Title: The Summer Wives
Author: Beatriz Williams
Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 384
Days it Took to Read: 5
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery
4-Sentence Synopsis: Winthrop Island is divided between the wealthy families who summer on the island and the working-class families who work and live on the island year round. In the summer of 1951 Miranda Schuyler finds herself suddenly privileged and is introduced to the ways of the island by her new stepsister Isobel Fisher. On the morning of her mother’s wedding, Miranda meets a local lobsterman, Joseph Vargas, and is instantly drawn to him. In 1969, Miranda returns to Winthrop island for the first time since 1951 and uncovers secrets about what truly happened to her stepfather on the night he was murdered.
Review: After seeing raving reviews all over Instagram I had high expectations that this book did not live up to. I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn’t quite get there. The book flip-flops between narratives from 1930s, 1951 and 1969. I found myself forgetting where the narrative left off by the time I returned to the specific time period. Besides that, it was an entertaining read so I got through it quickly. I enjoyed the slight mystery of the novel, but towards the end it was easy to guess what happened to Hugh Fisher as well as his connection to the Vargas family. I definitely would recommend this book to others, but make sure they don’t have as high of expectations as I did.
Other Books By Author: Schuyler Sisters series, A Hundred Summers, The Forgotten Room and more
