Finding herself adrift after a rough marriage and divorce, a recent breakup, and realizing that she has no plans for the future, Robyn goes to Santa Barbara to visit her great aunt. Aunt Lillian has always been her anchor and greatest support, but at age 94, she doesn't have much time left. What she doesn't know is what was supposed to be a simple visit turns into a change of life for Robyn and most of her family. Set in beautiful California and Southern Florida, this is the perfect read to usher you into the spring and summer months!

This was a lovely read! Robyn is the sun in her family and everyone else revolves around her while she holds them all together. I truly enjoyed seeing her evolution and seeing her find herself and find her inner strength. The way she protected her children and took their hate that should have been directed toward her ex husband was something most all mothers can understand. Watching her find true love was also a beautiful addition. The only drawback I felt personally was the conversations were occasionally more cheesy than I'd have preferred and didn't always flow like a real life conversation normally would. Again, this is just a personal preference and truly didn't take away from the story as a whole. I highly recommend for a fun summer read!

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Susan Mallery, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Susan Mallery brings us a story of family conflict, love, and romance. Robyn is facing too many struggles in her situation and decides to visit her great aunt, Lillian. This visit will soon change her life. This was a story that was certainly steamy at times! Loved it!

Robyn has been drifting through life since her divorce 4 years ago. She decides to visit her elderly Aunt Lillian in California to take time to decide what she wants to do. Lillian is a bit of a free spirit and encourages Robyn to get outside her comfort zone. Robyn has always been the one to hold everyone together and sacrificed her wants along the way. Now she has decided it’s her time to figure out what she wants her future to be. The characters in this book are delightful. There is some great dialogue, some that made me laugh. This is essentially a story about family and what makes a family. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Disclaimer: I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

Once again Susan has created a story that immediately sucked me in.

In this story, our heroine is an older woman who essentially holds everyone together. This is wearing her down so she decides to get away to visit her aunt for some much-needed self-care.

Of course, soon her family and friends follow.

However, with the help of her free spirit aunt, Robyn soon learns her life can be different if she has the courage to change it.

I really loved this story because I could relate to Robyn in being the person everyone turns to. The difference between us is that I've learned to set boundaries whereas Robyn has not. I enjoyed watching Robyn grow and change and put herself first.

This story was so amazing. It was about love, family, growth, and learning to say no when you need to. Susan did a brilliant job creating these wonderful characters. I couldn't help but tell everyone how good this book was.

I highly recommend you grab a copy.

Robyn Caldwell. A woman who, at 40, realizes she has spent her entire life taking care of others and giving up on her dreams. Now she’s been divorced for four years, has two children, a house on the water in Naples, FL that’s too big for her and no retirement plans or savings. So when her great aunt Lillian invites her for a visit, she leaves it all behind and flies to Santa Barbara, where she has always found peace.

She quickly learns that her problems are more complicated than she had thought, if that is possible. 22 year old, newly engaged daughter Harlow is arguing with both her fiancé and her father (he’s dating her fiancé’s twin sister) and son Austin,18, is making some difficult life decisions. And then there is Mason, an hunky author and military vet who is co-heir with Robyn of Lillian’s estate. (I know, it’s complicated. Read the book.) Soon her family and friends are “dropping by” Santa Barbara so Robyn can fix their problems the way she always has. They’ll be surprised. Robyn is changing.

The Summer Getaway is just that - a getaway. Settle down in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea and lose yourself in a world of romance, antiques, family feuds, careers and lots of love. Enjoy! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Susan Gallery for this ARC.

Wow - this book has a lot going on! Family dynamics, life changes and romance.

