I enjoyed this story! The relationship between Skye and Amy was dynamic and complicated. Even if Amy annoyed me very much. The story still seemed realistic and believable. It was a nice read. I would recommend it!

Loved reading this book and author. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Happy reading. Hope you enjoy it also

Many of the reviews of this book were not great, but I really enjoyed it. I thought the tension between Skye, a successful small business owner, and her estranged half sister, Amy, was realistic and complicated. Skye is a well loved figure in her town, but when Amy shows up, Skye fears she will spread her malicious and hateful lies. Connor, Skye’s ex from her past, arrives with Amy, causing Skye to re-examine her relationship with Jack. I liked the idea of Skye’s business, based on creativity and making, and felt that enhanced the story. A good summer read, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Skylar Mackenzie feels she is in a good place in her life. She has a successful business, Imagine That. a creativity center/toy/bookstore. So successful she is planning a family weekend retreat that will not only benefit her but the whole town. She is also in a great relationship with Jack who supports and loves her. Her best friend Maya works for her and Maya’s boyfriend Sonny is Jack’s business partner. Maya just found out she is pregnant. Her Aunt Roxy has been her rock. She took Skye in when she needed love and a place to heal after a fire burned down her father’s hobby shed and her half-sister Amy told everyone Skye started the fire, which was a lie. She was overwrought physically and mentally and it took her a long time to get where she is now.

Then Amy shows up in town along with Connor Reid, Skye’s boyfriend at the time of the fire, her first love, that knew the truth but disappeared right after everything happened. Amy says she wants to make amends but Skye wants nothing to do with either of them. So Amy makes sure to spread the word all over town about her sister, making her seem like an angel and Skye the terrible one. Worse seeing Connor has Skye questioning herself and her feelings.

This is definitely not the summer Skye had imagined and it could be the summer where she loses everything.

I really liked meeting Skye and loved the theme of her business. A place for kids of all ages to be creative in a myriad of ways with no judgments. A place to just be. Her relationship with Jack was strong and comfortable. Then came Amy, a spoiled brat if there ever was one. She may have had some good ideas but there was something missing in her makeup that allowed her to take responsibility for anything. She also didn’t engage her brain before she opened her mouth. I hated everything about her. Connor had good intentions but was drawn into Amy’s web. He quickly grasped what she was up to but he still brought strife to Skye’s life in his own way. Roxy was my favorite character. Everyone needs an Aunt Roxy. Her friend Heddy was also a fun character. The characters are well-written and brought out the emotions in the reader the author intended.

The events with Amy continue throughout the story along with a plethora of problems with the venue for Skye’s big event. The Chamber of Commerce and other shopkeepers and residents have piled so much on Skye’s shoulders and she rolls with all the punches to see the event take place no matter what. I really did admire that vast difference between Skye and Amy. The original family dynamic was truly lacking and it was no surprise that Amy was estranged not only from Skye but her parents as well. Skye is strong in every way that Amy is weak. The author did a great job of tying the main plot and subplots together. A lot happens within these pages and at times the pace did feel a little off but quickly found its footing again.

Imagine Summer was an entertaining story, a true beach read. Estranged sisters that probably should have stayed estranged. Ms. Noble piles on the drama to keep the pages turning and brings the story to a nice end that left me a little conflicted.

IMAGINE SUMMER is an emotional contemporary romance set by the beach. Filled with dysfunctional family relationships, a small town trying to reinvent itself, and romance, the book delves into what family really is.

Skye builds a business using imagination. She’s also trying to help the town bring in tourists, since it’s floundering and needs an infusion of cash. When she creates the Discover It Weekend and pitches it to the town, they’re all in. But it’s costly, and most of the work falls on Skye even though she has her own businesses to run.

When her estranged half-sister comes to town along with Connor, Skye’s first love, Skye is overwhelmed and wants to send them packing. But there’s still a pull between Skye and Connor, even though she has a boyfriend. Skye’s sister is still her nasty self, and though she tries to ingratiate herself to others, her true personality comes out. She was not a likable character.

There are of ups and downs in the story as Skye loses her focus more than once, and her boyfriend is not happy about the visitors staying with Skye’s family, which causes friction between them.

As the story flows, we get to know the characters well. Unfortunately, there’s a repetitiveness to the story. The past is brought up many times, along with the history between Skye and her family. There is some closure and a chance at a happily ever after, though.

Ms. Noble is an author whose books I’ve enjoyed, and all have a beach feel.

This is a Romance/Women's Fiction/Chick-Lit. I really try to get into this book, but I could not do it. I have picked it up two different times. I made it to 15% the first time I picked it up, and the second time I picked it up I made it to 25%. I think the writing style was just not for me. I am not saying it is a bad book, but It was just not for me. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (William Morrow Paperbacks) or author (Shelley Noble) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Skye is a successful businesswomen with a happy romantic relationship—until her estranged half-sister Amy shows up without warning, bringing Skye's high school boyfriend with her. Amy still blames Skye for the fire that split up their family fifteen years earlier. Can Skye keep her happy life intact with Amy manipulating everyone in town?

The dynamic between Skye and Amy seems like the classic scapegoat / golden child projection of a narcissistic mother (or in Skye's case, stepmother). Skye, the scapegoat, managed to escape and build a successful life independent of her parents. Amy, the golden child, is still enmeshed in her dependency, except that her parents will no longer have anything to do with her. So she turns to Skye, desperate for love and attention, without a strong sense of self, and blaming Skye for all the bad things that have happened in Amy's life.

There's a lot going on in this book, and at times the plot feels a little scattered. But the author does a good job of showing the lasting havoc that can be wrought of a childhood gone wrong.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

What a yummy summer read. This is the perfect book to read on vacation or near any body of water. It was so sweet and interesting.

The premise of the story is interesting and the setting a dream! Most of the characters were likable and relatable. The tension was thick and the romance was sweet. The writing was a bit clunky in places and I found the story to be dragging on a bit. Overall, a sweet beach read. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

I had a hard time getting into Imagine Summer. The premise of the story was just hard to imagine. Estranged sisters with a long past history that was defined by a tragic event.
I liked the main characters, Skylar and Jack as well as the Aunts. Amy just grated on my nerves to no end.
Overall, I did enjoy aspects of Imagine Summer. The scenario just seemed a bit far fetched and the story dragged in parts.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book has such a great setting -- a quaint beach town on the Rhode Island coast, and the main character, Skye, actually owns her own very interesting business. She runs a creativity center and an imaginative toy store. So, right from the start, we are drawn in to this lovely story. Lots of family drama, sweet romance, and a very relatable set of characters make this the perfect beach read.

Skye is about to embark on her biggest venture yet, a weekend retreat of family exploration. But it begins to unravel when she finds her estranged half-sister Amy on the doorstep. And Amy’s not alone.

She’s brought Skye’s first love, Connor Reid—the boy who broke her heart; the man who could break it again.

This was such a heartfelt.read! I loved the characters. The setting. The plot.
At first it started a little slow. But it quickly picked up speed!
Overall very likeable book!

I received an advance copy of, Imagine Summer by, Shelley Noble. I that this book was boring and blah. The characters were dull. I just could not get into it.