I read Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand last summer and quite enjoyed it, so I was delighted when I was lucky enough to win one of the Hachette 14-book giveaways because it included Hilderbrand's latest, A Summer Affair. (Mind you, I was also delighted because that was 14 free books). After all the great reviews I read, I was really looking forward to delving into this book. Unfortunately, I didn't agree with most of those who loved the book.

It's not that I hated it, I just didn't enjoy it. It took me a long time to get into the book; I didn't find the main character, Claire, especially compelling. After 100 pages or so, the story finally started to pick up, and I got more involved with the story...but at any point I could have happily put the book down and started something else. Like I said, it's not that it's a bad book, it just didn't capture me.

There was no real drive to finish the book, no curiosity about what happened to them. The plotline seems unresolved at the end, as many of the problems Claire had with her husband are still there, with no insight as to how they might face them. Some of the secondary storylines simply don't fit with the book and seem thrown in to give a little more drama to the Claire/Lock storyline, which is the main part of the book - specifically, Siobhan and her husband and the whole Max West plotline. The book also dragged in places, and if you read this blog often, you will know that is one of my pet peeves - books that are significantly longer than they should be.

That being said, it was an easy, beachy read once I got into it. I didn't hate it, but I was surprised at how little it did for me, considering how much I enjoyed Barefoot. Here's hoping Hilderbrand's next work goes back to that!

This is a fabulous book. I very much enjoyed it and recommend it to every woman.

Very cute, fast, easy read. Really enjoyed this book and have already passed it on.

A great summer read by a wonderful author. I enjoyed this novel by Elin Hilderbrand as I have her first six novels. She writes a very entertaining book. I'm looking forward to the next one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have not been so emotionally disturbed by a story since watching Diane Lane in "Unfaithful". When you are married to a good person, who loves you, and you love them, why are you doing this?

Claire is like so many other moms, my wife included. So much going on and stretched to the breaking point but still can't say, "no". Claire's husband is a good guy and excellent father (yes he is) who, clearly, never got the wife user manual, "How to Feed and Care for your Lovely Wife". As a result, Claire, although she has a rich life in many respects, is left with two huge emotional vacuums, 1) professional satisfaction and fulfillment; and, 2) "just hold me, not bang me" intimacy. You can like both the Jason and Claire characters while wanting to slap, no,... I mean, douse them with ice cold water shouting, "wake up"! It is not like Claire is looking for trouble but when it is clearly there she does not back away.

Adultery is bad. In this story the adulterous situation is a train wreck of humongous proportions you know is going to happen. The train wreck unfurls in a very deliberate manner with lots of interesting characters and twist along the way. I never really despised, but also never liked, Locke, Claire's lover (I am closer to Locke than Jason intellectually). I think I didn't despise Locke because he was starting from such a lonely place emotionally. He was very needy considering who he was. On the other hand, you might see the whole situation as Locke taking advantage of Claire to some extent... but, all Claire had to do is not play ball so to speak.

One the more amusing aspects of an adulterous affair is when one of the perpetrators becomes jealous of their lover having to do "romantic" things with their spouse. Ouch!

Lastly, the cover has to go. Whoever selected that cover should be fired. The cover has nothing to do with the book. This was a "dark, winter" affair on Nantucket conducted under cover of night and in an office conference room. No, no, no, no barefoot walks in the sand. Sorry.

One last thing in the course of disclosures, I did this as an unabridged audiobook. Clearly, I would highly recommend this audiobook, notwithstanding the cover image.

Claire is the shining star of this book. Hilderbrand has done a stellar job of presenting and developing her main character. Claire is complex, paradoxical and completely lovable - even when she is being maddeningly frustrating. She lives on Nantucket in a gorgeous house with her handsome, hard-bodied husband and their four young children, has a live-in au pair, yet schleps around town in stretched out yoga clothes with no make up and her hair pulled back in a careless bun. In short, Claire is the kind of girl you'd want to be friends with.

Against the backdrop of Nantucket and an upcoming fundraiser gala that Claire has volunteered to co-chair, she commences an affair with local millionaire Lock Dixon. Hilderbrand's portrayal of the affair takes this story to the next level. She eschews stereotypical treatment of the extramarital affair, refusing to make light of it or let it become a mere frivolous subplot. Masterfully, Hilderbrand conveys the depth of feelings - both good and bad - that stem from Claire and Lock's relationship.

Indeed, what I loved most about this novel was how real Claire's feelings seem. The passion and yearning associated with the affair, the overwhelming frustration of wanting something so badly, yet knowing that you aren't willing to do what it takes - or give up what is required - to have it. The guilt. The way it inevitably bleeds into every other aspect of your life.

Not until part two, 125 pages into the story, does Hilderbrand introduce other narrative voices. Siobhan is Claire's Irish sister-in-law and best friend, outspoken, sarcastic, pretty much the opposite of Claire but likable all the same. We also hear from Lock, who turns out to be a good guy despite his marital transgression.

It is interesting to see Nantucket from the perspective of year-round residents. Hilderbrand herself resides on Nantucket, enabling her to describe life on the island beyond the summer scene with authenticity. Siobhan owns a catering business and the descriptions of food throughout the book are mouthwatering - enough so to make one suspect that Hilderbrand just might be a bit of an epicure herself.

It takes a talented writer to present a story like this in a way that makes the reader feel sympathy even when the main character is by all accounts behaving badly. Hilderbrand's richly textured rendering of Claire and her life choices make this a book that will completely absorb you and leave you longing to read more of her work.

I have read every Elin Hilderbrand novel so far. This book held my interest, don't get me wrong. However, I felt like the characters could've been developed more. Why bring in the part about Siobhan's husband and his issue unless the author was going to more fully discuss it with the reader? Or talk more about Claire's feelings towards Max West? Or brought in Jason's first person point of view? Or maybe even Daphne. I just felt like many novels these days, the characters could've been more fully developed and discussed rather than brought in as an afterthought.

Elin Hilderbrand's seventh novel, A SUMMER AFFAIR, is once again set on tranquil Nantucket where Claire Danner Crispin's life is anything but. Juggling a household, four children and a husband leaves her little time for anything else. She used to be quite an accomplished glass blower. But after an accident in her workroom when she was pregnant with her fourth child, Claire hasn't returned to her work. Life is hectic enough. Claire, however, is a people-pleaser and has a hard time saying no, which is why she finds herself as the co-chair of the biggest charitable event of the season ---the Nantucket's Children Summer Gala.

Instead of much needed time with her family, she is running off to meetings with Lockhart (Lock) Dixon, the handsome founder of Nantucket's Children. But Claire is no fool; she knows full well why she was appointed. It's a semi-well-known fact that she used to date rock star Max West before he was an international superstar, and they hope she can get him to perform at the gala. Claire hasn't spoken to Max (or "Matthew," as he was known then) in years. Last she heard, he was doing another stint in rehab...or was he getting divorced? She hopes he will remember her fondly and help her look like a superstar to the gala committee.

But the beauty of this small island masks a lot of pain going on behind closed doors. Claire struggles with her memories of Max and simpler times. Even though she loves her husband, Jason, a burly island contractor whose favorite thing to do is relax with a beer and watch "Junkyard Wars," she sometimes wonders where their carefree spark has gone. She is also troubled by her recent attraction to Lock, who is also in a complicated marriage. Claire would go crazy if she didn't have her sister-in-law, Siobhan, to confide in. Siobhan runs a local catering business with her husband Carter, Jason's brother, and provides Claire with no-nonsense Irish wisdom while also acting as her moral compass. Siobhan has issues of her own, including Carter's growing gambling problem and her ex-fiancé's renewed interest in her.

