What do You think about The Perfect Summer (2003)?
At first I got bored there are no excitement at all except for Sean gone missing and the mystery thing about the blood on his boat, the "ed", "the girl" etc.Bay, I love how she cares for her children. And Annie, unbelievable, at that age she already know what is going around their family, all the problems and changes.It's really nice how Rice emphasize friendships here. How friends stay together even through good or bad times.Eliza Day, I love the name. :) It's just so sad she's kind a suicidal. poor little girl. Experienced such trauma.
—Sofia
Bay McCabe relishes life's simple pleasures, her children, her home by the sea. She has never forgotten the values of her Irish granny--the everyday happiness of family, good friends, and hard work. Bay and her husband, Sean, have weathered rough spells and moved on. Now a perfect summer, filled with the scent of beach roses, lies before them. Charming and ambitious, Sean splits his energy between the town bank, his old fishing boat, and the family he seems to adore--until he leaves his young daughter stranded after school. As troubling memories resurface, a phone call confirms that Sean is missing. So begins a season that will change everything. As the door to all Bay cherishes seems to close forever, another opens, and an old love steps through. Embraced by enduring friendships, Bay will discover the truth of who she is--what love is--and how life's deepest mysteries are often those closest to home.When I got this book from library and I saw it was 428 pages, I found it a bit daunting. I'll be honest, I almost always go for the shorter book. But I gave it a try. I really enjoyed the story and found myself turning page after page till I was done.
—Pat
I wasn't going to even list books that would come under this category. But I have to make an exception for Luanne Rice. When I first started reading her books they were understandably light reading romance novels. This book changed my mind.I picked this one up to read at the lakehouse knowing it would be an easy read for the few days I would be there. It turned out to be a very good read and I do not think it belongs strictly in the romance novel category.It starts out with a seemingly normal family shattered by the discovery of a husband and fathers betrayal. The story that follows is not what you expect. It is a little more complex than normal in these books. It is a mystery and a suspense. I wondered what Luanne Rice could really do if she decided to veer from this familiar genre. Towards the end though she heads back to safe waters which was a little disappointing. The ending was satisfying but cliche. I could have imagined a few other endings that would have really made you sit up and take notice.I think she has a lot of potential for a writer and hope she will stretch from the 'formula-writing' someday.
—Helen
