Several people are at the Seafarer Hotel for a variety of reasons. They are seemingly unconnected at first, but are all effected by a tragic incident that happens. Claire is looking up a former boyfriend after her husband has died. Tom and Riley are at a taste testing for their wedding. Jason and Gwen are celebrating with a getaway together. The hotel manager Jean-Paul deals with a new baby, his marriage and this incident. As their stories unfold we begin to wonder who, how and what really happened to this person. Not a fluffy summer read!

It's a light story that deals with heavy issues. I think it's poignant but I didn't connect to the characters and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A beautifully renovated, ritzy hotel in Boston with gorgeous water views. A French hotel manager and his young family. A 61 year old widow seeking to rekindle a high school/college romance. A young couple enjoying his birthday vacation. Another couple planning their wedding at the hotel. What could possibly more romantic than the Summertime Guests by Wendy Francis? That is, until a woman's body falls from a tenth floor balcony and lands on the patio outside the restaurant where the wedding planning is happening. Ms. Francis keeps us guessing until the end of the novel about who exactly it was the fell off the balcony, but does a lovely job of introducing us to the characters in the novel, their motivations and reasons for being at the tony Seafarer Hotel and we come to hope that it is none of them who fall to their death...but that's not to be.

Summertime Guests is an excellent beach read...a quick, readable page turner that keeps you interested until the end. Thank you to the author, HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) Graydon House and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

An old Boston landmark hotel has completed renovations and is open now for business. They bring in a manager from Paris, who is used to dealing with this type of clientele along with his unhappy wife and fussy baby. Off he goes to work one morning soon after the opening and the chaos begins.

One couple is celebrating a birthday for him, a splurge by his fiancé. His temper is a big issue between them, but he is determined to not be like his dad so that means it is ok, right? Nope. He has issues at work that interrupt their time away, issues that grow bigger as time goes on.

One woman is there to treat herself after having some issues of her own at work and hopes to reconcile with an old boyfriend of 30+ years ago now that they are both widowed. Her kids are worried about her, but she feels she has it all settled. Or is it?

One couple and his mother are there for wedding food tasting with the future MIL the one who chose the ritzy hotel, not the couple. Issues of control there? Oh yes. Will he stand u to his mom? Um.... doubtful!

Then the loud boom, the shaking of the building and the screaming starts. How does this situation affect all of them? Yes, it affects them all in different ways and was a good read all the way to the end to see how it played out. The style was easy to follow and I like a book that makes me think and doesn't hand me the solution without making me wonder.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion. I did like this book and would give it 3.5 stars.

I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.

Summertime Guests, by Wendy Francis, is available at booksellers on 4-6-2021. Ms. Francis is a new author to me & I enjoyed her style and story. I actually cried. I've been every woman in this story and have now reached Clair. Wondering where the time went, was it worth it, what if. The long lost boyfriend who might have been the one. From engagement and wedding plans, to marriage and babies, to looking 60 in the eye. I found it to be a wonderful telling of how life flows, especially for women.

#WendyFrancis #SummertimeGuest #Romance #Netgalley #HarlequinBooks #GraydonHouse

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:
I have read a couple of Wendy Francis’s previous books and enjoyed them- but when I saw that one of my fave authors (Kristy Woodson Harvey) had written a blurb for Wendy’s latest book- I did not hesitate to request a copy!

What I liked:

This cover. I so wanted a pina colada (with a little umbrella!) to enjoy while I read this book! PS: Wendy had a special cocktail made in honor of her book- see the recipe here!)



The setting. I thought it was a great setting- hotel settings always amuse me because they are so interesting with the location and guests!



The details that Wendy put in her guests’s lives. Each character could have probably had a book of their own- but I loved how their interactions twisted and turned in this book!



Bottom line: Gave me a good feeling and was a quick and enjoyable read!

This is a PERFECT summertime beach read. I don't even know where to begin with this one!

We follow the story of four different couples, an engaged couple looking to be married soon, a couple that is dating, a couple that has been married for awhile with a newborn child, and a widow who embarks to possibly be with the man she thinks she should have been with.

Each couple has their back story and each couple makes gains through this novel. What is most interesting is it all takes place in Boston at the Seafarer Hotel. That is what they have in common. Their problems? They're all different. But (most) all manage to see the light and work through them through a little self discovery.

Actually, the most interesting part of this story is it starts off with a death. But you don't know who died. So we go through a few days of these couples at the hotel and it all unfolds. I was shocked at the end.

