Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Review: That Certain Summer - Revell Blog Tour with GIVEAWAY, USA

That Certain Summer by Irene Hannon is a tender, heartwarming romance that takes place in the river town of Washington, Missouri - a departure from her trademark romantic suspense. It is an inspiring, true-to-life tale of complex family relationships, transgressions revealed and forgiven, and the complicated process of finding love. I enjoyed this uplifting story very much and am glad Irene again ventured into the women's fiction genre.

 
Summary

Karen and Val are family - yet they're anything but close. Karen has carried the burden of responsibility for her aging mother ever since her sister left town years ago to pursue a career in theater. But Val had darker reasons for leaving town – and had a secret to keep – so coming home has never been an option . . . until their mother suffers a stroke.

 Reunited in their hometown, Karen and Val must grapple with their past mistakes, their own relationship and their issues with a mother who is far from ideal. When a physical therapist raising his daughter alone and a handsome but hurting musician enter the picture, the summer takes on a whole new dimension. As their lives intersect and entwine, each sister learns how to forgive, how to let go and how to move on. And strengthened by the healing power of faith, they also find the courage to love.

 
My thoughts

Irene has written numerous shorter novels in the women's fiction genre, but That Certain Summer is her first long contemporary romance, and I hope there will be many more. It is easy to read because the writing flows so smoothly, but there is great depth through its complex characters.

The story begins when two very different sisters, because of their mother's stroke, are brought together after years of hardly speaking.  

"Storms, she could handle. This, however, was a tsunami." Karen has always been organized, competent, able to cope with whatever - the responsible daughter, in other words. "So far, she'd kept all her balls in the air, but how many more could she juggle? Didn't a shattered marriage, a job outside the home for the first time in more than a dozen years, and a rebellious daughter whose transition to teenager had been complicated by her parents' split provide enough challenges?"

Val, on the surface, seems to be the golden girl with a charmed life, Mom's favorite. But when David, Margaret's physical therapist, first meets Val, he realizes that "There were layers there, and deep, turbulent pools beneath the placid surface. Complexities and shadows and hidden corners, all safely concealed behind a beautiful face and great body."

Two other characters add richness to this story:  Margaret, a manipulative, self-centered mother with a martyr complex, and Scott, a jazz musician and sole survivor of a horrible traffic accident.

I think the greatest strength of this story is its spiritual theme, which shows through fiction how Christ's teachings can be implemented in our daily lives. Val sought freedom from guilt by confronting her mistakes and dealing with them herself. Karen had spent her life trying to please people by being passive and giving in. Scott struggled with having to give up the musical career he had planned. Each character's spiritual journey unfolds in a realistic and interesting way. Repentance also enters into this story, an element not often mentioned in Christian fiction.

Something else that I loved about this story was the effective way Irene used the ministry of a local church - the minister's sermons and counseling, the church choir and Scott's interim directing, the hosting of a benefit to raise funds for a much-needed ministry. The church is the bride of Christ, where God works through believers, and many authors barely even mention it. Irene showed in a realistic way how instrumental the church can be in changing people's lives.

Irene excels at suspense fiction, but she also ranks among the best at contemporary romance and character development. That Certain Summer is a beautiful story of love and redemption, and I highly recommend it to all readers.
 
 
Irene Hannon
 
For more information about Irene and her books, visit her website at irenehannon.com.
 
Questions for group discussion can be found at:  irenehannon.com/thatcertainsummer.html
 
Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing.
 
This book was provided by Donna Hausler as part of the Revell Blog Tour in exchange for my honest review.

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I'd love to share my copy with one of you. Simply follow the instructions below to be entered for the giveaway.

 UPDATE:  Congratulations to Michelle P. on winning Irene's book! I sent you an e-mail, Michelle. Thanks again to all who entered - for your interest in That Certain Summer and for supporting my blog. 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

43 comments:

  1. I haven't read anything by Hannon yet! I've got one of her novels on Kindle, but haven't gotten to it yet!

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  2. Beth, I think you'll really like Irene's novels. I've only read one of her suspense novels - "Against All Odds" from the Heroes of Quantico series - but I really liked it, and I'm not big on suspense. And I highly recommend "That Certain Summer."

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  3. I haven't read Irene's work yet but this book sounds intriguing and I'd enjoy the opportunity to win the book. Thank you very much. Blessings.

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  4. Thanks for stopping by, JoAnn. It's a pleasure to promote Irene Hannon's work. Good luck in the contest!

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  5. Your review "rocks"! You did such an amazing job portraying the characters and their roles in the book. The extra about the church - now that was a great thought. I liked that too, but did not think to include it in my review. :-) I enjoy your reviews, not too long, not too short... just right!

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  6. Oops, I forgot to mention that I read this book. Its the only one I have read by her, but I think I will look for others. I enjoyed her writing style. So excited about your giveaway opportunity.

