Summertime Guests: A Novel

by Wendy Francis Narrated by Kate Marcin

Overview

As featured in The Boston Globe
The New York Post
Bustle
Woman's World
South Shore Home, Life & Style

"Engaging...Add this to beach reads along with those by Elin Hilderbrand, Nancy Thayer, and Dorothea Benton Frank."
--Booklist

THE SEAFARER IS THE PLACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN IN THE SUMMER...

With its rich history and famous guests, the glamorous Boston hotel is no stranger to drama. But the bustle at the iconic property reaches new heights one weekend in mid-June when someone falls tragically to her death, the event rippling through the lives of four very different people.*

Bride-to-be Riley is at the hotel to plan her wedding. She would have preferred a smaller, more intimate celebration, but her bossy mother-in-law has taken charge and her fiancé hasn't seemed to notice. Jean-Paul, the hotel's manager, is struggling to keep his marriage and new family afloat, but now he must devote all his energy to this latest scandal at work. Claire, recently widowed, comes to town to connect with a long-lost love, but has too much changed in the last thirty years?* And then there's Jason,*whose romantic getaway with his girlfriend has not exactly gone the way he'd hoped and instead has him facing questions he can't bring himself to answer.

Over three sun-drenched days, as the truth about the woman who died-and the secret she was hiding-is uncovered, these four strangers become linked in the most unexpected of ways. Together, they just might find the strength they need to turn their own lives around.

"Compelling, surprising, and a wonderful summertime read."
--Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of Family Reunion

"Riveting...A smart read with plenty of meat for book clubs."
--Barbara O'Neal, Washington Post bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids

“In prose as glittering as the hotel in which the novel is set, Francis shines as a master storyteller.* A must-read for anyone who could use an escape.”
-Kristy Woodson Harvey, USA TODAY bestselling author of Feels Like Falling

“The best kind of page-turner... This seductive novel will draw you into the fascinating backstories of characters sipping cocktails poolside, and you won't stop reading until you know*what really happened."
-Brooke Lea Foster, author of Summer Darlings

"At a glamorous hotel by the ocean, four people face up to truths that can no longer be hidden. Summertime Guests is compelling, surprising, and a wonderful summertime read."
-Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of Family Reunion

"Wendy Francis delivers a smart, probing drama that skillfully unravels the complex emotional lives of an ensemble cast in Summertime Guests...a reflective, deeply engaging and suspenseful story with many threads sure to ensnare the attention of rapt readers."
-Shelf Awareness

"Idyllic coastal settings, drama, dynamic characters...this story has it all!"
-Woman's World

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

PRAISE FOR SUMMERTIME GUESTS:
"At a glamorous hotel by the ocean, four people face up to truths that can no longer be hidden. Summertime Guests is compelling, surprising, and a wonderful summertime read."
—Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of Family Reunion

“Book a room and be sure to pack this enticing summertime read by Francis (The Summer Sail). Readers who enjoy books by Mary Kay Andrews and Fannie Flagg will want to know what happens next at the Seafarer.” —Library Journal


"At first glance, Summertime Guests is a riveting mystery set in a newly restored Boston hotel where a guest falls to a gruesome death. But in the chorus of voices exploring who died and what lead to the plunge, Francis explores the myriad facets of marriage—the little joys and banal failures, the kindnesses and physical attraction, the ways we neglect and support each other. A smart read with plenty of meat for book clubs."
—Barbara O'Neal, Washington Post bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids

“In prose as glittering as the hotel in which the novel is set, Francis shines as a master storyteller. A must-read for anyone who could use an escape.”
—Kristy Woodson Harvey, USA TODAY bestselling author of Feels Like Falling

"Engaging...Add this to beach reads along with those by Elin Hilderbrand, Nancy Thayer, and Dorothea Benton Frank."
—Booklist

“The best kind of page-turner… This seductive novel will draw you into the fascinating backstories of characters sipping cocktails poolside, and you won't stop reading until you know what really happened."
—Brooke Lea Foster, author of Summer Darlings

"Wendy Francis delivers a smart, probing drama that skillfully unravels the complex emotional lives of an ensemble cast in Summertime Guests...a reflective, deeply engaging and suspenseful story with many threads sure to ensnare the attention of rapt readers."
—Shelf Awareness



"Idyllic coastal settings, drama, dynamic characters...this story has it all!"
—Woman's World

PRAISE FOR BEST BEHAVIOR:
“With warmth and humor, Best Behavior delivers a delicious family drama; look no further for your perfect poolside read!”
—Jamie Brenner, bestselling author of The Forever Summer

“Francis writes with grace, depth and humor about complex family dynamics and the joy and heartache of watching young adults spread their wings and fly from the nest.”
—Meg Mitchell Moore, author of The Islanders

“Wendy Francis captures all the joy and pain of being an (almost) empty-nester in her latest novel. A terrific summer read.”
—Amy Poeppel, author of Small Admissions

PRAISE FOR THE SUMMER OF GOOD INTENTIONS:
“Wendy Francis’s book thrilled me like a ride in a race car along the coast with the top down. It is everything a summer read should be.”
—Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author

“The Summer of Good Intentions is a tender and vivid portrait of a family by the sea, of three unforgettable sisters and the tidal pull of their love and secrets. Wendy Francis is a wonderful writer. She made me feel the salt air.”
—Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author

Library Journal

03/26/2021

The death of a woman at Boston's Seafarer Hotel affects all the people staying there. The hotel manager, Jean-Paul Savant, regrets moving from France to take on a new responsibility; he should have stayed in Paris with Marie and their new baby, Isabella, rather than moving them to a new country. Carol O'Dell came to the Seafarer to relive old memories and perhaps make new ones. She's meeting an old classmate for dinner and hopes there are still sparks. Will this be a night of new beginnings? Gwen has surprised her fiancé, Jason, with a weekend away at the Seafarer for his birthday. Though their relationship is sometimes rocky, a romantic weekend is the perfect opportunity for Jason to finally open up to her, before it's too late. Riley and Tom are planning their wedding; Tom's mother, involved in every little detail, has booked a tasting at the Seafarer. They arrive at the appointment willing to give the hotel and its amenities a try, until the woman in the pretty yellow dress falls from a balcony to the patio, right outside their dining room window. VERDICT Book a room and be sure to pack this enticing summertime read by Francis (The Summer Sail). Readers who enjoy books by Mary Kay Andrews and Fannie Flagg will want to know what happens next at the Seafarer.—Jane Blue, Northumberland P.L., Heathsville, VA

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177107721
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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