All the Summer Girls - by Meg Donohue (Paperback)

About the Book

A riveting coming-of-age tale set on the New Jersey shore in which three former best friends reunite at the beach town of their past. Donohue, the author of the bestselling novel "How to Eat a Cupcake," is a master of literary fiction and her skill is demonstrated in this charming second novel.

Book Synopsis

All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue is a riveting coming-of-age tale set on the New Jersey shore. Donohue, the author of the bestselling novel How to Eat a Cupcake, is a master of literary fiction; her skill is demonstrated in this charming and moving second novel.

Set among the sunsets and dunes, All the Summer Girls is the story of how three former best friends, their lives rapidly unraveling, are reunited at the beach town of their past--where the ambience of summer encourages them to explore new experiences they would never otherwise attempt.

When dark secrets threaten to surface, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani begin to realize just how much their lives--and friendships--have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful summer night years ago. In the hope of finally moving forward, the women turn to one another for forgiveness--but how can they forgive each other when they can't forgive themselves?

Meg Donohue is a phenomenal talent, and fans of Sarah Pekkanen, Susan Mallery, and Catherine McKenzie, will be enthralled by this rich and detailed novel about women, relationships, and forgiveness.

From the Back Cover

In Philadelphia, good girl Kate is dumped by her fiancé the day she learns she is pregnant with his child. In New York City, beautiful stay-at-home mom Vanessa finds herself obsessively searching the Internet for news of an old flame. And in San Francisco, Dani, an aspiring writer who can't seem to put down a book--or a cocktail--long enough to open her laptop, has just been fired . . . again.

In an effort to regroup, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani retreat to the New Jersey beach town where they once spent their summers. Emboldened by the seductive cadences of the shore, the women begin to realize just how much their lives, and friendships, have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful night on the beach eight years earlier--and the secrets that now threaten to surface.

Review Quotes

"All the Summer Girls is a beautifully wrought story about the tender yet resillient bonds of friendship and the damage of kept secrets. Meg Donohue writes with keen insight, prodding readers to re-examine their own past choices, while gracefully examining themes of family, friendship and forgiveness." -- Karen White, New York Times bestselling author

"Engaging." -- E! Online, "The Best Summer Reads"

"Meg Donohue's All the Summer Girls is an intimate, heartfelt, beautiful exploration of friendship, family and the ties that bind and the secrets that destroy us. Read it first, pass it to your girlfriend later. She'll be grateful." -- Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author

"All the Summer Girls is an honest and engaging look at the complicated and powerful bonds of female friendship. Donohue takes us on a weekend reunion full of secrets, resentment, and regret-in other words, once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down!" -- Jennifer Close, bestselling author of Girls in White Dresses

"Beach Book Extraordinaire! Donohue's three protagonists are irresistibly sympathetic as they try to unbury their true selves from the ruinous secrets of their shared past." -- Elin Hilderbrand

"A fast-paced novel about the enduring friendship of three young women who spent their summers in Avalon on the Jersey shore before dispersing across the country....A good beach read." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Donohue gives the chick-lit buddy trope an appealing twist and a lot of depth, turning a familiar yarn of regret, trust, and loyalty into an elegant ode to late bloomers." -- Publishers Weekly

"Donohue captures the beauty and frustration of reconnecting with old friends--they know you so well, and they don't know you at all. Perfect for a staycation for readers who like the beachy drama of Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Wiggs." -- Booklist