Author: Emily Madden
ISBN: 9781743693117
RRP: $29.99
Debut author Emily Madden does more than just tug on the heartstrings in Summers with Juliette, there are moments I think she managed to rip it out and stomp on it.
Summers with Juliette is a beautiful story of small towns, friendship, missed chances, scandal, redemption and new beginnings. It is told from three different perspectives so the shift in point of view gives us an in-depth look into the characters and we get to know them in a way you simply couldn’t from anyone else’s perspective.
Juliette Cole is descended from the founding fathers of small town Ellesmere on the New South Wales coast not too far from Coffs Harbour. She inherited the local bookshop from her grandmother and has expanded it into a bookshop cafe, taking over the property next door. Juliette is the centrepiece of the story but we learn a lot about her friends and her town throughout the book.
Teenaged best friends make a pinkie swear on a coastal cliff at the end of a summer that if ever one of them was in need and called the three of them would be there for each other; almost 20 years later Juliette calls them back to Ellesmere to honour their promise.
Anna Kendall is also descended from the founding fathers of Ellesmere and she grew up in the town. Unfortunately a few years after the pinkie promise Anna’s father was caught up in a scandal that saw him disappear leaving Anna and her mother to be run out of town. Anna has never been back, and she never intended to. Juliette has needed her in the past and Anna always found a reason not to return; this time Juliette called in the promise and she has to go back.
Sera DiMaggio spent her summers in Ellesmere growing up, until the year of the scandal. She is an Australian soap star with a long running character on an iconic soap. She keeps her true self hidden behind her makeup armour. Sera has kept in touch with Juliette but not spoken to Anna in years. The call from Juliette sees her make arrangements for leave from the soap so she can be there for Juliette.
There is a lot going on in Summers with Juliette and it all tied in beautifully. Juliette called Anna and Sera home to spend one last summer with her before she loses her battle with ovarian cancer. Anna and Sera may not be on speaking terms anymore but they were once the best of friends and they soon realise that working together may be the only way to give Juliette the will to fight.
I needed the tissues a few times throughout this one and my heart broke for Juliette. I have to admit it was not what I was expecting, there were times were I thought she would have a change of heart and get a happily ever after but she didn’t.
Juliette was the peacekeeper in the town and a brilliant mediator, as had always been the way with the Cole family, and her last summer with Anna and Sera was a touching demonstration of that as she brought the girls back together to rekindle their friendship and work through their past hurts.
The main story is Juliette, Anna and Sera but no story would be complete without at least a hint of romance; so there are men on the scene as well – gorgeous men of course. Mayor Patrick Shepherd who moved to Ellesmere from Coffs Harbour, Jack Harper the relative newcomer to town from Sydney and the elusive Noah.
Juliette is a caring and wonderful woman, loved by everyone in town but carrying more than her fair share of heartache. Anna and Sera are both carrying excess baggage that see them creating brick barriers around themselves so that no-one can get close, so that no-one can hurt them.
I loved Summers with Juliette, it was poignant and beautiful demonstrating the strength of the bonds of friendship. If you make a vow to your best friends that you will be there then you will be there. Anna worded the vow and then moved on to become a contractual lawyer but she had the most trouble returning to the town that shunned her and ran her out. She was worried about the reception she would receive, and it turns out she was right to be worried. The small town memory remembers the scandal and is prepared to shun her again.
I think the men being new additions to town, and the arrival of a few others, is a great illustrator of how welcoming the small town can be. Jack was embraced from the beginning and fast felt like he’d found home; okay he was still nicknamed cityslicker but it was done goodnaturedly. It is a sharp contrast to the treatment Anna recieves on her return.
If you love tales of the bonds of lifelong friendship read Summers with Juliette, you won’t regret it. It shows the importance of making the most of your time and your friends because we never know what tomorrow will bring.
Summers with Juliette is book #70 for the Australian Women Writers’ Challenge 2016.
Emily Madden can be found on her Website and Facebook.
