The Second Home is a stellar debut from author Christina Clancy and I look forward to many more books to come. I found this book to hit all the spots! It's emotionally arresting, intriguing, and an absolute must have for anyone's beach bag during the summer of 2020!

It was such a pleasure to read this story of a non-traditional family from Wisconsin and their Cape Cod vacation home! I loved every page! Ann, Poppy and their adopted brother Michael spent a few summers together a the beach, loving all that the Cape had to offer. Insurmountable conflicts and challenges happen late in their teen years, and the family dynamic changes. The sisters go their separate ways, while Michael is essentially ousted. The one common denominator in their lives is the old Cape Cod house.

I highly recommend this book to those readers who love an emotional tale, with short term stressors, and a satisfying ending.

I have a few thoughts about this book, specifically why it didn't fully work for me. The story itself was good, past/present story lines intersect well, good character development, with the exception of Ann. While she has a serious story line through the book, I just couldn't really empathize with her in the present-day story. She had a traumatic experience in the past and seems to have moved forward but her anger in the present was over the top to me, and detracted from the entire story. Both Michael's and Poppy's progressions seemed more realistic given the family dynamics and characters.

I would read another book by this author if given the chance.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of The Second Home by Christina Clancy.

Cape Cod makes for a wonderful setting for this book about a second family home, and the choices made that surround their beloved memories of the place.

Christina Clancy gives the reader impressive character development in The Second Home. I love it when an author wisely crafts a story without making the cast of characters too complicated. The Second Home has some you love, and some not so much. I particularly like how Ms. Clancy developed the 3 teenager's summers, how separate events occur, and how they sought their own individuals paths. The characters felt real, and offer very distinct personalities.

The Second Home is at the heart of their lives, their fond memories, and their struggles.

This was not the type of book I usually read but once I started to read it I found it quite enjoyable. Wordy at times but an interesting storyline. The only negative I had about the book was that the ending was too 'fairytale' .

Christina Clancy’s novel ‘The Second Home’ is about a Milwaukee family—Ed and Connie, sisters Ann and Poppy, and adopted teenage brother Michael—who spend their summers in their second home on Cape Cod. The house has been in the family for generations, and the family had made beautiful memories in the summer house. That is, until Ann turns seventeen and everything changes. This is where the story turns from a light beach read to a story of full of raw emotion, trauma, family secrets and eventually estrangement.

Fifteen years later, Ed and Connie are killed in a terrible automobile accident and Ann and Poppy are left to sort out the fate of the summer home. After Michael learns of the death of Ed and Connie, he returns to claim himself as a rightful heir to the estate. And more than just wanting the house, he wants to set the record straight on what happened years prior. The siblings need to decide if they can become a family again and if the house will remain the anchor of their lives.

I particularly loved how well developed the characters were. I felt like I knew each of the vastly different characters intimately. Clancy did a wonderful job tying the loose ends together, leaving me completely satisfied. I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a family saga and this one didn't disappoint! I felt like we got to know everyone very well and was sucked into their world. I loved the details about Cape Cod. I also appreciated that it was just a story and not something with a "shocking" twist.

I really wanted to like The Second Home. Family dramas are normally my favorite type of novel. However, I had a hard time sticking with this one, in part because the pacing in the beginning is quite slow and the characters don't jump off the page in terms of their relatability and complexity. While Clancy is clearly a talented writer and I'll look forward to more of her work, this one sadly missed the mark for me.

Loved this messy family drama of a book. Starts a tiny bit slow, but then picks up and I fell in love with every member of the family. Ended up finishing in 2 days. This book will give you all the feels and you will love the characters.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book for me was a bit slow. It did have a good storyline though and a good amount of characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A wonderful love story that is full of conflict and anguish. The characters are believable and likable. the story has a lot of surprises both good ad bad. the only problem I had was too much narrative that made the story move too slow. I found myself skipping pages that did not have any dialog.

Loved this book! Found some of the story a bit hard to believe! But didn’t detract from the buildup to the climax if the story!

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

The Gordon family . . . Ann, Poppy, adopted brother Michael, mother Connie, father Ed . . . called Milwaukee, Wisconsin home but spent every summer at their other home in Cape Cod. The house had been in the family for generations and the family loved spending time there. But the year Ann was seventeen, everything changed.

