Hobby Island was an interesting magical place for the setting of this book. The island is owned by Eloise and she had a golden ticket sent to Jeanie and her family. Jeanie hoped she would win the grand prize in the quilting contest. She could really use the money right now. I enjoyed learning about her life and why she needed the money and seeing how the story would end. This is the first book in this new series set on the island. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

This book was just okay for me. I was really excited for it. I like a lot of Lori Wilde’s books. It was like all the characters were old and kind of cheesy even though they were different ages. The pacing was slow. The characters and storyline were extra, extra sweet. I didn’t think Artie sounded like a teenager at all., and I have two teens! The island description sounded amazing. I wish there was a place like this. I wanted to love it, but it just fell a little flat for me. This book was provided for review by Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The premise of this book was interesting. It is a private island, a place for crafters of all kinds to get together, share their projects, and learn from each other. It is peaceful and beautiful, with people who look out for each other. The owner, Eloisa, has a knack for helping struggling people. She invites a few special people to an all-expenses paid vacation on the island each year.

Jeanie is a quilter who received one of those invitations, which includes her daughter Luna and granddaughter Artemis. The entire family has had a rough time lately. Luna's husband was murdered, and she discovered that he had lost everything gambling. She and Artie had to move in with Jeanie. Artie is struggling with grief over her father's death. Meanwhile, Jeanie fell victim to a scam artist and is on the brink of losing her home.

I enjoyed watching the changes the three women experienced. Artie is almost sixteen and none too thrilled to be there. There is no internet, and cell phone service is practically non-existent. She's quite the brat at the beginning of the book, but meeting a new friend opens her eyes to a life outside a screen. There is some typical teenage eye-rolling and snark, but Artie is, at heart, a good kid. I loved seeing her and the other girl, Orion, get to know each other. Their collaboration on an art project for the contest was intriguing.

Jeanie is a people pleaser. Her backstory was heartbreaking, between her unstable childhood and her alcoholic husband. She and Luna have a strained relationship, but they need each other. She must win the craft contest's grand prize to save her home. I loved her confidence in her quilting skills and ached for her lack of belief in her design skills for a contest-worthy quilt.

Luna has difficulty trusting people.. Her difficult childhood, combined with her husband's betrayal, makes allowing anyone to get close a challenge. She is overprotective toward Artie, which strains their relationship. Luna also looks sideways at how easily Jeanie makes friends with total strangers. She is wary of the exuberant residents of Hobby Island, wondering what darkness lies beneath the smiles. The last person Luna expects to encounter on Hobby Island is her high school boyfriend, Paul.

I liked Paul. A single dad, he moved to Hobby Island to be near his Aunt Eloisa and have her help raising his daughter, Orion. He's in charge of the landscaping, the golf carts (no cars), and security. His past with Luna is an integral part of the book as they reconnect and deal with that past. Paul is a great guy, a terrific dad, and has an excellent outlook on life.

I enjoyed the story's progression as the island works its magic on Jeanie, Luna, and Artie. I especially liked seeing Jeanie and Luna work together to design the quilt Jeanie will make for the contest. Their time together brings them closer than they've been in years but also stirs up some unwelcome memories.

I enjoyed watching Paul and Luna reconnect. It doesn't take long to resurrect their feelings from the past, but Luna is wary of believing a future is possible for them. I loved Paul's patience with her fears and his steady encouragement to let go of them.

The story's intensity built as the competition's time grew closer. A crisis with Artie resurrected Luna's fears, causing her to push Paul away. I liked the advice Luna got that helped her move past the obstacles that were holding her back. Twists and turns add intrigue to the contest with a surprise conclusion. I loved the epilogue.

The island itself was one of my favorite characters. The little village of craft shops has something for everyone and a welcoming atmosphere that encourages creativity. The descriptions of the flowers were so vivid I could practically smell them, and the scene with the butterflies was fantastic. Wicked Martha, the left sock-stealing tortoise, was a surprise. I also enjoyed the quirky residents, such as the knitting-while-riding-a-unicycle Eloisa and "Auntie" Dot. I'm looking forward to another visit to Hobby Island.

