This book was an emotional roller coaster. Wow! I loved it so much!!! Couldn't recommend more!

Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Initially I had a hard time engaging with this debut novel, but at around 30% or so things started to click for me when the pace kicked up. The story is set between 1999 and 2015 (with a 2017 epilogue) and takes place primarily on Cape Cod. I thought the author did a great job transporting the reader to the Cape. There are three narrators—Ann and Poppy and their adopted brother Michael. I would call this a darkish family drama, a “genre” I have recently discovered I enjoy.

Relationships can be messy and this family has messiness in spades. There is love, certainly. But there is also resentment, disrespect, mistrust, alternative facts, and worst of all—lack of communication. I don’t know if there are really families out there who despite loving each other fail to trust in one another despite the fact that the mistrusted hasn’t really done anything to deserve to be doubted. In fact, I think that was carried a bit too far in this story, which in addition to the slow start, led me to drop a star.

Other than that, I found this richly complex mini-saga engrossing and enjoyable. True, one of the narrators is not terribly likeable, which is usually a deal buster for me, but somehow that didn’t really turn me off this time. I think the reason for that is because she has to be that way to make the story work. In any event, I liked this one enough to hit the “follow button” for Ms. Clancy, and I will very likely seek out her next book. The Second Home is recommended for those who enjoy blacker family dramas.

Thank you Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and Ms. Christina Clancy for gifting me an ARC of this novel. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

It's very difficult to believe that this is Christina Clancy's first book. It reads like it comes from a confident and seasoned author. While there are (of course) stumbles along the way, for the most part, I just loved <i>The Second Home</i>. I found it... <b>beguiling</b>. Both in its premise and its acute sense of place.

With one eye firmly on the past, <i>The Second Home</i> introduces us to the Gordons - Ed and Connie, the loving parents, Ann the elder sister, free-spirited Poppy, and their adopted brother Michael. While they live in Milwaukee, their hearts reside in their much-loved summer home on the Cape - and its there that the Gordons' lives change forever. During one summer, Ann develops a secret that threatens to tear the family asunder, and when the repercussions finally land, they are devastating - for both the siblings and their parents.

Fifteen years later, Connie and Ed have died, and it's up to Ann and Poppy to sort out what will happen to their beloved home on the Cape. When Michael makes an unexpected return - everything that the sisters believed to be true is up-ended, and their memories are opened up to reveal new truths, like prisms of light.

A caveat that much of the book rides on miscommunication, which is annoying. The ending is also very rushed, and I wanted much more time to savour the new relationships forming. In the beginning, I felt Poppy was a waste of a POV - but over time, she became one of my favourites. Always searching for her place in the circle, always looking for inclusion. Never settling, never still, always riding that wave. She's a fascinating bundle of insecurities and bursting with love that she's never able to express.

Many reviewers have written about their dislike of Ann. While I agree she's not all that likable as an adult, I think what happened to her justifies that prickliness and distrust. At her most sensitive and at that cusp-age of just sixteen, she had everything ripped apart and scattered to the winds. It's no wonder that she struggles to reconnect with Michael, or Poppy for that matter. Everyone she loved went away, in the end.

I felt a real sense of grief over the deaths of Ed and Connie, and most of all, for Michael. It's Michael who is the true tragic figure in this story - on the brink of a family, and only to have it torn out from under his feet. I loved what Clancy did with his character, but I so wish he could have had that final moment with his parents, and again, I wanted so much <i>more</i> from his reunion with Ann. That ending is just too quick, like the blink of an eye.

Oh, but the <i>journey</i> toward that ending is gorgeous. The writing is slyly funny in parts and beautifully volatile and vulnerable in others. The descriptions of the Cape and Wellfleet and Milwaukee and even all of the exotic locales that Poppy visits - you could just <i>sink</i> into them, like a languid drowning, like the pond that Ann slipped into and never really returned from ... this story is like that, you submerge yourself only to be changed, the water like silk scarves, pulling you under and away.

<b>Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review</b>.

