Summer Rental has ratings and reviews. Antoinette said: I should start by saying I felt dirty for even finishing this book, it was so awful.
Table of contents
All I can say is I hope I'm as cool as them when I'm thirty: They stay a ratty little beach house named Ebbtide, which is owned by Mr. Culpepper, who ends up being the random-slash-extremely attractive man that lives in the garage - Ty. To top it all off, Dorie invites a stranger to rent the extra room in the cottage because everyone is tight on money.
Summer Rental is humorous and full of all the great things about friendships that last a lifetime. Besties, we are so renting a ratty little cottage with an attractive landlord in a few summers. This book was a good, light and easy early-summer read which shouldn't be too surprising given its title, "Summer Rental. Andrews clearly developed the four main characters in the first half of the book.
From the beginning, it seemed that Ellis was somewhat of the main character and the other ones were often in the peripheral -- that remained consistent throughout the book, even when the story shifted its attention to the other characters temporarily. I d This book was a good, light and easy early-summer read which shouldn't be too surprising given its title, "Summer Rental.
I didn't mind that much since Ellis seemed to have the most "relatable" story line.
Summer Rental • Mary Kay Andrews
The main reason I chose to give this book 3-stars and not 4 or 5 was that somewhere toward the middle, I started to find the story becoming incredibly predictable. While still entertaining, as the "end of the summer" approached for these four women, there wasn't much surprise where they would all end up -- even more so when it became clear that they were trying to wrap up the story. In fact, while I was reading "Summer Rental," I actually wondered if Andrews was trying to set up a series that would continue down the road. It did seem that while predictable, the story ended somewhat abruptly once the few loose ties were neatly squared away and perhaps there was a potential opening for the story of these women to continue either next summer or once they returned to their respective homes.
Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who wants a quick and easy summer read that doesn't mind a story that doesn't take tons of twists and turns. May 09, Mary Ronan Drew rated it liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Whenever I state categorically that I don't read some genre Sci Fi, romance, self-help, memoirs of abuse in childhood, violent suspense somebody strongly recommends a book in one of those categories and I find myself enjoying it despite it's genre.
I don't read chick lit, or romance, or beach books. But when Wilhelm's sister was visiting recently she gave me Summer Rental saying Mary Kay Andrews is one of her favorite authors, and as I know Betty Boop doesn't read trash I gave it a try. And to Whenever I state categorically that I don't read some genre Sci Fi, romance, self-help, memoirs of abuse in childhood, violent suspense somebody strongly recommends a book in one of those categories and I find myself enjoying it despite it's genre.
And to my surprise I rather liked it. We have three something women who grew up as best friends in Savannah. They are now spending a month in a ratty old beach house on North Carolina's Outer Banks, renewing their close friendships, and sharing the career and romantic difficulties they face, some of which are pretty daunting. Ellis is a banker - or rather she was a banker before she lost her job after 11 years of hard work and neglect of her private life in favor of her career.
What's next for her?
Join Kobo & start eReading today
Julia is a model, working these days for catalogs like J C Penny. She hates her job but she can't seem to make a commitment to her boyfriend, who wants to marry her. Dorie is a schoolteacher with more problems than she can count. Her husband has announced he is gay and is divorcing her, she is in a nasty bickering triangle with her mother and sister, and she realizes after she has split up with her husband that she is pregnant. Where will she live? Will she be able to keep her job the school has a policy about ex-husbands and wives both teaching there?
How can she tell her mother about this? Will her sister help or hinder? Add a fourth woman, Madison, a run-away wife who keeps to herself but pays the rent, which the others need badly. The reader knows that her husband has been stealing millions from the companies he works with and has threatened to kill her, but the three friends just think Madison needs to get away for a while. The house they are renting is old and beautiful and has been in the landlord's family for generations. But Ty Bazemore, the owner, is about to lose his beloved house to foreclosure.