Loved this book. Three generational story of self discovery, forgiveness and a second chance romance. Jeanie has won a golden ticket to the private island, Hobby Island where she has the chance to win $100,000 dollars as a grand prize for crafting. Jeanie takes her daughter, Luna who's husband just died and left her broke and her granddaughter, Artemis, whom is upset with loosing her dad and having to move in with her grandma. The island a little of a magical feeling, where everything is better. This will be a summer that they will not forget.This is the perfect beach read. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

I am still in the middle of reading but I love it so far, the setting is beautifully written and I have been entranced by the rawness of the story so far!

I had high hopes for The Summer That Shaped Us by Lori Wilde, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite meet my expectations. The story is told from the perspective of three main characters – Luna, Artemis, and Jeanie – during their summer on Hobby Island, a special place designed for crafters.

Luna, the daughter of Jeanie and mother to Artemis, is navigating life after the recent loss of her husband. She is artistic and passionate, working through her grief while adjusting to the challenges of being a single mother. Hobby Island serves as an outlet for her to explore her creative side and reconnect with her old self.

Artemis, mourning her father, is at a pivotal point in her journey to adulthood. She longs for independence and adventure, but ultimately still needs her mother’s support, even when she doesn’t want to admit it.

Jeanie, the matriarch of the family, is the glue that holds this trio together. She is the reason they are on Hobby Island for the summer, having won tickets to a quilting competition. The prize money could be life-changing, and Jeanie is determined to win – not just for herself, but for her family.

While I thought the premise of the book was interesting, the story itself felt clunky. Certain phrases and plot lines didn’t quite make sense, and at times the narrative felt awkward and disjointed. I found myself looking for more magical realism and a deeper exploration of the setting Wilde created on Hobby Island. Instead, the story leaned heavily into romance and drama, which left me feeling like there was a missed opportunity.

Additionally, several subplots felt unnecessary and detracted from the heart of the story. While I loved the idea of a multi-generational narrative centered around healing and creativity, the execution ultimately fell flat for me.

That said, if you are looking for a summer read that allows you to escape to a magical island filled with lots of drama, The Summer That Shaped Us might just be for you!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Goodreads: Run date – Tuesday, April 29

I realized at Chapter 12 that I really didn't like many of these characters or this book. While I read some of this book, I mostly listened to it.
I liked the teenager Artie as she seemed fun, inquisitive and really just looking for a friend on this crafting Island. Jeanie was a push over and Luna was a piece of work and not in a good way. Luna just seemed clueless, rude and condescending and wasn't nice to people.
They came to Hobby Island because they won the golden ticket to the craft Island and hoped to win the grand prize.
Some of the family secrets and hurts were talked about and resolved in the beginning chapters with very little emotion and " Ok, I forgive you" which seems very unlikely.
If this book wasn't an ARC, I would have stopped reading at Chapter 12 when I realized I didn't like it. But I continued and was reminded over and over what I didn't like. I thought this would be a fun lighthearted romance. The romance was blah and with the story we were given it can't be categorized as Romance.

The narrator Dawn Harvey was fine but I didn't like some of the voices she made up for people. They were very jarring.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Not my usual cup of tea, but an interesting read. The magical realism could have been played up a little more than it was, as it felt like many things were referenced but we never saw a follow through. It was really neat that the characters referenced the magic of the island, but I would have loved to see that happen properly rather than the assumption that everything good that ends up happening to our characters was because of the island itself. I loved the mother daughter aspect, and how being together on the island brought them closer, even though some of the issues they addressed I feel like would take more than one conversation and a couple of months to figure out.

The ending felt a bit rushed, with lots of things crammed together including a cliff hanger that didn’t seem relevant or needed. This might be common in Wilde's novels, but left me feeling confused and wondering what was even happening in the end.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Summer That Shaped Us by Lori Wilde started off in a curious way. I couldn’t figure it out so I just kept going. Jeanie; her daughter, Luna; and her granddaughter, Artie, were off to Hobby Island where Jeanie had a chance at a one hundred dollar grand prize if she made the best quilt. She needed it, because, unbeknownst to her daughter, she was about to lose their home. She had been cat-fished and in her search for love had mortgaged the place for money to give to her “lover.” They had had a rough life. Jeanie had loved her husband but he had been an alcoholic and they were constantly on the run from landlords and such. Luna’s husband, a doctor, had been shot in a gang shootout and after his death she discovered he had gambled away everything so she and Artie had come to live with her mom. It all began to make sense when Luna ran into the love of her teen life, Paul Chance. So much more to tell, but that’s what the book is for.

