Summer Constellations
Author: Alisha Sevigny
To Be Published: May 1, 2018
Reviewed By: Jessica
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Dates Read: April 12-17, 2018
Book Description:
Julia Ducharme is ready for a fresh start. Her little brother has finally recovered from a serious illness, and now she just wants to enjoy peak season at the campground her family owns. Maybe this will be the year her annual summer fling with Dan Schaeffer becomes something more?
But her summer dreams are quickly shattered. First, Dan arrives for vacation with a new girlfriend in tow, and then Julia discovers this may be her last summer in the only home she’s ever known.
Crushing medical bills have brought her single mom to the brink of bankruptcy, and a wealthy developer is sniffing around the campground. He sees what Julia sees: lush woods, a pristine lake, miles of trails for adventure. Unlike Julia, he thinks this is the perfect spot for a casino resort.
Heartbroken and afraid, Julia looks to the stars for some perspective. Taking her telescope down to the dock one night, she has a chance encounter with a guitar-playing boy who offers some helpful advice. Too bad this handsome stranger is the developer’s son, Nick Constantine.
As plans for a resort move forward, Julia is desperate to find a solution that doesn’t mean leaving the lake. Nick, in turn, is desperate to separate himself from his father’s aggressive business tactics. He promises that, together, they can thwart the sale.
But can Julia trust him to conspire against his own father? And could she ever she trust him with her heart?
Jessica’s Review:
If Summer Constellations had been published when I was a teenager, it would have most likely been one of my favorite books! It is a perfect summer read for a teen girl, especially if she is going camping. I am not the target demographic for this novel, but I still enjoyed it!
There is the whole summer romance involved and Julia is just the ‘normal’ teenage girl. I would have identified with her as a teen. When she finds out her mom may be selling the only home she has ever known she is not happy at all. She works to try to do everything she can to prevent the sale from happening. And then there is Nick…. Oh wow: Should she trust him or not? Is he just taking advantage of her situation to get what he wants? And what does he really want?????
I am not a quick reader but had this one read in a few days. It is a quick and enjoyable read and I wanted to know what was going to happen. Was mom going to sell the campground or not???? I was rooting for Julia to be successful in what she wanted. The middle did drag a little for me, but the ending made up for it being bittersweet and it really gets moving in the last 50 pages.
Sevigny really captured everything I loved in this novel. She even did well with the realism with how mom felt with the financial situation. You could feel how torn mom is about selling. If you have a teen daughter, let her read this novel.
Summer Constellations is recommended. Thank you KCP Loft for my ARC copy!
Pre-order Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK (Publication Day is May 3rd)
