Synopses & Reviews
All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue is a riveting coming-of-age tale set on the New Jersey shore. Donohue, the author of the bestselling novel
How to Eat a Cupcake, is a master of literary fiction; her skill is demonstrated in this charming and moving second novel.
Set among the sunsets and dunes, All the Summer Girls is the story of how three former best friends, their lives rapidly unraveling, are reunited at the beach town of their past — where the ambiance of summer encourages them to explore new experiences they would never otherwise attempt.
When dark secrets threaten to surface, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani begin to realize just how much their lives — and friendships — have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful summer night years ago. In the hope of finally moving forward, the women turn to one another for forgiveness — but how can they forgive each other when they cant forgive themselves?
Meg Donohue is a phenomenal talent, and fans of Sarah Pekkanen, Susan Mallery, and Catherine McKenzie, will be enthralled by this rich and detailed novel about women, relationships, and forgiveness.
Review
“All the Summer Girls is an honest and engaging look at the complicated and powerful bonds of female friendship. Donohue takes us on a weekend reunion full of secrets, resentment, and regret — in other words, once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down!” Jennifer Close, bestselling author of Girls in White Dresses
Review
“A fast-paced novel about the enduring friendship of three young women who spent their summers in Avalon on the Jersey shore before dispersing across the country....A good beach read.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
“Donohue captures the beauty and frustration of reconnecting with old friends they know you so well, and they don't know you at all. Perfect for a staycation for readers who like the beachy drama of Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Wiggs.” Booklist
Review
“All the Summer Girls is a beautifully wrought story about the tender yet resillient bonds of friendship and the damage of kept secrets. Meg Donohue writes with keen insight, prodding readers to re-examine their own past choices, while gracefully examining themes of family, friendship and forgiveness.” Karen White, < i=""> New York Times <> bestselling author
Review
“Beach Book Extraordinaire! Donohues three protagonists are irresistibly sympathetic as they try to unbury their true selves from the ruinous secrets of their shared past.” Elin Hilderbrand
Review
“Meg Donohues All the Summer Girls is an intimate, heartfelt, beautiful exploration of friendship, family and the ties that bind and the secrets that destroy us. Read it first, pass it to your girlfriend later. Shell be grateful.” New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch
Review
“Donohue gives the chick-lit buddy trope an appealing twist and a lot of depth, turning a familiar yarn of regret, trust, and loyalty into an elegant ode to late bloomers.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“Engaging.” Entertainment Weekly, "The Best Summer Reads 2014" on ALL THE SUMMER GIRLS
Synopsis
In Philadelphia, good girl Kate is dumped by her fiancé the day she learns she is pregnant with his child. In New York City, beautiful stay-at-home mom Vanessa finds herself obsessively searching the Internet for news of an old flame. And in San Francisco, Dani, an aspiring writer who can't seem to put down a book — or a cocktail — long enough to open her laptop, has just been fired... again.
In an effort to regroup, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani retreat to the New Jersey beach town where they once spent their summers. Emboldened by the seductive cadences of the shore, the women begin to realize just how much their lives, and friendships, have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful night on the beach eight years earlier — and the secrets that now threaten to surface.
About the Author
Meg Donohue is the USA Today bestselling author of How to Eat a Cupcake and All the Summer Girls. She has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and a BA in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, three young daughters, and dog.