Title: Secrets of the Lost Summer
Author: Carla Neggers
Narrator: Susan Boyce
Genre: Romance
Published: 2012 – AudioGO
(9 cds – 10 hrs. 13 min.)
Synopsis: A wave of hope carries Olivia Frost back to her small New England hometown nestled in the beautiful Swift River Valley. She’s transforming a historic home into an idyllic getaway. Picturesque and perfect, if only the absentee owner will fix up the eyesore next door. . .
Dylan McCaffrey’s ramshackle house is an inheritance he never counted on. It also holds the key to a generations-old lost treasure he can’t resist. . .any more than he can resist his new neighbor. Against this breathtaking landscape, Dylan and Olivia pursue long-buried secrets and discover a mystery wrapped in a love story. . . past and present.
My take: Secrets of the Lost Summer is the first book by Carla Neggers that I’ve read and I won’t hesitate to pick up another. I like her style. She fleshed out her characters in a rather minimalist way that worked for me. I understood them without having to learn every little detail. I like that.
I also liked the mystery and love story that connects the past to the present. It made me smile while listening. Speaking of listening, Susan Boyce’s narration is rather even (some might say flat) – to the point that in the beginning my mind wandered a bit. Once I was used to listening to her voice, that issue cleared up. I enjoyed her the most when she voiced the older women characters. But overall she did a fine job.
The theme that stood out most for me is one of people finding the courage to reach for their dreams – no matter how small or large the dream might be. Sometimes it’s just finding the courage to do what’s right when the possibility of pursuing a dream is impossible.
Recommended to fans of the author and readers who enjoy a quiet mystery/love story.
Source: AudioGO; Audiobook Jukebox
Disclosure: See sidebar. I was not compensated for my review.
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