A Summer Affair: A Novel
Author: Elin Hilderbrand
ISBN: 0316018600
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
Customer Rating:
, based on 26 reviews
Lowest Price: $12.49
By Supplier: strandbookstore
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Editorial Review:
Sheila Crispin Cook, mother of four young children and nationally renowned glassblower, bites off more than she can chew when she agrees to co-chair the Nantucket's Children Summer Gala. Sheila is asked to chair the benefit, in part, because she is the former high school sweetheart of rock star Max West. Max agrees to play the gala and it looks like smooth sailing for Sheila-until she promises a "museum-quality" piece of glass for the auction, offers her best friend the catering job, goes nose-to-nose with her Manhattan socialite co-chair, and begins a "good-hearted" affair with the charity's Executive Director, Lockhart Dixon.
Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this riveting story of one woman's attempt to deal with loves past and present, family, business, and high-powered social pressures. Elin Hilderbrand's unique understanding of the joys and longings that animate women's lives will make this her newest summer bestseller.
It's not that I hated it, I just didn't enjoy it. It took me a long time to get into the book; I didn't find the main character, Claire, especially compelling. After 100 pages or so, the story finally started to pick up, and I got more involved with the story...but at any point I could have happily put the book down and started something else. Like I said, it's not that it's a bad book, it just didn't capture me.
There was no real drive to finish the book, no curiosity about what happened to them. The plotline seems unresolved at the end, as many of the problems Claire had with her husband are still there, with no insight as to how they might face them. Some of the secondary storylines simply don't fit with the book and seem thrown in to give a little more drama to the Claire/Lock storyline, which is the main part of the book - specifically, Siobhan and her husband and the whole Max West plotline. The book also dragged in places, and if you read this blog often, you will know that is one of my pet peeves - books that are significantly longer than they should be.
That being said, it was an easy, beachy read once I got into it. I didn't hate it, but I was surprised at how little it did for me, considering how much I enjoyed Barefoot. Here's hoping Hilderbrand's next work goes back to that!
Claire is like so many other moms, my wife included. So much going on and stretched to the breaking point but still can't say, "no". Claire's husband is a good guy and excellent father (yes he is) who, clearly, never got the wife user manual, "How to Feed and Care for your Lovely Wife". As a result, Claire, although she has a rich life in many respects, is left with two huge emotional vacuums, 1) professional satisfaction and fulfillment; and, 2) "just hold me, not bang me" intimacy. You can like both the Jason and Claire characters while wanting to slap, no,... I mean, douse them with ice cold water shouting, "wake up"! It is not like Claire is looking for trouble but when it is clearly there she does not back away.
Adultery is bad. In this story the adulterous situation is a train wreck of humongous proportions you know is going to happen. The train wreck unfurls in a very deliberate manner with lots of interesting characters and twist along the way. I never really despised, but also never liked, Locke, Claire's lover (I am closer to Locke than Jason intellectually). I think I didn't despise Locke because he was starting from such a lonely place emotionally. He was very needy considering who he was. On the other hand, you might see the whole situation as Locke taking advantage of Claire to some extent... but, all Claire had to do is not play ball so to speak.
One the more amusing aspects of an adulterous affair is when one of the perpetrators becomes jealous of their lover having to do "romantic" things with their spouse. Ouch!
Lastly, the cover has to go. Whoever selected that cover should be fired. The cover has nothing to do with the book. This was a "dark, winter" affair on Nantucket conducted under cover of night and in an office conference room. No, no, no, no barefoot walks in the sand. Sorry.
One last thing in the course of disclosures, I did this as an unabridged audiobook. Clearly, I would highly recommend this audiobook, notwithstanding the cover image.
Sheila Crispin Cook, mother of four young children and nationally renowned glassblower, bites off more than she can chew when she agrees to co-chair the Nantucket's Children Summer Gala. Sheila is asked to chair the benefit, in part, because she is the former high school sweetheart of rock star Max West. Max agrees to play the gala and it looks like smooth sailing for Sheila-until she promises a "museum-quality" piece of glass for the auction, offers her best friend the catering job, goes nose-to-nose with her Manhattan socialite co-chair, and begins a "good-hearted" affair with the charity's Executive Director, Lockhart Dixon.
