Summer Hours

A Novel

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Pub Date 04 Jun 2019 | Archive Date 04 Jul 2019

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Description

From the author of The Summer List.

Commencement meets The Graduate in this sparkling novel about a secret affair, the summer it all unravels, and the reunion a decade later that will be one woman’s happy ending or her biggest mistake.

Becc was the good girl. A dedicated student. Aspiring reporter. Always where she was supposed to be. Until a secret affair with the charming Cal one summer in college cost her everything she held dear: her journalism dreams; her relationship with her best friend, Eric; and her carefully imagined future.

Now ten years older and wiser, Becc knows there’s no changing the past. Still, as she travels to the wedding of a childhood friend, she can’t help but feel the thrilling push and pull of memories with each mile up the scenic California coast—from infinite nights at beach bonfires and lavish boat parties to stealthy movie sessions during work hours. But the mystery man beside her is not so eager to re-create history. And as the events of that heartbreaking summer come into view, Becc must decide if those dazzling hours they once shared are worth fighting for or if they’re lost forever.

Set in the mid ’90s and 2008, Amy Mason Doan’s Summer Hours is a warmly told novel about the idealism of youth, the seductive power of nostalgia and what happens when you realize you haven’t become the person you’d always promised to be.

From the author of The Summer List.

Commencement meets The Graduate in this sparkling novel about a secret affair, the summer it all unravels, and the reunion a decade later that will be one woman’s...


Advance Praise

Engaging and nostalgic, Summer Hours is a story of friendship, love, and golden moments. Doan’s writing sweeps you away to the high-speed, sun-soaked backdrop of nineties California and takes you on a woman’s journey toward finding herself.” —Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

“With Summer Hours, Amy Mason Doan deftly explores the powerful pull of the past and the way nostalgia informs our lives. A beautifully crafted story of love, ambition, and friendship.” —Jamie Brenner, bestselling author of The Forever Summer and Drawing Home

A touching novel of friendship, forgiveness and compassion.” —Abbi Waxman, author of The Garden of Small Beginnings and The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

A beautifully rendered and indelible story. Amy Mason Doan crafts an immersive world filled with vivid locations and complex people. I sank into all of it and didn’t want to leave.” —Julie Clark, author of The Ones We Choose

Engaging and nostalgic, Summer Hours is a story of friendship, love, and golden moments. Doan’s writing sweeps you away to the high-speed, sun-soaked backdrop of nineties California and takes you on...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781525823572
PRICE $16.99 (USD)
PAGES 416

Average rating from 78 members


Featured Reviews

This is an extremely heartwarming and fun read with a surprising amount of depth.

The plot flows along well and the character development of even the minor players is strong throughout. Since finishing this one, I've thought about it many times, which to me is the sign of a worthwhile story.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author for the early copy.

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I'm a sucker for novels about "the one that got away," and SUMMER HOURS delivered that in a juicy and suspenseful package brimming with life. It's a decade-spanning, multilayered love story with plenty of warmth, intelligence, and a satisfying finale that I'll admit brought a little tear or two when I set it down.

The author does an excellent job of portraying lovable characters without making anyone too perfect. We are living and breathing along with our heroine, Becca, and her circle of friends and lovers. These are the people we know and grew up with, work with, and laugh with. I think you'd have to have a heart of stone not to enjoy this gentle, life-affirming and beautifully written book. I loved it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley Inc. for the free electronic copy.

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I absolutely adored Summer Hours by Amy Mason Doan. It was so much fun to read AND incredibly real and romantic at the same time. Lots of surprises and touching moments, a strong ending, and a lovely setting.

It's a story that's simple on its face. Growing up in a beachside town in California, high school best friends and "good kids" Becc and Eric know each other better than even their parents do. They resist the pressures to conform, they hang out at the beach and at their other best friend Serra's pool for long days of swimming and joking around, and all along they fight an intense attraction to each other. It's unspoken, but clearly causing them both many sleepless nights as they prepare to graduate and start their "real lives." But then they're ripped apart by time, distance, and the fateful decision Becc makes to have an affair with a charming older man one summer when they're apart after college.

But then, years later, fate throws the adult Becc one last chance to rekindle their friendship and try to make things right.

I enjoyed driving along in the convertible with these lovable characters. I could feel the delicious wind on my face and smell the ocean air. The plot is fast paced but more than once, I had to resist the urge to flip to the end to see how it all turned out and if they got the happy ending I wanted for them. My only complaint is that it wasn't a little longer because I was truly sad to say goodbye to this group of characters and hoped to learn more about one of them.

