The Summer Wind (Lowcountry Summer, #2) by Mary Alice Monroe

The Summer Wind (Lowcountry Summer, #2) Reviews

• 
  Amy

  We first met sisters Dora, Carson, and Harper in The Summer Girls, the initial installment of the trilogy. Whereas that book primarily focused on Carson, the middle sister, this one turns the spotlight more on Dora, although we do get to know Harper better.
  
  Carson has fled to Florida with injured dolphin Delphine, leaving Dora and Harper to figure out what sort of relationship they have. It isn't so much that they are estranged - that would imply that a closeness had existed at some point - as it is that they are strangers. Both women's mothers are micromanagers, manipulative, and slightly (maybe more than slightly in Harper's mother's case) mean-spirited. There is an eight year difference between the two, which doesn't help their gulf.
  
  Mamaw, ever the puppet master of her granddaughters, decides to nudge the two sisters closer, something her housekeeper/friend/companion Lucille finds ridiculous.
  
  Before Mamaw can instigate her plan (it involves horticulture), Dora's struggles with her marriage begin to cause more problems, the stress of which leads to a medical diagnosis of "broken heart syndrome."
  
  For reals.
  
  In Dora's case, that broken heart has more to do with the loss of what she wished for her future than the reality of it. She and husband Cal have been on different tracks for years, with Dora focused entirely on homeschooling and tending to son Nate (who has autism), and Cal focused on staying as emotionally detached from his wife and child as he can.
  
  Fortunately, Dora's high school boyfriend is around, and he helps distract her from her problems. He also provides a nice dose of ego bolstering, something Dora dearly needs.
  
  We do get a bit more information regarding Harper's childhood, and Carson remains integral to the story, as does Lucille. As the summary indicates, Lucille receives a diagnosis that crushes Mamaw and the girls. On top of this, Mamaw has decided to sell the family beach home where the girls gather, something they find disheartening, to say the least.
  
  With Dora as the star of this book, you know going in that it will lack the spark of its predecessor. Dora is a less intriguing, less vivacious character, something Dora herself acknowledges. Although she's been raised to be a strong southern woman, Dora is anything but a steel magnolia. She allows herself to be manipulated by Cal and her mother, all in the name of what looks good. Dora is stronger than she thinks she is, though, and we know it's just a matter of time till she figures that out.
  There is a LOT going on in this book, almost too much at some points. Carson's story gets more dramatic, and Carson's reaction to some untimely news caused me to roll my eyes with frustration. She's a thirty-three-year-old woman, and she acts like she's fourteen. Harper has been hardened by nearly thirty years with her cold, calculating mother, years that have caused her to question the concept of true love. One thing she does know is that she will not settle for anything less than the "pow" moment she's dreamed of experiencing.
  
  I suspect we meet Mr. Pow in this book. I guess I'll know when the third one comes out, but I think I know who he'll be.
  
  Then there is the drama with Mamaw selling the house, Lucille's health problems, and Nate's issues. And that dolphin. Delphine takes up some space.
  
  It's just ... too much. The book would have been better served by paring down some of the drama, simplifying the story lines. The three sisters are lovely characters, and the relationship between Mamaw and Lucille manages quite effectively to avoid stereotypes. Throw in kids and husbands and boyfriends, though, and it's difficult to get too engrossed in the book because there is so much going on at one time. It doesn't help that Dora, bless her, is just not that compelling.
  
  Yet this is a sweet, lovely book, one that is a good choice for summer reading. You do need to read The Summer Girls, though, because it has information that helps you better understand and appreciate this one. I look forward to Harper's story and to finding out what happens with Carson.
  
  
  Published on VoxLibris.net
  @voxlibris
  
• 
  Melissa (Way Behind Again!)