So he rents the house during the summer and lives above the garage. Not wanting to be bothered by renters' complaints, he does the rental by text messages and calls himself Mr Culpepper. The super-organized Ellis repeatedly sends Mr Culpepper texts complaining of too few dishes in the kitchen, a drippy faucet, fleas, and much else, not realizing that the man she is complaining to is the hunk living next door. I dare say for some this is a boringly familiar sort of plot, but as "I don't read chick lit" it's not an old story for me.
The author writes smoothly and the characters are slowly revealed as the month goes on and they confess their problems to one another and work together on solutions. The mysterious fourth renter becomes less mysterious and Ellis and Ty get to know one another much better. Nothing is jarringly unrealistic.
- Dawn of Night: The Erevis Cale Trilogy, Book II: 2?
- summer-rental-a-novel-mary-kay-andrews?
- Get A Copy.
- Reaching a New Generation of Kids for Christ.
Food and clothes in a novel always interest me and there are plenty of both in this story. The author never takes herself too seriously, often using a bit of sly humor. The women and Ty are likeable. There is a scene of threatened violence but even that is played with an undercurrent of semi-slapstick.
And the Outer Banks and the Atlantic are lovingly portrayed. View all 5 comments. Jul 12, Nicole rated it did not like it. I didn't realize this was the same author as a book to which I gave one star until after I purchased it. It was an ok read. Some of the turns of phrase in this book and in her other one , struck me as I'm sure the author meant everything in a benign way or, at most, in a damn-you-PC-people-I'm-not-racist way. I'm sure I'm just a bleeding heart, overly PC type. But, it bothered me, and took away from the otherwise summertime escapism of this beach read. The good thing is that I will n I didn't realize this was the same author as a book to which I gave one star until after I purchased it.
View all 4 comments. Aug 30, Jayne Ormerod rated it it was amazing Shelves: Happy to say Mary Kay Andrews did not disappoint, and I was immediately transported back to that blissful state of feeling sand in my shorts. On a craft level, gotta give the author props. Jun 04, Kelby Toes In the Sand rated it liked it. Let me first start by saying that I absolutely love Mary Kay Andrews! I have read most of her books and enjoyed all of them. Her settings are usually on the beach or in the south somewhere.
Her writing has a way of drawing you in and keeps you interested in the story. I wish I could say that was true for this book. While I enjoyed it overall, it was definitely lacking in areas too. The month that the women spend at the beach together was so boring. It was your typical beach read. They go to the beach, go out to eat, fall in love, the end. I want to live in that world! Another of my issues was the lack of character development. Ellis stays the same throughout the entire book and then all of a sudden at the end, decides that she is going to change her plans and live by the seat of her pants.
Where the hell did that come from? Usually Andrews writes about strong, independent women but I felt that was not the case here. I wish that there was more of an element of surprise tucked in there somewhere as well. However, if you are looking for a quick, light summer read then I would still recommend this book. Jul 23, Chris Mara rated it really liked it. Each one has a different personality and background. Each one comes to the beach cottage Ebbtide , which they rented for the month with some kind of issue in their lives - job loss, impending divorce, betrayal, commitment issues, etc.
See a Problem?
Ellis, Julia and Dorie. Add Maryn, a well to do stranger on the run, who needs a place to stay and ends up taking a vacant bedroom at Ebbtide with the others, with some hesitation and suspicion. The story flows easy - longtime girlfriends getting together at a summer beach house in North Carolina. And there are happy endings for everyone at the end. Corny, some may say, but really, so what? If you are familiar with the author, you already know her style. How simple is that?
Some things just stay with you. I would have liked to be a girlfriend with this group on their beach vacation. Not for a month, but maybe a week? Jul 02, Carrie rated it really liked it. Jan 07, Denise Moncrief rated it it was ok Shelves: I usually can't wait for a new Mary Kay Andrews to hit the shelves, but it took me a while to get around to reading Summer Rental.
I looked forward to this read with anticipation. The book is basic chick lit. Three friends, Ellis, Julia, and Dorie, go to the beach to get away from their lives and find out what they really want from life Andrews usually writes with charm and wit and just a bit of attitude. Her stories are generally full of southernisms and over the top characterization I usually can't wait for a new Mary Kay Andrews to hit the shelves, but it took me a while to get around to reading Summer Rental.