4 stars. This was part mystery, part domestic fiction, and part could it be romance all rolled into one. It was truly a breath of fresh air and unlike many of the summer beach reads out there now. If you're looking for something inbetween light and heavy, this is a great read for you!

2.5 rounded up

I think I am going to be a dissenting voice on Summertime Guests. When I was done reading, all I could think was it was fine. The book follows four different characters who are at the Seafarer Hotel in Boston on the day that a woman plunges to her death from one of the balconies. We also get flashbacks of before that day to give more context to each of the characters reason for being at the hotel.

I guess for me, this was more of a "slice of life" book than anything else. I mean that day does help each character somewhat resolve their issues, but I was also let down by this. For example, one of the characters ends up getting her own way regarding her future plans. It made me wonder if she would have been ultimately better off sticking up for what she wanted rather than the convenience of this woman's death. It isn't revealed who died until the end, but it isn't hard to figure out. The "twists" were a bit predictable. Then, the book just ends. I would have liked to see the further after effects of what happened that day.

Would I recommend it? Sure. I mean it was well written and a fairly easy read. I just wanted more from the book.

Mid-June in the glamorous Boston hotel the Seafarer is far more eventful than originally planned. Riley is supposed to be planning her wedding, but her mother-in-law is essentially in charge. Recent widow Claire plans to meet an old flame, hoping thirty years hasn't changed either of them too much. Jean-Paul, the hotel manager, is juggling events as well as a scandal in the hotel and family difficulties. Jason's getaway with his girlfriend isn't as romantic as he thought it would be. A woman is found dead, and they're all linked in unexpected ways. Together, they have to face the changes in their lives.

Summertime Guests opens with the fall that kills the woman, and then we're flashing back and forth from the investigation into it as well as the week leading up to it. I felt for Riley, who was getting left out of the planning for a fancy wedding she didn't even want. Jean-Paul was overwhelmed by being the general manager after a grand reopening, spending twelve hours a day at work and leaving his wife at home with their newborn daughter. Claire is obsessed with what could be with Marty and hadn't put a lot of effort into her marriage. Jason ignored the effects that his intense anger and drinking had on him and the people around him. Because they all have issues of some kind, the text implies a bit about who the woman is and how she fell. That gives an element of suspense throughout the book.

I didn't like Claire much at first. She was demanding and her obsession with Marty annoyed me. I felt for her as more of her story was revealed. In contrast, the sympathy I had for Jason gradually faded. He was becoming the kind of man he didn't want to be and ignored all the comments and requests for help. Jean-Paul and Riley held my sympathy throughout the novel, probably because they were both swept up in circumstances they couldn't control, and kept trying to do their best. They didn't have dramatic needs, and by the end of the book realize what is truly important in their lives and won't let life push them around anymore. I appreciated that life lesson; too often we focus on the things we "should" be doing and forget about what our priorities should be. That's a good takeaway from the novel.

I don’t know what it was about this book but the storylines and characters really sucked me in. It was a book that I found myself wanting to get back to during the day. Lost a star for me because I hated seeing two things that grabbed my attention. One is a bandwagon jumping with inserting political opinions which is fine IF the storyline is political or takes place in DC or maybe even if a conversation is taking place. None of these apply so seemed to be crucial to the author to insert a political dig when it wasn’t even applicable to the story. Second thing was: TWO times I saw someone in the book who “COULD care less” about something. The phrase is COULDN’T care less. If you COULD care LESS, that means you care at least a little. I just feel in this day and age these proofreaders should catch these things. Otherwise, I enjoyed this story. It took me along and didn’t have a lot of filler.

Perfect for vacation/summer reading. A fairly lighthearted story that does touch on some tough issues without feeling heavy-handed. I liked the format, chronologically my characters as we get to know them and lead up to the scene from the opening chapter.

With a setting like The Seafarer, Summertime Guests just about screamed 'beach read.' And what better way to relax on the beach than with a little scandal and drama amongst hotel guests. This one sounds a little more mysterious than it is, although we do have a red herring or two. Instead, it's more about the characters and what brings them all to this place at this time. Speaking of characters, Wendy Francis does give us quite the mish-mash of them. These people aren't all the type you'd expect to find at a place like The Seafarer, which is what makes them so intriguing in my opinion.
The book isn't terribly long, making it a good choice for a weekend away type of story. The kind that you lay back on the beach or next to the pool, soak up some sun, and settle in for a little escapism - just what most of us can use in our lives right now.

