The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck Review

 

I was so excited to be on the launch team for Rachel Hauck’s new book, The Best Summer of Our Lives. I’ve loved every book of hers I have read, both split-timeline and contemporary romance. Though this book had a different “feel” than the previous books I’ve read, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

This story followed four friends, The Four Seasons, so named because they are each named after a season. You’ll meet Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Snow. The story takes place in two different timelines: 1977 when the girls are high school graduates and serving as counselors at a camp in Tumbleweed, Oklahoma, and 1997, after they have grown up and drifted apart. The point of view switches between each of the girls/women and the two different timelines, though the majority of the story takes place in 1977.

As you read the story you learn that each girl has a secret that they haven’t shared with their best friends. The story slowly unfolds between both timelines, uncovering the secrets and seeing how their relationship has changed, as they spend their time at camp. While at camp there is also the addition of Baby Season, a girl named Greta from camp who they make an honorary Season, and who plays an important role in their lives.

We see how decisions in the past have affected their futures, and wonder if they will be able to reconcile. We see the importance of love and forgiveness and being truthful. We see the importance of surrendering our lives to Jesus. Here is a quote that really spoke to me, “Boy, you don’t think much of someone who has the name Almighty, do you? I think He’s a bit more creative than Sunday morning for twenty or thirty minutes, Summer. He gifted you. He called you. He’ll make a way for you. Yet you think you’re the only one who can hold the reins.”

As the author has done in previous books, there is a spiritual character who comes first to Summer, but then to the other young ladies. They hear this character who I believe is meant to be the Holy Spirit or Jesus speak to them, and they even see him. I admit, sometimes having these type of characters confuses me. But I see how the author is bringing God into the characters’ lives in a tangible way.

I only gave The Best Summer of Our Lives four stars because I did find it more difficult to read this novel than I did the author’s previous books. Having four different points of view in two separate timelines had them a bit jumbled in my head, and I had trouble figuring out which girl was which. And it took me longer to get into the book than her other books.

I was only four years old in 1977, so I don’t have many memories on the 70’s, but I really enjoyed all the references to the 70’s, including music artists and songs. I especially loved when I recognized some of the chapter titles as song titles. Then I learned that all of the chapter titles are song names, the majority of which released in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Rachel Hauck’s books, dual timeline stories, coming of age stories, and/or women’s fiction.

I received this book for free from the author as a part of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own, honest thoughts.