The Summer Wives: A Novel

More like 3.5 stars.

Like the other Beatriz Williams novels I have read, this one is plot driven. It’s structured like a puzzle. As you read, you slowly assemble different sections of a larger puzzle but don’t see the entire picture until the very end.

It all takes place on a small resort island off New England coast in the years between 1930 and 1970. (The author reveals in the Afterword that the location is modeled on Fisher’s Island. But if you aren’t familiar with that name, think Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket.) It’s an island with a deep divide — between the prominent and wealthy families that spend summers at their opulent vacation homes and the locals who eek out modest livings providing the products and services the rich folks expect. So, at its heart, this is a novel about class and the myriad ways people in power use and abuse those they consider lesser beings. It’s also about the unspoken pact among islanders to protect each other and keep secrets from outsiders.

The central protagonist is Miranda Schuyler (the Schuylers are well known to fans of other Beatriz William novels), a beautiful girl whose mother marries into one of the island’s wealthy families when Miranda is in her late teens. That post World War II story (circa 1951) is one strand. A second thread (circa 1930) concerns events around Miranda’s stepfather’s first marriage and a secret romance with a young immigrant. The third story (1969) deals with Miranda, returning to the island, now a 36 year old movie star, recently separated from her husband, and finding her mother struggling financially and the family mansion in disrepair.

No spoilers but mixed in are lots of surprises — passionate first love, mismatched mates, deceit, illegitimate birth, wrongful imprisonment, and yes, even murder. (You see now why I call this a plot-driven novel.)

It’s is a quick read, ideal for the beach. Don’t expect any real depth to the characters or subtle psychology. Just read it for the enjoyment of putting together the puzzle.

This book is about the clash of two cultures here – the rich, privileged summer families and the immigrant working class local families who live on the island year round. The interaction of these cultures sets us up for intrigue, mystery, and romance.

Set on exclusive Winthrop Island off the New England Coast, the book alternates between the 1930s with the story of the love affair between a local year-round resident girl and her rich lover, and the 1950s and 60s with Miranda Schuyler’s story.

Miranda’s father has died in the war and in 1951 Miranda and her mother arrive on Winthrop Island. Her mother is marrying Hugh Fisher, part of the inner circle on the island. She also meets her new stepsister Isobel who educates her on the ins and outs of the high society summer families and the year-round local families. Miranda is immediately smitten when she sees Joseph Vargus, one of the locals. Joseph’s father the local lighthouse keeper and in the summers Joseph helps his father maintain their lobster boats. But when summer is over Joseph attends college, wanting to make something of himself. Joseph and Isobel have always had a close relationship and Miranda battles with her attraction for Joseph and her desire not to hurt her sister.

Then in 1969 Miranda returns to Winthrop Island. She is now a famous actress but is shunned on the island because of her association with Joseph who is in prison for the murder of Miranda’s stepfather. Miranda, healing from her own disastrous marriage, learns that Joseph has escaped from prison. She now becomes determined to prove Joseph is innocent.

Beatriz Williams is a master storyteller so you know her books are always beautifully written. The tightly held secrets of the Islanders will slowly unravel as outsiders probe into the mysteries. The characters are relatable and likeable. As I read I could feel myself going with the ebb and flow of the island life. I highly recommend this book.

In late spring 1969, well-known actress Miranda Schuyler is on the run. She has left behind a troubled marriage to her troubled film director husband in London after her life and career quite literally crashes and burns. The only place she can conceivably go undetected by the press is Winthrop Island, to the family home she left years ago.

Miranda first sets foot on the island in 1951, when her widowed mother is about to marry Hugh Fisher, the patriarch of the Fisher family. She quickly learns that this island is divided by the wealthy summer occupants who live in mansions dotting the Cliffside, with the other half consisting of the hardworking Portuguese fishermen, store clerks and their families. Normally the two sides don’t mix socially, but in this historic summer, they do --- and the results are explosive.

When she first comes to Winthrop Island, Miranda isn’t a famous actress. She is just an 18-year-old girl about to meet her mother’s new family. After losing her father at sea during World War II, it has been just her and her mother. But since her mother met the enviable, recently divorced Hugh, things start to change. The two are going to marry, and not only will Miranda have a stepfather, she is gaining a stepsister in the bargain.

Isobel Fisher seems, at least to Miranda, glamorous and worldly. She knows and appreciates the privilege from which she comes: “Money’s such a lovely thing to have. I don’t know what I’d do without it. Work or something, I guess.” She yawns. “I’m just like Daddy, no good for anything except decoration and conversation. And dancing. I’m a terrific dancer.” Miranda is immediately transfixed. But Isobel is far from satisfied with the island’s status quo: “Nobody ever says what they really mean. There is this vast fabric of tender little lies, and all the important things are unspoken. Boiling there underneath. We only bother to tell the truth when it’s too small to count.”

