Enjoyed the story set in New England as I am from here.. Poetic characters, authentic world building and compelling.

I received an advanced digital copy of this novel from the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review, The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ms. Clancy's novel is a juxtaposition of family, personalities and human relations. No one is as perfect as they seem on the surface and the main characters of the story remember things slightly different, but are all true in their own way. Emotional and beautifully written, characters feel all too real.

4 out of 5 stars. Recommended reading.

Thank you to the author Christina Clancy and publisher St. Martins Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my candid review.

I enjoyed this book. It is a teen age love gone sideways book. It is about a young man that is adopted into a family who spends their summers in a well-loved historic cabin on Cape Cod. It takes place in the present where they are adults and in the past during their teenage years. It is a story about family and each individuals different place in it. It was well written and compelling.

A am giving it a 4 as it is well written, but not really my bag.

This is a story about family, not just your family you are born into. This is about a hard working family from the Midwest that enjoy the summer at their second home on the Cape. Lots of things happen over the summers there.
This is the journey of facing your childhood memories and choices and seeing them with adult eyes.
After their parents death, Ann wants to sell the house while Poppy and Michael do not. Each have to come to terms with their past.
Will they fight over the cape cod house? Will it get sold to a developer and torn down? Will their family find a way back together?

I enjoyed this story. Thank you Netgalley for complimentary copy. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book. This is the first title from this author I have read. The characters are amazing and the story line is awesome. Added several more of her books to my TBR list.

The Second Home appears to be a great story, but the writing style didn't work for me. Thus, this one is a DNF for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully crafted tale about family dynamics and the meaning of “home”. The characters are well developed and interesting. The book is well written, fast paced and a pleasure to read. I’m looking forward to more from this author. I received a free copy of this book and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This book follows three siblings--Ann, Poppy, and Michael--as they return to their childhood summer home after the death of their parents. Decisions have to be made about whether to keep or sell the house, and old memories of one particular summer boil to the surface as they return to the cottage. I thought this was a good "beach read" type book, with plenty to discuss for book clubs.

This story combines two of my favorite things: stories about siblings and books that take place in New England. Plus, the cover on this one is so pretty. So much of the relationships in this family were relatable and I found myself rooting for all of the characters for different reasons. This was an emotional and heartfelt read about family, childhood, and what makes a home.

This was an enjoyable read. I found the characters well drawn, and the story was compelling. Recommended!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Christina Clancy for an arc of The Second Home in exchange for an honest review.

The Second Home was a little bit of a wild ride! There are characters I despised (and yelled at!) This was a fascinating family drama examining the relationship between Ann, Poppy, and their adopted brother Michael. It alternated between the past when they were teenagers and the present after the death of their parents.

The Second Home should definitely come with trigger warnings for sexual assault and parental death. I didn't realize how heavy parts of this would be, but it was still captivating and drew me into their lives.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I enjoyed this family drama -it started a bit slow and I almost gave up on it but am so glad i kept with it as this turned out to be a really good book. Told from the perspectives of all three Gordon siblings, the story gave a the reader a look into each character's point of view. The characters were very well developed as we follow them throughout the story.

After reading "Shoulder Season" I couldn't wait to read this book and Christina Clancy did not disappoint! This book is an endearing story of family and the characters are well developed. Great book!!!

I found it really hard to get into this book. I found it hard to relate to the characters. This book did have potential.

Perfect read for all the extra time in social distancing. Family drama.... intrigue. What more could you want. I think this is a great long weekend read.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, I’m thankful to NetGalley - otherwise I’m not sure I would have ever picked up this book. This book took me by surprise - I was expecting a very character driven drama, and it was so much more than that. I was very engrossed by the plot. The characters are wonderfully written. They are certainly flawed - I did read a review complaining that they were unlikable, but it didn’t bother me at all.

There were points when I found myself guessing what would happen or thinking that circumstances were too convenient to be realistic, but by the end things had shifted enough to not be so cookie cutter clean. My only gripe is that there is a part of the ending intentionally left vague that I would have loved to have seen fleshed out. A surprising 5 stars for me - I love an underhyped book

I enjoyed the story. I was heartbroken when a rape occurred but amazed at the resilience of the character. I loved the family dynamics and I'm so glad that it had a happy ending.

I’ve heard such good things about this book, and was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, it fell short for me. I grew up going to cape cod every summer, and was so excited to read a book set there. The book was about a family and their cottage on cape cod, but it was not a cozy beach read. I felt like the family was a little too dramatic and outrageous for me. I know a ton of other people loved this book, I would recommend still checking it out.

