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Falling for Summer
Twenty years ago, Amanda Tedlock's life changed forever when her little sister drowned in Lake George, New York. Amanda was only seventeen at the time, but she should have been there that night, and she blames herself for her sister’s death…
Now, on the twentieth anniversary of the drowning, Amanda goes back to Lake George to face her past and unexpectedly meets Summer McBride. Summer is a beautiful, vivacious, carefree woman--everything Amanda isn’t--and Amanda begins to fall for her until she learns Summer’s dark secret. Can love heal all wounds?
Now, on the twentieth anniversary of the drowning, Amanda goes back to Lake George to face her past and unexpectedly meets Summer McBride. Summer is a beautiful, vivacious, carefree woman--everything Amanda isn’t--and Amanda begins to fall for her until she learns Summer’s dark secret. Can love heal all wounds?
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2015
8 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Bridget Essex
54 books461 followersMy name is Bridget Essex, and I write about werewolves, vampires and lady knights; about two strong, courageous women who fall deeply in love with one another, living love stories that transcend time. I'm married to the love of my life, author Natalie Vivien.
I'm best known for my Knight Legends series, stories about women knights, real world hi-jinks and love stories that are out of this world. My Sullivan Vampire novellas are a popular series lauded as "TWILIGHT for women who love women," and I have several other series and stand-alone novellas, and I'm always putting out something new. Learn more at http://bridgetessex.wordpress.com
I'm best known for my Knight Legends series, stories about women knights, real world hi-jinks and love stories that are out of this world. My Sullivan Vampire novellas are a popular series lauded as "TWILIGHT for women who love women," and I have several other series and stand-alone novellas, and I'm always putting out something new. Learn more at http://bridgetessex.wordpress.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 24, 2020
The romance was insta love and super rushed but pretty good considering it was barely 60 pages. For some reason I thought Summer was a serial killer or something. Glad to see she is not.
November 6, 2017
Reading Falling for Summer made a lasting impression on me.
Grief and regret infuse the story of Amanda as she returns to her home town to observe the twentieth anniversary of her sister's death. Lake George claimed the life ten year old Tiffany. In another way, it took Amanda's life, too. She feels responsible for her family's tragedy. She suffers monthly flashback nightmares which lately happen every week. Paying homage to the memory of sister, Amanda booked a week long stay on the lake. She is staying in a cabin, at the campground, owned by Summer. Summer had been Tiffany's friend and remembers Amanda (Mandy as she was known growing up) very fondly.
I'm not sure when I read this novella, but I believed that it was written by Harper Bliss. Luckily, it has been reissued by Bridget Essex in her excellent short story collection called Love Spell. Rereading it was great. The writing, story and characters are nothing short of vivid. Summer helps Amanda find her lost sister and brings Amanda closure. Bridget Essex (or Elora Bishop, or S. E. Diemer, or Sarah Diemer) writes stories and novels that deserve to be remembered and re-read.
Grief and regret infuse the story of Amanda as she returns to her home town to observe the twentieth anniversary of her sister's death. Lake George claimed the life ten year old Tiffany. In another way, it took Amanda's life, too. She feels responsible for her family's tragedy. She suffers monthly flashback nightmares which lately happen every week. Paying homage to the memory of sister, Amanda booked a week long stay on the lake. She is staying in a cabin, at the campground, owned by Summer. Summer had been Tiffany's friend and remembers Amanda (Mandy as she was known growing up) very fondly.
I'm not sure when I read this novella, but I believed that it was written by Harper Bliss. Luckily, it has been reissued by Bridget Essex in her excellent short story collection called Love Spell. Rereading it was great. The writing, story and characters are nothing short of vivid. Summer helps Amanda find her lost sister and brings Amanda closure. Bridget Essex (or Elora Bishop, or S. E. Diemer, or Sarah Diemer) writes stories and novels that deserve to be remembered and re-read.
June 10, 2016
I don't actually recall if the other main characters in the stories I've read by Essex are as unstable emotionally as they have been in the two stories I've read today, but I've a vague recollection that it is something of a theme (one was a lonely woman, waiting for her knight in shining armor, other was a woman in a bad relationship, tired of being taken for granted). Not so much unstable, just overly emotional. Maybe. Well, the one in Wolf Queen was. And the one in this one is. Though both have their reasons for their unstableness. I'm not sure unstableness is a word.
So, Amanda has returned to her home town after 20 years. To punish herself. It's been twenty years since her sister died. When the sister was ten, and Amanda was 17. For a while Amanda had monthly nightmares. Recently it's been weekly. She blames herself deeply for the issue. So, naturally, she's overly emotional.