However, it isn’t only Isobel who catches Miranda’s attention. On the morning of her mother’s wedding, while looking out the window of Greyfriars, the palatial Fisher home, she notices that an older lobsterman has fallen overboard. Within seconds, a younger lobsterman leaps to pull the elder out of the surf and onto the rocks in front of their home, saving his life. This is Miranda’s introduction to the handsome Joseph Vargas, a young islander and fisherman whose family operates the local lighthouse. From then on, she is mesmerized by the hardworking local, but soon learns the insurmountable chasm between the moneyed summer folk and the industrious locals. And in that fateful summer, she also learns the other secrets that will keep the Fisher and Vargas families on opposite ends of the island, with one of those secrets leading to murder.

Beatriz Williams is back with another in her Schuyler Sisters series (although they feature some crossover or related characters, each novel can stand on their own), a perfect beach read for those long summer days that will transport the reader to the capricious and stunning Winthrop Island, loosely based on the very real Fisher’s Island, off the coast of Connecticut, where it will take more than the local lighthouse to avoid its rocky shores. The intertwined stories of Miranda; Isobel; Isobel’s sometime paramour, Clay; Joseph Vargas; and Miranda’s half-brother, Hugh Jr., provide a sort of post-war BIG LITTLE LIES.

Isobel knows precisely the difference between her family and the rest of the islanders, and the price people are willing to pay to be part of their exclusive set: “When you have money and prestige --- especially prestige --- you think you deserve it, somehow, and everybody else is just --- ordinary. Nobody else matters. Why do you think Daddy married Abigail? To be one of them, to be part of their little club…”

Fans of Elin Hilderbrand, J. Courtney Sullivan and Fiona Davis will devour THE SUMMER WIVES, and will certainly want to join Beatriz Williams’ fan club.

Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller

Upstairs, Downstairs. Again.

Jumping between 1930, 1951, and 1969, this who did what with and to whom when and why, family secrets, forbidden love between the rich and those who serve them beach read felt a little long and difficult to follow for me, until it wasn't, at which point it was too easy to predict.

Twenty years after the murder of her stepfather, Miranda Schuyler --- now a world-famous actress married to a much older world-famous director --- returns to Winthrop Island to recover from personal tragedy, and revisit the two decades old tragedy that still haunts her.

The home her widowed mother and stepsister continue to live in, Greyfriars, has seen better days (Echoes of Grey Gardens here, though only very vague) and now, deteriorated, is being rented out as an artists' colony. Miranda gets to the business of setting things right and making repairs to the house and the lives of those she's loved --- and we are, piecemeal, given the backstories and circumstances which led to the murder, Miranda's return, and all the secrets and family connections and cover-ups and beachy details from all the decades.

For me, the murder reveal --- as in, how it happened and why it's such a scandal --- came far too late. It felt like a flaw in the structure, and there seemed a disconnect between who and how the characters had been and begun in the past decades, and their behavior in the more recent-present action. It felt largely unbelievable --- and though it's a beach read, it ought still, I think, feel as if the characters are behaving in ways rational to their emotional and moral make-up.

And the deus-ex-machina facilitating the movie-ready last shot, just way too out there and too much.

Miranda has come back after eighteen years to the island where she has spent every summer since her mother married into the prestigious Fisher family. She hasn’t told anyone the reason why she has returned to Winthrop’s Island with bruises that no one mentions, but since she stays for a relatively long time, the reason can be assumed even though it might be the wrong guess.

Miranda's return isn’t a welcome event even after all of this time, though, because of her testimony at the trial of the lighthouse keeper’s son back in 1951 when she was eighteen and in love with the accused.

Miranda hadn’t grown up with the elite and wealthy. When her mother married Hugh Fisher after her father was killed in WWII, she is introduced to that life and also sees how the year-round residents who fish and work as domestics live.

THE SUMMER WIVES goes back and forth from 1930 to 1951 and then to 1969. We learn about Miranda’s life, the lives of the Fisher and Monk families, the lives of other island residents, and how the lives of the domestic help are all connected by one specific incident during those years.

I enjoyed the story from the 1950’s the best. It was the most interesting and the least confusing. The 1930’s didn’t make sense to me how it fit in, but as I kept reading, I found out that it kept a secret and held a BIG surprise.

Ms. Williams has written another book that will hold your interest but has a bit of confusing story line with all the back and forth.

THE SUMMER WIVES is a story of the typical antics and lives of privileged families. We learn that most of the Winthrop Island families may have had money, but most of them are not happy.

THE SUMMER WIVES has a great setting, good story line, and has characters with problems and secrets both past and present.

