When Ace leaves home to spend the summer in Cherokee, North Carolina the last thing she expects to find is a boyfriend–until she meets Cherokee Tribe member John Spears. As Ace and John’s friendship blossoms, they find their life experiences mirror each other and they fall in love. Despite hurdles thrown by well-meaning family members and jealous frenemies, the star-crossed lovers remain … committed to their mutual belief that the universe has drawn them together. However, when Ace sends John a strange text and then suddenly disappears, the two must rely on their trust in each other to save both their lives and their love.
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4.5 Stars. Soul mates and impossible love collide in CHEROKEE SUMMER. Ace and her family spend the summer in Cherokee, North Carolina where John and his family, native Cherokees, live. After a chance meeting that initially gets off on the wrong foot, these two find each other inexplicably drawn to one another, despite cultural differences that threaten to keep them apart. Ace’s family is in shambles. She lives with her alcoholic mother, autistic younger brother, and cheating father. Her father’s inability to keep it in his pants only seems to fuel her mother’s drinking. John has his own issues with an alcoholic mother and a family and community that are determined to keep him on the reservation after graduation, just as he’s determined to leave for college. Ace and John find a refuge from their lives in each other’s company, sharing painful commonalities while exploring their differences. But more than just a jealous ex-girlfriend and family responsibilities stand in the way, and it all comes to a gripping climax.
Plot
The story starts off as a basic contemporary romance with our two main characters meeting before their attraction grows, obstacles are thrown in the way, but then the plot goes sideways and ramps up to an action-packed conclusion that sets it apart from other books in the genre. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be my last. The storytelling was intriguing, and even with a slow start, I was drawn to the characters, the setting, and the conflict. Since my kids are part Native American on their dad’s side, I was particularly drawn to the way the author portrayed modern Cherokees with the push and pull of tradition in the 21st century.
Characters
Told from both Ace’s and John’s points of view, there are solid differentiators between the two, keeping me from ever being confused about whose viewpoint I was reading. Ace’s devotion to her family makes her instantly endearing and I was able to sympathize with her belief that it was up to her to fix her family. John’s heritage and loyalty are in conflict with his life’s goals, making him a fascinating character.The supporting cast were more than caricatures, even the jealous ex-girlfriend had more depth than I was expecting. John’s twin sister, his grandmother, and even his alcoholic mother were more than fluff and helped define him a way that standard methods of characterization never could.
What I Enjoyed About CHEROKEE SUMMER
1. Reality. The author honestly portrays the devastating effects of alcoholism on families.
2. Native Culture. I thought this was particularly well done and an accurate depiction of what teens torn between two worlds struggle with.
3. Family Ties. While Ace lost the parenting lottery, she steps up to protect her younger brother at all cost. John’s loyalty to his family and way of life, even as he’s pulling away, endeared him to me.
4. John. Deep, damaged, sweet, and loyal. He’s a great protagonist and BBF.
5. Ace. From her awesome name to her flaws, she’s complex and intriguing and I loved seeing the world through her eyes.
Bottom Line
A sweet young adult contemporary with an action-filled finale.
Ace wishes with all her might she didn’t have to spend the summer away from her friends but she doesn’t have a choice. Little does she know her life’s about to change forever. Once in Cherokee, North Carolina she meets handsome John Spears and they become fast friends. Young love soon blossoms between them. Both families try to keep them apart but for these young lovers, they belong together. When John disappears, Ace must follow her heart or else disastrous consequences will tear them apart.
Ahh, young love. Cherokee Summer is a wonderful story about falling in love with someone and following your heart, no matter what heritage you come from. Both Ace and John have issues with their families and drama is everywhere. From Ace’s alcoholic mother to John’s traditional grandmother, a clash of cultures feeds animosity between the families but not between the two lovers.
My favorite parts of the book, besides the sweet romance, has to be the portrayal of a young Native American straddling traditional and modern cultures. The author amazed me with her sensitivity to the traditions of John’s tribe while focusing on the here and now. The strife and conflict were well done.
As far as young adult romances go, this one is on the sweet side. Plenty of drama to create relativity for teens, I found myself transported to my own teens when I fell for a handsome Native American boy. The start is a little slow but once it got going, there was plenty of action. The ending was brilliant.
If you’re looking for a sweet romance before the warm weather hits, pick up Cherokee Summer today! Looking forward to reading more from Susan Antony.
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Cherokee Summer is a coming of age story for two 18 year olds. Both have dysfunctional families one snobby trust fund rich and the other traditional Cherokee. John and Ace fight their families to be together. This book has some suspense And drama and two teens finding their way.
Cherokee Summer tells the story of two eighteen-year-old’s who both have challenging family lives, although in different ways. Ace has a dad who is cheating, a mum who is a drunk, and also has to take the major responsibility of looking after her brother. John wants to leave the reservation and go to college whilst still dealing with the rest of his family and his addict mum.
In this story you get to see where each character comes from, with their own trials and tribulations, as well as seeing them grow closer together – mainly through adversity!