Summers with Juliette is available through Harlequin, Angus and Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
20 of our lucky readers will be reading Summers with Juliette so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Thank you so much for the advanced copy to read and review of Summers With Juliette. I lost my Mum to Cancer and thought it would be a bit hard to read considering Juliette was terminal with Ovarian cancer even though it was a different one to my Mum’s.
It was a bittersweet journey for Juliette and her childhood friends and her new friends.
I laughed and cried a few times while reading this and was hoping so much that Juliette went into remission again or a cure was found (even though I know this isn’t true-but with fiction we can only hope).
Anna and Sera’s stories tie in so well with Juliette’s and the small town of Ellesmere. Small towns are extreme in the way they hold grudges and the contradiction in the way they treat others. Perfect example is the way the ‘new lawyer’ is welcomed but still is called ‘Cityslicker’.
Juliette walks away from her love and happiness with Noah believing she is doing the right thing. How wrong she was but thanks to her two stubborn friends they track him down and bring the two lovers back together. It nearly was too late and they only have a short time together. This was so heartbreaking to read.
The romances that blossom and the trials both Anna and Sera go through to get their happy endings are well written and shows the tough exteriors that some people build around themselves. I am happy that Sera finally lets herself be honest with herself and her Mayor and Anna realises that history may not repeat itself and to take the risk for her own happiness.
This was a lovely book to read and I wanted to read it in one sitting but forced myself to put it down so I could cherish the whole book.
I certainly will recommend this to others to read.
It is nice also to see what the Cover Illustration will be when it is released.
For a first time Author, Emily Madden will certainly have collected followers for any future writings.
I know I am one.
Exceptional book congrats to Emily Madden.A book that told of sadness laughter hope & forgiveness.I had a few close moments in this book as my Mother died of Ovarian cancer but this story was told in such a beautiful way & taught many of us that true friendship lasts forever.There were tissue moments but also moments of laughter & great enjoyment for such a wonderful story.Once again congratulations to Emily I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book.
I loved Summers With Juliette. A great book to start the summer hols with. I loved the three intertwining storylines and the way Emily Madden brought the three friends back together even though it was for a sad and serious cause. I found Julliette’s story moving . Her fight with the dreaded ‘C’ brought back many memories of my own mother’s fight with cancer. She was diagnosed as stage four and terminal. Needless to say the tears were flowing.
Julliette is such a strong woman who through her illness not only manages to bring her childhood friends back to town but manages to get them to reconcile.
Each of the girls , Anna, Sera and Julliette, have their own issues, baggage to deal with but they are able to do this by the end of he novel and move on with their lives.
I loved the romance and the humour, especially the ‘Kardashian’ like names of all Noah’S family members.
For a debut novel, this is great! Congratulations to Emily Madden ! Definitely an enjoyable read that I will recommend to others.
I REALLY enjoyed Summers with Juliette.
A beautifully written story about friendship, love and hard times.
Three childhood friends that reconnect to help Juliette when she has a cancer relapse. Not a lighthearted novel by any stretch of the imagination, but a really worthwhile read.
Interesting characters that engage make this a real page turner. I found it an emotional read and had leaky eyes on more than one occasion.
Overall this book made me think about my own mortality and an overwhelming personal desire to try and make the very best of my own life. Pretty powerful stuff.
I would absolutely recommend this book – I read it in two sittings and ended up with two days worth of reading hangovers.. but it was absolutely worth it.
Best novel I have read in some time. x
We seem to be having a little issue with some of our readers posting their reviews so today I am posting a review for Marisa Ranson.
Thank you for the opportunity to read Summers with Juliette by Emily Madden a debut author. It was great to receive a book for advance reading before it’s released and to then see what the cover will look like.
What an inspiring story of Juliette and her long-time friends Sera and Anna. Set in the township of Ellesmere where people all know all the towns folk and what may or may not of happened in their lives at present and in the past. When the girls were growing up they made a Pinkie swear that should they ever need they could call on each other at any time no matter what might happen in their lives. With Juliette been terminally ill she calls her friends and asks them to come back to Ellesmere and be with her for the summer as she dies. Sera and Anna have not spoken for many years but banter together to give Juliette her wishes. Once in Ellesmere they go through some highs and lows but always rally together for Juliette.