Fifteen years after that disastrous summer, Connie and Ed have died, killed in a horrific automobile accident. The sisters have no idea where Michael is; they’ve decided to sell the house and move on. But when Michael comes back into their lives, can they find a way to right the old wrongs and become be a family once again?

There’s a strong sense of place that firmly anchors this narrative. The unfolding story, told alternately though the points of view of the three siblings, switches between past and present. While well-drawn and believable, the characters are flawed; Ann, in particular, is not particularly empathetic. And readers may find it difficult to accept the family’s wiliness to jump to unsubstantiated conclusions rather than seeking real answers.

The narrative reveals the fragility of family, of home. It reminds readers that love and life can be ephemeral. And, although they will find it easy to predict the ending of this compelling tale of family dynamics, there remains a hefty dose of heartfelt compassion drawing everyone together.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheSecondHome #NetGalley

THE SECOND HOME is a juicy family drama filled with endearing and relatable characters. Like most family dramas, there are secrets (known to the reader, but not the characters) that push the plot forward. It wwas a thoroughly enjoyable read, although at times I did want to slap some of the characters for their obstinance and poor communication skills

The story started a bit slow but it was so good. I was totally engrossed with this family. Thanks Netgalley and to the publisher for this Arc.

I normally try and wait to review books that have publishing dates that are 6+ months away but after I read the book summary of Christina Clancy's debut novel I knew I had to read it right away. I am a big family of sagas that follow a family over time and The Second Home centers around the Gordon family and spans multiple decades.

Clancy's writing style is incredibly detailed and engrossing and I felt like I could picture each of her main characters so well. They were layered and raw and while I couldn't always relate to them (Poppy) I felt like I could understand them because of Clancy's gifted character development.

The Cape Cod setting was perfect for this family drama that reads like a beach read but has a depth that made it so much more than that. Through the shifting perspectives of Ann, Poppy, and Michael, secrets are revealed and family bonds are tested.

The ending was particularly satisfying and I loved how the charactered connected and reconnected throughout time and the idea that family can sometimes be something you create on your own.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy.

Get on this emotional roller coaster because you'll enjoy the ride and want to take others with you. Three siblings with ties to a family vacation home struggle with life, death, and the things that tear you apart. But then you have to put those torn pieces together. Each sibling represents a distinct personality with characters so realistically crafted that they seem like people you know. There will be times when you won't be able to stop reading and times you'll need to power down and reflect before moving on to an ending that will bring out the smiles.

After a disastrous summer spent at her family summer home on Cape Cod, seventeen-year-old Ann Gordon was left with a secret that changed her life forever, and created a rift between her sister, Poppy, and their adopted brother, Michael.
Now, fifteen years later, her parents have died, leaving Ann and Poppy to decide the fate of the Wellfleet home that's been in the Gordon family for generations. For Ann, the once-beloved house is tainted with bad memories. Poppy loves the old saltbox, but after years spent chasing waves around the world, she isn't sure she knows how to stay in one place.
Just when the sisters decide to sell, Michael re-enters their lives with a legitimate claim to the house. But more than that, he wants to set the record straight about that long ago summer. Reunited after years apart, these very different siblings must decide if they can continue to be a family—and the house just might be the glue that holds them together.
Told through the shifting perspectives of Ann, Poppy, and Michael, this assured and affecting debut captures the ache of nostalgia for summers past and the powerful draw of the places we return to again and again. It is about second homes, second families, and second chances. Tender and compassionate, incisive and heartbreaking, The Second Home is the story of a family you'll quickly fall in love with, and won't soon forget. ****** Thanks to @NetGalley and @Stmartinspress for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. This was a van tastic debut novel from this author. I just absolutely love this book! I knew from the very first few pages I was going to love it. The author did an outstanding job with the in-depth descriptions of the characters and even with the scenery. The book was well written and so engaging. The book is due to be released in June 2020, I perfect beach read!!

Christina Clancy’s The Second Home is an emotional read focused on family. I love the characters and felt like I could really connect with all 3 siblings. The story started off a bit slow, but I kept with it and am so glad I did.

This book is the story about Ann, Poppy, and Michael and their unconventional way of becoming a family and developing strong bonds. The family from Wisconsin loves spending time at their Cape Cod house during the summers, and they all get to know each other, and explore their own lives a little bit more.
Decisions and consequences eventually cause a divide within the family and eventually the 3 children need to determine what to do with the Cape Cod home. This story follows that rediscovery, and growth in relationships.