MY REVIEW OF “BOARDWALK SUMMER” BY MEREDITH JAEGER

MY REVIEW OF “BOARDWALK SUMMER” BY Meredith Jaeger  William Morrow,  June 18, 2018

I loved everything about “Boardwalk Summer” by Meredith Jaeger. Kudos to Meredith Jaegar for writing such a captivating, intriguing, riveting, mesmerizing, and romantic story.   The author is an amazing storyteller and her detailed vivid descriptions of two timelines in history is memorable. There are layers in this story, and like a puzzle, when you put the pieces together, you get a stunning , surprising, and heartwarming conclusion. The genres for this novel are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance and Suspense and some mystery.  There are two timelines, one in 1940 and one in 2007. Both take place in Santa Cruz and other places.

In 1940, the dream of the young ladies is to win a beauty contest and be Miss California. Hopefully this will take the winner to Hollywood. Violet Harcourt is crowned the winner, and her friend is runner-up. The problem is Violet has entered the competition as a single lady but really is a married woman. Her husband Charles is very angry that she has  done this, and Violet returns the crown, and resigns. No one realizes what Violet’s marriage is like. Violet does get to escape to Hollywood to find that all is not as it seems. Charles  is furious finds and takes Violet home. Violet can’t see her friends from the Boardwalk.

In the summer of 2007, single Mom  Marisol Cruz lives in a charming seaside cottage with her young daughter and parents. They inherited this cottage from Marisol’s grandfather who was a great entertainer on the boardwalk years ago. Marisol works in a diner  part-time. Marisol is fascinated by the town’s history and the quaint gazebo where her grandparents had once danced. She sells raffle tickets, and helps during  the celebration. The town is informed that the gazebo is going to be taken down, and condos will be built. This angers Marisol and the other residents.

While Marisol is going through papers, she discovers that her grandfather was once friends with Violet Harcourt. Marisol looks up the history and discovers the Violet Harcourt had committed suicide as a young woman. She also finds that  a key in her grandfather’s belongs. Now she is intrigued.

What can this all mean? Will Marisol find a way to stop the town from building the condominium?

I appreciate that the author discusses important topics such as spousal abuse, unequal and threatening treatment of all minorities, the importance of family, friends, support, love and hope.  There are some Kleenex moments, and  I keep thinking about how amazing this story is.  I highly recommend this story for readers that enjoy different genres, some suspense, intrigue,  and romance. Happy Reading!