Customer Reviews

Summer of Two Wishes (Thorndike Core)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

There's nothing like a good story about love lost and then love found to get the heart going. SUMMER OF TWO WISHES by Julia London was heart wrenching, yes, heart-wrenching from the very first page. A beautiful story about love and life, London created a masterpiece in this beautiful story. If you are a romance fan of any kind, I highly suggest SUMMER OF TWO WISHES. This is the kind of book that keeps you up at night wondering about the characters until you finally get a chance to go back to the book and dive back into the world.

We've seen the story before. A woman is married to her true love, he goes away to war and she gets word that he has died there. Practically dead from grief, she finally manages to find solace in the arms of another man and eventually marries him. Suddenly her first love is back, miraculously returned from the grave. What's a girl to do when she's faced with two men, both of whom she loves just as desperately as she needs the air?

Macy has just started to pull her life together. She's barely crawling out of the dark hole that she's been hiding under and finding joy in her new husband Wyatt when Finn returns. Now, overjoyed at his return she's faced with the difficult decision of breaking someone's heart. Whether it's Finn or Wyatt, one thing is for sure; her heart is going to be a casualty as well.

If you couldn't already tell, I loved SUMMER OF TWO WISHES. Admittedly, I was a little reserved about reading the book seeing as how the general premise of the story has been used fairly often. Jennifer Haymore's A Hint of Wicked, the movies Pearl Harbor, Three For the Show, and Too Many Husbands all follow the same idea although each puts a great spin on it. I'm pleased to say that my concerns were wasted as London did an excellent job putting her own twists and turns on the idea, creating an intriguing and suspenseful plot.

Usually I'm able to sit here and type fairly quickly, telling you what I loved or didn't love about a book. In this case, I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what it was that made the book so great because I got so distracted by the story that I never took the time to stop and think, "Oh yeah, this is good." Maybe that's part of what I love. I think that if I really had to pick one thing, it would be the way that London fills the pages with tension. Even something as simple as preparing for a luncheon becomes filled with tension and pulls the reader along. Tension is a wonderful ally to an author if used correctly. It makes the book addicting; it makes you want to read more and keeps you turning the pages. London certainly mastered that. I actually had to convince myself pretty hard that it was not a good idea to take my book to the dinner table with me; I was just that into it.

Another great aspect of SUMMER OF TWO WISHES, just as in many great books, is the characters. London has created characters with a good deal of depth that add layers to the book and give us something to ponder. More than that, however, she has created characters where the reader has to stop and consider who he or she wants the hero to be. That surprised me. I expected a clear-cut idea of who I wanted Macy to end up with, but a quarter of the way through the book I no longer could decide. Both Finn and Wyatt had their good points, but more importantly, each had their flaws. Giving these two guys their own set of flaws really helped to make the story so much more realistic. No longer were we reading a piece of fiction dreamed up in someone's head. Now we were simply reading a retelling of a story that really happened, waiting for the characters to walk through the front door and begin acting it out.

Fair warning time: SUMMER OF TWO WISHES does have adult themes and adult scenes. I would give it a sensuality rating of four out of five.

SUMMER OF TWO WISHES definitely deserves top marks. The characters were great, the pacing was really nice, and it completely captivated me. It's not every day that we get a good Romance with its own fair share of suspense and London gave us just that. I would highly recommend this book to any Romance lover and might even suggest that lovers of any sort of Drama book pick this one up as well. The main plot and subplots are intricate and enough to keep you wanting to go back for more long after you've turned the last page.

Synopsis:

When she heard that her husband Finn was killed in the line of duty overseas, Mary Lockhart felt like she'd died. Mary struggled to keep his Texas Ranch, but with cattle disease, her inexperience, and bad luck, she had to sell much of Finn's assets. Three years later, she'd picked herself up and created a new life. Mary still loved and missed Finn deeply, but she found stability and happiness with her new husband Wyatt Clark.