I enjoyed Ms. Williams’ latest even though it dragged a bit at times, but the ending had it all coming together and was very satisfying. 4/5

I received an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Set in 3 decades....1930, 1951 and 1969 this is a story told by two women. Two women who couldn't be different from each other...one is "monied" the other is not. One comes to the island only in the summer with the other "Families" while the other woman lives on the island all year. Miranda is a newcomer to the island when her mother marries one of the wealthy men who owns a mansion there, while Bianca is Portuguese and lives with her family year long. Miranda is thrown into the vortex of the many secrets and innuendos that are "natural" to the Families of summer. Bianca has a secret of her own, a secret that is devastating and has been hidden for years.

From the beginning, you feel the undercurrent, the tension of all those who inhabit the island. Its strict "silent" rules that keep the different class of people apart and segregated. To cross the line is not only looked down upon, but dangerous. In 1951 Miranda is naive and at the age of 18 has much to learn. We watch as the story revolves around the 3 decades, we watch as Miranda becomes an adult and ultimately the secret that destroys her innocence. We read on and watch Bianca become a woman destroying herself with the secrets that has stayed within her.

This book is crammed with destruction, love, romance, murder, power and denial...it couldn't be told better. Ms. Williams is a master storyteller and this book sits on my bookshelf with others that she has written. Each one of them, satisfying and entertaining. "The Summer Wives" is no different from those written before. So now, as I always say to myself, I can't wait until the next book.

There is something so mesmerizing and captivating about how Beatriz Williams tells this story that you will find yourself completely immersed and unwilling to extricate yourself until the last page is turned.

The wives in question are the women in relationships with men they only see during summers on Winthrop. Miranda's arrival on the island begins with her mother's marriage to a wealthy man who summers there with his daughter. When Miranda returns eighteen years later, she does so in part because a man with whom she shared a romance that first summer who has escaped jail, an imprisonment Miranda believes to be grossly unfair. Another such "wife" is Bianca, who lives on the island and loves a man who spends his summers there. Beatriz Williams shows the dichotomy between the two women--one who loves a local, one who loves a summer family member--as well as their similarities.

Miranda narrates most of the story, going back and forth between her first summer on Winthrop when she was eighteen and when she returns, eighteen years later. You see the differences between a teenaged girl introduced to wealth and privilege and a thirty-six-year-old woman suffering a heartbreaking loss. I didn't always like Miranda; sometimes I found her insufferable. But Beatriz Williams made me care deeply about her, weeping with her over her hurts and pains and cheering for her successes. As she fights for justice for the man she has loved half her life, she uncovers truths that both help her better understand what happened that long ago summer and understand the world around her.

I loved this book. I love how Beatriz Williams tells this story, and I love the way she makes Winthrop into a character itself. Sometimes suffocating, sometimes overwhelming, sometimes comforting, Winthrop is both a safe haven and dangerous. If nothing else, you will crave fresh lobster.

The plot twists and bombshells sometimes feel a little forced, and some characters are under-developed. Still, once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down.

Miranda Schuyler has arrived on Winthrop Island in the summer of 1951. Her mother is set to marry Hugh Fisher, and after the wedding she will be spending the summer in his home with her new stepsister, Isobel. Miranda soon realizes there are two types of people on the island, the wealthy who come to the island to stay in their vacation homes and dine at the country club, and the working class make ends meet by catering to the rich. As Isobel shows her around the island, Miranda is drawn to Joseph Vargas, who helps his father in the lobster boats and lives in the lighthouse across from the Fisher family home. Before summer's end, Miranda's path changes course and she leaves the island due to tragic circumstances. Decades later when she returns she realizes the island is still full of secrets as she attempts to seek justice.

What I enjoyed about this book was due to the alternating timelines, you had an idea of what happened early on but needed the rest of the pieces to the puzzle to see the whole picture. I wouldn't say there were any truly shocking plot twists in this book but I still had a hard time putting the book down. I really enjoyed seeing the people of the island through the perspectives of Miranda and Bianca. The setting of Winthrop Island and how the rich and working class interacted were strong assets and made the book all the more enjoyable.

My only disappointment with the book came with the ending. I didn't feel like it was the most satisfying ending. I don't know how to describe it other than when I finished the book I walked away with a "meh" type feeling whereas up until the last few chapters of the book, I had really enjoyed watching the story unfold. It certainly isn't a bad ending but for me it was the weakest part of the book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

What I love about Beatriz Williams books are how they are all connected to the Schuyler family, one way or another. This didn't I know when I started to read the books. So, it was with delight that I discovered that the books even when they are not part of a series are in some way connected. I have yet to read Overseas, Fall of Poppies and The Forgotten Room (there is a Schuyler in this one woohoo), but I will get to them soon I hope! Also, I'm dying to read the upcoming book: The Wicked Redhead!

THE SUMMER WIVES have three different storylines, first, we have the 30s with Bianca Medeiro. Then, we have Miranda Schuyler in the 50s and finally Miranda again in the 60s storyline. These three storylines are interwoven in the book, and slowly they will reveal the connection. Bianca Medeiro story is the one that feels a bit like an outsider since both other stories are from Miranda's POV. However, Bianca's story is a vital part of the story.

