3.5 stars

I'm always up for a book that revolves around some long-standing family drama. This story held my interest but I wouldn't say that I loved any of the characters. That's okay though because that's not really a requirement for me to enjoy a book. I do wish that lack of communication which was an ongoing theme wouldn't have been so prevalent in the story. I think that's part of the reason I became frustrated with just about every character in the book.

Ann Gordon is back at the Cape Cod home she spent her summers at while she was growing up. Her parents have recently died and she has been tasked with selling their summer home as neither she nor her sister, Poppy, can afford to keep it. Her adopted brother, Michael, hasn't been in contact with the family in years and when he tries to claim he has rights to the home, it doesn't go over well with Ann. You see something pretty major happened about 15 years ago when they were teenagers that caused a huge rift in the family. It's not a cliche to say things were never the same after that particular summer on the Cape. The story follows Ann, Poppy, and Michael during that fateful summer and the present day when they are reunited. Hmm... family members that aren't on good terms and now you throw in a disagreement about a house. Yes, there is going to be some drama in this story, that's for sure.

For much of the book I thought Poppy was an unnecessary character to include but by the end I did think she brought something to the table. As I mentioned before it was easy to feel frustration when some characters make certain decisions. It's like I wanted to reach thru the pages, grab them by the shoulders, shake them, and yell, "what are you doing?'. However, despite my varying levels of annoyance with some of the characters, I still felt invested enough to want to see how everything would play out in the end.

There are two random things I really loved that the author included in the story. I was happy to see a couple Polish references, and my guess is if she can name drop Polish Falcons, she must have some Polish blood in her like I do. The other thing I liked was at the end of Part One there was a good joke about the parents. I gotta tell you it was 100% necessary as it really had been driving me nuts how naive and oblivious the parents were when it came to the kids. The joke at least acknowledged this fact which helped ease my frustration.

There were a few times the author kinda glossed over something I thought could have been covered more thoroughly. While I liked the story, it could have used some polishing up a bit in order to really take it to a higher level. I still consider it a good read though. If you are interested in reading this one, be prepared, there are some dark moments in the story. If you are strictly looking for a lighthearted read, I would look elsewhere.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

I started reading this yesterday, full of enthusiasm and excited for a new journey with this family, The notion of the Second House, the vacation home really had me curious so I dove in and I read this book in a day and a half... Um, I’m kind of taken back by how irked this entire book made me.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, liked looking back at their midwestern childhood, the idea of a vacation home that’s been in the family. I enjoyed getting to know this family at first. I even got pulled into the feeling that you know some drama was going to start building in the story. The it slowly starts taking a turn to the awkward side. And more awkward. Then cringeworthy, Then uncomfortable. Just didn’t love this story at all, I do not watch a lot of Lifetime movies, but I enjoy a fun read. This was just a no for me.

I have read 60 women’s fiction books in a year. This will be my first negative review. With that said, a positive note I can add... As an illustrator, I loved the cover and the cover was what drew me to the book.

Thanks Net Galley!

Ann and her sister Poppy had a very bad experience at their home in Cape Cod one summer that caused really bad feelings between them and their adopted brother Michael.
Years later after their parents died, they decided to sell both of their parents homes, including the one at the Cape.
But things aren’t that simple when their adopted brother lays claim to the house that he owns it and they can’t sell it. He wants to make amends among them but will he get the chance to do so?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. I really did. After tragedy strikes a family, they start to slowly unravel during the summer in their vacation home in Cape Cod. Each and every character is dealing with this differently. and each of them are flawed in their own way which again, make me love the book even more. Such a story about healing, family, even though some of it made me angry, there was still come love there.

3.5 stars for a story that kept my interest right through the entire book. The Gordon family consists of the cool mom & dad teachers and their two daughters Ann and Polly, until Ann brings home Michael who has been orphaned and is all alone. The adoption creates mixed feelings, but all are happy he is a part of the family.

Until.... bad babysitter father decides to alter it all. Without giving the plot away, suffice it to say happy is not the description of the family any longer. Unity is not a word they use anymore, either. All deal with the situation differently and the story is told through the eyes of the three children as they age.

Central location is the summer home on Cape Cod, where all have put down roots of one sort or another. What is home? Is it where your memories are from the past or the setting of future ones to come?

The only thing that put me off was the phrase that they looked forward to going back every summer to the Cod. No one who knows anything about Cape Cod calls it anything other than the Cape.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

It is no secret that I love books with different POV's. This book did not disappoint. The book is told through, Ann, Poppy and Michael. This reverts tp past summer vacations; This truly is about second chances.

