Under a Summer Sky: High school art teacher Nicole Anderson is looking forward to a relaxing summer in Savannah, house-sitting and managing an art gallery for a family friend. The house is luxurious in a way that only old money could make it, and the gallery promises interesting days in a gorgeous setting. Yet it isn't long before her ideal summer turns into more than she bargained for: a snooty gallery employee who's determined to force her out, a displaced adolescent roosting in the attic, and two of Nicole's close childhood friends-who also happen to be brothers-vying for her attention. With a backdrop of a beautiful historical city, incredible architecture, and even an alleged ghost or two, combined with the opportunity for romance . . . anything can happen! I keep reading about Savannah, GA and I think it's high time I go visit and see what all the fuss is about. I don't think I want to go in the summer, though. Humidity and I are not friends. It just looks so beautiful though, doesn't it Sissy?
It is gorgeous. My very favorite thing about Under a Summer Sky was the setting. Melody Carlson describes Savannah so well that I felt like I was there. Main character Nicole says a few times that the evening summer air feels like velvet, but I am skeptical. I think if I went to Georgia in the summer that I would feel like I was suffocating in velvet, so I'll go in the fall, thank you very much. And I DO want to go.
We'll add it to the extremely long list of places we want to girls' trip to. We're going to have to live to be 110 to make it everywhere! I had a little difficulty with Nicole in the beginning. She is an intelligent woman and she's used to running classes full of obnoxious teenagers, so you know she knows how to deal with people giving her crap. Yet she struggles for a bit to find her footing and make her voice be heard once she goes to Savannah. Also, it's never good when two brothers are vying for your romantic intentions. Just saying...
Nicole also grows a lot while navigating her relationships with pre-teen Bernice and Amyra the she-devil.
Amyra isn't a she-devil. She's a vampire, remember? They like to call her Vampyra!
She looks like a vampire but acts like a she-devil. I would classify Under a Summer Sky as a vacation read; something with just enough interesting characters and plot twist to keep you engaged but nothing soul-searing to dampen your vacay spirits. I wish that the relationship between Nicole and her choice of love interest had been developed more. It ended too abruptly for me. I needed more!
I didn't have a problem with that at all. I'm just glad she chose the way she did! I must agree with Sissy in that Under a Summer Sky is a perfect beach read, even if your "beach" consists of a garden hose and a kiddie pool in the backyard. Hello summer!
So grab yourself some sunblock (the higher the SPF the better), a floating pool chair and a copy of Under a Summer Sky, then relax. You're welcome.
Click to buy Under a Summer Sky by Melody Carlson