  The second book in Monroe’s Lowcountry Summer trilogy is pleasant and furthers the storyline of the sisters, but it doesn’t contain a great deal of substance. This installment focuses a bit more on Dora than the other two women, and those portions of the story, as well as the parts featuring dolphins, are the most interesting and well plotted.
  Returning home from Florida, Carson has some serious decisions to make. Meanwhile, Dora is struggling trying to balance caring for her autistic son, supervising the remodeling of her previous home in order to sell it, and dealing with her soon-to-be-ex and his demands. Dora herself seems to be lost in the shuffle of it all. Harper is beginning to discover her own personality and tentatively makes strides in that area. Mamaw hopes that the girls can form a true sisterly bond before the summer ends and they go their separate ways.
  
• 
  Gina

  If you like a good beach read you will LOVE The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe. This is the second in a series of three about a family coming back together after years of having little to no contact with each other. While I wasn’t on Sullivan’s when reading (I was on neighboring Folly Beach), I could just picture in my mind many of the settings described in the book. Visions of the dock behind Sea Breeze, the humid summer evenings, as well as the dolphins playing offshore, were all very near to me as I read. I felt as it I was living in the book! The Summer Wind picks up with Carson going to Florida to check on “Delphine” our favorite dolphin, and the injuries Delphine received with entanglement in fishing line at Sea Breeze. While Dora was returning to Summerville to check on repairs to her home prior to it being put on the market for sale, Harper knew she needed to head back to New York for provisions if she was going to stay the summer on the island. The story continues as the three sisters made the decision to spend this summer at Sea Breeze with their beloved Mamaw, and her companion Lucille. As summer is now in full force, the girls contemplate major life-changing plans in each of their lives and how they affect their sisters, as well as Mamaw, and Doro’s son Nate. Mary Alice Monroe has another spectacular story inter-woven in the low country and about the dolphins that roam our waters, and you’ll meet a couple of characters
• 
  Margitte

  It is okay.
• 
  Cara

  This is the sequel to
  The Summer Girls and the second book in the Lowcountry Summer Trilogy. This one focuses on Dora, who I found least likable of the sisters. Also, no matter how many times the author mentioned Dora's beautiful blonde hair, the Dora in my mind persisted in having an ugly dark brown bowl cut. Specifically, I imagined her looking like Amy Bishop, the bio prof who shot up her department meeting at UAH a few years back. I couldn't figure out why until I realized: Dora the Explorer has basically the same haircut.
  
  Anyway, in the first book, I found Dora almost entirely unrelatable, so I wasn't too excited that this book would focus on her. But, as I got to know her better through this book, I started to understand and like her better. Also, this one does a better job of bringing all three sisters into the story, rather than focusing almost exclusively on just one as the first one did. I like that.
  
  Things I wouldn't have predicted from the first one:
  - Carson getting pregnant. It seems like Blake is really the wrong guy for her--too inflexible and quick to judge. It will be interesting to see how that all shakes out in the final book.
  - Lucille dying. No, no, no, Mary Alice Monroe! You've committed the cardinal sin of beach books: no killing off characters we like, and abso-fucking-lutely no cancer allowed! This death also seemed really sudden and rushed as the book was wrapping up, as if she was originally going to live to see the third book, but then the author changed her mind at the last minute.
  - Dora finding love again, and with someone I like. Go Dora! Kudos for all the personal growth.
  - Mamaw putting the house on the market early.
  
  
  These books have kind of a roughness to them--it doesn't seem like all the elements of plot and personality completely tie together or stay consistent. This one especially seemed kind of confused about exactly what it was about. Just look at the blurb--there's a storm, and Dora, and Lucille's illness, and Harper's mysterious visitor (?), and of course Carson's trip to Florida for more dolphin dolphin dolphin stuff. Somehow, it all seems like a set of things that happen, rather than a cohesive story with one point or theme. But overall, I enjoyed reading both of these books, and I'm curious about what will happen in the third. Harper is my favorite, so I'm looking forward to a book that focuses on her.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review!
• 
  Elizabeth

  ALL of the Southern stereotypes in one predictable plot. My face hurts from rolling my eyes. Like being trapped in an issue of Garden & Gun.
• 
  Judy Collins

  A special thanks to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
  
  THE SUMMER WIND is beautifully written and captivating, Mary Alice Monroe’s best work thus far----a powerful trilogy, of three grown step-sisters, from different walks of life, a loving sixth-generation, southern Charlestonian grandmother, a wise and loyal housekeeper, and a charismatic dolphin who touches the lives of a troubled boy and his aunt.
  