Stability and happiness that shatter when Mary receives news that Finn is alive - and coming home. Mary is ecstatic that Finn is alive and can't wait to see him. But under Texas law, she must choose which marriage to keep and which to nullify. Faced with an impossible choice, what does Mary do?

Review:

Macy's in an impossible situation. If you thought that the man that you loved more than anything in the world somehow was gone and you suddenly had a second chance, would you go back to him even if it means hurting the man who helped you find yourself again?

Julia London is careful to fully flesh out each of the three characters so that you can sympathize with each of them. She creates subplots that move the story along to its satisfying conclusion. The book raises issues of loyalty and being true to oneself as well as the unique strain that military families are under. The description of the difficulties that military families face both during deployment and when obtaining their benefits gave the book an additional dimension. Despite the difficult decision that Macy faces, I found the book is an enjoyable and satisfying read.

Publisher: Pocket Star (August 18, 2009), 432 pages.
Courtesy of the publisher.

I found myself disliking Macy from the start. She seemed so wishy washy throughout the entire book and I found myself liking Wyatt much more than Macy. I found myself just more annoyed with Macy the more I read. I know it was a hard situation for someone to be in but she seemed so... helpless and weak overall. I sure hope Wyatt ends up with the baby in any further books, she would make an awful mother.

It was an interesting storyline, but I really leave this book feeling dissatisfied and a bit annoyed. I hope that Wyatt gets a story.. I'd love to see Macy's reaction when he finds someone he loves more than her and she has to deal with that.

I had to fight to finish this book, I put it down three or four times because I was just so annoyed by Macy.

First off, let me say that I think the book description is rather deceptive- this book begins with Finn's return so we never really see Macy dealing with his death or finding solace in Wyatt, so basically the description is the back-story which I found misleading. I had a hard time with this book because I thought London did an excellent job with some aspects of the story but couldn't really feel strongly for Macy herself who I found rather aggravating in her inability to assess what she herself wanted out of her life.

Macy married Finn and their conversations about their past relationship makes it clear that though it was passionate and loving, it was no equal partnership. Macy quits her job to help with the ranch despite her lack of true interest in leading that type of life, then gets stuck trying to keep it above ground when her husband joins the military over her objections and disappears in Afghanistan. When she is forced to sell Finn's horses and to give away his dogs, she faces opposition from Finn's overbearing mother who nonetheless seems to offer no concrete assistance of any kind.

Macy's relationship with Wyatt was equally problematic for me as it seemed to center on her need to be taken care of and his need to have a pretty wife who focused her life on his needs. Again she doesn't work, and they seemingly decide to try for a baby because Wyatt thinks it is time and Macy isn't doing anything else anyway. His actions in the actual narrative paint him as selfish, deceitful, and opportunistic- I'm not sure how any woman could fall in love with Wyatt let alone find it hard to leave him when her "true love" returns from the dead.

Given that I didn't like the main character and couldn't empathize with her dilemma (I think she would have been better off on her own), I obviously didn't much like the book. Nonetheless, I was impressed with the way London treated some aspects of Macy's impossible situation. I think she did an excellent job portraying the challenges Macy faced when Finn left her behind to join the military and when she ultimately learned of Finn's death. I appreciated that Finn had to work his way through symptoms of PTSD when he returned, and that he was forced to grow a bit throughout the story.

My husband is an active duty Marine so I did connect with the underlying plot of the story, and with some of the choices and decisions that Macy was forced to make. Ultimately though, I would have preferred a heroine who seemed more in control of her life and her decisions; Macy was too much like a ping-pong ball bouncing between Finn and Wyatt for me to enjoy.

Julia London left Regency England and flew her time machine straight to the present in Cedar Springs, TX. With her, Ms. London brought her New-York-Times-best-seller-list writing skills. She needed every one of them because this must have been a tough book to write. She succeeds, of course, but only the most talented of writers-like Julia London-would be able to pull together this weaving of stories and emotions.

