The story was well written. I loved the characters and the way they developed. I read this in about a day and a half it was a quick easy read

The Summer that Shaped Us by Lori Wilde was a nice casual read. Great to bring to the beach or cozy up in front of a fire. Definitely with a bit of drama , which at times was a bit too much for me. There was also an air of mystery, sabotage, forgiveness and second chances. Thank you to the author, #NetGalley and #Avon & Harper Voyager, Harper Collins Publishing for the Arc book. This is my honest review.

This book had a lot packed into it! It is about 3 people who gradually give their story and show how their experiences shaped who they are. Obviously the title is very fitting for this book! It was a pretty easy read that I managed to get through pretty quickly.

I enjoyed the premise of this book but struggled with the 0 to 100 of certain characters - the development suffered to me

The Summer That Shaped Us by Lori Wilde. This book was chalked full of different characters. It was a little too whimsical for my taste. A little too choppy I guess you could say? It had alot going on and felt like it was all being crammed into one story maybe? I do think that their are readers out there that do enjoy this kind of writing. It just wasn't for me. But I am still glad that I read it. Everyone is different when it comes to books and writing. So I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy this type of writing. Just not my cup of tea... It was meant for someone else. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review. Happy reading y'all!

I enjoyed The Summer That Shaped Us. It is a light, cozy read centering around a Mother, Daughter, and granddaughter. They go on an island retreat. Each of them brings their share of emotional baggage, which is unpacked at a good pace.

I am just......so confused and a little lost.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my personal opinions. I will be upfront, if this wasn't an ARC, it would have been a DNF for me at 15%.

I am 99% confident that an AI Bot wrote this. No way would an author write with the style that Lori wrote with. The plot line didn't make sense; very intense and life changing betrayal were resolved in a fourth of a chapter with a quick "I am sorry, can you forgive me?". It just felt so off and so forced. I couldn't get past how the characters just moved through their time there with nothing but happy feelings. For example, the Luna lost her husband a year ago and sees her high school love on the island. Within ONE conversation with him, she's running back to her mom saying she's basically in love and she wants to try because something is still there.....all of it weird.

The style was over the top peachy perfect. It is so hard to describe the writing style unless you read it.

Lori Wilde delivers a heartfelt, emotional story about love, friendship, and the power of second chances in The Summer That Shaped Us. This book beautifully captures the nostalgia of summers past while weaving together a story of personal growth and healing.

The characters are layered and compelling, each carrying their own burdens and secrets, and I loved watching them navigate their relationships and rediscover themselves. Wilde’s writing is immersive, pulling me right into the coastal setting and making me feel every emotion along the way.

If you love stories about rekindled friendships, emotional journeys, and a touch of romance, this book is definitely worth picking up!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

#BookReview #LoriWilde #TheSummerThatShapedUs #ContemporaryRomance #WomensFiction #BookLover #MustRead #EmotionalReads

I usually don't read books like this but I wanted to give it a try. This story explores emotional growth and finding closure within family. These characters are forced to confront old wounds and find their way back to the people they once were—or perhaps discover a new version of themselves altogether. I love how you really get the feel of the small coastal town. Getting into the lives of two characters whose pasts are marked by heartache and regret. It’s a summer of second chances, healing, and finding hope in unexpected places. Made me think about learning how to Quilt lol

A gorgeous cover! I was drawn to this book. The story was a bit too whimsical for my liking. The characters were cute and the setting dreamy. Overall, I thought it was an average read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a very different story but I really loved it. Eloise Hobbs lived on Hobby Island, a crafters island. Paul, part of the family was there to set up security for the island and keep it that way. He did a lot of other things too. Jeanne was invited to the island on the golden ticket and brought her daughter Luna and granddaughter Artemis with her . Plus some of the crafters that they felt may in on the scam of Jeanne for over $100,000.00 See if Paul can catch the scammer. When Luna gets to the Island she runs into Paul , her first love, You will need to read how that goes and also the one thing that Jeanne did to break them up, Luna was helping Jenne with the theme for the quilt and Nannette had stolen and used as used as her own and then the person who scammed her is there too. There is also the friendship of Artemis, Luna's daughter and Orion, Paul's daughter. so much going on but a GREAT READ,

I am an avid hobby person. A ton of different types of crafts peak my interest. This book is a prefect read for someone like that. I fell in love with the characters and the island. If only a destination like this truly exists.