This will be a perfect choice for those looking for escapist yet high quality summer reading.


Thank you Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I loved and devoured Doan's debut novel SUMMER LIST, so I've been looking forward to her follow-up SUMMER HOURS for months and luckily got a NetGalley copy. I work in media and read a ton of books and scripts for my job, and it's hard to find a lot of stories that stand out and keep you engaged. I wondered if Doan's second novel would have the same effect -- where I can't put it down.

And it did. There was definitely no sophomore slump. Doan has a real talent for drawing characters who are totally distinct, her writing is so well-detailed (and funny in an effortless way) that I was immediately invested in all her characters - Becc, Eric, Cal, Serra, Maggie, Francine.

Her other talent is keeping a mystery alive throughout, constantly keeping you guessing what's going to happen. Again in an effortless way (because this isn't a mystery mystery it's a love story about romantic love, friendship and self-love) where you find yourself at the end of a chapter and you have to keep reading. Because you want to know how the characters are going to evolve and how they're going to come together or not or who they're going to come together with. What happened in the past? What's going to happen in the future? Even characters you don't expect to have a big role surprise you in the end.

Basically Doan's fantastic in weaving a tapestry together where all the dangling strings come together in ways you don't expect and don't even think about because you're immersed in her story each page. In addition to the richly drawn characters, I loved the California setting north and south. Having lived in both and in many of the places her characters traveled, I can say she nailed the details and evoked these places perfectly whether you've been to them or not. She's great at making her settings characters in themselves.

The movie references and other 90s cultural references are so fun, too. She really puts you back in that era. As well as the late aughts. And I love that the story has something to say in a way that doesn't hit you over the head at all - the commentary on journalism and how it changed with the internet is written humorously and it's just real, you feel the character's own struggles along with a bigger societal shift. Same with the MeToo and feminist aspects to the story which I loved and which were also done so deftly as part of the story that made their effectiveness that much stronger. Again her stories just feel incredibly real. Her stories are both relatable and they introduce you to new worlds (journalism, film, art) where you're accidentally learning some things while being deeply engaged in the story.

I love finding a writer who I now feel like I can always rely on to deliver stories that will engage me on so many levels - emotionally, intellectually, socially. And more than that I love knowing that though I'll never be able to guess her endings, I'll always know how good I'll feel at the end of her novels. And I know I'll never feel that disappointed, incomplete feeling I've often felt at the end of novels. Her stories always feel complete and satisfying, meaningful and hopeful.

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This was such a heartwarming, intelligent, romantic, and enjoyable read! The characters are sympathetic but real and flawed, and the writing flows beautifully.

Rebecca and her best friend Eric have never given into their undeniable attraction, but they are clearly meant for each other. Or are they? When college sends these two to opposite sides of the country, Rebecca, weighed down by her good-girl image, gives into temptation and dates the one person she knows she shouldn't: the alluring older man who just happens to be Eric's worst enemy and "stepfather-figure." It seems nobody will get their happy ending.

But years later, with the wisdom of time, there's a second chance at love, or at least understanding, as she drives up the Californian coast highway to an old friend's wedding. I greatly enjoyed this coming-of-age/road trip tale and read it in one big gulp as I was very anxious to know what would happen. I look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I enjoyed so many things about this charming book. Over the few days I was reading it, I looked forward to firing up my Kindle so I could get back to riding along with Becc and sharing her observations, hopes, and frustrations. (In fact, I was enjoying reading it on my phone so much, I almost didn't notice when the tire shop took 90 minutes longer than promised to finish working on my car :))

Amy Mason Doan included so many thoughtful details about the character and her world that helped bring her protagonist to life. There was a healthy dollop of suspense, too. By the end of the story, the past and present threads are connected for a satisfying ending--with a few welcome surprises along the way.

Looking forward to what's next from Amy Mason Doan.

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This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Moving, heartfelt, romantic, and hugely entertaining story of characters who - for once - - feel like real people. So much more than a love triangle. I have abandoned many books recently but Summer Hours was so good that I wish it had been a little longer.

Beautifully written novel. Savor this one.

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I loved Amy Mason Doan's first novel, so I was eager to read this one. And it didn't disappoint. The characters were beautifully rendered and so very real in their dreams, urges, and regrets. I raced through the book and loved every page. I think everyone will love it.

