In this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Dressmaker’s Dowry, two young women two generations apart discover the joy and heartbreak of following their dreams. Aspiring Hollywood actress Violet makes a shocking choice in 1940, and seventy years later, Mari sets out to discover what happened on that long ago summer.Santa Cruz, Summer 1940: When auburn-haired Violet Harcourt is … auburn-haired Violet Harcourt is crowned Miss California on the boardwalk of her hometown, she knows she is one step closer to her cherished dream: a Hollywood screen test. But Violet’s victory comes with a price—discord in her seemingly perfect marriage—and she grapples with how much more she is willing to pay.
Summer 2007: Single mother Marisol Cruz lives with her parents in the charming beach cottage that belonged to her grandfather, Ricardo, once a famed performer on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Drawn to the town’s local history and the quaint gazebo where her grandparents danced beneath the stars, Mari sells raffle tickets at the Beach Boardwalk Centennial Celebration, and meets Jason, a California transplant from Chicago.
When Mari discovers the obituary of Violet Harcourt, a beauty queen who died too young, she and Jason are sent on a journey together that will uncover her grandfather’s lifelong secret—his connection to Violet—a story of tragedy and courage that will forever transform them.
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Mari, Violet, and Ricardo have a connection.
No one knew about the connection until Mari decided to do some research.
BOARDWALK SUMMER smoothly goes back and forth from 1940 to 2010.
Violet is married, enters a beauty pageant in 1940, wins the pageant, but then relinquishes the win because only unmarried women are allowed to enter. She also gives up the crown because her abusive, controlling husband was furious. Violet then does a few unlikely and out-of-character things.
Mari is an unmarried mother in 2010 who works as a waitress even though she has a history degree. Her history degree has her uncovering information about Violet and the history of a gazebo where her grandparents met while dancing. The gazebo is currently slated to be torn down, but Mari just can’t let that happen. Her research leads to unpleasant secrets about the connection between Violet and Ricardo as well as many other family secrets.
Ricardo is Mari’s grandfather who used to perform on the Boardwalk. He and Violet were friends.
BOARDWALK SUMMER was a beautiful read for me. The story line and the characters are heartwarming and unique.
Mari was precious along with her entire family. Violet was sweet, but naive. You can’t help but feel pangs of pity as well as love for both of them.
Historical fiction fans, those that enjoy family sagas, and anyone who loves an endearing story about families and their family history will enjoy BOARDWALK SUMMER.
Don’t miss reading Ms. Jaeger’s newest gem. Loved it.
Tissues needed not for sadness, but for the happiness I felt for the characters. 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The characters and the plot twists and turns kept me riveted from beginning to end. Very good dual time-line book.
Very enjoyable read !
It was a refreshingly interesting book. I loved every page.
If you enjoy a story with multiple narrators and a story that goes back and forth this is a great story. I enjoyed learning about both characters lives and seeing how they both related to each other.
BOARDWALK SUMMER was filled with history, mystery, and romance, and set in the intriguing and stunning settings of Santa Cruz, and Hollywood. The two main female characters were strong and fabulous, along with wonderful secondary characters. I devoured this book!
if you like this kind of generation saga, then go for it!
I loved this book. The interesting combination of Santa Cruz, CA in the 1940 and 2008 was fascinating. The characters were very real and I wish I could read more about them. Terrific book.
Meridith Jaeger is an outstanding author!! My 1st book & Not my last. I love the story line going from 2 era’s. All the characters were great. One story of Violet & the other of Marisol & how they blend. Felt I was on the beach a lot while reading. Page turner & a must read!
Just went I thought I was getting burnt out on 40’s era fiction, Meredith Jaeger walks in with this gem of a novel. Told from dual narratives- Violet in 1940 and Mari in 2006- Jaeger reveals a story of strength and determination. Marisol is a single mom from a family of Mexican descent. Violet married into a wealthy gilded cage. Taking place in beautiful Santa Cruz, how one beauty pageant winner with stars in her eyes is connected to a family focused, caring historian is an amazing story that will keep you attached to this book until the very last page. Boardwalk Summer is the perfect summer read and looks to be one of my favorites of the year. A little bit of old Hollywood, a tad bit of current events and a mystery to boot, this book had me from page one. Definitely throw this one in your beach bag.
I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This is such a great book! I really loved the dual timelines/perspectives. It really adds depth to novels. Old Hollywood is so classic, I was glad to read a story set partially during that time. The characters are so well written, and the story itself is fascinating. Perfect summer read!
I loved this beautiful story! It has a dual story line alternating between 1940 with Violet and 2007 with Marisol. I loved both of these amazing women and their stories. The descriptions of Santa Cruz allowed me to see it very clearly. I read the book in one day as I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely loved the ending and thought it was perfect. I received an advanced readers copy from Edelweiss and William Morrow Paperbacks. All opinions are my own.
Boardwalk Summer is a lovely beach read full of family secrets. Alternating between the 1940’s and the early 2000’s, Boardwalk Summer is the story of Marisol’s quest to save the historic gazebo on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. As she researches the rich history of the boardwalk, she uncovers some secrets hidden by her grandfather years ago. The story is filled with Old Hollywood and history of the Santa Cruz beach.