I liked this book. It has 3 siblings returning to the family home in Cape Cod to dispose of the family home after the death of their parents. Ann and Poppy are in favor of selling but adopted brother Michael has a different idea. As the three go through generations of stuff in the attics they discover some unsettling family secrets and need to decide if they are a family. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I predict this will be the beach read of summer 2020. Immersible, with wonderfully crafted characters that the reader gets to know and care about. One of them being a selfish and evil villain who’s rash actions and manipulations absolutely alter the lives of all those around him, including those of the three main characters of this story, who were teens at the time.

Fluctuating from past to present we get acquainted with the Gordon’s, migrating each summer from Milwaukee to the Cape for the summer with their two daughters and a recently adopted son, Michael, all close in age. Michael has never known such a family bond and is easily loved and accepted by his new sisters. He’s never experienced what it’s like to make memories of a home. He doesn’t have pleasant first-home memories, much less second home.

The summer home is situated in a cove off of Wellfleet on the Cape, and is itself a character in this novel. I’ve only visited the Cape once, a bucket list item for me, but what an impression it made on me. This budding author brought it all back deliciously for me, one of my favorite memories. The scents, the sounds, the entire sense of it all, that it was like revisiting an old happy memory. Many of my favorite authors have used Cape Cod as a background for their novels so I feel very attached to it and the reason why I had to see it for myself.

This is to be experienced, so I won’t go any further. I’ll just urge you to allow yourself to get acquainted with Michael, Ann and Poppy, each so different, but so vital to the connection with the house, and with each other. Their stories resonate for me days after I’ve finished this wonderfully written debut novel. Kudos to Ms Clancy. Loved it, and can’t wait to see what you’ll do next. A strong 4+ rating for this one.

Watch for this one from St. Martin’s Press on June 2, 2020.
Thank you to #netgalley for my review copy

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for advanced review of #thesecondhome
I was pulled in to the Gordon family's life from the first few pages. The book is a well developed look at how families grow together, grow apart and all the details that produce a legacy, good and bad, through the generations.
The Gordons from Milwaukee have a summer home on the Cape. It's been in their family for generations.
This story unfolds with interaction between sisters Ann and Poppy , and Michael, who was adopted (as a teenager) by their parents.
When Ann finds out she's pregnant, the family is never the same. Free spirit Poppy takes off on her own journey of self discovery , and Michael disappears. When the parents die, all Ann wants to do is sell everything and move on.
There is much to savor in this well written book. I definitely recommend in to the Gordon family's life from the first few pages. The book is a well developed look at how families grow together, grow apart and all the details that produce a legacy, good and bad, through the generations.
The Gordons from Milwaukee have a summer home on the Cape. It's been in their family for generations.
This story unfolds with interaction between sisters Ann and Poppy , and Michael, who was adopted (as a teenager) by their parents.
When Ann finds out she's pregnant, the family is never the same. Free spirit Poppy takes off on her own journey of self discovery , and Michael disappears. When the parents die, all Ann wants to do is sell everything and move on.
There is much to savor in this well written book. I definitely recommend.

I really liked this book at the beginning. It felt like a good family novel although there were some issues with the character of Michael and his situation. That was not very believable. The character of Ann went from a nice girl to a mean revengeful one, and it made me not like her at all. The character of Poppy for me was unnecessary. I skimmed through the chapters about her. She just didn't feel like part of the story. Also there were a lot of inconsistencies in the book and about 3/4 of the way through it I felt like giving up but kept going. The ending was pretty rushed for me as well.

Not a bad read. It reminds me of We Were Liars, only a bit more family-oriented. A slow, steady speed.

This book is about a young lady who tries to grow up too quickly, finds herself a victim in trouble and what happens when you’re too afraid to ask for help and the damage that ripples through the families involved.

I loved everything about this book. You connect with all the main characters. Ann, Poppy, and Michael all bring so many great qualities to this story and they all mesh extremely well even though the characters themselves don’t get along perfectly. It would be the ultimate beach read and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

The Second Home by Christina Clancy is a story about family secrets and lies. After a family tragedy, Ann returns to her family's summer home 15 years after the summer where everything changed. The story then flashes back to that summer. Told through the eyes of Ann, her younger sister Poppy, and their adopted brother, Michael the events of that summer are revisited. Each sibling has a different story to tell leading up to how this all culminates. The story then returns to the present where the siblings' relationships are different, but they are brought back together and must come to an agreement as the fate of that summer home is decided. This story is a tragic one, and it's a hard read given what happens. This is also a story that involves lies (and manipulation) that have a huge impact over all the years. This is a well-written story of family, but again be advised what goes down is heavy. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this June 2020 release.

