This is the perfect beach read this summer, especially after the pandemic has left us all with wanderlust after being stuck at home for so long!
Kathleen is an older woman that lives her life to the fullest, and always has. Her daughter, Liza is serious and laser focused on her family, they take her for granted. One day Kathleen decides she wants to take a trip across Route 66 and see the sights before it’s too late. She has always been an adventurous person, even making a career out of it by making a travel show called “The Summer Seekers” She places an ad for someone to come with her and drive her on the trip and Martha answers the ad and seems to be a good fit for Kathleen. Martha has her own issues to deal with and some time away is just what she needs. Along the way, they meet Josh, who takes part of the journey with them and Kathleen works on setting Martha and Josh up.
There were some light parts and some heavier stuff-Kathleen is reflective on what her life would have been if she had made different choices when she was younger so they end up adjusting their trip to meet up with her old best friend, and in the process, her relationship with her daughter grows stronger. There’s a good balance to the story and even a tiny bit of steam. I was happy to see how the characters and all the different dynamics developed along the way.
Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

4.5/5 stars!

This contemporary lit, women's fiction, chick-lit was everything I didn't know I needed right now!
Kathleen is an 80-year-old woman, who just attacked an intruder in her own home. When her daughter, Liza, suggests that it is time for her to move into a residential home, Kathleen decides what she really needs is a new adventure - a road trip.

Liza is anxious about her mother's condition and her travels. She is also a struggling mom, who takes a page from her own mother's book and decides to start adding some adventure into her own life.

Martha is a young woman, jobless, newly single, and living with her parents. When she sees Kathleen's job posting for a driver across America, she knows this is an escape that she can't pass up.

Each women's need for adventure urges the others to reflect on their own life and the changes that need to be made.

Thoughts:

While the first chapter started off with a wild scene, I wasn't 100% invested in this book for a few chapters. But once I was, I flew through this book,
There is romance, broken hearts, struggling relationships, decades-old secrets, a mother-daughter relationship, and an unstoppable 80-year-old woman determined to teach the younger women in her life all the lessons she has learned before she leaves this world.
The writing was so beautiful, and there were a lot of parts that were really funny!

This breezy, summer read is bound to put you in a good mood! :) <3

BOOK REVIEW
The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan
PUB DATE May 18 2021

Thank you to @netgalley and @harlequinromance for my ARC in return for an honest review

Kathleen is an 80 yr old woman determined to have one last adventure before age catches up with her. She is running toward her past.....
Kathleen’s daughter Liza comes across as an overly anxious, controlling, worrier...she has never been close to mother, but desperately wants to be
Martha, tired of her family’s constant verbal abuse and reeling over her recent divorce is looking for a job....
The lives of these three women become entwined when Martha agrees to a road trip across Route 66 as Kathleen’s driver and caregiver.

I found Liza the most relatable character. A mother, a painter, a daughter, a wife.... so many roles and yet which one brings her joy? Her struggle to define her own needs separate from her family’s is one most women find themselves in at some point in their lives. It was refreshing to see her self doubt about her life choices as a parent and as a lover play out AND end in growth and healing rather than the expected cliche of a mid life crises.

This is a story of friendship that spans generations. Age and common ground are not always the foundation of friendship. These women’s lives become interwoven and they are all richer for it. It was pure pleasure to feel their camaraderie from the expertly written dialogue from Morgan. The banter, the self doubt, the jibes, the unsaid words, the empathy that true friends have for each-other were reflected clearly in the written words of Morgan.

Overall a light, fun read!

Not my favorite. I didn’t really connect with the characters and felt like Kathleen’s reveal was kind of tied up at the last minute. Side characters felt a bit one-note.

Fun Summer / Road Trip Tale With Heart And Laughs. This is one of those books that is great escapism, and yet also clicks on so many levels in your "real" world - almost no matter your situation. You've got a lot of growth here across three generations of women in a family (80 yr old grandmother who wasn't always around for her daughter and who has secrets, 40s ish mother who is at the end of her rope, twin teens daughters who are doing usual Zoomer teen girl stuff) - but then you *also* throw in a reasonably well developed husband (not a focus of the tale, and yet not written as an absolute brute either) and a pair of strangers with their own well developed and complicated backstories. Truly a great road trip tale along the classic Route 66, with the usual hilarity and hijinx along the way - and *also* truly a great summer "break from reality" tale of finding yourself and what really matters - both in one (longer, 400+ page) book. Very much recommended.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. Sarah Morgan has quickly become one of my favourite authors! I love her stories about basically dysfunctional families and their struggles to be reunited. Kathleen is an amazing character. I hope to have as much grit and energy at 80 as she does! Kathleen reminded me of many working moms today that try to manage everything and end up burnt out and being taken for granted. Martha is a younger woman that many of us have known that lacks confidence and seems to be floundering. The way Sarah Morgan draws these characters together to eventually become a stronger unit with each other makes for an amazing story. I love all of the stories within the main story and it has an absolutely wonderful ending that promotes forgiveness, support, kindness and acceptance. What a wonderful read this book was!!!