One thing I truly love about THE SUMMER WIVES are all the characters. Williams always writes such wonderful characters and I'm not even a big fan of romance stories. But, I think her ability to write characters with such depth and also her way of creating a story that engrosses you is the key to her success. You like the characters, they have weakness and are portrayed as human. Every time I finish a book is it with a bit of sadness because I just love the characters. This is why I love it when a Schuyler pops up in another book.

THE SUMMER WIVES is a marvelous book, and I recommend it warmly. To be honest, I recommend all the book by Williams!

The time transition between who Miranda had been in the 1950’s, and who she becomes nearly two decades later was well written and well explained. I could sense the growth and maturity, while still feeling the yearning she has for the past she left behind. The same distinct details work for the other primary characters as well, like with Isobel and particularly with Joseph. Real depth and sincerity when it comes to the passing of time, and given what each person has had to endure over so many years, they seem to find themselves when Miranda comes back to the island. It felt true to the situation.

I was transported back in time, back into an era I’ve always wanted to be a part of. The scenery, the way the characters communicate with one another, the way they dress and behave felt very reminiscent to what those decades would have been like, the years of prosperity and protest. And there are so many intricacies to The Summer Wives, beginning with the multiple story lines of various characters, stories that ultimately weave and blend in together, creating a masterpiece of subtle mystery. It felt like skipping a rounded pebble into a still lake, the wake of it undulating into everyone and everything. Hidden secrets and lies that are better left unsaid and untold, but as is the case with secrets and lies, the truth will eventually come out.

This island, it's like a secret society, and I’d been given the privilege of looking inside and discovering why the relationships are dissolving, why there is so much contention and hidden motivations, the kind that ultimately leads to everyone’s undoing.

Beatriz Williams’ new novel The Summer Wives is a very good selection for a book club or beach read. Filled with nuance, the story follows two women and the ensuing consequences of their “summer loves.”
Set against the backdrop of the fictional Winthrop Island, the reader is whisked away to a bygone era in which strict codes of social conduct dictate every aspect of life. Social issues such as religion, immigration, and socio-economic status play heavily in these codes of conduct, but with determination each woman will make the choices she feels to be best for her. Weaving two storylines and three time periods into one narrative, the novel follows how the choices each woman makes has consequences not only for their progeny but for their overall well-being and happiness.
Overall, The Summer Wives is an enjoyable read. I enjoy novels that are female-centric and address social issues without becoming too didactic. I felt transported to the island itself with the descriptions of the village and gardens, but especially the pool at Greyfriars. It helps that I enjoy the time periods addressed in this novel as there are three: 1930, 1951, and 1969. However, several of the social themes addressed, specifically the difference between social classes, moved me into what I refer to as Downton Abbey mode. I had to remind myself that the timelines in the novel were later. After a few chapters, this became a nonissue as the story was captivating in and of itself.
Initially I found the dialogue and points of view distracting. Perhaps this is because there were three time periods, two main female characters, and several familial names introduced in the first 20 pages. The points of view issue resolved itself relatively quickly. It took a little longer for the names issue to resolve as at first, I wasn’t sure who was going to be a main character and who was to remain on the periphery. I understand, in hindsight, why the author did this, but initially found it annoying. However, I continued reading because the storyline was intriguing. My only real problem was with the dialogue: it was inconsistent throughout. The biggest issue I had with the dialogue came in the conversations between Hugh Jr. and Miranda; the dialogue between these two rang hollow. While there were moments of believability, it mainly felt forced and insincere. Hugh Jr. spoke as someone much older, while Miranda still came across as the insecure 18-year-old she had been when she first arrived on the island. There also seemed to be an artificial air of familiarity between these two characters. It just wasn’t very believable.
In the end, however, I enjoyed the story very much. I found myself wanting to know the full story of each woman much sooner than the author wanted to reveal. In my impatience, I devised a method for doing just this. Instead of reading the novel in the linear fashion presented, I read each woman’s story as an individual story. For example, I read all of the 1930 chapters together as one narrative, then the 1951 chapters, and ended with 1969. For me, this made the novel much more enjoyable. I got each woman’s story in the order it happened and I indulged my natural proclivity of impatience. I found this also helped in linking the stories together for a more unified narrative. As I said before, the storyline was intriguing and captivating.
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this novel, and even after having read this novel days ago, I still find the story intriguing and captivating. There are aspects I can’t stop thinking about. In spite of the two minor issues I had, I would recommend this novel. This is a very good book club selection or beach read. Unlike most novels, this is one that is as versatile as the reader needs it to be. The topics lend themselves well to deeper conversations about pre-Vatican II Catholicism, social inequities, and domestic violence, but can also be glossed over as merely the backdrop to the riveting stories of two women. Either way, the story was memorable and will be one I suggest to my book club-and I will gladly re-read it.

