All the Summers in Between Review

Hello, all!

As a Long Islander, I'm a sucker for any book set here. So, I was excited to get a copy of All the Summers in Between by Brooke Lea Foster. Big thanks to the publisher!

Pub Date: 6-4-24
Adult - Historical Fiction

It's the summer of 1967, and while most people her age are out having fun, Thea is working to care for her younger sister and stepfather after her mother's passing. But when she meets Margot, a wealthy girl summering on Long Island, Thea's life is turned upside down. Soon, the pair are inseparable, spending their days working together at a local record store and their nights at parties or just driving around. Thea thought nothing could come between the friends, but one August night proved her wrong.

Ten years later, Thea feels unfulfilled in her role as mother and wife. So when Margot mysteriously shows up at her door with a patchy story about marital troubles and begs for a place to lie low for a while, Thea is quick to help her estranged friend, but she also knows she can't fully trust Margot. Margot brings a sense of adventure to Thea's life that had been missing, but then Margot begins asking more and more from Thea. Thea helped Margot once, and it almost ruined her life-- is she willing to do so again?

This wasn't what I expected, and not in a good way. I didn't like either of our main characters at all. Margot was selfish, and Thea was a doormat. There was such a power imbalance within their friendship, and Margot exploited that to make Thea do whatever she wanted. Their friendship felt so toxic, and I wanted to shake Thea to her senses. The plot wasn't redeemable either. It was lackluster. Aside from the one chapter where we find out their big secret (which was very predictable), nothing happens. I liked the dual timelines, but it just showcased how there is zero substance or character development within our two MCs. Sadly, the whole thing didn't work for me.

Rating: 2/5