This story had a lot of great potential with three generations of women that each provide their POV. There’s a beautiful setting, second chance romance, mystery and healing. There are also some incredible moments in the book that felt like therapy. But there were several bizarre plot points as well, like a turtle that steals people’s left socks….?

Overall I enjoyed the book!

The Summer That Shaped Us by Lori Wilde has a grandmother, her daughter and teenage granddaughter invited to Hobby Island for crafters. The somewhat competition between the crafters includes the good characters and the not so good ones. Actually the focus seems to be less on the crafts than on personal growth and developing healthy choices. These three have suffered losses, had conflicts and needed to repair relationships.

There is a mystery introduced near the beginning, but this is not the focus of the story. Overall, it is about forgiveness, giving grace and overcoming difficult times in life. The crafting part was interesting because I find when doing something with your hands or with others, your mind quietens enough to work through issues you have been thinking about. It seems to work for this family of women, giving them time to talk through somethings too.

The story was too much like fantasy Island

Jesse is a real problem as a mom - she put her alcoholic husband above her daughter's heart and the health of the family. Luna has generation hurt (first her father was a drunk, her mother was an enabler, and her own husband gambled away all their property and bank accts). I can understand why she is distrustful of strangers.

Artie was a typical teenager - likeable.

I knew from the start Luna would need to heal / help her mom / be the savior to her family - she is the glue that keeps everyone together. With the POV showing how Artie got her name - i knew Paul would come into the storyline

The Summer That Shaped Us
By Lori Wilde

This is a story of finding yourself. After winning a trip to the mystical island and a chance to win 100,000 dollars anything is possible. We get to see three generations of a family reconnecting after loss and betrayal.

Learning the truth about the past can open your eyes to so much. Pushing beyond your fears can allow you to find your joy.

Absolutely obsessed with this one! The cover and storyline is adorable. I have been recommending this one to all my friends now that it is out.

Sweet story of building friendships and falling in love with a different way of life. I enjoyed the quirky characters and seeing how each of them grew during their summer on Hobby Island.

Take a trip to Fantasy Island…..oops I mean Hobby Island. A place that one has to be invited to, a paradise island for crafters to embrace their talents and find peace. Or in the case of Jeanie a chance to win the quilting contest and save her home. She is allowed 2 guests and brings her daughter and teenage granddaughter with. Artie is not thrilled, what teenager would be no WiFi and only old people to be found. Luna is still trying to rebuild her life, her husband was murdered and left a mountain of gambling debts. So in debt that she sold everything and her and Artie moved in with her mom. Getting away for a couple a months is a chance for her to regroup and then her first love is on the island. Once again her life is upside down.
A story with a bit of fantasy and magic, throw in a cozy mystery and a HEA. With a tease for the next in the series. Thank you #NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #TheSummerThatShapedUs

I truly enjoyed this story and getting introduced to Hobby Island and it's guardian/caretaker Eloisa. She has wonderful pearls of wisdom at the start of every chapter. This is a remarkable story about self-awareness, self-help, community, and learning to let go of the things that don't bring you joy. Three woman Jeanie, Luna, and Artemis; a mother, daughter, and grand-daughter are invited to Hobby Island to enter a quilt contest. Each of these woman has something to learn about themselves and somehow make better. They each carry their own burdens that they don't easily or readily share with one another.

There is a delightful cast of characters and a beautiful setting. The writing flows so smoothly and is inspirational. This is a beautifully crafted work.

I wish Hobby Island was a real place so that I could go there and soak up all the wonderfulness of it.