Great summer read! A book about the messiness of real life. It doesn't need the "crazy drama" found on tv or in the movies as real life contains enough heartache and beauty; the good times and the bad. Much of what is happening here in the book may already familiar to many readers, loss of parents and the questions and disagreements regarding inheritance that arise. Of course there is more to the story but I don't want to give too much away.

From debut novelist Christina Clancy comes THE SECOND HOME, a pitch-perfect summer novel with a scintillating combination of drama, heart and lovely prose that will stay with you long into autumn.

Set on Cape Cod’s historic waterfront, the book follows the lives of siblings Ann and Poppy and their adopted brother, Michael. When we meet Ann, she is grieving the sudden loss of her parents and wandering through the family’s beloved Wellfleet home preparing to meet with a realtor. Though the house was in the Gordon family for generations, and Ann has many fond memories there, she and Poppy have decided to sell it and keep their plans from Michael, with whom they have lost touch. But Ann starts to realize that the beautiful, eclectic house that gave them so much now needs a little love from them if they are to prevent it from being razed. As she tallies up the work to be done, she remembers the disastrous summer that changed her relationship with the house forever.

Alternating among the three siblings’ perspectives, Clancy takes us back to 1999 and the first summer that Michael spends with the Gordons back East. An orphan who has seen the worst of what life has to offer, Michael was brought into the family first by Ann, a popular, independent girl who took him under her wing at school, and later by her parents, Connie and Ed. Immersing us fully into the landscape of Cape Cod through Michael’s eyes, Clancy reveals the deep ties that the Gordons have not only to the Wellfleet home, but also to one another. As overjoyed as he is to be included, Michael is equally dismayed by the differences between the Gordons and his own mother. Setting the scene with family squabbles and endearments, Clancy highlights the openness of the Gordon clan while making clear the ways that Michael is still so separate from their history. And then there’s his attraction to Ann.

Jumping ahead a year, we see that the Gordon family has continued to thrive and grow, but that Ann and Michael’s relationship has become strained. Michael is so desperate to maintain his place in the family that he must push Ann away or risk falling for her even more. At the same time, Ann has grown into herself and begun to seek higher ambitions, like babysitting for the wealthy Shaws, who live on the “good” side of the Cape, where they shuffle their gawky boys back and forth to tennis lessons and friends’ houses and attend galas and fancy soirees. Between nervous, aging Maureen and slick, big talker Anthony, the Shaws become a huge part of Ann’s summer --- in more ways than one. Unfortunately, they come to prove fatal for the Gordons’ well-being, and Ann’s interactions with them lead to a horrifying misunderstanding that severs the family forever, leaving their most vulnerable member, Michael, to deal with the brunt of the consequences.

Now, with Ann and Poppy preparing to sell the Wellfleet home, Michael reemerges in their lives. As an adopted son, he, too, has a say in the future of the house. Not only does he want to keep it, he would like to set the record straight about that fateful summer. Naturally, drama ensues, and Clancy keeps the pages turning at a shocking rate --- with miscommunication leading the plot in surprising directions. This comes to be a theme of the book, with family members frequently misinterpreting and misrepresenting one another, adding an “unreliable narrator” trope to the book --- only multiplied by three. In one particularly memorable instance, Michael fondly recalls his adoptive dad asking him to “speak his peace” when he is feeling upset, while Ann remembers her father’s phrase as “speak your piece,” and more a reflection of democracy and equality than of heart and compassion. Now imagine misunderstandings like these applied to years of emotional discord and secrecy.

With each of the Gordon siblings leading the way, THE SECOND HOME unfolds quickly, with some details a bit more glossed over than I would have liked. Some early plot elements require more explanation, or at least a suspension of disbelief, but if you can accept them, the story moves along smoothly and clearly from there. Ann, Poppy and Michael are distinct in their motivations and backgrounds, and Clancy balances their chapters well. Although I feel that many readers will find Ann unlikable and Poppy a little too flighty, they both serve the story well and make for plenty of interesting drama. Despite her ignorance and occasional lies, I actually loved Ann --- the toughest of the Gordon clan and the most sure of herself --- for her stalwartness. Michael, too, was a highlight, with his brokenness and desperate need for stability. And the tension between the two is positively engrossing.

For a novel about miscommunication, THE SECOND HOME is surprisingly astute and poignant. As a reader, you almost wish you could jump in and play telephone with the characters, but Clancy is in such full control of them that you don’t need to do that. This is indicative of a real talent, and I am sure that we will see many more dark dramas from her in the future. Masterfully plotted with fascinating, original characters, THE SECOND HOME is a riveting and dark family saga with plenty of vivid descriptions of the Cape Cod beaches and historic homes to keep you dreaming of sunny days.