The Girl from Summer Hill: A Novel

The Girl from Summer Hill by Jude Deveraux is the first book in the new Summer Hill series. Acacia "Casey" Reddick quit her job in D.C. and moved to Summer Hill, Virginia. Thanks to Kit Montgomery, she is renting a cute little cottage (she assumes she is renting it from him). Then one morning she comes downstairs to find a man taking a shower in the outdoor shower on her porch. Casey knows she should say something or look away, but, instead, Casey sits down on a stool to watch the show (which is odd considering what comes next). Casey recognizes the man in her shower. It is Tate Landers, the movie star. Casey feels that Tate is taking advantage because he is a star and feels he has the right (Casey assumes things). Casey and Tate get off to a bad start (and it gets worse after the peacock incident). Tate did not know there was a guest in the cottage. Tate is visiting his plantation with his friend, Jack Worth (Jack and Casey hit it off right away). Tate has agreed to help Kit Montgomery with his auditions for Pride and Prejudice (the play is being put on to raise money for charity). Jack and Tate end up staying for the summer and participating in the play. Casey ends up playing the female role because of her indifference towards Tate. Slowly Casey gets to know Tate and her image of him changes, but then Devlin Haines inserts himself into the picture. Devlin paints a very different picture of Tate. Is Tate's good guy persona all an act? You will have to read The Girl from Summer Hill to find out. It is a long bumpy road to happiness.

The Girl from Summer Hill is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice (yes, another one). I have not read a Jude Devereaux book in a while. I did not like her books when she moved away from the Montgomery and Taggert families. When I heard she was bringing them back, I could not resist. I was disillusioned. This book lacks her magic touch. The book is entertaining (if you like cliché romance novels) and easy to read, but it is lacking something (something that was in her earlier works). Tate and Casey dislike each other, get together, fight, happily ever after. There are other romances and situations going on at the same time as well as the play they putting together to earn money for charity. Casey is "naïve" or head in the kitchen (instead of clouds). She believes every lie she is told. Casey misconstrues conversations she overhears, and she jumps to assumptions based on little information. You just want to walk away from her (and the book). I loved the reference to A Knight in Shining Armor (my favorite book of Jude Deveraux). I give The Girl from Summer Hill 3 out of 5 stars. I was not enchanted by this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.