One Summer (Enhanced Edition) [NOOK Book]

Fantastic!

I really loved the book. it kept me on the edge of my seat.

19 out of 21 people found this review helpful.

THIS IS WORTH CHECKING OUT!

I promise you that you won't be able to put this book down after reading the first 20 pages.You will want to know what happens next. You will want Jack to get off his deathbed and live.I loved it!

8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

Formulaic chick lit

It's the holiday season and Jack Armstrong is dying from an unspecified, incurable terminal illness. He's determined to hang on until the holidays for his wife Lizzie and their children, but he's totally bedridden. He makes it all the way to Chrismas Eve only to have his wife die in a car accident on her way to pick up his medication.



In the blink of an eye, Lizzie's parents spring into action, farming the children out to Lizzie's family. They sell the Armstrong family home and Jack in placed in a Hospice facility to await death, alone.



Suddenly, there is a miracle! Jack has totally recovered and rehab brings him back to the man he used to be, albeit one without a home or income. Lizzie's plan for the summer was to take the children to her childhood home on the beach in South Carolina; a place her family has avoided since the death of Lizzie's twin years earlier. The rest of ONE SUMMER has Jack and his children facing the future in typical chick lit fashion.



I've been a longtime fan of David Baldacci and have read all of his books except for one. I have a personal aversion to my favorite mystery and thriller writers venturing into the realm of sappy chick lit, so I skipped THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN published in 2002 (the cover was enough to send me to another shelf in the bookstore). After reading multiple solid thrillers or mysteries by the same author, it feels fake when they decide to take a stroll down primrose lane.



When I received the ARC for ONE SUMMER, I decided to give it a try. My earlier mentioned aversion proved to be true, this novel from Baldcci is a sappy formulaic tearjerker, but I'm sure it will be a big beach read this summer. The cover alone is cute enough to sell it and it would look great on the end table in your beach house. Lynn Kimmerle

8 out of 18 people found this review helpful.

So Disappointed!

I really found this painful to finish. I have every Baldacci book, and have enjoyed them - until this one - so trite, so formulaic, so sappy sweet! Maybe this was written for pre-teens? Sorry, David!

6 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

This interesting family drama is insightful

In Ohio terminally ill Jack Armstrong prays to God that he lives to Christmas to be there for his wife and their three young children. However, his wife Lizzie dies in car accident on Christmas Eve picking up Jack's medicine.

Lizzie's mom Bonnie ships her three grandchildren to the separate homes of her adult children, sells her late daughter's house and directs Jack to enter a hospice. Jack somewhat recovers his health as his illness goes into remission and picks up his kids. He moves to South Carolina where years ago Lizzie's twin died; there he plans to raise his children as a single dad. Bonnie sues for custody.

This interesting family drama is insightful when the story line focuses on an ailing widower battling to keep his children with him. Bonnie is too much a villainous instead of a concerned grieving grandma worried about the well being of her late daughter's children; while a romantic interest detracts from the tale of battling relatives. Still fans will root for Jack and his three children to make it in a world in which they learn the twists of life and death.

Harriet Klausner

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

What was that?

I don't know what the heck happened with this novel! I have purchased and read every David Baldacci book written. This is one of those sappy sweet lets make it a movie on lifetime network books! Hey, I know the economy is bad but I am afraid the day has come and Baldacci has sold himself out to the Hallmark Channel. Truly this is a sad day for me! Does anyone else find it absurd that Jack's miraculous recovery from a 100% fatal cancer,or that he seems to value more input from his friends than a doctor! Furthermore, when Jack moves to South Carolina where years ago his twin sister Lizzie dies and the family drama is overboard. Who wants to move back in time? Moreover, the humor was awful in the book! I almost cried and yes their was a lot of crying going on on this novel because I wanted the book to get better! I was dying for just one spy or cover up. Maybe at lease it was a shocking misunderstanding from the CIA! This novel has made me also think that some crazy housewife has kidnapped one of my favorite authors and has him hostage. I also think maybe Nora Roberts or Nicholas Sparks have decided to finally get even with Baldacci and make a fake novel with his name. I honestly can not write anymore, I will pay ransom. Where is the real Baldacci?

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

wonderful

i loved this book. i am an avid fan of david baldacci. i have read all of his books and have never been dissapointed. i look forward to reading his next one. i love that he switches to stories on the lighter side. i enjoyed the christmas train as well. i listen to the audio tapes and love that he chooses Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy. they do a fantastic job.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is one of his best books he has written. I stopped buying h

This is one of his best books he has written. I stopped buying his books and did buy this one and it was VERY good! You won't be sorry if u purchase it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Surprisingly Different

After reading several of David Baldacci's other books that dealt with intrigue and undercover suspense, I found this book was able to draw me into the characters without any suspense. The twist in the plot was quite unexpected, but kept the story interesting. I would read more of any of David Baldacci's books. This book is for the person who likes a good story line with suprises.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

quick read

not normal Baldacci read or same characters
a simple, quick love story

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Don't Bother!

I've read all of Baldacci's books, but this was just not my cup of tea. So predictable and sappy, I had to stop reading it and go on to something with some guts to it. Sorry, but if this is what he's going to write, I'm done reading his books. If you read Danielle Steel, you'll probably like this.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Inspiring and endearing!

I have enjoyed his mystery and intrigue books, but I really enjoyed this uplifting story about families, resilence, and friendship. More than a beach and summer read, it is one to read whenever one wants to cry, laugh, feel inspired, or wants to read something that can lift one's spirts.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

What a great read

I bought this after reading the reviews. While it didn't think it was as awesome as some of the reviews led me to believe, it was a really great read. I cold not believe the twist of fate near the beginning of the book. And then Grandma near the end... Definitely worth picking up.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

This was David Baldacci?

I really enjoyed this but I honestly had to keep checking the cover of the book to verify that it had David Baldacci's name on it... It was so sad and emotional, I kept thinking it very like one of Nicholas Sparks works. And there was one major emotional twist that had me thinking of Jodi Piccoult ("Sister's Keeper").

That being said, I'm glad that Baldacci can stretch himself as an author and veer out of what most readers might consider his usual fare. There will be many fans who will not like One Summer as it is very different from his fast-paced intrigues like Absolute Power or the Camel Club series or the King and Maxwell series.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Read read read

There hasn't been 1 david Baldacci book I have not read nor
have there been i did not enjoy if you like mysteriers then read the camel club if you want fiction then continue reading all of his books they are just great

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I wanna do it

My c=3*pdj*

I have not been a reader of Baldacci's mysteries, so I don't kno

I have not been a reader of Baldacci's mysteries, so I don't know his work. A friend recommended this book, It was a wonderful family story. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it.

Wanna do "it"

My fat bo.obs r ready. (•)(•)

A Deeper Message than expected

An easily read story that moves from scene to scene smoothly. After my book club discussed the events we all realized what a rich plot with many twists that are memorable and should be reread. Food for thought and discussion topics include: terminal illnes and it's effects on family, teen age angst, unexpected death, single father of three, communication styles, extended family issues and the written word's power, etc. Appropriate read for teens as well as adults. Great book to read as a family. It will provide topics for critical discussion between generations.

Omg

This book is very emotional to me!