Not the best. It was a little too quick and just kind of a strange story line. I get it was supposed to be slightly whimsical but it came across sort of empty.

This was such a great read! It was cute and the cover really attracts you to the book. The book has strong character development while making a relatable plot.

Lori Wilde is a must read author for me. Her latest, The Summer That Shaped Us was an amazing read, as I was anticipating.

I loved this book!! From Luna and Paul's story to Jeanie's stories of personal growth and showing grace as she was wronged by Nannette and Sharon. Artie and Orion had a great friendship and it was great to see them become sisters. I liked how the tale unwove at the art competition and we learned who was behind slashing the quilt. I recommend this book for anyone who likes light hearted books about personal growth, reunited love and friendship.

I absolutely ADORE this story! I would love to go to a place like this for readers!!! This island where you have everything you need to be comfortable & make in person, human connections, without the distractions of the internet and social media, where people are held accountable for their actions and challenged to overcome their issues. This was just what was needed for Jeanie, Luna & Artemis. Their family had been turned upside down and inside out. They all had anger issues & problems attacking these 3 generations of women, causing them to lead restricted lives. The island and Eloisa, gave them "opportunities" to address & attempt to understand why they behaved the way that they did, as well as to declare that they wanted to change. Also, a former love interest for Luna, led to even more revelations. The only thing that I didn't like was too much " sexy time". I am hopeful that there will be a next book which will be about the character who appeared at the end of the epilogue. Bring it on!!!!

A very cute and fluffy story. Definitely a summer read. I've never read anything by Lori Wilde before, will be doing so in the future.

Thank you to Lori Wilde, NetGalley, and Avon Publishers for this arc of The Summer That Shaped Us, out April 22, 2025!

📜Quick Summary: Billionaire Eloisa Hobby created an island that’s mixed with a little bit of magic dust…everything is brighter here, things taste better, you’re at ease. And when Jeanie wins a Golden Ticket to Hobby Island, she takes her daughter Luna and her granddaughter Artemis on this two month adventure. An avid quilter, Jeanie hopes to win the grand prize to help with some debts she has from a dating app scammer gone wrong. Luna is also dealing with debts from her late husband’s gambling. Childhood drama and an intricate relationship between the three generations of ladies will cause them to look at this trip as a way to heal, to grow, and to ultimately trust one another again. Told through different viewpoints, this tale allows each character to show their side of the story.

❣️Initial Feels: Hmm…the writing so far doesn’t seem to naturally flow for me. Eloisa seems to be an eccentric character so far, and I bet her Island will match her personality.

👀Trigger Warnings: trauma, death of spouse, alcoholism

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Artie has to put in the work to find herself this trip, after dealing with grief from losing her father, and watching her mother deal with his hidden gambling debts. Her life hasn’t been easy, and she was determined to find herself, process her grief, and become the young woman she's meant to be. Dealing with a family that harbored secrets which then affected her can be a great deal of pain.

📖Read if you want: little bit of mystery and romance, accepting the past and new beginnings, working through past trauma

🗨️Touching Words: “Scissors cut, but they also shape. Choose your cuts wisely.”

“Be the quirk in the quilt. Stand out.”

💡Final Sentiments: The cover was beautiful and vibrant, just like the setting of the novel. Although this wasn’t my favorite family drama novel, I thought it was a quick and easy read. If you’re looking for a lighter (even with the deep topics) read that doesn’t have too much character development, this is for you. I really enjoyed the small quotes at the start of every chapter by Eloisa. Nothing spectacular stood out, this seemed like an average chick lit fiction novel. I feel like this could definitely touch reader’s who are dealing with or have been touched by the various trigger warnings, and that many will enjoy it. The odd touch of this island is that they all had their own rooms, and were assigned an “Auntie” to watch over them. I thought that was a bit odd.

🌟Overall Rating: 3.25 stars

This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

I felt that The Summer That Shaped Us was just not the book for me. It was ok and I liked parts of the book, but there were other parts that I didn’t care for.

I enjoyed the setting and descriptions of Hobby Island. I could picture it in my head and it made me want to go to a place like that. I also liked the relationships, community, and competition on the island.

Something I didn’t care for was how a major, pivotal thing happened years ago and was resolved so quickly. It was just very unrealistic and unbelievable. The mystery element of the book was also barely there and it could have been so much more. The pacing just felt off and everything felt rushed.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.