  Guilt and healing are constant themes of the poignant book, these experiences are apparent in each of the character’s lives, as well as a courageous Dolphin.
  
  Being a fan of Mary Alice Monroe for a number of years, she is a master at skillfully weaving into her narrative, significant environmental topics, blending them into the lives of her flawed characters---as they mature, learn, and find healing from life’s lessons and experiences.
  
  Monroe’s theme of humans and animals --sharing a connection, is evident throughout THE SUMMER WIND--with Nate, Carlson, Delphine; Cara/Sea Turtles, and Taylor/Jax/Thor. Monroe’s books demonstrate a powerful reminder of the importance of protecting animals, and the environment in which they live.
  
  Each one being unique--speaking to readers’ hearts, with richly developed characters, you will not soon forget, even after the story ends.
  
  I loved THE SUMMER GIRLS (#1) in the Lowcountry Trilogy, and was delighted to attain an advanced reading copy of THE SUMMER WIND (#2), to catch up with these lovable characters: Delphine (Dolphin), Nate, Carson, Dora, Harper, Lucille, and MaMaw.
  
  As these three half-sisters reunite in this alluring ecological setting of the Lowcountry of SC, at the historical Sea Breeze home, with stunning views and tranquil waters, filled with summer memories with their wise grandmother Mamaw and side kick, Lucille, (African American housekeeper, which is at the center of the fun); her utmost desire, is for her three granddaughters to rediscover their southern roots, family bonds, and connect with one another, even through life storms. Each have a common link, an alcoholic father, Parker, now deceased (MaMaw’s son, a “want to be author” who named each daughter after a famous author) —all with different mothers.
  
  Picking up from Book One, MaMaw (Marietta) celebrated her eightieth birthday, alluring the girls home before putting the home on the market, in order to plan to go into an assisted living facility. She threatened to cut them of the will if they did not spend the entire summer with her. (of course, her motives--not all selfish, as each of the girls needed a kick in the butt and some good LowCountry healing).
  
  CARSON (33) living in California, a free spirit, surfer and water lover, (runs at the mention of trouble or problems), recently lost her job, was pleased to spend the summer rent-free on the island. Readers were all delighted to find how she worked miracles, finding a connection with her nephew, Nate (Dora’s autism son), sharing her love of dolphins and the ocean.
  
  Carson, does not want to get too close to anyone, with the fear of getting hurt. Even though she does meet Blake, an environmentalist and Taylor, a veteran helping others, Carson is worried she is becoming an alcoholic, so decides to give up the drink and focus her energies helping save Dolphins, and Nate, while trying to find her way.
  
  In this book, she is taking a road trip to the Florida Keys with Nate, to help him heal his guilt (and hers), over the terrible accident involving the much loved dolphin, Delphine. They will spend time at a program working with children and dolphins, while connecting with their much loved and missed, Delphine which was at death’s door at the end of the last book.
  
  DORA (36) SC southern belle, in the midst of a divorce, was easily persuaded to stay at Sea Breeze, with her son Nate (Asperger’s), while repairs were being completed on her house in Summerville. She is still married to the awful Cal, we learned to despise in the first book.
  
  Dora is overwhelmed, uptight, and is experiencing heart problems. She has to chill, as always trying to be the perfect belle, with high expectations – finds herself in need of some R&R, and needs to take care of herself with the heavy demands of her son, Nate. (plus pressure she adds to herself)
  
  Yum…The handsome ex-boyfriend Delvin fits the bill (loved this guy), perfectly, as she finds some romance, laid back summer fun, and gets herself in shape with proper eating, exercise, and allows her sister, Harper help guide her with a much needed makeover and a new outlook/attitude.
  
  For Dora, the winds of change force her to cope with the aftermath of a messy divorce. As she lets go of her façade of the perfect wife and mother role, she discovers a renewed purpose and then she can move on with her future (let’s hope with Delvin- as loved him!)
  
