I choose this novel because Savannah is one of my favorite places in the U.S. As I started reading this book, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue since it has an awful event taking place-a young girl being raped. I did continue reading and I am glad I did. Sara who becomes a mother at 18 years and is forced to leave her home,Years later she returns to her home city to take over the family bookstore. She now has to hide her daughter from the rapist family who still live there. Can she overcome the fear of having her daughter exposed as a genius, and develop a love relationship with the rapist 's brother? Read this book to discover what Sara does; and what you would do if you were in Sara's shoes? Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book prior to its publication.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Sara left Savannah eight years ago to escape horrible memories, but is suddenly called back when her father falls ill. The reminders of her tragic past that she collides with during her time there will force her to face all of her ghosts.

This book reminds me a lot of my experience while reading HELLO BEAUTIFUL. Complex relationships, family, tragedy and loss, and forgiveness. The slow build and a very heavy and emotional read. If you need a really emotional, tear-jerker, and one that makes to imagine going through impossible scenarios, pick this one up. It’s well worth the challenging themes, but be warned of the depth and intensity.

After his devastating health diagnosis, Sara must come home to Savannah to help her father. She hasn't been back for 8 years, since the night the changed her and since she found out she was pregnant with her daughter, Alana- the night of her sexual assault. Sara is desperate to protect Alana, who is incredible smart and outgoing from the outside world, especially from the Wyler family, the family her attacker. Jacob has also come back to Savannah to pick up the pieces of his shattered, once prominent family. A chance encounter with Alana makes Sara and the Wyler family's world collide in unexpected ways.

The process of forgiveness is interesting and I like how Harris took it on. However, I felt like she also wanted to write a romance novel and I don't think those fit together. I would have enjoyed Sara and Jacob's romance story separate of Sara's forgiveness of the Wyler family. I loved the character of Alana. I thought Harris seemed to get the precociousness of an intelligent 8-year-old.

It took me a little while to get into this book and at first some of the relationships were a little murky (spoiler alert--I was so afraid that Jacob/David was going to be the rapist), I liked how Ms. Harris had that hole relationship work out. I thought the characters not only found peace through forgiveness, but others found redemption by changing their attitudes (Birdy). I found Alana such a joy as she looked at life compared to the adults with all their baggage. This book tackled a difficult subject, but did so without making the reader uncomfortable in any way. I would recommend this book to be read and savored. It would be a special treat for poetry lovers as Sara's father only speaks in poetry.

One Summer in Savannah
Author Terah Shelton Harris
Available now!

Thank you, @bookmarked and @netgalley, for the #gifted e- arc! I Saw this one new on Pango, and I immediately bought it so that I could have my own copy!

Eight years ago, after a traumatic assault, Sara Lancaster left her home in Savannah and fled to Maine. But now her father's health is declining, and she must return and inevitably face her past. She falls into a routine of caring for her father, reuniting with family, and running her father's bookstore, all while keeping her daughter, Alana, close and hidden from the Wyler's. Although her attacker, Daniel, is in prison, his twin brother, Jacob, is not back in Savannah as well. She was hoping to keep Alana a secret from Jacob and his mother.

But of course, Jacob comes to the bookstore, and he and Sara find that they are drawn together. Before long, their worlds collide, and they are unexpectedly navigating through the unknown path of forgiveness, love, and redemption together.

This brilliant debit is written with such tender emotion and insight that it was impossible not to feel for these amazingly imperfect and beautiful characters. With poetry metaphorically weaved throughout, Harris defines family and forgiveness in ways that seem utterly impossible. Gorgeously written- I just loved this unique story.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I thought that this book sounded intriguing and requested a copy. Unfortunately, I found parts if this story unappealing and hard to read. I also did not enjoy that the father spoke only in lines of poetry, which was so annoying as the book went on.

