THE SUMMER GETAWAY by Susan Mallery is a women’s fiction story full of family drama, but also humor, familial love, and romance. The story is centered around the life changing decisions a divorced mother contemplates with her entire family in flux. This is a standalone read.

Robyn Caldwell has always put her family first Now with her daughter making untenable demands for her wedding, a son who refuses to consider college, a friend on the brink of blowing up her marriage and a relationship she discovers is not what she assumed, she runs away across country to her great aunt’s home on the opposite coast.

One by one, everyone she was escaping appear in her great aunt’s home. With her great aunt Lillian’s counsel and the steadfastness of a new male friend, Robyn can have everything she wants if she is willing to believe in herself.

I loved getting to know all the characters in this story. Lillian is the kind, loving and wise elder we all wish for in our lives. Robyn is like so many other women who put their families first until an event or situation makes them look at what they want for themselves. The contrast between the three men, past and present in Robyn’s life could not be more different and at times entertaining. Robyn’s son and daughter added to the drama with their growing pains but were also the cause of some of the most tender and realistic exchanges. There are many complicated problems happening all at once which felt believable, but it also made for a lot of character hopping, and I felt sometimes this fragmented the flow of the story.

This is a very enjoyable women’s fiction family drama with a good balance of angst vs. happiness.

4.5 Stars out of 5 (Rounded Up)

Robyn is stressed out from dealing with her kids, ex-husband, and men who don’t respect her. Her son needs to decide what to do about college. Her daughter is turning into a bridezilla and her ex, well his dating life is now a family issue.

Robyn’s Great-Aunt Lillian invites her to come to her beautiful oceanview home in Santa Barbara. A house that is filled with antiques, fifteen cats, and is about to be inherited by a stranger. This is the summer vacation Robyn needs to sort out what she wants for herself and her own future. But things find a way to demand her attention at Lillian’s house too - it’s time for Robyn to decide what her heart wants.

This is another great story from Susan Mallery and I could relate to some of Robyn’s family drama. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 is a heartwarming blend of emotions with its themes of motherhood, self-discovery, and romance. And of course, the sun-soaked coastal waters and the beautiful mansion make for a great setting.

Thank you to @hqnbooks @htpbooks and @bookclubbish for a spot on tour and a gifted ebook.

Susan Mallory is a master storyteller. The Summer Getaway weaves multiple story lines in perfect harmony, gently guiding the reader deeper and deeper into Robyn’s life. The love scenes are so hot - popped into the novel like sweet chocolate chips in a cookie. I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be re-reading it soon.

Robyn is the one everyone leans on for advice. Between her unambitious teenage son refusing to go to college, her self centered and spoiled daughter acting like bridezilla, her ex-husband dating a woman half his age, and a best friend determined to ruin her life by cheating, Robyn is feeling overwhelmed by the drama. She escapes to her great-aunt Lillian's house on the pacific coast. Lillian has always been her rock, there in all the difficult moments of her life, but now she's age 94 and frail and Robyn is just hoping for more time with her. This quirky old mansion filled with priceless antiques, 15 cats named after kings and queens, and a distracting man set to inherit the estate, gives Robyn a chance to forget all the drama and relax. But then her problems literally start to show back up.
Everyone should have an Aunt Lillian! I loved her character so much with her quirky sense of humor, her matchmaking, and her calming manner. Since she helped raise Robyn, it's no wonder Robyn has the same helpful attitude. But Robyn just needed to learn that she can put her own dreams ahead of others sometimes too. Mason is truly the dream man, strong, supportive, smart, and really hot. I'm so glad he got his own happy ending.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Robyn is at a crossroads, she is beginning to grow in awareness of what her life is like now and a desire for something more. She visits her Aunt Lillian across country. There she meets Mason who will inherit Lillian's house when she dies. There is immediate attraction between the pair.

The only problem is Robyn attracts all those in need of her love and support. And there is a long line of them. Eventually the house is full.

I enjoyed the family atmosphere, the way Harlow and Austin, Robyn's children made choices about their futures. Aunt Lillian was a delight and Mason someone special.  I did feel by the time the last person arrived at the house it had become a little farcical.

Eventually everything is all worked out, I was surprised by the change in one character and the outcome of the relationship, possibly it needed to end, but I thought the way in which it happened was somewhat over the top.

I enjoyed the epilogue and the way everything worked out.

Robyn is a divorced mom and is trying to figure out her life now that her children are grown. Her son is still trying to find his way and does not want to go to college, her daughter is planning her wedding and quickly becoming a bridezilla, her boyfriend is turning out to be not so perfect and add on her ex-husband who is dating her future son in laws sister. Things are quickly getting out of hand, so when Robyn’s aunt Lillian suggests a visit to her eclectic mansion, Robyn packs her bags and plans her trip. Robyn soon realizes she must make some decisions; will she finally get what she has always been searching for?