Paul was a good man, always had been. Jeanie had not seen that those years, ago, instead she pushed Luna toward Herc, who she thought was a better man. How wrong she’d been. Then there was the contest. Plenty of twists and turns here. Lori Wilde always writes the best romances. Ok. They are a little out there sometimes, like this one, but so fun, so full of love and things that are different. Great story. Good characters. Fun, fun, fun idea for the setting. Loved it!

I was invited to read The Summer That Shaped Us by Avon and Harper Voyager. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #AvonAndHarperVoyager #LoriWilde #TheSummerThatShapedUs

The Summer That Shaped Us is the first book in Lori Wilde’s Hobby Island series. Island owner Eloise Hobby promotes healing by using one’s creativity in her unique village compound filled with special B&Bs, specialized craft shops and settings such as beachside restaurants and a remarkable crystal cathedral in the forest. With her dear niece’s widower Paul and daughter Orion at her side and a crew of island residents that help in all that is done, Eloise is part benefactor, part wizard, and part fairy godmother.

When Paul discovers that one of their website chat members has been scammed out of her life savings by another but unable to figure out exactly which of a small group is guilty, Eloise awards them all a 2 month golden ticket for all expenses paid and a major craft contest at the end of the session to lure them to the island in hopes of bringing the guilty party to justice. This is how the scammed Jeanie Montgomery and her daughter, Luna Boudreaux and granddaughter Artemis have been able to come to Hobby Island for the summer along with the four suspects.

Bordering on myth/morality tale with a touch of Fantasy Island, Lori Wilde has written such an interesting and compelling story. The characters are multidimensional, the scenic detail precise. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

This book was different. It is about a group of people that are brought to Hobby Islaand for a crafting retreat. The actual reason that several of them were invited is that someone is preying on several members of the crafting group in a love scheme. The story has three generations of one family and their issues with each other, a revived old romance, and a little mystery.

This was a quick, fun read. Not always realistic, but a light summer read.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager Books and NetGalley for the digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

Eloisa created a place called Hobby Island on an island off the coast of Texas 15 years ago. It is dedicated to all things crafty and she holds a two month summer retreat type of event with a contest at the end for the best creations in different categories of crafts. After her security guy discovered something fishy going on in her online forum, she invites the victim and suspects to the coming summer event to figure out what is going on. This is a story about family and forgiveness to yourself and others. Also, learning how to change your perspective by rephrasing thoughts in a positive way. This is a quick easy read.

Beautiful generational story told from the pov of Jeanne the grandmother, Luna the daughter, and Artemis the granddaughter. The Summer That Shaped us tells the story of strong women who overcome great obstacles, learning how to forgive themselves and others as well as learning how to love themselves and others. I loved the descriptions of Hobby Island, the descriptions of the arts and crafts that were being made as well as the quilting tidbits that were scattered through the book. I also enjoyed reading the Eloise Hobby quote at the beginning of each chapter. I read through this quite quickly. Great summertime beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lori Wilde and Avon Harper publishing for this arc version in exchange for my opinion.

What a beautiful book cover! Once again, Lori Wilde has given us a wonderful story from start to finish! This was an interesting story line with characters that draw you into the drama of their lives. There are secrets, deception, fears and alot of miscommunication but there is also forgiveness. Hobby Island sounds like the perfect place to worh through what troubles you. This is the perfect women's fiction read with a blend of heart, humor, emotion and romance that makes it so entertaining. This would make a wonderful beach read!

