Review - - The Summer Swap

The Summer Swap

by Sarah Morgan

Publisher: Canary Street Press

Release Date: May 7, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Cecilia Lapthorne always vowed she’d never go back to Dune Cottage. So no one is more surprised than Cecilia to find herself escaping her seventy-fifth birthday party to return to the remote Cape Cod cottage—a place filled with memories. Some are good—especially memories of the early days with her husband, volatile artist Cameron.  But then there are the memories she has revealed to no one.

After dropping out of medical school, aspiring artist Lily is cleaning houses on the Cape to get by, guilt-ridden for disappointing her parents. Unoccupied for years, Dune Cottage seems the perfect place to hide away and lick her wounds—until Cecilia unexpectedly arrives. Despite an awkward beginning, Lily accepts Cecilia’s invitation to stay on as her guest, and a flicker of kinship ignites.

Then Todd, Cecilia’s grandson—and Lily’s unrequited crush—shows up, sending a shock wave through their unlikely friendship.  Will Lily find the courage to live the life she wants? Can Cecilia finally let go of the past to find a new future? Because as surely as the tide erases past footprints, this summer is offering both Cecilia and Lily the chance to swap old dreams for new…

PJ's Thoughts:

I always look forward to a new novel by Sarah Morgan. She writes stories I can sink into, characters who are intriguing and relatable, and settings that bring everything together in a vibrant, visceral way. The Summer Swap is another shining example of all the facets that make a Sarah Morgan book hard to put down. 

I love character-driven stories and Morgan's are among the best. I appreciate the way she develops her characters, giving them a multitude of layers, realistic flaws, and challenges. The three primary women in this book are of different generations, each at a defining crossroads in her life, each facing a different set of challenges, and yet each with something of value to teach - and learn from - one another. 

Relationships: that's something else Morgan writes especially well. The way the relationships among these women - as well as romantic relationships for each of them - weave together is flawless, encompassing all the emotion and strife to be expected from real-life situations when secrets, betrayals, forgiveness, and unexpected new beginnings are at play. Whether family, friends, business partners, adversaries, or romance, Morgan's ability to guide her characters through the complicated peaks and valleys of difficult relationships, delivering them to the other side - usually happier, stronger, and more complete - is one of the main reasons her books resonate so strongly and are always on my must-buy list. This one is no exception. I loved it the first time through. I'll probably love it even more when I revisit it, likely sometime this summer, as Sarah Morgan once again carries me away to cozy cottages, sandy beaches, and the soft, sultry breezes of a summer's day on a coastal island.

Add The Summer Swap to your summer reading list. I highly recommend it.