An enjoyable clean romance centering on four friends, all strong personalities, and the summer after they graduated from high school in 1977. There’s a split-time component that looks at their lives 20 years later, and how the events of that fateful summer shaped the women they became. As the summer progresses, secrets are revealed that change the relationship between these lifelong best friends, and readers get a good sense of the emotions each young woman experiences as she keeps and then reveals her own secrets while dealing with the revelations of the secrets her friends have kept. Terrific friendship story! A fun touch: each chapter title is the title or central lyric of a song from the era, which made for a great playlist.

3.5 ⭐️ Did you ever go to Summer Camp? I remember always thinking it would be such a cool experience. The setting of this one was exactly how I’d picture it.

This is a coming of age story about friendship, loss, love, and those ties that are never truly broken, no matter the trauma.

I really enjoyed the back-and-forth timeline of these four women, who called themselves the four seasons. You get a glimpse of their young adult life after a college prank goes awry, and their punishment to serve as camp leaders for a summer. Then flash forward to the future when they each feel broken still from what happened that summer, and watch how they have to piece it back together again.

I appreciated the Christian perspective and how the story did not shy away from true hardship. The transition to adulthood is something we all must experience and is not easy.

There were a couple aspects that I would loved to have seen a little bit more development on to feel more realistic, but still a wonderful story I definitely recommend. The ending brought tears to my eyes.

I have a hard time giving stars to this book… it’s 3-4 depending on which section I was in 🤷🏻‍♀️

This story is about 4 women overall they are referenced as the seasons due to their names : summer, spring, snow and autumn. The story is about 4 long lost friends rekindling in 1977 and all the jobs they have now and their history back then as they discover how to forgive and forget what kept them apart. You also need baby season to make it about 5 people later on in book. The book reads in a strange way to me and a bit cheesy so it is probably the only book I havent loved from this author honestly. It is a quick read that is emotional and inspiriational which is on par with this author.

I feel that The Best Summer of Our Lives is a bit of a departure from what you would expect from a novel by Rachel Hauck. The book centers around four long-time best friends who are embarking into adulthood. Having graduated from high school and caught pulling an over the top prank, they are sentenced to work as camp counselors in Tumbleweed, Oklahoma. The Four Seasons as they are known to family, friends, and classmates grow up a lot during the 8 weeks they spend in the isolated camp, but that is only the beginning of this coming-of-age story.

I have to admit that I did not like the names of the 4 girls — Spring, Summer, Autumn (aka Fall), and Margaret “Snow” Snowden. You see why they are dubbed the 4 Seasons. But, for me, the names really got in the way of getting to know the characters. I kept getting confused on who was who. It took me about half the book to become comfortable with who they were. The book really is Summer’s story, with side plots of her best friends. My book club wished there had been more Summer and less the other characters. We really liked the Prodigal aspect of the book, and Summer’s encounters with The Preacher presented some powerful scenes. But there were other times when the book seemed like a soap opera (I won’t share specifics because that would reveal spoilers) involving the other members of the Seasons. I also really liked that most of the men in the book were generally good guys. Reconciliation, grace, and forgiveness are strong themes.

The Best Summer of Our Lives has gotten really great reviews, so I urge you to look at those. Reviewing is subjective and a lot of things can influence how someone feels about a book. While I am glad I read it, it is not a favorite of mine from Hauck.

Audience: adults.

Rachel Hauck's novel THE BEST SUMMER OF OUR LIVES was not much for me. That's a reflection of my taste (gritty, political, queer) more than anything about the book. This does seem like it would make for a pleasant read in an afternoon at a beach or pool. In all the reading I needed to do for classes during the summer and for fall planning, I just couldn't give this one much attention. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

What happens when Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Snow all converge at a camp in Tumbleweed in the summer of 1997, an explosion of pain and uncovering of buried secrets is unleashed.
This novel is one to be shelved in the ‘read again’ column of my mind. Rachel Hauck’s The Best Summer of Our Lives is a novel that hits home especially for those who have ever experienced broken friendship. In 1977, four childhood friends, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Margaret ‘Snow’ are sent to spend their summer at Camp Tumbleweed in Tumbleweed, Oklahoma as camp counsellors after being caught in a prank. It is at this place that their friendship is tested as long buried secrets and pain are uncovered with the eventual disintegration of a friendship.
Now, twenty years later each member of the Four Seasons is forced to confront their past to find healing from the summer of 1997.
The novel is set during the time of the Camp Scott murders in Oklahoma adding a touch of mystery and suspense. Rachel Hauck serves a wonderful dish of romance, friendship, salvation, faith, and healing in this novel making this novel worth the read. What would have been great was equal focus on all the Seasons as they lived their individual lives in 1977. I asked myself after reading the last sentence if the other Seasons were going to get the opportunity to tell their stories in subsequent novels.
For anyone like me who has never read any of Rachel Hauck’s novels, this novel is worth having a look at, you will not be disappointed.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley and Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

A nice read with a lot of heart. A good contemporary read and a story that found to be enjoyable. I liked the characters and enjoyed seeing the growth.

