I HATE when I leave a book in my TBR pile and then I love it!

After being asked by her conniving sister to "house sit" for the summer and finding out it was really a job to cook and do laundry for the man working on the house; Jill Conroy decides to stick it out and does what's asked of her. A sweet story of healing generational traumas, setting boundaries, and finding your own strength, this quick read is 100% worth picking up.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5125155140

Jill Conroy thinks she is having a vacation in a cottage in Florida where she has been asked by her sister to housesit for her roommate. When she arrives she finds out she is supposed to be a housekeeper and cook for the summer at Seashell Cottage while it is being renovated by Greg Campbell. One man is okay, but his nephew Brody and his spoiled 8 year old daughter might be more than she bargained for. As she spends more time at the beach and gets to know Greg, Brody and Kacy, she begins to feel peace, something she hasn't had in a long time living with her recently deceased, emotionally abusive husband. This is a summer of finding herself, standing up for herself, shedding some baggage and secrets as well as new beginnings for herself, her sister, Cristal as well as Brody and Kacy.

I really enjoyed this wonderful summer story. It has so much that I love. The characters were well developed, relatable and people I would like to know. Jill has been bullied most of her life, first by her mother, then her sister and finally her husband. She knows what it feels like, so when she sees that Kacy is suffering from bullying and emotional abuse from her mother, she quietly, and carefully supports the young girl and helps her to recognize that she is a wonderful young girl. Finding a BFF also helps Kacy and has she becomes happier, her whole outlook changes. This made my heart happy. I also loved seeing Jill stand up for herself and make plans for a new life that would make her happy. Her intention was not to have a man in her life, but Brody is such a sweetie and a wonderful dad, he is hard to resist. Throw in Cristal and a sister relationship that is on rocky ground, and I was thrilled to see some healing between the two of them as they shared emotions and feelings they had throughout their lives. Of course, communication would have solved and maybe even prevented some of the issues, but it is easier said than done. This is my first book by Judith Keim and with her extensive backlist, I know I will be enjoying more of her books in the future.

Such a sweet story.. A Summer of Surprises by Judith S. Keim, is a great escape from the every day. Jill Conroy, is tricked by her sister to become the housekeeper and cook at the Seashell Cottage in Florida. At first she is annoyed and angry that her sister did this but soon Florida starts to feel like home. The house is filled, with Greg Campbell and his nephew are there as well as Brody’s daughter. Jill has never felt so comfortable and at home. Which is so surprising to her. She has a home in NY and a good teaching job. But there are memories there that she never addressed and never left behind. So while in Florida, figuring out life changes become reality. Her late husband was verbally abusive and this has always made Jill shy. But this summer she breaks out of her shell. She works at a camp part time and enjoys Greg and Brody’s company. Jill decides to stay in Florida. She applies for a teaching position and makes the arrangements to head south. All is going well until Jill’s sister says she is cutting her trip short and comes to the cottage. Then their mother comes down and things start to crumble. Secrets and past hurts are all brought out into the open. Can Jill get past this? Can she find love with Brody? Can she mend her friendship with her sister? Forgive her mother? This story had a lot of depth. I enjoyed the characters and the writing. Thank you to Netgalley & Judith S Keim for an advanced copy for an honest review. It was a pleasure to read and review this book. It was a 4 star read for me and I hope you enjoy it too..

I read this awhile ago and just realized I never left my review. Oops!

From what I remember of the plot, this was a feel-good read with flawed characters, a charming setting, and lots to love. More Jan just a romance, it was about finding yourself, healing from the past, forging new relationships, and moving forward. It wasn't heavy, but heartfelt and the perfect summer read!

A Summer of Surprises is just that. I enjoyed this light, fun and romantic summer story. Characters were well developed and the plot was entertaining.

To me, this was a story of healing and so much more. I loved the characters and would love to visit Sea Shell Cottage with them.
Many thanks to Wild Quail Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoy this author's books. I loved the story of Jill and learning about the struggles of growing up and unhappy marriage and how she took charge and started thinking about herself. On a summer vacation to Florida, a so-called quiet beach cottage her sister asked her to house sit for turns into a whole lot more. The story is filled with a roller coaster of emotions and self-discovery. Finding love again and rebuilding family relationships. I enjoy how this book connects with her other books like going to the Salty Key Inn for dinner or Gavins for breakfast. It's like I already know the area. I look forward to reading the next book!

