A Summer of Surprises by Judith Keim. A very good summer read. I loved the walks on the beach. I loved the characters the little girl Kacy is so much in love with being a family like her friend. The little girls have a pretend wedding being flower girls at the wedding of Kacys father and Jill. Of course there up and downs and problems along the way. But in the end so much happiness. Read the story you will love it.

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for a complimentary copy of A Summer of Surprises by Judith Keim for the purpose of reading and reviewing. My opinions are my own, and no one has influenced them in any way.

A Summer of Surprises is a well written novel with enchanting characters and a unique plot. The writing pulled me in right away and kept me engaged until the end. The story has plenty of emotionally charged scenes.

When Jill Convoy arrives at seashell cottage for her summer vacation, she learns she’s to be the housekeeper to Greg Campbell and his nephew, Brody while they remodel the cottage. She should have realized her sister had hidden the truth from her. She’s attracted to Brody and becomes attached to his daughter. I liked her character and could identify with her lack of confidence. Her ex-fiancée had really torn down her self-esteem.

Greg Campbell is a great hero. He is a loving father and helps his uncle. His patience with Jill amazed me. He will wait as long as she needs for her to be comfortable in her new life. 

The romance is sweet and develops slowly due to Jill’s need to make a new life in Florida. This is a story of a young woman overcoming the loss of her dreams, finding many things she thought were true are not. Her willingness to start anew with her sister touched me.

If you enjoy women’s fiction with plenty of depth and substance and endearing characters, then you will enjoy A Summer of Surprises as much as I did. I have fast become a fan of Ms. Keim’s novels. Happy reading!

This was a good book, just missed the mark of being great.  I liked the premise and development of the idea of making changes in your life.  I liked how Jill recognized  that things in her life need to be different, and worked at making that happen.  The slow building romance with Body was a bit too slow building, particularly how well-developed the relationship Jill built with his daughter, Kacy became.  That Jill and her sister wanted to change the nature of their relationship, and did so over the course of many conversations was a contrast to the insta-fix of their relationship with their mother.  The book was well written, the characters well-developed, just parts of the story took too long to get there, and others were too easy.  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley.  This is my freely given, honest review

This book is a great beach read.  Jill Conroy gets a call from her sister Cristal to house sit at Seashell Cottage in Florida. She decides to do it. She is a kindergarten teacher in Pennsylvania. She is also a widow. Her husband was an emotional abuser. Jill has a low self esteem because of it.  Cristal doesn’t tell her that she will be a cook and housekeeper for Greg Campbell, Brody - his nephew and Kacy - Brody’s daughter.  Jill ends up helpIng Brody with his daughter who has issues from her parents divorce.  Jill falls in love with Florida and finds herself. I really enjoyed this book.  Thank you NetGalley and Wild Quail Publishing for the E-ARC.  This is my own opinion.

A Summer of Surprises, A Seashell Cottage Book by Judith Keim is a book not of changing the world but of changing your own life for the better.  It contains an interesting look at family dynamics and the effect it can have on the members. It is also a book that gives hope to those who have been in toxic situations; hope that the past does not necessarily have to control the future. Jill found the she can overcome and make the positive changes that she wanted in her life. What is most enlightening is the rippling effect it had on the others around her. It reminded me of an old Bette Davis movie where she helps a young girl finding her own identity and love in the process. A Summer of Surprises is not a remake of that at all, it just reminded me of that movie. 

This is the first book I have read by Judith Keim which I found to be entertaining. Surprising I kept wanting to see what new changes or what disturbance would happen to Jill next. I said surprising because none of the decisions that Jill made would be considered to be extraordinary, still I want to find out what would happen next. This is a sign of a gifted writer who can write about ordinary life, making you want to keep reading.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A new beginning and a chance at really peace and happiness falls in her lap when Jills sister convinces her to house sit for a friend in Florida for the summer. Her life has not truly been her own since she married her husband, even if he has now passed on. Her trip may not be exactly what she was told, but it could not have turned out more perfect and satisfying and the changes she finds herself makinh are for her and her alone. It's an easy summer read with depth and feeling and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Great Romantic, Self Discovery Beach Read!  The book is really well written.  The characters are likable and relatable. Their problems and secrets are real and the reader is easily connected emotionally to the story.  There were times when I had tears in my eyes. Every character had their own issues to overcome and were able to find healing through revealing their secret and looking to others for support.  I loved reading this book!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

“A Summer of Surprises” is a poignant novel in the “Seashell Cottage Series” that tells us all about Jill starting her life over and starting fresh on many levels.