This was my first book by Christina Clancy and I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to experience such a wonderful story. It was a beautifully written love story, with heartache and suspense mixed in. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about romance, sibling relationships and childhood memories. The book does have a scene which describes a graphic description of non consensual sex, just as a warning to anyone who may be triggered.

Although this wasn’t my typical genre, and had a bit too much exposition for my personal taste, I still enjoyed it and there’s definitely a demographic (think Elin Hildebrand fans) who will eat this up. This will definitely make a fun summer “beach read”.

3.5 stars.
Novel about 3 very different siblings reuniting after the death of their parents and trying to overcome the hurts and miscommunications of their teen years, when everything fell apart.
Somewhat predictable as far as the "terrible event that separated them" but still an enjoyable read. And the relationship between Ann and Maureen that developed was a nice surprise.

Very well written, lovely prose. The plot was fairly predictable but overall I enjoyed this book. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm a sucker for stories where families have a summer home out East. Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, or Maine all make me wish for a house on the beach to spend the summers. The Gordon family hails from Milwaukee, but treks to Cape Cod each summer to live their best lives. The story is told between the past and the present from the POV of Ann, Poppy, and Michael. I had some issues with elements of the plot, but I don't want to give away the story. I enjoyed the writing and most of the characters enough to give it four stars. Though it was set in the late nineties/early 2000s then present day, it felt as though it could have been in the 50s or 60s. I think some of my issues with elements of the story would be moot if that were the case. This was definitely worth reading. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Although this book wasn’t for me, I can understand some people enjoying it. I found two of the main characters completely unbelievable and couldn’t get past the main premise of the book. I did find the setting of Cape Cod enjoyable, but I couldn’t buy into the main character being so completely clueless and naive. Really wanted to like this book - disappointing!

Communication within a family is so necessary and so very very difficult. Especially for the characters in this story. An in-depth tale of how families can go so wrong. Well put together story with difficult characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I am having a hard time rating and reviewing this book. It was a decent story, but somehow I feel that I have heard it before. It was a sort of mixup of several previous reads.

Ann and Poppy are the teenaged daughters of a couple of 60s hippies who are now school teachers and weird, but loving parents. Michael is a classmate of Ann's whose mother has recently died, leaving him parentless and homeless. When Ed and Carol Gordon learn about Michael's circumstances, they invite him to live with them, and soon make the decision to adopt him.

The Gordons own an old cottage on Cape Cod, where they visit every summer, and that is where the story actually happens. Ann is babysitting for a rich couple in a big house, Michael is working on their landscaping crew, and Poppy is surfing and getting stoned. Then an event takes place that changes everything. Although not guilty, Michael takes the blame and disappears. Ann stays with her parents and gives up her college scholarships, and Poppy just disappears.

Years later, while returning to Wisconsin from the Cape, Ed and Carol Gordon are killed in a head-on collision. Ann, as the only one reachable, declares herself executor of their estate and begins to get rid of her past, in an effort to erase it.

Nothing works out as Ann has planned and in the end everyone lives happily ever after.

The book opens with Ann, an attorney and single mom living in Boston, meeting with a realtor to initiate the sale of her family’s rustic cottage on Cape Cod. Ann and her sister Poppy inherited the cottage when their aging parents were killed in a car accident. Poppy fell in love with surfing on the Cape and built an itinerant life focused on practicing/teaching yoga and chasing big waves. In flashbacks, it is revealed that they also have an adopted brother named Michael who shares the inheritance. Most of the book focuses on one quietly explosive Cape Cod summer when Ann, Poppy and Michael shifted from childhood and became adults. The events of that summer changed all of their lives drastically. Will returning to their second home on the Cape help them heal?