Robyn's life is in chaos! Her ex-husband is dating her daughter's fiancee's twin sister, her best friend is cheating on her husband with the tennis coach, her son is moving out for the first time, and her daughter is blaming her for ruining her wedding - because she needs to sell the house she can't afford to keep. In between all the crazy, her aunt calls and asks her to come for one last visit. So she takes a summer getaway and heads to Cali to see Lillian. In the meantime, Lillian has also contacted her husband's heir, Mason who moves into the huge, sprawling house with them. Mason is inheriting the house and Robyn the contents of the house. They grow together as they explore the treasures being left to them. And one by one, Robyn's family and friends follow her out to Cali and all end up together. It's a crazy, wonderful story!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

The main character, Robyn, needs a plan when it seems her life is spinning out of her hands. She needs a plan for her future and a way to make money since her divorce settlement is running out. So, when her great-aunt Lillian invites her to visit for the summer, Robyn hops on the first plane. The more time Robyn spends with free-spirited Lillian, and mysterious, but gorgeous, author Mason Bishop – the man destined to inherit her aunt’s mansion – the more she sees the appeal in taking chances—on dreams, and love.

Family drama is Susan Mallery's area of expertise and The Summer Getaway is no exception. It is fantastic!

Robyn Caldwell has been divorced for four years from serial cheater Cord. Their children, Harlow (22) and Austin (18) both work for Cord in his charter boat day-trip business out of Naples FL.

Robyn heads to Santa Barbara to spend time with her 94 y.o. Aunt Lillian who has been her go-to person throughout her life. Robyn has always known Lillian & Leo had money and that a relative of Leo's would inherit their house and that Robyn would inherit the contents, including Lillian's 15 cats. Inventorying the contents of a 44,000 sq ft house is a massive undertaking.

The story's characters each had their own story line and each character was interesting to follow. Well developed characters with relationship high and lows all ended with smiles on their faces, and the reader's.

Recipe for Pineapple Chicken and a Discussion Questions chapter rounded out the very engaging novel.

Susan Mallery does it again with The Summer Getaway. This was one of my favorites. I enjoyed following each of the characters and their personal development. It was hard to put down once I started reading it.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery is a family drama that includes an ex-husband, an entitled daughter, and an unambitious son, along with a cheating friend, and a fabulous great-grandma. I enjoyed this fast-paced story that had me hooked from the very beginning and didn’t let me go until the very end.

Robyn Caldwell only has a few months left until she’ll be forced to sell her home in accordance with her divorce settlement with her ex-husband Cord. Her daughter, Hailey, is furious with her as she has always dreamed of having her wedding in the backyard of their family home. Her son, Ryan, is floundering after just graduating High School and he is not interested in college but hasn’t found a career path at all, and is working as a deckhand in his father’s fishing charter business. On top of all her family problems, her boss, and friend is making some bad decisions that have the potential to blow up in her face.

When her great aunt Lillian invites her to visit her in Santa Barbara, Robyn packs up and travels across the country to visit her 94yo aunt. Aunt Lillian lives in a sprawling mansion, complete with 15 cats all named after British royalty, lost staircases, doors to nowhere, and priceless antiques. But, Robyn’s escape doesn’t last long as one by one, her family and friends join her in California.

I was pulled right into this family drama. Robyn is a very sympathetic character, and her struggles with her family and friends felt real and I empathized with her immediately. Great Aunt Lillian was my favorite character, and her home I would consider a character in itself. Lillian lives in a huge mansion overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara, and it’s obvious that she lived an amazing life. A bit of a romance happens but is secondary to the main story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is classic Susan Mallery, so the reader knows what to expect. However, I think this book is a little different from the others because the characters span generations, backgrounds, and even though there are several story threads happening, there is an interconnectedness that ties everything together. There is a happy ending for everyone and even though there are some hiccups along the way, the reader knows that everything will work out in the end--although the how of it is interesting. Although it is not a earthshaking read, sometimes it is just what the doctor ordered in these uncertain times.

Susan Mallery serves readers a sizzling summer romance. Robyn Caldwell's world is shattered when her family seems to rip apart at its seams. Already at odds with her daughter, Robyn's left reeling due to her boyfriend's callous behavior. Add in her ex-husband's antics and Robyn's left frantically treading water to survive her overflowing emotions.

