The Summerhouse

Rating:
Summary: No spark, flat characters, just not enjoyable.
Review: The story: 19 years ago three women, who share the same birthday (Madison, Ellie, and Leslie) met while getting their licenses renewed in New York City. That night they shared their hopes and dreams with each other. Now, 19 years later they are all turning 40 and they plan to meet to share their birthdays at a summerhouse in Maine.
At the summerhouse they share the details of the last 19 years with each other. While trying to enjoy their time together they get the opportunity of a lifetime. If you could go back to any point in your life where would you go and what would you do? Now these three friends get a chance to find out what might have been...

I have read alot of Jude Devereaux's work, and this was not her best. The writing was awkward and in places, I had to read a sentence several times to get it to make sense. Also, the story was rather depressing. These three women have their whole lives ahead of them and they all fell short of their dreams. Their lives were sad and pathetic. Now they magically get a chance for a "redo." It is a tale of "If I only knew then what I do now."
This book makes the reader face the fact that life doesn't always turn out like you want it to. But, unfortunately finding a way to go back and change things is NOT going to happen. Madison and Ellie are rather weak women that are whiny and just plain sad. Leslie is the quiet one, and she turns out to be the bravest and fights for what she wants. The Summerhouse is depressing, unbelievable, and rather dull at times. Pass this one and try Jude's A Knight In Shining Armor.

JBogue
paper-and-lace
Specialing in Paranormal romance and fiction

Rating:
Summary: A MUST HAVE!!
Review: I love this book if I would have known how good it was going to be I would have bought it in hard cover. Jude Deveraux has a great imagination and she puts it on paper very well. Two thumbs up on this book.

Rating:
Summary: The Summerhouse
Review: Leslie, Ellie and Madison are all aging former beauties that know eachother by only one chance encounter 19 years ago. When Ellie gets the chance to invite them to spend thier 40th birthday together, all three meet in a quaint Maine town. They see that life has been kind to none of the girls. Suddenly they get a chance to "rewrite" thier past, but do they right all that is wrong? This book is a wonderful exploration of the "what might have been's" that most people undoubtedly go though. All though sacchrine sweet at times, biting sarcastic dialouge will holds the non-romantic personality captive.

Rating:
Summary: Help!!
Review: I'm in a downward spiral and cannot stop collecting Deveraux novels. I need to stop. She just simply has lost touch with me, her greatest fan. Please bring back the days of Knight in Shining Armor and The Black Lyon. The Summerhouse is yet another installment of her "I really am tired of this writing thing, but I have a contract!" saga. I've had enough of the time-travel. It worked a couple of times, but it's time to just let it go! Bring back the Montgomery MEN!!! Gone are the days when I darted to the romance section to see if there was a new Deveraux about. Gone are the days when I finished a Deveraux in a day. They're just too hokey and uninteresting and way too materialistic. Bring on the HISTORICALS. Whisk ME away to another time. That's what I used to love about Deveraux and I hope to have that love in my life again.

Rating:
Summary: What 3 weeks of your life would you like to relive?
Review: What 3 weeks of your life would you like to relive? That is the question Madame Zoya asked Ellie, Leslie, and Madison. This is the first Jude Deveraux book I have ever read, and I can't wait to read more. Especially "The Mulberry Tree." "The Summerhouse" is one of the best books I've ever read. Ellie, Leslie, and Madison are all going through a hard time in their lives. When they meet again for the first time in nineteen years, to spend their 40th birthdays together. When by chance they find their way to Madame Zoya, and she gives them the chance to go back to the past and change their lives. Will it change their lives for better or worse? I hope you decide to read this wonderful book.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: This was a truley awesome book. I really enjoyed reading it. I am a mother of two young children and I found myself sneaking around just to read an additional page when ever I could get away! A must read!
MB

Rating:
Summary: This was a fabulous read for a non-romance reader
Review: Copyright © 2002 By Diana Guerrero
For some reason I just had to pick up this book and boy was I glad that I did. The story involves a woman having a bit of a mid-life crisis. At the encouragement of her shrink, who also owns the summerhouse, she reconnects with women from her past and they meet.

In an interesting twist, they get the opportunity to time travel back (individually) to relive three weeks from any period in their pasts. When they return, each may choose to accept any changes they may have made and go forward, or keep things the same. They also can choose to remember or forget. Each woman embarks on her own journey of discovery and the outcomes, well you will just have to read the book!

I was so impressed with this read I immediately went out to read another Deveraux novel. I didn't find it as impressive as this one. If you want a good read I can recommend "The Summerhouse."

Rating:
Summary: a light-hearted pleasure read
Review: My co-worker handed this to me when I said I just needed a quick, easy read to get me back on my reading kick. It did the trick. It's a bit cliche in places, but not so much that I was reciting what would happen before it did. And the concept of going back in time was quite interesting. (I think I'd have looked for lottery numbers before I went back.) I've never read any of the author's other works before and don't necessarily feel a need to, but I did enjoy this one.

Rating:
Summary: Not your average romance novel - very innovative!
Review: Love the angle of time travel and "what if?" scenarios. Makes you think about your own life and the turns it took... The 'smoothest' read I've had in a long time. Fascinating story-telling.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely wonderful
Review: I had never read any of JD's books before. I happened to see this book reviewed in a magazine and the plotline appealed to me so I read it. It was a wonderful book. Not the "typical" romance book. Although the time travel thing was unrealistic, I thought the author got her points across well. Overall, it was a wonderful book.