4.5 Stars - HJ Recommended Read

Reading a novel by Sarah Morgan is always a treat, but boy did this multi-generational story hit the spot. Sweet and funny, insightful and endearing, The Summer Seekers touched my heart and definitely left a smile on my face.

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Morgan's so I was happy to see her newest book seemed like it was going to have the snappy dialogue, solid storyline, and well thought out characters I look for in her work. And I have to say the Summer Seekers exceeded my expectations, capturing my heart and my attention right from page one. First, it was a road trip story. Who doesn't love that, right? Second, there were three generations of women who were all at different stages in their lives–mother and grown daughter, Kathleen and Liza, and newcomer twenty-something Martha, who was hired as Kathleen's driver.

Reading from all three unique POVs made the story a much richer experience, in my humble opinion. I think most readers will be able to relate to at least one, if not all, of the women and will appreciate just how much they each changed from the beginning to the end of the story. We had octogenarian Kathleen (loved her so much!!) deciding to go on her Route 66 dream adventure in a Mustang reconciling her past with her present. She was an absolute riot. A bit eccentric, strong-willed, wickedly smart, and kind (perhaps even lonely?) underneath the fearless attitude. We should all aspire to be more like Kathleen when we hit eighty years old!

Kathleen's driver and companion for the trip, Martha, was a caring, down on her luck, uber compassionate young woman who was basically the polar opposite of Kathleen in many ways. But the duo made a formidable team on their trek across the US–where they also met and changed the life of one very lucky person. *sigh*

Then there was Liza. I think a lot of moms will empathize with how she felt like she was her family's keeper and…pretty much nothing else. Liza's part of the storyline with her hubby Sean and her twin teenage daughters (yikes!) was honestly the most heart-rending for me, being closest to her age and with the careful way Morgan described Liza's feelings of being unappreciated. I adored her transformation and with the changes that took place between her and Kathleen over time. It was enough to make this reader get misty-eyed.

Sarah Morgan never fails to sweep me away with her charming books and The Summer Seekers did exactly that. I think readers will savor this wild journey that had me chuckling as well as hoping it would never end.

This is a Contemporary Romance/Women's Fiction/Chick-Lit. I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I have to say I wish the cover was more wild because I just think that this book cover does not pull me in 100% or makes me want to pick it up. I feel in love with the character Kathleen from the beginning. I loved that she was older (she was in her 80s), but she was still wild and spicy. I feel that she losses her spicy personally later in the book which I wish she did not. Her daughter, Liza's character honestly made me think of myself. This book is like riding a wave, it starts off light and funny then it builds to heavy and emotional. This book was a really great journey, and I loved all the characters. I feel this book was well written, and the characters where very developed. This book covers so much, and I think it makes the readers think about their own life journeys. I think we all need to do that at times. I have always loved having older characters in books because I was raise by my Grandmother which means that I have always been around older women. There is not enough books with main characters that is older. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin) or author (Sarah Morgan) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is schedule to be release on May 18-2021.

An enjoyable road-trip read.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely story! Fun, witty, tender, and a bit emotional too.
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I can only hope that I will be a feisty and eccentric senior that can live in my own home for years to come. Independence is huge for anyone especially those in their later years. I love stories that combine the feisty nature of the elderly and the younger generation who need guidance and wisdom! This book is a fabulous example of that concept.

A beautifully written experience that combines a trip across America with two practical strangers which becomes a lesson in life and in living life. Morgan creates characters with fun-loving personalities in Kathleen and Martha, balanced with a stressed out daughter who is cracking under pressure of work, responsibilities, and missing her partner. The Summer Seekers is a showpiece that I can so relate to with the intersection of these three personalities. They balance and work together perfectly.

Morgan writes with a heart full of feeling and emotion that cracks your armor with each chapter. She weaves a tale that delights which is full of detail and surprises along with way. A story that is both familiar yet surprising and leaves you smiling and uplifted. A perfect summer escape story not to be missed!

Beautifully written (women's) fiction/romance/chick lit. Three women are on journeys at different stages in their lives. Kathleen is 80, lives in Cornwall and wants one more great adventure. She once was a successful presenter of a travel show and was happiest exploring new places. Now she is aging and is emotionally distant from her only daughter. She decides to drive the 2400 miles of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. It is a trip she has always dreamed of doing.

Daughter Liza, feels her marriage is slipping away. She doesn't feel she is connecting with her twin teenage daughters or her husband of twenty years. She has always been the care taker often forgetting to take care of herself. She decides to escape to her mothers home in Cornwall to rediscover herself while her mom is away.

