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129th out of 539 books
—
342 voters
The Summerhouse (The Summerhouse #1)
What if a woman could go back to the beginning and rethink her choices for love and life? When Leslie Headrick, Madison Appleby, and Ellie Abbott first met, they were in their early 20s and the world lay before them with its infinite possibilities. Now that they're about to turn 40, they reunite for a weekend at a summerhouse in Maine where they share the details of their...more
Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages
Published
May 7th 2002
by Pocket Books
(first published January 1st 2001)
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If you could go back in time - would you? While this book is a serious summer/ice tea read, it stayed with me longer than I expected. If you could go back in time - for three weeks - change one thing - one day, one conversations, would you? When/where/what would it be. Would you be willing to risk what you have now to do so? Or maybe because of what you have now you would? Which prompts my own question - if you could change one thing -- the first credit card you ever got, the first diet you ever...more
This book was a lot better than I expected it. I read it when I was at an isolated hotel in Costa Rica in the offseason for my honeymoon.....and I didn't bring enough books from home and finished mine and there wasn't a bookstore within a 2 days trip. So out of desperation I borrowed this book from the "Share a book" at the hotel.
But it was about 3 women who met when they were 19 and then went seperate ways and all had seperate crappy lives.....and they meet this lady who give them a chance to...more
But it was about 3 women who met when they were 19 and then went seperate ways and all had seperate crappy lives.....and they meet this lady who give them a chance to...more
Engaging. I didn’t want to stop reading. Very feel good ending.
STORY BRIEF:
Three women travel to a summerhouse in Maine for a reunion to celebrate their 40th birthday. They share the same birthday. They haven’t seen each other for nineteen years and tell each other about their lives. Terrible and depressing things happened to Madison. A terrible injustice happened to Ellie. Leslie is unhappy and disappointed with people and things. Then a mystical woman offers them a chance to go back in time an...more
STORY BRIEF:
Three women travel to a summerhouse in Maine for a reunion to celebrate their 40th birthday. They share the same birthday. They haven’t seen each other for nineteen years and tell each other about their lives. Terrible and depressing things happened to Madison. A terrible injustice happened to Ellie. Leslie is unhappy and disappointed with people and things. Then a mystical woman offers them a chance to go back in time an...more
I must admit I was extremely impressed with this novel. It wasn't at all what I expected it to be.
It's a very emotional tale, pulling you through the lives of three wonderful women and their very different yet equally traumatizing ordeals; then delivering that oft-dreamed fantasy: What if they were given the option to redo the last two decades of your life? Not just to change decisions, but also to change environments and social circles?
The whole narrative comes together incredibly smoothly and...more
It's a very emotional tale, pulling you through the lives of three wonderful women and their very different yet equally traumatizing ordeals; then delivering that oft-dreamed fantasy: What if they were given the option to redo the last two decades of your life? Not just to change decisions, but also to change environments and social circles?
The whole narrative comes together incredibly smoothly and...more
The Summerhouse is a delightful and thought-provoking story where do-overs are allowed and alternate realities are possible. There’s even a bit of time travel involved in the story, which is always a big draw for me. The idea of being able to change the past is not a new one, but this book has an added twist to that idea – the ladies had to choose which few weeks they would go back and change in their lives. Which three weeks are the most important in regards to the path your life has taken? Whi...more
The title seemed fitting to take on as a vacation read, and so this was number two in my bag that was toted along on our trip north this year, tucked away to be read under the summer sunshine.
The Summerhouse is a light read about second chances. What would you do differently if you could have a "re-do" on the most pivotal time in your life? Could you choose a particular two weeks where your life could be altered for the better by a few different steps? And even if you could live a different life...more
The Summerhouse is a light read about second chances. What would you do differently if you could have a "re-do" on the most pivotal time in your life? Could you choose a particular two weeks where your life could be altered for the better by a few different steps? And even if you could live a different life...more
Have you even wanted to rewrite your past?
Three women on their 21st birthday meet for a very brief day full of hopes and dreams. Starting careers in New York!
Then after 19 years they arrange to meet for their 40th birthday. Each of them encountered different events that changed the courses of their lives.