The cover wording “Sometimes facing the past is the best way to face the future” is true of all the friends as they face up to some of the things in their lives that they did not wish to including friendships and relationships as we never really know what tomorrow holds for each and every one of us.
The ending was not quite as I had expected as I thought all would end happily ever after. The story for me was very moving, sad and kept me thinking as to what may happen next in their lives.
I look forward to reading more novels by the same author and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Summers with Juliette it to anyone.
Summers With Juliette is a beautiful moving story of three friends reunited for a short time.
Juliette has cancer and has called her 2 best friends to come home to the country town where their friendship began. All those years ago Anna, Sera and Juliette made a pinkie promise to be there if any of them needed the others no matter why, no matter where, no matter when.
Summers With Juliette is a story written from the point of view of each of the three girls the story goes back and forth between them.
Because of their pasts each of the girls have built up walls and none are ready to let a man in.
This novel is carefully written in a way that each of the girls has their own story to follow yet they are all intwined and interwoven wonderfully well.
The story of Anna and cancer is written with much grace and tenderness.
I really loved this novel it had me laughing and crying and throughout I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It is a heavy story that is made light and tender.
Thank you for letting me read this wonderful novel.
Summers with Juliette was just a lovely read.
Two years ago around this time of year I lost my Mother to cancer and so I felt an instant connection with Juliette who was facing the cancer battle and her friends Sera and Anna who as Juliettes friends had to deal with the fear of losing a loved one.
This was not a book of doom and gloom though. The storyline takes you on a journey that shows that each day is a gift and that day should be lived.
This book grabs you and draws you in so that you become emotionally invested and you want things to work out in the budding love relationships between Juliette and the guy she meets while undergoing cancer treatment and Anna and the guy she meets on the plane and then goes on to find he is not only the mayor of the town but he also lives in her old house.
This story is set in a small town and so there is also the small town relationships where everyone has a story and their knowledge of the past and they all form opinions of others and their relationships.
I really loved this book and carried it with me so any spare moment I could give it a read. It was funny as I was reading it in Airport arrivals lounges and Doctors waiting rooms. Seemed rather fitting with the book at times.
This is a wonderful summer read that grabs you straight away and even when you have finished reading you will still give thought to the characters.
I enjoyed reading this book and finding out how the different relationships developed and gradually discovering things which had happened to each of the characters in the past which played a part in making them the people they had become. Even though it is written from the point of view of the three main female characters, each chapter seemed to flow into the next and it was very easy to just keep on reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this intriguing book. I did not really expect to cry while reading this book but I found myself absolutely balling my eye’s out as the story neared its end. I definitely think being a mother has made me more emotional but truly this book will bring out emotions from the depths of your soul.
Juliette is terminally ill and calling on a promise made long ago with and her friends.
“Anna” and “Sera” made this promise with Juliette almost twenty years ago and the two friends return to the beautiful coastal town that holds memories of a haunted past to help Juliette.
Summers with Juliette is no ordinary read, it will take you on an emotional ride you won’t forget. This book truly makes you stop and think at times throughout the whole book.
Summers with Juliette gives more than just a brilliant story but can also give life advice in a wonderful story that incorporates female friendship that is so special and important to women. My advice is to have a box of tissues next to you while reading Summers with Juliette by Emily Madden.
Thank you Beauty & Lace for the great opportunity to read this beautiful book that will stay with me in my heart forever.
wow, This is the best book I have read in a while and one that can be reread. I can’t believe how many emotions I went through reading Summers with Juliette, I actually groaned whenever I had to put it down. It’s definitely a page turner that pulls at your heart strings and beautifully written. The journey of 3 childhood friends that starts with a pinky swear and ends with a wonderful story of friendship, love, loyalty and a box of tissues. Thank you beauty and lace and Emily Madden for the opportunity to read Summers with Juliette, I absolutely loved it.