The Summer That Shaped Us by Lori Wilde ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Three generations of women, an island with an air of mystery and magic, and one summer that changes everything.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

April 2025; Avon; 978-0063352155
audio, ebook, print (352 pages); women's fiction

I don't usually read any books that focus on magical realism but since I received this book from Goodreads, I wanted to make an attempt to read it.  I thought that the book was pretty ok and the magic in it wasn't too far out.

A billionaire heiress owns a private island in the Gulf of Mexico and has created a resort for crafters called Hobby Island.  She gave three members of her crafting website a golden ticket for three months at the resort.  One of the tickets went to Jeanie who wants to win the quilting contest.  She desperately needs the prize money, something she hasn't shared with her daughter and granddaughter who accompany her to the island.

Luna, the daughter, is a recent widow who didn't find out until her husband died that he was keeping financial secrets from her.  Artemis is the granddaughter who can't imagine being away from social media for three months and wants to get some freedom from her mom who keeps her on a pretty short leash.  So along with these three women, we have Eloise, the owner of the island who brings happiness to those on the island with a bit of magic.  The other main person is Paul who is the gardener but was also Luna's first love.  The three women in the family are very different and have frequent misunderstandings.  Jeanie is quiet but loves to make friends and is a sensitive and serious woman.  Luna is skeptical about the island and most of the people.  Artie just wants to have fun while she deals with the grief from losing her father.  Will the three months on the island help them learn to trust each other and to accept help from those who offer?  Is this a summer that will change their attitudes and one that they will never forget? 

This was my first book by this author and I learned at the very end that it's the first book in a new series.  Despite some of the magic in this book, I'll read the next book in the series.  Hobby Island sounds like a peaceful place to be with all of the stress of our modern world.

Buy The Summer That Shaped Us at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.   

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Or Follow Girl Who Reads with Bloglovin. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.