I couldn't stop reading when I started this, sad to have to let it down, so eager to pick it back up again. And that, to me, is what good books need to be about - good story, gorgeous locales, engaging and sympathetic characters, and growth and 'betterment' throughout. This book had all this, along with a few surprise twists that warmed the heart or tugged at the heartstrings. Totally fell in love with this series and cannot wait to read more from the author

Judith Keim's books transport the reader to highly enjoyable and relaxing places which is so needed in our lives right now. This book had a little bit of everything---from laughs to tears and seriousness to fun! I was fortunate to be able to read the book prior to publication and I loved every word! Thank you so much!!!!

A Summer of Surprises by Judith Keim is a delightful, fun beach read that surprised me with the growth and development of the main character, Jill.

Jill has been in hibernation mode since she her husband passed away. She slowly starts to come out of hibernation and her sister hooks her up with a dream cottage by the sea where she falls hard core in love with the serenity . Looking forward to the time on the beach, Jill has barely arrived at her dream come true cottage when she meets the older gentleman who is doing some handy work on the cottage. Sharing the cottage with the handyman isn't so bad...until she discovers that she is also going to be sharing the cottage with the handyman's very attractive nephew and his spoiled daughter.

Jill is finally ready to heal and move on...and I am thrilled that she is making changes and having fun. She is a wonderful character, hard not to like. This was an enjoyable read that I read in just a few hours...and enjoyed as the vibe of the book stayed with me for quite some time.

I requested a temporary digital advance review copy of A Summer of Surprises by Judith Keim and Wild Quail Publishing. My review was voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Jill Conroy's sister, Cristal, asked her to watch a cottage and relax. When Jill gets there she finds out she is to be housekeeper and cook for 2 men a young girl. That is nothing new for how Cristal treats Jill. It has been this way all their lives and even their own mom makes excuses for Cristal and always covers for her and makes Jill ungrateful
But what ends up happening is Jill loves that she is away from New York and meeting new people. So while taking care of the 2 men doing the maintenance work on the house, she becomes friends with them and even getting the little girl to be more open.
I loved the characters except for spoiled Cristal and their mom but even then you start learning more of why they are the way they are.
Thank you Judith Keim and Netgalley for the chance to review this beautiful book.

Though I was excited to read a light summer book, this ended up being much more than that. Not only did this book have a beautiful cover, but it also had a nice story to go with it.

The characters were unique and the plot was more in-depth than I first imagined it might be. It managed to bring out issues that several characters needed to address and work through.

Though the story felt somewhat predictable, what it had to offer in the way of character development kept my interest level up. Plus, it was well written. For those reasons, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book.

It’s fun, and it’s very enjoyable.

A Summer of Surprises is more than a love story, it delves into relationships, divorce, children, and so much more.

What Concerned Me
A small concern is that certain aspects felt predictable.

What I Liked Best
The character development probably impressed me the most. In a day when family relationships can be very complicated, situations in the book were handled honestly and in a believable manner.

Then when you complicate life with divorce and children, this too felt like it was portrayed honestly.

My thanks to NetGalley and Judith Keim for the ARC and the ability to post my honest opinion of the book.

When Jill finally decides she needs a break, she takes up her sister's offer to house set at a beach house in Florida. Little did she know that she would end up being the house cook and keeper. She especially did not expect to be the taxi driver for a obnoxious little girl on top of everything else. As she stepped into her role for the summer, she begins to find herself torn between liking Brody, one of the maintenance guys working on the house, and reliving the past from an abusive dead husband. Jill finds she likes the cozy beach town and is weaving her way into change. Change from her dictorial mother, demanding sister, and begins to live her own life on her terms. I loved this story and cannot wait to see what Ms. Keim writes next. She is quickly turning into one of my favorite authors. Thanks to Ms. Keim, NetGalley, and Wild Quail Publishing for the chance to read and review this book.

A wonderfully written story that is so much more than just a sweet romance. It's a story of a woman finding her strength and even more, her place in life. She takes control away from those that have kept her in an unhappy place and allows herself to grow into the woman that controls her own path. It's a story of a child overcoming bullying. It's the story of a man overcoming the miserable choices he has made in life. It is sweet, endearing, romantic while also being about strength, kindness, seeing your potential and grabbing life with both hands to live it to the fullest. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more in this series.

