Thank you SO much to the editor for the Audio-arc!! The story follows three generations of Demarest women from 1947 to 2008. Commencing at Walter Reed Medical Center during WWII, a young nurse from Minnesota named Maren is treating wounded soldiers at the Washington DC Veterans Hospital when she meets Oliver, a doctor. When Oliver and Maren get married, Oliver takes her to Haven Point, Maine where his family has been vacationing every summer. As Maren begins to realize, Haven Point is a secluded community where everyone knows everyone, and the summer vacationers stick together ignoring even the locals. The story traces Oliver and Maren’s marriage and subsequent births of their three children. They continue to spend every summer in Haven Point, finding it a great escape from the city life of Washington, DC. However due to a tragedy in 1970, one of their children, Annie refuses to return to Haven Point and the tight knit community there. In 2008, Skye (Annie’s daughter) is returning to Haven Point after the death of her mother. Annie begins to uncover the exact reasons why Annie vowed to never return to Haven Point. I loved the atmospheric location of Haven Point and appreciated the location playing such a vital role in the story, the connection between each generation. It was so interesting to see these three women in conjunction with the backdrop of social and political events affecting every aspect of their lives! I really enjoyed this on audio and as I listened to it, I felt like I was in Maine with the characters. This is perfect for fans of emotional family sagas, buried family secrets and multiple timelines!

Reviewing
Haven Point
Virginia Hume

Hume could not have timed the release of her debut novel any better! With summer just around the corner, Haven Point is sure to be tagging along on countless beach days, road trips, and long plane rides.

Following three generations of women from a well-to-do family, readers will cover 70+ years of American history, family scandal, love, tragedy, financial fluxes, and the overwhelming sense of home that one place can hold.

Driven by wonderfully crafted characters in a setting that readers will be daydreaming of all year round, Hume will make waves among fans of the talented Elin Hilderbrand, Beatriz Williams, and Jennifer Weiner.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars with a PG rating for a book I would recommend to just about anyone!

I may pick it up again at a later date, but the narrator was too slow to keep my attention. The story itself was pretty good.

Haven Point is a lovely story of three women of the same family across three time periods.  The setting off the coast of Maine, with charming events and lots of gossip, was ideal for a summer read.  The characters were interesting and likeable. The author provided references to music and world events for each of the time periods which I appreciated.   The story felt a little too long in places, however, and I felt myself disengaging at times.  Having said that, I did enjoy this book and appreciated the theme of family love, compassion and survival.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book which was narrated by Cassandra Campbell who gave a very good performance.  Her clear, easy to listen to manner of her narration was enjoyable. I listened to this audiobook at 1.5x speed - slightly faster than my normal speed which I found to be comfortable. I have no hesitation in recommending this format those readers who enjoy audiobooks.

Way to make an impression with a debut novel! I love the multi-generational aspect in the storyline. Learning Annie’s journey amongst historical events and the circumstances that lead her to leave her hometown are enjoyable on their own; discovering them as we watch her daughter, Skye’s own journey unfold makes it even more so. The unveiled secrets and relationships that develop throughout the book make for an excellent read.

This was a very enjoyable story of a family’s journey through the years.The narrator was wonderful and so easy to listen to.This audio book was a delight.

Haven Point
By Virginia Hume
This book is the ideal summer read. Three generations of Demarest family women, their loves, struggles and tragedies blended together with the settings of coastal Maine and hectic Washington DC have all the elements of a really good story and this author has woven it all together beautifully. The story spans 7 decades, beginning with Maren Larsen, nursing cadet at Walter Reed Hospital in DC treating wounded soldiers, meeting Dr. Oliver Demarest, who sweeps her off her feet. They marry and have 3 children, including daughter, Annie. Oliver introduces Maren to Haven Point, Maine, where his family has a home in an exclusive community. Maren and the children spend every summer there with Oliver’s mother, who is a closet alcoholic.

This story moves back and forth between the 1940’s, the 1970’s and the early 2000’s. The author does an excellent job of weaving together the time periods and the members of the family with their trials and triumphs.

This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning and kept me reading and wanting more. What more can you ask for in a book?
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Haven Point by Virginia Hume, is an enjoyable, and interesting multi-generational family saga, starting in Washington DC, at the start of World War II. This is a story of love, family, secrets, and perceptions that will endear you to the characters as the book brings you into their lives.

