A book as beautiful as its cover!

I loved following the story of these characters. It definitely brought out the heart and soul of characters, character development, and how all our relationships are truly intertwined for the good (or bad).

While it won't go down as my favorite book I've ever read, I did enjoy it! It would've made a great beach read or an easy back porch read on a spring day with a glass of iced tea. It wasn't my pick of top 10 books but it was sweet and story worthy. Plus, who doesn't love a small town story!

**I have been given an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

This is such an amazing book! It’s heartwarming and inspiring. The characters are richly developed. The setting is beautiful. There’s a lot of heartache. Healing is a journey. It’s a beautiful story that deeply touched me. I highly recommend it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Eloisa Hobby’s Hobby Island is a crafters paradise, but its invitation only. Everyone who gets a golden ticket to Hobby Island for a crafters retreat for two months in the summer leave different, but in a good way. The island seems to have healing ways. Luna and her daughter Artemis accompany her mother Jeanie to Hobby island when she receives a golden ticket, being in Eloisa’s quilting club. The three ladies are at a crossroads in their lives and these two months will give them much need time away from reality. They didn’t know how much the summer would change their lives and teach them about each other.

I love the concept of an island where you do crafts, and had all the shops of every kind of craft. I am one that has many hobbies, with one of the being reading of course. Overall, I loved how this book came together and love the ending.

Thank you Harper and Avon Voyager for this eARC for my honest review. This was overall a cute book and I look forward to reading others by Lori Wilde.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I very much enjoyed this book! It was whimsical and dreamy and gave major Hallmark vibes. If you are looking for something cozy and wholesome with relatable characters and a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere, I would recommend. I would have liked there to be a little more detail in the physical descriptions of some of the characters, because it was hard to picture what they looked like which took away from their fullness. The author did a great job of building up suspense about the secrets throughout the story, keeping the reader on her toes. Some of the dialogue was a bit unrealistic which took me out of the story sometimes, however this also could have something to do with the wholesome and feel-good theme of the book. Overall, it was enjoyable and the author left us on a cliffhanger so I know there will be a sequel!

whoops accidently put the wrong review here. full review tbd. so sorry to this publisher! I promise I'll come back to this

I absolutely love and adored this book. I will be reading it again sometime next year. I felt so attached to the characters and story. I want to live in this book honestly. From the first page I felt like I was apart of the story and that is hard to do. Thank you Lori Wilde for writing this master piece.

This book was not for me. I did not enjoy it. There was so much wacky drama going. For example, there was a major betrayal of the mother from years prior that changed the course of the daughters life and was discussed intensively and when the daughter found out, it was like okay. Resolved in half a chapter. Why make such a big deal about it to be so blasé about the resolution? This happened throughout the book. If this was a library rental or KU, I would have not finished. The only piece that kept me interested was the mystery/whodunnit aspect, but the story forgot about that arc and only brought it back in the end. Additionally, the dialogue felt unrealistic, like a robot wrote it. Phrases and pacing were really off. I’m sorry, but I cannot recommend this book.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley & Harper Collins Productions for the opportunity to read this book!

Jeanie, Luna, & Artie are the main characters in the book. They’re all going through their own things. They get a golden ticket to Hobby Island, where they learn more about each other & themselves. There’s relationships that form with other people.

The story was written really well. I do wish I got more of Jeanie’s story. The emotion was there for all the characters. It was just missing consistency. I felt like it was a little all
Over the place. There were some parts I didn’t understand why they were in the book.

Overall I will give it 3.5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The Summer That Shaped Us is a good women’s fiction book.

Jeanie, her daughter Luna and granddaughter Artie, get invited to spend the summer on Hobby Island and be part of the annual quilting contest. All three women are hurting from recent life tragedies so a changed of scenery might be good for all of them. There are also a few secrets Jeanie is hiding from Luna. As they all get used to life on magical Hobby Island, one woman finds a lost love, one makes a new friendship while another comes to terms with various choices she has made.

What first drew me into this book was the vivid description of Hobby Island. Colors come alive as the jacaranda trees, the town, and character’s outfits are described.

This book is about the complex relationships between mother and daughter and about believing in yourself. it is also about healing and forgiveness. It was an easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

I really loved Eloisa Hobby’s quotes at the beginning of each chapter. By the way the book ended, there may be a sequel, which I will look forward to reading.

