Growing up. Friendship. Secrets... these are all primary themes in this novel about four best friends who find themselves stuck doing community service at a summer camp.

I thought the idea of the "Four Seasons" was really fun. It also has the pull of nostalgia (especially women who grew up in the 1970s) to look back at their memories of decades past. However, I found it difficult to feel invested in the characters, as it gave us a POV from all four girls in both '77 and '97.

I've enjoyed reading some of Rachel Hauck's books in the past, but this one was a little too dramatic for my liking. The girls were supposedly best friends but were fighting and keeping secrets through the whole story. The faith aspect was also a bit strange and felt disjointed and disconnected from real life.

All in all, I finished it, but it‘s not a personal favorite.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This book is so filled with pointless ramblings that really do not entice the reader to pursue. It took a great amount of discipline to complete reading especially since it has such an aura of predictability

From the title, I thought this would be a beach read. Little did I know that Summer, would take her life in college and the book would be an inspirational read of friendship and loyalty. A good book to read - any time.

This is the story about the Four Seasons - four girls named Autumn, Spring, Summer, and 'Snow'. Best friends since kindergarten, all the way through their school years. Until when the main story line takes place, 1977...their senior year.
Because of being forced to do community service as a result of prank gone wrong, the four girls find themselves in Tumbleweed, OK, at a girls camp.
This finds them all at a very difficult time in life, and as a result, their friendship is tested as never before.
Secrets are exposed. Truths and lies are revealed. And the four seasons....are torn apart.

20 years later. They are all at very different places in their lives. Will a reconciliation be possible? Will all the truth finally be revealed?

Well written, and hauntingly beautiful, Rachel Hauck gives us a tale about the best (or worst) summer of their lives. If you enjoy a story that will make you think, reflect on your own youth and regrets, maybe give this one a chance.
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

My thoughts: The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck is a woman's fiction about  four women who had been best friends since kindergarten. The year they were 18 they managed to get in trouble with the law and were facing either prison time or community service and they were assigned to work at a camp for at risk girls.  Unfortunately, things blew up and the best summer of their lives turned into the worst summer of their lives. I had to keep reading to find out what broke these four friends apart and wondered how they turned out years later.  There is a mini romance and a very light Faith message. This was a compelling read and I recommend it. I was given a copy free and all opinions are my own.

It's more like a three and a half. I didn't hate the story but I didn't love it either. It reminded me of Mean Girls, the way the Four Seasons treated each other was not nice even though they were best friends. Summer was very self centered even though she truly cared about her friends she seemed to be more about herself. Before the story is finished she does change so there is great character development in her. I'm glad the story ended on a good note but I felt like I was reading a book about Christian mean girls. I liked that there were a couple of plot points that dealt with real events in the United States even though they were sad events.

One of those "almost" historical novels, The Best Summer of Our Lives explores friendship in a raw and authentic way that takes you back to a time that feels as if it's your time even if it's a bit before or after yours. Hauck weaves secrets, deceptions, anger, fear, and a host of other facts and emotions into a book you can't put down even when everything in you says, "NOOOOOOOOOOO" at what you suspect is coming.
"The Seasons" don't all make smart decisions. Actually, all of them do something stupid, but the primary focus is on a supernatural encounter that one of the seasons, Summer, has with "The Preacher" who represents Jesus. The Preacher keeps telling her to sing for him, but not until she faces all the demons, confronts her own willfulness, and works through her issues does she finally understand what that means.
Readers will walk away from The Best Summer of Our Lives feeling seen, heard, understood. But more than that, they'll understand the relentless pursuit of a loving God for His children in a fresh way.
*Thanks to the author for this book. No review was required or even requested.

I really enjoyed this book and the dual time-line through. Reading this made me nostalgic for my own summers at camp growing up and the memories and friendships made there. Rachel is a talented storyteller and this is a must-read.

The Best Summer of Our Lives follows the lives of "the 4 seasons"... 4 friends who met as children and are best friends up to the summer right before college. I enjoyed the look back in time to 1977 and 1997. The book focuses mostly on Summer but you also see what the other seasons are going through. Each has something that they're dealing with. Even though the girls endured heart aches throughout, this had a satisfying and happy ending.

I also listened to the audio book and enjoyed the narrator.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 27 June 2023

Fair warning: don’t start reading this one unless you have loads of time, love staying up into the wee hours of the night (I got mad every time I was forced to stop!), and you don’t like having your heart tugged this way and that way until you’re positive it will break beyond repair.

Also, don’t finish reading the book out in public unless your favorite thing is to ugly cry in public ( I just finished and I’m at work—in the mall) because we’re talking full on sobbing, runny nose, and broken laughter that makes you sound a little crazy.

I’ve read just about everything Rachel Hauck has ever written, and she’s written a ton of outstanding fiction. But the Four Seasons (and Baby Season) are now embedded in the fabric of who I am. I’ve spent the Best Summer of Their Lives with them and I have wept, laughed, argued, and prayed with them through those eight weeks and beyond.