2.75 stars
The Best Summer of Our Lives, by Rachel Hauck is the story of the “Four Seasons”, four girls named Summer, Snow, Autumn and Spring, who have been friends their whole lives. They faithfully proclaim the motto, “All for one, and one for all!” and make promises to always be best friends and a part of each other’s lives.

When a Senior prank lands them with community service, they are forced to work as camp counselors at Camp Tumbleweed in Oklahoma during the summer of 1977. The girls believe that despite the circumstances, it will be the best summer of their lives. They have big plans to head to college together in the fall and they look forward to one last hurrah together. Little do they know that the summer will be fraught with tragedy, feuding, the revelation dark secrets and the fracturing of their friendship and future.

I truly loved the message in this story, but sadly, little else. My main problem was with the characters. I really didn’t care for any of them, but I particularly couldn’t stand the main female character, Summer. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever disliked a character in a story more. Her redemption came, but much too late for me.

Overall, the tone of the story was immature and read too young for my taste. I understand that the girls were recent high school graduates, but it felt very juvenile. The many events and all of the related drama that occurred was a lot to happen in one summer and be believable. There were also a lot of dark secrets amongst supposedly such good friends, friends who seemed to fight constantly and not treat each other very well. The way the gospel, and their encounter with Jesus was portrayed was also quite unusual and a bit odd.

I know that this is a story of hope and redemption; a story of sticking with God through the hard, desert times of life, and I couldn’t agree more. But for me, though the conclusion was relatively satisfying, the telling of the story didn’t sit well or feel uplifting. I know many will find this a sweet story of friendship and hope, and I’ve enjoyed Rachel Hauck’s previous books, but The Best Summer of Our Lives, sadly, wasn’t the best book of my summer.

A dramatic coming of age story about four best friends and what was supposed to be the best summer of their lives.

Summer, Autumn, Snow, and Spring (the Four Seasons) have been best friends since kindergarten. Despite their different personalities and home lifes, they are committed to each other. They even plan to go to college together, but not before they have the best summer of their lives.

After a senior prank goes wrong, the Four Seasons are given the choice of community service hours, either in the form of picking up trash off the side of the road or spending the summer at Camp Tumbleweed as camp counselors. They choose the latter, hoping to salvage any bit of fun to be had their last summer before college. However, as secrets come out and true feelings are unraveled the survival of their friendship is called into question.

This book was written in dual timeline, switching between the summer of 1977 and 1997. I enjoyed going back and forth between timelines and thought it worked well for this story. The pacing was good, just a little slow at the beginning. However, the ending felt rushed. Like the author had to quickly put a pretty bow on top of everything. I also enjoyed the suspense aspect the author added in with the murders at a nearby camp and the murderer being loose. It turns out that part was based on true events and the author gave recognition to the victims in her notes.

The characters were a good mix and I enjoyed most if them, but I didn't care for the main character. I partly understand why she was the way she was, but even still...her selfishness and refusal to ever apologize was annoying.

I'm on the fence about how I feel about the theology in this book. There is a character called The Preacher that I'm guessing is supposed to represent Jesus. Summer sees him multiple times throughout the book and has a couple of major encounters with him. I understand that God can work in any way He chooses, but the Preacher storyline just seemed weird to me. Summer has what seems to be a "coming to Jesus moment" a few times throughout the book, but there's never any real representation of the Gospel (which I feel should be present in a Christian fiction book that has a Jesus/faith aspect).

*Thank you to Netgalley and the Bethany House publishers for the free copy of The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck

The Best Summer of Our Lives, by Rachel Hauck, is a dual-time story with the same characters set 20 years apart. With the number of characters and the time changes, it took me a bit to get into the book, but once I did, I enjoyed it. Characters are realistic and relatable. I especially liked Baby Season as a pre-teen and as an adult. It is a story of secrets kept and revealed and the aftermath of the revelations. Can relationships be repaired, or are they forever severed? The author adds a beautiful romance involving a man who pursued the one he loved, despite difficulties. The Best Summer of Our Lives is a story of friendships, tragic events, forgiveness, and redemption that readers who enjoy heartwarming stories will not want to miss. I was given a complimentary copy of the book through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are my own.

I ended up having to abandon this book solely because I couldn't keep the four characters with seasonal names straight in my mind. The naming gimmick consumed the book and kept me at arm's length from the story.

