3.5 stars

This was my first book by this author and I found it an enjoyable read. I found the characters and story to have just the right amount of substance. The story wasn't overly cheesy or too light and fluffy. Yet at the same time it wasn't too heavy in subject matter.

I liked the setting of the book and the way the author described Montecito. It was easy to place myself there among the characters and get wrapped up in the story.

The characters were realistic for the most part. I will admit I got tired of Rosie running off all the time. I really liked Estelle and Morris. They seemed the most genuine.

I liked this book and found it easy to stay interested in. I would read more by this author and would recommend this book.

What a delightful read. It makes you appreciate what you have, and not want what is on the other side.

Anita Hughes seems to be an author that can be a bit hit or miss for me. I have read several of her books and loved a couple, thought some were just OK and now with California Summer I really didn’t care for the relationship in here much at all.

So needless to say this was not a favorite Anita Hughes novel for me at all and I’ll avoid being any more specific to the events after that rough start. I will however say that the one thing I will always praise her for in her books was still here in spades and that is her beautiful settings and bringing these places to life. I really do feel as if I am right there with the characters in every book I’ve read so I will continue to be a fan if for nothing else than the lovely virtual traveling within the pages.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

This was an okay read. It’s great if you’re looking for something short and easy to read without any real substance to it. And as typical of Anita’s books, there is always a woman who faces some sort of dilemma with her currently boyfriend or husband. She then goes away to “find herself” and within a few short weeks, finds the love of her life. She also somehow has all of these rich friends and when she goes away to find herself, she stays at the nicest guesthouse with a freaking butler and cook. Talk about a non-reality LOL. But regardless, I enjoyed this book for the most part. I did have to suspend my usual disbelief radar because this book is 1000% unrealistic.

The one thing that really irked me (more so than the unrealistic aspect of the book) was how annoying Rosie was. It was as if she had no sense of self-worth to herself and after finding out that Ben slept with another woman in their own bed, she left but then proceeded to call him and pretty much begged him to take her back. Um, no. Just no. One of my biggest pet peeve is a weak female main character and this one was definitely so.

A great summer read that gives a beautiful story about second chances in life, love, and career. Readers will love the summer feel.

California Summer by Anita Hughes seemed like it would be the kind of book that would be perfect to read out on the deck and kick off summer. It’s got this great cover with some real beach vibes. As it turns out, this book is okay but I just never jived perfectly with it.

California Summer follows Rosie who was this up and coming producer in Hollywood along with her longtime boyfriend, Ben. Only one day she comes home after scouting a location and the sheets are mused in a way that reveals Ben has slept with another woman. Ben has had an affair and so, Rosie runs away to the home of a friend’s parents in Montecito where she goes to lick her wounds. There, Rosie rediscovers a passion for cooking. She also discovers another man, a surfer named Josh.

So, okay, I loved the setting of this book. That was incredibly well written. I haven’t really had much of a desire to go to California before reading this. I think that Hughes really makes the setting seem so lush and warm and lovely. However, I just was not a big fan of Rosie. She comes across as kind of pathetic and hung up on this guy who isn’t worth it. I mean, maybe that is also the pitfall of comparison to the previous book I read. In the other book, the woman who is cheated on finds an old passion but never once is she hell bent on getting back together with the cheater.

I guess this book is easy and breezy. It does go quick and you could probably read it all in one sitting. However, I just did not end up feeling any real depth or emotions. But, if you like a good setting book, you may like California Summer more than I did.

I love Anita's books!! This is one of my favorites!! I fell in love with Rosie during the first chapter. She is complicated in all the right ways and is looking for her passion. This book explores relationships, loyalty and friendship -- all the things I love in a women's fiction novel. I love California and Anita did such a great job with the setting, I felt like I was back there!! I breezed through this book and loved every minute!!

I Enjoyed this book very much, a lot more than I thought I would. This is a great read. Anita Hughes is a wonderful author.

I finally got a chance to read this over the holidays- even though it was a summer beach read. Unfortunately, this one was not my favorite by the author. The book was beautifully written and described but the story itself did not grab me. I loved the setting, the locale, and the idea of the book, but most the rest fell flat for me. The characters did not have a lot of chemistry and I do not love stories about affairs.

It was difficult to connect with the characters in this book. I went into this book with the mindset that it would be an easy, somewhat formulaic beach read. I found that I couldn't latch on early into the book, so I abandoned it.

California Summer was an enjoyable, charming novel! I really enjoyed the characters, especially Morris! Rosie and Ben have been together for ten years. They have been living in L.A. and immersed in directing and producing to make a break-through in the movie industry. Though Ben’s ambition was at a higher level than Rosie’s, and soon she discovers that he has slept with a famous producer. Rosie is so upset that she leaves and goes to stay at her friend’s parents’ estate in Montecito. Rosie is still upset about Ben, but she doesn’t want to let go. She hopes to get back together. In time, Rosie realizes as she is forced to start over without Ben that she wants to start over right in Montecito. She makes new friends and each of them gives her new wisdom and courage to actually start a new life. She begins to have new dreams, but along the way she has to deal with her emotions and learn to trust again.