THE SUMMER THAT SHAPED US – Lori Wilde
Hobby Island, Book 1
Avon
ISBN: 978-0063352155
April 22, 2025
Contemporary Fiction

Hobby Island, Texas – Present Day

Billionaire heiress Eloisa Hobby loves crafting and built a resort that caters to anyone who also loves crafting. Of course, it’s mostly women, but it is for them to rebuild their lives while doing something they enjoy. For Jeanie, Luna, and Artemis, the three generations of one family, it is a place to heal while competing for the $100,000 grand prize in a crafting contest. Jeanie needs the money to keep her family home after she fell prey to a scammer and lost a lot of money. Unfortunately, she hasn’t told her daughter Luna, who is trying to rebuild her life after her husband died, leaving her with a pile of debt. Luna’s daughter Artemis is a typical fifteen-year-old who is aware of her mother’s need for money, but she would rather be anywhere else than on an island with no teens like her. Then Artemis meets Orion, a girl her age. Oh, cool. Orion’s father Paul is the gardener and security expert for Hobby Island. It turns out that Paul is also Luna’s old high school boyfriend. One look at each other, and Paul and Luna are feeling the attraction again. Meanwhile, Eloisa suspects the person who scammed Jeanie is staying on the island too. Will the scammer be outed, and will Jeanie get her money back? Will Luna and Paul fall in love again? Will Artemis get to enjoy a summer she won’t forget?

THE SUMMER THAT SHAPED US opens with Jeanie getting a coveted “golden ticket” to spend the summer on Hobby Island for her and her family for free. She tries to hide from Luna about losing all the money when she got catfished, but Luna finds out. Their reconciliation is mostly off-screen. In fact, there are a few places in this tale when things happen that we don’t see, but it’s referenced afterward. I’m not sure if the author had to cut words from THE SUMMER THAT SHAPED US or if it was meant to be. Anyway, there are times when Jeanie and Luna, then Luna and Artemis, are in conflict with each other. They resolve the issues because, at the root of it all, they love each other.

The only romance in THE SUMMER THAT SHAPED US is between Luna and Paul. They quickly reconnect and are falling for each other just like they did twenty years ago. Artemis, of course, doesn’t know at first about them being high school sweethearts. How will she react? Meanwhile, the group starts the process of creating their crafting projects. Luna is going to help Jeanie with some quilting ideas. Unfortunately, her sketchbook is stolen by another member, who denies it. Despite the niceness of most people on Hobby Island, there are some people there who aren’t nice and will cheat to win the $100,000 prize.

THE SUMMER THAT SHAPED US is told from several viewpoints but mostly from the three main female characters Jeanie, Luna, and Artemis. The romance between Paul and Luna is mostly sweet, with maybe only a couple of steamy love scenes. This tale is written around the emotions of the characters and the journey that changes them. For Jeanie, it’s changing her past where she tries to avoid conflict. For Luna, it’s moving past losing her husband and her trust in him. Readers will be rooting for this family to get past their obstacles and find love…and money.

An uplifting tale you won’t want to miss, be sure to pick up THE SUMMER THAT SHAPED US.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

The Summer That Shaped Us was a quirky, fun book. It was a good beach read story! The characters were likable. I did struggle with parts of the story at times but overall it was an enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

When I first started this book, I was unsure how I felt about it. It felt "cheesy". But then, as the characters and the island (and dear Lord, I would love to spend a summer at this island even if I didn't do a lick of crafts) started to get fleshed out, I found that the story was more than what was on the surface. Eloise is a character that I would love to sit down with and have tea and just talk and learn. While Luna rubbed me the wrong way throughout most of the story, she did seem to have the most growth than her mother or her daughter. The relationships between Mothers and daughters is the central theme of the story and a whole lot of forgiveness needs to be happening not only for them but for others in the story. A mild mystery which I expected to take center stage seemed to be merely a vehicle to get these women to the island and another avenue of forgiveness. I'm now invested and want to read the next in the series with that ending.

Lori Wilde's The Summer That Shaped Us is the first novel I have read by this author. This novel offers an emotional, heartwarming story that resonates with the reader. This book dives into three generations of women finding healing and hope on the magical Hobby Island. Jeanie, her daughter Luna, and granddaughter Artie, each spinning from recent calamities, are invited to spend the summer on this vibrant island, known for its colorful charm and the perplexing billionaire heiress, Eloisa Hobby.