So, this overally emotional woman arrives at Lake George to mourn her sister Tiffany, and punish herself. Arrives to find a woman slide out of the water and grin at her. Then realizes and or remembers that Summer, the name of the woman, was one of Tiffany's friends. So she's abrupt and rude to Summer. And bitchy.
hmms. I guess this is the sex one. Read two stories by Essex today. Both released this month. The other lacked graphic sexual activities. Unless I just missed them somehow. heh. This one isn't lacking said graphic activites.
hehe. Oops. Accidentaly started laughing during the sex scene. Then continued, maybe, because I had started laughing. "Summer tastes of exactly that: summer. She tastes of green grasses . . ." and that's when I started laughing. She tastes like grass. Like . . . grass. hehehehehehe. How'd the rest of the sentence go? Don't know yet. Haven't been able to read it yet. hehehehe. Moooo. 'ooh, you taste . . taste like *licks, gobbles* ooh, like like grass, lovely grass . . ..' Bah. I be insane.
Bah. Another long drawn out story about how being gay in a small town was just not done and . . blah blah blah. mmphs. I just read that. I don't need to read it again. Even if it is true to life, I don't need to keep reading it over and over again.
Well, this time the story lasted up to 90% of the Kindle file (last time it got up to 87%). You know, there's at least one problem with stories like these. They are short, this one's 70 pages, and if I actually like it and the couple I'm kind of stuck. Because that's that. Tortured by their emotions, breaking through them and . . . poof. The end. Would be nice to see them in the happy times, but I guess that's not in the cards.
Like, I've been looking for the supposed sequel to A Knight to Remember for ages now. There is no indication of a sequel for A Wolf for the Holidays, but I've been hoping for one for a while now as well. As I said, that's the problem with these stories. They are so bloody short and then that's it. Ah well.
ETA: oh. I just noticed that the second book in that Knight series already was published. And . . . is another of those series wherein the characters are replaced with a different set. I sad now.
So, Amanda has returned to her home town after 20 years. To punish herself. It's been twenty years since her sister died. When the sister was ten, and Amanda was 17. For a while Amanda had monthly nightmares. Recently it's been weekly. She blames herself deeply for the issue. So, naturally, she's overly emotional.
So, this overally emotional woman arrives at Lake George to mourn her sister Tiffany, and punish herself. Arrives to find a woman slide out of the water and grin at her. Then realizes and or remembers that Summer, the name of the woman, was one of Tiffany's friends. So she's abrupt and rude to Summer. And bitchy.
hmms. I guess this is the sex one. Read two stories by Essex today. Both released this month. The other lacked graphic sexual activities. Unless I just missed them somehow. heh. This one isn't lacking said graphic activites.
hehe. Oops. Accidentaly started laughing during the sex scene. Then continued, maybe, because I had started laughing. "Summer tastes of exactly that: summer. She tastes of green grasses . . ." and that's when I started laughing. She tastes like grass. Like . . . grass. hehehehehehe. How'd the rest of the sentence go? Don't know yet. Haven't been able to read it yet. hehehehe. Moooo. 'ooh, you taste . . taste like *licks, gobbles* ooh, like like grass, lovely grass . . ..' Bah. I be insane.
Bah. Another long drawn out story about how being gay in a small town was just not done and . . blah blah blah. mmphs. I just read that. I don't need to read it again. Even if it is true to life, I don't need to keep reading it over and over again.
Well, this time the story lasted up to 90% of the Kindle file (last time it got up to 87%). You know, there's at least one problem with stories like these. They are short, this one's 70 pages, and if I actually like it and the couple I'm kind of stuck. Because that's that. Tortured by their emotions, breaking through them and . . . poof. The end. Would be nice to see them in the happy times, but I guess that's not in the cards.
Like, I've been looking for the supposed sequel to A Knight to Remember for ages now. There is no indication of a sequel for A Wolf for the Holidays, but I've been hoping for one for a while now as well. As I said, that's the problem with these stories. They are so bloody short and then that's it. Ah well.
ETA: oh. I just noticed that the second book in that Knight series already was published. And . . . is another of those series wherein the characters are replaced with a different set. I sad now.
March 14, 2017
I think my problem with this novella is that I couldn't get behind the main pairing.
See, Woman A and Woman B hook up. Woman B was the best friend of Woman A's little sister, who died tragically when she was 10.
I get what the author was going for -- they both loved the girl, they both blamed themselves for her death, they both hadn't moved past the death -- and so they were only able to find closure together.
But. Something about hooking up with your little sis's friend, especially when you're on a trip of mourn the anniversary of her death, just seems off to me. Plus, due to the length of the story, the relationship feels rushed.
Still, the writing is ok and it was a quick read.
