was great to see the other women's lives as well. If your ready for a delicious escape pick this book up for your next summer vacation!

Thank you Little Brown for the ARC!

Here you go folks!!! This book is screaming to be taken to the beach!! It's a story read best when you wanna relax and get lost in the tale of new family!! The characters are both endearing and real. The story weaves between the struggle of affairs, broken relationships, family secrets, and at its core the ability to come together through all of life's roller coasters! If you are looking for a read that lets you escape into the summer and devour easily from cover to cover you've come to the right place!!

I really enjoyed this book - felt as if I have kicked off the summer reading season. This would be a great beach read- good story, a full cast of characters, family secrets, romance: mix them all together in a beachy location (this one takes place in Provincetown) and you've got a good summer book!
I would recommend to anyone who enjoys Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer type books.
Thanks to Little Brown and Netgalley for the advance digital review copy!

3.5 stars

This book's cover is enitrely apropos. "The Forever Summer" is just the kind of book you'll want to read while on the beach -- or the kind of book to read if you want to be transported to the beach on a cold, gray afternoon.

As you might gather -- without even reading the marketing blurb -- "The Forever Summer" involves themes of family, love, betrayal, secrets, and forgiveness. Readers will certainly know basically how this is going to all end up, but won't know exactly how the author is going to get us there, and thankfully Brenner does throw in a few surprises for us.

While there are several archtypical characters found within the pages (Marin, the Type A lawyer from Manhattan; Fran, the free-spirited, yoga-practicing Mom from California, etc.) Brenner does round them out at least a little bit to prevent them from being complete charicatures.

This book is best appreciated for what it is: a quick and easy escape from reality.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jamie Brenner has done it again! She writes characters that make you really really care about them. They're so unbelievably real. You feel like they're your own sister, mother, best friend, boyfriend, etc. You love them, despite all of their flaws and the fact that they sometimes drive you crazy. This book is a perfect summer read (although I'm sure you will enjoy it any time of year!). It examines the concept of family, our biological one, and the one that we make on our own. It deals with lots of family secrets and drama, but in a way that's always grounded in love. A great read!

Wow! I really enjoyed this book! Family secrets are revealed and Marin learns that many things are not what she thought as she meets a half sister and grandmother that she never knew existed while going through issues in her own love life and we see a variety of characters struggle and grow through love, life, death and renewal.

The Forever Summer is a rich, emotional journey about a group of strangers, drawn together by long-hidden secrets, who come together as a family. The story and the characters drew me in from the very first page, and as I got to know this interesting group of people, I found myself loving them, hurting for them, and wishing for their happiness. Tuck this lovely story into your suitcase when you go on vacation, in your beach bag, in your backpack....I loved this passage, a perfect description of a family: "If we think about the mosaic, the beauty of the mosaic, it is perhaps the art form that most reflects family. All the different bits and pieces, some that clearly fit together, others not so obviously, joining to create one beautiful, colorful whole."

I absolutely loved everything about "The Forever Summer" by Jamie Brenner! Kudos to Jamie for such a heartwarming and emotional read.
The genre of this novel is Women's Fiction.
The descriptions of the scenic beach were wonderful. One could certainly identify with the characters collecting seashells, and walking barefoot in the sand, or walking on the rocks by the water. The Beach Side Inn has such a cozy feel, with a close community of people.
The characters were flawed, complex, complicated with contrasts, similarities and differences. Most of the characters were likeable, and at times some were not likeable. I related to the characters, and their emotions.
Many of the topics in this novel are relevant today. What if by chance, you took a DNA test for the fun of it, and discovered the results were not what you thought.? What if it traced different familial lineage? What if you discovered secrets buried in your family that seemed like a betrayal? Imagine that you discovered new family members.
In "The Forever Summer", the author writes about family, betrayal, forgiveness, secrets, trust, loyalty, love and hope. This was such an endearing and emotional story and I would highly recommend it! I received an advanced copy for my honest review.

Provincetown sounds like the perfect town. I would love to visit! Ms. Brenner was able to bring all of her characters to life in such a vivid way. Their connections and the way the story fell into place was so realistic. This is a great summer read and would make a great movie!

I absolutely loved this book! It drew me in and didn't let go! I binge read until I finished it as I couldn't put it down! I loved all the characters and their stories. The setting was just beautiful. I truly could picture myself in Provincetown staying at the Beach Rose Inn and collecting the ocean's treasures on the beach with Amelia and Marin. It is a beautiful story of family, love, and secrets. I received an ARC of the book for an honest review.