Seeking shelter from recent storms, Robyn needs a getaway and takes her great-aunt Lillian up on her offer. Packing her bags for a much-needed vacation, she's set to visit. Lillian's sprawling Californian mansion overlooking the ocean. She eagerly awaits the scenic spot and sense of security her childhood retreat provided.

Now that Lillian is reaching the end of her life, she wants to put her affairs in order. Mason will inherit the house while Robyn, the contents. Struggling to the past behind her, Robyn's caught off guard when Mason's military prowess provides the safety she's been seeking. Will she have the courage to love again or is this just a summertime romance?

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheSummerGetaway in exchange for an honest review. Susan Mallery pens stories with flawed but lovable characters, scenic settings and a sense of adventure that will keep readers eagerly paging through her novels. For an indulgent treat, make 'The Summer Getaway' your next armchair read.

So good!
When this book first started it had a lot going on, but I stood with it and I am so glad I did.
The characters grew and learned so much about themselves, They were not perfect, they had a lot to figure out, and a lot to prepare for and I for one am so glad they did

Written as only this author can write , this book will have you not only cheering for the characters while smelling the salt air and walking the beautiful gardens of probably the strangest house you’ll ever read about!

I love it when the main character is an older woman. Robyn flees to California to escape family drama at her aunt's house. There she finds courage, peace and love. Can Susan Mallery write a bad novel? I do not think so.

A family drama that started out with me really disliking a few of the characters and wanting more depth. As I continued reading, I really enjoyed seeing the characters evolve and in all honesty, grow up. Fast read. This is one to add to your summer beach read list. Not the best but enjoyable.

3.5/5

Thank you #netgalley and #harlequin for the eARC.

So this is one of those books where I wish we had half stars in the reviews because this is like a 4 1/2 star. Let me tell you, I love when it’s an older heroine and it’s basically a second chance romance. because this is a case of 40 something woman who is divorced has grown kids, one who graduated college, one who graduated high school and her ex-husband was a cheating jerk. Now that her son has graduated high school, she has to sell the house and she’s realized that things aren’t exactly perfect.

She has to re-think her life and she decides to sort of run away and visit her aunt on the other side of the country. Well her aunt is kind of well to do, and has her deceased husband‘s heir visiting - he’s kind of inspecting his inheritance and they fall for each other. But of course it’s never just that… Because she’s not just your normal heroine, she was the glue that kept her family and friends group together, and slowly but surely they all start following her from Florida to California they need her.

Let me tell you I laughed my butt off! I was literally messaging my friends as I was reading this, telling them that they need to read it. It’s so rare to find a book with a somewhat older heroine, where it’s not all complaints about oh woe is me, or oh my life is horrible etc. etc. No she was ready to start a new, she just had to figure out how to do it, and she really works for it. Absolutely loved it and really you need to read it. Yes

Susan Mallery delivers another stellar women's fiction novel filled with family drama, a complex mother-daughter relationship, and a cast of interesting characters. This is a story about a woman who leaves the drama and difficult relationships behind and finds respite in the home of her lovely great aunt Lillian. But she can't hide for long because her adult children, her friends, her ex-boyfriend and ex-husband all follow her. The heroine's situation and the conflicts she wrestles with force her to examine her own behavior, the behavior of others that she's tolerated, and how she wants to live her life. Ultimately, she has to find the courage to make difficult choices, including learning to trust and love again.
Lillian, her quirky mansion, and Mason were my favorite parts of the story. Most of the men in the book were despicable, which I found odd. Maybe that's why I liked Mason so much. He's a fantastic hero. The subplot with Mindy and her marital struggles didn't seem to mesh with the overall storyline. I could have done without that part.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

I almost gave up on this book early on. Aunt Lillian saved the day! People grew, personalities softened and evolved. Susan Mallery does it again. I loved it.