Wendy Francis's book Summertime Guests, with its lovely water side summery cover, is set not on a beach but in an iconic hotel in the heart of Boston. The water views are of the bay. What I expect to be a summer beach read mystery turns into something else. It is still an easy, quickly read summer beach read but about family, relationships, and emotions that leaves much to relate to and much to think about.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/04/summertime-guests.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher's blog tour.

A gripping novel that kept my attention until the final word. A great addition to your Summer reading! I was completely invested and entertained by each of the characters!

Thank you NetGalley and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Meet Jean-Paul a hotel manager, Riley a bride-to-be, Jason a professor, and lastly Claire a journalist. All these people have one thing in common. They are all at a prestigious hotel in Boston when the most horrible of events happen. Over three days, all their lives will be changed, secrets become unburied and not everyone will get their happily ever after.
What a fascinating novel by Wendy Francis. Over the course of the novel, we get to delve into the lives of four different people, each with their own struggles. The novel divides between current events and history of each character which really helps the reader get to know the characters intimately. I was very enthralled with the story and had a hard time putting down the book. The only thing I would have liked, is that the stories of the characters were a little more entwined with each other throughout the book, not just towards the ending. All in all, it was a great read and my thanks go to Wendy Francis, Graydon House Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book to review for my honest and unbiased opinion.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the second book I've read by Wendy Francis and once again, I found myself not only completely captivated by the story, but totally in love with the cover. I don't know about you, but I am definitely ready for the summery, beachy-type reads and this one is certainly giving off those vibes!

This book grabbed me right from the go and I loved how quick a read it was. I ended up finishing it in two sittings and the drama and mystery really kept me completely engaged. Since traveling has been out this past year, it was so fun to live vicariously through these characters, staying at such a luxurious hotel with all the many amenities at your fingertips!

Not knowing who falls to their death, I loved how the book moves back and forth from the event to a few days leading up to it, so we can learn about the four main characters and how their lives were intertwined. They had no connections until they all set foot into the hotel and I loved that I had my detective hat on the entire time trying to figure out who had died and how. But I also loved all the drama that ensues with the characters in the meantime. I would almost classify this as part mystery, part character-study as we really learn more about these characters and what is going on with them, which it turns out is more than we see at first glance.

This is such an engaging, quick read, filled with surprising depth, that would be perfect to take with you to the beach or while sitting on your deck outside. It's entertaining, it's got a little mystery to it and that cover certainly gives off all the summer vibes!

This book is half a mystery and half a women's fiction story of a cast of characters, as early in the story a young woman dies at the hotel and the reader must get to the end to find who died and the circumstances surrounding her death.

Without spoiling the outcome, I can say that I was caught by surprise by the outcome and I am not sure if I was satisfied with it, but getting to know this cast of characters surpassed my feelings and I loved getting to know them and seeing them pass in and out of each other's stories. From a young couple who is planning their wedding at the hotel when the death occurs to a young couple who is trying to vacation and get away from the day to day life to an older woman who is trying to reconnect with a past love and make a new future. And the manager of the hotel who is from France and with a young infant is trying to do a full time job while also dealing with this major tragedy at this newly renovated historical hotel. For me the cast of characters and their fully developed stories is what made this book a great read for me.

I loved how Wendy Francis sprinkled in elements of a typical mystery with the basics of a women's fiction with a cast of characters of women and men who have great story arcs.

Tragedy and Romance in a Historic Boston Hotel

The Seafarer Hotel is a Boston Landmark. Now it’s being refurbished and guests are eager to experience the lovely setting. Weddings can be especially lovely at the hotel. Riley and Tom aren’t sure, but his mother wants their wedding to take place at the hotel The three are meeting with the wedding consultant when a crash is heard outside and the body of a woman hurtles to the terrace quickly disrupting the meeting and creating chaos.

The death presents problems for the new manager, Jean-Paul. He and his wife have recently moved from Paris so he could take the job, but it’s turned out to be more challenging than he thought. His wife has recently given birth to a girl and is finding motherhood hard to adjust to. Lack of sleep is making Jean-Paul’s life particularly difficult.

Gwen and Jason are at the hotel to celebrate his birthday. However, Jason’s personal problems and explosive temper are causing great difficulty in the relationship.

Claire, sixty-one and recently widowed, has come to the Seafarer to recreate a lost love. She’s journalist on leave from her job because of an article she wrote. It seems to her a perfect opportunity to contact her former lover.

