Under the Summer Sky by Debbie Macomber ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Can you have a marriage without love? Two unconventional love stories explore the role of lust, love, and duty in marriage.

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

July 2024; MIRA; 978-0778368076
ebook, print (352 pages); romance

Under the Summer Sky is comprised of two of Debbie Macomber's older romance novellas: Marriage Wanted and First Comes Marriage. 

I didn't realize when I started this book that these were not new stories and it wasn't until I started writing this review that I looked up the two stories. They have both been published alongside other novellas a few times, but it looks like they were first published as individual books in the early 1990s. I wish I had known that as I would have been in a different mindset and might have enjoyed the plots slightly more.

There are things in the stories that dated the stories - like relying on landline telephones but I couldn't really put my finger on the time period.

When reading the first story, I had to check several times to make sure it was really by the author whose books I've come to love. It was rough reading. I don't care much for romance novels but usually can find some entertainment. But I could not stand the characters Savannah and Nash. They are awful, self-centered people. And we were in their heads way more than I liked. They don't appear to have any friends and I totally see why they don't. I couldn't see myself being friends with them.

The second story was slightly better. We only really get Janine's thoughts and we aren't in her head as much as there are much more external activity. I definitely think that if I had known this was set in the 1990s I would have enjoyed it more because I would have better understood the motivations and views. But my mind kept trying to set it in the 2020s and it just didn't work. 

I found both of the stories kind of sexist - the women couldn't possibly be happy without being married and they need someone to take care of them. It didn't seem to matter that Savannah owns a successful business and Janine is independently wealthy. 

I went to this thinking that it would be a sweet women's fiction story but they turned out to be romance novels with unlikeable characters (I often dislike the characters in romance novels). I was very disappointed. However, if you enjoy reading older romance novels, then you will probably find this to be an entertaining read.

Buy Under the Summer Sky at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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