The Last Summer

This is the first book by Brandy Bruce that I have read. I’ve heard such great things about this book from other readers, reviewers, and bloggers that I couldn’t miss the opportunity to read it. It was a worthwhile inspirational contemporary romance set in Houston, Texas.

The book is told through Sara’s first person point of view, which isn’t my favorite narrative. However, it works well in the book to carry the plot. The dialogue is genuine, heartfelt, and wonderful. The book is well-written and the plot moves at a good speed, never leaving the reader bored or wallowing too much in grief or despair. The emotions in the story – even the ones outside the narrator’s – are raw and gripping. Granted, this story is probably more geared to a younger crowd, the late 20s and early 30s crowd struggling to make sense of romance, love, and meaning of marriage within the context of what Christ has done for us. Though I’m just a bit older (ha ha), I was still able to connect with the anguish of unrequited love, the fierce loyalty of friendship, sense of guilt and despair and hopelessness, and the triumph of grace, forgiveness, and redemption that comes with surrender. There was a relatively large number of important supporting characters (Sara’s six friends who make up the circle) and it took a bit of time before I understood who each character was and the role he/she played in the story. The friends, however, are the reason for the story and the key to Sara’s maturity.

Sara starts out as a young woman in her mid-20s who moves back home looking for a new job. After the introduction of her circle of friends, the story quickly moves three years ahead to where a new chapter begins for Sara when her best friend in the circle, Luke, starts dating Debra, another friend in their circle. Sara is very real. She tries to center herself on Scripture and the godly advice from her best girlfriends but fails many times. She doesn’t try to hide her failure but keeps going back to God for help. She is broken, weak, unsure, and totally afraid – which made me like her even more.
Luke is steady, calm, and always dependable but is afraid to fall in love, given his backstory about his parents’ mismatched and broken marriage. He is loyal and faithful and kind and compassionate and everything good – which makes it so much harder to read the story as it unfolds.
There are others, specifically Jason and Everett, who are just fabulous swoon-worthy men in the story. I would love to read a sequel about Jason and/or Everett, to see if they each find their happily-ever-afters.

I really liked the infusion of Psalm 113:3 – “from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised” – into the storyline. And despite the fracturing of the circle of friends and the sadness that change brings, Sara and Luke choose to praise. Their other friends choose to praise as well. Growing up is difficult and change usually comes with growing up, which can be extremely painful. But this story reminds us that we can choose to praise Him.

I received a review copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.