They are then given a chance to alter their lives and to choose a different future. So what would they choose to change and how would that change alter their lives.
I always asked myself this que...more
Three women on their 21st birthday meet for a very brief day full of hopes and dreams. Starting careers in New York!
Then after 19 years they arrange to meet for their 40th birthday. Each of them encountered different events that changed the courses of their lives.
They are then given a chance to alter their lives and to choose a different future. So what would they choose to change and how would that change alter their lives.
I always asked myself this que...more
Three women who met on their shared 21st birthday while waiting forever at the DMV to pick up their new driving licences decide to get together for a weekend in the wilds of Maine to celebrate their 40th. Would-be supermodel Madison is now a gaunt and wretched woman, having sacrificed her life to an abusive, crippled husband who threw her over as soon as he regained his facilities; she rues her decision, long ago, not to ditch him in favour of moody genius physician Thomas. Would-be ballet dance...more
First, let me say that I read this book in three days. Unless I really really like a book I never read them that quickly. So....I gotta say I really enjoyed it and really I did! A friend gave it to me saying she really liked it and thought i would too. I had this notion that Jude Deveraux just wrote frilly, fluffy modern romance and that I had no real interest. However I had just finshed a book and needed something to read so I dug in. Four hours later I finally was able to put it back down....t...more
This is a romance novel about second chances. Three young women meet on their birthday at the New York DMV. Ellie, Madison, and Leslie are seated together and they instantly decide they want to be friends. We learn that Madison is beautiful and is sent from her hometown in Montana to become a model. Leslie is a graceful dancer wishing to make it big. Moreover, Ellie is going to become an artist that shows her creative spirit. It seems that these women have their whole life ahead of them.
Flash to...more
Flash to...more
This is my first Jude Deveraux novel. I was a little hesitant because I'm not normally into romance novels--which Deveraux is known for. But The Summerhouse is not a traditional romance novel. This actually was a charming and relaxing read-- looking into the insights of three young promising women that meet on their shared 21st birthday. Not keeping in touch with each other, their unique bond was not forgotten so they reunite for their 40th birthdays. This is a story of how when they see each ot...more
This was a really fun read. Wish it was a lend me bc I have a friend who's lent me many n would like to read it. Why can't they make the better or more expensive books lendable?
Back to the book itself and it was definitely necessary to suspend belief on this one but its a really moving very fun read. Usually if you feel moved by a characters plight or life that's all you can do. Not too many books can you watch them go back and make changes for the better. I liked how they showed more of one e...more
Back to the book itself and it was definitely necessary to suspend belief on this one but its a really moving very fun read. Usually if you feel moved by a characters plight or life that's all you can do. Not too many books can you watch them go back and make changes for the better. I liked how they showed more of one e...more
The Summerhouse
Summerhouse Book One
By Jude Deveraux
On their twenty-first birthday three women met in New York as they are renewing their driver’s licenses. The three soon hit it off Leslie has come to New York to become a dancer, Madison was sent by her small home town to become a model, and Ellie has dreams of becoming an artist. Nineteen years later after Ellie has been through a horrific divorce she decides to reconnect with the two women who touched her life forever inviting them to spend th...more
Summerhouse Book One
By Jude Deveraux
On their twenty-first birthday three women met in New York as they are renewing their driver’s licenses. The three soon hit it off Leslie has come to New York to become a dancer, Madison was sent by her small home town to become a model, and Ellie has dreams of becoming an artist. Nineteen years later after Ellie has been through a horrific divorce she decides to reconnect with the two women who touched her life forever inviting them to spend th...more
I loved this novel that entertains the question, "If you could go back in time and change something, would you?" It exceeded my expectations, although I'm not sure I really had any.
Three 20-year-old women--young, ambitious, and ready to take on the world--spend a short afternoon together in a New York DMV. Fast forward twenty years to a reunion of the girls, and we learn that each has had an unfortunate chain of events in their lives, leaving them wanting. They visit Madame Zoya, not-a-psychic-b...more
Three 20-year-old women--young, ambitious, and ready to take on the world--spend a short afternoon together in a New York DMV. Fast forward twenty years to a reunion of the girls, and we learn that each has had an unfortunate chain of events in their lives, leaving them wanting. They visit Madame Zoya, not-a-psychic-b...more
Maybe 3.5 stars, but not quite sure.
