Review by Booklist Review
Shelby Archer is living the dream: she's just launched a commercial best-seller and is being hailed as a young writer to watch. The book is set in Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, and Shelby used her past there as inspiration. But since leaving Ptown for New York, Shelby has strained her friendships back at home. The boyfriend she left behind is still stinging from her departure. A few residents, including Shelby's best friend, Hunter, see themselves in Shelby's book and are deeply hurt. When Shelby's other best friend, Colleen, is unable to take care of her family's bookshop for the summer, she asks Shelby to come back and help. Shelby isn't sure she can mend those fragile relationships, but she can't leave Colleen hanging. As she settles back into Ptown, Shelby contemplates her own part in what happened and starts on a journey that will change her life. Brenner (Gilt, 2022) is an accomplished author known for thoughtful beach reads. Fans of books about books will root for Shelby and her mission to find herself.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Shelby Archer embarks on a whirlwind book tour for her new novel, Secrets of Summer. Her first stop is Provincetown, Cape Cod, where she's spent every summer since college. What better place to launch her tour with old friends by her side. But the welcome she receives is frosty at best, especially from her pal Hunter. Hunter is convinced that the lead character in Shelby's new novel is based on her, a betrayal of their trust and friendship. While Shelby tries to mend their rift, Colleen, the third in their trio, asks for Shelby's help; can Shelby run Colleen's family book shop through the summer while Colleen deals with complications from her pregnancy? Shelby agrees, hoping this will buy her time to mend fences with Hunter and perhaps get the three friends back together. Soon Shelby realizes that mending their broken friendship might come with too high of a price tag. When she asks Colleen to read her second novel before publication, the gap between the three friends widens. VERDICT Plot twists and redemption abound in this sweet story from Brenner (Gilt; Blush). Robyn Carr and Debbie Macomber fans, this one's for you!--Jane Blue
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