Her stories are generally full of southernisms and over the top characterizations and just to the edge of belief situations, which is what makes an Andrews read so much fun. But I found this book flat. The characters were predictable, their lives were predictable, the ending was predictable, even the hot romance with the hot guy was predictable. And where were the slices of Southern Americana I was waiting for? The introduction of a fourth character added the suspense element to the plot, but I found the telling of Maryn's story redundant.
First Andrews tells the reader about Maryn and her woes though an information dump, and then she retells her story through lengthy dialogue chunks several chapters later. It would have been far better if Andrews had never added Maryn's POV, but rather told her story through the other characters's interaction with her.
Or even better if Maryn's story had been one of the three main character's story, and her character omitted. The most distracting element of the read was Andrews head-hopping. I'd just get settled into one character's point of view when she'd cut to another character's point of view mid-scene, and then switch back before the scene was over, sometimes bouncing between three points of view in one scene.
I found myself wanting to skip ahead to the end to see what happens because the narrative seemed to drag on and on. This is the first time I've had to talk myself into finishing an Andrews. Would I recommend this book? May 10, Kathy Hiester rated it it was amazing. In my childhood taking a house-rental at the beach included fun in the sun and time spent with family.
On the downside there was no TV, no AC, no telephone and no videogames. Such are the long-gone surroundings in which three best friends from school days find themselves on a month long reunion on the beach at Nags Head, North Carolina. Ellis, the hyper-organized planner, has been downsized from a large-bank in Philadelphia. Married briefly and unsuccessfully, fresh out of college, Elly threw her In my childhood taking a house-rental at the beach included fun in the sun and time spent with family.
Married briefly and unsuccessfully, fresh out of college, Elly threw herself into her job and has substituted spreadsheets for fun on the sheets. Julia, the worldly, and outspoken friend has realized that her modeling career is over, having been consigned to catalog shots for J. However, she does have a long-term boyfriend, recently relocated from London to D.
Dorrie is sweet, vivacious, and an incurable flirt of the three and she has been dealt two marital surprises and she must call upon the means to ride out the repercussions. Ebbtide, the house they've rented at Nags Head is a dump. Then, the fourth member of the rental party decides at the last minute not to come, leaving Dorrie to find a renter in order to ease the financial burden. Then, the ladies are unsettled about the guy who lives in the garage apartment. Mary Kay Andrews, who has set many a novel in the south has become one of my favorite authors with her southern style and easy reads.
Apr 26, Jeanne rated it it was ok. I won an advanced copy of this book from a First Reads giveaway here on Goodreads. I'd never read anything by Mary Kay Andrews before but I had heard good things about some of her other novels. I hate that this was my first of her books because I really struggled with it. It was my understanding that Mary Kay Andrews writes fun and quick "beach reads" so I already had somewhat lowered expectations for this and I was still disappointed.
The whole thing felt too contrived for me to become attached t I won an advanced copy of this book from a First Reads giveaway here on Goodreads. The whole thing felt too contrived for me to become attached to any of the characters. None of the situations that these characters found themselves in felt at all organic and none of the story lines meshed very well together. I also felt that the novel was about pages too long. I was hoping for a fun chick-lit read but what I actually got was a jumbled mess of overreaching story lines that felt more like several story outlines super-glued together to make one novel.
Jun 13, Patty rated it liked it Shelves: Summer Rental is a very nice summer read which takes place in Nags Head. Four women who grew up in Savannah Georgia have agreed to go to the beach for an entire month, all in their mid 30's to be able to reconnect again. One of the friends bails out of the trip making the trip more expensive for the other three. All three women are at a time in their lives where major changes are taking place. Ellis the main character has just lost her job in the banking industry and doesn't know where her next Summer Rental is a very nice summer read which takes place in Nags Head.
