Thanks, NetGalley, for my ARC! I really enjoyed the multigenerational family storyline. Gran's wit reminded me of my Nana's. Laine was an unlikable character, but almost in a sad way. Aurora was a wonderful main character, and I was cheering for her the whole time, as she navigated the hardships caused by her family.

The blurb sounded interesting and I love the cover. However, I couldn't get into the story/the writing didn't capture me, so it's a DNF for me unfortunately.

This is a multi-generational story set in the late 70s in small town Indiana. It follows teenage Aurora, her mom Laine and Grandma Katherine as they come together for the first time in years one summer after grandma's husband passes. Laine and Aurora have moved 18 times in 15 years and Aurora is ready to put down roots. Will Monroe, Indiana, the town her mom grew up in and "escaped" be the town she finally gets to stay in?

This is a character driven story and man do you fall in love with these characters and this town. I highly recommend.

I can't wait for this one to come out in February and see what everyone thinks.

Great read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This book is a coming-of-age book set in 1979. Fun to go back to a time of innocence- no cellphones, remotes, or internet. Beautiful story of three generations of women as they each go through their own challenges and as they navigate each other.

I adored this book.

I am usually not the biggest fan of literary fiction but I was looking for a summer read to accompany me during vacations and picked it up on a whim. What an amazing decision it turned out to be!

I feel in love with the characters instantly, and I was pulled into their lives and their story fully. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me worry and it made me hope, and it will stay with me for a long time. I can tell I will grieve the loss of these characters for a while.

I will without hesitation follow this author and read whatever they publish next, I believe in Dinneny's ability to craft a compelling and beautiful story and I am so excited to see what she writes in the future.




Thank you so much NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Unfortunately, not a fan of this book. I understand that the author might have been using the monotony of a small town for a teenager as a plot device, I ended up skipping from the 30% mark of the book to the 90% point of the book and didn't feel like I missed anything important.

Again, I see that the boringness was appealing to the teenage main character Aurora, but it was so plodding and painful for the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read this deeply moving book.

"End of August" is a poignant and immersive novel that follows three generations of women—Aurora, her mother Laine, and her grandmother Katherine in a small Indiana town.

Aurora, just fifteen, is starting to see the flaws in her family’s life. The novel explores how Katherine’s struggles with alcoholism have shaped Laine’s restless nature. The constant moves from one town to another, coupled with a parade of boyfriends and admirers who follow her mother wherever they go, have left Aurora longing for a sense of stability and belonging that has always seemed just out of reach. As Laine’s poor impulsive decisions threaten to unravel the fragile life Aurora has started to build, she is faced with a tough choice: to stay by her mother’s side or seek stability on her own in Monroe with her Gran.

This novel deftly captures the complexities of love and the burdens that women often carry in silence. The characters' stories are woven together with warmth and insight, leaving a lasting impression.
I highly recommend reading it to anyone looking for a short paced impactful read.

What a wholesome book to read in August and littered with powerful lessons.
Aurora is 15 and her mum Laine had her when she was very young and ran away from home. Navigating life with a newborn is hard enough but trying to navigate it, when you are young and a runaway is much harder. Laine gives her heart away too easily to men that show her the least bit of attention, which is why when it goes topsy turvy, Aurora and her mum have to uproot and move to a different town. Aurora has seen way too many towns in her short life and has never had a place to call her home. That is until, a funeral takes her back to her mums hometown, living with her gran. This is the first time Aurora has felt like she belongs and has a life of her own, that doesn’t just belong to her mum. She has her gran, her friend and a boyfriend and the thought of having to uproot and leave all of this behind is devastating for her. Laine gets lost in her old routine of putting her heart in the hands of an untrusting male, which could result in Auroras new found world being blown up and left in tatters.

I really loved this book because it demonstrated how some relationships are so complicated and even though the individual doesn’t think of your feelings in some decisions, you can’t help but love them because they are family. This is the case of Aurora and Laine, her mum is so selfish and makes rash decisions that could make auroras life explode but she doesn’t think of the people around her because she is quite tunnel visioned on her own life and feelings.

“I told her everything and she listened and hung on every word. Gran always made me feel like every word I said aloud was worth hearing, like I was right to take up space in this world.”

This is a book that looks at several themes. Although Laine and her mother can’t always live together, Laine does return to Munroe for her stepfather’s funeral. Laine's daughter, Aurora, starts to settle in Munroe and wants to call it home as she makes friends. Poverty, teenage pregnancy, dysfunctional families, infidelity and bad choices all come into this story. It certainly opened my eyes to a different sort of life. But overall, it’s about family love and being accepted for who you are. Aurora is a likeable character and I enjoyed her development over the story. I also enjoyed her boyfriend Harry, who was very sweet and wise. Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read and review this book.

