Genre Fiction
![Sunny Hostin - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B082W4Z26D.jpg)
Summer on the Bluffs: A Novel (Summer Beach, 1)
New York Times Bestseller!
The View cohost and New York Times bestselling author Sunny Hostin dazzles with this brilliant novel about a life-changing summer along the beaches of Martha's Vineyard.
Welcome to Oak Bluffs, the most exclusive Black beach community in the country. Known for its gingerbread Victorian-style houses and modern architectural marvels, this picturesque town hugging the sea is a mecca for the crème de la crème of Black society-where Michelle and Barack Obama vacation and Meghan Markle has shopped for a house for her mom. Black people have lived in this pretty slip of the Vineyard since the 1600s and began buying property in the 1800s, making this posh town the embodiment of "old money."
Thirty years ago, Amelia Vaux Tanner and her husband built a house high on the bluffs, a cottage they named Chateau Laveau. For decades, "Ama" played host to American presidents, Wall Street titans, and cultural icons. But her favorite guests have always been her three "goddaughters:" Esperanza "Perry" Soto, a beautiful, talented Afro-Latina lawyer with Ama's strong, yet guarded personality; Olivia Jones, a gifted Wall Street analyst with Ama's brilliant, logical mind; and Billie Hayden, a gifted marine biologist and rule-breaker with Ama's courageous free spirit.
Growing up, these three goddaughters from different backgrounds came together each summer at Chateau Laveau. As adults, the cottage is a place this trio of successful yet very different women go to escape, to slow down from their hectic lives, share private time with Ama, and enjoy the gorgeous weather, cool water, and stunning views Oak Bluffs offers.
This summer on the Bluffs, however, will be different. An era is ending: Ama, now nearing seventy-one, is moving to the south of France to reunite with her college sweetheart. She has invited Perry, Olivia, and Billie to spend one last golden summer together with her the way they did when they were kids. And when fall comes, she is going to give the house to one of them.
Each of the women wants the house desperately. Each is grappling with a secret she fears will hurt her and her chances. By the end of summer, old ties will fray, new bonds will be created, and these three found sisters will discover they aren't the only ones with something to hide. Ama has a few secrets of her own. What she has to give them is far more than property. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, she will tell these surrogate daughters she fiercely loves and protects everything they never knew they needed to know.
The View cohost and New York Times bestselling author Sunny Hostin dazzles with this brilliant novel about a life-changing summer along the beaches of Martha's Vineyard.
Welcome to Oak Bluffs, the most exclusive Black beach community in the country. Known for its gingerbread Victorian-style houses and modern architectural marvels, this picturesque town hugging the sea is a mecca for the crème de la crème of Black society-where Michelle and Barack Obama vacation and Meghan Markle has shopped for a house for her mom. Black people have lived in this pretty slip of the Vineyard since the 1600s and began buying property in the 1800s, making this posh town the embodiment of "old money."
Thirty years ago, Amelia Vaux Tanner and her husband built a house high on the bluffs, a cottage they named Chateau Laveau. For decades, "Ama" played host to American presidents, Wall Street titans, and cultural icons. But her favorite guests have always been her three "goddaughters:" Esperanza "Perry" Soto, a beautiful, talented Afro-Latina lawyer with Ama's strong, yet guarded personality; Olivia Jones, a gifted Wall Street analyst with Ama's brilliant, logical mind; and Billie Hayden, a gifted marine biologist and rule-breaker with Ama's courageous free spirit.
Growing up, these three goddaughters from different backgrounds came together each summer at Chateau Laveau. As adults, the cottage is a place this trio of successful yet very different women go to escape, to slow down from their hectic lives, share private time with Ama, and enjoy the gorgeous weather, cool water, and stunning views Oak Bluffs offers.
This summer on the Bluffs, however, will be different. An era is ending: Ama, now nearing seventy-one, is moving to the south of France to reunite with her college sweetheart. She has invited Perry, Olivia, and Billie to spend one last golden summer together with her the way they did when they were kids. And when fall comes, she is going to give the house to one of them.
Each of the women wants the house desperately. Each is grappling with a secret she fears will hurt her and her chances. By the end of summer, old ties will fray, new bonds will be created, and these three found sisters will discover they aren't the only ones with something to hide. Ama has a few secrets of her own. What she has to give them is far more than property. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, she will tell these surrogate daughters she fiercely loves and protects everything they never knew they needed to know.
Editorial Reviews
"Hostin's debut novel is aspirational escapism at its best, balancing an idyllic setting and lush, evocative language with emotional heft and adroit social commentary… Hostin's story is a vast, intricate and ultimately rewarding one about love, family and self-fulfillment... In short, this book is summer incarnate." - New York Times Book Review
"A complicated, memorable tale of family, allegiances, secrets and summertime." - Good Morning America
"The Emmy Award–winning lawyer and journalist invites readers to the exclusive Black beach community of Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard where the money is old, the secrets are deadly, and summer is more of a sport than a season…Think The Undoing with a hint of melanin, where everyone's wearing $300 sandals." - Essence
"The highly anticipated summer must-read from the talented co-host of The View is finally here… No one, including the reader, is prepared for the feelings and secrets exchanged in this novel about love, family, and the courage to make the hardest of decisions." - Shondaland
"Bestselling author and The View cohost Sunny Hostin has penned the ultimate beach read in Summer on the Bluffs." - Popsugar
"Summer on the Bluffs by the Emmy-award winning Sunny Hostin is a delicious, shimmering novel about the lives of Amelia Vaux Tanner and her three, grown-up godchildren. I was riveted by these fascinating, complicated women, and looked forward every day to opening Hostin's luminous novel and escaping, through its pages, to the golden dunes of Martha's Vineyard." - Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters
"Everybody needs a fairy godmother and a glorious summer read. Treat yourself to both with the magnificent Sunny Hostin's Summer on the Bluffs... This beautiful novel will have you turning the pages long into a summer night." - Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author
"Summer on the Bluffs is a thoroughly enjoya...
"A complicated, memorable tale of family, allegiances, secrets and summertime." - Good Morning America
"The Emmy Award–winning lawyer and journalist invites readers to the exclusive Black beach community of Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard where the money is old, the secrets are deadly, and summer is more of a sport than a season…Think The Undoing with a hint of melanin, where everyone's wearing $300 sandals." - Essence
"The highly anticipated summer must-read from the talented co-host of The View is finally here… No one, including the reader, is prepared for the feelings and secrets exchanged in this novel about love, family, and the courage to make the hardest of decisions." - Shondaland
"Bestselling author and The View cohost Sunny Hostin has penned the ultimate beach read in Summer on the Bluffs." - Popsugar
"Summer on the Bluffs by the Emmy-award winning Sunny Hostin is a delicious, shimmering novel about the lives of Amelia Vaux Tanner and her three, grown-up godchildren. I was riveted by these fascinating, complicated women, and looked forward every day to opening Hostin's luminous novel and escaping, through its pages, to the golden dunes of Martha's Vineyard." - Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters
"Everybody needs a fairy godmother and a glorious summer read. Treat yourself to both with the magnificent Sunny Hostin's Summer on the Bluffs... This beautiful novel will have you turning the pages long into a summer night." - Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author
"Summer on the Bluffs is a thoroughly enjoya...
Readers Top Reviews
JasmineKindle Ki
A very good book! I can’t wait for the next book to come out in May 2023! I’ll recommend to everyone I know.
Sue PippenJasmine
Interesting characters, compelling story of family dynamics.
Lumina MathurinSu
I loved the book and the storyline. MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IS OMAR. SO SAD HE PASSED IN THE BOOK. I fell inlove with each relationship Ama had or has. I hated how each girl responded too her. Even though she loved and embraced them all. I fell out of love woth Oilivia she was my least favorite character. Perry reminded me of my sisters. Billie reminded me of my brother. I hated the way the book ended. Just when the story was gettijg juicy Ms Hostin ended the book and gave a bougie ending. I wanted an all out war with the girls and AmA. A war between perry and sabrina and jeremy. And some closure between Ama and her grandmother. But theLM author had me on a rollercoaster. I could not put the book down or getthe story out my head. Spoiler alert i knew who was gonna getthe house from the first interaction.
Alvina GVita Gwen
That. Was. So. Freaking. Marvelous!!! Wow, Wow, Wow! First, I've been following Sunny Hostin for years and I've always loved how educated, poised, yet also carefree and loving she is. I read her memoir and loved her even more. Now after reading this, I think I've reached new heights to just how much I love her. This book was phenomenal. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Mystery, Love, Heartache, Family, Secrets, Education, Fulfillment, Wholesome, Infidelity, Forgiveness, and so much more. I was not ready for this. WOW. Ama, aka Amelia Vaux Tanner, was a woman of many talents and mysteries. I kept thinking I had her figured out and then, BAM, she threw a curve ball in there. Yet, the way she loved those girls, her 3 God daughters, melted my heart. To give so much of yourself, yet not be truly fulfilled, is very selfless. Although some of the things she did could be deemed as selfish, I'd have to strongly disagree. Mr. Omar Tanner was a man of love. Oh, I wish there was more on just him. I loved every moment he was talked about. The guilt and shame he felt from his past, yet the heart, compassion and unyielding Love he had for his 3 god-daughters was beyond immaculate. I wanted to reach in the book and soothe his heart. Take that pain and guilt and shame away. Such an inspirational character. Mrs. Perry, aka Esperanza, was very much annoying. I liked her calm spirit at first, yet once she started to act the way she did with her husband baffled me a bit. I get it to a certain extent, yet what was so unsettling for me was how she was basically having an affair, yet was texting her husband saying she missed him, then would get upset bc of her husband's response to her text and how he only wanted to come home so they could work on their marriage. She should've nipped the whole flirting situation with that young tenderoni before it even got legs. I didn't really care for Perry. I felt for her situation with her parents, yet that's it🤷🏾♀️. Ms. Olivia was so conflicted with her self confidence and seeing and truly loving herself, that I'm glad Perry (finally) called her out on it. I get her dilemma more than you know; being a dark skin Black Woman isn't always happy moments, yet there has to be a point where you say I'm no longer going to allow others to stomp all over me or be pushed to the side. Anderson was so good for her, in the sense that she needed to open her eyes to new possibilities, yet I didn't feel like they were compatible enough for marriage 🤨. Ms. Billie, the rebel. I liked Billie. Her character build up was really good. I don't particularly like how she handled the whole job situation, yet she was the free one of the sisters and I liked that about her. I was hoping for more on her mom; maybe in the next book 😏. Overall, I truly enjoyed this Wonderful story. No...