Judith Keim has given us a charming, whimsical & emotional romance. I found myself teary-eyed a few different times while reading.

My heart broke for Jill during some of these difficult decisions that she had to make.

This was my first book in the Series and can be read as standalone.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for fair and honest review.

A Summer of Surprises, written by Judith Keim, is another amazing addition to her Seashell Cottage series. After reading this book, I have to say that Judith Keim could not have picked out a better title for this book because every character has a summer filled with unexpected surprises.

Jill Conroy should have known better than to trust her older sister, Cristal, especially since she knows exactly how manipulative she can be. However, she had to admit a summer spent on the Gulf Coast of Florida might do her some good. After all, how difficult can it be to stay at Seashell Cottage while her sister and the owner of the cottage travel around Europe? Jill gets that answer once she arrives at Seashell Cottage. Cristal told her an older man, Greg Campbell, would be sharing the house with her while he is doing some work on the cottage, but she failed to tell her that she would be responsible for cooking and cleaning for him. On top of that, she also learns that Greg's nephew Brody will be staying there for a few weeks to assist Greg with his repairs...and he is bringing his eight-year-old daughter Kacy with him. So much for a quiet summer at the beach.

The story that unfolds is both uplifting and heartwarming. Judith Keim tackles an issue that so many of us can relate to...weight and self-esteem. The author also tackles a very difficult topic...emotional abuse. Anyone that has ever experienced abuse knows exactly how difficult the road to recovery can be. Physical abuse is not the only form of abuse to leave scars because emotional abuse is just as damaging. All of her life, Jill was referred to as the ugly sister, while Cristal was always the beautiful one in the family. In addition to spending her life constantly being demeaned by her mother, Jill married a man that was emotionally abusive as well. Her husband Jay died in a car accident two years ago, but the scars from his emotional abuse are still with her every day. Jill is trying to figure out what to do with her life, and how to finally begin to heal from the scars of her past. The summer may not be what she initially hoped it would be, but it ends up being exactly what she needed in so many ways. 

I do not want to reveal too much of the story, but trust me when I say this is definitely a book worth reading. The characters are all extremely well-written, and I loved every single one of them. My heart was breaking for Kacy, especially since she had so much to deal with at such a young age. I loved the way Jill immediately wanted to help Kacy and saw right through her acts of defiance. In addition to her own personal struggles growing up, the experience Jill has from being a teacher is evident in the way in which she deals with Kacy. Brody is a wonderful and interesting character, and all of his training as a school psychologist seems to go out the window when it comes to his daughter Kacy. It is difficult for any parent to see their child suffer, and Brody is hoping this summer at Seashell Cottage will give him the time to figure out his next steps to help Kacy.

Overall, this is a beautifully written story about friendship, family, love, and the long-lasting effects of abuse. This book is a roller coaster ride filled with a lot of emotions that so many readers will be able to relate to. The hurt and pain from the character's pasts are examined, and the road to healing is an amazing thing to witness as the book goes on. This book is truly a breath of fresh air, with characters that take the journey of healing...together.

I would like to thank Judith Keim, NetGalley, and Wild Quail Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read and review A Summer of Surprises. My views are my own, and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

Jill Conroy needs a get-away from her life in New York state. When her sister Cristal offers her the chance to spend the summer at her friend’s beach house, Seashell Cottage, in Florida, Jill doesn’t think twice. She should have. Cristal has a history of not always being totally honest and this time she’s hidden a major component – two men and a little girl. 

Greg Campbell and his nephew Brody are doing renovation work on the Cottage and are expecting Jill to be their housekeeper/cook. Fortunately, the men are easy to please, Brody is definite eye candy, and his daughter Kacy, while a challenge even for a third-grade teacher, is a cute kid. 

This story was a twist on vacation-at-the-beach novels. No stereotypical construction men, bratty kids, manipulative sister, stressed teacher here. Each of the characters was multifaceted, with strengths and weaknesses that made them realistically human. As a former teacher I could really understand Jill’s struggle with her decisions and with her relationship with Kacy. It would have been easy for the Jill to “solve” Kacy’s problems but the way the author handled their interaction was more true-to-life than expected – no straight line to perfection. This is the first book I’ve read by Judith Keim, but it won’t be the last – I’ve already downloaded her Chandler Hill series. 

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. The opinion is my own.

