The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery Formats available: hardcover, large print, ebook, audiobook
Genres: Chick Lit, relationship fiction, women's fiction
Pages: 416
Published by Hqn on March 15, 2022
Purchasing Info: Author's Website, Publisher's Website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Bookshop.org, Better World Books
Goodreads
One woman takes the vacation of a lifetime in this poignant and heartwarming story about the threads that hold a family together from #1
New York Times
bestselling author Susan Mallery.
Single mom Robyn Caldwell needs a new plan for her future. She has always put her family first. Now, with her kids grown, she yearns for a change. But what can she do when her daughter has become the most demanding bride ever, her son won’t even consider college, her best friend is on the brink of marital disaster and her ex is making a monumentally bad decision that could ruin everything?
Take a vacation, of course. Press reset. When her great-aunt Lillian invites her to Santa Barbara for the summer, Robyn hops on the first plane to sunny California.
But it’s hard to get away when you’re the heart of the family. One by one, everyone she loves follows her across the country. Somehow, their baggage doesn’t feel as heavy in the sun-drenched, mishmash mansion. The more time Robyn spends with free-spirited Lillian, the more possibilities she sees—for dreams, love, family. She can have everything she ever wanted, if only she can muster the courage to take a chance on herself.
Welcome to the Excerpt tour for The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery. I’ll be reviewing this book next month as part of another tour, but in the meantime, here’s a teaser to whet ALL of our reading appetites!
Excerpt from The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery (continued from Monday’s Excerpt at Books, Cooks, Looks)
“She also found a couple of early Dutch strongboxes,” Mindy added. “Those sell for at least thirty K.”
Mindy, along with her three sisters, owned an exclusive antique shop in Naples. None of the other sisters lived in Florida, so Mindy was in charge of retail. Her sisters traveled extensively, keeping the shop well-stocked with unique and expensive items.
Robyn and Mindy had met in the store. Robyn was a frequent client, although her taste was slightly less upscale than much of Mindy’s inventory. They’d quickly moved to having lunch every month. When a part-time position had opened up, Robyn had applied. It was only a few hours a week, but Robyn enjoyed working with the other clients, as well as checking out whatever was new in the store. The selling wasn’t her favorite, but learning about different eras and the history of each piece enthralled her.
Mindy set down her glass. “How goes the wedding?”
Robyn did her best not to grimace. “So far we’re just talking generalities.”
“You’re still not happy they’re engaged?”
Robyn again resisted the urge to chug her wine. “Kip’s great. He adores Harlow, and doesn’t every mother want that in a future son-in-law? I just wish…”
She placed her hands flat on the table. “She’s barely twenty-two. They’ve known each other less than a year, and getting married is such a big step. Why can’t they live together for a few years? Take off for Paris or go hiking in Chile? Why get married so quickly?”
Mindy tried to hide her amusement. “And how old were you when you married Cord?”
“Nineteen.” Robyn sighed. “Which is my point. I had a two-year-old when I was Harlow’s age. Sure, I had my kids early, but what if I hadn’t? What if I’d gone to college or spent six months in Australia or done something other than what I did?”
“So is your concern about what Harlow might miss out on or what you gave up?”
A very valid question, Robyn thought. “How can you be insightful? That’s your third glass of champagne.”
“Liquor brings out my best qualities.”
“I don’t regret my life. I love my kids. I wouldn’t wish them away.”
“But?”
“I want her to have options.” She picked up her fork. “Not a conversation my daughter wants to have with me.” She and Harlow had managed to survive the teen years with hardly a cross word, but lately, they seemed to be fighting all the time.
“Would you have listened to your mother?” Mindy asked.
“I’m not sure. She died when I was eleven.”
Mindy’s brown eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. As for talking to her when I was Harlow’s age, I probably wouldn’t have listened, either. I want to say I would have been mature and interested in her opinion, but it seems unlikely.”
Mindy touched her hand. “It’s your past, Robyn. You rewrite it however you’d like.”
“Thanks. The last time Harlow mentioned the wedding, she said something about wanting to dye the pool to match the bridesmaids’ dresses.”
“Can you even do that?”
“No idea, and I really don’t want to know.” She could only hope that her daughter’s wedding plans became a little more normal as time passed. Or that she decided to elope. Or hey, postpone.
“Want to play tennis next week?” Mindy asked brightly.
Robyn eyed her. “I’m not interested in meeting your fantasy guy.”
“Why not? Once you see him, you’ll have to admit he’s totally worth the risk.”
Robyn gave in to the inevitable and swallowed the rest of her wine. “Mindy, you make me crazy. You have a perfectly good penis at home. One is enough. Forget about Derrick.”
“Dimitri.”
“Whatever. Don’t risk your marriage and your family. He’s not worth it.”
“But I’m not doing it for him. I’m doing it for me.” She smiled dreamily. “At least let me see him naked.”
“See a therapist instead.”
Mindy assumed Robyn was kidding and burst out laughing. Robyn faked a smile, even as she told herself to stop trying to convince her friend of anything. Based on how her children were behaving lately, she had no skills at persuasion. Oh, for the days when she could bribe them with a Popsicle.
Excerpt Tour continues tomorrow at Susan Loves Books) Follow the tour for more exciting excerpts:
Excerpt tour:
Monday, February 21st: Books Cooks Looks
Tuesday, February 22nd: Reading Reality
Wednesday, February 23rd: SusanLovesBooks
Thursday, February 24th: Kahakai Kitchen
Friday, February 25th: From the TBR Pile
Friday, February 25th: View from the Birdhouse
Sunday, February 27th: Subakka.bookstuff
Monday, February 28th: Laura’s Reviews
Tuesday, March 1st: Bookchickdi
Wednesday, March 2nd: The Bookish Dilettante
Thursday, March 3rd: What is That Book About
Friday, March 4th: The Romance Dish
Sunday, March 6th: The Cozy Book Blog
Monday, March 7th: Girl Who Reads
Tuesday, March 8th: Bibliotica
Wednesday, March 9th: Helen’s Book Blog
Thursday, March 10th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Friday, March 11th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy
Sunday, March 13th: Novel Gossip
Monday, March 14th: Books and Bindings
About the Author:
#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives: family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.
Sounds like a book I will enjoy reading.
I’m certainly looking forward to it!
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