This was a fantastic book written about family turmoil, loss, love, and fear. Virginia Hume carries you through decades of change for the family of Haven Point and the turmoil the matriarch tries to get everyone through all by herself. Wonderfully written with characters you want to reach out and help and the love of a home that has endured many storms.

I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

Haven Point is a heartwarming saga giving us glimpses of life through the years at Haven Point in Maine. Mainly about three women, grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter, Haven Point gives the reader a few laughs and possibly a few tears. Virginia Hume tells us the story by going back and forth in time and mainly from the point of view of the grandmother and granddaughter. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy to review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of Haven Point by Virginia Hume. This debut novel follows the Demarest family from the 1940s to the present. The backdrop is summers spent in coastal Maine. This generational saga begins around the time of WWII, continues through the time of the Vietnam war, and ultimately bringing readers to the present. At first you become immersed in the story of Maren Larsen as she falls in love with Dr. Oliver Demarest. The story continues with Oliver and Maren's daughter, Annie. As the times are turbulent with Vietnam, Annie begins dating someone her parents disapprove of. All of this comes to a head one summer and Annie leaves, vowing never to return to Haven Point. The final section of this book is about Skye, Annie's daughter. She has come to Haven Point to scatter her mother's ashes. Maren realizes there are things that Annie never fully told Skye about the troubled summer all those years ago. This is a great debut novel. I do recommend this book.

This beachy family saga is full of the secrets kept in the elite enclaves of society. Maren's story tends to be a lot more compelling than Skye's, and the best of the book is when they are together and Skye learns details of her family's past from her grandmother. The middle lags a bit- it starts off really strong with Maren's time working as a nurse at Walter Reed in World War II, and the languid summer days in Maine are hardpressed to keep up that pace. Overall a decent summer reading pick.

Intriguing story of three women in three different decades and how their stories are all intertwined.
The story shows the insight of women, love, family and the conflicts about classes in an upper class town.
Very riveting story..

Haven Point is a wealthy and insular community on the rocky shores of Maine. When Midwesterner Maren meets Boston physician Oliver Demarest while working at Walter Reed during WWII, they fall in love, and Maren enters the strange world of Haven Point. She's not fully welcome among the elitist residents, and a family tragedy in the 70s mars the family's happy memories of Haven Point. Decades later, Maren's granddaughter Skye comes to Haven Point to remember her mother - and perhaps learn the truth of what happened that summer.

Haven Point is a beautiful setting, and I definitely related to the insular nature of the community. Maren and Skye were both interesting women that I enjoyed getting to know. The writing was beautiful and flowed well - I felt transported to Haven Point.

Where this book fell short for me is the plot - not much happened until about 80% of the way through the book. I wish the tragedy had been placed a bit earlier so that there could have been more exploration of its aftermath. If you enjoy small town beach reads, this may be right up your alley for a summer read. As this is a debut, I'm interested in seeing what Virginia Hume writes next.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very good. I enjoyed the different eras that were used to tell this story and I liked how the timeline was not consecutive and building but rather jumped around. Other than that, this was your typical generational family drama story. There was a bit of a twist at the end that I didn't see coming that I enjoyed, but the story was nice and moved at a good pace and there were some historical fiction things in there and some stereotyping as well that moved the story along.

A great debut from Virginia Hume! I loved this novel about 3 generations of women and their home in Maine. Hume captures the WWII time period with the beginning of the first relationship, and then focuses on the granddaughter and troubled mother. Each story of the 3 women is told with great understanding and gentleness. I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to all my reading buddies. And a huge thank you Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy.

