Another winner from Spencer! I saw this book at a local library used book sale and snatched it up, given the great experience I had with Morning Glory. I was not disappointed!First off, I adore Roberta! I find her fantastically independent, caring, and vulnerable when she needs to, as well as un-domestic, just like me. There were times where the claims to independence were a bit much with multiple stressing of the point, but I can forgive that with how much I love her character. I also loved Gabriel. He seemed like a truly caring man, who is mourning for his lost beloved wife, loving towards his daughter if a bit exasperated by her teenager-ness, and just trying to build a strong and steady life for his family. He’s the kind of man that truly seems to balance out Roberta’s wild ways.And boy do I love the love connection between Roberta and Gabriel! They are perfect bookends for each other; high energy meets placid calm, fiery temper meets even keel. I adored the slow burn we got to the relationship, with the emphasis on emotions rather than the sexy times. But then from Spencer’s previous book, I’ve grown to expect that. Another point of awesome is the older age for the leads. I liked that they were more mature than your usual couple, which added a nice bit of difference to the book.I also liked that the author wasn’t afraid to explore some very serious issues among the sweet romance. While not as emotionally fraught as the previous book I read, the issues in this book still make for some very heavy reading. The author doesn’t get explicit enough to be gratuitous, but the events have true weight with abundant consequences throughout the latter half of the book.I was so thrilled to get this book and so engrossed by it, that I read the whole thing in 21 hours. Started as soon as I exited the book sale and read the whole way through. Sweet romance, fantastic characters, and some heavy material to balance out the fluff make this a winner historical romance. I look forward to more from this author and recommend the book highly.
***3,75*** - Another truly enjoyable historical tale by talented Mrs Spencer. This one is set in a beautiful coastal town in Maine, in 1916, and we meet spunky Roberta Jewett, a strong 36-year woman, rather plain, mother of three most endearing daughters, returning from Boston to her hometown after having divorced her cheating and deceiving husband. Roberta is a most wonderful character; she's quite independent (considering it's 1916)and she's so generous with her love for her daughters. Roberta's put herself through college and works as a nurse so she can provide for her family.I often got very mad at the town's small-mindedness and petty mentality, where most of the people thought conventions were more important than the true nature of one's character. So everyone in town is dead-set of thinking the worst of a divorcee, including Roberta's own mother, sister, and especially her sleazy brother-in-law. Well it is early 20th century after all and that’s how it was in those times. Luckily times have changed.And thankfully there’s Gabe, the town’s carpenter, who becomes Roberta’s best friend and defender.Roberta's independence will carry you along through trials and tears to a glorious conclusion full of family love and harmony at last. This is a light but also a beautiful read.
What do You think about That Camden Summer (1997)?
What a well written book and well executed plotline! I absolutely loved Roberta and her independent nature and how she carried herself. Spencer has the skill of character development and leads the reader to really engage with the lives of these characters. I have to admit I thought it was going to be a sappy romance novel but I'm glad I was wrong. This was a novel that mirrored the struggles women faced in the early 1900s. Roberta broke all of the rules by getting a divorce, an education, buying herself a car, standing up for herself while raising 3 daughters to be independent, educated and cultured. I really enjoyed this book and was saddened to have finished it!
—Jessica
Long time no see Goodreads :D Setelah saya bertapa di kaki pegunungan sekarang saya muncul lagi.Lagi dan lagi dan tentu aja di bikin terharu sama cerita si oma yang 1 ini. Ngenes, sedih, jadi 1 semua. Bikin bacanya juga agak miris banget.Tentang Roberta janda beranak 3 yang dikucillkan oleh orang2 di kampungnya dan keluarganya sendiri. Hingga dia bertemu dengan Gab, yang adalah seorang duda juga.Manis dan masing2 tokoh berkarkter kuat. Suka dengan cerita ini walau memang bisa dibilang agak ngenes. Tapi ada juga beberapa hal yang bikin senyum bahkan bikin gue tertawa. Berharap Gagas Media mau nerbitin novel si oma yg lainnya.
—Caca Venthine
LaVyrle Spencer is one of the few romance novelists I can enjoy. Her characters are normal people going about their normal lives -- they're not great beauties or handsome young rakes. Often the two main characters dislike each other or just plain don't notice or care about each other at first. And she does a good bit of historical research about the times and places she sets her stories.I was a bit disappointed with this one. It's obvious she did a LOT of research on the time (1916), the place (Maine), and on the ridiculous amount of crap you had to do to keep an old car running, but that was about it. It lacked the subtlety I've seen in other books. The characters are all exactly as they seem. Roberta is a divorcee who is independent and stubborn and these characteristics are beaten over your head constantly. Gabe is a widower carpenter, a man of few words. And Elfred is a sleaze. I don't really feel like you had any more knowledge of these characters, or learned anything new, by page 388 that you hadn't learned by page 38. The plot points are also fairly predictable and typical.It just didn't have that certain something that I liked so much about The Gamble. Everything just felt a little forced, a little loud, a little predictable. It wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't a great one either.Trigger warning: There's a somewhat explicit rape scene in the book. I'm sorry I'm not hiding this behind spoilers, but that kind of ruins the point of posting a trigger warning, doesn't it? ;)
—MAP