Guilt seems to play a major role in A SUMMER AFFAIR. Claire feels badly that her workaholic ways led to her youngest child's developmental problems. She is conflicted about her burgeoning feelings for Lock, as well as feeling guilty that his wife, Daphne, has never been the same after an accident following a girls' night on the town with Claire and some other local women, where they knew she had too much to drink. Daphne recovers physically but constantly barbs and snipes at everyone. Lock feels tremendous guilt on behalf of his teenaged daughter, Heather, and sticks with Daphne mostly for Heather's sake and out of well-intentioned loyalty.

In addition to the characters who are donning hair shirts, we have Gavin Andrews, the slimy assistant at Nantucket's Children, who is brazenly skimming funds from the charity right under Lock's nose. Gavin hopes to abscond with the money before anyone is the wiser. And there's Isabelle French, the cold and capable divorcee who is co-chairing the event but seems more adept at making Claire feel inadequate.

A SUMMER AFFAIR captures the beauty and the small-town coziness of Nantucket but also demonstrates that islanders have just as many problems as city dwellers. We follow Claire and the other characters through treacherous waters as they try to navigate their complicated lives. The subplot of the returning rock star boyfriend ends up being a little superfluous, though the domestic issues prove more interesting. Hilderbrand has taken great strides in developing her characters this time out. They are real, flawed and struggle with their own inner demons. They may make mistakes, but they are truly human. And, as in life, their flaws and their labors make them much more relatable.

--- Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller

I truly enjoyed reading this book. I have read all of E. Hilderbrand's books. A very easy read but was a page turner while sitting on the beach. I hope and look forward to any future books by this author.

This was not nearly as good as Hilderbrand's previous novels set on Nantucket. I keep reading her novels because of the setting, and since she lives there, the details are correct and authentic. I do love this island and love revisiting it through EH's books.

The book was too romance-y for me. The way Claire jumped into the affair was just too odd and really unexplainable. And it was pretty improbable with way too much coincidence for my liking.

My biggest quibble - I have been inside of glass-blowing operations and have seen fans being used. Why didn't Claire have exhaust fans running in her "hot-shop'?

I liked Claire and the book. You can't help but identify with her feelings. Her husband isn't bad - just not great. Her life is good but she is missing things since she quit her art. She feels guilt for things that are beyond her control. And somehow all of this seems to be relegated to the background when she meets Lock. Her attraction takes all the pain out of so many things.. Whether it should or not.

Written by: Elin Hilderbrand
Published by: Little, Brown and Company
Reviewed by: Stephanie Rollins for ReviewYourBook.com 8/2008
ISBN: 978-0-316-01860-9
"Stop What You Are Doing and Read This Book!" 5 stars
The women in A Summer Affair are in their 30's. They remember their youth vividly, but they are settled and secured. The 30's are a time when you still get zits, but you are also finding a few grey hairs. You love your children, but you long for the freedom you had before you became a mother. You desire to have the carefree life of your youth, but would you give up your loved ones and security for it? That is the question the women in A Summer Affair are pondering.
Claire explains, "She tried to explain to him what it felt like to be pawed by three kids all day. She was their slave, their employee; she worked for them." She is a wonderful mother, but she feels empty. She fantasized a life with another man, but "she realized that this would have to take place in an alternate reality, one where they had no jobs, no responsibilities, no ex-spouses or children to care for, no friends, no connections." Is she willing to walk away from it all?
My philosophy was that a book should never be over 275 pages unless it is a text book. I savored every 408 pages of this delicious tale. This is the epitome of chick lit. What a guilty pleasure! I am waiting for this to be turned into a Lifetime Movie. Do not pass up this book!

This was my first read by this author and I found it to be very enjoyable. After reading the other reviews I can see where their disappointments may come into play but I truly feel that the fast moving content of the book out weighs any of the negativity. I would recommend this to anyone looking to get lost in a good book.

I loved this book! This is the first book I have read by Elin, however it won't be my last. I think "A Summer Affair" is well written and allows you the feeling of being a resident of Nantucket. Albeit a quick read - it is a book I would suggest you purchase while at the beach, on vacation or anywhere you want to escape.

