Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and the author for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest feedback!

WHAT A DEBUT.

Sara’s life was changed forever at 18 years old and
she had to leave home to find peace and escape all of the small town gossip. Eight years later, Sara gets a call that changes everything - her Dad is dying and he needs her to come home to Savannah to spend one last summer together.

Sara makes the trip back but she’s not alone - her daughter Alana is with her and finally gets to spend time with the family she’s never met. Back at 18, Sara was sexually assaulted and became pregnant as a result. After the trial, her attacker was found guilty and sent to prison. Ever since, Sara has been raising her daughter in secret far away from her small town, in fear of her assailant’s wealthy and powerful family finding out and trying to fight her for custody.

Then there’s Jacob - the twin brother of Sara’s attacker. He has come home to Savannah after years of being away for work and wants to try and make amends with his family. He’s been on the outs with his mother and brother in jail ever since he testified against him during the trial, resulting in the jury reaching the guilty verdict.

Over this special summer in Savannah, Sara and Jacob reconnect. Even through all of the pain they’ve been through, Sara allows Jacob to spend time with his niece that he’s just now meeting for the first time.

As their relationship deepens, loyalties are trusted and each character is trying to find forgiveness in their heart for multiple people in their lives. Can they get through their traumatic past and pave a new way forward?

One Summer in Savannah is absolutely beautiful and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and deeply emotional read. Of course this incredibly sensitive subject matter won’t be for everyone, but this story is ultimately one of forgiveness, hope, and redemption.

The Author's note at the beginning of the book was so well thought out and considerate that I didn't expect the story to involve the victim falling for the identical twin brother of the man who assaulted her. Having never been through this trauma I cannot imagine what life would be like in the after, but I have a very hard time believing I would be able to look at the man's identical twin and want to be around him. When I separate this fact, I liked the overall story line and the building romance between Sara and Jacob. The book has a very large forgiveness theme, so unfortunately you cannot separate the assault from the romance. Like most romance books, the ending tied up nicely with a bow, which I liked however I found it to be completely unrealistic. Not to mention the book ends before we find out what happened with her father's health, so the ending felt incomplete.

Alana is a lovely, quirky, highly intelligent child and she was by far my favorite character in the book. Sara's father speaks only in poetry and I found myself skipping over all of his speaking parts as I could not relate to the poetry.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The story behind this book was a very interesting concept to consider. How would you handle it if you had been raped, gone through a very painful lawsuit where your rapist was convicted and sent to jail, and then you find out you are pregnant. The main character in the story decides to leave her hometown and move far away and never let the rapist or his family know that there was a child. Then 8 years later she has to go back to help care for her ill father and face the demons she left behind. A very good thought-provoking story.

“𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅, 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒐𝒐𝒓. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑾𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆.”

If Ashley Winstead puts it on my radar, I’m going to read it! Terah Shelton Harris’ debut novel exceeded my expectations.

This story won’t necessarily be for everyone. Part of the narrative is from the perspective of a woman whose child was born as a result of sexual assault. Harris writes that she wanted to explore a topic rarely covered in fiction and that there is a person who lives Sara’s story every day. It is a difficult read in many ways that presents a reflection that it isn’t just a criminal and a victim who pay the price for a crime. Told in two point of views, Sara and Jacob (who grapples with his brother’s actions), I found the story equally compelling from both perspectives, especially as they are pulled together by their shared trauma and search for belonging. Harris’ prose is gorgeous, both descriptive and full of emotion. Sara’s father only speaks in poems, mirroring his own granddaughter’s giftedness and not always being understood by the world. The characters are unique, and they have own traits that make them memorable; I especially loved Sara’s daughter, Alana, and the idea of found family. Do you have to suspend some belief for the redemption arc? Yes; does said redemption come quickly in a few places? Also yes, however that didn’t take away from the complexity of forgiveness, and moments of love between the characters.

One Summer in Savannah is a story of motherhood, forgiveness, mortality and family. Terah Shelton Harris creates a nuanced and complex story that I have been thinking about long after the last page. Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC!

OH wow I really enjoyed this one. The story was crafted so well. All the characters felt so realistic and their emotions were so great.