Miranda returns to Winthrop Island after a terrible accident. She may have returned under tragic circumstances but she had also left years earlier in a cloud of suspicion.

There are a good many characters in this story so, as a reader, you have to pay attention or it can get confusing. I enjoyed Miranda. She is tough, tougher than she looks. Plus, she has a big heart. There is Isobel. She is sort of a wild child. There is Hugh. He is Miranda's brother, who is named after her step father, Hugh Fisher. Hugh Fisher allegedly (key word here) gets murdered by Joseph Vargas. These are just a few characters needed to tell this story.

I enjoyed the mystery of this read. What happened to Hugh? Who did it? Did Joseph really do it? If not then who did? The mystery is really what keeps this tale alive and kicking. And Isobel...she is the best character out of the whole book she beats to her own drum with some heartbreaks along the way.

This story is typical Beatriz Williams. Different narrators, different stories, different time periods all melding into a great tale. No one weaves a story through different generations quite like this author. I have read and loved all of her books. But, I did feel this story dragged a good bit. I wanted a little more action. It is a wonderful tale, just a bit slow in places.

I received this novel from the publisher via Edelweiss.

Winthrop Island in the summer of 1951: a lot of things are about to happen. Miranda Schuyler enters a life of privilege when her mother marries Hugh Fisher, whose summer home overlooks a famous lighthouse. Her new stepsister, Isobel, guides Miranda through a summer of an abundance of cocktails, dinners at the Club, and many, many secrets. (There’s a Great Gatsby feel to these chapters!)

Winthrop Island in the summer of 1969: Miranda returns to the Island to escape her career and her marriage. She isn’t welcomed with open arms, due to a shattering event that happened in the summer of 1951.

The reader learns what it means to have love shattered instantly; to have family divided; to question who on earth you can trust.

This is one of the most unique backdrops in historical fiction that I’ve ever read. While WWII has a looming presence in this novel, it’s not in the foreground. The author has an anthropology background, and she seems fascinated with Island culture - why do people like islands? What makes their community so loyal? What do they want to keep out, and what do they want to keep in?

Every chapter and sub chapter have a purpose. There are just enough curveballs to let you digest, and then you’re hit with another, and now you have to keep reading. Next thing you know, you’re late getting ready for work!

I didn’t want this novel to end. I highly recommend!!

I have never read a Beatriz Williams book before and this was written going back and forth through different years which at first was a bit confusing until I got all the characters straight.

On this island of summer homes where the wealthy vacation each summer and the islanders who are poorer have to cater to this crowd, there is a very strong unspoken bond between the classes.

Miranda returns to the island after being away for 18 years, bruised and very nervous about how she will be received since 18 years earlier she testified for Joseph, the son of the lighthouse keeper who was accused of murdering her stepfather, Hugh Fischer. Miranda comes to the island as a young girl whose mother is going to be married into the elite Fischer family. Miranda lost her father in WWII and is now not only gaining a stepfather, but also a stepsister named Isobel. The day of the wedding, Miranda sees a fisherman fall off of his boat into the ocean and watches as another man rescues him and brings him up to her new house. She is immediately smitten by Joseph, but while Isobel takes her under her wings and teaches her the way of the island, she tells Miranda that Joseph is hers and hers alone even though she is already engaged to someone else. As the book progresses, it doesn't take long for the island to give up her secrets.

Summer Wives takes the reader back to the summer of the 193o's, 1950's and 1960's. To a small island called Winthrop Island that is off the New England Coast. It is where the wealthy go every year to spend the summer months. We met our main characters Miranda Schuyler and Bianca Mediero.
When we are first introduce to Miranda Schuyler she is returning to Winthrop Island from where she fled from years ago after the death of her stepfather Hugh Fisher by a boy that she loved Joseph Vargas. Miranda knows in her heart that there was no way Joseph killed her stepfather. But she comes back to the island with her own lies an secrets.
When we met Bianca Medeiro she is one of the locals that live on Winthrop Island. It is 1930 she has just met the most beautiful boy she has ever seen Hugh Fisher. She begins spending time with him and falling in love with.
Each year takes us to the lives and events that Bianca is going through that will be affecting Miranda live years later. This book has it all young love, secrets that everyone wants to stay hidden and suspense. I loved this book and would recommend it to everyone. Thanks goodreads for selecting me as a winner.

Summer Wives is Beatriz Williams at her best. This book is a perfect beach read - set on a New England island in the summers of 1930, 1950 and 1969, we meet the moneyed residents of this island, and eventually learn of the secrets that have been kept.

Miranda Schuyler comes to Winthrop island in 1951, in time for her mother's marriage to Hugh Fisher. In the marriage she acquires a new step-sister who introduces Miranda to life among the pedigreed, and as Miranda attempts to get to know Isobel better, is drawn in to the culture of the island and the secrets that it has kept.

