A great multi generational family story about growth and healing. I love the idea of an island escape. But there were so many slow portions of the story at times I was so close to DNF’ing this book.

The Summer That Shaped Us follows the story of Jeanie, who has won a golden ticket to Hobby Island, her daughter Luna, who is trying to piece her life back together after her husband’s death, and her granddaughter Artemis, who is trying to figure out who she is. They embark on a two month long stay hoping to win a crafting competition winning the grand prize of $100k, which Jeanie owes the bank after being scammed out of all her money. Jeanie also hopes that their time on the island can bring them all closer together and allow them to heal from all life has thrown at them.

The story is told from four different perspectives - Jeanie, Luna, Artemis, and Eloisa, the owner of Hobby Island. For the most part, the story cover the first couple of weeks they are on the island and then basically fast forwards to the last couple of days. During that timeframe, the three main characters (Jeanie, Luna, Artemis) tackle their issues almost head on. Jeanie finds the courage to open up to her daughter, Luna reunites with her high school love and learns secrets about their past that shaped who she is today, and Artemis faces her anger head on & works to overcome it.

I felt like all three characters definitely had growth and development throughout the story. While I was able to see a lot of Luna’s perspective, I also found her maddening during certain situations and wishing someone would go up to her and be like are you serious right now lady. Her story with Paul was showed a lot of her growth and also allowed Artemis’s story to tie into her anger very well.

Now the downside, the beginning of the book made it seem like it was going to be a mystery type story which I was very excited about but that really wasn’t the case. The mystery part was literally in the first chapter and then nothing until the end. Definitely disappointed but other than that, I enjoyed the book.

Overall 3.5 ⭐️

**Thank you #NetGalley and Avon for providing me with an ARC of #thesummerthatshapedus for my honest review**

Three lucky winners received the golden ticket for a chance at $100,000 prize on Hobby Island. Hobby Island is a magical place
Jeanie, Luna and Artie all go together and the mother,daughter and granddaughter team learn to forgive each other for their secrets and realize they need each other to win the grand prize that will save their house.
I enjoyed the quirky ladies that lived at Hobby and kept it magical.
Thank you NetGalley for ARC of this enjoyable book.

thanks to netgalley & the publisher, author of the this book for the ARC of this book! I have to believe there is going to be another one. There has to be. I need more Orion & Artemis. More of Paul, and all of the other characters I need the cliffhanger to not be a cliffhanger and I also want to move to hobby island ASAP. Purple is one of my favorite colors & now I have to get one of those Luna plants!

2.5
This was a cute, quick read, but it wasn’t for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC!

This was an OK book. I did enjoy the idea of a family getting away to Hobby Island to escape the stress of life. The island description sounded so relaxful and there was so much to do. I would love to ride around on scooters and golf carts and not have cars. The family also had to work together, to try to win a quilting competition. If they win the cash reward, many of their worries back home will be solved. I also enjoyed that an old romantic flame was rekindled. I would recommend this as a quick enjoyable read!

I enjoyed this book. I found myself getting swept away and could not stop reading. Definitely a story that will stay with me.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

If you're in the mood for a feel-good read that brings all the family vibes, The Summer That Shaped Us by Lori Wilde is exactly what you need. This book has everything: three strong women from the same family, each from a different generation, who come together for a summer that none of them will ever forget. It’s all about second chances, heart-healing, and the kind of life lessons only family can teach you.

What I loved most about this story is how relatable it felt. Whether you have a super close family or not, the bond between these women and the way they shape each other is something we can all recognize. There’s just something so real about the way they’re each trying to heal, love, and grow, making The Summer That Shaped Us both inspiring and comforting.

At its heart, this book is a reminder that we’re all just doing our best, and sometimes being open and vulnerable with the people we love most is the biggest step toward healing. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a book that’s warm, hopeful, and full of the kind of connections that make us better. Definitely a must-read!

I had high hopes for The Summer That Shaped Us, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. The premise had a lot of potential—returning to a small town, reconciling with the past, friendships, and healing—but the execution felt lacking.

The pacing was slow, and I struggled to connect with the characters, whose development felt somewhat surface-level. Some of the emotional moments didn’t land as deeply as I’d hoped, and it seemed like certain plot lines wrapped up too easily without fully addressing the conflicts.

While there were a few touching moments and glimpses of the charm I was looking for, it just wasn’t enough to keep me fully engaged. This one might be better suited to readers who enjoy a slower-paced, lighter read, but it didn’t quite resonate with me.

DNF

This book aims for charm and whimsy, but completely misses the mark. The dialogue reads as if written by AI and the story as a whole suffers from an extreme case of all tell and no show. While none of the characters are realistic, the teen daughter is a complete caricature.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC, but I just couldn’t do it.

The Summer That Shaped Us by Lori Wilde. Such a beautiful story. Love and happiness. The descriptions of the island are wonderful.

what a lovely read! this is my first read by this author and im excited to dive into more books by them. likeable characters, interesting plot and well thought out message. i would rate this 4/5 only for the fact that it didnt capture my attention as quickly as i wouldve liked

I LOVED THIS SO BOOK MUCH It was such a great read it was a great story and I really enjoyed it! it was such a good book.

The gorgeous cover & title pulled me in! This book had such good life lessons, I'm really glad I picked it up. I wish I could book a summer getaway to Hobby Island... even though I am not artistic.
This novel is in 4 POVs, mostly 3. Eloisa the island owner/organizer, Jeanie the grandmother, Luna the daughter to Jeanie & Artemis the grandaughter of Jeanie & daughter to Luna. All three have gone through so major life events lately and when Jeanie gets a golden ticket to getaway to Hobby Island for the summer, she brings her family along to allow them a reset from reality. There's also a second-chance romance thrown in, which I loved, but Luna annoyed me. The summer on the island allowed the family to grieve, learn, and let walls down. In all honesty, Jeanie was probably my favorite character. She isn't perfect but she's a people pleaser and while on the island she learns to stand up & prioritize herself. Even though some parts felt rushed or unrealistic to me, this is a feel-good book that I couldn't/didn't want to put down. I cannot wait to recommend it to others to read when it comes out on April 22, 2025.
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Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this so much more than I did. The premise was so intriguing but it just lacked a solid connection. I didn't feel fully investes in the characters.

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review. Another Lori Wilde winner! Besides being a great woman’s fiction book, it also had life lessons to impart upon us. Eloise Hobby has created Hobby Island to bring crafters together to help one another heal. Jeannie receives a ticket and invites her daughter and granddaughter along, both having had to move in with her. Her daughter (Luna) meets up with a past love on the island and struggles with committing to a relationship after the loss of her husband. Jeannie has some things to learn about loving herself. Another page turner. Couldn’t put it down!

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!