The Summer Getaway

Product Information

Robyn is a single mom trying to figure out the rest of her life. Although Robyn lives in a sophisticated home in Naples, Florida, she is recently divorced, and dealing with family issues. She stands at a crossroad with her children. Her daughter is behaving as a bridezilla with intolerable demands for her wedding and her son is finishing high school with no plans for college or his future. On top of that, her ex is vocal about his problems with his new girlfriend.

Mallery teases us with descriptions of fantastic houses and fairytale locations. It just begs for the beach, water, hot sunshine, and a cool beverage, along with this book to dive into. Audiobook review: the narrator wasn't very good -- she was often monotone, then annoyingly squeaky or fast. There were times when I missed the character's POV change, all voices were similar, no pause in change of scene or POV.

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

I was more analyzing, than enjoying the plot and characters. Perhaps author think that if she has a different narrator for every chapter, the reader might not notice how thin and unrealistic the plot is! I noticed. I disliked it.... While feeling defeated, Robyn receives an invitation for a summer visit at her Aunt Lillian's estate in Santa Barbara. Her aunt is eccentric and a free spirit in her nineties. She makes plans for her estate with one of her late husband's relatives, Mason, who has retired from the military. Mason and Robyn's friendship blossoms naturally and openly.... perfect timing. There is a lot of angst in the story, but also humor. It's a light, enjoyable read. The characters felt real. Robyn is a strong character who guides her family and deserves respect. I loved the character, Lillian, who was loved by all in the book and was a person Robyn and her children could come to for advice with anything. And she has 15 cats names for kings and queens!

I had no trouble wrapping myself up in this delicious drama. The story is sudsy, and over the top at times, but it was also a nice journey of renewed self-discovery for Robyn and a time for those who maybe took her for granted, who needed to become more self-reliant, to start growing up and making better decisions, both the younger characters and some of the older ones, too. Robyn again resisted the urge to chug her wine. “Kip’s great. He adores Harlow, and doesn’t every mother want that in a future son-in-law? I just wish…”Single mom Robyn Caldwell needs a new plan for her future. She has always put her family first. Now, with her kids grown, she yearns for a change. But what can she do when her daughter has become the most demanding bride ever, her son won’t even consider college, her best friend is on the brink of marital disaster and her ex is making a monumentally bad decision that could ruin everything?

When Robyn realizes that her relationship has hit the wall, she decides to take a break. She travels to spend the summer with her great aunt Lillian, the one person who always gave her comfort. Facing an empty nest as her daughter is soon to be married and her son wants to move out on a trial basis, there is no time at the present for Robyn to take time away. You have four kids,” Robyn pointed out. “If things go south in your marriage, I’d rather have Payne move in.” You have a great husband. Payne loves you and the kids, and never has eyes for another woman. Why would you screw that up?” I could hardly put my headphones down, not wanting to miss what was happening next. The narrator added to my enjoyment of the story as she captured the perfect tone and spirit of both the characters and the tale. It was enlightening to see Harlow and Austin find their way on their own, both having a higher appreciation for their mother. It was even more heartwarming to see Robyn learn to let them go and finally focus on her own needs. I loved every moment of my listening experience! I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Robyn, darling. You look amazing. What are you doing these days? You never join me for a foursome.” Robyn Caldwell, single mum to two now adults, decides she needs to make a plan for her life. She has mere months to either buy out her ex-husbands half of the house, or sell up. Her daughter desperately wants her to keep the house, as a selfish bride-to-be wanting her wedding there, while her son is off doing his own thing. When her aunt Lillian asks her to come and visit for a while, Robyn decides it’s the perfect time to go and spend some time thinking. One by one, every person she knows follows her to Santa Barbara, ending up with a house full of drama, oh and the handsome stranger due to inherit the house. I’m sorry to be the one to bring you such bad news.” “Are you?” Robyn asked before she could stop herself. “It seems to me you’re delighted. It must be hard having such a small life.” Mindy, a petite brunette who was six months from turning forty, sighed. “I need a Dimitri in my life.” Honestly, put this book on your must-read list. It is so good and loaded with rich descriptions, in-depth emotions, and some sweet heat that enhanced the budding romance. I just fell in love with The Summer Getaway. Maybe because I need to escape too!

Except, one by one, her problems she ran away from in Florida all follow her... literally ... landing on her aunt's doorstep. It’s okay. As for talking to her when I was Harlow’s age, I probably wouldn’t have listened, either. I want to say I would have been mature and interested in her opinion, but it seems unlikely.” Up to this point this was amusing. I especially liked the part where a new person showed up everyday and how all the different people brought their drama across the country for it to play out under one roof.I heard Harlow’s engaged. You must be thrilled. My oldest refused to get married until she was nearly thirty. It was a nightmare. But she finally did the deed.” Thin eyebrows rose as much as the Botox would let them. “Your ex-husband is dating your daughter’s fiancé’s twin sister.” If you like family drama, this is the book for you! It would definitely make a great beach read. There's no end to the drama in this book: cheating, lies, divorce, grieving, steamy romance, entitlement, difficult decisions, you name it - it's all here. However, Robyn is all things to everyone. Her time away is soon populated by everyone in her life that she thought she was getting away from. Robyn is a people magnet. While she received comfort from Lillian, she herself was the source of comfort to everyone in her life. The story delivered some interesting and dramatic moments, most of which were centered around Robyn's philandering ex-husband , Cord and her entitled daughter, Harlowe. The depth of character development in The Summer Getaway was precisely what I expected from Mallery. The characters grew and learn from their mistakes. Even the obnoxious ones. I believe Robyn's friend got off too easy for her stupidity. After all the warnings Robyn gave her she went and did the unthinkable and then she came running to Robyn looking for solace. It shows Robyn's kindheartedness.