Synopsis:

Erika Montgomery’s A Summer to Remember is “an unforgettable tale of love, loss and finding your place that glitters as brightly as the golden age of Hollywood.”–Kristy Woodson Harvey, USA Today Bestselling author of Feels Like Falling

Best Debut Novels of Spring and Summer Library Journal 

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.

“The perfect read for summer. A novel with depth, real emotions, lyrical writing, and flawed characters with whom to fall in love.”–New York Times bestselling author Karen White

Happy Publishing Day to A Summer to Remember! It’s the perfect escape—especially if you’re a fan of movies and old Hollywood. If life would have allowed, I would have read this one in one sitting. And I was continually impressed that it’s a debut novel with the skillful writing and well-rounded characters.

The novel follows two women—Frankie, who runs a memorabilia shop in Hollywood started by her late mother, and Louise, who runs an annual film festival in Cape Cod. The two women’s lives will converge in Cape Cod in surprising ways, and Louise’s story includes flashbacks to the past and how the film festival came to be.

Montgomery has fleshed out all her characters and I was completely sold on following their journeys. While some of the twists were predictable, I was still invested. It was inspiring to see these two confident women find their footing. I also appreciated the realistic portrayal of Louise and her husband Russ’s relationship as an older couple. It was refreshing and heartwarming.

“…to be happy, a woman needs a purpose of her own choosing, not one chosen for her by her parents or her husband or her neighbors.”

Erika Montgomery, A Summer to Remember

The chapters were quick and concise with just the right amount of history, mystery, and romance. And I so enjoyed the movie quotes that opened each chapter, recognizing many of my favorites.