The story explores the complex dynamic contrasts of a mother-daughter relationship, the challenges of grief, and the importance of self-credence. As each of the three women embarks on a journey of self-discovery, tackling their pasts and learning to grip the future. Jeanie's hidden secrets add another layer of intrigue to the narrative, keeping me invested in their entangled stories.

What immediately captivated me was Wilde's vivid descriptions of Hobby Island. The lush imagery, from the jacaranda trees to the characters' attire, truly brought the island to life and created a sense of place that felt almost magical. It's a backdrop that becomes a character, contributing to the overall atmosphere of healing and transformation.

Wilde's writing style is an atmospheric and immersive format. If you’re looking for the perfect escape, then look no further than this feels satisfying good story with depth. I particularly enjoyed the insightful quotes from Eloisa Hobby at the beginning of each chapter, which added a touch of wisdom and reflection to the narrative.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy of The Summer That Shaped us.

Three generations of women on an island that has a little bit of magic and mystery navigate the things going on in their life and on the island.

I honestly really did not like this book at all. It made no sense and it felt like it was written by AI.

The premise of this book really intrigued me, but it just really wasn’t for me. This book did not read like a real world thing… the dialogue, the turtle (like what?), the quickness of forgiveness? It all just seemed too fake for me to really enjoy.
This was also just so strange, like I get that they’re a knitting commuting but we talked about that a lottttt more than I feel like we should’ve.
Overall, I just don’t think this was for me.

The Summer that Shaped Us is a heartfelt story about family and friendship. Lori Wilde brings Hobby Island to life, making it feel like a real place you’d want to escape to. The dynamic between three generations—Jeanie, her daughter Luna, and granddaughter Artemis—was touching as they grew closer during their weeklong crafting retreat. While some plot points felt a little too convenient and neatly resolved, the emotional core of the story and the strong sense of connection made it an enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I would LOVE a crafters weeklong getaway on an island all expenses paid!! Jeanie, her daughter Luna, and her granddaughter Artemis all end up on Hobby Island. All three women learn more about themselves, their relationships and each other. The struggles were minor and too quickly resolved. I enjoyed it, but reminder to myself: no more women’s fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I struggled to get through this book, partially due to their being so many POVs in the story. I don't believe this is a bad book, I just don't believe it is for me at this time. I may try it again in the future though

Welcome to Hobby Island. Jeanie, her daughter Luna, and her granddaughter Artemis, has had many struggles lately, and Jeanie received a golden ticket to Hobby Island for the summer, for a quilting competition. When they arrive on the island, they are amazed at what they see. They start to settle in, and find out the rules of the contest, with the grand prize of $100.000.00 and Jeanie needs to win the money. She was scammed out of her life's savings, and now she is going to lose her home if she doesn't come up with $100.000.00 by August. Jeanie hasn't told her daughter, but she has to tell her now because she needs her daughter's help to win. The design has to be island theme and her daughter used to be an excellent artist. Her daughter is upset about it but agrees to help her. Things go wrong, and Luna discovers her mother has kept another secret. Things do start to turn around, after many disappointments, and they get started on the quilt, and they decide the theme would be their journey since coming to the island and let the quilt tell their story. They learn that the island helps them find themselves and grow to become their authentic self. It isn't a smooth path, but a path of learning, forgiving, and learning to let go of the past to embrace their future. It was a summer that shaped them.
I received an ARC from Avon through NetGalley.

This was an interesting book. It centers on 3 generations of women, and how they come together over a summer on an island.

I did enjoy the 3 related women, Jeanie, Luna & Artemis, and of course Paul & Orion. They were/are a fun mix of people.

Life on the island didn't exactly make sense to me. Things didn't really add up, yet people didn't really question it. I also felt like it jumped around, or literally just skipped scenes here and there, so things were disjointed.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it, but I didn't love it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This started out with way too many POVs. It was hard to keep track of who everyone was because you’re bombarded with people from the beginning.

There was so much conflict and all of it was resolved in 5 minutes- like I’m all for forgiveness but this was so unbelievable. Luna was unbearable for most of the book and Jeanie wasn’t much better.

This was overall just a miss for me.