For almost everyone in town, the homecoming of Finn Lockhart, previously reported as dead but now found after three years in captivity, is a cause for celebration. But not for Wyatt Clark who is now married to Finn's wife Macy. And, while Macy is overjoyed the love of her life is safe, how does she treat Wyatt, the man who pulled her from the deep depression after Finn's reported death and to whom she owes her sanity? How can a woman make a decision like that?

Although Finn's return is joyful, it brings with it problems and repercussions for many citizens of Cedar Springs. How does the town handle the return of a war hero? How does the man who doesn't consider himself a hero take the adulation and interest his return brings with it?

From the tangled motives and feelings, Ms. London creates a marvelous story of love and deceit, hope and redemption. She deals honestly with the deep emotions of Finn's family and friends. Perhaps the most poignant is Finn's story. This is a man who returns home to find all those things he dreamed about, that kept him going during his captivity, are gone: his wife, his land, his career, even his horses and dog. How does he deal with the trauma of those three years and his losses when his privacy is constantly invaded?
Macy and the man she chooses face incredibly difficult decisions. Through Ms. London's deft writing and great talent, we feel the pain of the characters and cheer for them to have their two wishes-and many more-granted.

This book is highly recommended, a real keeper and the start of a new chapter of Ms. London's exceptional career.

Jane Myers Perrine

I could not finish this book. I hated it, hated Macy and wanted desperately to reach into the book and slap her. As a Navy wife and woman who has had to sit home worried when my husband went to Iraq I could not sympathize with Macy's plight, and London did little to help me. Throughout the first half of the book Macy goes back and forth between Finn and Wyatt, telling Finn she loves him, always has, always will, but then 2 pages later she says the same thing to Wyatt. In another situation I would probably feel sympathy for Macy, here though, in light of all Finn has been through, how she handles her confusion is cruel. Aside from battling the stress and anxiety that comes with being a POW for 3 years Finn has to face the loss everything he held dear, because of the woman he loved. Throughout the book she shows a complete lack of compassion for what others are going through, it's all about her and what she is going through.
She reminds me very much of the women that leave their husband while they are in Iraq, they clean out the house, the bank account and then act annoyed and victimized when the husband comes home and wants to know what happened.
Thank God I borrowed this book from the library.

Several friends recommended this book and I purchased it without reading any of the reviews. And I was soooo glad I did! I couldn't put it down! It was a bit over 400 pages and I read it like in two days!

I have to admit, I loved the character of Macy, even though the situation put her in a confused state, outwardly that is. Inwardly, she knew in her heart that it was Finn she loved.

I loved Finn and was glad she chose him in the end. I didn't care for Wyatt at all, thought he was totally self centered, mean and revengeful. I have no idea what Macy saw in him. It was obvious when push came to shove, his real personality came out!

In marrying Wyatt, I feel that Macy was drawn into his supposed kindness towards her and his insistence that they would be good together and that he could give her everything. Just goes to show you that having everything doesn't prove happiness.

The mothers of both Finn and Macy were a bit too much and much too much opinionated. They should have left them alone.

Also, Sam (Samantha) did not turn out to be such a good friend; she stabbed Macy in the back; like trying to get revenge because Sam's husband died and Macy's didn't. How stupid was that....

I like Julia London but couldn't get through this one. I loved the plot idea and Twice Loved by Lavyrle Spencer (with a similar plot, except it's a historical romance) is my favorite romance of all time so I really expected to like it. I got to page 100 and still didn't like the main character who was like a wet dishrag. No personality to speak of. Her second husband didn't show the slightest romantic or worthwhile character trait so I couldn't root for him. The first love might have been a good guy, but I just got too bored to read more and find out. She just never puts you in the characters heads. You feel like you are reading about them in the newspaper rather than reading a novel. I am going to go read the last few pages to see what happened and then give this one to the library.

