I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Although, this book was a predictable book, I quite enjoyed the easy laid back read. Great for a palate cleanser from some much heavier reads. I have always wanted to visit the coastal regions and this after reading the book, may just be a good starting point! After, an endearing loss, Maggie has to find a way to live again. She finds herself back in her hometown and quickly rekindled old friendships. But Unexpectedly, she finds herself rekindling more than just friendships when she see's an past lover,

I really enjoyed this book about family and friendship. I will definitely be reading the next one in the series. Thanks Net Galley for the arc I’m exchange for an honest review.

This was my first novel by Mariah Stewart. I am excited for the rest of this series. I loved the setting of the Massachusetts Coast. I usually enjoy books about middle aged women, (being in my late 40's) so it was nice reading about an age other than 20 somethings.

Stewart always pens emotionally satisfying novels. In this one, recently widowed Maggie heads back to her hometown for her 40th high school reunion. Great tale of trying to go home.

The beginning of a new series. Maggie returns home for her 40th high school reunion and is reminded of the biggest secret of her life. When things back home explode for her daughter she returns to her childhood home. ARC from NetGalley.

Ohhh to be able to go back and do high school all over again. That’s essentially how I felt with this book. They went back for a reunion and were stuck in their old ways. I don’t really care for a second chance romance when it has to do with high school. This was just ok for me.

This is a good story of 4 friends who meet in college and their next 20 years. Set in England Eva, Benedict and siblings Sylvie and Lucian are ready to graduate and take on the world. It seems none of their dreams are meant to come true but they do keep in touch through the years. Sylvie becomes a single mother with a special needs little girl, Eva loses her job but gains a life starting her own business and love struck Benedict eventually achieves his dream. All the characters grow into pretty decent adults as they face life head on. Alice Adams writes a good story and I'll look for more of her books in the future.

This was a wonderful story. I loved Maggie and really felt for her. I was rooting for her the whole time. I am excited to read more in this series.

I am a longtime fan of Mariah Stewarts' small-town/domestic drama stories. I’ve always found myself very invested in the lives of her characters and I love that they are flawed and very relatable. An Invincible Summer features Maggie Flynn as she returns to Rhode Island to celebrate her fortieth high school reunion with best friends Liddy and Emma. She is later joined by daughters Natalie and Grace, who have both experienced recent heartaches. For the family, this is most certainly a transformative summer all around.

Mariah Stewarts' impeccable storytelling sets the scene. It was so easy to picture the town and the characters. The story is well-plotted and the hints that Maggie has a secret and being back in Rhode Island certainly brings up memories and people that she's really not ready to deal with. With both daughters there for extended stays, we get their backstories and see how the three women interact and are there for each other. There are some very trying times but we see how they come together as a unit to face their pasts and move forward with hope and love. This is a lovely story about second chances and the many forms they come in.

An invincible summer is a "new to me" phrase and after looking it up I see just how perfect it is as a title for this story. I’m already excited to see what and who the next book in this new series will be about, and to catch back up with these characters. 5 Stars and recommendation.

This was such an uplifting book. It had a great back story with lots of little individual stories buried within.

A widower, Maggie Flynn, returning to her childhood home of Wyndham beach as a grown adult for her high school reunion was only the beginning of what was to come. This novel tells many stories about Maggie and her family and friends. It is a novel about her life and all the secrets it holds, this is all revealed when she ultimately buys her family home and starts her life again in Wyndham beach.

Touching,well written family drama. Loved the characters.
4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the Author and publisher for a copy of this book. The Opinions expressed are my own.