There are many characters in here, some of whom play a big role, some of whom don’t. There are good characters and bad. What this means is you get rich, well-rounded story with plenty to keep you turning the pages. There is action and adventure, young love, suspense, and even some moments that had me shaking my head in gob-smacked wonder.
Full of drama, this is told from the first perspective from the viewpoints of both Ace and John. If you are on the lookout for an intriguing story then I can definitely recommend this one.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!
Ace’s family comes to Cherokee, NC for the summer. She’s not thrilled about it, but makes the best of the situation. She meets John, and they form a wonderful friendship/romance. Although they come from very different backgrounds, there are some similarities in their family situations. Their families are not thrilled about their relationship, though. When Ace disappears, all fingers point to John. This was a touching story – I really enjoyed every minute reading it, and loved seeing their relationship develop.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A well written story by an Author I have not read before a book I enjoyed reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cherokee Summer by Susan Anthony reached me on several levels. The reader is taken into the lives of Ace and John. From different worlds these two young adults are brought together during one summer in North Carolina.
Ace is a rich girl from New Jersey and John an American Indian who lives on a reservation in Cherokee, NC. Like West Side Story they need to deal with prejudices from both sides in addition to parents with addiction issues.
The depths of Ace and John’s hopes and dreams constantly take second place to what everyone else wants and expects. I found myself caught up in their lives and at times laughing with them, crying with them, and often angry on their behalf.
Dreams are difficult to steal if the dreamer is strong. Both Ace and John are over-comers. I recommend Cherokee Summer and hope you will be as touched by the story as I was.
Cherokee Summer by Susan Antony is a, must read, endearing of story of two young people that meet, become best friends, and fall deeply in love. These two sweet love birds are faced with obstacles, as they struggle within themselves, families, community and unexpected circumstances that stand to keep them from being together.
Spending the summer in Cherokee, NC with her family, Ace never thinks she’d meet someone special and fall in love. But fate steps in and she meets, John, a Cherokee tribe member and native North Carolinian. Despite their cultural differences, Ace and John are undeniably drawn to one another, and find a deep connection, friendship, and eventually love for each other. They both have many struggles within their families as both of their mothers are alcoholics. Various circumstances stand to destroy them as a couple or keep them apart. Ace and John must trust each other in order to allow their love flourish. They discover when they are together, they find a place of escape from their problems.
If that’s not enough, despite their efforts, things get more complicated, and the story changes gears and turns into an exciting action-charged adventure. Readers will be fully captivated and unable to put this book down, while quickly reading to find out what will happen next.
In Cherokee Summer by Susan Antony, the descriptive writing of the settings, objects, scenarios and character’s personalities, brought this book to vivid life. Antony’s expressive narration pulled me in from the very first chapter and had me fully interested, and absorbed, throughout the entire story. The characters have an authenticity and unique depth to them rarely seen in most contemporary romance novels. The way these characters dealt with alcoholism within their family was very intense, real, and relatable. I appreciated the cleanness of this story as the love between Ace and John is pure and innocent. The mix of modern day practices with the old world traditions within the Native American culture, which author, Susan Antony brought to Cherokee Summer is fascinating and rather brilliant. She is a very good story-teller and an excellent writer. This is the very first book I’ve read by her and it absolutely won’t be the last. Chick Lit Cafe highly recommends this wonderful young adult and clean contemporary romance story. Cherokee Summer by Susan Antony a definite 5 star, must-read, romance novel.
Can Ace and John make their relationship work?
Cherokee Summer by Susan Antony is an excellent book about falling in love and trying to build a bridge between two families that have nothing in common. Well besides lots of drama things, and the will of two teens.
Ace McAllister
Ace McAllister is the first point-of-view character that we met, and she is struggling with a lot of things by herself. She is dealing with an alcoholic mother, an autistic little brother, a dad that’s not helping in any way, and a guy that her mom is pushing her, even though she doesn’t want anything to do with him. Ace is a people pleaser who is struggling with that and coming terms with who she is when she’s not under her mom’s watchful eyes.
What I like about Ace is that she isn’t afraid to fight for what she wants even if it causes a rift between her and her parents. She is a great character that wants to be able to experience life without her mom always butting in when she’s sober enough to do so. Ace loves her little brother Zach and would do anything for him. She has a strong will to survive anything that life throws her way, and has been doing that since her little brother has autism which led to her mom drinking. There isn’t much that I dislike about her.
John Spears
John Spears is the second point-of-view character that we met, and he is struggling with a lot of things like Ace. He is a native American, and this complicates his life when he wants to be with Ace. It doesn’t seem like fate is helping him at all. John has to deal with lots of people who don’t support his relationship with Ace, like his Grandma, Cameron the guy that Ace’s mom her to date, and of course his mother causes problems for him. John can deal with all of that throughout the book while falling in love with Ace. These two make a sweet couple, and John tries to do what is best for Ace.