I ended up DNFing at the 40% mark, unfortunately. It wasn't that the writing was bad although it was certainly awkward at times, but I couldn't stay interested and the father talking only in lines of poetry made it very aggravating to read. I'm only rating this based on up to where I read--2.5 stars, a star removed for the father only speaking in poetry, which I know was a stylistic choice but was so awkward to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As One Summer in Savannah opens, we meet Sara. She fled her home in South Carolina after a traumatic event and has been living in Maine with her young daughter for the past eight years. Her only family member, her father, still lives in South Carolina where he and his companion run a bookstore. Their relationship has been over the internet for years until a medical crisis brings Sara and Alana back to South Carolina where they face family, small town history and old wounds.
Their story and history is beautifully told and weaves in the trauma, along with stories of life in a small southern town where wealth results in special treatment. The characters are all beautifully developed and I didn't want their story to end. The book opens with a very thoughtful author's note that describes some of the possible triggers in the book. The triggers are there...but dealt with very carefully, in my view.
One Summer in Savannah is a debut novel and I look forward to reading more of her "upmarket fiction with bittersweet endings".
Thanks to Sourcebooks/Landmark for the opportunity to read One Summer in Savannah in exchange for an honest review.

While exquisitely penned, this book ventures into challenging terrain, tackling weighty themes that require a certain suspension of disbelief to fully appreciate the story's message of forgiveness.

At its core is Sara, the main character, who faced a harrowing ordeal at 18—an assault that led to the birth of her daughter Alana, kept hidden from her assailant's wealthy family. As circumstances compel their return to Savannah years later, Sara befriends her attacker's identical twin, Jacob, enlisting his help in tutoring her gifted daughter while guarding her secret. An unexpected bond forms between Sara and Jacob, a connection that sparks a complicated romance. The identical twin angle certainly adds an intriguing twist.

This poignant narrative resonates as it navigates heartbreak, eventually leaving readers with a glimmer of hope. Sara's strength as she grapples with trauma and motherhood shines through, while Jacob's struggle to mend his fractured family tugs at the heartstrings.

One element of the writing that didn't quite click for me was Sara's father speaking solely in poetry, which, after a while, felt somewhat distracting. It slowed the pacing as I deciphered his poetic responses, and poetry was abundantly present throughout the book.

Barring this minor quibble, the story drew me in with its emotional depth. The journey of redemption occasionally posed challenges, yet the author deftly handles this uncomfortable terrain in their debut novel. "One Summer in Savannah" captures both heartache and healing in a beautifully intricate tapestry of storytelling.

One of the most emotional and brilliant books written! Sarah was taped by David Tyler son of one of the wealthiest families in Savannah. Sarah was attacked at a party and was in high school. She left school because she was pregnant and fled to Maine. Eight years after having her daughter who was a genius she had to return because of her father was ill. There was a trial before she left and David was convicted. His twin brother Daniel who changed his name left Savannah so she thought she was safe. The story goes on to tell us how Daniel met his niece. From that minute every changed for Sara, her daughter, her father and for Daniel. I couldn't put the book down. I can't wait to read more from this extraordinary author! Thank you for the chance to review it!

Loved the unique premise but the execution was saccharine and unrealistic. Not bad, just too Hallmark-y for such a heavy subject matter in my opinion.

Nidhi Shrivastava <shnidhi00@gmail.com>
10:22 AM (0 minutes ago)
to me

💐 Book Feature: A Summer in Savannah - A Novel 💐

⁉️: Have you been to Southern part of the United States?

There are a lot of cultural stereotypes that exist for the Southern United States, especially those that tend to be problematic and represent them with a broad stroke. Personally, I have only been to the urban Georgia around Atlanta and suburbs surrounding the main city. I will be going to North Carolina for a week tomorrow, and am excited to explore the Carolinas having heard so much about them.

In this vein, I would love to share this new book on Savannah, Georgia that wouldn’t have come to my radar without @booksparks introducing it to me. I am adding this to my list, and so should you.

Here is the synopsis below:

A compelling debut that glows with bittersweet heart and touching emotion, deeply interrogating questions of family, redemption, and unconditional love in the sweltering summer heat of Savannah, as two people discover what it means to truly forgive.

It's been eight years since Sara Lancaster left her home in Savannah, Georgia. Eight years since her daughter, Alana, came into this world, following a terrifying sexual assault that left deep emotional wounds Sara would do anything to forget. But when Sara's father falls ill, she's forced to return home and face the ghosts of her past.

While caring for her father and running his bookstore, Sara is desperate to protect her curious, outgoing, genius daughter from the Wylers, the family of the man who assaulted her. Sara thinks she can succeed―her attacker is in prison, his identical twin brother, Jacob, left town years ago, and their mother are all unaware Alana exists. But she soon learns that Jacob has also just returned to Savannah to piece together the fragments of his once-great family. And when their two worlds collide―with the type of force Sara explores in her poetry and Jacob in his astrophysics―they are drawn together in unexpected ways.