This is a charming debut that had me interested in the characters and curious about the story. I would read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I voluntarily leave this review.

This was disappointing for me. It took me a long time to get into it, and a long time to finish - I probably wouldn't have if not for having to write a review. I didn't connect to the characters or the writing style. I found the pacing to be off and parts of the story - such as the father talking only in poetry - super grating and frustrating. A very intriguing premise that didn't quite hit the mark for me.

I love Savannah GA, so I was looking forward to reading this book. A beautifully written, descriptive and moving account of a single mother who bears a child from rape, moving on, forgiving and living for her future and her child's future. Sara strives to provide what her daughter Alana needs to thrive in life, while trying to protect her from the situation of her conception and birth, along with those who may harm her. Sara must return to care for her ailing father, along with his ailing business, but along the way goes from feeling alone, to feeling supported and surrounded by love. The trauma begins to heal as she moves forward, letting go of what cannot be undone but also not allowing the crimes to be forgotten or brushed under the rug. She holds those who hurt her accountable for their offenses, but does not allow them to control her future. I look forward to reading more from this author!

I choose this novel because Savannah is one of my favorite places in the U.S. As I started reading this book, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue since it has an awful event taking place-a young girl being raped. I did continue reading and I am glad I did. Sara who becomes a mother at 18 years and is forced to leave her home,Years later she returns to her home city to take over the family bookstore. She now has to hide her daughter from the rapist family who still live there. Can she overcome the fear of having her daughter exposed as a genius, and develop a love relationship with the rapist 's brother? Read this book to discover what Sara does; and what you would do if you were in Sara's shoes? Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book prior to its publication.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Sara left Savannah eight years ago to escape horrible memories, but is suddenly called back when her father falls ill. The reminders of her tragic past that she collides with during her time there will force her to face all of her ghosts.

This book reminds me a lot of my experience while reading HELLO BEAUTIFUL. Complex relationships, family, tragedy and loss, and forgiveness. The slow build and a very heavy and emotional read. If you need a really emotional, tear-jerker, and one that makes to imagine going through impossible scenarios, pick this one up. It’s well worth the challenging themes, but be warned of the depth and intensity.

After his devastating health diagnosis, Sara must come home to Savannah to help her father. She hasn't been back for 8 years, since the night the changed her and since she found out she was pregnant with her daughter, Alana- the night of her sexual assault. Sara is desperate to protect Alana, who is incredible smart and outgoing from the outside world, especially from the Wyler family, the family her attacker. Jacob has also come back to Savannah to pick up the pieces of his shattered, once prominent family. A chance encounter with Alana makes Sara and the Wyler family's world collide in unexpected ways.

The process of forgiveness is interesting and I like how Harris took it on. However, I felt like she also wanted to write a romance novel and I don't think those fit together. I would have enjoyed Sara and Jacob's romance story separate of Sara's forgiveness of the Wyler family. I loved the character of Alana. I thought Harris seemed to get the precociousness of an intelligent 8-year-old.

It took me a little while to get into this book and at first some of the relationships were a little murky (spoiler alert--I was so afraid that Jacob/David was going to be the rapist), I liked how Ms. Harris had that hole relationship work out. I thought the characters not only found peace through forgiveness, but others found redemption by changing their attitudes (Birdy). I found Alana such a joy as she looked at life compared to the adults with all their baggage. This book tackled a difficult subject, but did so without making the reader uncomfortable in any way. I would recommend this book to be read and savored. It would be a special treat for poetry lovers as Sara's father only speaks in poetry.

One Summer in Savannah
Author Terah Shelton Harris
Available now!

Thank you, @bookmarked and @netgalley, for the #gifted e- arc! I Saw this one new on Pango, and I immediately bought it so that I could have my own copy!

Eight years ago, after a traumatic assault, Sara Lancaster left her home in Savannah and fled to Maine. But now her father's health is declining, and she must return and inevitably face her past. She falls into a routine of caring for her father, reuniting with family, and running her father's bookstore, all while keeping her daughter, Alana, close and hidden from the Wyler's. Although her attacker, Daniel, is in prison, his twin brother, Jacob, is not back in Savannah as well. She was hoping to keep Alana a secret from Jacob and his mother.