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  7. Amy, thank you so much for your support and encouragement! I've been meaning to write you since last Saturday, so I'll e-mail you later today.

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  8. i want to win this book so bad, please pick me thanks
    jcisforme@aol.com

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  9. I would to read this one But this author is new to me. I will look up her books for my kindle.
    joeym11@frontier.com

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  10. This sounds really interesting! I'm not a suspense fan, but love to get involved in a book

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  11. Thank you for suggesting a new author! Although I'm not a suspense fan, this book sounds really interesting.

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  12. I've read a few books by Irene and enjoyed them. I'm sure I will also enjoy reading That Certain Summer.
    may_dayzee (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  13. I have been seeing this book everywhere but I have not read anything by her before. Also, LOVE the beautiful picture at the top of your blog.

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  14. Shirley, Diana Missy and Kay - Thank you for dropping by and for your interest in Irene's book.

    If you enjoy suspense, she has written two popular series: Heroes of Quantico and Guardians of Justice. The only one I've read so far is "Against All Odds," which begins the Quantico series. I'm not big on suspense, but this one was really good.

    In contemporary romance, Irene has written a lot of books in the Love Inspired line.

    Best wishes in the contest, girls!

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  15. Michelle, thanks for commenting on that picture. My hobby for relaxing is to work jigsaw puzzles on my computer and I'm always searching for beautiful pictures online. When I came across this one, it just resonated with me. I've been a church pianist for almost 50 years, and this picture entitled "Forgotten Tunes" makes me think of all the beloved hymns that we rarely sing today.

    Thanks for dropping by, Michelle, and good luck in the contest.

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  16. I have not read any of Irene's books yet.

    I love your review of this one, so I'm really hoping to win your copy.
    Thanks!

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  17. I have read quite a few of her books and they are all well written good reads! :-)

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  18. Stopped over from goodreads, signed up for your site, love your pic of the piano...
    I have read this author before but it has been awhile, love to be in your drawing...
    Paula O(Kyflo130@yahoo.com)

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  19. I'm a huge fan of Irene Hannon and would love to win this one.
    Thanks for hosting a giveaway!

    laurelprincess12 at gmail dot com

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  20. Cindi, Marcie, Paula and Laura - Thank you so much for dropping by! I'm beginning to recognize several of you now...This is a great community.

    Paula, if you haven't already, go back 3 or 4 posts and read what I wrote to Michelle about the piano picture. It's amazing what can be conveyed without words, and this picture really speaks to the music lover in me!

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  21. Thank you for a great review!

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  22. Thank you for a great review!

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  23. I have not read any of Irene's books yet but this one sounds so good!

    Stimmer@familylife.com

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  24. I have not read any of Irene's books but this one sounds really good

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  25. I have never read any of Irene's books, but this one sounds like a gem! I can relate to the story line already. Thanks for the opportunity to win. I thoroughly enjoyed your review!
    Beverly Lytle
    Ibakecakes4you@AOL.com

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  26. I have never read any of Irene's books before but this one sounds really interesting. I would love a copy to read and review..

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  27. I have never read any of Irene's books before. This sounds like a very interesting book. I would love to win a copy and to also post reviews on it. Thanks for giving me a chance to enter. Have a great week-end! Gail Demaree

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  28. I love all of Irene's books! She is a fantastic writer! I'm sure this book will be just the same!

    westernaz@msn.com

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  29. I haven't read any of Irene Hannon's books, but I would like to read this one.

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  30. I haven't ready any of Irene's novels, but this sounds like a good story.

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  31. Irene is n my list of clean authors to read but I haven't had the opportunity. I would love to win and read her book.
    Thank you for the review and giveaway.

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  32. I have not read Irene's books as they seem to be suspense, a genre I do not read as I read primarily historical fiction. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
    lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net

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  33. I have not read any of Irene's novels, but they sound really good! I enjoyed your review a lot so I will look into reading this novel!

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  34. Love reading Irene's books. This sounds like a great one.

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  35. i havent read any Irene's books. Hope to get this book and read. thanks

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  36. Havent read Irene's book and hope to pick up the books soon to read

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  37. It sounds like a great book. I've enjoyed Irene's other books.

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  38. I have not read any of her books. I am not as much into romance, though I love it with a bit of suspense mixed in. Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews. I don't have to go very far now to find a new author to explore.

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  39. Sounds like a great book! Can't wait to read! :)
    Lisa Medeiros
    deiselbuffs@yahoo.ca or deiselbuffs@gmail.com

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  40. Sounds like a great book! Can't wait to read! :)

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  41. I don't think I have and would really love to :)

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  42. I'm not familiar with Irene's writing. Would love to win a copy of this new book!

    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  43. I would like to thank all of you who expressed an interest in Irene's book and supported my blog by entering this contest. I'm still learning about blogging and it's fun to recognize friendly names and faces from other websites I've been on. The contest ends shortly and I'll announce the winner tomorrow afternoon.

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