The Perfect Summer

by LuAnne Rice

I picked up this book after watching a TV movie of another of Rice's novels. The movie was enjoyable as a little something to pass the time, and since books are always better than the screen adaptation, I searched it out. Of course, my library did not have the one I wanted, but they did have this one. And I thoroughly enjoyed this easy read.

The characters developed wonderfully and quickly, enough that I was caught up in the lives of Bay McCabe and her children in the very first chapter. We also met her feisty best friend Tara who lived across the way. It didn't take long to discover that Bay's life wasn't all roses, but that she adored her children and would do anything for them- including put up with a cheating husband. When her husband Sean doesn't come home one night as promised, Bay suspects him of cheating on her once again until she realizes her husband is actually missing. The introduction of the FBI and the charges of embezzlement brought along a fun character in the lead detective that brought a different point of view to the story.

As the search for Sean and the reasons behind his embezzlement begin to unfold, Bay finds herself looking to an unexpected person for help- that of an old friend from the past Daniel Connolly, and his fragile daughter Eliza. Eliza and Bay's oldest daughter Annie become best friends instantly and add yet another layer to this charming novel. Eliza is anorexic and is a cutter, due to witnessing the violent death of her mother a year earlier. She is able to help Annie to cope with her missing father and together the two girls discover the meaning of friends forever.

There was a bit of predictability to this book, but the setting of a seacoast town in Connecticut more than made up for it. Every time the seaside was mentioned, I could smell the salty air and feel the breeze on my face. I will certainly be searching out more of LuAnne Rice's work, as it is heartwarming through and through. This would be an excellent choice for a beach read or for sitting in the garden with a cup of tea. It's more of a girls read though, so I have to recommend this to the ladies, but overall, definitely enjoyable, and recommended here.