California Summer, the newest novel by Anita Hughes, tells the story of Ben and Rosie, a Hollywood power couple that falls apart once Rosie discovers that Ben is cheating on her with another producer. Even though Rosie immediately packs her bags and heads to Montecito, she still feels that her relationship with Ben is repairable and worth fighting for. As she works to fix her relationship, she finds herself and her true calling. While the theme of this novel is nothing new, I still enjoyed reading about Rosie and all of her ups and downs. California Summer is the perfect book for when you are looking for something light and mindless.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

California Summer was a great story about a couple, their break up and finding new love. Most of all it tells the journey of Rosie. Rosie and her partner Sam. Since graduating high college and fresh from winning a Sundance award, Sam and Rosie as director and producer are finally getting noticed.

While this is a great opportunity, Sam wants so much more, and he has decided to sleep his way to the top. Rosie can't believe he has done this and goes to her best friend's parents house in Montecito to live in their little cottage.

While there she meets so many wonderful people, while nursing her broken spirit and soul. While in Montecito she meets Rachel, who owns a candy shop and Josh who works on classic cars and surfs everyday.

Rosie opens up a taco restaurant and attracts many customers and she starts believing she can maybe fall in love again in this magical town where no one is in a hurry and live life totally different than the people in Hollywood.

Josh is attracted to Rosie and they start seeing each other, but when talk of a singer franchising Rosie's Tacos comes up, so do changes in Josh's attitude. Read on and find out what happens!

This book is well written, and I just loved everything about it from the beginning. I gave this book 5 stars!

Ben and Rosie have been together for ten years. They live together and work together in the film industry. They are so close they can finish each other’s sentences. Their life together is basically perfect. Until it isn’t. Ben has always had more ambition than Rosie. Amazed at the success they’ve had so far, Rosie is content producing the film they are currently working on. Ben, however, wants more. He is determined to be the biggest director in Hollywood and will do anything to get there – including betraying Rosie.

After learning of Ben’s betrayal, Rosie decides to spend the summer in Montecito at her friend’s parents’ guest house, to mourn and to decide what to do now. Once there, she forms a circle of friends who offer her support and advice.

Rosie was such a doormat! I wanted to shake her and tell her to have some respect for herself. She lets people, especially men, walk all over her. This book is a pretty basic romance with simple writing and the typical tropes and characters. There’s the gay best friend, the guy who’s been burned and sworn off relationships, etc. Even so, I enjoyed reading California Summer. It’s definitely a light beach read and I think romance fans will like it.

Another beautiful book, if you search for escapism, incredible locations, and characters, California Summer written by Anita Hughes and published today by St.Martin's Press.

This time the dreaming location chosen by this succulent author is California, the land of dreams.

Ben and Rosie are the perfect couple.
They work in Hollywood as director and producer, their existences are brilliant, wonderful, successful.
They participated at the Sundance Film Festival created by Robert Redford, and since there their existence have been a continuous success.

Rosie is happy with her fertile, beautiful, dreaming existence. She wouldn't want anything more, but Ben, well, yes.

He wants the entire package: a house in Beverly Hills, a lot of money, big cars and his name remembered forever.
Talent unfortunately is not sufficient for reaching that goals, so he will sleep with the most important producer.

Rosie is devastated. Why Ben acted like that?

She decides that maybe is better to leave stars, starlets and that wonderful world for a more relaxing place where to de-stress herself.
Montecito, her best-friend's estate seems perfect for recovering from all that mess.

Rosie will re-start a new existence. She will meet Rachel, the owner of a chocolate store, Josh in love for surf and classic cars.

Rosie decides to open a fish taco store considering also her winning secret college recipe...

Beautiful, sunny, Anita Hughes mixes her optimistic positive character with perfect descriptions, delicious recipes, stunning locations.

Beautiful, relaxing and romantic cover.

Anita Hughes previously has written Monarch Beach, Market Street, Lake Como, French Coast, Rome in Love, Island in the Sea, Santorini Sunsets, Christmas in Paris, White Sand, Blue Sea, Emerald Coast, and Christmas in London. At the moment she is working at her next novel.

I thank NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for this ebook.

Anna Maria Polidori

I tried twice and just couldn't get into this book. Rosie was just unlikable to me. So unsure of herself, so whiny and bossy to others, and too wrapped up in Ben for reasons that made no sense - he was awful. I couldn't finish the book.

I like this author and will read more of her books, but this one just wasn't for me.

This is a great summer read. It's light, entertaining and a great escape from the world around you. I did find the secondary characters to be a bit more interesting than the two main characters, unfortunately. They were a bit bland but I did not dislike them either. And the descriptions of Montecito really made me want to go there! Plus, I can't wait to try her recipe for fish tacos. They sound delicious.

Fun, sweet, light, and romantic. Enjoyed glimpses into behind the scenes film making details. I like that the recipe for Rosie's guacamole and fish tacos was included.

I didn't realize how much of a romance novel <I>California Summer</I> was. I'm pretty sure it was the cover that threw me and shame on me for that.

Instead of a heartbroken Rosie, escaping to a beautiful location to lick her wounds and find her true self along the way, we get the most lavish fantasies come true with a bit of insecurities thrown in for good measure. Not only does Rosie escape to a beautiful location, but she gets to inhabit the guest house on a huge estate complete with cook and butler. Not only does Rosie discover her passion, but she gets it done within a month and becomes a hit the next day due to some well placed publicity. Not only does Rose heal from her boyfriend's betrayal, but she rebounds pretty quick. And of course, Rosie can't just have a best friend, she has a famous up and coming actress as her best friend and a famous pop star as her ally.

To me, these are all qualities of a romance novel and not the beach read that I had originally expected. I wasn't looking for a book with fluff, but that's what I got. I know this is the perfect book for someone, it just wasn't for me.