EXCERPT: She looked down at the photos again. When viewed together, they were an extraordinary collection - it was stunning to see how she and her sisters had changed over the years. She picked up the very first one and realized she must have been around eighteen at the time - which would have made Birdie twenty-two, Remy twenty, and Piper only thirteen. Look at them! They were all so slender . . . and gorgeous . . . and independent. Although the family resemblance was strong, the similarities ended there - they were all so different. The only lasting similarity was the solemness in their eyes, a solemness that revealed a shared sorrow - one of which they never spoke. Sailor never understood why her parents never talked about that night . . .why they never even said Easton's name, and through the years, whenever she or her sisters said it, they were given looks that said don't go there.

ABOUT 'FIREFLY SUMMER': The close-knit Quinn siblings enjoyed the kind of idyllic childhood that seems made for greeting cards, spending each summer at Whit’s End, the family’s home on Cape Cod. Then comes the summer of 1964, warm and lush after a rainy spring—perfect firefly weather. Sisters Birdie, Remy, Sailor, Piper, and their brother, Easton, delight in catching the insects in mason jars to make blinking lanterns. Until, one terrible night, tragedy strikes.

Decades later, the sisters have carved out separate lives on the Cape. Through love and heartbreak, health issues, raising children, and caring for their aging parents, they have supported each other, rarely mentioning their deep childhood loss. But one evening, as they sit together at Whit’s End to watch the sun set, the gathering fireflies elicit memories of that long-ago night, and a tumult of regrets, guilt, and secrets tumble out.

MY THOUGHTS: There is no such thing as getting over the death of a sibling; it is more that you become accustomed to living with their absence. But these four sisters, Birdie, Remy, Sailor and Piper have never learned to do even that. Easton's death is tucked away out of sight, never to be spoken of. It is a heavy burden to carry.

There were a lot of missed opportunities in this book. The characters aren't fully developed. Their lives are very narrow. They seem to have no social interaction other than with each other, their spouses and children. Oh, and the retiring family doctor. I kept wanting more from them. I wanted to know what made them tick, and I didn't get it.

Sailor was my favorite sister. I loved her forthright, no-nonsense manner, and there are two delightful dogs and an entitled cat to complement the cast of characters.

Birdie's excessive drinking habit didn't feel right, and the way everyone tiptoed around it or treated it with amused indulgence irritated me. She was overwhelmed by many layers of grief and this would have been a great thread to explore, but it is simply glossed over and given no more importance than anything else happening with the sisters.

In a nutshell, I would have liked a lot more depth. (view spoiler)

Despite Firefly Summer falling short for me, I will probably try this author again now I know what to expect as she does write beautifully.

⭐⭐.5

#FireflySummer #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Nan Rossiter loves to weave together stories about the complicated relationships to which all readers can relate -- motherhood, sisterhood, friendship, marriage and romance. She draws from her own life experiences to create authentic situations that mirror the trials and triumphs we all face. Compassionate, real, and funny, her books take readers on emotional journeys that often include heartbreak and joy, but also include threads of faith, a furry friend or two, and uplifting endings.
Nan lives on a quiet country road in Connecticut with her husband and a solemn black Lab named Finn, who diligently watches their every move and can be roused from a nap in a distant room by the sound of a banana being peeled or a cookie crumb hitting the floor. Nan and her husband are the parents of two handsome sons who have struck out on life journeys of their own and are pursuing careers in aviation.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Firefly Summer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I think I just don't connect with her writing style. I didn't find this book to be very plot driven, in fact I struggled to find much story there to connect with.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was an enjoyable and heart warming tale of of what it means to be part of a family that has survived heartbreak, yet still manages to find love and joy in life. This book highlights the deep bond of four sisters who have faced a tragedy in their past but have gone on to build separate lives and now find themselves revisiting that tragedy, revealing long held secrets and realizing that even with all the heartache they've shared, there's always hope.

Unfortunately, I could not get into this novel. It just did not catch my interest so I keep putting it down. Thank you for the opportunity to try and read this.