"The Summer Getaway" by Susan Mallery
HQN Books
March 15, 2022
10-1335479996
Women's Contemporary Fiction
415 pages

Robyn Caldwell, a good and faithful wife to Cord, a charter boat company owner in Naples, Florida, is at a crossroads. But, after his flagrant infidelities, she's had enough. Her daughter Harlow is now in college, and her son, Austin heading for high school, is old enough to understand his parents' divorce. Robyn gets to stay in the pretentious house Cord purchased years ago—and a house Robyn would never pick—until Austin graduated. Then she must either buy his share of the house or sell the property.

All the years with her husband, Robyn deferred to him, giving up her dreams of a college education to maintain their home and raise their children. She realizes they married too young, but young hormones and the thought of someone loving her swept her away.

Now single, she ponders: "She'd maintained her lifestyle, lunched with her friends, baked for Austin, and mourned her marriage. She's kept her country club membership up to date, had replaced a three-year-old car because, hey, that was what they always did. She'd ignored the ticking clock that was her payments from Cord, and she's wasted four years of income.

"The truth was humiliating and humbling, not to mention a little scary. What was she supposed to do now?"

Austin graduates from high school and now refuses to attend college, making Robyn sad. Twenty-two-year-old Harlow is planning her nuptials against Robyn's wishes. She believes the girl is making a mistake young and doesn't know her fiancee well, but she also understands daughters never listen to their mothers and do what they want.

Harlow and Robyn argue about the wedding, and Harlow tells Robyn she's selfish for selling her childhood home because she always dreamed of being married outside by the pool. However, Robyn's time is up, and she cannot afford to remain living there, let alone buy out Cord's share, and she becomes distressed when Harlow--an entitled and spoiled bridezilla yells hurtful words at her.

She meets with her friend, Mindy, hoping for advice when she is thrown for a loop after Mindy says she plans to have an affair with a younger man, thereby ruining her marriage. Robyn also learns Cord is dating Harlow's fiancee's twin sister! After all this stress and confusion, Robyn has had enough.

Robyn learns her great aunt, Lillian, in her nineties, wills her huge, 40,000-square-foot mansion to her deceased husband's relative, Mason Bishop, and the contents of her home to Robyn. Needing a break, Robyn, on impulse, flies to Santa Barbara, California, to visit her great aunt. Lillian loves Robyn as her own and always offers Robyn advice, solace, and comfort.

Undecided about in her life, Robyn must decide how to plan her future. Is it too late to go back to college? Could she start her own business? With the treasures in Lillian's mansion, she could easily set up a thriving antique shop and buy a small condo to cover expenses over the years.

As per Lillian's request, Mason is already in residence with her. An army veteran, he is also an author, and what better place to write his books than at Lillian's overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Robyn is disconcerted to find Mason already in residence and wonders how they can adapt to living under the same roof, even if that roof contains many rooms. But, Lillian is thrilled to have them with her and feels more at ease not to be alone.

As Robyn settles in, she and Mason become friends, both concerned about Lillian's frailty yet impassioned by her kind and loving ways. Somewhat of a spitfire, Lillian offers words of wisdom, but most of all, love and compassion. She hopes to talk Robyn into moving to California. After all, what does she have left in FL? Harlow is to be married, and Austin is now out of high school and planning his future . . . not to mention Robyn having to deal with embarrassment about her wayward ex.

Always the center of her family, Robyn is surprised when Austin shows up in California, and before long, Harlow also arrives, ashamed of her behavior and missing her mom. With second thoughts about marriage, she also needs guidance from Robyn and Lillian.

"The Summer Getaway" is a reflective and moving tale of family ties. The powerful and discerning characters display every emotion between sorrow, joy, hope, despair, and some sensual scenes are included to add spice—all focused around Robyn. She finds her true worth among those she cherishes the most and looks forward to the next leg of her journey in this thing called life. At the same time, she wonders what her future will hold.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Robyn Caldwell’s life is crashing down on her in all directions. Her two children are grown and her ex is still being a jerk. She’s been putting herself second for so long that she’s doubting her own self worth. So after a fight with her doctor boyfriend, she decides to take up her great, great aunt Lillian’s invitation to visit California. Life there is great until one by one her family follows.

Lots to learn here about family relationships, selflessness, and love.