Excellent book! It took me a bit to get into it. After the first 4 or 5 chapters, I was hooked. I love the young adult relationship issues, and how they affect the grown up person's. Great writing, excellent character development. I highly recommend this book.

Mostly set in Cape Cod, “The Second Home” does not focus on the rich who have, and the poor who have not. Instead it is the story of a middle class family and their enjoyment of a generational home they enjoy during the summer and occasional weekends. The two sisters of the family grew up close and the acceptance of an adopted brother during their high school years was easily assimilated. As “Ann with a Plan”, the oldest sister, focuses on her goals for college, she gets a job as a babysitter with a wealthy summer family to earn extra money. As a mentor ship/friendship develops with Maureen, the wife, Anthony, her husband begins noticing the young beautiful babysitter. Flattered by his attention, Ann finds herself in a compromising position that destroys her future plans and her family dynamics.

The strength of this story is carried by the fully developed characters. All are fully likable and the reader is cheering for each of them even though their imperfections shine bright. This is a beautiful story of a family who worked hard, found happiness, had their happiness destroyed in one breathtaking moment, but never gave up their search and work for the return of that happiness.

I had a little trouble getting into the book. It just seemed slow going. I kept going, though, and glad I did. I loved the way how Michael fought to be included. This story is a perfect example of people not communicating.

The only thing that I have to say to the author, Christina Clancy, is keep writing! I so needed to read a book this good right now. It’s dreary, rainy winter and this book was perfect to make the days a little brighter. The story is about a family comprised of Ed, Connie, Ann, Poppy and adopted son Michael. They normally live in Wisconsin but make yearly trips to their house on Cape Cod. The sisters normally hang out together at the Cape but this particular summer they go separate ways. Ann finds a babysitting job and Poppy meets a girl that not only teaches her to surf but also introduces her to drugs. Michael finds a job that summer too. I felt like I knew this family or at least wanted to. The characters were believable and the storyline was one you could lose yourself in. Very good book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest opinion.

Six months after her the death of both of her parents, Ann "Ann with a Plan" Gordon wants to sell the summer home that has been in her family for generations. There's no will but she has appointed herself the executor of the estate. She has only one thought, and that is to keep her estranged adopted brother Michael from having a benefit from the sale.

The book is told from the perspective of Ann, Poppy. and Michael and tells the events from the summer of 1999 and back to the present day. Ann is the take charge daughter, Poppy is the flighty free spirit, and Michael is the golden boy who never quite feels as if he fits in. It is a bit too much about how much they fit into their neat character boxes, but not unbearable.

Something happens to Ann in the summer of 1999 and like a stone thrown in a pond, the ripples extend out and touch everyone and everything. The incident in question made me angry and had it been a physical book instead of a digital copy I would have thrown it. A well known and somewhat overused plot device was employed here. I understand that it was used to further the story and fuel the plot but I didn't like it at all.

Barring those two things, the overall story was good. It was a quick read, dark enough to keep you invested (because trust me, after that one plot point I almost wanted to give it up) but light enough to be a summer read.

The characters, even though predictable, were well fleshed out. Where this author excels though is the setting descriptions. You can almost smell the salt and sulfur of the Cape. You can almost see the changes of the season in the landscape. You can almost feel the sand between your toes.

The Second Home is about coming home and reliving memories that may have been brighter when seen through the eyes of a child but are dimmed a bit as an adult. The memories are still yours and just as special. The Second Home is about more than just the house and the sale of it. It's about how "home" is really more your family and the connection you have to one another than a building.

I'm glad I stuck with this book until the end. The ending was quick but the plot was tied up nicely. This book will make a good summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to have a copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Great story of family and coming home. All the forms families take and what love means to each of them. Every family has trouble along the way and Ann’s family is no different. A few parts were sensitive content and I felt the author wrote enough to add to the story without crossing a line into unnecessarily crude. Plenty of characters to love, and a few you love to hate. Great book for a book club with a lot of great discussion points 3.5 rounded up to 4

How can one lie cause such a calamity of major proportions? When Ann takes a babysitting job she had no way to know how her life and those around her would be changed forever. One evil person starts the decline of a family. I was slow to get drawn into the story. But it was actually a really good story that takes time to delve into the life and feelings of the 3 main characters. I liked the book.

The family saga that restored my faith in family sagas: The Second Home!

On my plane home from Europe last week, I fully expected to read a bit, get a couple hours of sleep, and maybe watch a movie. Instead, I devoured this entire book.

The Second Home is the story of the Gordon family, made up of parents Ed and Connie and siblings Ann, Poppy, and adopted brother Michael. The narrative covers the time from when the three siblings are teens to when they are in their forties and trying to find their footing after the loss of Ed and Connie.

I found the Gordon family lovable, quirky, and completely relatable. They are people with big hearts and good intentions AND plenty of mistakes and miscommunication. I found my heart invested in each of the siblings as their stories unfolded.

Also, the setting of the story, Welfleet, MA on Cape Cod, is very special to me. I spent two weeks in Welfleet almost every summer of my childhood, so it is a spot near and dear. I loved the way the author captured the details — the beach, the vendors, and the snobbiness of the people who vacation on the “Outer Cape”.

It was no surprise to learn she, too, spent many childhood summers there, too! This one comes out on June 2, 2020 and would be the perfect book to bring to any beach destination (or couch!) this summer.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this one early!

Rating: 4/5 #agrayreviews

Captivating characters are drawn back to their family's funky vacation home in an elegantly described area of the true Cape Cod. Ann and Poppy Gordon are the children of "hippie" parents who provide them with an eclectic and loving family life. Michael is a friend of Ann's who is adopted by the Gordon's when all three children are teens and he is newly orphaned. The family always spends summers on the Cape, but events during their last summer there as a family alter their lives forever. Each child moves on into adulthood in their own way. They become estranged, living very different lifestyles. Fifteen years later, the circumstances of their parents' tragic deaths bring them together in ways they could have never imagined.
Clancy has given her readers a wonderful debut novel with well-developed , three dimensional characters. This reader was drawn into the story, caring about the characters and the outcome. The Second Home was hard to put down even though I read it late into the night. I look forward to more work from this gifted author.

I really wanted to like this book based on the description of the setting and general plot. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. There were editing errors and the characters were too stereotypical. The older “ good “ sister, the off beat younger one...the too good to be true adopted son. Without any spoilers, I will just say that the ending was also just too pat for it to be believable...all the loose ends neatly wrapped up. I think the author has promise and hope her next endeavor will be a true winner.

This book was a wonderful debut novel. The descriptions were evocative. I felt like I was on the Cape and in the vacation home!
I read this book in two sittings and, despite having a 72 hour deadline, I didn't want to put the book down. As mentioned I felt the place but I also attached to the characters and really wanted to know their stories. I think the author did a great job of defining all her characters in depth and uniquely. I was actually interested in all of them, except perhaps one! I thought the plot was well presented, as all scenes were well connected to the story or the characters development. If I had any criticism it was perhaps a bit predictable but I still wanted the details of how the characters reacted to each situation. I also enjoyed the pure storytelling of this novel without the author feeling the need to add unnecessary social commentary. It was purely delightful reading.

I really enjoyed this book. it was a fun read but well written. Will have to check out the authors other work.

If you are looking for a good involved family drama about flawed but very real characters, I think you will really enjoy this book. It was a little heavier/deeper than I initially expected, but the way the story flowed it all eventually fell into place. I really liked the multiple perspectives of the story. The issues laid forth for the characters were creative but still believable. My only critique would be that I felt the ending was a little too abrupt - there was so much time and detail put into the back story that I would have relished seeing the ending play out a little more. Still a very good book and I would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley for my opportunity to read this book.

The Second Home is a page turner of a tale brimming with family love, lies, and loss. The Gordon family's idyllic summer life at the shore is shattered as their teenager daughter becomes a victim of adult dalliance. Rocking their five lives and generations to come, readers will tear through this book looking for a happy ending. Christina Clancy's descriptions of the shore and the Gordon home delivers the reader just in time to hear the waves crashing.

