Only Summer

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Pub Date 08 Nov 2018 | Archive Date 30 Nov 2018

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Description

What were your Summertime Secrets? Is there anything you regretted doing … saying …  or maybe even thinking this Summer?  


Delightful Chick Lit That's a Breezy Read With Recognizable Characters That Could Be Your BFFs or Even Yourself


From the beaches of Cape Cod to the manicured lawns of Westchester to the steamy streets of Manhattan, summer is the time for clambakes, sunbathing at the country club and sunset drinks at exclusive rooftop bars. However, for Sabrina, Molly, Heather and Megan, this summer is when their lives unravel, and they have no one to blame but themselves. 

Only Summer is the interlaced story of four women who spend the summer making impulsive choices that have difficult and often disastrous effects on those they love most. 

-          Career-driven, eternal Manhattanite Sabrina is finally on the straight and narrow and happy in her relationship with Peter, but a surprise engagement and a bigger surprise from an ex-boyfriend prove too much for her to handle and force her back to her self-destructive ways.

-          Sabrina’s friend and colleague Heather is recovering from months of illness, but her husband refuses to believe she is strong enough to do anything on her own. As luck would have it, the handsome stranger she meets on the Cape has no problem believing in her and helping her recapture her allure.

-          Sabrina’s sister Molly is new to the suburban town of Rye and trying to fit in with a group of women who measure self worth by their dress size and the square footage of their homes. Before she can say no, Molly is wrapped up in a world of excess and she’s in so deep, there may not be a way out.

-          After two years of bliss with her boyfriend Ryan, Megan finds herself in unfamiliar territory and unable to turn to her pseudo-stepmom, her friends, or even her unlikely matchmaker Sabrina! Alone once again, Megan reaches out in a new and potentially dangerous direction for comfort.

 

While the carefree days of summer pass them by, these four distressed friends try to put the pieces back together before it’s too late.


Rachel Cullen is a graduate of Northwestern University and NYU Stern School of Business. She worked in consulting and marketing in San Francisco, London and New York and currently lives in Westchester, NY with her husband, three children and her two dogs. Only Summer is her third novel; she is also the author of The Way I’ve Heard It Should Be and Second Chances.



What were your Summertime Secrets? Is there anything you regretted doing … saying …  or maybe even thinking this Summer?  


Delightful Chick Lit That's a Breezy Read With Recognizable Characters That...


Advance Praise

Writeups &  Reviews for Rachel's Other Books: 


Writer Pens Westchester-Themed Novel Set In Rye (Rye Daily Voice)


Fiction Novel Set in Rye (Rye City Review)


Pelham's Rachel Cullen Writes New Book: "Second Chances" (The Pelhams - PLUS)

 

Hello Scarsdale: Pelham Author Pens New Book Set in Town (Scarsdale Daily Voice)

Pelham's Rachel Cullen Publishes Her First Novel: (The Pelhams - PLUS)

 

Of Science and Suburbia, The final word on good reads from local authors (Westchester Magazine)

Take a Peek at a New Novel Set in Westchester (Westchester Magazine)

 

78 reviews including: 
Diane B: 5 Stars When I read the author's first book I thought I ...Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
When I read the author's first book I thought I was saying goodbye to the characters. It was a treat to meet them again, about a year down the road, and to see how they had all grown as women. I am not the target audience for this book. I'm well into my retirement, live in an urban, not suburban setting and until recently, hadn't been in New York in over 40 years. But these women somehow grabbed me. An d Rachel Cullen has a way of telling a story from different points of view that by the end all weave together, that made me not want to put the book down until I finished.


Audrey Beerman: 4 Stars Engaging read with well-developed characters!Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I love the format of this book. Cullen gives each character her own platform to express her truth by having each of the four women "own" her chapters. It's refreshing; even the best omniscient narrator would be hard pressed to jump, authentically, between the teenager living out her young love fantasy, for instance, and a mom of teenagers grappling with her complex family situation. I won't reveal any spoilers but there are a few plot twists which really surprised me! Terrific read!





Writeups &  Reviews for Rachel's Other Books: 


Writer Pens Westchester-Themed Novel Set In Rye (Rye Daily Voice)


Fiction Novel Set in Rye (Rye City Review)


Pelham's Rachel...

