Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Book Review: A Summer to Remember by Erika Montgomery


 
Pages: 320
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pub. Date: May 11, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin's
Source: Publisher for review
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 


Goodreads says, "For thirty-year-old Frankie Simon, selling movie memorabilia in the shop she opened with her late mother on Hollywood Boulevard is more than just her livelihood--it's an enduring connection to the only family she has ever known. But when a mysterious package arrives containing a photograph of her mother and famous movie stars Glory Cartwright and her husband at a coastal film festival the year before Frankie's birth, her life begins to unravel in ways unimaginable. What begins is a journey along a path revealing buried family secrets, betrayals between lovers, bonds between friends. And for Frankie, as the past unlocks the present, the chance to learn that memories define who we are, and that they can show us the meaning of home and the magic of true love. Experience the salty breeze of a Cape Cod summer as it sweeps through this sparkling, romantic, and timeless debut novel tinged with a love of old Hollywood."

 

Frankie owns a movie memorabilia shop on Hollywood Boulevard. She worked there with her late mother and people come from all over to buy her memorabilia.  One day a package comes for her from her mom's boyfriend and inside she sees pictures of her mother with Glory Cartwright and Glory's husband, Mitch.  Glory was a famous movie star who started a film festival on the island of Cape Cod.  Slowly Frankie starts to piece different things together about her mother and then more questions arise. She wants answers, so she heads to Cape Cod to get them. While there she meets Louise, who runs the festival and while there, Frankie learns more about her mother and her connection to Glory.  Montgomery also gives readers flashbacks to explain how the festival came about and how Glory, a Hollywood star, ended up at Cape Cod.  Erika Montgomery's debut, A Summer to Remember, will especially be appreciated by people who enjoy beach reads filled with not only family secrets, but some of that Old Hollywood magic.

I really liked the character of Frankie in A Summer to Remember. Her memorabilia shop was fascinating and I enjoyed the descriptions of her store, her clients, and what she was selling.  She's in a bad place though. Her mother died, her boyfriend dumped her, and the rent just went up on her store. When it rains, it pours. Once she gets the package with the letters and photos, she starts to wonder what this is all about. Why was her mother with Glory?  She also wants to get these letters back to their rightful owners, so she packs her bags and off to Cape Cod she goes. In the back of her mind, Frankie has always wondered who her biological father is, so that is also an unanswered question she hopes she might get some clues to.

Louise's chapters take us mostly back to when the festival started and some memories about Glory, Mitch, and more. I didn't always like the jump from present day to the past in A Summer to Remember, but her chapters were definitely necessary as they fill in the blanks about Glory and how the festival started in Cape Cod.

A Summer to Remember is your average, breezy beach read, but what separates it from the usual is the Old Hollywood descriptions in it. I liked that aspect of the novel and even how the author included famous quotes from movies prior to each chapter's beginning.   Also, I think Montgomery brought the historical parts to life very well while also capturing the slower pace of Cape Cod verses Hollywood.

So, if you are a movie buff who is looking for a light beach read, I urge you to check out A Summer to Remember. It had me wanting to re-watch some of my favorite classic movies.

Are you a fan of Old Hollywood? Is A Summer to Remember on your summer TBR list? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

 

4 comments:

  1. I love reading about Old Hollywood - what a great addition to a summer beach read!

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    1. Me too! Such a fascinating time. Thanks for visiting, Angela!

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  2. Love the Old Hollywood glamour, so I could see myself enjoying this!

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    1. Me too! I definitely appreciated that aspect of the novel. Thanks for visiting, Joy!

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