But of course, Jacob comes to the bookstore, and he and Sara find that they are drawn together. Before long, their worlds collide, and they are unexpectedly navigating through the unknown path of forgiveness, love, and redemption together.

This brilliant debit is written with such tender emotion and insight that it was impossible not to feel for these amazingly imperfect and beautiful characters. With poetry metaphorically weaved throughout, Harris defines family and forgiveness in ways that seem utterly impossible. Gorgeously written- I just loved this unique story.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I thought that this book sounded intriguing and requested a copy. Unfortunately, I found parts if this story unappealing and hard to read. I also did not enjoy that the father spoke only in lines of poetry, which was so annoying as the book went on.

I ended up DNFing at the 40% mark, unfortunately. It wasn't that the writing was bad although it was certainly awkward at times, but I couldn't stay interested and the father talking only in lines of poetry made it very aggravating to read. I'm only rating this based on up to where I read--2.5 stars, a star removed for the father only speaking in poetry, which I know was a stylistic choice but was so awkward to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As One Summer in Savannah opens, we meet Sara. She fled her home in South Carolina after a traumatic event and has been living in Maine with her young daughter for the past eight years. Her only family member, her father, still lives in South Carolina where he and his companion run a bookstore. Their relationship has been over the internet for years until a medical crisis brings Sara and Alana back to South Carolina where they face family, small town history and old wounds.
Their story and history is beautifully told and weaves in the trauma, along with stories of life in a small southern town where wealth results in special treatment. The characters are all beautifully developed and I didn't want their story to end. The book opens with a very thoughtful author's note that describes some of the possible triggers in the book. The triggers are there...but dealt with very carefully, in my view.
One Summer in Savannah is a debut novel and I look forward to reading more of her "upmarket fiction with bittersweet endings".
Thanks to Sourcebooks/Landmark for the opportunity to read One Summer in Savannah in exchange for an honest review.

While exquisitely penned, this book ventures into challenging terrain, tackling weighty themes that require a certain suspension of disbelief to fully appreciate the story's message of forgiveness.

At its core is Sara, the main character, who faced a harrowing ordeal at 18—an assault that led to the birth of her daughter Alana, kept hidden from her assailant's wealthy family. As circumstances compel their return to Savannah years later, Sara befriends her attacker's identical twin, Jacob, enlisting his help in tutoring her gifted daughter while guarding her secret. An unexpected bond forms between Sara and Jacob, a connection that sparks a complicated romance. The identical twin angle certainly adds an intriguing twist.

This poignant narrative resonates as it navigates heartbreak, eventually leaving readers with a glimmer of hope. Sara's strength as she grapples with trauma and motherhood shines through, while Jacob's struggle to mend his fractured family tugs at the heartstrings.

One element of the writing that didn't quite click for me was Sara's father speaking solely in poetry, which, after a while, felt somewhat distracting. It slowed the pacing as I deciphered his poetic responses, and poetry was abundantly present throughout the book.

Barring this minor quibble, the story drew me in with its emotional depth. The journey of redemption occasionally posed challenges, yet the author deftly handles this uncomfortable terrain in their debut novel. "One Summer in Savannah" captures both heartache and healing in a beautifully intricate tapestry of storytelling.

One of the most emotional and brilliant books written! Sarah was taped by David Tyler son of one of the wealthiest families in Savannah. Sarah was attacked at a party and was in high school. She left school because she was pregnant and fled to Maine. Eight years after having her daughter who was a genius she had to return because of her father was ill. There was a trial before she left and David was convicted. His twin brother Daniel who changed his name left Savannah so she thought she was safe. The story goes on to tell us how Daniel met his niece. From that minute every changed for Sara, her daughter, her father and for Daniel. I couldn't put the book down. I can't wait to read more from this extraordinary author! Thank you for the chance to review it!

Loved the unique premise but the execution was saccharine and unrealistic. Not bad, just too Hallmark-y for such a heavy subject matter in my opinion.