Marketing Plan

* Westchester, NY and Cape Cod, MA local media

* Blogger Review Tour

* Book Giveaways for Bloggers

* Goodreads Giveaway

* National and Regional Radio Interviews (NPR, PRI, Talk shows)

* Literary Podcast Interviews

* Library Readings, Bookstore Events

* Available for Book Clubs


* Westchester, NY and Cape Cod, MA local media

* Blogger Review Tour

* Book Giveaways for Bloggers

* Goodreads Giveaway

* National and Regional Radio Interviews (NPR, PRI, Talk shows)

* Literary Podcast...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781725540552
PRICE $12.99 (USD)

Average rating from 31 members


Featured Reviews

In a breezy summer novel the author intertwines 4 different females that all have ties to each other.

I really enjoyed the character development of all 4 throughout the book. There was a perfect balance of reality, lost and new loves.

Perfect lazy weekend ready. I highly recommend!

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This was a late beach read that was great for the end of summer. The story lead readers through four women lives and their struggle. This was great the fact the story also incorporate the life of a high schooler; which to me was a surprise. It's not usual that you see an author insert a teenager within a book mostly about adults. It was refreshing.

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Nice summer read! Thanks Netgalley for a copy of this book. I spent the weekend by and in the pool reading it. Definitely brought me back to summers in New England and living in NYC . By the end, I wanted to see what the next phases of everyone's life would be and was kind of sad when I got the end of the book...

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This was a pleasant, light read, and perfect for the end of summer. Told in alternating voices of four women (well, 3 women and a teenage girl), it tracks them over the course of one summer. Each character is recognizable and relatable. Usually, one character might wholly resonate with a reader. With the author’s skill, there is something in each of these characters that a reader will be able to commiserate with. This makes every thread (each woman’s story) a stand-alone, even as they intertwine with each other. I thought that Molly’s struggle to keep up with the neighborhood women in Rye was particularly entertaining (been there). I could totally relate to Sabrina’s point of view as well. I would have liked a little bit more depth to Hannah’s situation; it was pretty obvious that her pre-teen daughter was not only acting like a normal pre-teen, but was also worried about losing her mom; I wish that had been explored just a little because I think that could have tied her and Megan together. Overall, however, I enjoyed the story. And I didn’t mind how the epilogue wrapped everything up. The women all had a journey that they took over the summer, and once summer was over, that was it. A solid four star read. Thank you to NetGalley, Darcie Rowan PR, and especially the author, Rachel Cullen, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This book followed several woman that were all connected in some way, but who were also living very different lives. It was a very flowing novel, and I didn't find that any parts of the book dragged.
Heather is a recovering cancer patient who is looking for a good person qho can come with her and her 2 daughters to Cape Cod on vacation, so that she has help because her husband is working. She runs into an old colleague, Sabrina, and is tellling her about everything. Sabrina thinks immediately of Megan, who is her best friend Danielle's stepdaughter. So Megan ends up going with Heather and the girls, problem solved! Except Sabrina has her own problems, and so does her sister Molly, who has newly moved to the area. It's crazy to watch all of their stories unravel and come together.
I really did enjoy this book and I would recommend it for anyone looking for an easy read.

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I chose this book thinking it would be a light summer read. I was a bit worried when the opening paragraphs are dealing with a woman who had recently battled breast cancer. But it turned out to be exactly what I hoped for; a quick, fun read perfect for the beach.

The story follows four women narrators that are interwoven nicely. Sabrina is a recently engaged professional living in Manhattan, Heather is a mother of two girls who is recovering from breast cancer, Megan is a teenager who lives with her ex-step-mother in Manhattan, and Molly recently moved to the suburbs from Colorado. There are a lot of additional characters, some whom are so prominent I kept forgetting they weren't one of the narrators.

There are also multiple locations where the story takes place as well; the beach, Manhattan, and the upper class suburbs. But the author did a great job of making it easy to remember who is where with reference and not making it too hard to keep track as a reader.

One thing I enjoyed about the book is I didn't love all of the characters. I wanted to strangle Molly for being such a follower and Sabrina for engaging with her ex-boyfriend who clearly is an ex for a reason! It wasn't all roses and rainbows. I liked that.

The only real criticism I have for the book (and the reason for 4 stars rather than 5) is that I believe some authors are secretly sadists. There are two sets of characters with similar names in this book and at first before realizing it, had to keep rereading to figure out the context because it didn't make sense. There are two toddlers named Abby and Anna (two different moms) as well as a fiance named Peter and an ex-boyfriend Parker (same woman involved). It made an otherwise super easy read need a little more effort.

