The Summer Hours is an indelible story that paints the complicated portrait of friendship across the years. Beautifully rendered, Amy Mason Doan crafts an immersive world filled with vivid locations and complicated people. I sank into all of it, and didn’t want to leave.

I wish I could find something positive to say about this book. The story was slow moving and dull. The main character, Becc, had no spark, no sizzle. She was just dull. She over analyzed everything. Eric was so confused and confusing that it was hard to keep up with what he thought or felt about anything. Serra, Becc's friend, was somewhat refreshing but even she was predictable. All in all, I just did not like this book.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Summer Hours has completely and pleasantly shocked me! I went into this novel thinking it was going to be a cute read that I would enjoy, but I was way wrong...I loved it!! I connected with Amy Mason Doan’s writing style immediately and felt she did a fantastic job with telling a full and thorough story! I didn’t want the book to end, but I felt so satisfied with where Amy took the endearing cast of characters throughout this novel (which was about 20 year time span)! The timing was spot on—the entire book flowed organically and never seemed rushed. Summer Hours is a 5 star read that I will absolutely be re-reading (it’s just that good)! I have never read Amy Mason Doan, but I promise I will be 1-clicking anything and everything she comes out with in the future! A definite must read!

The Summer List was my favorite book of 2018, so I could not wait to read Summer Hours and I absolutely loved it. From the characters who you feel like are your own friends because with the way Amy Mason Doan writes, you are feeling every emotion alongside them, through the tour through California, I could not put this book down and had to keep reading to find out what happens.

Becc story is relatable from so many angles, what teenager isn't ready to break free of what is expected of them when the graduate high school and go off to college? The story follows Becc from a high school senior enjoying the last summer before college with her best friends Serra and Eric to a 33 year-old driving up the coast of California to a wedding reliving a decision at 20 years old that she knew would hurt those around her who loved her most. As Becc gets closer to her destination and deals with her past, she learns to also confront the mistakes she has made.

Its a coming of age story where I think you can't help but root for Becc to find her way. As much as I didn't want the book to end, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. Highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more by Amy Mason Doan!

Childhood best friends who have lost touch. They are later reunited and find out what they really mean to each other.
A very emotionally up and down story worth reading.

This story takes you from the very beginning of Becc and Eric’s story to their present day, more than a decade later.

I’m high school Becc and Eric has been friends. They spent time together with their other best friend, they were the three amigos.

But Becc always felt the most pressure to be perfect, to be the good girl.
She felt herself falling for Eric but by the end of senior year, nothing had happened.

Eric was in a bad place emotionally,he was upset about his parents’ divorce and his mom’s rebound. His mother was dating a younger man called Cal.

Becc tried to stay connected with Eric when they all left for college but they drifted apart.
She also had to deal with her attraction to Cal. He was over a decade older than her, handsome, rich, charming and single again after splitting with Eric’s mom.

Becc and Cal had a secret relationship. It wasn’t just a fling but when it ended and Eric resurfaced, Becc felt she could never tell him about it.
But if she couldn’t be honest with Eric, could she ever be in a relationship with him?

A decade later, Becc and Eric are driving together to their friend’s wedding. All we know is that they haven’t talked in all of these years. Becca feels that what happened was her fault and she’s hoping to reconnect after all this time. She wants forgiveness at the very least, she longs for a second chance.

It was a very detailed story. Sometimes I wanted to get to the answers quicker. That’s personal preference only but it meant I wanted to get to the bottom of their drama faster.

I got to read an early edition ebook from NetGalley. Thanks!

I loved Amy Mason Doan's first novel, so I was eager to read this one. And it didn't disappoint. The characters were beautifully rendered and so very real in their dreams, urges, and regrets. I raced through the book and loved every page. I think everyone will love it.

I devoured Amy Mason Doan's debut, "The Summer List", and was thrilled to get an early copy of "Summer Hours". I love Amy's ability to conjure the sun-washed days of youth and contrast them with the sometimes jaded adults we become, all in flawless prose that keeps you turning the pages. In "Summer Hours", we follow good girl Becc who, while breaking free of her carefree and boundless childhood, makes decisions and finds herself the victim of circumstances that lead to a future her younger self would never have expected. As Becc traces her past and her present, and the effect on her relationships along the way, "Summer Hours" examines how we can reconcile the decisions we make with the people we once thought we were.

Becc, Eric and Serra have been best friends since forever. High school is ending and Becc and Eric won't give into the odd attraction between them. Eric's parents broke up and his mom has a new hot young boyfriend. It's safe to say Eric is carrying a lot of resentment for but when Becc tries to talk to him about his pushes her away. They are now in college, Becc and Serra are still close but Eric is distant. Becc runs into Cal that is no longer with Eric's mom and Becc is tempted to let her miss goodie goodie image behind. I won't spoil this for you but this story is so good and juicy. Becc and Eric's relationship evolution is slow but so worth the wait.

Loved, loved, loved this delightful nostalgic tale of friendship, love, and the impact of choices we make as teens. For fans of stories about the West Coast and stories that make us think of many ""what ifs" from our own lives. Amy Mason Doan is a master of women's fiction, the descriptive and emotional portrayal of family, friendship, love, and choices women make.

Becca, Serra and Eric are best friends in high school, but circumstances lead to an estrangement between Eric and Becca. Both have career aspirations that are not fully realized 10 years after graduation. The story follows them from high school, through college, to a road trip for Serra’s wedding ten years later. Becca is trying to find out who she is, while her relationship with Eric fluctuates. I enjoyed this ARC from Netgalley, and recommend for readers of women’s fiction.

Sometimes the things one does as a teenager can affect everything in your life thereafter. This is something Becc discovers as her choices affected her longtime friendship with Eric and tempers her everyday life. Summer Hours weaves a story of the past as they play against the present in Becc’s life.

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this wonderful novel. There is so much to love about The Summer Hours. The characters are well-drawn and complex, the setting up and down the west coast took me on a glorious trip, and the story felt nostalgic and familiar. This is a story about growing up, coming of age, and learning to balance ambition with happiness—but above all it's really a story of the one who got away. This central theme along with the myriad of movie and song references had me thinking about my high school experiences and how things could have been different, what ifs playing through my head as I kept reading to see how Becca's affair with an older man, Cal, would affect her relationship with her high school best friend, Eric. Would Becca and Eric find each other or would her decision change the course of her life forever? I love that Doan used her experience as a journalist to create Becca's career—I learned so much about working as a journalist along the way. You are in a for a luscious summer treat with this confection of a novel. Now I need to go back and read The Summer List!

This novel is perfect for anyone who has ever thought they should have their life completely figured out and put together by 25, anyone who spent their younger years chasing an unrealistic ideal, or anyone who was a teen in the 1990s. Great story, relatable characters, and it kept me up till 1 am because I was dying to find out what happened.