2.5 rounded up for that beautiful cover. I wanted to love this one. It's a little family drama and Hollywood glamour mixed with mystery and drama. But I thought it started slow. You could feel a build up but I felt a bit lost in the details of it all. When we got the final twist, I just felt let down and was glad I was nearing the end. I think I just wasn't feeling the romance, the drama of it all. But the writing was great and I did love the moody atmosphere of it all.

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

With several twists and turns, this story kept me reading till the end...unable to put it down! Secrets and love of family and friends twisted their way through a story of Hollywood, gained and lost. A real treasure to read. Great characters and wonderful story@

LOVED. Exciting read with an immersive setting. It has a bit of a mystery element but plenty of feel-good family and romance along the way. Perfect for a summer beach read. Highly recommend. Similar vibes to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

This started out super slow. I could not get into it or follow it & I almost DNF. I’m glad I didn’t.

There are so many layers here that peel back like an onion. It made me cry. It made me chuckle. It made me think.

I like the character development. Books that flip flop time can go either way & I felt this one was spot on. The flashbacks were infused at the right time with pertinent information that gave you just enough of the story to have you asking more questions. The climax was perfect & the ending was resolute. It all makes sense now.

This was really well written. Highly recommend. Thanks Net Galley.

A delightful surprise in a debut novel. I’m personally enamored with the glitz and glamor of old Hollywood, especially the fashion. I was immersed in the time, I co I’llld feel the emotion, the fabrics, smell the air. It was a story for the ages.

Erika Montgomery’s A Summer to Remember is a marvelous debut. I was immediately intrigued while reading her summary and from the first pages, Frankie’s story pulled me in. There’s just something so captivating about Old Hollywood, with its glitz and glamour. I loved being pulled between Hollywood and across the country to Cape Cod, witnessing the messy secrets strewn along the way.

Frankie’s world halts when a package arrives and she is sent down a path of questions, yielding betrayal, heartbreak, abs long-burrows secrets. As Frankie begins cracking open a window to the past, her present is thrown into chaos as she begins questioning everything on her journey to what matters.

Overall, a great summer read. Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you.

I could not put this book down once the narrative really got started. Frankie and her mother Maeve ran a movie memorabilia shop together in Hollywood until Maeve was killed in an accident. Maeve was unconventional: she never married, never revealed the identity of Frankie's father, and never settled down with one man. When two unopened letters turn up in her mother's belongings Frankie's world is upended. They are from a famous actress to her husband and to her son, presumably written right before she suicided. Included with the letters is a photo of Maeve with the Hollywood couple. Frankie heads to the east coast to uncover her mother's history and find out who her father is. The story shifts between the past and the present as it reveals what happened so long ago.

Erika Montgomery, in her debut novel A Summer to Remember, does a superlative job binding multiple points of view and dual timelines, the present and the 1980s. Frankie and her mother, Maeve, run a Hollywood memorabilia shop. Maeve never told Frankie much about Maeve’s past or who Frankie’s father might be. After her mother’s death, Frankie begins looking for answers as to who her father is. When she finds two letters that her mother left for a famous actor and his son, she goes to Cape Cod to deliver the letters and finds her life unexpectedly intertwined with several others. This is an excellent book, bringing together these multiple threads. Some people are running from the truth while others, like Frankie, are looking for the truth. Secrets—and past betrayals—are revealed, and the answers to all questions are unexpected.

A Summer to Remember evokes both the Golden Age of Hollywood and modern day Cape Cod. There is nostalgia for the glamour of Hollywood, and I enjoyed the movie references and quotes at the beginning of each chapter. It takes the tropes of looking for oneself and looking for one’s parents and puts a nice spin on them.

This was an entertaining, captivating read. I loved the character development and the ambiance and, for me, the past timeline had a nostalgic quality that I can’t really explain, other than I lived in New England for many years of my childhood and the slow-paced, ocean-side lifestyle seems authentic and familiar.

The story is told through two separate timelines, in the 1980s and present-day. In the present, Frankie, who operates a Hollywood memorabilia shop, travels to the Cape to deliver some long-sealed letters she was given after her mother’s death. She finds that her mother, Maeve, lived there back in the 80s for a period of time, and Frankie is swept into the lives of her mother’s past friends.

There is romance and a mystery and nuanced relationships. I found this book quick to read and well-written and a very accomplished debut novel.

HOW IS THIS DEBUT AND PLEASE ERIKA, WRITE ANOTHER NOVEL ASAP. I finished this in less than 48 hours and holy moly, it blew my little reading brain. LOVE. At first, the idea of a memorabilia shop was so interesting but then, I love how the story really took us to a cape cod like spot, part of a week in a beautiful seaside town. Frankie has lost her mother, who owned the shop (that Frankie now runs), but left her daughter two sealed letters. Frankie does some light digging, knowing NOTHING of her mother's past or whom her mother procreated with, and ends up going to a coastal town in Mass. for a week, in attempt to hand-deliver the sealed letters. Then the story really just picks up and it is everything and more I could ever want in a book. You have two timelines that Erika sets up beautifully, an adoption, a celebrity couple, mysteries and broken hearts. Do yourself a favor and pre-order, have your library order, or just put this one down for your book club to read. And if you can read it while sipping wine and eating some sort of fried clam, with a waterfront view, even better.