This lovely novel by Susan Mallery takes us on a journey of self discovery and what life can be like when you realize your dreams. As a middle-aged mom, I could totally relate to the side stories of Robyn’s children and enjoyed watching the story unfold. Robyn’s aunt Lillian is another character that I totally enjoyed. All in all, this was a great book to curl up with. Thank you to Harlequin Publishing, Susan Mallery and Netgalley for my advanced copy. My opinions are my own and unbiased. A fun read with great characters gives this a four star rating.

Once again Susan Mallory has managed to write a women’s fiction story with interesting family drama and a bit of romance spliced in. This story had everything you want to read when reading about family. Robyn was the glue that held her family together, but as the book begins, she no longer wants to do that. She has an ex husband, a grown but childish, naive daughter and a 19 year old son, who is drifting through life. She also has a doctor boyfriend but nothing feels right. Lillian is Robyn’s aunt who live in Santa Barbara. Robyn lives in Naples, Florida and Lillian is begging for Robyn to come visit. Thus begins a story of growth in all the family members and done as only Ms. Mallory can do. Her dialogues run true, and i always love her stories. Kudos once again.

Normally I love Susan Mallery’s books, but this one just didn’t excite me. It’s a good beach read as it is light reading.

I didn’t care much for most of the characters, but I did love Lillian, Mason, and Austin. I thought the mother-daughter conflict portrayed between Robyn and Harlow was realistic. Other angst-ridden situations are realistic, but there was just too much drama created by immature people. The drama almost becomes comical.

Lillian’s house itself is a “character” in the story. Envision the Winchester mansion outside San Jose, California. Eccentric!

If you are looking for a light family drama you may enjoy this one. There are “laugh-out-loud” moments.

I received an advance copy of the book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Once again Susan Mallory has managed to write a women’s fiction story with interesting family drama and a bit of romance spliced in. This story had everything you want to read when reading about family. Robyn was the glue that held her family together, but as the book begins, she no longer wants to do that. She has an ex husband, a grown but childish, naive daughter and a 19 year old son, who is drifting through life. She also has a doctor boyfriend but nothing feels right. Lillian is Robyn’s aunt who live in Santa Barbara. Robyn lives in Naples, Florida and Lillian is begging for Robyn to come visit. Thus begins a story of growth in all the family members and done as only Ms. Mallory can do. Her dialogues run true, and i always love her stories. Kudos once again.

Another warm but thoughtful novel

I am very fond of Susan Mallery's books and this one is no exception. I read it during a lazy snowy Sunday and was transported to the warmth of Florida and California, forgetting my worries while thinking about the situations in the novel. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher for lending me an e-arc of this book via netgalley, with no oabligation. this review is optional and my own opinion.

Summer Getaway has many different facets that combine to create a great story. It speaks to the issues of strained familial relationships; of personal discovery and of growth; love and loss; trust and lies. Ms. Mallery writes wonderful female characters from an older woman who sees the strengths in those around her to the daughter who realizes her own shortcomings and seeks to change. Let’s not forget the men who are part of their lives. I found the characters and the situations in the story very relatable. There were times while reading I nodded, recognizing that I had experienced the same thing. The writing had me on a rollercoaster of emotions as I dealt with the feelings of the characters.
I really enjoyed reading this book for its relationship drama. I came away hopeful and smiling. I highly recommend this book for its story and the characters.
Thank you #HalequinTradePublishing and #Netgally for granting my request for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Robyn is a divorced mom of 2 leaving her with financial concerns as her children are about to leave home.
Robyn needs a getaway and her timing is perfect. She recieves an invite from her great aunt Lillian to come to Santa Barbara for a visit.
Soon all her issues follow her to Santa Barbara including her ex-husband.

I didn't like Mindy. I think she should have been left out if the book.
I was also surprised at the foul language is a Susan Mallery novel.

I enjoyed the book but it was my favorite. I will continue to read more of Susan's books in the future.

I recieved this novel from netgalley for my honest review.

When Robyn realizes that her relationship has hit the wall, she decides to take a break. She travels to spend the summer with her great aunt Lillian, the one person who always gave her comfort. Facing an empty nest as her daughter is soon to be married and her son wants to move out on a trial basis, there is no time at the present for Robyn to take time away.

However, Robyn is all things to everyone. Her time away is soon populated by everyone in her life that she thought she was getting away from. Robyn is a people magnet. While she received comfort from Lillian, she herself was the source of comfort to everyone in her life.

Robyn is striving to find her path in life, and taking a chance on herself just might be too big a risk. Lillian is incredibly wise and the time that Robyn spends with her will no doubt change her life. However, what about the fact that her family is showing up, one by one? Has Robyn actually gotten away or has everything she escaped followed her to the degree that she might never find her footing?

As Robyn is like most caring women and mothers, this book would make the perfect beach read. The story brings comfort and joy, giving Robyn the chance to find everything she needs in life, including love.

Many thanks to HQN and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Favorite Quotes:

Mindy, you make me crazy. You have a perfectly good penis at home. One is enough.

“I’m sorry to be the one to bring you such bad news.” “Are you?” Robyn asked before she could stop herself. “It seems to me you’re delighted. It must be hard having such a small life.”

You know to wear a condom every single time, right? Every time. You whip it out, you put on party clothes.

They grow up. It’s God’s way of saying go find a hobby.