I totally enjoyed this book. A woman’s journey of 
Faith, love and healing. Jill finds herself widowed at a young age, her husband was verbally abusive behind closed doors, making Jill think she would never amount to anything. When her impulsive, reckless younger sister offers her a vacation in exchange for house sitting duties At Seashell Cottage Jill decides why not and agrees.
The house sitting also involves housekeeping , meals and child care for the guys doing remodeling at the same time. A summer of finding love not only with a wonderful man and his daughter, new lifelong friendships, but most importantly Jill finds self acceptance and healing. I loved this book. I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.#netgalley

An entertaining and well written romance.  Good plot and character development. Enjoyed the Florida setting.  Readers of romance will enjoy this book.  I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley.  This is my unbiased review.

It's the first book I read in this series even though I read other by this author.
I like how she writes and found this book engrossing and entertaining, with a plot that flows and an interesting cast of characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on June 23, 2020

A Summer of Surprises is another winner from Judith Keim. I have enjoy each of this authors books that I have had the pleasure to read, this one was no exception. Jill is a widow with plenty of unhappy memories, once again she does a favor for her sister Cristal and in the process her life will be changed forever. This is a excellent summer read, action packed and full of emotions and self-discovery. I would most definitely recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the publisher and this is my fair an honest review.

Excellent read.  Jill started off doing her sister a favor, which turned out to be a working vacation.  She  Since she wasn't really surprised, but she made the most of it..  She met a very nice man with an eight year old daughter that had just a few issues.  Jill had not had a very good marriage and she wasn't ready to settle down very quckly.  There were parts of the book I really liked - how Jill and her sister Cristal finally came to terms with their relationship, how Kacy learned to be a good kid, and how the sisters learned how to deal with their mother.  The characters were very well written and there were several side characters that were interesting too.  Another good Judith Keim book.  I've enjoyed every one I've read

This is a book in the Seashell Cottage series, but each book is absolutely a stand-alone book, though if you have read the others, you get occasional glimpses of familiar characters! This was a good summer beachy-read, but I found the original premise of luring Jill to Florida a little unbelievable and Jill staying even more unbelievable. She is promised a stay in Florida at Seashell cottage in exchange for taking care of the cottage - what her sister failed to tell her was that there were others staying there, and that she is responsible for cooking for them. 

I really liked the story of how Jill comes out of her shell, and also how she connects with the little girl staying at the college, and starts to build a new future for herself. 

Dysfunctional family dynamics, getting over an abusive relationship, and several other difficult issues plague the main characters and present barriers to finding love and happiness...will they be able to come together and form a new family? You’ll have to read the book and see!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A good summer read. When Jill gets tricked into going to Florida, little does she know her house-sitting would include cooking and taking care of a handy man, his nephew and his nephew's daughter. A lot of issues on both sides, but all works out for a HEA. Highly recommend this one, and found it hard to put down. Only thing I didn't like was Charlie. Didn't see the need.

A Summer of Surprises by Judith Keim.

Thank you to Netgalley, Wild Quail Publishing and Judith Keim for giving me this book for review. 
This was my first Judith Keim novel and it will not be my last. I loved the way in which this story was written, with a multi perspective. For me it helps me get inside each character. 
Jill is for me the main character in this novel, she is a teacher and is asked by her sister if she would look after a house in Florida for the summer. She is told that there is an older man in the house doing repair work to it but decides that will be ok. When she arrives however, Jill discovers that there is more to it that just house sitting. She decides to go with the flow and enjoy the summer and all that it will entail anyway. As Jill does this, she begins to find out more about herself and what she wants. We also discover that Jill is not the only one with secrets in her family. 
The other characters in this novel are also very engaging and they really get under your skin. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I would highly recommend this book. It has second chance romances as well, which are so lovely.
Here are a couple of quotes that I liked and I hope you do as well. 
“A strong woman can change her future”. 
“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves”

This book is the perfect summer beach read/fun/lazy afternoon read. I loved this story!  Families and the different ways they interact and learn to work out their differences.. The main character had a terrible first marriage and had to learn to trust all over again. I loved the descriptiveness in the book and character development was great. This is truly a book to enjoy.

Thank you Net Galley, Wild Quail Publishing and Author, Judith Keim for an ARC of this book. The review and comments are my honest opinion.
Emotionally distant sisters, Jill and Cristal have never been close and their mother has perpetually kept the sisters apart. Constantly extolling the beauty of Cristal, Jill, the smart one, has always felt alienated. Given the chance to become her own person, Jill moves temporarily to a beach town in Florida. What she finds there is more permanent than temporary and more than she could have dreamed. Judith Keim has written another wonderful book of healing and acceptance with just a touch of love that we have come to expect from this great writer of women’s fiction.