Firstly, I must acknowledge that eye-catching cover and title! This is my first Wendy Francis book and I enjoyed it.

It's a tale of three sisters. Shelby, Kate and Bree. As children they spent their summers on the shores of Cape Cod in a small town called Hull. Shelby is now divorced and is a real estate agent. She lives there year round with her teenaged son. Kate is married to a lawyer and has a three year old daughter. They live an extravagant life and have purchased a seasonal home in Hull. Bree has recently suffered a break-up and is a struggling artist who lives in Boston. The sisters are all struggling with some issues and the week before Memorial Day Kate and her daughter flee to their seaside home. Her sister Bree follows her there where they meet up with their other sister Shelby. Each of the chapters focus on the sisters. They begin a week before Memorial Day and lead up to a Memorial Day party on Saturday night.

However the opening chapter jumps to Memorial Day where there is a body found in the ocean. We get snippets of that day throughout the book. These chapters focus on Robin, who is a police officer.

I think this format at first was confusing hence a half star takeaway. I did however enjoy each of the chapters about the sisters. I liked when they would reminisce about their parents and especially their mother who always seemed to have words of wisdom for them. There's a mystery about the Memorial Day weekend and a surprising twist. It's a good story about sisterly love.

What a perfect book to read over the Memorial Day weekend! It was a combination of mystery and women's fiction, two of my favorite genres. Anyone who has one or more sisters can find something to relate to in this story of three adult sisters and their relationship dramas. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

This was a good book. I will admit at first it was hard keeping track of all of the characters, but once you sorted them out, made the book better. I love the bond that these sisters have. I love how they help each other out. I did enjoy this book.

This story could not have been read on a better day.
When I requested this ARC I had no idea that part of its setting would be on one of the U.S. commemorative dates, and just reading it on this very day kind of gave me more perspective and more involvement in the story.

When I saw the cover I immediately thought of summer, and I wasn't wrong, but I did assume it would be something enjoyable and relaxing, a perfect read to enjoy a day at the beach, well let me tell you that in addition to that, we find many themes that were not at all what I expected when I started with it.

So we meet three sisters who get together to enjoy the beginning of summer, but each one is living her own drama and you find yourself immersed in it and looking for the best way of how this will develop and fix it.

It was a great way to spend my day, and I'm looking forward to discovering more from the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this amazing ARC, with which they put this author in my sights.

#FeelsLikeSummer #NetGalley.

I read an ARC of this book provided thru Netgalley. I have previously read and enjoyed works by this author. This novel centers around Memorial Day (today) weekend in the the town next to mine. It’s story about family dynamics and also a police investigation. How could I resist? It’s a quick beach read that grabbed my attention and held it to the end. I enjoyed all the references to both the town next to me and my home town.

Feels Like Summer by Wendy Francis was a fantastic family drama!
This was terrific beach/summer read - in fact a terrific read for anywhere!
The characters were believable and likeable.
I found the story line kept me very interested in what would happen next.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Perfect for the beach! Wendy Francis’ Feels Like Summer is an ode to sisterhood and a light, entertaining mystery. Set primarily just before and over Memorial Day weekend in the beach town of Hull, Massachusetts, and filled with vividly drawn characters, this book had me flipping pages and, well, feeling like summer had surely arrived.

Fans of Mary Kay Andrews’ novels or of Francine Mathews’ Nantucket-set Merry Folger series might be especially drawn to this tale.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

FEELS LIKE SUMMER is a perfect summer read. I really enjoyed all of these characters. The multiple timelines kept it interesting and I couldn't wait to see how everything would come together in the end. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my gifted copy.

As it developed, this book seemed far away from the kind of books i usually read (and like).

To be honest, in some moments I skimmed through it. Most of the times I felt I couldn't connect with the characters, I sometimes didn't even like them, and at times it felt that the whole book lacked a sort of spark to make things memorable.

But the spark does come at the end, with the solving of the problem. The story glides slowly, the writing is good, it's the kind of book that is more an inside story, of each character, than a book of great action. They all have complex inner lives and the story demands them to change and accept new realities about themselves. It feels as if you're a spectator to the midlife crisis of tree sister. They all trigger each other on multiple levels, but the end is warm and leaves you with a good heart.

I received a copy of this in order to share my view on it. It would have been 3 stars if not for the ending. I recommend reading this if women's fiction is the kind of genre you really like.

I want to extend my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.

This book is a compelling blend of family drama and mystery, set in a quaint small town. It beautifully captures a wholesome atmosphere while delivering a powerful emotional journey. The author masterfully crafts the narrative, with each chapter meticulously arranged to keep you reading late into the night, eager to uncover the mystery.

The intricate plot and relatable characters make for an engaging read, and the seamless transitions between the chapters enhance the suspense and intrigue.

Overall, this book is a captivating read that touches on all the right emotions. I eagerly anticipate more works from this talented author in the future.

FEELS LIKE SUMMER isn’t your typical beach read. It’s not light or breezy or uplifting. This family drama takes place in a coastal town over Memorial Day weekend and that’s the only thing that feels like summer about this book.

It’s told from the perspectives of three sisters, all of whom are going through significant personal turmoil. One is reeling from discovering her husband’s infidelity. Another is involved in a scandalous affair. The third sister is recovering from a breakup and facing a financial crisis. Oh, and there’s also the mystery surrounding a possible missing person.

I struggled to connect with the characters because I didn’t find any of them to be particularly likable, except for the local police lieutenant. The story was interesting enough to keep me turning the pages, but I wasn’t sad to leave Hull at the end of the holiday weekend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars
Stats a little slow but picks up and then I couldn’t put it down! It reminded me a bit of an Elin Hilderbrand novel with the beach town setting and the mystery element added in. I really enjoyed the 3 different sister’s POV as well as the police officer which I thought was going to be confusing at first but it ended up being pretty easy to keep straight. I absolutely didn’t see the ending coming. It’s the perfect summer read for specially if you love a beach mystery!

FEELS LIKE SUMMER
Wendy Francis

“…Or are you tricky 'cause I’ve been there, and baby, I don’t need to learn my lesson twice.”
Dua Lipa (who else).

Three sisters meet at the coast of a small beach town to celebrate the beginning of the summer season. For Shelby, the oldest, it’s a chance to escape. For Kate, it’s a chance to recover and rejuvenate. And for Bree, the youngest, it’s a chance to bond with her older sisters. What it will end up being for the sisters is something else entirely.

Full of scandal, gossip, misbehaving, and liking it. Wendy Francis FEELS LIKE SUMMER is out now.

Sometimes I listen to Doja Cat just to be reminded to use my voice how I see fit. Sometimes I eat candy just to be reminded how sweet life can be. And sometimes I read books to be someone else, somewhere else, doing something other than me.

What you read, and what media you consume is kind of like a diet for your mind. You must be mindful of what you ingest, how you process it, and how it makes you feel. Reading FEELS LIKE SUMMER felt like eating nothing but Lemonheads all day because it’s all you have in your cupboards.

It’s sour, malnutritious, sad, makes you feel bad, and wastes precious time. Don’t do it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy!

FEELS LIKE SUMMER...⭐⭐

What a great beach/summer/pool-side read! Totally got sucked into the world of the Lancaster sisters and almost didn’t want the book to end. I hope there is a sequel. I’d love to know more about where these sisters end up. Publishes May 28th, add it to your list!

Set against the backdrop of the Massachusetts coast, "Feels Like Summer" delves into the lives of three sisters facing pivotal moments. Shelby, Kate, and Bree each navigate personal struggles that come to a head during a gathering in Hull, MA on Memorial Day. Secrets unravel, leading to chaos and eventual realization of what truly matters. The beachside setting adds to the allure of the story, evoking a desire for a seaside escape.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this captivating novel.

3 sisters reunite for the summer. Each with a secret of their own,

After a tragic boating accident the sisters become closer than ever.

A great mystery beach read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Yes there's a mystery here (who is the body, what caused the accident etc) but this is really about sisters. Shelby, Kate and Bree have come together for the summer. Each of them has a secret trouble that they don't want to share- at first. Ultimately, though, they pull together. It's trope-y but the sisters, and the police officer, are well written. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I am usually a huge fan of sister stories. I like to read about those relationships, but this one was just okay. I didn't like Shelby's on again - off again relationship.

There is a lot about the romances that I do not find enjoyable to read about. I do not want to spoil it, so I will not be specific.

There is some mystery in this book. I think that was actually my favorite part and what made it a three chair.

This book is told from the points of view of the three sisters, Shelby, Kate and Bree, as well as the police officer handling the mysterious boating accident. I really ended up being sucked into the stories of each of the sisters which told some of their back story and time leading up to Memorial Day weekend. I loved trying to figure out who was involved in the boating accident, but this was still a quick easy, but not necessarily light read. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me a chance to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rainy days call for a recap on an adorable beach read I just finished ☀️🍉👙 @wendyfrancisauthor #dreamingofsummer

Memorial Day, three sisters all going through a whirlwind, a weekend together, but a body discovered in the lake. Wow! This one kept me hanging on until the end. Kate, from the outside in has the perfect life, finds out her husband cheated, and was involved in a work scandal. But their little girl is confused as to why her dad was kissing someone else. Bree, a struggling artist is being called by debt collectors, behind on rent, and can’t figure out her love life. She is three months behind in rent, and takes off to surprise visit her sisters and ask for help. Shelby, divorced mom, finds herself entangled with a married man, but is trying to get out of it. Her business is thriving, but she feels completely shattered everywhere else in her life. All the sisters keep their secrets hidden, until they all put them on the table. As they try to work through each problem, another one arises. A fellow policewoman they were friends with, questions them about a body that was discovered after a party they hosted at their house. I always love Wendy Francis and how she allows the reader to connect with the characters. You just felt for each one, and hoped for a happy ending, but knew it’d get stinky before it got better. Add Feels Like Summer to your TBR list. It comes out May 27. Thank you @wendyfrancisauthor @netgalley @lakeunionauthors for this advance copy! #summerreads #feelslikesummer #wendyfrancis