We’re like a bad TV script… For a show no one wants to watch.

My Review:

This was a delightfully amusing and engaging read that kept me smirking and pleasantly entertained throughout perusal. I enjoyed all the various storylines, all of which were advancing at a steady pace.

Every character was in transition and actively moving forward while wading through unanticipated opportunities and conundrums. I adored the couple of Mason and Robyn, but Mason most of all, as he was not at all what I was expecting.

The writing was crisp, insightful, and smartly paced with a well-honed balance of clever humor and tension and surprising conclusions to several of the threads. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of these characters in an ongoing series.

I recommend The Summer Getaway as a nice beach read. It is a story of discovering what one wants or needs to do with their life to be happy.
The story is full of family drama….I mean, FULL of family drama!
I thoroughly enjoyed the romance aspect between Robyn and Mason.
Loved the family dynamics between Robyn and her children.
The theme of The Summer Getaway is that it is never too late to find happiness.
(There are a few risqué moments in the story that I was not use to seeing in a Susan Mallery novel)
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I enjoy Susan Mallery’s books. Robyn takes great care of her family and sometimes seems to neglect herself. She finally realized it was important to take care of herself. I liked Robyn, grandma Lillian, Mason, and Austin. The daughter was a self-centered young woman who finally realized how good her mother was. I liked the fact that Mason was upfront with his feelings for Robyn.

Robyn is a divorcee with an unfaithful ex and two young adult children. Now that her kids are moving out on their own, she realizes she hasn’t prepared well for the next chapter of her life. She takes a trip to Santa Barbara to reflect on her next stage while visiting her great aunt Lillian. Susan Mallory has assembled a solid group of interesting characters. The problem I had with this book was that the pathways the characters took were too predictable. My other complaint was crude language was used to describe some of the “romantic” scenes. I felt this detracted from my overall enjoyment and could have been handled better by just softening the language. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Who is ready for warmer weather and summery reads?! 🙋🏻‍♀️ There’s nothing better for me than a beach read and bonus points if it’s from Susan Mallery, one of my all time favorite authors 🤩 ❤️

Robyns friends and family are driving her nuts and she needs to get away, recharge and figure out what her future looks like. She’s always put her family first and now it’s finally time for her to focus on herself so she heads out to Santa Barbara to visit her aunt for the summer. Sounds like an amazing escape right? Well it is until one by one everyone in her family follows her there. Not so ideal when your problems literally follow you to your happy place. I loved the unique spin the author put on the typical woman goes on vacation to find herself trope, you can’t help but laugh when Robyn’s family shows up 🤦🏻‍♀️ and it made for such an entertaining read.

I’m always so much more invested in a book if I can relate to the characters and the way SM writes about motherhood and marriage is spot on. She also writes about female relationships in such an insightful and authentic way and as always, this had a little something for everyone. There’s some steamy romance, lots of family drama, plenty of laughs and a gorgeous setting. Definitely one of my favorite reads as of late and one I highly recommend you add to your spring/summer TBR!

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery is a wonderful book and a perfect one to read on the beach or poolside. This is a well written and even paced story that will help you escape from the everyday world. Filled with family drama, romance and even steamy romance!! It will make you smile, even laugh and yet you may shed a tear. Mallery does a great job, as always in writing and handling some sensitive issues such as infidelity, deceit, lies and secrets in this must read summer novel. The characters are lovable and not so lovable but easy to relate to. You will feel like you
are are part of the scenes and characters. I highly recommend this to read…..it is definitely a fun one!

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley #thesummergetaway #harlequintradepublishing. #arc #susanmallery. #htpinfluencer

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

Excellent, well crafted, satisfying, feel good story that drew me in and left me with a smile on my face as I read the last page.

What I liked:
* Robyn: divorced, empty nester soon, untethered, facing a fork in the road, has much to contemplate, wise, about to come into her own
* Mason: retired after twenty-fiver years in the army, commanding, calm, wise, solid, capable, trustworthy, deep, admirable
* Lillian: ninety-four, wealthy, lives in an intriguing home, has lived an interesting life, major force in Robyn’s life, important to many in this story
* Austin: high school graduate, Robyn’s son, thinks deeply, plans before acting, smarter than most his age, engaging, loving son and brother, has a plan for his life
* Harlow: college graduate, Robyn’s daughter, cancer survivor, learns and grows/matures a great deal through the story
* The writing, pace, setting and character development
* The house…it is a character all on its own
* The strong sibling relationship between Austin and Harlow
* The way more than one character in this story grew in one way or another
* The development of the relationship between Robyn and Mason
* The cats…I love cats but wonder how anyone could have fifteen of them!
* That it seemed real and believable – and feeling I was there with the characters as they experienced what they did
* The way so many people were drawn to Santa Barbara…and their reasons for ending up there
* Wondering about how Harlow and Austin will end up in the future
* The way all of the parts of the story were woven together and no threads left dangling at the end
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* There were a couple characters it was easy to dislike for their selfishness, manipulative personalities, or other less than stellar traits…they were not wicked or evil but did create trouble for others.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and HQN for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars