Most families pile their skeletons into a dark closet and bar the door against prying eyes. In The Last Weekend of the Summer, each family member has their own personal closet. There is some awareness to what each has hidden, but no one is opening doors and sharing… until the last weekend of the summer.

Weekends at the lake aren’t new, but wanting to settle issues and cast out demons, family matriarch, Gloria, doesn’t tell her family the depth and meaning this weekend holds until they arrive. Her disclosure sets off a wave of drama, but that’s nothing new for this family.

Mary is Gloria’s former daughter-in-law and mother to Gloria’s three adult grandchildren. She is also the reigning drama queen. Since before her marriage to Gloria’s son, Jake, ended in divorce, she’s played the put-upon victim. After the divorce, it only grew worse, and she raised her children in a toxic environment of her own self-pity and denial which is directly responsible for the personality traits and flaws they possess as adults.

Johnnie, the oldest, is the family peacemaker, always trying to keep the hot-pot between his mother and two sisters from boiling over.

Rosemary aka Rosebud aka Buddy hates her father for leaving and always defends her mother… even when she doesn’t agree with her. Buddy is also emulating her mother’s behavior and it’s creating conflict in her marriage.

Youngest, C.C., is the wild child who’s quick to act out or throw a tantrum and was conflicted about her sexuality.

This group is dysfunction at its best. There has been so much left unsaid and so much bad behavior allowed over the years, I wondered why they even bothered to get together at all.

And it showed no signs of ending.

Buddy wants to move Mary into their home and is hellbent on getting hubs, Norm, to agree. Norm wants no part of it, but when did he ever get what he wanted?

Carol, Johnnie’s wife, is the bright spot in this read for me.

She fits into the family dysfunction, but only because it suits her. She could be a shrew like Buddy, but that’s not who she is. Carol and Johnnie have a good, solid marriage, and she endures what she must out of love and support of him… and indirectly, Gloria.

Carol knows when to push and when to ease up, but she’s not afraid of calling any of them out on their crap.

Poor Norm ends up as the family fall guy and Buddy’s favorite target. He can do nothing right in her eyes and she never fails to let him know it.

But every man has his limits.

C.C. has always felt out-of-sync in her family, and life. Even after she accepts her true sexuality, C.C. doesn’t grow up because she feels she has to rebel at the unspoken disapproval of her family.

Not a group I’d want to be stuck with for a weekend, but Gloria feels she must do what she can to atone for her part in the family’s issues.

Jake’s arrival is the stick of dynamite needed to blow the years of closed mouths, secrets, and denials wide open and get honest communication started. Even if it hadn’t helped the adults, Buddy and Norm’s two young boys and Johnnie and Carol’s two teens could have fallen into similar patterns of behavior without open discussion. Susie and Joey, the teens, are already aware of tension and riffs… and at times, show more maturity and wisdom than some adults.

I felt bad for Jake and wonder if there was ever a time he could have changed directions. Gloria is sure she missed opportunities.

While abrupt, I felt the ending was fitting for those involved. But before that, there are still a few too many loose ends for me. I don’t need unicorns and rainbows, or even closure, just more direction.

The Last Weekend of the Summer is a unique look into the dynamics of one family and how attempts to keep the peace can be as destructive as lies and unspoken truths. Readers are sure to see something of themselves, or their families, in this read.

Enjoy!

Another fictional tale of a dysfunctional family who must face the past to come together. A lot of different personalities and short tempers work throughout this well-written book.

Whenever I read a book by Peter Murphy, I feel transported right into the era or timeframe of the story. This novel is about a dysfunctional family, pretty much like anyone's family, we all have dysfunction at a certain level.

Gloria, the matriarch of the family, gathers her family, children and grandchildren, to the lake cottage that has been in the family for years. Johnnie, Buddy, and CC all bring along with them the family drama that they are dealing with, or not dealing with. They learn when they arrive at the lake cottage, that their estranged father will also be in attendance yet they don't know why they have been summoned. They all assume that Gloria is dying and getting her affairs in order. The three adult children, all have different reasons for not having a relationship with Jake.

The plot of this novel is very moving and relatable, as I said, everyone has drama and dysfunction, the characters are very believable, emotional and the story is fast-paced. A very moving story! Like I said, I always love a Peter Murphy novel, I don't think he can write anything bad and I look forward to the next book!

This is a story of a family facing not only the end of summer but a major change in their family. Gloria has called her children home to the cottage for a visit hinting that there is going to be more than bonfires and boating. When Johnnie, Buddy and CC arrive with their spouses and kids Gloria tells them their estranged father is also attending. This story is emotional and touches on lots of key issues facing people today. The reader experiences a range of emotions from joy to sadness. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Every once in a while an author comes along who writes novels that are so powerfully compelling, poignant, and thought-provoking, that the reader will be able to relate to it on some level. In The Last Weekend Of The Summer, author Peter Murphy weaves a wonderful story about the complicated dynamics of family relationships that will simply pull at your emotional heartstrings.