Although multiple stories can be difficult to handle, the author does a good job keeping you interested in what is happening to each one. The deft use of romance and mystery keeps you wanting to know how each story will end.

The story moves quickly and makes this a good choice for a summer read at the beach.

I received this book from Harper Collins for this review.

If you're the type of person who, when you are staying at a hotel, likes to people-watch and wonder about the lives of the people visiting there, Wendy Francis' novel Summertime Guests is the perfect read for you.

Riley, her husband-to-be Tom, and Tom's mother Marilyn are at the Seafarer for a tasting for their wedding. Marilyn would love for her son to be married at the Seafarer, whose guests have included everyone from Winston Churchill to Jennifer Lopez. Riley would prefer a small, intimate wedding in a meadow, and Tom is just trying to keeping both women happy.

While they are discussing ideas with the Seafarer wedding coordinator, they hear a horrifying crash and discover that a woman has fallen to her death from a balcony right in front of them. Did she fall, jump, or was she pushed?

Jean-Paul, the general manager of the hotel, has recently relocated to Boston from Paris with his wife Marie, who recently gave birth to their daughter. Jean-Paul's job has been all-consuming preparing the hotel for its remodel and reopening, and Marie is having difficulty adjusting to motherhood.

Jean-Paul now has to deal with the police, TV news crews, staff, hotel guests, and a huge wedding party set to arrive, as well as alerting the wealthy hotel owner of the situation.

Gwen has arranged for a special birthday weekend for her boyfriend Jason at the Seafarer. They both teach at a college, but what Gwen doesn't know is that Jason has given up on both teaching his classes and working on his dissertation.

Jason has an explosive temper which has resulted in him attacking people unprovoked. He is jealous of anyone who disrespects or flirts with Gwen. He has even hurt Gwen, something that upsets him because his father used to beat him and his mother when he was a young boy.

Claire is a 61 year-old recent widow who has come to Boston to look up her old boyfriend, hoping that he may still have feelings for her. She is on a leave from her job as a journalist at a Providence newspaper, where a story she wrote about a mobster has had repercussions for both her and the paper.

Wendy Francis successfully combines a summer romance novel with a mystery- we know a woman died, is it someone we have met in the story? The book goes back and forth in time over the week of the death, so it could be.

It can be difficult for an author to keep separate storylines equally interesting, but Francis does a terrific job of investing the reader in each of the four stories, and intersecting them at the right time.

I enjoyed the Boston setting, I felt like we were right there on the water in a beautiful hotel, and found the glimpses of the inner workings of the hotel enlightening.

Now that many of us will be returning to traveling soon, Summertime Guests would be a great book to pack in your suitcase, and pull out on the beach or by the hotel pool while you sip a cocktail and people watch. Wendy Francis pulled me into her story so enticingly that I read it in one day. I highly recommend it.

Oh, my! I don’t even know where to start gushing about how good this book was! The story of a luxurious hotel in Boston Harbor is one that took me to a world of wealth and relationship problems. The new manager of the hotel, Jean-Paul, has arrived from Europe and is settling into the job but has left his wife and baby daughter in the dust while he chases the dream of success. Claire O’Dell is a new widow who wants to meet up with her former high school love and hopefully reconnect. Jason and Gwen are a power couple who enjoy spending time together on the tennis courts, but both have secrets that could mean the end of their courtship. Finally, there is young Riley, engaged to Tom and meeting her mother-in-law at The Seafarer in order to decide if this luxury hotel is the right place for her and Tom to get married. The four couples were all magnetically attractive, but the way the story was told, jumping from one couple to another, made me want to keep reading to find out what happened to each. Each one was well-developed, with intriguing descriptions of their relationship and the underlying problems. My favorite couple was Riley and Tom because they were the ones with the most at stake by having The Seafarer as their wedding venue. Of course, I didn’t like Tom’s mother much because she was very pushy and not very thoughtful about Riley’s wishes for her own wedding. Watching the relationships develop was very entertaining! The plot was a complex one, with four couples, each with problems and each with secrets and some lack of communication between them. I enjoyed the fascinating characters studies and the brilliantly written plot that was so well crafted. This was not a typical beach read because it had me on the edge of my seat in many parts, especially at the beginning when we know someone has died and at the end when it is ultimately revealed the identity of this unlucky guest. Fans of contemporary fiction will enjoy this spiraling and captivating book!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”