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  • The Summer That Made Us

  • Written by: Robyn Carr
  • Narrated by: Therese Plummer
  • Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (54 ratings)

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The Summer That Made Us

Written by: Robyn Carr
Narrated by: Therese Plummer
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Publisher's Summary

The next original trade women's fiction novel from beloved best-selling author Robyn Carr. Carr is the number one New York Times best-selling author of the Virgin River and Thunder Point series. Her trade women's fiction novel Four Friends debuted at number five on the New York Times.

A television talk show host returns to her childhood summer home to rebuild her life after she's fired for falling ratings. The return is bittersweet as the house has been neglected for years. She's flooded with memories of the wonderful summers she spent with her sisters and cousins before a tragic event changed everything. Working to uncover what really happened the last summer they were all together, she reaches out to her family and the women all gather for an uneasy family reunion. As they share their stories, they realize their recollections of their summer childhoods are vastly different and no one's lives are what they'd dreamed of when they were children. But being together again helps them all to heal from the scars of the past.

©2017 Robyn Carr (P)2017 Recorded Books

What listeners say about The Summer That Made Us

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Family drama and dysfunction

This is the second Robyn Carr book I've listened too in the past few weeks. I enjoy these easy-listen, contemporary fiction novels that include family dysfunction and drama.

The Summer That Made Us centres around a family who traditionally spent idyllic summers at their lake house until tragedy suddenly strikes during an already tumultuous summer. The family is torn apart and it isn't until decades later, that they return to the lake house and the memories it holds. Carr provides insight on the large cast which enabled me to sympathize with the different characters and their not always stellar life decisions.

Since I listened to this family drama so soon after listening to Carr's The Life She Wants, some of the characters and storylines got a bit muddled in my head because they are both filled with familial angst, long-held family feuds and some romance t'boot. My bad. Regardless, this was an enjoyable family drama that held my attention. I am not reader who sheds tears easily, but one scene made me quite misty-eyed as it brought up a loss in my own life.

While this book has a summery feel, readers will enjoy this book year-round if they're in the mood for family drama.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Life is never easy or straight forward.

The author brought each of the characters to life and made me feel each of their struggles.

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  • Overall
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Compelling

What a great messy story. Love it. Cried. Laughed. Was in shock and felt like I was living in the story.

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  • Overall
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A nice story

The author wrapped it up well with nothing left hanging. It was a bit slow in some places and somewhat pretty but still a good read.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Really enjoyed this!

I just discovered this author. Can’t wait to listen to more of her books on audible.

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Review

Excellent story very family content of how people live and what can happen in life.

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A story of love, loss and redemption

This felt a tiny bit slow starting off which could be just me. After that though the pace picked up and there was love but also overwhelming loss as a preteen is lost sending both families spiraling more than they already were. When the Mattriarch of the family declares the beach house permanently closed. But many years later one sister is dying of cancer and this is her wish - summer at the beach house with her sisters . I laughed, I cried and I fell in love with all the characters.

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Great story

Took a bit to get into but I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Really showcased what life and tragedy can do to a family.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story but

I really enjoyed this book. The end had a ‘sec’ scene the book could have done with out.. but I still
Enjoyed the rest of the story.
Not all
Stories need sex to sell!

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  • Overall
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Great fiction but life lesson

Great story and narrator. Infuses a life lesson on family bonds, love and forgiveness. Great summer read.

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  • Shauna
  • 2021-02-13

Couldn't get past the f-bombs

From the start, there were a lot of f-bombs and that turned me off. I'm sure the book would have been good, but I returned it due to this. I can't enjoy a book that has so much swearing. The narrator was fantastic, as usual!

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38 people found this helpful

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  • melissa davis
  • 2017-09-11

Great Story -

I am a huge fan of Robyn Carr. & this is a great story. However it was a family story not a real love story. I wish more would have been said about end but it was kinda glossed over. But I guess the story was more about the past than the present.

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20 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Mary L
  • 2017-10-30

Not her best

Too many characters and stories. This would have been better written as a series where each story and line of characters could have been better explored. Pretty disappointing

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14 people found this helpful

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  • Placeholder
  • 2017-09-22

The Best.