Ellis the main character has just lost her job in the banking industry and doesn't know where her next job will be. She is a bit over organized and has a need to control everything. Julia is a model who has gotten to old to do work that does much for her anymore and is now modeling for catalogs. Her long time boyfriend, a photographer wants to get married, but Julia is confused about what she wants out of life for herself. Dorie is a school teacher at a private school and she enjoys her work, but her sister is the one who bailed out of the trip leaving her extremely budget conscious, her husband has been unfaithful and is leaving her for his lover, and OMG she is pregnant.
There is a fourth woman, Maryn who joins the group to help them financially and she has run away from her husband and needs some time to think. Ellis arranged the summer rental and she is first to arrive at the cottage and finds it a bit run down, so she quickly tries to redecorate as much as possible to make it look a little better. Ty Bazemore is their landlord, but Ellis only knows him as Mr. Ty Bazemore is the owner and lives above the garage but doesn't want any renters to know that he is M.
Culpepper because then they constantly complain to him about all the things that need fixed. The cottage that Ty owns is in a state of disrepair and desperately needs some help, but Ty has himself in a financial bind and is about to lose the house through foreclosure. It is a wonderful little beach cottage that his been in his family for years and has many memories for him.
He is trying to raise funds to save the house by working as a day trader and a bartender at night. The saving of the cottage has an interesting twist to it. I want to go sit on this porch and take a shower in the outside shower and ride the bike up and down the roadway. There is a nice mixing of characters, personalities and problems and Mary Kay Andrews does a good job of pulling them all together.
May 06, April Loebick rated it really liked it. Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews makes the perfect beach read, or in my case, the perfect read to get you ready for the beach. The fun story is full of sand, secrecy, and summer romance. Ellis has just been downsized from her job. She needs this vacation.
She and her friends, Julia and Dorie have been planning it Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews makes the perfect beach read, or in my case, the perfect read to get you ready for the beach. She and her friends, Julia and Dorie have been planning it for months, and Ellis has every last detail sorted out. From there, everything else unravels. The house, called Ebbtide, is in need of some serious TLC. And Andrews makes getting from point A to endpoint B fun. May 12, Victoria rated it liked it Shelves: This was a fun, easy read.
Not a lot of depth, but then I wasn't expecting too much anyway. It's a beach read, obviously. Four women in seaside rented house dealing with relationships and careers and other life choices. The main character Ellis has a farcical relationship with the guy next door. He's also the landlord and that's supposed to be one of their obstacles to "happily ever after. Dorie and Julie, her life long friend This was a fun, easy read.
Dorie and Julie, her life long friends, are drop dead gorgeous "man magnets," who most readers won't be able to relate to as they are both full of secrets and enviable predicaments. One has men after her and is the world's cutest pregnant mom. The other is a model with lots of connections and is deciding on a career change. Thank goodness she has an even better connected fiancee who will hook her up with whatever job she wants. Oh, and he's begging to marry her! Finally, there's new girl Maryn who's on the lam from a psycho ex.
Her storyline is the most predictible. So it's a bit boring and not at all suspenseful. This is a good getaway book, where you won't have to think much or worry over the storylines. All's well that ends well, I guess. May 02, Brianna rated it it was amazing Shelves: I loved this book! It was a great summer read - with just the right amount of suspense and mystery!
I love that each character had his or her own dilemma to figure out. I also love that even though the girls are best friends, they still had secrets that they've kept from each other. But a month on the beach proved to bring the girls closer and allow them to share their secrets with those they loved!
I also r I loved this book! I also really enjoyed the reality of this novel. The situations were VERY real and could most definitely happen to any one of us at any time. It was fun to follow their journeys and see them relaxing, even though they had so many questions to answer for their futures. Overall, it was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something light and fun!
Jun 16, Christie rated it liked it Shelves: Based on writing alone this should be a 2 star book. But what can I say? As I noted in one of my updates, it's the kind of book that is like a soap opera. You feel ashamed to admit it, in fact your hate yourself for it, but you really like it. You don't care that the phrase "bracelet of bruises" actually appears in the text. You don't care that it's full of beautiful people who behave predictably and whose stories end sappily.
