Return to Summerhouse

Wow! The research that supports this wonderful book is incredible. I love the female power themes that play an equal or greater role than the love stories. Amazing. Only 4 stars because how do you top Wishes an the Awakening?

If you already read the first book in this series, the second one is a little different in that the characters do not already know each other when they all arrive. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this difference, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Amy, Faith and Zoe are complete strangers when they each arrive and in the beginning of the book, I found myself thinking these women would have a hard time bonding or relating to one another.

Each woman carries a large amount of grief, pain and bitterness in their lives and it takes several chapters before I fully understood how much these women needed one another. When I read a book, I usually associate with just one character. As I learned more about each character and their back-story, I discovered I cared about all three of them in very different ways and loved how connected they were without any of them realizing how much.

The only flaw I had with this book is the ending seemed a little rushed after all of the detail spent in the past. I would have liked to witness Faith and Zoe's experiences first-hand instead of after the fact. Even still, the story was beautifully written and the characters are people you really are rooting for.

If you enjoyed the first book, I highly recommend this one. For me, Return To Summerhouse was an enjoyable return to the magic that I experienced when I read the first book. This was a very good story with a wonderful message of hope and love for three women who appear to be damaged beyond repair.

If you haven't read the first book, I think you could still read and enjoy this one without reading the first story.

Therapist Jeanne Hightower only sends a select few to her summerhouse in Maine, as it is a place where healing of a magical sort can occur....

Amy is furious when her husband, Stephen, insists she go to Maine. Surely he understands that she just needs more time to recover from her recent miscarriage! Their life has been perfect up till now and she doesn't see how a trip with two strange women is going to help, especially not after she meets Zoë and Faith! Zoë has a past she doesn't remember and a whole town that hates her while Faith looks old before her time after a life spent with a harridan for a mother-in-law.

Enter Madame Zoya and her magic... and soon these three women are living life in eighteenth century England. They have three weeks to stop a murder, but will the changes they make affect them all?

RETURN TO SUMMERHOUSE isn't strictly a sequel. Although the concept of changing one's past and the characters of the therapist and Madame Zoya are present in both, those are the only real ties between RETURN TO SUMMERHOUSE and THE SUMMERHOUSE.

Once again, Jude Deveraux takes seemingly unlikable characters and makes them likable. Amy is almost too perfect to be believed and yet her deep pain over her miscarriage helps the reader see the caring woman underneath her bossiness. In fact, her bossiness turns into a strength when viewed through the eyes of the eighteenth century. I would have enjoyed spending a little more time on Zoë and Faith as seeing how their lives change actually interested me more than Amy's trip into the past. Luckily, we get enough glimpses of Zoë and Faith in the eighteenth century so that the story worked but a bit more details into the years Zoë and Faith changed would have made this one go from good to superb.

RETURN TO SUMMERHOUSE is an enjoyable read and a tale that manages to cross genres. It has a touch of the paranormal mixed in with a bit of historical romance and wrapped up nicely as a women's fiction tale. Jude Deveraux always writes a good story and RETURN TO SUMMERHOUSE is no exception.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

The three women suffer from recent distress that leaves each feeling the anguish and pain. Following a miscarriage, a depressed Amy soul searchingly looks at her marriage with Stephen and their offspring with sadness. Widow Faith feels guilt for not grieving for her husband Eddie, but for another man Ty whom she last saw sixteen years ago. Artist Zoe is a pariah in her hometown, but an accident has left her with amnesia so is unsure why.

Each runs away from their woes ending up as "Jeanne's Crazies" at a summerhouse in Maine. They meet the enigmatic sisters Madame Zoya and Primrose, who have the talent to transport a person back in time to correct a destiny that has gone off kilter. Amy wants to go back to eighteenth century England, but needs hesitant Zoe and Faith to accompany her. She believes they can rectify the past to find happiness in the future.

The RETURN TO SUMMERHOUSE is an engaging tale built on the same premise as the first trip to the magical Maine location; if you can go back to correct the past would you and what are the consequences in the current present. The three female guests are fully developed nice people while the siblings continue with their aura of mysticism. Although the trips between present and past and back to the present seem abrupt; readers will enjoy this fine time travel character study of three strangers. Each seeks the same goal of rectifying what they respectively consider a big mistake in their lives but though having nothing similar between them forge forever friendships.

Harriet Klausner

I missed that this was a sequel (although 'return' in the title should have been a give away) so that may explain why some parts didn't make a lot of sense. And while I enjoyed learning about how Faith's and Zoe's destiny had derailed, I couldn't really get too interested in Amy's perfect life (she was a very managing type woman!) Since all the real romance was in the 3 weeks that they spent back in time, there wasn't much chance to get to know any of the men. And I decided that it stretched credulity to them so totally re-write history - no minor tweaking for these 3!