Martha is 25, recently divorced and living with her parents. Kathleen hires her to be the driver and companion on the trip in America. Martha is a talker, open and honest. But feels plagued by poor decisions in her life. Kathleen thinks a little rebound relationship might be good for her. Hitchhiker Josh might feel that need. The story is told alternating from each of the women's POV as they reflect and accept their past decisions and decide what they want in their future lives.

This was a joy to read. My love of travel had me wanting to relate to Kathleen but I found myself identifying with Liza. Being a sandwich generation caregiver I understood her challenges. I love how the author let both mother and daughter discover new levels in their relationship. I teared up for Lisa hearing her mom say I love you. I wanted to sit down with the ladies and enjoy a cup of Earl Grey tea at the end of the journey. I've not read Sarah Morgan but I will look for other feel good books by her. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Liza spends her life worrying about keeping the rest of her family happy and safe. When her 80 year old mother Kathleen stops an intruder in her isolated house she tries to convince her to move, instead Kathleen decides to set off on an adventure, driving Route 66 in America. Martha is looking for a job and an escape from her family and ex so she applies to accompany Kathleen on the trip even though she doesn't have much experience driving. These women at different stages in life learn to find happiness.

Typically I love anything Sarah Morgan writes, but this one just didn't capture my interest as much as her other books. Maybe because the main character was so different from her other "heroines" in age but, I had a difficult time getting to the end. The story is well written, the themes well thought out, but maybe I just wanted a typical Morgan romance.

The Summer Seekers is heartfelt, summery and tons of fun. It's like a warm hug on a cold day! It can totally transport you to summer vibes even in the middle of winter! I loved it! The Summer Seekers is full of great characters and witty heartfelt conversations! I adored Kathleen! She's full of spirit and sass! This story focuses on friendship and adventure which I loved!

The Summer Seekers is an engaging and enjoyable novel of adventures, memories and renewal.
After a scary event, eighty year old Kathleen decides to resurrect her once adventurous life and to fly from the UK to the US to travel Route 66. However, she needs a driver and she hires Martha. Martha wants nothing more than to escape from her overbearing, unkind mother and her bothersome ex-husband. Her only real problem is that she hates to drive. While their story unfolds, so does that of Liza, Kathleen’s daughter. She is tired of feeling unappreciated and taken advantage of by her husband and twin teenage daughters. The stories weave together in a smooth manner, enriching the pages.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Pure joy! I laughed out loud throughout Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan. This is the story of the fierce Kathleen who, at 80, is just as adventurous as she was as a young woman. Her daughter, Liza, just wants to keep life safe and orderly for her mother. In turn, Kathleen hires Martha, who is in the middle of her own quarter life crisis, to drive her across the US on route 66.

Finn, Jake, Sean, Liza, Kathleen, Martha- each character and is so likeable, so human, so real.
I loved the landscape from seaside England to imagining the sites along Route 66.

As Summer Seekers unfolds, we learn more about Kathleen’s past and we are reminded that we all have a load to carry, and it sure is easier to carry this load with your special people. This novel was so wonderful that it felt like it ended too quickly! I hope we have another novel about these wonderful characters.

A sincere thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

4.5 stars!

Oh my, first of all, thank you HQN and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this wonderful book.
Kathleen, a woman who is eighty years young wants to go on a road trip in the States and needs to hire
Marsha to be her driver. This is one of the relationships in the book and the other is with Liza, Kathleen’s daughter and her family life.

There is a lesson for all of us in this book regardless who you are. I can not rave enough about the
story and the various feelings of joy, laugh out moments and tears. Highly, highly recommend. I have visions of Judy Dench playing Kathleen. Thank you for a great time.

Excellent study about family, love and choices. An 80 year old widow and mother decides to take a trip across America on Route 66. Hires a young woman to drive her and off they go. Entertaining and insightful. Her daughter is in crisis at home in her marriage and as a mother to teenaged twin girls. Both mother and daughter learn much from their summer of self exploration and I loved every word.

I honestly did not want this book to end. I was so caught up in the characters and their struggles to try to "re-do" their lives to make them look more like the lives they'd dreamed of living when they were younger. Kathleen is 80 years old, and decides she needs an adventure, so she hires Martha, a down on her luck twenty-five-year-old to be her driver. Liza, Kathleen's forty-something daughter, disapproves of the entire thing, and makes her feelings very clear. There is plenty going on here with a briskly-paced plot, but the real joy of reading this is getting into the characters' heads as they share their innermost thoughts, hopes and dreams with us. I look forward to recommending this book.

The main character in this story is Martha who happens to be 80 years old. Martha decides she wants to travel so her daughter hires a caretaker/driver. The adventures these two have show that age does not stop you from enjoying live