Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Book Review - Under a Summer Sky by Melody Carlson

Book Synopsis
High school art teacher Nicole Anderson is looking forward to a relaxing summer in Savannah, house-sitting and managing an art gallery for a family friend. The house is luxurious in a way that only old money could make it, and the gallery promises interesting days in a gorgeous setting. Yet it isn't long before her ideal summer turns into more than she bargained for: a snooty gallery employee who's determined to force her out, a displaced adolescent roosting in the attic, and two of her childhood friends--who also happen to be brothers--vying for her attention.

With the backdrop of a gorgeous historical city, incredible architecture, and even an alleged ghost or two, combined with the opportunity for romance . . . anything can happen!

Bestselling and award-winning author Melody Carlson invites you to spend the summer surrounded by splendor . . . and tantalizing possibilities.


My Review
Nicole Anderson is teaching art in Seattle when she gets an opportunity to spend a summer in Savannah.  A family friend offers her the chance to housesit for the summer and mind her art gallery while she is on vacation.  Nicole's summer turns out to be very exciting - with interesting work in a beautiful, historic city and with romantic possibilities involving two old friends, who happen to be brothers.

I grew up in a family that was originally from Savannah, and I lived there as a little girl.  I always say that part of my heart will always be in Savannah, and this book made me long to spend time there!  Melody Carlson did a wonderful job capturing the unique charm of this city, with old stories (including a couple of ghost tours), historic houses and architecture, and some of my favorite places like Forsyth Park and The Pirates House restaurant.

Nicole is a very likeable character.  She is a kind person who wants to help others, including a struggling teenage girl who is part of the family she is housesitting for, and a decidedly difficult gallery coworker.  I really liked her relationship with Ryan, which started as an old friendship.

Under a Summer Sky is a sweet, heartwarming novel, and it makes a wonderful summer read.  I recommend it for fans of women's fiction and contemporary romance ... especially in a unique, picturesque setting.  I have not read the previous books in this series, but Under a Summer Sky worked well as a standalone novel.

Author Bio
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than five million. She is the author of several Christmas books from Revell, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, which is being considered for a TV movie. She is also the author of many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, Double Take, the Life at Kingston High series, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. She is the winner of a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. Melody and her husband live in Oregon.

For more information about Melody visit her website at www.melodycarlson.com


I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads.