This is yet another novel which is written as two strands at different times, with similarities between what happens to the main characters in both eras. It's always good to have a true life background (coastal erosion on Nantucket) and this encouraged me to do a little web surfing. Sconset looks very picturesque! The stories and the characters were well written although I found the American colloquialisms a struggle at times, especially those from the '40s. Overall I would recommend the book.

A guest book for Cliff House family and friends to comment on their summer visits provides a link between four generations of women in one family.

Bess is called home from her San Francisco life as an ER doctor to convince her mother, Cissy, to give up her efforts to save Cliff House from falling into the sea after erosion has taken most of the property. It sits in New England's Sconset where this is a real issue.

As they deal with their own life issues, Bess' reading through the stories in the Book of Summer discloses the issues her ancestors faced, especially during the 1940s and WW 2.

This is a good story, but I found myself walking away from it after a short time which is very unlike me. The book is told using present tense though not first person which might have been part of the problem.

Enjoyed this cast of characters, who sometimes are "over-the-top." Besides the telling of one family's story of a family home built for generations of mainly women, the author subtly explains the problems all coastal areas have to address: erosion and over-development.

I enjoyed this book very much . The characters and scenery were very vivid, I hated to put this down. This is a must read !

You may be wondering why only 3 stars, is it not a good book? No, it is but a few things irked me as a reader.

One, the unnecessary curse words throughout the book. I just don't feel it was needed. I'm ok with some but I personally felt it didn't add to the story.

Two, the jumping back and forth was executed well but it didn't allow the reader to learn about the past as well as I wish. Some story lines felt rushed and ended abruptly.

And last, the beginning was slow but managed to pick up the last 3/4 of the book. So, give it time. Don't give up too soon.

I appreciate learning that the cliff erosion really did happen and the steps to take to prevent further damage.

I wish I had felt more involved with characters but alas I did not. Maybe it was just me. I will give the author's other books a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free copy to read and review with my honest opinion.

The Book of Summer follows several generations of women living at a summer home on Nantucket. I enjoyed the interwoven stories from Ruby during WWII and granddaughter Bess in current day. The story takes many twists and turns. The characters and the island are full of life. I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this galley from Netgalley, which told the story of Cissy and her daughter, Bess. Living in Sconset on Nantucket and trying to protect her house from the erosion causing it to basically fall off the cliff, Cissy's stubborn fight brings Bess back to Nantucket. After a failed marriage, Bess is unsure of her direction. Chapters also flash back to earlier inhabitants of the house, during the 30's and '40's, with war on the horizon. The family's history and the strength of the women in the family makes for a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Michelle Gable is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This is the third book I've read of hers and it was an absolute pleasure. Gable is one of those authors who has mastered the art of the duel plot line (usually past and present) and reading her work is truly like reading 2 novels that compliment one another. Gable is also one of those authors who I truly believe just wants to tell a good story. The writing is not super complex, the characters have just enough depth, and she keeps the plot fairly simple. There were a few twists I didn't see which is always nice but they didn't feel out of place or manufactured to shock the reader; more like the twists were where the story was already going.

If you can grab this book and hop the ferry to Nantucket because this is one of those books that would make great company beachside. If you can't manage a trip to the beach that's okay too because Gable will take you there in this book.

Thank you NetGalley. I absolutely loved this book and totally fell in love with Nantucket and the magical Sconset. It was a book about generation of families and a home packed with history. The characters in this book are likeable and the only way to describe this book is totally lovely.

I am a big fan of Michelle Gable's work. I am so happy to have had an opportunity to read The Book of Summer, and I loved every word. As a person who also loves the beach as much as I love books, this one broke my heart. Why aren't we taking better care of our natural resources?? I thank Ms. Gable for helping put a spotlight on this travesty with this wonderful book.

Interesting premise, but the writing style failed to captivate me.

Bess Codman leaves San Francisco for her family home on Nantucket to convince her mother to leave Cliff House. The house that was built by her ancestors a century earlier is ready to fall into the ocean because of erosion. Her mother, Cissy, has no intention of leaving the family home and Bess can see that what was supposed to be a quick trip will be anything but. Bess’s grandmother told her long ago that Cliff House was a house of women and Bess, using the family guest book begins to piece together the history of her family, beginning with wide-eyed Ruby, arriving at the house just as World War II is about to break out, down through her female relatives and how they are connected to Cliff House. This is a beautiful story about what makes a home, and the belief that a house, can itself, be a living, breathing member of a family