-jc

When Claire Danner Crispin---wife, mother and artist---agrees to chair the Summer Gala on Nantucket, she doesn't realize that she is turning her life upside down. But then, as Claire describes herself, she is a person with "no boundaries". She can't say no, and she allows others to use her.

What seems like an ordinary social event becomes a trip into obsession...First, Claire finds herself drawn more and more to the director of the event, a somewhat sad, but wealthy man, whose wife has turned into a bitter, angry creature after an unfortunate car accident left her "impaired" mentally. An accident that Claire blames on herself, as she and her friends failed to persuade their inebriated friend to take a cab that night.

Then Claire has to revisit an old love...Matthew, a now famous rock star. Her task is to convince him to do a concert for the gala.

And finally, Claire is persuaded to create a museum piece for the event...she is a semi-retired glass-blower, who has previously created such pieces. But because Claire had an accident in her "hot shop" while pregnant with her youngest child, and because that child was born prematurely and may have been damaged, Claire meets resistance from her husband, who is bitter and angry about her obsession with her art. And blames her for what happened to their baby.

All of these events combine to create the perfect maelstrom for what then transpires. The guilt, the angst, the neediness...these feelings lend vulnerability to Claire's life, somehow causing it to spin completely out of control.

Over a period of a year, while Claire and others on the committee team up to create the perfect event, there is almost an inevitability in how things play out.

Does Claire find the love she lost in her marriage? Can she recreate the "perfect" first love with her rock star ex-boyfriend? Will she be able to create that museum piece, while juggling all the balls in her life? What, finally, will happen when the Summer Gala is presented, and
will Claire find the answers she seeks?

What could have been just an ordinary beach read has turned into an exploration of the human needs, flaws and urges that plague all of us at one time or another. Ms. Hilderbrand skillfully leads us down a path of discovery...not just of the characters in the story, but of our own human frailties.

A wonderfully engaging tale of human self-discovery.

The author develops her characters extremely well, and grabs your interest and attention from page 1. I've read all seven of her great books, and this one ranks right up there with her best efforts. It is very easy to relate to the various characters and their conflicting feelings about themselves and the other characters.
Elin Hildebrand is a young and very accomplished author. I'm already looking forward to her next effort..

Reviewed by Tracy Kokemuller for Reader Views (6/08)

Claire Crispin Cook has it all - a handsome husband named Jason, four beautiful young children, and a career as a nationally-renowned artist of glass sculptures. In fact, she has too much on her plate when she agrees to co-chair the Summer Gala, a benefit for the poor children of Nantucket. Soon Claire finds herself having a passionate affair with the charity's millionaire executive director, Lock Dixon. Lock convinces Claire to come out of retirement and create an art piece to be auctioned off for the charity. He also asks Isabelle French, a millionaire, to co-host the charity event with Claire. Claire soon finds herself at odds with Isabelle, and is even jealous as Isabelle seems attracted to Lock. Claire finally breaks down and tells her best friend Sibohan about the affair. Sibohan is married to Jason's brother and threatens to tell Jason unless she stops the affair. Claire's drama spins out of control as the day of the Summer Gala approaches.

I found the first few chapters hard to believe because Claire jumps into the affair with Lock without the author really explaining why or developing her motives. She does not seem to be unhappy in her marriage and the book lacks a buildup to why Claire would be so attracted to another man. But then the book suddenly goes in another direction by switching narrators.

Now, we get Sibohan's story and the problems she has going on in her life as well as how she starts to notice Claire's affair. Then, quick change, we get Lock's point of view as well. I really liked getting the different points of view of all the characters. I only wished we would have heard Jason's point of view. It would have been more interesting. Once I started to feel like I understood more about Claire's reasons for jumping into the affair, things abruptly change again, which was disappointing.