Madison, Leslie and Ellie happen to meet at the DMV while getting their licenses renewed. They find out they have the exact same birth date and enjoy talking with each other and sharing a bit about themselves.
19 years later their lives are very different from what they imagined when they were 21. Now about to turn 40 they decided to get together to celebrate their shared birthday.
They stumble across a card for Madame Zoya of Futures, Inc and decide to check...more
Madison, Leslie and Ellie happen to meet at the DMV while getting their licenses renewed. They find out they have the exact same birth date and enjoy talking with each other and sharing a bit about themselves.
19 years later their lives are very different from what they imagined when they were 21. Now about to turn 40 they decided to get together to celebrate their shared birthday.
They stumble across a card for Madame Zoya of Futures, Inc and decide to check...more
This was a pick of one of my bookclub members. I have a hard time saying anything nice about the book. I was rolling my eyes and groaning at the way the author depicts the three women in the story. Usually I like a supernatural element to a book, but this seemed so cheesy to me.
On a positive note...the book explores the idea: If you could go back in time and make a different choice, would you keep the life you lived or choose the new life after the making a different choice?
I do not regret my pa...more
On a positive note...the book explores the idea: If you could go back in time and make a different choice, would you keep the life you lived or choose the new life after the making a different choice?
I do not regret my pa...more
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(Fiction 2001) Three women meet on their (coincidentally) 21st birthday and begin a friendship that leads them to coming together on their 40th birthday to celebrate. Unfortunately, none of them has had the wonderful life they each foresaw so long ago. After sharing some of their current life situations, they go out for a walk. When they wander into a fortune teller's business, they are given the opportunity to relive any three weeks from their pasts, to try a different path for their lives. The...more
Another "weekend with the girlfriends" story about 3 women who met 20+ years ago and then went their separate ways. This reunion gives them an opportunity to tell each other what has happened in their life and discuss what they would do differently if they could.
When an opportunity comes along to go back and make some changes in their life, it is interesting to see if they make the same "mistakes" again or if they choose differently.
I debated between 3 and 4 stars because I did really enjoy th...more
When an opportunity comes along to go back and make some changes in their life, it is interesting to see if they make the same "mistakes" again or if they choose differently.
I debated between 3 and 4 stars because I did really enjoy th...more
This book was really sweet. Nothing too fancy about it but it was nice to read something light after "Water for Elephants". At first I was a little hesitant about reading this because it was about three women who were just turning 40, and since I'm not even close to that age, I sometimes find it hard to relate to these kinds of characters. However, since my mom recommended it to me I thought I'd give it a fair shot. I am definitely glad I did. The women have a chance to go back and redo part of...more
I liked this book more than I expected, despite the second half of the book which demands the reader suspend reality. Three women meet briefly on the 21st birthday and each has the promise of great talent and promising futures. They reunite on their 40th birthday and find that life has not been kind. None of them has used their talent or lived up to the promising futures they had in their youth. After sharing their stories, they meet a women who allows them to go back in time and relive 3 weeks....more
I had read this before, but this time I listened to it on CD. 3 women meet at the DMV on their 21st birthday in New York. Of course, they are beautiful and intelligent. They become friends. Now on their 40th birthday they reunite only to find that none of them went on to being successful in their dreams. They meet a mysterious woman who gives them a chance to go back and change their life and then decide which life they would choose. I wish it could have gone into more depth with some of the sto...more
3 women meet on their 21st birthdays. 19 years later, one is a successful author who has gone into months of depression after a vicious divorce in which she ceded all her money to her husband in order to maintain full rights and control of her books. Her therapist has suggested she spends a weekend at the therapist's cottage in a small Maine town. While there, the 3 women are given business card to Madame Zoya. Madame Zoya is not a psychic: she offers a 3 week trip back to the past to change a l...more
I completely devoured this book--read it in two days! I love the premise, and the concept of having the option to choose again. Halfway through it, at about 2:30 AM the first night : ) I decided to stop reading so I could be sane the next day. I went to bed SO HAPPY!!! I am grateful for the decisions I've made in my life, and the fact that I've had the gospel to guide me (then and now), and to help me make wise choices at the crossroads of my life. If I did get the chance to go back, it would be...more
Mar 27, 2010
Patti
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Women turning 40 or in their 40s
This book is about 3 women who met at the NYC DMV while they were waiting for their new licenses. Their birthdays are the same day. One of them considers this group to be part of a defining moment in her life, so, at her therapist's suggestion, she gathers the 3 of them together in honor of their 40th birthday. While they catch up, they are offered the opportunity to go back in time and revisit 3 weeks, with the choice to change their lives or not.