The Last Weekend Of The Summer is a richly descriptive literary tale that explores the dysfunctional family relationship of matriarch Gloria and her clan. Gloria requests that her whole family come together for the last weekend of the summer at the family lakeside cabin to resolve old issues, come to terms with the past, seek closure, make amends, gain redemption and reconciliation, and reestablish the familial bonds in order to keep the family together.

The family weekend is filled with drama, humor, sibling rivalry, animosity, unresolved dysfunctional family issues, secrets, regrets, resentments, and an emotional chance to renew the bonds of family. The author does a wonderful job of intertwining the family's dysfunctional past with the difficulties that they face in their present lives. You can't help but get swept away, relate, and experience the full gamut of emotions as Gloria and her family face a crossroad in their lives as they hash out their unresolved dysfunctional family dynamic while considering the intense and difficult choices of how to deal with their current life issues.

The Last Weekend Of The Summer is a powerful and compelling story written from the heart. It is a must read that will make you ponder your own family dynamic, stir your soul, and resonate with you for a very long time.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour hosted by Providence Book Promotions.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-last-weekend-of-summer-by-peter.html

The Last Weekend of Summer was a good story about a very dysfunctional family. There was drama, love, tenderness and kindness, but also some hard facts shared. In the beginning I wasn't sure I liked any of the characters, but they quickly grew on me and became much more three dimensional.

I'm sure most people can relate to at least one or two of the characters just from the people we meet in our daily lives, much less those in our families. Gloria, as well as being the matriarch, is the person I really found myself caring for the most. She was the backbone of the family and gave them all a good shake when they needed it.

I appreciated the way things were wrapped up in the book even though parts were a little unconventional. It worked very well.

I hesitated quite a bit, torn between 4 and 5 stars for this story, so I'd say 4.5 stars. If you like books about families and their lives, this will be one you'd likely enjoy. I am glad I read it.
I asked for an ARC and was approved. My opinions are my own.

The Last Weekend of Summer by Peter Murphy tells the story of Gloria and her family over the course of a weekend at her home on a lake. In an attempt to reconcile not only the relationship she has with her son, but also the relationship her son has with his children, Gloria invites them all to her cottage without telling them that their father, whom has not been a part of their lives, will be coming up for the weekend as well. Almost everyone is under the impression that they have been gathered to spend one last weekend with Gloria, who is up there in age. However, it is for quite a different reason and everyone must grapple with it in their own way. 

As the family deals with everything between one another, Murphy switches between characters, giving multiple perspectives on different events and each other. This is something I normally wouldn't like in a book, but it worked well for this particular story. It was refreshing to see different outlooks of the situation and to get a sense of what everyone thought of different family members. Sometimes when you have that many characters, multiple perspectives really defines each one as well as the whole dynamic of the group.

I particularly enjoyed the perspective of Carol, who is married to Gloria's grandson, Johnnie. Since she married into the family, she was able to provide insights that weren't necessarily biased on all the different members of the family. She was honest but not brutally so. She brought a lot of depth to the story and remained neutral for the most part. 

Although I enjoyed this story, the plot did move a little slow for me. Which in a way lended itself to the story because the family is searching for lost time with their father and wishing they had more of it. I come from a rather large family so there was a lot to relate to especially how the dynamics of a family can change when just one person is added to it. Overall this was a good read and I'm glad that I read it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Peter Murphy, and The Story Plant for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Every relationship has quirks. All relationships change over time. No one ever thinks their family is "normal." All families have secrets. Whenever extended family gathers together, some sort of conflict is expected. Well, THIS family experiences all of the above and more.
This wonderful, emotional read exposes many of the secrets, reveals how things can change from moment to moment, and how we never really understand what another person is thinking or feeling.
It also reminds us to toughen up and be more compassionate.

Lots of drama but told in such a compelling way I didn't want it to end.
The female characters are often stronger than they, themselves, realize.

The Last Weekend Of the Summer is the story of a family coming together at the family matriarch's home for the last weekend of the summer. The family is led by the matriarch - Gloria, and consists of Gloria's ex daughter-in-law Mary, Mary's three adult children, their spouses and children. The book has some hidden twists in it, and it will leave you with some subtle insights on life and getting through hard times.

Ok, even though this book is short, I’m going to recommend this book to EVERYONE! This major disfunctional family gets together for a reason. Most of the characters I could not stand but I was able to understand what the book was trying to convey to me. No one is perfect. Not. one. family is perfect. There will always be a dynamic in every family. This book is about secrets, families, relationships, marriages, jealousies, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, and redemption. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the way it ended and I refuse to saything more. I received this ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

The Last Weekend of Summer by Peter Murphy is about a final family get together that last weekend before fall. Gloria, the great grandmother had asked her daughter-in-law and her grandchildren and their families to join her at family lake house for the last weekend of summer. The book starts with all the family driving to the lake in the traffic and then the ensuing days. Clearly this is a family who does drama well. What only part of the family knew was that their estranged father, ex-husband and son was also going to be there. He divorced and left the family leaving behind obviously bitter feelings with some of them.

