Summer Constellations – Alisha Sevigny – Kids Can Press – Published 1 May 2018

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Synopsis

Julia Ducharme is ready for a fresh start. Her little brother has finally recovered from a serious illness, and now she just wants to enjoy peak season at the campground her family owns. Maybe this will be the year her annual summer fling with Dan Schaeffer becomes something more?

But her summer dreams are quickly shattered. First, Dan arrives for vacation with a new girlfriend in tow, and then Julia discovers this may be her last summer in the only home she’s ever known.

Crushing medical bills have brought her single mom to the brink of bankruptcy, and a wealthy developer is sniffing around the campground. He sees what Julia sees: lush woods, a pristine lake, miles of trails for adventure. Unlike Julia, he thinks this is the perfect spot for a casino resort.

Heartbroken and afraid, Julia looks to the stars for some perspective. Taking her telescope down to the dock one night, she has a chance encounter with a guitar-playing boy who offers some helpful advice. Too bad this handsome stranger is the developer’s son, Nick Constantine.

As plans for a resort move forward, Julia is desperate to find a solution that doesn’t mean leaving the lake. Nick, in turn, is desperate to separate himself from his father’s aggressive business tactics. He promises that, together, they can thwart the sale.

But can Julia trust him to conspire against his own father? And could she ever she trust him with her heart?

My thoughts

A passionate, summer romance, a last-ditch attempt to save her family’s home, a touch of mystery and adventure. While Summer Constellations has all the right elements for an epic summer read, it was merely a solid book, one that I enjoyed reading but didn’t love as much as I expected to.

Julia’s summer isn’t mapping out the way she planned. First her best friend leaves for the holidays, then her mother announces she might have to sell their family home, a gorgeous lakeside campgrounds, to pay off their medical debts. And to top it off, Julia’s crush and maybe boyfriend just turned up with his new girlfriend in tow. So, not great. Then she meets the charming and gorgeous Nick. But that too only hides more hurt, when Julia discovers he is the son of the man planning to take her beloved home from her. But she and Nick have some serious chemistry, and, together with her little brother, they make plans to prevent the sale of Julia’s home.

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