The Second Home by Christina Clancy

Title: The Second Home by Christina Clancy
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Six months after her the death of both of her parents, Ann "Ann with a Plan" Gordon wants to sell the summer home that has been in her family for generations. There's no will but she has appointed herself the executor of the estate. She has only one thought, and that is to keep her estranged adopted brother Michael from having a benefit from the sale.

The book is told from the perspective of Ann, Poppy. and Michael and tells the events from the summer of 1999 and back to the present day. Ann is the take charge daughter, Poppy is the flighty free spirit, and Michael is the golden  boy who never quite feels as if he fits in. It is a bit too much about how much they fit into their neat character boxes, but not unbearable.

Something happens to Ann in the summer of 1999 and like a stone thrown in a pond, the ripples extend out and touch everyone and everything. The incident in question made me angry and had it been a physical book instead of a digital copy I would have thrown it. A well known and somewhat overused plot device was employed here. I understand that it was used to further the story and fuel the plot but I didn't like it at all.

Barring those two things, the overall story was good. It was a quick read, dark enough to keep you invested (because trust me, after that one plot point I almost wanted to give it up) but light enough to be a summer read. 

The characters, even though predictable, were well fleshed out. Where this author excels though is the setting descriptions. You can almost smell the salt and sulfur of the Cape. You can almost see the changes of the season in the landscape. You can almost feel the sand between your toes.

The Second Home is about coming home and reliving memories that may have been brighter when seen through the eyes of a child but are dimmed a bit as an adult. The memories are still yours and just as special. The Second Home is about more than just the house and the sale of it. It's about how "home" is really more your family and the connection you have to one another than a building.

I'm glad I stuck with this book until the end. The ending was quick but the plot was tied up nicely. This book will make a good summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to have a copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.