In 1969, Miranda returns to the island, not having seen her mother or stepsister or brother for eighteen years. Bits and pieces of what took Miranda away from Winthrop are slowly revealed, and there are secrets that are uncovered.

I loved the changing time periods of this novel, as we looked back in time to find out what led Miranda to her current situation. I loved the island setting among the wealthy. Williams is a go-to author for me at this point, and Summer Wives is one of her best novels yet.

Replete with drama, mystery and steamy romance, The Summer Wives captured my attention and kept me questioning where the story was leading. Personalities are strong, and the plot moves along at a swift pace. As I reflect back over the book I realize that this could be a true life story. The characters in this novel represent life at it's grittiest level, earthy, heady and mysterious. The lives of the rich and famous intertwine with lower class workers on an island setting that reveals intoxicating drama and intrigue.

I enjoyed this deeply involved tale of family, friends and lovers. A bit graphic for my taste, but that did not detract from the suspense as the plot unfolded, leading the way to the secrets that lay hidden amongst the islanders and the summer resident families. This would make great summer reading, particularly because of the atmosphere of the island setting.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book with no expectations for a positive review. All expressed opinions are my own.

I won a copy of this book from the author, I was not required to give a favorable review. This was such a great story. It tells of a time when you went away to your summer homes to spend the summers away from the big cities. But each of the characters of such stories to tell. Miranda's mother married into the wealth of the island after her father had died in WWII, and with it she acquired a step-sister. But her step-father had a secret of his own from when he was younger and before he married his first wife. He fell for a island girl and because of it she had to marry another because she was pregnant. But she hurt her family by stealing her cousins man and naming him the father. But the story goes between the time they all were young, and when the children were teens and then when they all became adults. Especially when the child of the summer wife is blamed for killing a wealthy man who happens to be his father. But I loved it. It gives you a look into a different time.

THE SUMMER WIVES by Beatriz Williams is a beautifully-written, multi-generational story of love, family, social status and secrets. It is set on an exclusive island off the New England shore where the rich and elite come to spend their summer months. The vivid setting plays an important role in the lives of both the wealthy “Families” who summer there and the working class Portuguese immigrants who live there year-round, making their living as fishermen and shop owners. The story is told from the points of view of Miranda Schuyler Thomas and Bianca Medeiro, alternating between 1930, 1951 and 1969. The characters are expertly brought to life and it is important to pay close attention to how they are all inter-related. The storyline is well-plotted and has just the right balance of mystery, drama and steamy romance to keep the reader quickly flipping the pages to see how it all turns out. I always enjoy Beatriz Williams’ novels and this one was no exception.

Beatriz Williams is an auto buy author for me. She is such a gifted writer who excels at crafting her characters. She takes the time to develop each and if you walked in a room with them, you would be able to recognize and name each. I love that because I find that becoming more rare as I read more books. Williams has an absolute love affair with words and it is evident in all of her books. There is such a high level of readability to her stories because she is such a talented writer.

This book was no exception to all I said about this author. I liked it very much but found I didn't like it as much as many of her others. It is still better than most and I enjoyed reading it. I never put it down without wanting to pick it right back up. I agree with the other reviewer who didn't like the transitions between the characters. That usually doesn't bother me at all in books but it did in this one. It felt like it wasn't organized well enough. I get she was trying to unfold the story as it required but it wasn't done well. I found myself getting confused about which character I was reading at the time and getting the circumstances confused, especially with the same names for a couple of characters and the same character, just older and younger. Many parts ultimately seemed incomplete for the reader invested in the lives of all of the characters. Also, there should have been more interaction between Joseph and Miranda so the feelings are developed even more, even if they were only flirtations - not just telling the reader they took place, but letting the reader be a part of them so the reader is more emotionally invested in the relationship, and not just the individual characters.

This book is a worthy read and just go in knowing there are a few shortcomings and you will still enjoy it because the writing is so good. This one needed a little more time and maybe even more length, which I'd have been fine with. As I finished this one, just as I do with all of Williams' books, I immediately started anticipating her next.

I LOVED this book! What a great read, particularly as summer begins! The author does a wonderful job of weaving the story between two time periods without making it hard to keep track of what is going on, and I found myself rooting for the main characters. Great read!

I received this book as an Advance Reader's Edition as a member of the Harper Collins Book Club Girl Book Club.

Quite possibly the best Beatriz Williams novel yet. I fell in love with all the characters and felt drawn into their lives. I felt their sorrows and celebrated their joys. This one kept me up reading very late, as I could not put this book down. The ending was one of the best.

I am an avid reader and stayed on the library wait list for weeks to read this one. I tried to enjoy this book but with about 25% remaining, I returned the book and didn't finish it. I was looking forward to this one, but it became boring.