Gloria is feeling old, but determined to have this weekend be successful for them. Mary (the daughter-in-law) is still bitter about the divorce all those years ago. Johnnie is the oldest always seems to be taking care of people. Buddy, the oldest daughter always takes her mother’s side and is very hard on her husband, Norm. CC is the youngest daughter and is enrolled in her own drama with a new love interest when she is still stuck on the old love interest. Add to this are spouses, grandchildren and a mix of emotions and revelations that add to the drama.

The Last Weekend of Summer by Peter Murphy was like watching a family drama or soap opera. I found myself being angry at some characters and cheering on others. I loved Gloria and wished that her wisdom from life could be infused in so many others. Peter Murphy’s characters and storyline make The Last Weekend of Summer by Peter Murphy a good read.

I am probably the odd one out, but I spent most of this book wavering between being happy that my small family isn't very close and being jealous that this wasn't my family. I came down on the side of jealousy. Why? Because while there were secrets and resentments these people really do love each other. And while many of the problems come to their head over the weekend, their care for each other is really obvious. It is also very obvious that Mr. Murphy cares for his characters and his quality writing shows it. The only thing that had be scratching my head was how the kids were so well behaved for the weekend.

I feel like I could have benefited from a family tree visual to get through the first few chapters! I struggled to grasp the dynamics of the family the first few chapters. After I was able to navigate all the siblings and spouses and grandchildren, I became more intrigued. This book illustrates that every family has their own secrets and dysfunction, but when push comes to shove in this case, life and death, the family sets aside their differences and pulls together. It felt like the end was rushed, I would have enjoyed seeing how each child coped with the situation post lake house.

I am new to this author but wont be a stranger to his books long. I love multi-generational stories and throw in a beach house and I am hooked! Really liked this book and will be looking for more by this author! Thanks netgalley for the arc in exchange for this honest review

So, you thought your family was a little dysfunctional? The larger it gets, the more diverse personalities come in to play and there is always one driving force who strives to keep the bonds of family alive. What if one member is no longer part of the “family?” Every family has a black sheep or two, and they are just part of the dynamics, until they are seen as an outcast, blood or no.

THE LAST WEEKEND OF THE SUMMER by Peter Murphy is a revealing tale of one family brought together in the hopes of healing old wounds before it is too late to ever do so. A loving and slightly quirky matriarch has a secret to share, and wishes her family to come together for one last summer weekend at her lakeside home. Is Gloria dying? Is she finally unable to live on her own?

Emotional and relatable, readers will find at least one character they recognize from their own families! Witness the dynamics, the shortfalls, the personality clashes, and the role each member plays, regardless of the generation they belong to. Then be part of the secret that is revealed, feel the torment, the turmoil, the anger and the love as one family finds growth, change and renewal through healing and reaching out to one another.

Thought provoking, sometimes humorous, sometimes agitating, this is a true slice of life being part of a family of flawed humans.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from the Story Plant!

Publisher: Fiction Studio Books (August 28, 2018)
Publication Date: August 28, 2018
Genre: Family Saga | Fiction | Relationships
Print Length: 224 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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This book was a good story, but a very slow read for me. I just didn't grab my attention. This is the story of a dysfunctional family gathering at their family lake house for one family members last time. The relationship between the mother and her eldest daughter was by far the worst. The mother was not very motherly and was very immature. The relationship between the sisters was terrible. So terrible that the eldest sister spills a secret that will forever change the younger sister. The brother really only played peacemaker and didn't have much personality of his own. The grandmother was the one who orchestrated the lake house weekend and tried control everyone. This was a good story, but I didn't enjoy the individual characters.

Although this is my first Peter Murphy book it will certainly not be my last. Four generations of family visit the beautiful family beach house anticipating this may be the last time they spend a summer weekend with their beloved family matriarch - Gloria. This wonderfully written book takes us on a journey of family drama, family love and family loss. Peter Murphys characters are well developed, diverse and engaging. The Last Weekend of the Summer is a great summer beach read.

If you love a good story about family relationships that span generations than this is a great read for you. This colorful cast of characters is brought to life in an idyllic setting that is nicely woven into the story. Centering around the matriarch who is particularly likable and a very well developed character, her spirit and determination are clearly evident in the kin she has gathered to the family’s summer home. As with every family there are issues, and this family is no exception right down to the deep rooted secret that is both unexpected and jolting. Enjoy the abundant dialogue and interpersonal relationships of this page turning read.

If you enjoy family dramas, with a touch of humor and charm, such as This is Where I Leave You or Home for the Holidays, The Last Weekend of the Summer is the perfect read for you!

When mother Mary and adult siblings Buddy, CC, and Johnnie arrive at their grandmother Gloria's lake house for one last family weekend, full of secrets, simmering resentments, and lots of love.

There are some strained moments, lightened by some witty moments. For all their frustration and disappointment with each other, it's clear that this family still loves each other, and their grandmother, very much.

Overall, a great read.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

A family who are out there, and all over the place with flying pieces and debris to sort out is the best way to describe this novel. It is well written, maintain all the emotions, petty and non-petty grievances and underlying displeasure that the characters experience.