I have enjoyed most of the Jude Deveraux books that I have read. This one was very good and had some interesting plot lines. There are some criticisms of the book that I would slightly agree with - the time travel didn't flow very well and some of the the three heroine's circumstances were beyond unrealistic, but isn't that why we read romance novels? They are for fun! And I am quite happy when there is not a lot of sex in a romance novel. Romance and sex are not the same thing.

I loved The Summerhouse and did not hesitate to purchase the sequel. Although it was as good as the original is was very entertaining. I wish there was a whole series. It is based around a summerhouse where you can choose to change your destiny.

I loved "The Summerhouse" and could hardly wait for "Return to Summerhouse". Overall, "Return" is a good book, but somehow it falls a little flat for me.

Definitely the best part was the three weeks in the 18th century, as Faith discovered who she was. Both Faith and Zoe come to realize that they alone are responsible for their unhappiness.

Although I enjoyed reading how Faith and Zoe rewrote their lives, Amy's ending seemed contrived, somehow.

Enjoyed this and the first one. We have a "library" in the break room at work, My friend had gotten Summer House from the shelf, she enjoyed it and recommended I read it, I liked it so much I came to the store for the sequel. We both really liked it. The fantasy of a place where you can change your life for the better is interesting.

This magical story involves three women given a chance to change their lives, if they suspend "common sense" and step out of their patterned existence. They each have a chance to go back and make different choices, if they choose to. And the three women who were once so different learn what happens when they reach out and help each other. A very satisfying read. For something different and unique, my new favorite: ARROWS THROUGH TIME: A Time Travel Tale of Adventure, Courage, and Faith.

The "Summerhouse" had such a tantalizing idea - that we could go back in time to have a second chance at creating our own lives. I absolutely love most of Deveraux's earlier works that are mainly historical novels. The more recent books and contemporary novels I was disappointed in, so I was thrilled to find "Return to the Summerhouse" which captured her earlier talents and continued with the theme from The Summerhouse. Jude Deveraux is so much more than your typical romance writer - her books are original and absorbing with plots and characters that keep you turning pages. They are high-quality stories unlike other books I have read in the romance genre that are just weak and similar premises showcasing the love scenes.

Jude Deveraux wrote such a wonderful surprise of a novel in "Summerhouse" that I was eagerly awaiting a sequel. But if you're hoping for a sequel that is as good as the original, this is not it. The only thing similar is that the characters go to the summerhouse. There is some time travel, but there are no characters that are as loveable as in the original story and a lot more casual love-making. This sequel was a big disappointment to me.

I loved the concept of the first summerhouse book and this book is a great sequel off of the same idea. Of course 3 broken women are brought to the summerhouse in Maine and from there they have an opportunity to rewrite their pasts. I love the endearing way Jude draws you into each character and then the next chapter you see the same person from a different characters perspective. You like the characters instantly and then you learn something new about them and love them more. Jude is of course a master storyteller and very indepth with her characters. I have read every Jude Deveraux I could get a hold of and have loved many of her stories. She doesn't overdo it and yet she keeps you guessing until the end. You don't have to read the first summerhouse book to get this one, it stands on its own.

Could not put this book down- LOVED IT!! Liked everything about this
book. It was interesting to see how the three women characters were affected when they went back in time then returned back to present time. They all seemed to benefit immensely from their trip back in time. Well written and thought out book!!

I loved this story, the people, the settings and the story. I found it to be fresh and original, and very hard to put it down. Previously I had only read one short story by Jude Deveraux (combined with several other authors into one book). I just ordered "The Summerhouse" and I'm sure will read more of her books.

I enjoyed this book, but myonly critique would be is that Jude continues to write in the time travel mode. Why doesn't she return to her roots back to the family who made a household name. I would also like more in the story regarding the other two ladies who are written about in the book.

My first Devereaux read. I liked this story because it had a lot of heart. There was compassion, redemption, forgiveness, loyalty, love and smarts, not to mention some humor. I liked that although the characters were quite disparate in their personalities, the story found a way to bring them together not only as friends, but created opportunities for healing and growth for each of them.

I really loved the first summerhouse, and this sequel did not disappoint! I enjoyed every page and couldn't put it down. Finished it in a day & a half (had to go to work, lol!). Who hasn't asked themselves the question "what if?" or thought "if I'd only known then what I know now . . ". Jude did a wonderful job in taking those concepts to the next level for all of us!