I really enjoyed this book. Jill has always been smart and confident. It all starts to unravel when her sister asks her to house sit a cattage in Fl. Dreaming of sunny lazy days, she packs her bags and goes. BUT, upon arrival, she finds the cottage in renovation, and relizes her sister is using her. She has to clean, and cook for Greg, the handyman who is staying there to renovate the cottage, plus his nephew Brody and Kacy, Brody’s spoiled, young daughter. The author helps us get to know the characters so we can understand their actions. For Jill, it's a decision of trying to put the past behind her and start over. But, can she? I want to thank Net Galley for giving me the chance to read this for an honest opinion.

The premise of this book was great! I wanted to live at SeaShell Cottage! But the story was kind of corny. I did fall in love with Jill--but she began to grate on my nerves by the end. While I love a good summer story at the beach, the storyline here was a bit superficial and the writing was not enthralling.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wild Quail Publishing, and Judith Keim for the ARC of A Summer of Surprises in trade for my personal and honest review.

I have read several of Judith Keim’s books, and she always manages to imbue her books with such a sense of family and place. This book is no exception. Having grown up with four sisters, I appreciated the brief and intermittent look at the relationship between the heroine and her spoiled older sister. The main character had far more going on than that, though. Widowed for two years, she suffered mental cruelty from her husband, and so was not too displeased by his passing. But because of the long-term hurt she sustained, she not only keeps herself from men who might treat her well but also shies away from much interaction with anyone, even other women and family. That is not the only family dynamic going on in this book. Though her sister appeared to be offering the use of a Florida cottage while she and her friend were away, they actually had told the workers who were going to be at the cottage that she would be their cook and housekeeper! She was just hoping for a quiet summer off; she is normally a kindergarten teacher. One worker brought his very spoiled daughter. Dad and daughter certainly have a lot of work to do, and this was certainly not what our heroine signed up for. But there are also happy surprises, as you might imagine, but I will leave those for you to discover yourself. I did think that the author did a good job of showing the complex web of family dynamics without making the story feel heavy because of it. She has an easy, breezy writing style that is such a pleasure to read. As you can tell, I enjoyed this book.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Surprises-Judith-Keim-ebook/dp/B0883XJ9RX/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2TLXFDTDKE1SJ&dchild=1&keywords=summer+of+surprises%2C+judith+keim&qid=1593209219&sprefix=summer+of+surprises%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-2

Ok, let's start with the title, who doesn't want an entire summer of surprises- sign me up! The cover art is intriguing and a place that I want to be at with a beach, another human and a sandcastle. Don't get me wrong, quarantine hasn't been THAT BAD, but a change of scenery really looks good right now, but with increasing cases and the death toll rising, I will take my sandcastle between two covers or inside of my kindle..hehehe.
We begin this book with Jillian receiving a call from her sister, Cristal asking her to live at a cottage on the Gulf Coast in Florida. Jill has had quite the time with her husband’s death two years ago and her tremulous family situation. Jillian currently lives in a town called Ellenton, an upstate town in NY, allegedly. Funny thing about that is that Ellenton is an actual town in Florida, but there is an upstate NY town called Ellenville, not mentioned here. The other little incorrect fact that I found is that this teacher is done with school and drive down to Florida by June 8th. New York schools do not finish until the END of June, as we start after labor day. So, for not fact checking these tiny points, the author loses a star- come on, these are easy things to find out. Did I mention that while Jillian is staying in Florida, doing a favor for her sister, her siter will be flitting around Europe. Jill arrives to the cottage and is ready to settle in for a relaxing time, but is suddenly bogged down with chores and jobs that she had no idea was part of the summer plans. Cooking and laundry, oh what fun..it gets even better. Jillian thought that she was going to have a kid free summer, recovering from her school year with kindergarteners, but she is surprised when the worker’s nephew shows up with his 8-year-old finicky daughter. We are taken on quite the ride of finding friends, realizing that things weren’t what they thought they were, things you see on the outside aren’t always the truth, looks sure can be disguising and love can see us through it all.

Absolutely love this story of Jill rebuilding her life after an abusive husband and hurt from her family. I love her journey of making the big leap to start her life over and find her happiness in a new place. The love, new life and friendships she finds are uplifting. This story hit for me as I’m contemplating changes myself. It’s such a positive distraction from all the pain in the word right now. So grateful to the author for being a member of her review team, NetGalley and the publisher by reading an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jill's life has not been easy. A difficult marriage and a barely average relationship with her mother had marked her existence. Now, in her early thirties she is ready for a change.
Will she chose to be happy?
It's a lovely book for a cozy afternoon reading.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.