Haven Point by Virginia Hume
This story follows a family of many generations through the years. The chapters alternate from the present to the past.
A lot of events occur and the outcome tragic at times.
Lot of relationships and the times of the 60's play out on the beach at the hotel in Maine.
One teen finds her mother and is forced to go live with her grandmother as she has nobody else.
Her life finishes the teen years there. Love the sailing and walks on the beach the best as I come from an island with accessible beaches.
Great summer read. Wish it had a list of characters at the start. I was a bit confused at times.
Received this review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#HavenPoint #NetGalley

A beautiful multi-generational story set in two time periods. The characters of Haven Point came alive through their actions and stories. I enjoyed Maren's quiet, compassionate personality. Her strength was admirable. I found the community of Haven Point annoying at times with their 'better than you' attitude. The family secret was slowly revealed which explained many reasons behind some of the characters' actions.

Beautifully written family saga (I love family sagas) 3 generations of women and their home on the rocky coast of Maine. Each with a beautiful tory to tell and their own reasons for liking or disliking their family home, Haven Point. A family saga to get lost in1 loved it.

I am really impressed that this is a debut novel for this author! It was beautifully written and full of descriptive scenes, intriguing family relationships and secrets, and compelling characters.

I could relate to so much and I think that really piqued my interest and caused a flurry of emotions as a result. The author wrote about certain situations and emotions so spot-on that I wonder if she, too, experienced them in her life as well.

The ending was so beautiful and emotional. Perfect.

This is the debut novel of the author and is set in several places, but mostly in coastal Maine, a little town named Haven Point. The time frame starts in WWII and goes to 2008, encompassing the Vietnam War and other main historical events. Maren Larsen is a cadet nurse at Walter Reed Medical Center and meets Dr. Oliver Demarest, a wealthy young man whose family has a summer home in Haven Point. Maren settles there with the three children after their marriage and Oliver travels back and forth from work. Oliver and Maren have the typical disagreements of couples long wed and they have a rebellious teen daughter named Annie. This part of the book was set during the Vietnam era and Annie’s character was well portrayed. A tragedy occurred during that summer that is some kind of family secret that isn’t revealed until almost the end of the book. Because of the tragedy, Annie leaves Haven Point and promises never to return. In 2008, Annie’s daughter Skye returns to scatter Annie’s ashes and to visit her grandmother Maren. The story is unraveled slowly and reads like an epic saga instead of a summer beach read. With multiple generations and timelines, this novel was heavy reading for me at times. That is not to say that it was not enjoyable because it was, but it was not a light read by any means. There was a large cast of characters and only the main ones were completely fleshed out. I found myself getting lost at times with all of the names of family and friends and even acquaintances of the family. Once I decided to just focus on the story of Maren and Annie, the book was easier for me to follow. The setting was realistic and well described, with the rocky coastline of Maine brought to life in my mind as I read. The theme was one of finding peace through reconciliation, although it was hard fought for and hard won. Fans of domestic drama with some historical fiction mixed in will enjoy this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive book. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This story starts out in 1944, when Maren Larsen, a nurse from a small town in Minnesota, falls in love and marries Dr. Oliver Demarest, a Boston doctor who's family summers in an exclusive coastal community in Maine called Haven Point. From there the story goes back and forth between their marriage, having and raising their children, and all that goes along with that, and 2008 where Oliver and Maren's grandaughter Skye is grappling with the death of her mother.. This is a multi-generational tale about 3 women (4 if you want to count Maren's mother-in-law, who looms large into Maren's life for a large portion of the story). I thought the book was well-written, and would make a good beach read. It reminds me a lot of books by Mary Alice Monroe and Barbara Delinsky, so if you are fans of their books, then you would enjoy this.

This novel moves back and forth in time from 1944 to 2008 to follow several generations of a family that has had a long tradition of spending summers at their home, Fourwinds, in seaside Haven Point, Maine.

The story opens in 2008 when Maren awaits the arrival of her granddaughter Skye, and the important conversation she intends to have with her. Maren's daughter Annie (Skye's mother) died six months earlier.

Skye sees Haven Point as Annie did - 'beautiful on the surface, petty and snobbish beneath' - but Maren knows 'the community's sturdy foundation, its titanic heart.'

