Customer Reviews

The Days of Summer (Large Print)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This story is heavy and emotional and I suggest setting aside as much time as you can in one sitting to read it through, because it takes you through a dark, sad, and depressing tunnel until it comes out on the other end to a happier ending. I stopped 2/3 of the way through and was dragged down with it, until I could pick it up later to finish it. It is worth the read, as overwrought as it is. Almost poetic in the writing. It is sure to stay with me for awhile as did Sentimental Journey (which was a better story). I miss Barnett's lighter writing, though. I will have to follow this up with a book that is light, frothy, and happy!

As in any multigenerational family drama, there is a large cast of characters in this beach read by Jill Barnett. It all begins with a car crash that destroys two families. In 1957, Rudy Banning and his wife Rachel are fighting when they crash into the car with rising rock star Jimmy Peyton inside. Jimmy's daughter, Laurel, and his wife, Kathryn, go to live with Jimmy's mother, Julia. Meanwhile, Victor Banning, oil magnate, takes in his grandchildren, Cale and Jud.

The book then moves onto 1970. The kids have grown up, some better than others. On the beautiful island of Catalina, Laurel runs into Jud, neither knowing their history. While the sparks fly between them, it's Jud's brother Cale that Laurel falls for.

The Days of Summer is a light read, and the plot is generally readable. The writing is a bit overdone, with long descriptions of the scenery and more pages delving into the psyches of the characters than is really necessary. The characters are a combination of interesting and annoying. But overall, it's a fun read if you are looking for something light to take with you on the plane or to the beach.

Niki Lee
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I really enjoyed this book, however it did take me a little time in the beginning to get into it. Initially, keeping the characters straight was unusually challenging for me as some of the names and nicknames were too similar. I think you would definitely classify this as a modern romance leaving behind the sappiness of the Harlequin genre.

The storyline is smooth, however the events that unfold, with the exception of one, are not really in any surprise and more likely predictable. Also, I was less than thrilled by the ending. In fact, I was a bit confused by it.

If you like the writing style of Kristin Hannah, another Seattle/Pacific NW writer, you will like this. If you're a Seattle native you will enjoy the local references.

A good read, not the best, not the worst. There are some books where I read one and love it so much, I read everything I can get my hands on by that author ie: Maeve Binchy, Jane Green, Tony Parsons, Ann Brashares (The Last Summer of You and Me), Lisa Jewell, Carly Alexander (Ghosts of Boyfriends Past - a holiday season "must read"), Rona Jaffe, etc. This is not one of them yet. I think with a little more experience and practice, Jill Barnett has the potential to be a strong writer.

I got this book as a free download despite some reviewers finding it a bit depressing. I could not put it down and finished it in one evening. The next day I called my sister who doesn't like to read, but loves when I retell her the books I have read, and she also found the story very interesting. So, I went to the author's page to see what other books I can purchase and found out that she also wrote "Wicked" a book that I read and reread numerous times in my early twenties. It was also one of the few books my sister actually READ! The Days of Summer is a great read, and Jill Barnett is a wonderful writer.

I read her romances all through the 90's as a young adult, (much to my parents' chagrin) and every new book seems to get better and better with each read. This book takes her writing to a whole new plane. Anyone can throw in a few adjectives and write a pretty description, but this lady knows how to tell a story. One of my favorites!

i wanted to like this book. as a freebie,it would have been a good beach read.however,i found it boring and predictable.i have to remember,that my idea of chick lit is jane austen.

This was a long book but not once did it hit a dull spot. I could not put it down I loved the characters, they had me laughing out loud and crying. I hated that it ended. It was written perfectly.Thanks for sharing this wonderful story.

If you like "Bold and The Beautiful" this book is for you. In this book, the male characters are all handsome and powerful, yet troubled. The women are astonishingly beautiful and artistic but they find happiness only in the arms of the above mentioned men. Oh, and the men all belong to family "A", the women are all part of family "B". The fate of the two families keeps on crossing, in the weirdest ways, till the final happy ending. The plot is quite predictable, including the final realization that things are not the way they look when it comes to family ties.

The style is enjoyable at times and, for a while, it was a good summer reading... But, two thirds into the book, the plot became so boring and the dialogs so trite that I was tempted to stop reading.

Having said all this, if Dynasty is your genre, buy this book.

I loved this book from beginning to end. Put me in mind of those big books they made movies from years back. It's the story of two families with a tragedy between them and how they cross paths, their passions and secrets and heartaches. From the bitterness of the family patriarch to the love triangle between brothers, this is dramatic stuff but not over the top or silly. As an ER nurse, I loved the medical side of the story. I cannot wait to read more of Ms Barnet. Highly recommended read, especially for the summer.

I've only read a few Jill Barnett books and I like her stories. The firsrt few chapters giving the background info on Jud and Cale kept your interest and it helped you to undertstand their world. Laurels' background wasn't quite as interesting but I guess the background was necessary for the understanding of her part of the story to be told. I laughed at the first meeting of Jud and Laurel and thought they meshed well together, but when she later met Cale it was a bit more touching and romantic. There summer was realistic enough to believe that it could have happened to anyone and therefore kept you reading to see what happened next. The downfall was that after the summer the story then jumped ahead 30 years and though it was necessary to see and understand what happened to each of them in that time and the path their lives took. It makes you think about yourself, your life, the choices we made or didn't make and "if only we could all go back and do some things differently". I would have liked to see Laurel, Jud and Cale to have all come together again sooner than the 30 year span and have more of thier lives together to live. Overall I would read this story again and recommend it to other to read.