This was my first Beatriz Williams book, and I enjoyed it. I liked the twists, I liked the portrayals of first love, and I loved the setting of the book. Something was missing for me though, and I can't really place it, I just didn't get completely engrossed in the story.

I LOVED this book! Beautifully written, this story wrapped around me like a cloud and didn’t let go until I’d read the last page. I’m a fan of the author’s other books, and The Summer Wives certainly lived up to them with an intriguing plot, characters I felt I knew, and an atmosphere I felt I was living in. Wonderful book!

It was OK. You guess the “twist” early on and it all finishes too fast and you still have questions. And am I alone in this? The love story too forced? Suddenly you find out he had been pining for her the whole summer? And one kiss and they are deeply in love?

Williams has written a beautiful, brilliant novel evoking three eras on a New England island. The juxtaposition between the communities and one woman's dance between the two make for a lovely read. Highly recommend.

I love Beatriz Williams, but this might be my favorite so far. She brings time and place to life, as well as creating characters you fall in love with. The only thing I didn't like about it was the inability to leave the characters and read something new after I'd finished it.

I loved it. You have to pay attention because they go back and forth in the years so you understand why a lot of things are happening. I couldn't put it down. A must read. Lots of surprises and things near the end that will make sense. It is a love story between Miranda and Joseph as kids and now.

This is not Beatriz Williams at her best. Found some of the dialogue "sappy"...and it was evident early on where this was headed. A real disappointment, but hopefully this is just a stumbling block and she will be back and better than ever. Am going to try The Glass Ocean and hope for a better read.

I had a hard time putting this book down ! Great characters , loved the flow of the story line. I had never read her books before,
and had to purchase more. Received this book for free to review. Best free thing I've received !
Looking forward to her next one!

Loved the story! Loved the setting on the island. I actually have been to Fishers Island a number of times (which is the island story based on) so it was fun to read about places I was familiar with!

3.5
The book is well written. The storyline is high society and island living. It's not typically the type of books I enjoy. I thought it dragged a bit until the end when a lot of the action began. I would recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction and society living.

With each book Beatriz Williams' has really developed as a writer of provocative historical fiction with "A Certain Age" on my all time favorite list. The Summer Wives starts out with good energy and a good story line, however; about half way through became predictable and too melodramatic to completely hook me.

The Summer Wives takes place on an Island off the New England coast, Winthrop Island. During the summer months, the year round island locals and the very wealthy who own summer homes, interconnect with tragic consequences. The story is written in the popular duel time lines. In the summer of 1951, 18 year old Miranda Schuyler and her mother travel to Winthrop Island for her mother's wedding to immensely wealthy islander, Hugh Fisher. Her comely mother has found love again, after the death of her husband during World War II. Miranda is introduced to the island's upper class by sophisticated Isobel, her step-father's daughter. Here, she also meets Joseph Vargas, who works with his father on his lobster boat, until his return to Brown University in the fall. In 1969, bruised mentally and physically, Miranda returns to Winthrop Island, after an 18 year estrangement from her family. Banished from the island, due to the scandalous murder of her step-father, which has also left Joseph Vargas a fugitive, after his recent escape from prison, sentenced for his murder. Miranda, is now a famous Shakespearean actress, however, the past is always with her, stirring up memories of first love and a fateful night, that she cannot remember. The third time period....1930, is narrated by Islander and orphan, Bianca Medeiro, who lays the foundation and is the vehicle that eventually interconnects the past and the present together.

This time, Beatriz Williams' setting is as indelible as usual. She is able to vividly paint a picture of the intoxicating beauty of the island..... also its narrowness, which lures the have and have nots into temptation with prophetic retribution. For me, the plot felt somewhat formulaic, the pacing was off and most importunately, many of the characters except for Miranda were under-developed. Their actions and reactions not always believable in the context of the story line. Miranda's mother for instance, who plays a pivotal role and then basically disappears. Summer Wives, certainly intended as a beach read, kept me turning pages, however lacked the pizzazz of many of her superior books.

THE SUMMER WIVES by Beatriz Williams is a beautifully-written, multi-generational story of love, family, social status and secrets. It is set on an exclusive island off the New England shore where the rich and elite come to spend their summer months. The vivid setting plays an important role in the lives of both the wealthy “Families” who summer there and the working class Portuguese immigrants who live there year-round, making their living as fishermen and shop owners. The story is told from the points of view of Miranda Schuyler Thomas and Bianca Medeiro, alternating between 1930, 1951 and 1969. The characters are expertly brought to life and it is important to pay close attention to how they are all inter-related. The storyline is well-plotted and has just the right balance of mystery, drama and steamy romance to keep the reader quickly flipping the pages to see how it all turns out. I always enjoy Beatriz Williams’ novels and this one was no exception.