I read this around the time I turned 40, and I l...more
I read this around the time I turned 40, and I l...more
This is the story of three women who are reunited 19 years after they met getting their licenses renewed at the DMV. All three have made sacrifices while marrying, pursuing careers and some having children. They come together at the Summerhouse where they reexamine their lives and have the opportunity to go back and change them if they like. Character development is wonderful. I feel as if I have 3 new friends in Leslie, Ellie and Madison. I am eager to read the next book to find out what will h...more
Have you ever wished that you could re-write your life? I can hear many Ahs! & If Only’s! Jude Deveraux takes you through a journey that gives you hope, excitement & entertainment.
The Summerhouse is the story of 3 women Leslie, Madison & Ellie who had met 20 years back in New York, the fact that they share their birthdays gives them a reason to bond like old friends. All of them are on the brink of a journey to realise their dreams, they share their stories, dreams & aspirations...more
The Summerhouse is the story of 3 women Leslie, Madison & Ellie who had met 20 years back in New York, the fact that they share their birthdays gives them a reason to bond like old friends. All of them are on the brink of a journey to realise their dreams, they share their stories, dreams & aspirations...more
Ok - this is one of those odd books that I enjoyed but also found the story to be rather ridiculous which took some of the enjoyment away. I'll start by saying this is definitely a "chick" book. There were some definite holes in the storyline - 3 women meet while waiting at the DMV office on their 21st birthday and then 19 years later have a reunion weekend. Don't know about you but I don't think I'd look up, much less go away for a weekend with, 2 other women I had spent only a few hours with 1...more
I really liked the idea of the story (three female friends get the chance to relive 3 weeks of their past lives - and change their future). Of course it was very loaden with stereotypical women. Only bad things had happened in their lives, they never were lucky. That was maybe a bit too much, but only those women can appreciate the opportunity to go back and change their lives. And of course all changed for the better at the end, I think I'm not spoiling anything in saying that the book has an H...more
Ok, my thought while reading this was, "Am I the only person who doesn't have a summerhouse on my property?" Geez, everyone had them in this book...seems they were required for all homeowners. lol. But, I thought the overall theme of the book...second chances and rediscovering self...was a good one. I like stories that let people explore more about themselves and their true happiness. At the same time though, I thought the "supernatural" part of the whole thing was a little hokey. A pleasant rea...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Which of the three main characters was your favorite? | 1 | 5 | Oct 25, 2012 01:55pm | |
| the summerhouse | 6 | 46 | Jul 31, 2012 11:04pm | |
| Bernal Book Club: The Summerhouse (Deveraux) | 1 | 6 | Feb 29, 2012 07:49am |
Jude Gilliam was born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky. She has a large extended family, and is the elder sister of four brothers. She attended Murray State University and received a degree in Art. In 1967, Jude married and took her husband's surname of White, but four years later they divorced. For years, she worked as 5th-grade teacher.
She began writing in 1976 and her first book, The En...more
More about Jude Deveraux...
She began writing in 1976 and her first book, The En...more
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“Still smiling she carried the TV through the doorway; then she gave it the strongest heave she could manage... When it hit Alan's oversized brick barbecue and the glass front of the TV smashed, Leslie didn't think she'd ever heard a more satisfying sound.”
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Aug 23, 2011 12:27pm