This is one of those books you will never forget long after you’re done. One I know I’ll read again and again. My thanks to the publisher for an advance copy. My review was not solicited in any way and every single word is the truth.

Don’t miss out on this one.

My thanks to the publisher for my advance copy. My review is not solicited and is truthful.

When you read a story about friends that went through a great summer and then lost touch, reconnecting, it is a good book. This one was so well done!

I loved this book. Intresting premise. Mystery , Romance, and Historical Fiction

Rachel Hauck knows how to weave a powerful tale while using the physical presence of God. What Christian doesn’t long to sit with God, to see Him and speak with Him? To be brought to a place so overwhelming that you end up face down on the ground in humble adoration? This is where Summer was brought to, though she didn’t quite understand it. And with any good story, it wasn’t the end. The journey had only begun, and God’s timing was at work. This is what I absolutely love about Hauck’s stories.

A slowly woven story of friendship and redemption. I found it a little hard to get into and sometimes confused the girls in my head, but overall a great read with a refreshing storyline.

The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck is the PERFECT summer read, whether hanging out at the pool or chilling on your sofa. Filled with the warm glow of memories from days gone by and the sweet security of sisterhood, The Best Summer of Our Lives takes you on a nostalgic journey of four girls coming of age, counting the cost of secrets, and discovering how to stand on their own. I was immediately drawn into the drama of the Four Seasons (Summer, Spring, Autumn, and Snow) and loved getting to know their equally quirky personalities. This story isn’t light reading. It deals with many heavy topics, but it gives us a true look at life and the ways that God can weave together one broken thread after another to create a beautiful tapestry of our lives. Readers will see themselves in each of the Seasons and cheer for these women to overcome the obstacles we stumble over as we walk through this broken world. It’s a beautiful story. An inspirational read. A labor of love honoring those who are bound to us in friendship and our greatest Friend of all, who knows all our secrets, and our fears, and is still willing to walk through the ugliest parts of life with us. Please, put this story on top of your TBR, and be sure to get a copy for your best friends, too!

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck.

With a nostalgic feel that combines childhood summer camp with adult friendship, this book will draw you into four lives expertly intertwined by Hauck’s heart wrenching storytelling.

I listened to this as audio and did have some trouble differentiating between the four girls, but overall the story unwound in such a beautiful way with both slight mystery and romance. I latched on to summers story most of all and loved the resolution of it.

I recommend this book to lovers of Christian fiction romance - you’ll recognize Hauck’s characteristic style, as well as a gentle twist on her storytelling with 4 protagonists (in a sense).

My rating: 4.5*

——
Thanks to the publisher for a gifted paperback. All opinions are my own.

I have very mixed-up feelings about this book. I struggled to get into the story, partly because of the back and forth timeline from 4 different perspectives. I also had a hard time connecting to any of the characters; their actions always felt too unrealistic for me to relate to. I do like a good redemption theme, but this one felt very delayed and therefore rushed. Overall, it's a nicely tied up feel good kind of book; just be in the right headspace before starting so you can gather all the pieces of her puzzle together.

The Best Summer of Our Lives
by Rachel Hauck
Pub Date 27 Jun 2023
Bethany House,Bethany House Publishers
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Romance


Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley provided me with a copy of The Best Summer of Our Lives in exchange for my review:


20 years ago, Summer Wilde thought the summer of '77 would be her best ever. Winter, Spring, Autumn, and Snow--the Four Seasons--had big plans.


However, those plans failed. After a teenage prank went wrong, the Seasons were sent to Tumbleweed, "Nowhere," Oklahoma, for eight weeks as camp counselors. As they unfolded in those two months, their friendships, lives, and futures shifted forever as they dealt with hidden secrets and buried fears.


Summer is thirtysomething and at a crossroads. After her latest girl band leaves her in a motel outside Tulsa, she is forced to face her past. When she returns to the place where everything changed, Tumbleweed is more than she imagined. It's a place for healing, for reconciling the past with the present, and for listening to love.


I give The Best Summer of Our Lives five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck is a classic women’s fiction novel by a consistently excellent author. This book is the perfect summer or vacation read. Ms Hauck writes characters with great depth and complexity. The events in this book are tied to tragic real events as well. This book has a decidedly different feel than some of the author’s other books, but I think most of her readers will still enjoy this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

The Four Seasons, Snow, Spring, Summer and Fall, are best friends since kindergarten. After a stint of putting car wash soap in the college's pool, they are sent off to Oklahoma for the summer to work at a girls camp that Summer's mom was reopening. This was supposed to be the best summer of their lives before they started college. Instead, it turns out to be the summer that tears them apart and sends them in various directions around the country.

The book flashes back and forth between that summer and current day and between the different girls. I really enjoyed the book, but found it a little fluffy for what I was expecting.

It is a good story of reconciliation and the cost of secrets held and buried over years, but the book lacked a bit of depth as well.

I received this book from Bethany House via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.