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

Very enjoyable read! Took some time to get used to the back and forth between current and past, but it was definitely necessary to tell the whole story from so many different points of view.

Looking forward to reading more books by this author :)

I really enjoyed this book! It was a super fast easy read for me! Super cozy and homey feel! 5 stars from me!

This novel will grab a hold of you and keep you until the very end. The stories of three siblings are threaded through the events of their parents dying and of what to do with a vacation home that they all love and cherish.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What an adventure reading The Second Home by Christina Clancy is! There is the separation between the past and the present... and three people who haven't quite lived in the present. The truth from the past is bound to come out once Ann lists the family home on Cape Cod for sale.

I do not want to discuss the plot too much, mostly because I think it is better to dive in and get to know the characters through the narration and points of view. (See Trigger below).

My favorite parts: I found this book to contain intriguing, realistic (flawed like we all are) characters and complex feelings and emotions regarding what happened that summer so long ago. The setting is described vividly so I felt I was there, pulled into this deep story about love, family and forgiveness. The writing is great- I seriously will be following Christina Clancy and looking for more of her books to read!


Triggers: Sexual Assault

Thank you to NetGalley, author Christina Clancy, and St. Martin's Press for the temporary digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own!

I started this book with no idea of what I would find inside....You see..this book is not really about a second home....its about family, love, desperation, deceit...but more than anything else its about the every lasting love between family members... Ann and Poppy live a idyllic life ..but as life can do..things change one summer at the family house... This causes many years of heart ache and secrets. I found myself turning pages and hoping for the best. I recommend you do the same...

First, the reader should be aware that this book includes a description of sexual assault. If reading about a sexual assault will be too discomforting or traumatic for you, this might not be the book for you. However, it is pretty obvious when the sexual assault is going to occur and that segment of the story can be quickly skimmed if necessary without the reader losing anything essential. Yet it is the ramifications of the sexual assault that reverberate through the story.

The second home referenced in the title is the Gordon family's summer house in Wellfleet, MA, on Cape Cod. It is that house and the summer adventures that bind together Ed and Connie Gordon and their teenage daughters Ann and Poppy. In the summer of 1999, the family invites along Michael, a classmate of Ann's who has lost his mother and father and has been taken in by the Gordons. It is during the trip that Michael learns the Gordons want to officially adopt him. The summer is magical for all of them. However, summer 2000 was not magical, but rather would see the family start to fracture, with the ramifications of events that summer, especially the sexual assault, tearing apart the family later in the year, upending Ann's carefully scripted life plan, seeing Michael run away, and later seeing Poppy run away.

In 2015, Ed and Connie Gordon die in a traffic accident and it is up to Ann to settle the estate, including dealing with the summer home in Wellfleet, a decision made harder by the absence of a will. The second half of the book revolves around the possible sale of the home, which is complicated by past events, the strained relationship between Ann and Poppy, and the reappearance of Michael, who has a strong attachment to the house.

Overall, this was a very good book. I thought the main characters were well developed and I liked the storylines the author created for Poppy and Michael during the years they were away from the family. I also liked Noah (Ann's son) and Avery (Michael's daughter) and the way they met and developed their friendship. The author did a good job of expressing the meaning of the Wellfleet home to each of the main characters and of the importance of home and family (even if the family is somewhat unconventional). There were some clever surprises/twists in the story. There was a uniqueness/quirkiness to the Wellfleet house that made it particularly charming.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Christina Clancy’s ‘The Second Home’ is, in many ways, a treatise on growth amid adversity. (Or, in some cases, the lack thereof.) It’s a story about the power of familial bonds, and of the ways that life can be achingly imperfect.

When Ann Gordon meets Michael Davis, their connection is instant. Recently orphaned, Michael is welcomed into the Gordon household, and is eventually adopted. He is embraced as a brother by Ann’s little sister, Poppy, though Ann’s feelings for Michael (and his for Ann) are far more complicated. After an eventful, traumatic summer spent at the Gordon’s summer home on Cape Cod, Ann, Michael, and Poppy become estranged. Fifteen years later, their parents have died, and the three of them must come face-to-face with the ghosts of the past.

