Summer Hours
A Novel
by Amy Mason Doan
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Jun 04 2019 | Archive Date Jul 04 2019
HARLEQUIN - Graydon House Books (U.S. & Canada) | Graydon House
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Description
From the author of The Summer List.
Commencement meets The Graduate in this sparkling novel about a secret affair, the summer it all unravels, and the reunion a decade later that will be one woman’s happy ending or her biggest mistake.
Becc was the good girl. A dedicated student. Aspiring reporter. Always where she was supposed to be. Until a secret affair with the charming Cal one summer in college cost her everything she held dear: her journalism dreams; her relationship with her best friend, Eric; and her carefully imagined future.
Now ten years older and wiser, Becc knows there’s no changing the past. Still, as she travels to the wedding of a childhood friend, she can’t help but feel the thrilling push and pull of memories with each mile up the scenic California coast—from infinite nights at beach bonfires and lavish boat parties to stealthy movie sessions during work hours. But the mystery man beside her is not so eager to re-create history. And as the events of that heartbreaking summer come into view, Becc must decide if those dazzling hours they once shared are worth fighting for or if they’re lost forever.
Set in the mid ’90s and 2008, Amy Mason Doan’s Summer Hours is a warmly told novel about the idealism of youth, the seductive power of nostalgia and what happens when you realize you haven’t become the person you’d always promised to be.
Advance Praise
“Engaging and nostalgic, Summer Hours is a story of friendship, love, and golden moments. Doan’s writing sweeps you away to the high-speed, sun-soaked backdrop of nineties California and takes you on a woman’s journey toward finding herself.” —Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient
“With Summer Hours, Amy Mason Doan deftly explores the powerful pull of the past and the way nostalgia informs our lives. A beautifully crafted story of love, ambition, and friendship.” —Jamie Brenner, bestselling author of The Forever Summer and Drawing Home
“A touching novel of friendship, forgiveness and compassion.” —Abbi Waxman, author of The Garden of Small Beginnings and The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
“A beautifully rendered and indelible story. Amy Mason Doan crafts an immersive world filled with vivid locations and complex people. I sank into all of it and didn’t want to leave.” —Julie Clark, author of The Ones We Choose
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781525823572 |
| PRICE | $16.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 416 |
Featured Reviews
Diane B, Reviewer
I loved Amy Mason Doan's first novel, so I was eager to read this one. And it didn't disappoint. The characters were beautifully rendered and so very real in their dreams, urges, and regrets. I raced through the book and loved every page. I think everyone will love it.
J K, Reviewer
I devoured Amy Mason Doan's debut, "The Summer List", and was thrilled to get an early copy of "Summer Hours". I love Amy's ability to conjure the sun-washed days of youth and contrast them with the sometimes jaded adults we become, all in flawless prose that keeps you turning the pages. In "Summer Hours", we follow good girl Becc who, while breaking free of her carefree and boundless childhood, makes decisions and finds herself the victim of circumstances that lead to a future her younger self would never have expected. As Becc traces her past and her present, and the effect on her relationships along the way, "Summer Hours" examines how we can reconcile the decisions we make with the people we once thought we were.
Reviewer 398684
Loved, loved, loved this delightful nostalgic tale of friendship, love, and the impact of choices we make as teens. For fans of stories about the West Coast and stories that make us think of many ""what ifs" from our own lives. Amy Mason Doan is a master of women's fiction, the descriptive and emotional portrayal of family, friendship, love, and choices women make.
Kelly M, Librarian
This novel is perfect for anyone who has ever thought they should have their life completely figured out and put together by 25, anyone who spent their younger years chasing an unrealistic ideal, or anyone who was a teen in the 1990s. Great story, relatable characters, and it kept me up till 1 am because I was dying to find out what happened.
Christin W, Reviewer
Summer Hours has completely and pleasantly shocked me! I went into this novel thinking it was going to be a cute read that I would enjoy, but I was way wrong...I loved it!! I connected with Amy Mason Doan’s writing style immediately and felt she did a fantastic job with telling a full and thorough story! I didn’t want the book to end, but I felt so satisfied with where Amy took the endearing cast of characters throughout this novel (which was about 20 year time span)! The timing was spot on—the entire book flowed organically and never seemed rushed. Summer Hours is a 5 star read that I will absolutely be re-reading (it’s just that good)! I have never read Amy Mason Doan, but I promise I will be 1-clicking anything and everything she comes out with in the future! A definite must read!
Alyson G, Reviewer
The Summer List was my favorite book of 2018, so I could not wait to read Summer Hours and I absolutely loved it. From the characters who you feel like are your own friends because with the way Amy Mason Doan writes, you are feeling every emotion alongside them, through the tour through California, I could not put this book down and had to keep reading to find out what happens.
Becc story is relatable from so many angles, what teenager isn't ready to break free of what is expected of them when the graduate high school and go off to college? The story follows Becc from a high school senior enjoying the last summer before college with her best friends Serra and Eric to a 33 year-old driving up the coast of California to a wedding reliving a decision at 20 years old that she knew would hurt those around her who loved her most. As Becc gets closer to her destination and deals with her past, she learns to also confront the mistakes she has made.
Its a coming of age story where I think you can't help but root for Becc to find her way. As much as I didn't want the book to end, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. Highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more by Amy Mason Doan!
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