Old money. New money. Very little money. All three are enmeshed, entangled, and some even ensnared on one island off the coast of New England, where “The Families”, as the upper echelon are known, use the area as their seasonal playground, sometimes at the expense of the Portuguese fishermen and their families who depend upon the surrounding water for their livelihood. Co-existing on this island together looks simple from the outside, but things on Winthrop Island are rarely what they seem. Expertly volleying between different time periods to weave the stories of the Schyulers, the Fishers, the Vargases, and the Medeiros, Beatriz Williams shares with readers the world of Winthrop Island, first at a wedding that blends two families together in joy and renewed hope, but it is short-lived as soon after, a murder tears that same family apart for decades. I was captivated by the characters from the first page. I wanted to know their secrets (I just had no idea how many there would be!) and understand where all of the puzzle pieces fit. As entrenched in the story as I was, I still would have never guessed what would ultimately unfold in the final pages, tying everything together and leaving the reader shaking their head with satisfaction and understanding. I highly recommend this book and give five stars to the story in which “The Have Nots” possess far more than the “The Haves” could ever dream. If you like historical fiction, beach reads, are a fan of the movie “Mystic Pizza”, or stories with interesting twists, than this is for you! A huge thank you to BookBrowse.com and William Morrow Publishing for this Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This amazing book has it all! Mystery, romance, secrets, and family drama all rolled into one perfect book! I loved the characters as they were so real and honest. The setting was described perfectly and I was on the island right along with the characters. I was completely drawn into this book and was sad when it ended. I received an advanced readers copy from Edelweiss and William Morrow. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this story and getting to know the characters. At times it was a little difficult to follow the connections and relationships because of the jumping of the time periods. A great summer read if you like the opulence of island living in days gone by.

Although Williams does an excellent job of creating a definite feel for her story, it just wasn't necessarily my cup of tea. Much of the story takes place in the 1950's & 60's and it felt very glamorous almost. I kept thinking of old Hollywood and beautifully dressed women in that era of clothing.

With that being said, it was all just kind of there. I didn't abandon it, but I was never excited to see what came next. I did enjoy the 2nd half of the book better than the first, but it did not get me out of my reading slump as I had hoped.

The Summer Wives is the first Beatriz Williams book that I've read and I look forward to reading more! While I'm not a fan of storylines bouncing from one time period to another, I was able to stay with it as Miranda and Bianca told their stories. The Summer Wives has everything I want in a great read...a good mystery, some romance, an island setting that I'd like to visit and characters that stay with me after I've finished the book. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to William Morrow and HarperCollins Publishers Page Turner program for this ARC in exchange for my review!

This is one of those rare novels that delivers the romance and mystery elements but doesn’t feel like a cheesy, hastily written potboiler. Simultaneously readable and well-written, which can be hard to find.

I loved the way the chapters were interwoven among and between the decades. Well done! You really pay attention and absolutely love Miranda, the main character. I will read more of Beatriz William’s books.

I like this author a lot, but this was not my favorite book of hers. I think that might be in large part because it felt a little too similar to other books of hers that I have read in a way that I cannot quite put my finger on. I found the story to be super engaging, however, and I couldn't put it down, so it met all of requirements of a great summer beach read.

I could not put this book down. I woke up in the middle of the night to keep reading it. I carried my kindle around just to snatch a few pages here and there. Such an awesome read. It captured my imagination and my heart.

I never thought I'd read a book as beautifully written as Angle of Repose, but the characters in The Summer Wives are just as real, and their very human hearts send them careening down life's steepest paths, making me want to cover my eyes and peek through my fingers at the same time. This is one of those works of fiction that is truer than real life. Highly recommended.

Set in 3 decades....1930, 1951 and 1969 this is a story told by two women. Two women who couldn't be different from each other...one is "monied" the other is not. One comes to the island only in the summer with the other "Families" while the other woman lives on the island all year. Miranda is a newcomer to the island when her mother marries one of the wealthy men who owns a mansion there, while Bianca is Portuguese and lives with her family year long. Miranda is thrown into the vortex of the many secrets and innuendos that are "natural" to the Families of summer. Bianca has a secret of her own, a secret that is devastating and has been hidden for years.

From the beginning, you feel the undercurrent, the tension of all those who inhabit the island. Its strict "silent" rules that keep the different class of people apart and segregated. To cross the line is not only looked down upon, but dangerous. In 1951 Miranda is naive and at the age of 18 has much to learn. We watch as the story revolves around the 3 decades, we watch as Miranda becomes an adult and ultimately the secret that destroys her innocence. We read on and watch Bianca become a woman destroying herself with the secrets that has stayed within her.

This book is crammed with destruction, love, romance, murder, power and denial...it couldn't be told better. Ms. Williams is a master storyteller and this book sits on my bookshelf with others that she has written. Each one of them, satisfying and entertaining. "The Summer Wives" is no different from those written before. So now, as I always say to myself, I can't wait until the next book.