Summer at Hideaway Key by Barbara Davis

There are some books that just touch your heart and pull you in from the beginning and this book is one of them. From the author of The Secrets She Carried, which I devoured and reviewed a few years ago, comes this new women’s fiction book that tells a story you will not soon forget!

Summer at Hideaway Key by Barbara Davis
Publisher: NAL (August 4, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0451474582

From the author of The Wishing Tide comes a stunning new novel about two summers, one journal, and the secrets that can break and open our hearts….

Pragmatic, independent Lily St. Claire has never been a beachgoer. But when her late father leaves her a small house on Hideaway Key—one neither her mother nor she knew he owned—she’s determined to visit the sleepy spit of land along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Expecting a quaint cottage, Lily instead finds a bungalow with peeling shutters and mountains of memorabilia. She also catches a glimpse of the architect who lives down the beach….

But it’s the carton of old journals in the front room that she finds most intriguing. The journals were written by her mother’s sister, an infamous beauty whose name has long been banned from the St. Claire home. The journals tell a family tale Lily has never heard, of her mother and her aunt as young girls in Tennessee and the secrets that followed them into adulthood. As she reads, Lily gains a new understanding: about her family and about herself. And she begins to open her heart—to this place, these people, and the man next door. But can she ever truly learn to trust, to believe that love is not a trap but a harbor? And is it true that hearts, even broken ones, can be forged anew?

My Thoughts:
This book. This book. I do not even know where to start. I guess I will begin by saying I was enthralled and captivated by this story. A story of a niece, her Aunt, her Father and Mother. And what a story it is. The quote “Oh, what a tangled web we weave…when first we practice to deceive.” ― Walter Scott, Marmion comes to mind and it describes a lot about this story.

I did not realize I had read a book by Barbara Davis before, but when I saw the list of books she had written, I knew right then why I was so captivated by this story. The author is a genius when it comes to storytelling and she has given us another story that is shocking, deep, emotional, heartbreaking, happy, and maddening all at the same time. Yet I continued on because I HAD to. I could not put this book away especially when I got towards the last third of the book.

The cast of characters could not have been more perfect. The balance between them is amazing. This is a combination of a story of Lily’s aunt and Lily herself. You are taken to the past in the journals and back to current time in this storyline and what a story she tells. Lily begins to change and you change right along with her.

I loved this book. The story is unique and very deep. Parts are shocking and emotional but it shows a truth in history of what women really experienced too. If you love an excellent women’s fiction story with part historical fiction and a romance that spans time, this is one not to miss. This was a 5 star read for me!

Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.