Thank you @BookSparks and @terahsharris for the gifted copy, and @bookmarked for the e-copy of the novel!

▪️REVIEW▪️

One Summer in Savannah ~ Terah Shelton Harris

What is a debut that absolutely sold you on an author?

Sara had good reason to leave Savannah. After having her daughter as the result of a sexual assault, she settles in Maine with the hopes of never looking back. But when her father falls ill, she knows she has to go back.

With her attacker in jail and her daughter’s existence a secret, Sara is tentative but open when she runs into Jacob, the twin brother of her rapist. They bond over their desires to escape the past and as they spend more time in the place they never wanted to return back to, their connection grows.

Loved this - I actually surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this book. I didn’t really want to read it but was trying to knock off some of my Netgalley ARCs and I was blown away. Honestly, I’m shocked that this isn’t a book that’s on my feed more - loved the combination of romance, depth, and emotional intelligence.

Despite the tough subject matter, Harris writes in a way that requires you to contemplate your own capacity to forgive and just how far your empathy goes. I love when a book forces me to look within while getting lost in the story at the same time. This ticked every box - romance, thought-provoking, character development, interesting supporting cast, and a satisfying resolution. Undoubtedly, a top 2023 read for me! My only hope is that this review gets this book into the hands of more readers because it’s worth it!

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. Sara was raped during a high school party, and the rapist is sent to prison. She leaves town to get away from the situation and to start over, and plans to never return. But her father gets sick, and she has to come back to take care of him. And she has to face the people she never wanted to see again, and also show her secret-the daughter whose father is the rapist. As much as this premise sounds awful, I loved this book. The relationships she develops, her brilliant daughter, the father who speaks only in poems, the bookstore that her father runs, all of these things make the story draw you in. Great debut novel, can’t wait for her next one. #onesummerinsavannah #terahsheltonharris #familystory #motherdaughter #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday #netgalley #advancedreadercopy

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

DNF at 35 %. Too many things felt unbelievable... the dad who only spoke in poems to his daughter (what kind of silliness is that?), several people dying and had died and Sara falling in love with her rapist's twin brother. I knew about that one though but combined with everything else it felt too exaggerated.

I did enjoy this and found the story to be compelling. However, i was having difficulty relating to the main character. In my mind, she was much older and farther removed from the assault, but since her daughter was only 8, she couldnt have been more than 30. She just seemed very mature for someone at a young age who was raped and raising a single daughter. For that same reason, i had trouble grappling with her ability to build a relationship with her rapist's brother since it really was still so fresh. Overall i liked the book, but i am not sure i would recommend it for these reasons.

An incredibly moving debut family drama about a single mother, her daughter, her dying father and the family of the man who raped her when she was eighteen.

This story covers tough topics but it was so well written and compelling. I loved Sarah and her uniquely gifted genius daughter. She returns to her hometown when she learns her father is dying only to be confronted with the twin brother of her rapist.

A story about the bonds of family, trauma, love and forgiveness and perfect for fans of books like Colleen Hoover's Reminders of him. Good on audio as well narrated by Zuzu Robinson. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

"Being a mother is a lesson in impossible love."

By far, one of the best books I've read this year. I loved all the characters. And the poetry. The writing and the heart-touching.

"Genuine is real. It's true and easy. Circumstance is obligation. It's stiff and hard. You'll know the difference."

Oh yes.

Thank you to the glorious folk at NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of this book. I recommend it with all the pieces of my heart!

Sara is forced to return home years after she'd been SA'd when her father is in bad shape Healthwise. She brings with her the child that was conceived and is desperately trying to keep the assailant's family from finding out. Jacob, twin brother to the assailant, just recently moved back to Savannah as well, and poetry brings them together in an unexpected way, as well as the secret Sara is determined to keep from coming out.

Wow. for it to be the author's first book, she did an astounding job. I did not want to put this book down once I started and it kept me hooked right from the start. It had so many twists and turns, as well as secrets, that once they came out, changed each and every character. This book is definitely going to be one of my notable books of the year. I will be sure to keep a lookout for the next publication from this author.