Summer by the Sea [Mass Market Paperback]

Susan Wiggs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2004

It's the beginning of another season in the seaside resort town of Winslow, Rhode Island, and Rosa Capoletti is given the chance to rediscover the pleasures of love and laughter, food and wine, friendship and romance. She's taken a run-down pizza joint and turned it into an award-winning restaurant. Now, her life takes an unexpected turn when a man who once broke her heart arrives back in town and asks for her help.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Two childhood friends negotiate the rough waters of love in Wiggs's newest contemporary romance (following The Ocean Between Us), which starts out as a typical love-between-the-classes tale, but evolves into something richer. Successful Rhode Island restaurateur Rosa Capoletti seems to have her life in order. Her restaurant, Celesta's-by-the-Sea, has been lauded by the New York Times, she's surrounded by friends, and she has finally achieved financial stability. But when her old flame Alexander Montgomery, whose family name is synonymous with wealth, walks into Celesta's, Rosa realizes that she hasn't moved forward emotionally since he abruptly ended their relationship 12 years earlier. As the two cautiously renew their love, they must come to terms with the tensions between their families and the long-held secret that led to their initial breakup. Although their romance is compelling, sweeter still are the flashbacks of their burgeoning friendship. These interludes are nicely set off by Capoletti family recipes for items like Pasta Fazool and Ricotta Cheese Sugar Cookies. Wiggs excels at portraying the delicate dynamics among lovers, friends and family members, and her keen awareness of sensory detail ensures that the scents and sounds of Rosa's kitchen are just as palpable as the heady attraction between the protagonists.
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Review

"Susan Wiggs paints the details of human relationships with the finesse of a master." -- Jodi Picoult

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Mira (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778320561
• ISBN-13: 978-0778320562
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,116,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.

When her recent novel, FIRESIDE, hit #1 on the New York Times, the author reportedly reacted to the news by "putting on my lipstick and sweeping the patio." Why? Because she knew that within a matter of minutes, her girlfriends would show up to pop the bubbly and help her celebrate. [Update: FIRESIDE has been chosen of one of Amazon.com's Top Ten Romances of 2009.]

According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. Her books make frequent appearances on Amazon's "best of" lists. Several of her novels have been listed as Indie Next picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.

The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful beach read, July 30, 2004

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Summer by the Sea (Mass Market Paperback)

SUMMER BY THE SEA by Susan Wiggs

If you are looking for a beach read romance, SUMMER BY THE SEA by Susan Wiggs is not a bad place to start. It's a light summer romance about two lovers, Rosa Capoletti and Alex Montgomery, who are from two different worlds. Her father is a gardener, and Alex's family is wealthy enough to have a summer home in Winslow, where Rosa grows up. It is during the summer months that Alex and Rosa spend time together and eventually fall in love. But due to reasons unknown to Rosa, Alex one summer leaves Winslow, never to return. No phone calls, and no letters. It is as if their relationship, their friendship, never happened.

Rosa is now a successful restaurant owner, burying herself in her work, and Alex lives in the big city, working for his father's firm. When Rosa finds out that Alex has come back to Winslow, after being gone for twelve years, she is filled with conflicting thoughts. She realizes she has never gotten over him, and she also knows that in order to move on, she needs to confront her feelings. Whether she is successful or not is up to the reader to find out.

In the midst of this romance, Susan Wiggs has placed delicious Italian recipes that will have your mouth watering. It also helps lend a summertime atmosphere to the book, enhancing the feel of this romance.

I enjoyed SUMMER BY THE SEA and it's made me a new fan of Susan Wiggs. This was a delightful romance, very enjoyable and fun to read, and I recommend to other romance readers. It's a great escape and probably best read during the summer months. If anything, the recipes will make this book a keeper!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely romance, July 30, 2005

By 

Patricia Kay "author and avid reader" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Summer by the Sea (Mass Market Paperback)

This was a really sweet, romantic book, with wonderful characters and a great background. I especially enjoyed all the Italian recipes and slices of life. Since I'm half Italian myself, I relived some of my childhood memories when reading about the Capoletti family and their traditions. Susan Wiggs has really hit her stride as an author; a new Wiggs book is a treat to look forward to. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for all lovers of and believers in romance.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A life-affirming story - Highly recommended!, July 24, 2005

By 

Donna K. "bookcrosser" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Summer by the Sea (Mass Market Paperback)

I love books set in Italian restaurants, and that it included such delicious-sounding recipes is a nice bonus! I will be jotting down a few to add to my recipe box, and to compete with my own Italian-family recipes!

This was an engaging sweet story that warms the heart and makes the reader believe in the soulmate, meant-to-be, kind of love.

Alex and Rosa are both top-notch sort of people, sweet, good-natured, kind-hearted towards others, sense of family-responsibility, hard-working and ambitious. I admired them, and would like to live in their community where I would be honored to count them amongst my friends and neighbors. Childhood sweethearts who initially came together in a compassionate friendship, they were torn apart by family objections, social class differences and gross misunderstandings. The tender and loving way they come back together leads them on a journey of self-discovery and a new understanding about life and love.