  HARPER (28) New Yorker, of course, was the one sister, not so easily convinced to return to the Lowcountry, calling it blackmail. She is most sophisticated, well-traveled, having the best education, and is an heiress with plenty of money. However, not so happy, until she discovers she loves the Lowcountry and her southern roots, finding solace, quiet, and time fulfill her passion of writing.
  
  At the same time, she can relate to Nate with her computer knowledge (less talking and socializing, more online interaction), as well as assisting her sister Dora with gardening, creating organization, and a new makeover. She has lived a rigid life at the hands of her demanding mother, and loves spending time with MaMaw and being able to reflect through writing with freedom of expression. For Harper, a summer of self-reflection leads her to the revealing the weight of the expectations placed on her as the heir to her family’s fortune. I related to Harper the most (minus the wealth), as neat, organized, creative, reading, writing, and love of solitude.
  
  As a rough island storm brews and a health crisis threatens a beloved member of the family, the summer girls’ bond is strengthened, just as Mamaw had planned, for a poignant summer on Sullivan Island.
  
  The theme of healing is dominant throughout the book, as Dora heals from her heart condition, and her miserable and unhappy life, while the dolphin Delphine heals from her injuries. There are many parallels of letting go of the past and moving on to new experiences. Guilt also plays a huge role, as each character is suffering from some sort of guilt, whether it be the accident involving Delphine, the care of a specially challenged child, past family history, or a bad marriage, and how each one of them learns to accept.
  
  Each of the girls, plus Nate mature with transformations from the last book, which will forever change the course of their lives. It is difficult to say which girl changed the most, possibly Dora, as her unhappiness was more apparent and the transformation was physical, as well as psychological.
  
  Unearthing the slave manacles is a great tie in, as the manacles represent how each of their lives has been shackled by different elements with the opportunity to reflect, let go, and move on past these obstacles which stand in their way of happiness.
  
  Fans of southern writers: Wendy Wax, Karen White, Dorothea Benton Frank, Patti Callahan Henry, and Mary Kay Andrews will appreciate THE SUMMER WIND—each with their own unique style, and a common love of the south.
  
  Would highly recommend reading THE SUMMER GIRLS, prior to reading THE SUMMER WIND (both winners), in order to really get to know the characters and the background.
  
  This book was very special to me, having lived in the Florida Keys (Key Largo), for several years, while working with several real estate projects. I had the opportunity to visit the Dolphin Cove, a marine education and dolphin swim facility located in sunny Key Largo, Florida. Swimming with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove is like no other dolphin encounter, available to the public throughout the year and a great addition for families on their vacation- having referred many visitors to this beautiful natural lagoon.
  
  I would also recommend if you are in the area for Dolphins Cove, travel a little further south to Islamorada, to the Theater of the Sea, which provides a wonderful home for animals while sharing them with in ways that inspire awareness and sensitivity towards animals, the environment, and conservation issues.
  
  
  http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...
• 
  Marcee Feddersen

  
  http://anurseandabook.blogspot.com/20...
  
  Hmmm....I've read one of Mary Alice Monroe's books before and I liked it enough to read the sequel. So I was excited to get this advanced copy from NetGalley because I remember her as being a great beach read.
  
  So I started the book with high hopes. After about 50 pages, I started getting confused. I felt like maybe I had read the book before. After 75 pages, I was convinced I had read this book.
  
  Thank God for Goodreads. I went back and looked through my "read" history and found the book I had read. It was "Swimming Lessons" and it was published in 2007.
  
  So now I knew this couldn't be the same book, but the entire time I read it, I was feeling a little bored, because I felt like I knew how it was going to end.
  
  Elderly women living in beach cottages, teaching their grown children and/or grandchildren life lessons, grown women with absentee alcoholic fathers, emotional connections to sea life, unhappy marriages due to following the rules of the southern belle. All of the same story lines are present, just tweaked a little bit.
  
  That isn't to say that it isn't a good book. Both books are easy beach reads. But it just felt a little like re-reading the same book, when it wasn't a five star book worth re-reading, so I actually felt a little hoodwinked.
  
