A Summer In Europe [Paperback]

Marilyn Brant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 29, 2011

On her thirtieth birthday, Gwendolyn Reese receives an unexpected present from her widowed Aunt Bea: a grand tour of Europe in the company of Bea's Sudoku and Mah-jongg Club. The prospect isn't entirely appealing. But when the gift she is expecting -- an engagement ring from her boyfriend -- doesn't materialize, Gwen decides to go. At first, Gwen approaches the trip as if it's the math homework she assigns her students, diligently checking monuments off her must-see list. But amid the bougainvillea and stunning vistas of southern Italy, something changes. Gwen begins to live in the moment: skipping down stone staircases in Capri, running her fingers over a glacier in view of the Matterhorn, racing through the Louvre, and taste-testing pastries at a Marseilles cafe. Revelling in every new experience -- especially her attraction to a charismatic British physics professor -- Gwen discovers that the ancient wonders around her are nothing compared to the renaissance unfolding within...

"Brant's newest...distinguishes itself with a charismatic leading man and very funny supporting cast, especially the wonderful elderly characters with their resonant message about living life to the fullest." ~ Publishers Weekly

"Brant's charming and engaging tale will allow readers to immerse themselves in the magic and beauty of Europe along with the characters. Although the descriptions of the scenery are amazing, the development of the characters and their unique personalities are what really make this novel shine. What an enjoyable escape!" ~ Romantic Times

**A SUMMER IN EUROPE is a Literary Guild and a Rhapsody Book Club Featured Alternate Selection for December 2011**

Editorial Reviews

Review

"How I wish I were on this European tour with Marilyn Brant's winsome, wonderful characters. I loved every minute of this delightful novel, from the breathtaking sights to the deliciously described food to the thrilling new experiences."
--Melissa Senate, bestselling author of The Love Goddess' Cooking School

"A Summer in Europe is Brant's best book yet. A thinking woman's love story, it swept me away to breathtaking places with a cast of endearing characters I won't soon forget. Bravissima!"
--Susan McBride, author of Little Black Dress

"Marilyn Brant has done it again: she has crafted a warm and wise novel filled with characters that live on in your imagination. Make sure your passport is in order. After reading A Summer in Europe you'll want to book your flight immediately!"
--Laura Moore, author of Remember Me

"Brant's newest...distinguishes itself with a charismatic leading man and very funny supporting cast, especially the wonderful elderly characters with their resonant message about living life to the fullest."
--Publishers Weekly

"Brant's charming and engaging tale will allow readers to immerse themselves in the magic and beauty of Europe along with the characters. Although the descriptions of the scenery are amazing, the development of the characters and their unique personalities are what really make this novel shine. What an enjoyable escape!"
--Romantic Times

From the Author

**A SUMMER IN EUROPE is a Literary Guild and Rhapsody Book Club Featured Alternate Selection for December 2011!**

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (November 29, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758261519
• ISBN-13: 978-0758261519
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marilyn Brant is the award-winning women's fiction author of ACCORDING TO JANE, the story of a modern woman who receives dating advice from the spirit of Jane Austen (October 2009); FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE, a contemporary fairy tale about three suburban moms, their marriages and what happens a decade or two after the Happily Ever After (October 2010 -- a Doubleday Book Club and Book-of-the-Month Club pick); and A SUMMER IN EUROPE, a novel about a woman's journey of self discovery as she travels through Europe with her adventurous aunt's Sudoku & Mahjongg Club (December 2011 -- a Literary Guild and BOMC2 featured alternate, and a Rhapsody Book Club bestseller in "Fiction & Literature"), all from Kensington Books. She's also a #1 Kindle bestseller and has written a series of fun and flirty contemporary romantic comedies, available exclusively as original ebooks. The first of these, ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE, was released in June 2011 and was a Top 100 "Bestseller in Humor" on Kindle. The second, DOUBLE DIPPING, came out in September 2011.

As a former teacher, library staff member, freelance magazine writer and national book reviewer for Romantic Times, Marilyn has spent much of her life lost in literature. She received her M.A. in educational psychology from Loyola University Chicago, dabbled in both fiction and art at Northwestern University, studied the works of Austen at Oxford University and is an active member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Her debut novel won RWA's prestigious Golden Heart Award® in 2007 and a number of awards since -- including the Single Titles Reviewers' Choice (2009), the Booksellers' Best (2010) and the Aspen Gold (2010).

Marilyn lives in the northern Chicago suburbs with her family, but she also hangs out online at her blog "Brant Flakes." When she isn't rereading Jane's books or enjoying the latest releases by her writer friends, she's working on her next novel, eating chocolate indiscriminately and hiding from the laundry.

Visit her website: http://www.marilynbrant.com