REVIEW: One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak

In One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak, As a non-fiction writer, Serenity Alston is used to digging for facts and coming up with some shocking details in the process. Who would have known that when she did a DNA test herself, just for research purposes, that it would turn up two half sisters? Chatting with Reagan and Lorelei online is one thing. But when Serenity meets them at her family’s summer home in Lake Tahoe, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Certainly not the almost instant protectiveness she feels about her new sisters. Nor the bond Serenity knows they all recognize forming between them as they get to know each other.

‘She’d been angry at the thought of being deceived, frightened at what she might discover, curious to know the truth, worried about how this might affect her life… But in this moment, she felt a touch of gratitude simply for having more people to love.’

It’s clear that each sister comes to Tahoe dragging emotional baggage behind them. Reagan isn’t sure what will happen when she goes back to New York–whether she’ll have a job or if an impulsive decision she made will put an end to years of moving up the corporate ladder. And Lorelei can’t imagine two strangers will be able to help sort out her rocky marriage. But maybe the reprieve by a beautiful lake is what she and her four-year-old daughter Lucy need. Serenity tries to lend a hand to Reagan and Lorelei all while hoping she’ll be able to let go of a bad chapter in her own life. As the half sisters try to find out how they are related, they might also realize what a blessing in disguise meeting each other could turn out to be.

‘Despite the stress and the many life questions that still loomed large in her mind, she was enjoying her sisters–making them real in her life, part of the fabric of it…’

Shocking secrets and incredibly complicated personal dilemmas played out in gorgeous Lake Tahoe in Brenda Novak’s newest standalone, One Perfect Summer. And it was a novel which proved that Novak can spin a tale that will completely captivate readers from the first page.

‘How was it that they were becoming so close already? Not too long ago, they’d barely known each other and yet… There was something powerful and meaningful there. Something beyond friendship.’

As a long-time fan of Brenda Novak’s work, the idea behind One Perfect Summer caught my attention immediately. She has a tendency to write very emotional, complex stories anyway, but knowing how intricately woven she would be able to make this storyline, I couldn’t wait to dig in. And oh how tangled up the situation was for Serenity, Reagan, and Lorelei. All three women were at an impasse in their lives, so in addition to figuring out how they were related to each other, they brought with each of them their own individual problems they were worrying over. But like with many of Novak’s books, the half sisters learned that by sharing their burdens and opening up the lines of communication, they were better equipped to tackle each challenge.

Even though I’ve thankfully never been in a similar situation to our three heroines, I was still able to relate to them easily–as well as empathize with what they were going through. I don’t want to give too much away about any of the sisters. The way we learn about their backgrounds and what issues they were facing down was part of the surprise. Suffice to say that Serenity was trying to put a dark part of her recent past behind her, not knowing that when she took the DNA test it would create such a change in several lives, not just her own. Lorelei’s future with her husband was uncertain when she took off for Tahoe with her four-year-old daughter. The respite she was hoping for was still fraught with problems. And Reagan’s career in NYC was on the line after a spur of the moment decision that would have lasting effects for her.

There were also some interesting secondary characters worthy of a mention, namely the sisters’ neighbors, brothers Finn, Davis, and Nolan. We did get a couple of passages from Finn’s POV which was quite interesting. And between him and Davis–who had a major battle to fight–I would honestly be very happy to see them featured in a future book where it felt like their thread in the storyline was left unfinished. (Or maybe that’s just me hoping for a follow up with the brothers!)

With an ending that contained several unexpected twists and turns, and a wonderful bond of sisterhood we watched form between three former strangers, One Perfect Summer is a must for Brenda Novak fans.

Book Info:

Publication: Published April 7th 2020 | MIRA |

Some families we’re born into

Some we find for ourselves

When Serenity Alston swabbed her cheek for 23andMe, she joked about uncovering some dark ancestral scandal. The last thing she expected was to discover two half sisters she didn’t know existed. Suddenly, everything about her loving family is drawn into question. And meeting these newfound sisters might be the only way to get answers.

The women decide to dig into the mystery together at Serenity’s family cabin in Lake Tahoe. With Reagan navigating romantic politics at work and Lorelei staring down the collapse of her marriage, all three women are converging at a crossroads in their lives. Before the summer is over, they’ll have to confront the past and determine how to move forward when everything they previously thought to be true was a lie. But any future is easier to face with family by your side.