I enjoyed Summer of Two Wishes. The story was interesting from the very first page. If you enjoy "not so typical" romance novels, you should like this one. In most romance novels, if the heroine has to choose between 2 guys, one of the guys is going to be a total jerk so you always know who she's going to pick. Not so in this heartwrenching story. Both of the guys are wonderful so you can really picture the main character being with either one. As the narrative switched between the 2 men, I found myself rooting for both of them, depending on whose point of view I was reading at the time. They each had flaws, but were yet good men. I'm still really torn... This story will have you thinking about the characters long after you've read the last page.

Summer of Two Wishes deals with a love triangle and as always it comes down to the woman between the two men who must decide who she wants to be with. Writing a believable love triangle is a hard thing to do. The question here is was Julia able to accomplish that?

Macy has a wonderful life. She is married to a wonderful man who gives her everything and more. Wyatt Clark has money and prestige and showers all his love on his wife Macy. There marriage seems to be a match made in heaven, but Macy will always have a place in her heart for her first husband, Finn Lockhart, the one that was killed in combat three years ago when he was shipped off to Afghanistan. Macy and Finn fell head over heels in love with one another and barely had time to enjoy themselves after they were married because Finn enlisted in the army. When the U.S. Army Casualty Notification Officers came to Macy to give her Finn's half-burned dog tag and told her he was dead, something inside her broke. She would never love another man as much as she did Finn. She mourned and then decided to go on living and that is where she met Wyatt and married him. She loves Wyatt differently from Finn. Now three years later a Lieutenant from the Army comes to see Macy again. This time he brings different news. Finn wasn't killed in action and has been found alive.

Finn was a prisoner of the Taliban and only had the will to live because of his undying love for Macy. Now that he has been saved, he will be able to rebuild his life with Macy by his side. His dream is to go home and pick up where he left off and work on his ranch and breed horses. Just as Macy has the shock of her life, Finn is in for one when he finds out that Macy has moved on and found love with another man.

Wyatt knows that Macy loves him, perhaps not as deeply as the love she had for Finn, but he refuses to let Macy go without a fight. He has much more to offer her. He is stable, well off and can give her so much more than Finn can. If only he can show Macy how important their marriage is and why she should stay with him and not run back to Finn who is still recovering from the trauma of war and his time as a prisoner.

Three lives are changed in many ways and the one person who holds all the cards is Macy. Finn was Macy's first love and the one she thought she would grow old with. Wyatt has become her rock and her savior that allowed her to move forward and live her life. How can she choose between two wonderful men who have given her so much?

Summer of Two Wishes is an emotional story. This is more than just a romance where a woman is being courted by two men who she has feelings for. Julia London takes on an important topic such as war and the aftermath that effects the family and loved ones when someone is believed to be dead but isn't. You feel for Macy, as well as Finn and Wyatt because in the end one of these men will lose. The stress that Macy is under in trying to decide who she wants to be with will hit the readers hard. You can't help but place yourself in the same position as Macy. Because both Wyatt and Finn are both wonderful men, it is hard to take sides. Finn is a fighter as well as a man who loves unconditionally. Wyatt feels the hurt and pain of being the one who was chosen second. He is scared because he thinks Macy will end up with Finn. And why wouldn't he? If I were in Wyatt's shoes, I would feel the same way.

Some readers many feel that Macy may be weak or too undecided. Anywhere she turns people are watching her very closely from her family to friends as well as the people she has grown up around who have their own opinions on her situation. There is a sense of desperation on her part, knowing that no one will be happy with what she chooses to do.

Summer of Two Wishes has some deeply moving scenes and the reactions of the characters keep you turning each page. I found myself undecided who Macy should be with because Finn and Wyatt are both equally as appealing. Julia does a great job at keeping the reader guessing as well as a twist that may make your jaw drop. If you like your books with drama and a bit of a soap opera feel, Summer of Two Wishes is the one for you.

Katiebabs