What a wonderfully written book! The character was just amazing and I adored every part of this sweet story. So well written!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The writing style is phenomenal and I liked the story of three generations of women who struggle with life's obstacles and prejudices.. The story is very realistic and emotional and you can empathize with the characters.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and would like to say thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it.

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel! Its about a 15 year old girl , Aurora, set in Indiana, whose Mom is a flirtacious young mother who refuses to grow up. She wants to settle down but life often doesnt go her way. The female characters lead the novel and they are very different and easily identifiable. The male characters are secondary which was a nice change. It felt so real that I feel as if I have just spent a week in heatwave Indiana! If you love small town America fiction, or mother daughter relationship fiction, or young innocent romance you may love it too.

End of August by Paige Dinnery brings very realistic family dynamics to life. She tells the story of a family of women all trying to find their way after different tragedies have affected them individually and as a family. Wonderful read!

This is such an interesting book. Aurora, even at 15, comes across as super wise. The way she sees the world really makes her different from her mom and grandma, which is pretty interesting to see. The characters are easy to relate to, and there’s a lot to learn from their experiences. Definitely a story that sticks with you.

I wasn't too sure what to expect when I started reading this book but I was pleasantly surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The interaction between Aurora (15), her mother Laine(33) and her gran Katherine (50?) keeps the reader invested in seeing this story to the end. Family relationships aren’t always easy and add a small-town atmosphere of gossip; these and more will keep you wanting more; waiting to see how this will all pan out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for my eARC copy. I highly recommend End of August. Enjoyable read! 4.5 stars

5 ⭐

This was really good. A very character driven story that captures the feelings of growing up and making difficult choices and explores the themes of love, friendship, rights, and wrongs.

The characters, their feelings, their habits and their choices are all well written.
Given that the story is set in a small town in Indiana over a time period of 3 months and still doesn't feel boring is exceptional.

Highly recommended. 👍

A pretty cool book of authentic emotions and struggles.
Aurora is a 15 yo never given the chance to call a place home and have her own life because her mother drags her from place to place.
They visit grandma and things start to take a turn.
You feel for Aurora, and want her to be happy. The ending is satisfying and the pacing is good.
Plot 3
Characaterisation 3.5
Prose 3
Themes 4
3.5 stars.

“I think she’d do anything to keep me in the passenger seat, and sometimes I want to be there.” End of August is a languid but enjoyable book that settles over you like the cloying heat of an Indiana summer. It tells the story of three generations of women—Aurora, Laine and Katherine—in a small town called Monroe. The trio are reunited due to the death of Jay, Katherine’s partner.

Fifteen year old Aurora, on the cusp of awareness, starts to see how different her family is from other small town exemplars: “There was a time when everything she did seemed so glamorous. By fifteen, some of the charm had worn off.” The book gently explores Katherine’s alcoholism and its role in Laine’s nomadic life through the kindhearted eyes of Aurora: “I’d never thought of my life as ‘messed up’. I’d just thought of it as my life. One dictated by the whims of a mother who preferred to leave when things got hard.”

As Aurora starts to catalogue the things she’s missed out on by moving on so often—riding a bike, learning to cook a meal, dating—and Laine starts sleeping with the married postman, tensions begin to simmer between the three women. However amongst all the problems there’s love, so Aurora has a hard choice to make when the road “with Mom and the men she’d pick up along the way seemed impossibly long.” There’s also acknowledgment in the book of the gendered disparity of consequences for bad actions, most often being borne by women: “Our world is easier on men.”

Aurora's mother prefers to leave when things get hard. She has moved more times in her life than years she has existed. Aurora just goes with the flow, never expecting more from life.
Until her Grandpa Jay passes away and Aurora and her mother return to her mothers home town. Aurora finally feels at home, and that she is more than just her mothers daughter. She has her own friends, her own job and develops a close relationship with her Gran.
The summer comes to an end and Aurora starts to fear that the new life she has fallen in love with will end as soon as her mothers new relationship runs it course.
I absolutely adored this story, it was a little slow to begin with, although it did draw me in. I love stories in which I feel some sort of connection with the characters, and I felt it for each of the ladies inthis story, Aurora, her mother Lanie and Gran. The theme of forgiveness and the understanding that no one is perfect and we all have our flaws is one I could relate to.
I can not wait to add a physical copy of this book to my library. This is the authors debut novel however I will definitely be interested in anything else she publishes.
Thank you to Netgallery and Alcove Press for the digital ARC copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, Alcove Press, for the advance reading copy.

I love the blurb of the book and it is exactly as it is. The writing is good and the characters are believable.
However, I feel like I was reading a book I have read and loved before.

I love how the characters of three different generations are struggling with their own challenges and how they come to terms with them. I wanted more character development and the romance to be more interesting.

However, I would say the closure towards the end is commendable.

I would recommend this book for the readers who are looking for a weekend getaway read.