What I like about John is that he, like Ace, never did like Cameron, and got a weird vibe from the guy. He went after something that he loved even if it meant some bad things could happen to him. I especially like it when he stands up for Ace. John is charming with Ave’s little brother and can get through to him and get him to do things that he usually wouldn’t do. I couldn’t find anything that I didn’t like about him.
Five Stars
I am giving Cherokee Summer by Susan Antony five stars and recommending it to all young adult contemporary romance lovers out there. These two characters remind me of Romeo and Juliet with their forbidden romance, although no one dies in this one. I am such a sucker for a chance at a happily ever after. John and Ace had a lot going on for them, and they get their happy ending which makes me smile. They deserve it.
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by,
Karen the Baroness.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you would like to read more reviews like this one please go to baronessbooktrove.com
This is a young adult contemporary romance taking place in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Ace McAllister’s gambler father takes Ace, her alcoholic mother, her autistic little brother, and her mother’s best friend (with family) on vacation to a casino resort outside a Cherokee reservation. The only person Ace’s age who she knows is her mom’s friend’s son Cameron, who Ace’s mom wants her to spend time with but who Ace detests.
John Spears is a young Cherokee man working at the Adventure Center outside the reservation. Living with his single mom, his siblings, and some extended family in a house ruled by the family matriarch, grandmother Elisi, isn’t always easy. Elisi has a lot off old fashioned beliefs, including a hereditary distrust of white people. Which wasn’t a problem for John until he met Ace.
This is a sweet forbidden romance story that will surely make you smile, and even if you don’t think the characters always do the right things you will still be rooting for them. The sweet romance takes a psychological suspense thriller turn in the last quarter with a twist you won’t see coming, which in my opinion is a nice change of pace but may not appeal to all sweet romance readers. The only drawbacks to the story in my opinion are 1) that these young people are rather promiscuous and there is some amount of innuendo not appropriate for many YA readers and 2) that a good amount of modern slang and acronyms were used in the telling of the story, much of which I didn’t understand.
Well written, sweet love story. I really liked Ace and John and seeing their relationship grow against the odds. I really enjoyed this story.
A perfect YA summer feeling read! A fast, sweet read about two young adults, opposites that meet by chance one summer and find they have more in common than expected.a beautifully told romance, I loved Ace and John’s story.
I simply adored this book. It’s funny, sweet and full of amazing characters.
Ace is a rich girl from New Jersey whose spending her summer with her family in Cherokee, NC. She there meets John a handsome native Cherokee. There’s an instant attraction between them and then a beautiful relationship blossoms.
The road is not easy for them, some family members don’t accept their differences and also Insert some psycho in the mix, but at the end everything works for the best and our beautiful couple find their happy ending.
This story it’s easy to read and beautiful. Totally recommend it.
This was a good read. It was hard to like Ace. She came off as a pill at times.
3.5 Stars
This was a good YA book, with lots of young love and emotional baggage thanks to their parents. Ace and John are met with many challenges over this summer relationship, the biggest one is their difference in heritage. To them it is not a problem, but to the elders and the closed minded it is very important. Ace’s need to be there for her younger brother who is mentally challenged speaks volumes to her character.
Have they found a love that will stand strong as they continue to move forward in life?
Cherokee Summer by Susan Antony is a sweet love story between two young adults. Ace and John both grew up with a dysfunctional family. Aces mom is an alcoholic and is always taking care of her brother because her mother is always out of it. Johns mom is also an alcoholic and is in and out of life unless she needs money. They meet and become good friends then love starts to bloom. This is a great story of 2 people falling in love with obstacles thrown at them from their family and about their race.
The book was an endearing love story that had many things detouring their love. I love how the book unfolded and let you into the life of the Cherokee nation in North Carolina. The world of the Native American with Ace was intertwined into the modern and past to make the read interesting. Ace’s family is in shambles and she has an autistic brother and an alcoholic mother with a father who cheats. They find comfort in each other’s arms, but here comes a jealous girlfriend for John. John is loyal to his Cherokee ties and obligations, but Ace has a hole in her heart and soul, and the strong male types helps her with the variation of flaws she possesses. Great book.
A sweet read that has you believing in happily ever after even after every obstacle is thrown your way. It leads you to believe in a happy ending. John and Ace fight for theirs even with the struggles of their families and different upbringing and heritage. Beautifully written characters and a love that is everlasting. Loved the whole idea of this book and I look forward to reading more.
This book kept growing better the more you read. Young love, alcoholic parents, strong beliefs. You get it all. I loved how vividly I was able to “see” what was being written. I want more Ace and John!
This story was great, a little sad sometimes but it sure kept your interest. Ace is a girl with a family fighting it’s demons and she is just trying to keep an eye on her brother Zach and away from her mothers viciousness. They are staying at the Casino near the Cherokee nation along with her mother’s friend Susan and her son Cameron who is kinda creepy.
She meets John a member of the Cherokee nation and the white water rafting guide and her attraction to John is strong. John is also attracted to Ace but there are so many stigmas attached to their parents to try to stop them from dating until someone takes it into their own hands. Really good story.