You don't even care that you, yourself have begun to ov Based on writing alone this should be a 2 star book. You don't even care that you, yourself have begun to overuse adverbs because of overexposure while reading. Aug 09, Tami rated it really liked it. Summer Rental was the lightest of my summer beach reads. I enjoyed the interaction between the three friends. They knew each other so well that they could speak bluntly and even argue, but they always came back together.
Each of them faced a life-choice, which made for three separate interesting stories, but the main focus was their bond and how they joined together to help an outsider. Romance, mystery, and chick lit - great reading choice if you happen to be on a beach or just wish you were. Mar 12, Sheila Roberts rated it liked it. This book was a fun, light read. A good one to take to bed at night.
- Reward Yourself.
- .
- What is Kobo Super Points?.
- New From Mary Kay.
- About Mary Kay?
- Without Reservations: The Travels Of An Independent Woman.
- Sustainable Land Management: Challenges, Opportunities, and Trade-offs (Agriculture and Rural Develo.
Ellis, Julia, and Dorie can provide what Maryn wants; can they also provide what she needs? Five people questioning everything they ever thought they knew about life. Five people on a journey that will uncover their secrets and point them on the path to forgiveness. Five people who each need a sea change, and one month in a summer rental that might just give it to them.
Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here. This is a perfect beach book: Would you like to tell us about a lower price? If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support? Learn more about Amazon Prime. Read more Read less. Add all three to Cart Add all three to List.
These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. Buy the selected items together This item: Customers who viewed this item also viewed. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. Sponsored products related to this item What's this? Charming Prince Arthur has to rely on the one woman in the kingdom who hates him most. Earning the love of a nation means first risking his heart. Meant to Be Sweetbriar Cove Book 1. A runaway bride goes in search of true love on Cape Cod.
Summer Rental
A charming, swoon-worthy summer read! When a young widow's reclusive life in a charming beach town is interrupted by a surprise visitor, she is forced to reckon with the past. From bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand comes a novel about the many ways family can fill our lives with love, if they don't kill us first.
The Cottage at Hope Cove: A wonderfully uplifting holiday romance. A wonderful voyage of self discovery in a delightful seaside town. You'll long to move to Hope Cove! Martin's Press; 1st edition June 7, Language: Related Video Shorts 0 Upload your video. A feel good romantic comedy. I loved this book and it is with a pang of regret that I turned the last page.
Going Over the Falls: A gripping mother-daughter saga, a Mexico surf adventure, romance, and plenty of waves. Here Comes the Bride Chapel of Love. Etched in Shadow Hill Cemetery. How far would you go to avenge your best friend? Laugh, cry, and root for Eva and Justine through their coming-of-age adventures in the s. I was left with smoke filled air, piercing screams, and soul-burning cries. Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers.
Write a customer review.
Rated by customers interested in. Is this feature helpful? Thank you for your feedback. Read reviews that mention andrews mary kay beach women vacation ellis predictable julia romance banks outer dorie lives maryn woman mystery mka nags enjoyable. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Mass Market Paperback Verified Purchase. Why, Mary Kay Andrews, of course! MKA is the Queen of beachy-summer reads and I can always count on her to bring a little southern charm and sunshine into my life, regardless of the season.
Everyone is at loose ends: For his part Ty is in deep financial trouble and in imminent danger of losing the cottage to the bank. While the writing itself is good, there's a bit of a soap opera quality to the storyline, with the characters all caught up in various personal melodramas. I waffled between a 3 or 4 star rating for this one, but overall I enjoyed it so 4 stars it is!
One person found this helpful 2 people found this helpful. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. This was a pretty good beach read about three female childhood friends. They rent a beach house for the entire month of August. The beach house turns out to be not as nice as they had expected.
After a few complaints through email to the landlord, the house becomes tolerable. The landlord ends up being a sexy guy that has his eyes set on one of the three women. All three women have professional careers: Problems in the women's lives and secrets are revealed as the story progresses. About halfway through the story a suspenseful subplot forms which takes away from the beach scene just a little bit. I gave the story four stars instead of five because of the character's dialogue.
All three of the 35 years old women spoke like a college-aged kid. They spoke words like: