Review of All Summer Long by Melody Carlson

This blog post is a review of the book All Summer Long by Melody Carlson.

 

Back cover synopsis:  

She's ready to take on a new challenge. What she doesn't expect is an old flame.

Tia D'Amico is thrilled to move to San Francisco to help her aunt transform an old luxury yacht into an upscale floating restaurant. What's not to love? Sunset dinner cruises, posh wedding receptions--the possibilities are endless and far more appetizing than staying in a monotonous job in her Podunk hometown. Besides, some of her best memories are tied to San Francisco--especially the memory of Leo Parker, her crush from a long-ago sailing camp.

When Leo Parker himself turns out to be the yacht's captain, Tia is floating on air. But will it all come crashing down around her when she discovers his heart belongs to someone else?

Get ready for a romantic summer in San Francisco, where the future glistens brighter than the Bay at sunset.

About the Author: 

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred boops with sales of more than 6.5 million. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com. 

My thoughts :

 All Summer Long was a pretty entertaining book but didn't have a lot of substance to it. It was, for the most part, a fluffy light read. I prefer books that have more substance and meat to them. The characters were well written and the plot was interesting and I could tell that the author had a talent for writing. Overall I thought the book was about average. I didn't hate it but I didn't really love it either. I liked it ok but it wasn't my favorite. It is the second book in the Follow Your Heart series but can stand alone. It is a christian book but it didn't really have a lot of christian overtones to it. If you like light fluffy entertaining reads then you will probably enjoy this book. If you prefer more substance and the romance as a side or seasoning to the main story you probably won't enjoy this book as much. Like I said before, I didn't really dislike the book it just wasn't my cup of tea.

  I received this book in exchange for my honest review as part of the Revell Reads blogger review program. 

Catching up

How is it that time seems to pass so slowly when we are children but by the time we have children of our own we feel like we are running ninety to nothing all the time? I feel like I get so busy with the day to day, taking care of my children, home, church responsibilities, and miscellaneous things that come up that time can seem to whiz by but you can't think of anything major that has happened. Somewhere in the time since I last blogged, Jordy and I took the kids to the beach. That was fun. They are finally starting to enjoy the water. Other than that just regular every day stuff. Spring/summer cleaning windows, blinds, doors, walls, etc. Then we have been getting ready for Marie and Dustin's vow renewal. Beau's aunt and uncle who are only about 5 or so years older than us have been married for 15 years. They didn't get to have a nice big wedding the first time around so they are having it now. They are having most of the kids in it. Rachel, Abby, Catie, (Marie's daughter almost 3) and Jayden (Paul and Tina's daughter 5) are the flower girls. Rachel is super excited, she talks about it all the time. We have been getting all of her stuff together that she needs for that. So that involved a bit of running around and a shopping trip with Ruthie and Francie to find their shoes as they are bridesmaids. That is coming up very quickly now. Other than that not much to say other than we have had some good services lately.                Sometimes I feel discouraged and lonely with my husband so far away and taking care of everything by myself can be exhausting. The other night we had a really good service and I was able to get to that place where I just felt like I was getting a big hug from the Lord. Where He just held me and renewed my strength and my joy and I felt so rested and refreshed. It's amazing how He knows exactly what we need and when and how to give it to us. How to help us trust everything to Him. God is so good and gracious. I am so thankful that we have Saviour who can be touched with the feeling of out infirmitys. He knows our struggles and our sorrows because He took upon him the form of a  man and was found in fashion as a man. Jesus  was the very Son of God and He humbled himself to come to earth and dwell among us, to suffer the sorrows and trials we suffer, and He did it willingly. He did it because He loved us, even while we hated and rejected Him, He loved us enough to take our sins upon Himself and die that we might have new life through Him. He is so wonderful. 

     I think that is about caught up except for trying to figure out what the Lord wants me to share with the Peewee campers for cabin devotions  and trying to figure out how to draw them into it. Our camp theme is No turning back so I've been kind of thinking of the no uturn signs and road construction stuff and incorporating that somehow since a lot of little ones, especially little boys like cars. I will have all the boys and girls 6 and under and their moms in my cabin so I need to keep it short and simple but still get the message across. It has been a while since I taught kids that age,other than my own. I have been working with 8-12 year olds for a while now and haven't worked as much with littles or teens as much as I used to. Which my great group of kids are getting older and becoming VLB's and leaving my class which is really sad and happy at the same time. I miss working with them but they are so excited to be VLB's it makes me happy.