2020-06-09
A tightknit Texas clan comes together after a devastating tragedy in Summers’ latest novel.
On the night of her daughter’s high school graduation, Felicity Otto-Buchanan’s life changes forever. For the past year and a half, she’s raised two teenagers as a single mom in suburban Texas Hill Country—ever since her physician husband, Matt Buchanan, left her for pharmaceutical sales rep Amber. Then Amber dies in a car crash, and Matt, who’s dying of his injuries, asks Felicity to care for Jack, his toddler son, who’s in a coma. She agrees to do so. However, Felicity’s 16-year-old son, Nick, reacts to the situation by acting out, drinking, and performing a shocking act of vandalism. Her 18-year-old daughter, Honor, grieves the loss of her father while forming a new romantic relationship with Owen, a military-bound classmate; she also discovers a secret that Felicity has kept from her. Felicity’s younger sister, Charity, returns to the small town of Pecan Valley after years of traveling and working abroad, and she’s secretly three months pregnant—the result of a love affair in Italy that ended badly. She develops an interest in strong-but-silent local policeman Braden Martinez and also tries to facilitate a match for Felicity. Meanwhile, Dr. Graham Murphy, Matt’s former colleague, deals with his teenage daughter’s struggles with mental illness and anorexia and grieves the recent loss of his wife. He also grapples with his newfound feelings for his friend Felicity. Veteran romance writer Summer—the author of Dog Park Sweethearts (2020), among other novels—creates a vibrant setting in Pecan Valley that ably supports the story; it not only features sweet summer festivals and a famous local delicacy, but also includes a minor character who’s reminiscent of Dolly Levi from the musical Hello, Dolly! The story is told from the third-person perspectives of Felicity, Charity, Graham, Honor, and Nick, and the author develops each character with care, although the story would likely have benefited from more streamlining and less head-hopping. Even so, it’s a fast-paced and satisfying read.
An appealing tale about the power of love and family.