  After a little research, I discovered this is the second book in a three book series. If I had nothing better to do, I might read the third book just to see how it all ends out, but I feel like there wouldn't be many surprises.
  
  
• 
  Laurie

  It took me 4 nights to get to page 38.At that point I figured it would all be a happy ending.I gave up. I do like this author,but didn't like the characters. No empathy.
• 
  Laurel-Rain

  Their final summer at Sea Breeze on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, continues, with some new challenges for the three half-sisters.
  
  Mamaw (Marietta Muir) is firm in her support, albeit still planning to sell the summer estate.
  
  Dora is in the midst of settling the divorce issues and helping little Nate with his grief over the dolphin’s injuries earlier in the summer. A health crisis causes big changes in how she faces her life.
  
  Carson is instrumental in helping her nephew heal, by taking him to Florida to the treatment center where children and injured dolphins heal together. But her own unexpected life change leads to moments of facing her fears.
  
  Harper plants a garden and deals with her own issues. Secretly she writes on her computer, but shares nothing with the girls or her grandmother.
  
  Like the summer winds that come along toward the end of the story, with a big storm that resembles their own challenges, the three women will move a little closer to their own resolutions.
  
  I enjoyed The Summer Wind and reconnecting with the characters. The support and advice of Mamaw and their old maid Lillian felt like the kind of true strength offered by a close family. I also loved how the author painted a picture of the lowcountry, making me feel as if I were right there with them. The story concluded without an “end” to the conflicts and challenges, but a feeling of moving in that direction. There were sad moments, but also a stronger bond between the women. I am looking forward to the final book in the trilogy. 4.5 stars.
  
• 
  Joy

  Mary AIice is a new author to me... why haven't I read her books before? I'm totally enjoying this book, there's still a few chapters to read but I couldn't wait to write this, I've got several of my friends buying her books!
  
  This is book two in the series and the sisters are spending their last summer at Sea Breeze with Mamaw before she sells the place. Carson has lost her job. Dora is going through a divorce that's effecting her health.Her son has Asperger's and with the stress of it all she has a breakdown. The sisters rally around. Environmental issues are explored, a dolphin gets tangled in a fishing net and is severely injured. You get involved in her account as well.
  
  This is a wonderful story of hurt and healing, sisters coming together, family becoming important again. Monroe has written in such a way that makes you feel like part of the family. I could smell the sea air, feel the sand between my toes. I would call this a relaxing read. Loved it!
  
  I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Linden

  Have you ever been drawn into a book? That is how I felt reading The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe. The evocative descriptions transported me to the South Carolina beach, and the insightful characterizations made me feel as if I could visit Mamaw’s house and be welcomed with a glass of sweet tea. Even though this is book two of a trilogy, it really stands very well on its own, continuing the story of Marietta Muir (Mamaw) and her three adult granddaughters, half-sisters with the same father, who are just getting reacquainted. Mamaw has invited them to her home at the beach for the summer, knowing she will soon be moving, and hoping that Dora, Carson, and Harper will become friends. Romance, friendships, and family issues are woven together with storms, dolphins and sea turtles beautifully. A page turner which I just could not put down--highly recommended!
• 
  Jen (Feffer)

  If you’ve ever looked at my Goodreads list, you’ll know just how much I love Southern fiction, and novels that are located in and around Sullivan’s Island, in particular. I’ve read nearly everything Dorothea Benton Frank‘s ever written, for instance, and there’s nothing quite like a good, lazy, beachy summer read.
  
  Whether or not The Summer Wind is a good, lazy, beachy summer read is, I guess, a subjective question. For me, it didn’t quite hit the mark.
  
  ...Read more of this review at
  fefferbooks.com.
• 
  Amber

  I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
  
  What a great story! I finished this morning, yet the characters are still with me this evening (as I suspect they will be for some time). This was a story that made me laugh, made me cry, made me hopeful and made me want to make life slow down. This would make a perfect beach/pool read, as well as a great airplane book. I highly recommend to fans of Dorthea Benton Frank and Barbara Delinsky.
• 
  Gail Strickland

  A true beach read-three sisters, each with her own problems (check), a wise grandmother (check), and a domestic who's been in service forever who's also mighty wise (check), a hunky real estate guy (check), an awful husband and mother of one of the sisters (check) on Sullivan's Island for the summer.
  