I love Robyn Carr books for the well defined characters and a peek at their reality which is identifiable to most of us. The compassion and humanity is heart warming. No one conveys all of that better than Therese Plummer's narration which is perfection.
I look forward to each publication and hope she continues writing for many years to come.

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11 people found this helpful

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  • Anne
  • 2017-10-12

It's Robyn and Therese... But Not at Their Best.

As I listened to this, I found myself thinking, "Rebecca Wells did a better job with this plotline in the classic 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood'."

The story encompasses four generations of women, sisters and cousins, within the setting of a Minnesota lake house where the main plot devises took/take place. The principal events involve the middle two generations and lots and lots of stuff happens to them, around them, because of them ... and Summer at the lake house.

This is an unremarkable and only occasionally interesting novel that was not helped by Plummer's tendency to render the dialogue (and there is a LOT of it) in breathless, overwrought, almost shrill tones. I think Plummer can be a brilliant narrator, but it must depend upon who is directing her or her mood or something, because she wasn't brilliant in this one. Female voices were often difficult to distinguish from one another when more than two of them were involved in conversation. And her usual excellent rendering of male voices seemed to have eluded her here. I thought the men all sounded pretty much alike (except when she was faking a fake Russian accent.)

It's just OK.

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9 people found this helpful

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  • Natalie Crafter
  • 2017-09-28

Never Disappointed

Robyn has managed, yet again, to pull me into the lives of her characters. Now I want to go to the lake house and hang out with the girls. I'm hoping to hear more from these fabulous women.

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6 people found this helpful

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  • Helene D. Nunez
  • 2020-02-05

The Summer That Made Us

Charlene Berke was devastated after losing her job as a host. She is 44. Meg is 42 and has cancer. Louise told Charlie that she is so sorry for all her mistakes. She said that she would apologize for everything to Charlie. She was so sad when Charlie gave her baby up for adoption to a wonderful family. This was such a dysfunctional family because they argued so much. When they heard that Meg was sick Beverly and her family came to the lake with their two children and their two foster children. Andrea came to the Lakehouse to meet Jake, her father and she had two beautiful children. The first week of September 2016, at the Lakehouse, the leaves around the lake house are breathtaking Krista thought and believed that Megan had a very good view of them now. If ever there were a person who is going to achieve lofty heights after passing, it was Meg. Meg told her husband that there will never be anyone as wonderful as John. And she said have I told you how desperately I love you. She passed away in the arms of her husband and her mother holding her hand and her sister close by and Krista reading her story. It was painful and beautiful and so fitting. I cried so hard when Megan died. It was very sad. The guy Ivan, a.k.a. Clyde Banyan got arrested as a scammer. He was a very bad guy. Louise thought that she had killed him by hitting him over the head, but he was going to kill Josephine. He slapped her in the face and then he was choking her. Joe brought Hope to the lake house, and she said the drugs were doing her much better. Hopefully she will be able to get a job one day. Frank Griffin was monitoring the sale of Hope‘s house she had given him power of attorney. Krista still enjoys reading and writing, but with Jake spending the night with her several nights a week, I think eventually they will get married. Beverly‘s children are Alex and Becca, and her husbands name is Tom. Jake put Andrea up in a cabin at the lodge. Louise and Josephine bought identical condos, a more upscale condo than she’s ever lived in Eric also came to the lake house. This was a wonderful, and very sad audiobook with Megan passing away. I cried so much when she passed, very heartbreaking.

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5 people found this helpful

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  • Kimberly
  • 2018-08-17

Always Great

As always Robyn Carr always delivers. Good solid plot believable characters that you fall in love with and a great story

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4 people found this helpful

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  • LindaMercury
  • 2021-05-15

A treasure

I'm a long-time fan of Robyn Carr and this novel hits all the usual spots. The characters are flawed, vulnerable, understandable and worth every tear. I laughed thru the visit from Grandma, recognizing my own elderly relatives, felt the anxiety of relationships in turmoil, and sighed at all the love. Therese Plummer does an excellent job of all the voices and of all the emotion. As always, the right voice. Thanks for a wonderful listen.

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3 people found this helpful

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  • J
  • 2017-10-21

Love this book!

I’ve always enjoyed Robyn Carr’s books and Therese Plummer is one of my favorite narrators. This is the BEST book by these 2 I’ve read!!! Heartwarming, exciting and tear-jerking! Love it!

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3 people found this helpful