I am glad I picked up this book for so many reasons. Maggie Flynn is at a crossroads. Her husband passed away in the past few years and she is somewhat at a loss as to what’s next for her. She is a Mother and a Grandmother but isn’t sure what she wants next or if there is more to life for her at her age. When she returns to her hometown for her 40th high school reunion, reuniting with her life-long best friends in the place they still call home and finds her family’s historic home is for sale, it’s like the universe is trying to tell her something. The only hiccup is her high school sweetheart who had a difficult break with, long ago. It’s wonderful watching Maggie and her best friends, as well as Maggie finding her footing as an individual. I also loved that in this, she also finds a way to help her daughter, Grace, who has been hiding just how bad things have gotten in her life. No matter how old you are, knowing your Mom and your family have your back, is priceless for her.
This book resonated with me because, as I am getting older, I find myself wanting so much of the same things: to go “home” where the friends you are closest to are family, less drama, more peace and simplicity. To be with the people that know and love you best. Maggie finds a way to do this, knowing that at some point she may have to come face-to-face with her ex and the secret that tore them apart, putting them on different paths.
I am excited that this is the first book in the series, and I can’t wait to see where Mariah Stewart takes us next in the series and to find out more about Maggie and her friends, even if they are secondary characters in future novels. AN INVINCIBLE SUMMER is my first read by Stewart and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#AnInvincibleSummer #WyndhamBeach #MariahStewart #Montlake

This is a typical family romance very much in the author's style even though it is a new beach town instead of the usual one in Ms. Stewart's books. Widowed Maggie decides to go back to her 4oth reunion and plunges back into old friendships and the old romance turned bad.
Widowed Maggie decides to go back to her 4oth reunion and plunges back into old friendships and the old romance turned bad. Long held secrets bubble up and Maggie begins to evaluate her familial relationships as well as decisions from her past that come back to haunt her.
There are fun moments between the three friends who reconnect over alcohol and food and remind me in many ways of interacting with my own friends. The three friends are all at different cross roads when the story begins and they walk their own paths and evolve in fun and interesting ways. Of course it's clear that Brett the town's sheriff and Maggie have an old failed romance and perhaps despite Maggie's happy marriage and Brett's multiple failed ones the flame still flickers between them. Is this a second chance to fix the mistakes of the past and seek a new and different happiness.
I enjoy Ms. Stewart's style and overlook some of the criticisms and the slower pace of her stories because every so often a real emotional gem emerges. This one is not that emotional gem but it is an enjoyable book all the same.

First of all, this is my first book by this author and i want to read more, including those previously published and the continuation of this series. Looks like this is book 1 in a new series. I enjoyed it very much. It was an easy, uplifting multi generational story of friends and family. When I read that the main character was going to go back for her high school reunion, confront old secrets and an old flame, I was honestly not that excited. Sometimes these stories of lost and found love are pretty farfetched and unbelievable. This story was so well written that it is very believable and enjoyable. Can't wait to read more!

​​​​​4.5 Stars!

An Invincible Summer by new to me author Mariah Stewart, is women's fiction at its best. This a clean read, with amazing, down-to-earth characters that are easy to identify with. The story primarily takes place in Wyndham Beach, a small coastal town in Massachusetts. This is the first book from the author's Wyndham Beach series and it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Maggie Flynn is in her late fifties, and she is having a bit of trouble moving on after losing her beloved husband to an illness. She is very close to her two adult daughters and her three year old granddaughter Daisy. Attending her 40th high school reunion with her two best friends, is the catalyst for her new normal. She decides to sell her home and purchase the house she grew up in. She wants to make new memories with family and friends, while coming to terms with her past.

I truly liked this book and the meaningful plot is both exciting and empowering. Ms. Stewart writes with a lot of passion, and as a result, the relationships Maggie has with those she loves is heartwarming. I admired Maggie's ability to deal with whatever was thrown at her. Each character was interesting in their own right, and the plot was quite realistic. Don't pass on the opportunity to read this novel.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

An Invincible Summer by Mariah Stewart is a heartwarming story set on the Massachusetts coast. I was immediately drawn into the book with the writing and the vivid description of the setting, particularly as I am very familiar with the areas described by the author. I loved Maggie's character and her opportunity to reconnect with old friends and her roots. The book is a quick read, perfect for a summer day on the beach. I adored Maggie's friends and the interactions between all of the women depicted in the book. This was heartwarming story that was both engaging and comforting.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC. This did not affect the contents of my voluntary review. All opinions are honest and my own.

I've read a lot of Stewart over the years and I've found that I either thoroughly enjoy them or they land decidedly on the meh side. Unfortunately, this was a meh for me. Part of it is that this turned out to be a second chance high school story that I just don't really enjoy. I get being glad to reconnect with old friends and old places but the dialogue and inner monologues of the characters tended to be heavily focused on the "glory days" of high school which got a little dull. Really that is kind of the root of my issues with the book. All of the characters were kind of stuck in who they had been in high school and the relationship between the "golden couple" that had ended literally 38 years before. The book just seemed to skirt on the surface for me and I never felt really connected to any of the characters of what was going on in their lives.

Stewart writes a nice story with a good flow but this just didn't end up being one I enjoyed reading.

If I had to choose one word to describe what this book is about, it would be Life. Lifelong friendships, unexpected changes that pull the rug from under you feet and make your world tumble over, families with their complex dynamics, second chances in love, growing into yourself and discovering your own strength, coming home wherever it is and whatever it means to you.

Maggie Flynn is coming back to her home town of Wyndham Beach, Massachusets, for her fortieth school reunion. She has been widowed for two years after having given her all totaking care of her terminally ill husband. Maggie and her friends Lydia and Emma finally have a chance to spend some time together. Even Maggie's best friends don't know what exactly happened forty years ago to split the golden couple of their school, the Prom King and Queen, Brett Crowford and Maggie. It is clear that the old hurt is still there,when Maggie gets very upset about being asked to dance with Brett. We also get a gimpse into Maggie's grown-up daughters' lives, who have also had their disappointments in love and marriage and who are trying to move on.

The writing was extremely engaging. The conversations between the three friends sounded realistic. Their characters are well-differentiated and the same is true for Grace and Natalie, Maggie's daughters. While I appreciated having all these different generations and their perspectives, what made this book so attractive was it's focus on Maggie and her life, both in the past and the present. Her age group tends to get little (or at least not enough) representation in romance and it was nice to read this well-written exception.

I loved the way Mariah Stewart showed the atmosphere of a little seaside town. Emma and Liddy have lived all their lives in Wyndham. They got married and raised their children there. They also suffered through their own personal tragedies. Maggie made a choice to leave. It wasn't for better or worse, just different, and she can make a new choice now, as she is at standing at a new kind of crossroads.

For anyone who loves stories with strong, realistic female protagonists, complicated friendship and family dynamics, and a small town setting. Can't wait to read Book 2 in Wyndham Beach series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC providedin exchange for an honest opinion.

I did not know anything about Mariah Stewart or An Invincible Summer before I began reading, but something in the description appealed. Starting the first page, I slipped straight into the story as the writing carried me away. An Invincible Summer switches between Philadelphia and Massachusets, between city and beach and between homes that symbolise two parts of Maggie’s life. This is the story of Maddie, a widow living in Philadelphia, and her two daughters, Grace and Natalie. At the start of the story Maddie is travelling to Wynham Beach, the scene of her childhood, for a school reunion. Over the course of the weekend old memories surface, familiar faces flood her present and start reflections on her future as she wonders about her value and future role. Grace is a lawyer who works in the family law firm and is rebuilding her life after her husband humiliated her, leaving her for a fellow employee. Natalie is a single Mum to the gorgeous Daisy, and is a teacher with a big heart. Throw in two of Maggie’s childhood friends and we have a cast of strong female characters who make this such a great story. There is so much I loved about this read. The setting of Wyndham Beach is gorgeous, I could smell the sea air, feel the warmth of the sun as the women took their coffee and sat watching the horizon. I could feel Maggie’s pull to return to her roots. I loved the female relationships in the book. Maggie is a strong but supportive Mother, who brings her children through crises but holds out for her own choices, and the independence of her own life. The gatherings with her friends are glorious - tattoos, rock concerts and the warmth of conversations between women who really know and understand each other. I loved that this was not all neatly resolved and packaged up in an ending..I cannot wait to return to Wyndham Beach though and discover what happens to them all. This was such a celebration of life and especially a celebration of women of ALL ages. With thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for a digital copy of this lovely book.