Mary Kay Andrews: Summer Rental Book Review

I really enjoyed reading Summer Rental, by New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews. It was the perfect summer read. It was funny, sexy (tasteful), easy to read (short chapters & to-the-point) and it lightheartedly dealt with common issues many people (both men & women) face today.

Sweet-Bittersweet-NotSweet

supersweet(run & buy it) sweet(really good,buy it) bittersweet(ok, issues) not sweet(not good,don't buy this stuff)

Summer Rental is Supersweet 

No Spoiler Synopsis

Pour yourself a glass of iced-tea or lemonade, because this book is a page turner and captures you from the very beginning. Summer Rental is about four women, in their mid-30's, that plan a month-long vacation in North Carolina. Before getting there, each experiences unexpected & dramatic changes in their life.

Three of the women have been best friends since childhood (Ellis, Julia, Dorie). The fourth woman is befriended while on vacation (Maryn). The character Ellis is single, and was recently laid off from her professional job of 11+ years. Julia is an "aging" model, that lives in Mayfair, London with her professional photographer boyfriend Booker. Dorie is a school teacher, who experiences some serious problems in her marriage to Stephen. The character Maryn is married to Don, an abuser, cheater, liar and embezzler. What a great group huh? HaHaHa With these type of issues, one would think the book would be heavy and sad. Au contraire! Au contraire!



Despite the problems these women face, Summer Rental made me CHUCKLE, SMILE and LAUGH from beginning to end. How could that be? Each woman, came up with the most innovative and POSITIVE solutions to each others problems. Instead of letting problems take over and suffocate their life, they evaluated their options, looked at all sides of a situation, enjoyed what was NOW, what was CURRENT, and what was happening TODAY. Overall, they chose to look at the BRIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE, instead of diving into despair.

Instead of sulking the entire month, they made the best of their time at Ebbtide (name of the house where they stayed). They cooked, decorated, played games, hung out at festive dives, visited the beach daily, and patronized local eateries & shops. While doing so hidden secrets were revealed (juicy ones! i shall not divulge! HaHa), and memories of the past breathed new life into their current situations.


It's a MIRACLE! What truly surprised me about this book, was how likeable ALL the main characters were. Each had a charm about them. Usually there's one or two characters that get on your nerves (and you want to skip some chapters), but that was NOT the case with this group. I liked all of them.

My personal favorite was Ellis. I related to her character the most, because we share the same quirks & tendencies. Don't be surprised if you relate to one or several of these women. Next was Ty Bazemore! Ty! Ty! OH MY TY! He's the HOT guy in the book! I'm usually not into games when it comes to relationships, but the ones he plays on Ellis are super hilarious. I like Ty. He's handsome, smart, fun, and lives simply. My third favorite was Julia. Julia see's things for what they are and tells it like it is. If you need a reality check, Julia will give it to you. You'll also LOVE her boyfriend Booker! Booker is a great guy that sticks with Julia through thick & thin. Gotta love a guy like that!


My Final Thoughts: Summer Rental is a great read for both men & women.What I love about the story is how supportive all the characters are to each other. They UPLIFT one another! They LISTEN to each other! They genuinely CARE, RESPECT and LOVE one another! They HELP each other out! The women help the men! The men help the women! They all WORK TOGETHER! In today's society, that truly lacks. Some reviewers of this book, have said the story is too simple! I say, sometimes within simplicity you find greater meaning. Learn to look beyond what is in front of you! When you learn to do that, lessons and messages become very clear. There were many lessons in this book. :)