See, Woman A and Woman B hook up. Woman B was the best friend of Woman A's little sister, who died tragically when she was 10.
I get what the author was going for -- they both loved the girl, they both blamed themselves for her death, they both hadn't moved past the death -- and so they were only able to find closure together.
But. Something about hooking up with your little sis's friend, especially when you're on a trip of mourn the anniversary of her death, just seems off to me. Plus, due to the length of the story, the relationship feels rushed.
Still, the writing is ok and it was a quick read.
January 20, 2018
Wonderful!
This is a very well written tale with well developed characters and an engrossing storyline. An accidental childhood tragedy brings two women together two decades later. Both women blamed themselves for what happened to the one's sister and the other's best friend. In order for them to have a relationship, they must let go of the past in order to focus on their future together. If you enjoy lesbian love stories with happy endings, then be sure to add this book to your must-read list.
This is a very well written tale with well developed characters and an engrossing storyline. An accidental childhood tragedy brings two women together two decades later. Both women blamed themselves for what happened to the one's sister and the other's best friend. In order for them to have a relationship, they must let go of the past in order to focus on their future together. If you enjoy lesbian love stories with happy endings, then be sure to add this book to your must-read list.
July 28, 2015
Reviewed by Kirsty Win for QUEERcentric Books
4.3 Stars
In Falling for Summer, Amanda Tedlock is a very driven and focused businesswoman living in New York City. But even with her successes, she is still struggling with the death of her younger sister Tiffany. She should have been there the night her ten-year-old sister drowned in a lake—it is her greatest mistake.
Amanda has carried around so much regret in the twenty years since her sister's death that it has affected all of her personal relationships.
At the urging of her best friend, she returns to her hometown of Lake George, New York, where her sister died, to confront her ghosts and face her regrets head on. As much as she wants to deal with it all alone, she is inexplicably drawn to Summer McBride, who happens to be a childhood friend of her sister.
Read Kirsty's full review at QUEERcentric Books
4.3 Stars
In Falling for Summer, Amanda Tedlock is a very driven and focused businesswoman living in New York City. But even with her successes, she is still struggling with the death of her younger sister Tiffany. She should have been there the night her ten-year-old sister drowned in a lake—it is her greatest mistake.
Amanda has carried around so much regret in the twenty years since her sister's death that it has affected all of her personal relationships.
At the urging of her best friend, she returns to her hometown of Lake George, New York, where her sister died, to confront her ghosts and face her regrets head on. As much as she wants to deal with it all alone, she is inexplicably drawn to Summer McBride, who happens to be a childhood friend of her sister.
Read Kirsty's full review at QUEERcentric Books
June 16, 2015
Life after tragedy does exist! Fantastic read!
If you have ever had a tragedy happen in your life then you know how hard it is to live life after it has happened. This book gives you a glimpse of what it's like and how it effects those closest to it.
There is a life after tragedy but for some it's not as easy. Follow Amanda as she struggles with the burden of her sisters death and learns that her family wasn't the only ones effected.
This book was a fantastic read, it was fast paced and I couldn't put it down. If you get this boom you will not be disappointed. Way to go Ms. Essex on another great book!
If you have ever had a tragedy happen in your life then you know how hard it is to live life after it has happened. This book gives you a glimpse of what it's like and how it effects those closest to it.
There is a life after tragedy but for some it's not as easy. Follow Amanda as she struggles with the burden of her sisters death and learns that her family wasn't the only ones effected.
This book was a fantastic read, it was fast paced and I couldn't put it down. If you get this boom you will not be disappointed. Way to go Ms. Essex on another great book!
July 14, 2015
A little sweet, a little sad, a little nostalgic, a little insta love and a little sex-eh all in a 70 page package.
Part of me wanted this in a novel-length form, part of me gives kudos to the Author for let it being excellent in short form rather than (potentially) artificially stringing it out.
A great commuter read.
Part of me wanted this in a novel-length form, part of me gives kudos to the Author for let it being excellent in short form rather than (potentially) artificially stringing it out.
A great commuter read.
June 11, 2015
What a beautiful read
Thank you so much Ms. Essex. What a heartbreaking and truly beautiful story. I could read so much more about these characters. Thank you for the wonderful gift. :) Juli
Thank you so much Ms. Essex. What a heartbreaking and truly beautiful story. I could read so much more about these characters. Thank you for the wonderful gift. :) Juli
June 18, 2015
Can love overcome all?
Tender and very touching. It was not an easy life for Summer and Mandy. But love can be very powerful. Bridget has described this very well and have touched a soft spot in me, as always.
Tender and very touching. It was not an easy life for Summer and Mandy. But love can be very powerful. Bridget has described this very well and have touched a soft spot in me, as always.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews