Summer on the Island: A Novel

by Brenda Novak, Amy McFadden (Read by)

Overview

A summer of healing, friendship, love…and a secret that could change everything. After the death of her US senator father, Marlow Madsen travels to the small island off the coast of Florida where she spent summers growing up to help her mother settle the family estate. For Marlow, the trip is a chance to reconnect after too long apart. It’s also the perfect escape to help her feel grounded again—one she’s happy to share with friends Aida and Claire, who are hoping to hit reset on their lives, too. A leisurely beachfront summer promises the trio of women the opportunity to take deep healing breaths and explore new paths. But when her father’s will reveals an earth-shattering secret that tarnishes his impeccable reputation and everything she thought she knew about her family, Marlow finds herself questioning her entire childhood—and aspects of her future. Fortunately, her friends, and the most unlikely love interest she could imagine, prove that happiness can be found no matter what—as long as the right people are by your side.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798200863969
Publisher:	Mira Books
Publication date:	04/05/2022
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, has penned over forty novels. She is a three-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, and the Bookbuyer’s Best Awards, as well as many others.

Amy McFadden has narrated more than two hundred titles in many different genres. She is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner and has been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has acted on stage throughout Michigan for more than twenty years and in commercials and film for ten years. She is a founding member of Dog Story Theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

02/14/2022

Three friends embark on an island retreat for a break from their stressful lives in this beautiful tale of friendship, loss, and love from Novak (The Bookstore on the Beach). Divorce attorney Marlow Madsen, whose father just died and whose mother, Eileen, has MS, invites her friends Claire and Aida to escape their troubles with a summer at her family’s beach house—but their peace is short-lived. Marlow embarks on a romance with Walker, the oldest son of the beach house’s longtime housekeeper, and Eileen’s closest confidant, Rosemary. But the reading of her father’s will reveals that Marlow and Walker share a half brother, jeopardizing their relationship and Rosemary’s friendship with Eileen. Meanwhile, newly divorced Aida struggles to adjust to the loss of both her marriage and the privileged lifestyle that went with it, while Claire, who was Aida’s husband’s unwitting mistress before the pair became friends, struggles to let the affair go. Boundaries are tested, secrets unearthed, and hearts broken. Novak doesn’t shy away from the messiness of her characters’ emotions, making for a powerful story of forgiveness, acceptance, and redemption. The realistically flawed characters, believable drama, and scenic setting make this unputdownable. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Welcome spring with the newest treat from Brenda Novak. This is the book her fans, old and new, have been waiting for. A big, tantalizing read!"—Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author


“[A] beautiful tale of friendship, loss, and love… Novak doesn’t shy away from the messiness of her characters’ emotions, making for a powerful story of forgiveness, acceptance, and redemption. The realistically flawed characters, believable drama, and scenic setting make this unputdownable.”—Publishers Weekly


“Emotionally layered storytelling and nuanced characterization... Neatly bridging the line between contemporary romance and women’s fiction, Summer on the Island will resonate with many readers who, in the midst of a global pandemic, may be rethinking what is truly important in life.”—Booklist


"The Bookstore on the Beach is a page-turner with a deep heart. You’ll cheer for these admirable, complicated women. You’ll be breathless (and smiling) when you read the surprising end. (Don’t peek!)"—Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Summer

"Novak handles difficult topics with sensitivity, making for a heart-tugging romance. Readers are sure to be sucked in.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review, on The Bookstore on the Beach

“Filled with mystery and drama, coupled with themes of family ties and secrets. This page-turner will not disappoint.”—Booklist on The Bookstore on the Beach

“The prose is fast-paced and exciting making this a breathless page-turner with the conclusion proving no problems are too difficult to solve.”—New York Journal of Books

"An abundance of heart and humor. The Bookstore on the Beach is an escapist treat with emotional heft."—Apple Books, Best Book of the Month selection

"This heartwarming story of sisters who bond as adults is sure to please the many fans of Novak as well as those who enjoy books by Susan Mallery and Debbie Macomber."—Library Journal on One Perfect Summer

"I adore everything Brenda Novak writes. Her books are compelling, emotional, tender stories about people I would love to know in real life."—RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author

"Heartwarming, life-affirming, page-turning...I can always count on Novak to make me weep, laugh and fall in love!"—Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author

"Brenda Novak is always a joy to read."—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Fascinating characters, powerful conflicts and complex emotions make any Brenda Novak book a must-read for me."—Sherryl Woods, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Brenda Novak doesn't just write fabulous stories, she writes keepers."—Susan Mallery, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Whenever I see a new Brenda Novak book, I buy it and read it, pronto. I can always count on her for a solid, exciting story."—Linda Lael Miller, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Brenda Novak has a raw talent for bringing her novels to life."—The San Francisco Book Review

"Beautifully crafted, exceptionally poignant."—Library Journal on Discovering You

"Potently emotional, powerfully life-affirming."—Booklist (starred review) on This Heart of Mine

From the Publisher

11/01/2021

After her father's death from COVID-19, Marlo Madsen returns to a small island off Florida's coast to enjoy one last summer there as she helps her mother settle the estate. For fun, she brings along two good friends, who prove especially helpful when her father's will reveals an unsettling secret and Marlo needs to rethink her life. With a 100,000-copy first printing.

Library Journal