This started out really well with such a whimsical, original, and fun idea! However, I think I just was not the target audience by the end. There is a fine line between keeping the tension of conflict and not having enough. I felt like every conflict was swiftly resolved with the utmost maturity and grace and it just didn't feel realistic. It felt like a very cheesy self-help hallmark movie. The quick pace just wiped away all tension for me and by the end, I just didn't feel invested in any of the storylines. A lot of the banter and conversation felt a bit too cringy and unrealistic for me to get pulled into the story.

I’m not usually someone that leans towards a more mystical setting and theme but this was a cute lighthearted read! Jeanie gets a golden ticket to Hobbt Island. Her daughter Luna and granddaughter Artie go with her. They are go through a lot of self discovery and it’s beautiful!

Honestly this wasn't for me...I found this novel to be really far fetched. The characters were almost silly caricatures (a unicycle riding knitter!?) and it just didn't keep me engaged. I nearly DNFed this one a couple times in fact.

Wonderful story as old as time BUT different! I think we all as growing old have a fondest Summer. Maybe not the best but help shape us

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for this ARC. I really enjoyed this lighthearted read.

A beautiful story of love, friendship, and forgiveness. This is a story of second chances from the perspective of several different women. If you like stories that involve family drama and long lost love, this is one that you must read!

I found the premise of Hobby Island to be a bit cheesy at times, but still enjoyed the lightheartedness of the story. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie.

bookshelves: family-drama, arc, second-chance-romance

If you are looking to read a sweet family drama with a second chance romance then this book is for you.

The story us told in 3rd person pov. The chapters shift from Jeannie, the grandmother, Luna the daughter who is 40 and her daughter Artie 15.

Jeannie has lost her savings in a online love scam with a catfish. She has taken her family to an island resort to enter a quilting contest to win back her money lost. Luna, who is a recent widow discovers that her high school sweetheart Paul works on the island with his 16 year old daughter, Orion. Paul is a widower.

Luna and Paul reconnect after being apart 22 years apart and Luna learns her mother had a hand in their breakup.

Paul and Lunas daughters become close during their stay in the island.

The family begin to learn how to forgive eachother and grieve during their time on the island in the summer.

I deducted a star because I felt like Paul and Lunas connection after their reunion was unrealistically rushed.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

i want to say this was a quick read.. it kind of was
it just felt like it fell short to it’s potential i don’t know
this was a netgalley arc so the review is my own,
loved luna and the concept of the book but it was kinda duller than i was expecting ? it’s not the right word but it’s the only one that comes to mind

I read this novel thru NetGalley and it was a quick read but a little far fetched for my taste. The storyline moves along quickly and the description of the mystical Hobby Island was entertaining. If you like crafts and want an easy read then this book is for you.

This book kind of grew on me, despite a slow start. I appreciated the thoughtful exploration of relationships and the satisfying resolutions but unfortunately, the mysterious setup at the beginning felt disconnected from the rest of the story, making it feel somewhat unnecessary. While the happy ending was a welcome payoff. Overall, a pleasant but not particularly memorable experience. A solid, one-time read.

3 stars out of 5.

I thought this book was just ok. I never really got invested in any of the characters and thought the mystery in the beginning wasn't explored fully. I did love the descriptive writing of Hobby Island, it sounded beautiful. The plot fell flat for me and I found it hard to pick the book back up to continue reading. I do love the cover of the book though, it is so vibrant and colorful.

In The Summer That Shaped Us, Jeanie wins a golden ticket to Hobby Island for 2 months. She invites her daughter Luna and her granddaughter Artie to go with her for the all expense paid vacation. Luna lost her husband a year prior and it has been hard on her and Artie to get through the tragedy so this vacation is much needed. Jeanie is also going through some hard times but that is what Hobby Island is for. All 3 must try and go through changes to come out stronger on the other side. New friendships are made and possibly new romances (or old ones from that matter).

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a few chapters to dive into the story. The story is about a crafting competition on an island. There's way more to it. It's also about family bonds and mending them. Lost love rediscovered. Sabotage, swindling, betrayal, healing, and forgiveness. The colorful ladies who live on the island need to be in every women's life.