Maren and Oliver meet during the war. Oliver is high society and Maren is a good ole country girl. But, these two fall in love and have a family. But, there are secrets and deceptions.

Maren struggles to be who her husband needs. Annie, their daughter, struggles to be what her father expects her to be. And Skye struggles to find out what went wrong with her mother’s past. Talk about a family saga with different timelines…however, the author did a great job with the different eras and characters.

There are a few places the story slowed down and just did not move very fast. But, there was something about the characters that kept me listening. Plus the secrets…when they start to unfold…well, you will just have to read it to find out!

The narrator, Cassandra Campbell, is wonderful. She handles all the voices and drama very well! I feel like if I had read this book, I would not have liked it as well. But, because I listened to it and the narrator did such a great job, it made the book more interesting.

Need a good family saga with a great setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Haven Point will take your breath away. It has everything: three women, seven decades, war heroes, war protestors, love, cheating, alcoholism, birth, death and everything in between. And it takes place on a beautiful, remote, multi-family compound in Maine.

The saga begins during World War II. While caring for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital, Nurse Maren Larsen falls for Dr. Oliver Demarest, a handsome, wealthy orthopedic surgeon. They marry and, although his practice is in Washington, DC, the couple spends summers at the family compound in Haven Point, where Maren learns that Oliver has not shared everything about his family. Fast forward to 1970 when new lifestyles threaten the conservative values that the Demarest family have always cherished. Conflicts flare and the tragedy that results nearly tears the family apart. And now it’s 2008 and Maren’s granddaughter Skye has returned to Haven Point after her mother’s death. Maren must help her granddaughter understand the past so she can enjoy her future.

I would love to write so much more about this compulsively readable family saga but I don’t want to give anything away. Trust me: buy Haven Point! Read it, give it as gifts, schedule it for your book club. You will love it as much as I did! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Virginia Hume for this ARC.

I love books about Maine, mostly because I have so many great memories of Maine throughout my life. So when I saw the new book Haven Point by Virginia Hume and knew it was about Maine, I was excited. The book followed three generations of a family at Haven Point. Going back and forth through time to highlight various events. The plotline allowed the location to be a key element in the story as well as the people and events.

Marin married Oliver Demarest during WWII. While the marriage was sudden, Marin felt she was being judged as ‘not good enough’ to the island community where Oliver’s family had a home. Marin continues to spend summers in Maine with Oliver’s mother and joins the community with her children. This entrance to the story is told smoothly and quietly, but as the years move forward, it is clear that Skye, Maren’s granddaughter, has clear and negative opinions about the enclave.

The story follows those lines and allows the secrets to slide out between the layers of the story. It is then you realize how a strong community protects and cares for its residents. The book is interesting with all its oozing of the secrets of life. The characters are flawed, allowing them to grow with the age and circumstances of their life.

Virginia Hume only has this book listed on Goodreads, so I am presuming this is her debut novel. Her characters allowed me to hope for their future while the story kept me interested. Haven Point by Virginia Hume was a good read.

This novel, which moves back and forth between three time frames, is the tale of three women- Maren, Annie, and Skye- and a home in Maine. Maren meets Oliver during WWII; his family owns at Haven Point, an enclave of privilege. Their daughter Annie becomes an artist with serious addiction issues. She's mom to Skye, who is rescued by Maren when Annie needs rehab. Maren's story, her relationship with Haven Point and Oliver, is the best fleshed out of the three. Annie is a cipher as she's seen via Maren and Skye but it is only near the end that you learn about one reason for her despair, but not her alcoholism. It's not that this was a secret kept from Skye, just something no one thought to tell her. It's worth noting that more timed sympathy is devoted to he grandmother Pauline's alcoholism and how the community rallied around her than there is to Annie's. Hume does an especially nice job with the social issues at Haven Point and clearly knows her way around Washington politics. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It's a well told tale that kept me turning the pages.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I enjoyed this summer read and became engrossed in the characters, the setting and plot of Multigenerational family saga.