I will say, the author, Elin Hilderbrand, is a talented storyteller, but the story jumped around a bit too much. I would have liked to have seen Hilderbrand focus more on Claire's marriage to learn why she was so unhappy, at least to the point that she was open to an affair. I was especially curious as to why she would have an affair with a man who was older and not as good looking as her husband. The author seems to have done a lot of research about the art of glass blowing and that part was very interesting to read. In the end, I would recommend "A Summer Affair" because the story kept me intrigued to the end and at the end there is a surprise twist, and I like surprises. And I think you would too!

I thought this latest Hilderbrand book might have been written by someone entirely different. It held none of the Nantucket magic that her previous books had. She is leaning way too far into the romance novel genre for me. I highly recommend the previous books however.

A good beach read with plenty of interesting characters and a plot that doesn't disappoint. If you've read other Hilderbrand novels, you'll want to pick this one up.

Take A Summer Affair to the beach and take it with a grain of salt. It's a tad difficult to believe how or why an intelligent, caring woman who has it all - good husband, four fine children, a career as an acclaimed artist - would risk throwing it all away for a summer spin in the sand? However, credulity can be easy to suspend when a narrative is filled with pretty people, dreamy scenes, and pulsing passion. So, forget the how's and why's if you've a mind to, and join the fray.

Fray is precisely what it turns out to be when Claire Danner Crispin agrees to chair the Nantucket's Children summer Gala. Not only will she serve as chair but she'll also create an original art piece - a gorgeous glass chandelier. It's not that Claire doesn't already have her plate piled high with house, husband, and kids, as most everyone can see save for Claire. But we're told she suffers from an inability to say no or even not now.

Billionaire Lockhart Dixon directs Nantucket's Children (why are these fellows always millionaires, billionaires or zillionaires?) Whatever the case he and Claire are soon having an affair. Lock's wife was involved in a tragic auto accident which left her mentally impaired.

Problems? What else? Claire has husband problems, lover problems , best friend problems, and problems with her New York co-chair.

How did a rational woman ever get herself into such a mess? One cannot help but wonder. The one thing this listener didn't wonder about is the reading by Tony Award nominee Isabel Keating. Her delightful performance makes a lighter than a cumulus cloud plot seem almost plausible. Once again star quality narration gives a boost to an unremarkable story.

- Gail Cooke

Do you remember when Oprah was overweight and she use to pick out a rock-on book every month? You know, back in the days of OPEN HOUSE and DROWNING RUTH? If we could go back in time, this might have been one of those books she selected.

This book doesn't reach out and grab you at the beginning. Instead, the author eases you into the story. I absolutely love Claire, the main character and once the story took hold, I had trouble putting the book down.

I have read all this author's books. I was anxious to read this one. As a previous reviewer said, it definitely feels like the reader is reading a "Lifetime Movie". The book starts our ok. Once Claire and Lock start the affair, the story is somewhat stagnant. There isn't much more happening. The book drags on. The Max West character didn't fit in the story line. Overall the story just doesn't go anywhere interesting.

The book is only ok.

I noticed on the inside jacket flap the Gala cochair, Isabelle, is listed as "Isabelle Dixon" not Isabelle French. Major misprint. Guess evryone was in a hurry to pump this book out.

All of the benchmarks in Claire Danner Crispin's love life have started in the summer. It was summer when her childhood friendship with Matthew Westfield grew into love. It was also summer when Matthew became Max West, world-famous rock star, and left Claire behind. It was summer when Claire started dating Jason Crispin, and it was summer when she nearly threw away her marriage to him. And finally, it was being co-chair of the Nantucket's Children's Summer Gala that led her to reevaluate what she truly cherished in life. Author Hilderbrand, known for capturing the breezy, relaxed feeling of life on Nantucket, returns to the island again. Centered around the planning for the Nantucket's Children's Summer Gala, A Summer Affair focuses on Claire and her family from the time she agrees to co-chair the event through Claire's epiphany shortly after the event is over. Involvement with the gala committee stirs up many feelings in Claire. There are problems from the start.

