All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank

About All Summer Long

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (May 31, 2016)

Dorothea Benton Frank novels are smart and witty fiction that readers want on their bookshelf: soulful, edgy stories about realistic characters familiar to us all that explore the most deeply felt moments of life with wry humor and heart.

All Summer Long follows one charming New York couple–prominent interior designer Olivia Ritchie and her husband, Nicholas Seymour, an English professor and true southern gentleman. They are seemingly polar opposites, yet magnetically drawn together and have been in love for more than fourteen years.

As they prepare to relocate to Charleston, South Carolina, Olivia, the ultimate New Yorker, has reservations about the promise she made to retire in the Lowcountry, where Nick wants to return home and lead a more peaceful life. They are moving north to south, fast pace versus slow pace, and downsizing. Nick is ecstatic. Olivia is not. She can’t let Nick know that their finances are not what he thought. Her client list is evaporating, their monetary reserves are dwindling, and maybe that house she picked out on Sullivans Island needs too much work.  Thank God for her assistant, Roni Larini, her right (and sometimes left) hand.

As they find themselves pondering the next step of their lives, Olivia and Nick travel with her billionaire clients and their friends and are swept up in the world of the ultra-rich, exploring the globe with a cast of zany eccentrics over one tumultuous, hot summer. All as Olivia grapples with what lies ahead for her and Nick.

This is a story of how plans evolve and lives change in unexpected ways, how even those who have everything are still looking for something more. Even the most successful people can often struggle to keep things together. All Summer Long asks the ultimate question: Can money buy happiness? From Sullivans Island to Necker Island to Nantucket to the beaches of Southern Spain, we’ll come to recognize the many faces of true love; love that deepens and endures, but only because one woman makes a tremendous leap of faith. And that leap changes everything.

My Thoughts...

All Summer Long is being promoted as the perfect summer read and it is exactly that.    The different locations from Manhattan, Nantucket, Spain, and Sullivan’s Island were absolutely wonderful.    The author did an amazing job describing not only the scenery but also the way the locals lived.   From the fishing, barges, and Southern ways near Sullivan’s Island to the yacht and food in Spain I could picture where the characters were visiting and the incredible lifestyles they are living.  

Olivia, the main character and story teller, is living a life that people dream of.   She has the dream job of interior designer to the biggest and richest, she is truly in love with her husband and him with her, and she gets invited on exotic vacations with her customers.    Yet, everything isn’t as it seems for her.   She is worrying about how she will continue to live her in her lifestyle and about the move from Manhattan to the South.    I loved how determined she was to make everything right and how faithful she is to her customers.    She not only works hard but she is a friend in their times of need.      Olivia is also fiercely independent.   Even though she is married she is not reliant on her husband for everything.   She is in control of their money, runs her own business, and makes her own decisions.     I found her refreshing from the sometimes needy women found in women fiction books.

All Summer Long had everything I love.    Love and passion, drama, and happiness.    If you are looking for a fun summer read this is perfect.    I recommend picking up your copy today.  

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Dorothea Benton Frank

New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank was born and raised on Sullivans Island, South Carolina. She resides in the New York area with her husband. Find her on the web at www.dotfrank.com, or like her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.