Personally, I think this novel packs quite a punch. The use of close third person narration style, with each chapter alternating between Ann, Michael, and Poppy’s perspectives, was highly effective. The manner in which the story unfolds creates a sense of nostalgia as well as a sense of irritation. Without providing any spoilers, there is a significant miscommunication that transpires between two of the protagonists that festers, and it’s difficult to read about. I also had a difficult time empathizing with Ann's anger and unwillingness to communicate, but perhaps that is kind of the point. Clancy’s characters are all flawed in their own ways and are written in an achingly human way.

This would be the perfect novel for those who enjoy a female-centric, introspective read, and who appreciate compelling, imperfect characters.

**An ARC was generously provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review.**

Somewhat predictable story of a family’s misdeeds, lies and misunderstandings set in Cape Cod. The plot seemed a little unrealistic, the personalities of the characters did not quite match their behavior.

Excellent book! It took me a bit to get into it. After the first 4 or 5 chapters, I was hooked. I love the young adult relationship issues, and how they affect the grown up person's. Great writing, excellent character development. I highly recommend this book.

Mostly set in Cape Cod, “The Second Home” does not focus on the rich who have, and the poor who have not. Instead it is the story of a middle class family and their enjoyment of a generational home they enjoy during the summer and occasional weekends. The two sisters of the family grew up close and the acceptance of an adopted brother during their high school years was easily assimilated. As “Ann with a Plan”, the oldest sister, focuses on her goals for college, she gets a job as a babysitter with a wealthy summer family to earn extra money. As a mentor ship/friendship develops with Maureen, the wife, Anthony, her husband begins noticing the young beautiful babysitter. Flattered by his attention, Ann finds herself in a compromising position that destroys her future plans and her family dynamics.

The strength of this story is carried by the fully developed characters. All are fully likable and the reader is cheering for each of them even though their imperfections shine bright. This is a beautiful story of a family who worked hard, found happiness, had their happiness destroyed in one breathtaking moment, but never gave up their search and work for the return of that happiness.

I had a little trouble getting into the book. It just seemed slow going. I kept going, though, and glad I did. I loved the way how Michael fought to be included. This story is a perfect example of people not communicating.

The only thing that I have to say to the author, Christina Clancy, is keep writing! I so needed to read a book this good right now. It’s dreary, rainy winter and this book was perfect to make the days a little brighter. The story is about a family comprised of Ed, Connie, Ann, Poppy and adopted son Michael. They normally live in Wisconsin but make yearly trips to their house on Cape Cod. The sisters normally hang out together at the Cape but this particular summer they go separate ways. Ann finds a babysitting job and Poppy meets a girl that not only teaches her to surf but also introduces her to drugs. Michael finds a job that summer too. I felt like I knew this family or at least wanted to. The characters were believable and the storyline was one you could lose yourself in. Very good book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest opinion.

Six months after her the death of both of her parents, Ann "Ann with a Plan" Gordon wants to sell the summer home that has been in her family for generations. There's no will but she has appointed herself the executor of the estate. She has only one thought, and that is to keep her estranged adopted brother Michael from having a benefit from the sale.

The book is told from the perspective of Ann, Poppy. and Michael and tells the events from the summer of 1999 and back to the present day. Ann is the take charge daughter, Poppy is the flighty free spirit, and Michael is the golden boy who never quite feels as if he fits in. It is a bit too much about how much they fit into their neat character boxes, but not unbearable.

Something happens to Ann in the summer of 1999 and like a stone thrown in a pond, the ripples extend out and touch everyone and everything. The incident in question made me angry and had it been a physical book instead of a digital copy I would have thrown it. A well known and somewhat overused plot device was employed here. I understand that it was used to further the story and fuel the plot but I didn't like it at all.

Barring those two things, the overall story was good. It was a quick read, dark enough to keep you invested (because trust me, after that one plot point I almost wanted to give it up) but light enough to be a summer read.

The characters, even though predictable, were well fleshed out. Where this author excels though is the setting descriptions. You can almost smell the salt and sulfur of the Cape. You can almost see the changes of the season in the landscape. You can almost feel the sand between your toes.

The Second Home is about coming home and reliving memories that may have been brighter when seen through the eyes of a child but are dimmed a bit as an adult. The memories are still yours and just as special. The Second Home is about more than just the house and the sale of it. It's about how "home" is really more your family and the connection you have to one another than a building.

I'm glad I stuck with this book until the end. The ending was quick but the plot was tied up nicely. This book will make a good summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to have a copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

I found this book a bit difficult—we go from adults to kids to separate lives. A story about love, lies, love, hate, indifference and finally a teary ending. Some people may like this kind of story telling so go ahead and read and enjoy it.