I enjoyed reading The Summer That Shaped Us by Lori Wilde. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

It didn’t take long for The Summer That Shaped Us to draw me under its spell. The first story in the Hobby Island series introduces us to three women, a family of grandmother, mother, and daughter who are facing life challenges, each in their own unique way. Each is hurting, each needs the magic of Hobby Island, even though they might fight those changes, they each have to discover what drives them, what is hurting them. Often, changes don’t happen without pain, and Jeannie, Luna, and Artie will each have their own personal heartaches to work through before that elusive peace and happiness find them.

Eloisa, the owner of this magical island and the woman who created the crafter’s paradise and the possibilities presented here on the island, is a unique and mysterious character. Watching the ways that she befriended this family, and seeing the truth about all the visitors to her island, was, at times, a bit of a roller coaster ride. Which I happened to enjoy.

There is mystery in The Summer That Shaped Us, as well as healing for the women of this family. There is also a bit of romance, friendships developed, and peace of mind to be found as well.

I enjoyed my time here and would not hesitate to recommend this book to any reader who enjoys Women’s Fiction, Romance, and a bit of mystical Magic.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley with no promise of a positive review. The opinion about this book in my review is mine alone, good, bad, or indifferent.

It took me a minute to get into this book but once I started it. I couldn’t put it down

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Who doesn’t want to visit an island where you can immerse yourselfinto crafts and escape your everyday life? I know I would love that! The summerthat shaped us follows the POV of three generations. There’s a little bit of mystery,a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of hobby island.
I will say that the book cover comes across as a romance, thefirst chapter makes you think it’s a mystery, and the whole book itself it abit of a cluster of everything. So, it can be a bit confusing to figure outwhere the author is going with it. But overall, I think it was an enjoyableread! I rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

A Hallmark vibe retreat on a magic summer island. Thank you to Netgalley, Lori + the awesome publishing team at Avon for the eARC of this book!

What to Expect:
⭐ Three generations of women
⭐ Family Drama and dynamics
⭐ Second Chance Love
⭐ Second chance + new outlooks on life
⭐ Individual growth amongst the characters
⭐ Quirky island residents + hobby retreat owner

TW:
⭐ Discussions of verbal + physical abuse
⭐ Alcoholism + Drunk Driving
⭐ Money scammer involved as sub character


My Thoughts:
A lot of this story felt wayyyy too unreal. The "magic" of Hobby Island felt way over the top. Honestly some of it felt like a cult to me. It was very unbelievable overall as a story. The way the characters talked to each other and worked their way through issues or discussions almost felt like someone took AI and generated a adult, mature, over therapized responses. It just didn't do it for me. This was not one of my favorite books to read. I did enjoy the complexities of the relationships between the three main women characters. I enjoyed seeing their relationships all heal & grow. While it's lovely to see them also individually heal, some of it was just a bit icky feeling for me. Like Hallmarked to the 10th degree with the cheese. Some of the stuff on forgiveness amongst the visitors was weird. Also the security cameras all over just left me feeling uncomfortable. Overall the story line I think really could have been awesome. It just didn't do it for me.

Synopsis:
In the Gulf of Mexico, near South Padre, sits a private island with a bit of a magic about it: the colors are brighter, the food tastes better, and turtles and cranes find sanctuary there. The billionaire heiress who built the thriving resort on Hobby Island exclusively for crafters, Eloisa Hobby, is as much a mystery as she is a mentor. Those with troubles are invited in the aftermath of an emotional turmoil, and with help from the other crafters on the island Eloisa acts as a sounding board while she gently and unobtrusively guides the visitors toward healthy resolutions in their lives. Only a few receive the honor of a golden ticket.

Luna, ever the pragmatist, is reeling in the wake of tragedy: she’s just moved with her fierce, opinionated teenage daughter Artemis to her mother’s house, after they lost their husband and father. But her mother, Jeanie, artistic and sensitive, has faced her own troubles recently, and her home may not be the stable sanctuary the three women so desperately need.

When Jeanie receives one of the coveted tickets, inviting her and her family to Hobby Island, the blessing is one they can’t turn down, though both Luna and Artie remain skeptical of their eccentric host and benefactor. Together, the three of them will have to learn to trust one another again, accept help from those who love them, and embrace life—during a summer they’ll never forget.