Saturday, June 8, 2013

That Certain Summer by Irene Hannon with Review.

THAT CERTAIN SUMMER


Karen and Val are family -- yet they're anything but close. Karen has carried the burden of responsibility for her aging mother ever since her gorgeous sister left town years ago to pursue a career in theater. But Val had darker reasons for leaving town -- as well as a secret to keep -- and coming home has never been an option . . . until their mother suffers a stroke.

Reunited in their hometown, Karen and Val must grapple with their past mistakes, their relationship with each other, and their issues with a mother who is far from ideal. When a physical therapist raising his daughter alone and a handsome but hurting musician enter the picture, the summer takes on a whole new dimension. As their lives intersect and entwine, can each learn how to forgive, how to let go, and how to move on? And strengthened by the healing power of faith, might they also find the courage to love?With her trademark compelling characters and heartwarming hope, fan favorite Irene Hannon offers her readers an inspiring true-to-life tale of complex family relationships, transgressions revealed and forgiven, and the complicated process of finding love.


MY THOUGHTS-This is one Irene Hannon novel I wasn't too keen on. I enjoyed the plot and the characters were good but this deals with a lot of touchy subjects. Someone who is divorced and wants to remarry, a woman who was molested by an uncle, teenage pregnancy before wedlock and abortion. Needless to say it was well written but some of the things were a little much for me. I much more prefer Irene's suspense novels. The premise of the novel is two sisters who have to take care of their mother. The one sister, Karen, has always been the person to take care of her mother, sing in the choir, and all of this while being a single mother. She is a great multi-tasker and organizer. But when her mother has a stroke she calls in her sister, Val. Val is the sister who has it all, the looks, the career, etc. But Val doesn't want to come back to Washington. She left there and has never wanted to return to the place of her nightmares. And yet, when they do get back together, things begin to happen. That summer may just be the best thing to happen for them all.

There are several good parts in here though and one of them is dealing with a man who was in an accident and lost his friends and ultimately, much of his career. I really liked Scott and the way he handles things, after he gets out of the slump:) There are a lot of touchy subjects and some very good lessons. One part that is especially hard is when Valerie reads the poem to an unborn child. Wow! Believe me, you will definitely need tissues for this part. The subject of abortion is dealt with as being wrong but not unforgivable. I absolutely fell in love with Daniel at this point! Very sweet man who knows exactly how to be Christ like. I would categorize this as a contemporary lit. story with a good amount of Christianity.
Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.


**DISCLOSURE: I was given a free product in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given, and all thoughts are 100% mine. Please read my full disclosure policy HERE.**

2 comments:

Ann Summerville said...

It's brave of anyone including the abortion issue. It's such a sensitive subject and so sad.
Ann

ann said...

Sounds like a very intense book of feelings about life and how we each play a role different even if we are in the same family. This is one I would like to read

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