Title: Summer People
Author: Corinne LaBalme
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Beach Read
Book Blurb:
Jessica Stratton’s long-cherished dream of opening her own Folk Art gallery in an idyllic Cape Cod setting finally comes true. However, her start-up is anything but smooth sailing.
Her ten-year marriage hits the rocks and, when the hunk next door to her shop – a brooding ecologist on a mission to save the planet – proves too irresistible to ignore, she’s got to relearn the rules of the dating game while working overtime to lure clients to her boutique.
Unfortunately, someone’s already far too interested in a 19th-century example of advertising art in her collection and will go to any means – legal or illegal – to acquire it.
Maybe the planet isn’t all that must be saved…
My Review:
A marriage in tatters, a hunky next-door neighbor, and someone willing to steal antiquities, Jessica’s not sure her dream on the Cape is worth all the strife and peril. Jessica’s finally launching her folk art gallery in Cape Cod. With the approval of her husband and the support of her friend, Nancy, she’s ready for any and all challenges. Or is she? It’s a rocky start and Jessica’s not prepared for it all. She learns a terrible secret from her husband and the betrayal is visceral. Her marriage in shambles, she turns to her sexy neighbor for comfort. But dating again is fraught with complications. Thank goodness for Nancy. It’s difficult starting over but Jessica soon learns what it means to be summer people.
Summer People is an emotional romance about fulfilling your dreams, starting over, and falling in love. From the very beginning, I connected with Jessica. She’s a woman who is about to start her own gallery and frankly, she’s nervous. When she mistakes her next-door neighbor for a criminal, it’s hilarious. I kept rooting for her, even after one epic fail after another. Life is never smooth, especially when you’re shooting for the moon. Jessica has the strength of many but doesn’t quite believe in herself. In walks BFF Nancy. She is my favorite character. Nancy, that is. She is the lifeline in all things and has a wicked sense of humor. She guides Jessica every step of the way. The friendship these two women share is realistic, heartfelt, and endearing. The romance between Jessica and Rick (next-door neighbor) starts off as enemies to lovers but morphs into friends to lovers. I enjoyed the slow-burn aspect of their romance. Jessica is still ‘happily married’ when they first meet. This couple has obstacles to overcome, including trust issues, but the emotional journey they take makes for an unputdownable read. Corinne LaBalme is a talented writer who crafts stories that are familiar yet have a twist here and there to make it unique. You’ll fall in love with Summer People, just as I did.
My Rating: 5 stars
Buy it Now:
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4YXVSWG
Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0B4YXVSWG
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B4YXVSWG
Author Biography:
Corinne LaBalme lives in France and loves everything about it… except eating snails. Her articles about European fashion, food and fun destinations have appeared in The New York Times Travel section, Diversion, La Belle France and France Revisited. Her favorite place to write? Any Parisian café with a good croissant connection…
Social Media Links:
Website http://corinnelabalme.com/
Reviewed by: Mrs. N