Maren Larsen is a cadet nurse from Minnesota, serving at Walter Reed Medical Center when she meets Dr. Oliver Demarest and falls in love. Oliver’s family spends their summers at the exclusive community of Haven Point on the rocky coast of Maine. Maren spends almost every summer in Haven Point, with her three kids, and Oliver when he can get away from the city and his work. After a tragedy in 1970, at Haven Point, Oliver, and Maren’s daughter Annie, refuse to go back to the small insular community.

Skye, Annie’s daughter, and Maren’s granddaughter share her mother’s dislike of the community, deciding that the insular and snobbish ways of the community do not reflect her values, nor the values of her mother. When Skye returns to Haven Point, after her mother dies, to spread her ashes along with Maren, she learns the real secret as to why her mother disliked the community.

This book is beautifully written, and the characters are fascinating. Maren, Annie, and Skye are well developed, and all have complex emotional journeys through the telling of the story. The beautiful community of Haven Point on the coast of Maine is well described and is a stunning setting for most of the story. The book is a bit long and does drag a bit in the middle, as the setting for the story is set up. However, it’s worthwhile to get to the end, where the story ramps up and draws to an emotional and fulfilling ending.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story and enjoyed the narrator, Cassandra Campbell, and her delivery of the story.
I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy emotional family sagas.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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, so this was a great book to listen to. Cassandra Campbell did a wonderful job with the narration - 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 Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This debut novel is incredible. I could not put it down and kept saying, "Just one more chapter!". The three generations of family were interwoven seamlessly. The secrets and self-imposed guilt weave a great story throughout this book. Although "classes" were an unspoken rule in the community near Haven Point, this book reveals how we all have our pre-conceived notions about belonging and who doesn't belong. In the end, humanity and kindness mean more than social status.

Haven Point was a wonderful debut novel by Virginia Hume. I love a multi generational story and this one was so well written. I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Cassandra Campbell was excellent. She brought these strong, loving women to life.
The story is told through Grandmother, Maren, and her granddaughter, Skye. We watch them grow and change through the course of the story as they tell of their lives and their summers spent in Maine. A beautiful story of survival, redemption, and love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

I am a sucker for generational stories and this one did not disappoint. And it is a debut novel as well. I will definitely keep an eye out for future books by Virginia Hume!

This story ranges from the 1940s through the 2000s. This is not told chronologically. It begins in the 40s with Maren, who is a cadet nurse during World War II. We follow her and her family until the end. The other primary character is her granddaughter, Skye.

Skye's mom, Annie, has always despised the town her ancestral home is in- Haven Point. Skye has avoided Haven Point as much as possible and feels like an outsider.

After Annie dies, Skye finds out that things are not a simple as she thought. A lot of events skewed Annie's feelings towards Haven Point and because of that, Skye has never really given the town, and its people, a chance.

I listened to the audiobook and, as always, Cassandra Campbell did an excellent job. You can always count of her to give a very clear, well paced narration.

I was given a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully well written multi -generational saga set in Haven Point, Maine
I always enjoy a really good generational novel where the author is able to show several family members within multiple time periods
This is stirring novel of love, stories untold, social ostracism, alcoholism, and finding reality. I was moved by the sections of today vs. the past
Very enjoyable book!

Three generations of the Demarest family who have summered on the coast of Maine from World War II to the present are the subject of Hume’s novel. Beginning with Maren Larsen, a young nurse during World War II who marries wealthy Boston doctor, Oliver Demarest, readers are introduced to a world of rank and privilege. The Demarest family have a summer home on the coast of Maine, but Maren will soon discover that money doesn’t always equal happiness. Traveling to the turbulent 1970’s, readers meet the rebellious Annie, Maren and Oliver’s daughter. A woman determined to forge her own path no matter what the cost. Finally, we meet Annie’s daughter Skye, in 2008 a woman who has returned to Maine to spread her mother’s ashes. After that. Skye never intends to step foot in Maine again, but Marren knows that her granddaughter doesn’t know the truth about what happened the last summer Annie was in Maine. As a native “regular” Mainer, I have always been both awed and annoyed by the moneyed “flatlanders” who swarm into the state each summer, lets’ just say locals have a love/hate relationship with those folks, leaning more heavily on the latter. The fact that Hume could make me care about characters who transform my quiet state into their own private party headquarters says a lot about her talent.