Summer Hours - Original by Amy Mason Doan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Fantastic. Wistful, mysterious, sparkling with secrets. I raced through Summer Hours in a day!" --Meg Donohue, USA Today bestselling author

From the author of The Summer List and Lady Sunshine, a vividly told, unforgettable novel set in the '90s about a secret relationship, the summer it unravels, and the sparkling reunion a decade later as one woman comes to accept the choices of her youth and rediscovers love and life in the process.

Becc Reardon was always the good girl--dedicated student, aspiring reporter, trusted daughter. Until a secret relationship with the charming and older Cal one summer in college cost her everything: her journalism dreams; her best friend, Eric; and her carefully imagined future.

Now, a decade later, the past Becc has worked hard to move beyond is back front and center as she travels up the California coast to a wedding--with a man she hasn't seen since college. As each mile flies by, Becc can't help but feel the thrilling push and pull of memories, from infinite nights at beach bonfires and lavish boat parties to secret movie sessions. But the man beside her is not so eager to re-create history. And as the events of that heartbreaking summer come into view, Becc must decide if those dazzling hours they once shared are worth fighting for or if they're lost forever.

Set in the mid '90s and 2008, Amy Mason Doan's Summer Hours is about the unique experience of female coming of age, the seductive power of nostalgia, and what happens when you realize you haven't become the person you'd always promised to be.

"A beautifully rendered and indelible story. Amy Mason Doan has crafted an immersive world I sank into and didn't want to leave." --Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight

*Don't miss Lady Sunshine, Amy Mason Doan's next novel that Elin Hilderbrand calls "a delicious daydream." On sale June 29, 2021 and available to preorder now!

Review Quotes

ACCLAIM FOR SUMMER HOURS

"Engaging and nostalgic, Summer Hours is a story of friendship, love, and golden moments. Doan's writing sweeps you away to the high-speed, sun-soaked backdrop of nineties California and takes you on a woman's journey toward finding herself."
--Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

"This moving story paints a portrait of the mistakes we all make in youth and leaves the reader with the hopeful reminder that sometimes the things we're nostalgic for can be had again if we're willing to work for them. A great read for the now grown-up fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Judy Blume. Summer Hours is a perfect summer read."
--Booklist

"Fantastic. Wistful, mysterious, sparkling with secrets, scenery, and some steaminess. I raced through Summer Hours in a day!"
--Meg Donohue, USA Today bestselling author

"A sweet, satisfying love story.... Doan spins an unforgettable tale."
--BookPage, Summer Reading Roundup

"[P]ast and present collid[e] in surprising and affecting ways in this bittersweet story of summers past."
--PopSugar, Books Better Than A Summer Vacation

"With Summer Hours, Amy Mason Doan deftly explores the powerful pull of the past and the way nostalgia informs our lives. A beautifully crafted story of love, ambition, and friendship."
--Jamie Brenner, bestselling author of The Forever Summer and Drawing Home

"Summer Hours is a dreamy, nostalgic coming-of-age tale full of wisdom and heart. I love this book."
--Andrea Dunlop, author of She Regrets Nothing

"Summer Hours is a mesmerizing illustration of how our youthful choices circle around to impact us later. Amy Mason Doan's voice is funny and vivid and infinitely readable."
--Kimmery Martin, author of The Queen of Hearts

"A touching novel of friendship, forgiveness and compassion."
--Abbi Waxman, author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill

"A beautifully rendered and indelible story. Amy Mason Doan crafts an immersive world filled with vivid locations and complex people. I sank into all of it and didn't want to leave."
--Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight

"A perfect combination of When Harry Met Sally and The Graduate." --Bethany Beach Books, Staff Pick