I really enjoyed this book that bridges the worlds of Hollywood and Cape Cod. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this captivating story of movie memorabilia and finding your place. Frankie knows very little about her mother’s past, in fact, she doesn’t even know who her father is. After seeing a photo of her mother with an old movie star that was taken on Cape Cod Frankie decides to hand deliver the sealed letter that was in in it. Erika Montgomery weaves the past and the present together crafting a story that drew me right in and made me care about these likable characters. I will look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This was an easy, lighthearted read, perfect for the beach. The main character is Frankie Simon, who shares a business in Hollywood with her mother, Maeve, selling movie memorabilia. Frankie and Maeve have no family beside each other, and Frankie doesn’t even know who her father is. Maeve has been a bit of a free spirit, living with a succession of boyfriends in their homes, as she believes it’s easier to leave than to make someone leave. Maeve’s untimely death due to a car accident leaves Frankie adrift. She is alone, and a sudden rent hike on the store leaves her wondering if she really wants to continue the business. After all, it was really her mother’s passion, not Frankie’s.

Then one of Maeve’s old boyfriends sends Frankie an envelope with a photograph of her mother and famous movie stars Glory Cartwright and her husband Mitch, along with two letters. One is addressed to Mitch, and the other to Mitch and Glory’s son, Gabe. While Glory and Mitch are both deceased, Gabe lives on Cape Cod, where his parents moved after leaving Hollywood. Frankie contacts Gabe, who has no interest in the letters and quite emphatically tells Frankie he isn’t interested in anything his mother might have written. But the nagging question is, could Mitch be Frankie’s father? Frankie decides that she will attend the Cape Cod film festival that Glory Cartwright started years ago, and deliver the letters in person.

Frankie’s journey reveals betrayals and family secrets, as well as deep bonds between friends and lovers. The story is well-written, entertaining and movie-worthy. There are bits from movies woven throughout, and I can see it all on the big screen, starting with the sights of Hollywood and ending on a sailboat with the moon and stars above.

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Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest review

A mother’s death results in her daughter finding letters which lead her to discover a part of her mother’s past that she never knew existed. This is a story full of grieving, longing, regret, guilt, love and comfort.

I read this book in one sitting, it was a wonderful quick read that made me feel like I was on the sunny beach chilling. I really liked how the characters were flawed and broken, but each holding a secret that you just had to find out. The characters aren't perfect and it made it feel more realistic.

I really didn't expect to fall in love with this book like I did, and I was sad when it was over, but these people will live in my mind for a long time. I thought this was a sweet book that had some interesting twists and turns. The characters were complex and real and very relatable.

The book is written in several timelines and although I think the story is best told this way, The transitions from the past and present were well-done.

I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Frankie sells Hollywood Memorabilia in a shop that her deceased mother owned. She is looking to find meaning in answers in her life. The story unfolds in dual timelines in Hollywood and in Cape Cod. I enjoyed the reflection on family and loss and overall would recommend the novel.

Thank you to #NetGalley and to the publisher, #StMartinsPress, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book!!! Every. Single. Page. of this book! It kept me engaged from start to finish.

It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Erika Montgomery puts pen to paper like a seasoned author. I look forward to seeing more of what she has to offer. Ms. Montgomery has a very bright future.

This book was a beautifully written story with a great background. Reading about the history of old Hollywood was so fun. And the characters were all so interesting. That being said, it was a little slow for my tastes - this book is more about the journey than the destination. But if you are looking for a good beach read, or a book to slowly savor, this is a good choice.

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

I enjoyed this lovely story that weaves Hollywood and summer on Cape Cod together in a delightful, plot-driven novel.

Such an interesting story! Frankie is mourning the loss of her mother and running her Hollywood movie memorabilia when she comes across 2 letters written by starlet Glory Cartwright. She's determined to get these letters to their owners...and hopefully find her father along the way.

I really liked the characters, from the widower neighbor in her apartment with his bevvy of casseroles to the bartender with the pepper margaritas. A well crafted story with lots of movie references, mystery, love and a fun film festival. It's an enjoyable book!

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book in return for my review.

This is one of the best stories I have read in a long time! I was immediately transported into the story and could imagine myself with the characters. At times, I could smell the salty air and hear the sounds of the ocean. The time slips back and forth really added to the drama/mystery of the story. It is definitely a page-turner to the very end. This will definitely be going on my "to read again" list.