Hearts break and emotions are pushed to the limit in this riveting story of one woman's attempt to deal with loves past and present, family, business, and high-powered social pressures. Elin Hilderbrand's unique understanding of the joys and longings that animate women's lives will make this her newest summer bestseller.
Customer Reviews:
From S. Krishna's Books
I read Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand last summer and quite enjoyed it, so I was delighted when I was lucky enough to win one of the Hachette 14-book giveaways because it included Hilderbrand's latest, A Summer Affair. (Mind you, I was also delighted because that was 14 free books). After all the great reviews I read, I was really looking forward to delving into this book. Unfortunately, I didn't agree with most of those who loved the book.
It's not that I hated it, I just didn't enjoy it. It took me a long time to get into the book; I didn't find the main character, Claire, especially compelling. After 100 pages or so, the story finally started to pick up, and I got more involved with the story...but at any point I could have happily put the book down and started something else. Like I said, it's not that it's a bad book, it just didn't capture me.
There was no real drive to finish the book, no curiosity about what happened to them. The plotline seems unresolved at the end, as many of the problems Claire had with her husband are still there, with no insight as to how they might face them. Some of the secondary storylines simply don't fit with the book and seem thrown in to give a little more drama to the Claire/Lock storyline, which is the main part of the book - specifically, Siobhan and her husband and the whole Max West plotline. The book also dragged in places, and if you read this blog often, you will know that is one of my pet peeves - books that are significantly longer than they should be.
That being said, it was an easy, beachy read once I got into it. I didn't hate it, but I was surprised at how little it did for me, considering how much I enjoyed Barefoot. Here's hoping Hilderbrand's next work goes back to that!
2008-09-05
Excellent reading
This is a fabulous book. I very much enjoyed it and recommend it to every woman. 2008-09-03
Good Read
Very cute, fast, easy read. Really enjoyed this book and have already passed it on. 2008-08-30
A Summer Affair
A great summer read by a wonderful author. I enjoyed this novel by Elin Hilderbrand as I have her first six novels. She writes a very entertaining book. I'm looking forward to the next one. 2008-08-30
Watching a train wreck in slo-mo from a guy's perspective.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have not been so emotionally disturbed by a story since watching Diane Lane in "Unfaithful". When you are married to a good person, who loves you, and you love them, why are you doing this?
Claire is like so many other moms, my wife included. So much going on and stretched to the breaking point but still can't say, "no". Claire's husband is a good guy and excellent father (yes he is) who, clearly, never got the wife user manual, "How to Feed and Care for your Lovely Wife". As a result, Claire, although she has a rich life in many respects, is left with two huge emotional vacuums, 1) professional satisfaction and fulfillment; and, 2) "just hold me, not bang me" intimacy. You can like both the Jason and Claire characters while wanting to slap, no,... I mean, douse them with ice cold water shouting, "wake up"! It is not like Claire is looking for trouble but when it is clearly there she does not back away.
Adultery is bad. In this story the adulterous situation is a train wreck of humongous proportions you know is going to happen. The train wreck unfurls in a very deliberate manner with lots of interesting characters and twist along the way. I never really despised, but also never liked, Locke, Claire's lover (I am closer to Locke than Jason intellectually). I think I didn't despise Locke because he was starting from such a lonely place emotionally. He was very needy considering who he was. On the other hand, you might see the whole situation as Locke taking advantage of Claire to some extent... but, all Claire had to do is not play ball so to speak.
One the more amusing aspects of an adulterous affair is when one of the perpetrators becomes jealous of their lover having to do "romantic" things with their spouse. Ouch!
Lastly, the cover has to go. Whoever selected that cover should be fired. The cover has nothing to do with the book. This was a "dark, winter" affair on Nantucket conducted under cover of night and in an office conference room. No, no, no, no barefoot walks in the sand. Sorry.
One last thing in the course of disclosures, I did this as an unabridged audiobook. Clearly, I would highly recommend this audiobook, notwithstanding the cover image.
2008-08-29
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