  Could have been and should have been more, but I will say that Monroe hits all the cliches and then comes back and whacks them again.
• 
  Belva

  Love, love, love this book and all other Mary Alice Monroe books. I am always in awe of how much emotion is captured in her books. She makes you feel what the characters feel. She is such a talented story teller and one of my absolute favorite authors. I will recommend this one to anyone who knows how to read! I was provided an advance copy by Netgalley.
• 
  Amy Ingalls

  I love the setting of these books-- Mary Alice Monroe describes the low country so beautifully I feel like I am there. I also appreciate her depiction of Nate-- I taught Autistic children for years, and the way she writes him is very well done.
  
  And this book-- it just about broke my heart (that scene in the car with Mamaw and Lucille had the tears rolling).
• 
  Kathryn

  4.5 stars. Another great addition to the trilogy. Review to follow
• 
  Susannah Carleton

  Very good book about family, love, and the various choices people must make in their lives. Although primarily Dora’s story, all three sisters, as well as their grandmother and Dora’s son, Nate, grow and change in the book, some more than others.
  
  Dora realizes that her marriage is irreparable, and that she deserves a better relationship than she had with her husband. She also realizes, thanks to her sisters, that she wants and needs to improve her relationship with her son, so that she’s more than a teacher, rule enforcer, and disciplinarian.
  
  Is Dora ready for another relationship with a man? Her first love is ready and willing, but is she?
  
  Toward the end, Carson also faces some major changes, and she has some difficult decisions to make—especially for a woman who usually leaves when things get difficult.
  
  Harper is looking for something, but she’s not sure what. Will she know it when she sees it?
  
  Mamaw and Lucille also face difficult decisions and choices. Will the summer help them find their paths forward?
  
  A wonderful addition to the series. Brava, Ms. Monroe!
• 
  Milton Public Library

  In this sequel to the book, "The Summer Girls", we continue the story of three half-sisters spending a summer together at Sullivan's Island. In this book, the second in the series, we follow the lives of Harper, Carson, and Dora during the middle part of their summer back at Mamaw Muir's house. The girls, though different in so many ways, find how to love each other and lean on each other in the midst of their individual struggles. This is a wonderful continuation of the first book, and is a great summer or beach read! The author does a wonderful job of inviting you into the world that she created and keeps you interested in all of the characters. Although this is a great book that I recommend, I really recommend reading it as a part of the series. Definitely check this out!
  
  Find it today:
  https://ent.sharelibraries.info/clien...
  
  Ashley C. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
• 
  Elora Orazio

  This novel had been sitting on my bookshelf for years and I hadn't picked it up because it was the second of a series. In an effort to downsize, I decided to give it a shot (as I couldn't part with an unread book) and I am so glad I did! I was swept away to South Carolina, summertime, and allowing oneself to be transformed. There was a brief reference to "The Summer Girls", but this novel easily stands alone for those who haven't read the first in the series. It proved to be a perfect quarantine read- pleasant, uplifting, and hopeful when the world outside is filled with so much anxiety and fear.
• 
  Kari

  I do so enjoy Monroe’s series. This is true escapism for me, chick lit, beach read, whatever you want to call it, it’s just plain fun to journey in the low country with these characters. Dora grows a backbone, Carson discovers more that she has to offer and Harper comes out her shell a bit more. All three sisters grow nicely in this novel although I am hopeful the next devotes more of its time to Harper.
• 
  Gail

  Wow! What a great book! It makes you feel like you are having an adventure on Sullivan Island. A story about real life problems of sibling problems, romance and finding your place in this world. A heartwarming story that will have you laughing and crying. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
• 
  Kristin Hedstrom

  This is the second installment of the Summer girls series. This book focuses primarily on Dora, the eldest sister. While I found Dora's character a bit annoying in the first book, I enjoyed this sequel. Carson and Harper also continue their stories in this book. If you liked the first book then this is a must read.