What I enjoyed the most of this book was the past and present timeline of when the girls were at summer camp to now. Its all about friendships and secrets. I love a book with summer camp so this is what attracted me in the first place.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This was my first Rachel Hauk and I enjoyed this book that delved on friendship, scars, fame , self-esteem and healing. The book tells the story of the seasons (summer, spring, autumn and snow) who ended up at Tumbleweed at a camp as counselors. That summer changed their lives and so the book is told in a dual timeline -the past and the present . It's an interesting read as the author tackled friendship in a delicate way.

Slow going:
It took me quite a while to get into this book and to feel invested in the characters lives. Part of the problem for me was that there were too many voices. I especially found it cumbersome in the beginning as each of the 4 friends were sharing their story and a lot of different characters were mentioned. It came across as a bit too cutesy that 4 friends since Kindergarten each had a seasonal name and I found myself getting confused trying to keep them straight in my mind. Things did improve towards the end and I was curious to see how it would all play out. I did enjoy the faith message and the reminder that there is hope and redemption.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Four friends from childhood dubbed themselves the "four season" based on their names. Spring, Summer, Snow and Autumn. They find out the summer before college begins that the life they planned was not the life planned for them.. Told in alternating voices past and present secrets and fears are revealed that will need forgiveness, understanding and reconciliation. A great clean summer read.

I did not read The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck through an educator lens.

I did not care for this book. I was so excited for it based off of the description and this one could not hold my attention and was a did not finish for me.

The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck is a heartwarming and nostalgic novel about friendship, love, and redemption. The story follows four best friends, Summer, Spring, Autumn, and Snow, as they spend the summer of 1977 as camp counselors in Tumbleweed, Oklahoma. The girls are all hiding secrets and fears, and the events of that summer will forever change their lives.

The novel is told in dual timelines, with alternating chapters set in 1977 and 1997. This allows the reader to see how the events of the summer have shaped the girls' lives as adults. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the plot is engaging and heartwarming.
I enjoyed how the book explores the theme of friendship. The Four Seasons are all very different from each other, but they are fiercely loyal to each other. They are there for each other through thick and thin, and they help each other to grow and change.

I also appreciated the way the book deals with the theme of redemption. The girls all make mistakes, but they are given the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and to become better people. The book is a reminder that it is never too late to change your life for the better.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Best Summer of Our Lives. It is a heartwarming and inspiring story about friendship, love, and redemption. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Christian fiction or coming-of-age stories.

Here are some additional thoughts on the book:

The writing is beautiful and evocative. Hauck does a great job of capturing the feeling of summer, friendship, and first love.
The characters are well-developed and relatable. I found myself rooting for the girls and wanting them to succeed.
The plot is engaging and heartwarming. I couldn't put the book down!
The book deals with some heavy topics that might be triggers, such as abuse, grief, and loss, but it does so in a sensitive and respectful way.
If you're looking for a heartwarming and inspiring read, I recommend The Best Summer of Our Lives. It's a book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

Synopsis: “She went straight there, unloaded her suitcases and guitars, then stood on the front porch facing Camp Tumbleweed….She never seemed to run out of melodies. Yet none of them were the true reason she’d returned to the little town on the Oklahoma prairie. No, Summer Wilde came back to find herself.” The Four Seasons have been best friends since kindergarten. After high school graduation, the girls plan the perfect summer traveling Europe. But one impulsive choice lands them in handcuffs, before a judge, and spending the best summer of their lives as camp counselors. The summer doesn’t go as planned and secrets begin to unfold and threaten to ruin their lifelong friendship. Looking back on their younger years, the girls, now adults, search for answers to their past and restoration of their relationships.

Analysis: Rachel Hauck is a new to me author, and while I enjoyed this read, it wasn’t my favorite. I loved the premise of a summer camp mystery, and it had a lot of good elements such as friendship, seeking forgiveness and restoration, and meeting Jesus. But the plot didn’t follow what I expected or seem to flow well. Being teenage girls, there was a lot of drama and a lot of questionable choices, but I’m glad the author didn’t shy away from these hard topics. Though the plot seemed a little disconnected, I loved that the book left you with Jesus as the overall theme. In the end, there was healing, restoration, and redemption which is always a good thing to me!
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Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This dual timeline, multiple pov was a good read. Loved the summer camp setting. Perfect for reading in the summertime and gave off some nostalgic vibes

I really like Rachel Hauck and Christian fiction, but this one did not draw me into the story. At times, I was enjoying the story, then I found my mind wandering during other times.

As a matter of fact, I got lost at certain points - the whole "preacher" story line confused me. If I were not aware of Bible stories, this part would have really lost me. I kept thinking it was going to be a dream. The 1977 part of the story seemed to drag out. The 1997 was more interesting ( where are they now ), but you needed the context of the past to enjoy the "now" part.

The ending felt rushed - I want to say more, but I don't want to spoil it. It felt like suddenly it was done - not believable.