Isabelle French, her co-chair, proves to be more of a rival than a partner. But rivals for what? The Gala brings Lock Dixon into her life, whose wife has never recovered from an accident Claire feels she could have prevented. Suddenly she's with people interested in things outside of soccer schedules and school field trip--people who listen to classical music and understand wine.

She contacts her former high school sweetheart, the now famous rock star Max West to perform at the Gala, and when asked, she agrees to create a special piece of glass art for the auction, even though both cost her dearly. All of these things help to drive a wedge between Claire, her family and friends.

Many women will read this book and see parts of themselves in Claire. The events leading up to the Summer Gala cause Claire to reexamine the decisions she has made in her life. To do things over again, would she have changed any of them?

Armchair Interviews says: A Summer Affair is a nice read women will relate to.

Imagine my surprise when I walked into Mitchell's Book Corner on Nantucket and not only do I spot Elin Hilderbrand's new book, but I also spot Elin herself!!!!
I was like a kid meeting Mickey Mouse! I LOVE all of her work!
A Summer Affair was just as good as all of her previous work! I could not put it down! I find so much joy in reading books that are set in Nantucket- makes me feel connected to the island even when I am not there!
If you love Elin, you will love this book!!!

I agree with other reviewers that reading A Summer Affair is like watching a movie on the cable channel Lifetime. The plot is light; Claire is a middle age mom who gave up her glassblowing career to raise the kids only to find her marriage in a rut. She makes some interesting choices, not all of them good, but they are choices she now has to live with.

It is an easy and familiar read, yet it does its job. This book will make you laugh,and holds your attention. It is a great escape!

Claire Danner Crispin is portrayed as a woman who has a hard time defining boundaries for herself. So when Lock Dixon asks for her help in co-chairing a huge charity event, she finds herself agreeing. As if that wasn't enough, Claire complicates the situation by having an affair with Lock who is a married man...

Reading A Summer Affair is like watching a romantic dramedy on Lifetime. Does the storyline matter? No. Does the plot matter? No. You know why? You know this story. You've seen it many times. You've heard about it from that friend of yours who always has the line on the craziest good gossip going on in town. You don't want to read this book because it's original. You read it because it does what it's supposed to do: gives you an escape. This book will make you laugh, possibly cry, definitely gasp, and maybe simultaneously feel relief that this isn't your life.

And when you're done reading the book, you will close it and say to yourself, okay, I guess that was fun, think I'll go for a swim now...So, not life changing (and I had a really hard time relating to Claire), but still a pleasant escape. It won't change your life, but it'll give you a few hours of enjoyment. What else can you ask for?

For another amazing beach read, a tad more complex and emotional but still a perfect book to take you away from it all, I'd also recommend one of my former staff picks, Pieces of My Sister's Life. For a beach read more "chic-lit-ie," I'd also like to recommend Second Chance, a book about friends reunited by tragedy.

Enjoy!

Nationally renowned but retired glassblower, Claire Danner Crispin agrees to co-chair the Nantucket's Children Summer Gala; she accepted the position for two reasons: one is her four children and the second is the other chair; her high school boyfriend rock star Max West. Claire also agrees to make a special glass item to sell at the accompanying auction.

When she meets the charity's director Lock Dixon, they are attracted to one another. Each has a spouse and have problems with their marriages. Claire's marriage has lost its heat as she and her spouse "Underwhelming" Jason have drifted apart and Lock's wife is mentally impaired following a nasty car accident. Will this prove the most wonderful summer of their lives or the most heartbroken?

Claire makes this deep character study work as a middle age mom who gave up her glassblowing career in spite of national acclaim to raise the kids only to find her marriage on life support at best with her leaning towards pulling the plug. Fans will wonder whether she will shag Lock, Max, Jason or no one as this is the momentous summer of her discontent.

Harriet Klausner