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I devoured Amy Mason Doan's debut, "The Summer List", and was thrilled to get an early copy of "Summer Hours". I love Amy's ability to conjure the sun-washed days of youth and contrast them with the sometimes jaded adults we become, all in flawless prose that keeps you turning the pages. In "Summer Hours", we follow good girl Becc who, while breaking free of her carefree and boundless childhood, makes decisions and finds herself the victim of circumstances that lead to a future her younger self would never have expected. As Becc traces her past and her present, and the effect on her relationships along the way, "Summer Hours" examines how we can reconcile the decisions we make with the people we once thought we were.

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Entertaining,touching and clever. I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely and timely book.
Even though I really, really wanted to peek at the last pages to see what would happen when this road trip ended, I’m so glad I went along for the ride.
Characters, even relatively minor ones, are so intriguing and descriptions of places along the way depicted so vividly that it pays to savor every page of this wonderful novel.
The plot, a gender-swapped nod to The Graduate, is an evergreen story of a good person trying to make it in the real world, and the scenes at her first jobs are so timely as women grapple with #MeToo and the power dynamics of the workplace. But the issues are explored in a subtle way that doesn’t detract from Becc’s extremely-relatable story of love, hopes for the future, and friendship. And her lifelong friendship with Eric, the boy from long-ago who deserves a second look, warmed my heart.
Highly recommended!!

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Loved, loved, loved this delightful nostalgic tale of friendship, love, and the impact of choices we make as teens. For fans of stories about the West Coast and stories that make us think of many ""what ifs" from our own lives. Amy Mason Doan is a master of women's fiction, the descriptive and emotional portrayal of family, friendship, love, and choices women make.

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This novel is perfect for anyone who has ever thought they should have their life completely figured out and put together by 25, anyone who spent their younger years chasing an unrealistic ideal, or anyone who was a teen in the 1990s. Great story, relatable characters, and it kept me up till 1 am because I was dying to find out what happened.

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Summer Hours has completely and pleasantly shocked me! I went into this novel thinking it was going to be a cute read that I would enjoy, but I was way wrong...I loved it!! I connected with Amy Mason Doan’s writing style immediately and felt she did a fantastic job with telling a full and thorough story! I didn’t want the book to end, but I felt so satisfied with where Amy took the endearing cast of characters throughout this novel (which was about 20 year time span)! The timing was spot on—the entire book flowed organically and never seemed rushed. Summer Hours is a 5 star read that I will absolutely be re-reading (it’s just that good)! I have never read Amy Mason Doan, but I promise I will be 1-clicking anything and everything she comes out with in the future! A definite must read!

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The Summer List was my favorite book of 2018, so I could not wait to read Summer Hours and I absolutely loved it. From the characters who you feel like are your own friends because with the way Amy Mason Doan writes, you are feeling every emotion alongside them, through the tour through California, I could not put this book down and had to keep reading to find out what happens.

Becc story is relatable from so many angles, what teenager isn't ready to break free of what is expected of them when the graduate high school and go off to college? The story follows Becc from a high school senior enjoying the last summer before college with her best friends Serra and Eric to a 33 year-old driving up the coast of California to a wedding reliving a decision at 20 years old that she knew would hurt those around her who loved her most. As Becc gets closer to her destination and deals with her past, she learns to also confront the mistakes she has made.

Its a coming of age story where I think you can't help but root for Becc to find her way. As much as I didn't want the book to end, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. Highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more by Amy Mason Doan!

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Endearing and page-turning

This is a very special book. I requested it because Mason-Doan's "The Summer List" is one of the best books I've read in a long time, and I was very happy to see that this is just as well written, entertaining, and moving.

Like "The Summer List," "Summer Hours" is about reaching out to the friends who matter to us, even if many years have gone by and life has divided our paths. Issues of sexual exploration, first love, and coming to one's own in the professional world are explored with remarkable subtlety and passion.

But most important to me, I truly cared about every single one of these characters from the first chapter to the end, and simply had to know what would happen to them. Although the idea of traveling to a wedding and reckoning with distant friends and lovers has been explored in a lot of books and movies over the years, there is so much more going on in this story. I tried to predict what would happen in the past AND in the present storylines, but I couldn't, as this is a far from formulaic book.

An escapist, clever, funny, and heart-warming tale from a novelist who is fast becoming one of my favorites.

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