I just finished this wonderful family story in 2 sittings.
It’s the story of the Gordens and the family home in Wellfleet Ma that had belonged to them for generations.
One summer changed everything for them.
It took many years and a lot of sadness to bring them back together.
They looked upon the house as an anchor that finally brought them home together.

This book was an interesting story that kept me involved to the very end, the subject matter was a little intense, but the story and characters were well written

A wonderful beach read even in the dead of a New England winter! This novel of love, secrets, family and miscommunication kept me turning the pages even when I was supposed to be doing something else. The characters are believable and realistic. Reading this transports you to the time and place described. I really felt for each of the siblings, Poppy, Ann and Michael, as the author wrote with such empathy and truth. Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to read #thebeachhouse before publication in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gripping story about how one summer at the family cottage changed the lives of 3 siblings. Due to a tragic event, the siblings are reunited at the cottage 16 years later and hurts are healed.

A definite page turner that you won't regret reading!

THE SECOND HOME - Christina Clancy
St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-1-250-23934-1 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-250-23960-0 (ebook)
June 2020
Fiction

Wellfleet, MA and Wisconsin - Present day and 1999/2000

Ann Gordon is at her family's summer home on Cape Cod to meet with a realtor. As much as it pains her, she has convinced herself that the two hundred year old house must be sold. With the recent sudden deaths of her parents in a car accident, Ann, the eldest daughter, has been left to clean up the mess of their tragic loss. The only problem is, she cannot find a will, so she has made some individual decisions that may not sit well with her sister, or the adopted brother who has been out of the picture for a while. Her sister, Poppy, is a free spirit who could be anywhere in the world, surfing, teaching yoga, or who knows what. Ann had no way of contacting her except by email about their parents' deaths, and, as far as she knows, Poppy is still unaware. As for their brother, Michael, he disappeared sixteen years ago after a family issue that Ann would sooner forget.

The realtor doesn't have a lot of good news for Ann. The repairs on the house have been neglected for years and, despite its history and appeal, may not bring as much as Ann had hoped. Ann had plans to move to a bigger apartment in Boston, help her son with college, and just not have to live paycheck to paycheck. But upon Poppy's arrival, and Ann's son's appeal to keep the house, things get complicated.

Sixteen years ago, Ann had befriended a homeless boy at school, and soon her parents, both teachers and relics of the sixties, embraced Michael, and then adopted him. For Michael, it was the first time he felt safe, and he especially loved it when the Gordons packed up their car and headed to Cape Cod each summer. Two years later, however, his world crashed around him when an incident with Ann involving a family on the Cape that she babysat for dragged him back down.

Poppy never wanted to settle down, to commit herself to anyone or anything, and she flitted from one country to another, rarely in touch with her family. The horrible news of her parents' deaths drew her back to Wisconsin, where Ann had begged her to go and sell the family home. Unknown to Poppy, her father had moved a man into the house to keep track of Poppy's mother, who had been ill. Brad and Poppy had been students together, The two work out an agreement, and are surprisingly drawn to one another.

Each chapter of THE SECOND HOME is devoted to one character. The family unit has always been free spirited, although Ann has always been a planner (her dad's nickname for her was Ann with a Plan). And now, she is torn by her family's hesitation to sell the summer home. Poppy and Ann's son, Noah, want to keep the house in the family. If only Ann's father had left a will! Things really get complicated when Michael reappears.

I really couldn't put this book down. Readers will want to know what's really going on, who and what caused the break sixteen years ago, and what will happen to the beloved old house. The characters are realistically drawn, all too human, and each has their foibles and strengths. The Cape Cod house is the hero of the story, and every reader will be able to see it in their minds.

The Second Home should be a must read for everyone who loves excellent family drama... and this story has drama and love and heartache and love and loss and love. Centered around an old house on Cape Cod and that summer so long ago that changed the lives of the Gordon family this book is impossible to put down. The story is incredible well written with defined characters that draw the reader to feel their highs, their lows, their joys, their heartaches. These characters become real and even when their choices might make a reader cringe, there is understanding because most of us at one point were young and made stupid choices. I don’t want to give spoilers. Read the book. It is wonderful. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.