I received a free copy of this ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

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Loved this book! Each woman was relatable and nuanced. Such a great story of interconnected women at a pivotal summer in their lives. I did not want this one to end. Looking forward to more from this great author!

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This is an engaging read with women who are at different stages of their lives trying to figure out the next steps to take.
I found the pace at the beginning slow and it took me a while to get accustomed to the characters. However, what most readers would relate to are the characters and their dilemmas because we all experience moments of doubt and have a secret or two. Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

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A perfect end of summer read! This was a wonderful story of 4 women who are all dealing with different major life incidents and how they manage to work their way through. I really enjoyed each character and how their lives all intertwined with each other.

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Only Summer – Rachel Cullen

I was fortunate to receive this novel from Netgalley.com as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.

This is a sweet story about four women whose summer breaks end up happening far differently than they had each imagined.

Sabrina, newly engaged, is ambivalent about planning the wedding to her physician boyfriend and his wealthy family. While happy in her relationship, settling down makes her nervous – and then she re-connects with the boy who broke her heart in high school…

Heather, recovering after a bout of cancer and chemotherapy, is restless and wants to begin living again, while her doting husband wants her to rest and ‘take it easy’. While summering on Cape Cod, she meets a man who helps her recover her strength and her spirit, but at what cost to her marriage?

Molly has recently moved from Colorado to Rye, NY, and meets her first friend, Jeannie, on a local playground. It quickly becomes apparent that Jeannie and her friends come with wealth, and Molly tries hard to fit into that lifestyle. Will she risk everything to ‘keep up with the Joneses’?

Megan is a teenager who will soon be a senior in high school, and she’s looking forward to spending the summer with her boyfriend Ryan before he heads off to college in the fall. But at the last minute, Ryan is sent to London to work for his father’s company, leaving Megan with an empty summer stretching before her. With no plans in sight, Megan reluctantly accepts a summer job on Cape Cod as a companion to Heather and her family, and it will change her life.

This book gets off to a quick start, as each chapter spotlights one of the four women and it is a bit confusing, but once you have them sorted out, it rapidly becomes a great read, with characters you’ll start to love, and want to step right in and give advice to! A great, mellow read, perfect for vacation, or a day at the beach!

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I received Only Summer by Rachel Cullen as an ARC from NetGalley. I enjoy reading books about relationships between women and this book did not disappoint. The four women in the book faced different challenges and relied on their friendships to get them through. Would love to read other books by Rachel Cullen.

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Perfect summer/lazy day read. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters and the trials and tribulations going on in their lives.. This book did not disappoint.
Looking forward to more from this author

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

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Considering th cover and the title of this book, it is tempting to recommend it strictly as a light "beach read," but it is that and much more, because the author does explore some interesting issues. This book is told from the point of view of four interesting female characters, one of whom is a high school student. An epilogue wraps up any loose ends, making this a completely satisfying read. I look forward to recommending this title.

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I liked the cover of this book. It's not really a beach read. It deals with four different women and how they experience one summer. At first, it's confusing as the reader navigates through four different perspectives as the chapters keep switching back and forth, it is hard to keep everyone and their friends straight. Admittedly, I didn't really care for any of the characters as they all seems to be practicing various levels of deception. Ultimately, I liked Megan the most and Sabrina the least. It's a decent read.

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This book is so much more than a beach read. It’s about life, love and learning to love yourself and doing what is is right for you and not trying to please everyone else at the the expense of your own happiness. The story flips from one characters life to another and at first I found it hard to focus on where everyone fit in to the storyline but after the first few chapters, I felt the story really took off and was easy to follow. Great read!!

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We are following the lives of four women during one summer. Sabrina that has just gotten engaged. Then we have Megan that is has just completed her junior year in high school. A mother of two girls Heather has just gotten over cancer. And then Molly that has just moved from Denver to the East and is trying to make friends. Each person is fighting a battle of their own.
I really enjoyed this book. Each person was like a neighbor. You had empathy for each woman. I want to go back and read the first two novels of this author.

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Thank you Rachel Cullen!!! I really enjoyed this book! I could definitely see people I know in these characters and the locations. It's a definite must read. I am sure you will enjoy this book totally!

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Only Summer is a great beach or anytime read. The characters are relatable and you might find someone related to you in the story. The story is well written and the locations are described well. I liked this book very much.

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