i received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. I rated it 4 out of 5 Stars.

Family relationships, forgiveness and second chances are the main themes in Lauren Clark’s contemporary novel, Stardust Summer. Well developed characters, good dialogue and plenty of emotional angst, kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. Set in upper New York State, in a small community built around a lake, Ms. Clark’s scene description sets the stage for the characters in this book.

Estranged from her father, single mom Grace Mason lives a quiet life with her son Evan in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Keeping busy with her own life, Grace has refused to visit her father for years and grudgingly accepts his relationship with her son. Never realizing time was running out on mending fences, Grace is surprised and distraught when she’s notified of her father’s sudden death by her stepmother.

Caught in the middle between her husband and his only child, Kathleen Mason has built a life she’s comfortable with. Looking forward to her husband’s retirement, Kathleen is shocked to be called and notified of her husband’s sudden trip to the hospital. Instead of planning a summer party, Kathleen suddenly finds herself planning her husband’s funeral.

Ms. Clark does a good job developing both Grace and Kathleen’s characters. While there were times I had difficulty liking Grace, and dealing with her estrangement from her father, I was able to understand her emotional situation and thought Ms. Clark did a good job presenting who she was. Ms. Clark does an equally good job with Kathleen, while it was easier to understand where she was coming from emotionally, Ms. Clark didn’t take the easy road and make Kathleen the perfect stepmom. I enjoyed how Grace and Kathleen’s relationship needed work and grew throughout the book. Neither was the same person at the end.

While secondary characters, Evan Mason, Grace’s son, and Dr. Ryan Gordon, Kathleen’s next door neighbor, are the main male characters in the book. While I would have liked to have seen Evan have a larger role, he is a devoted son and helps to build a bridge between Grace and Kathleen. Meanwhile, Ryan not only proves to be a good friend to Kathleen, he becomes a second chance love interest for Grace, even though he’s got issues of his own.

Will Grace learn to let go of the past and give herself and her son a second chance? Will Kathleen learn to move on with her life without her husband? Will Ryan learn to take a chance on love and put his heart first? You’ll have to read Stardust Summer to find out. I enjoyed it and I think you will too. ( )

I loved this book from the very first word. Grace is raising her son alone because his dad ran as soon as he found out there was going to be a baby.(JERK) Grace and Evan are very close and he is a sweet little boy. He wants to go and visit his papa when he gets the invite to come visit for the summer but Grace can't let go of the past.
Her mom was killed by a drunk driver when she was just a teen and when her dad remarried and moved away she blamed her stepmom, Kathleen, for taking her dad away.
She does end up having to go though when her dad dies of a massive heart attack(made me cry) and face Kathleen. Neither one of them wanted to be the first to start a much needed conversation though so nothing was settled between them. The good looking Dr Ryan who has been friends with Henry(Grace's dad) and Kathleen for years lives next door and is really taken with Grace. But both are afraid to give in to their feelings. He was burned by his wife, even though part was his fault. Just because he worked too hard though.
The day that Grace and Even leave to go home while seated on the plane Grace has a feeling that she needs to stay. To try and find the family that she needs and that need her too. Can't say anymore without giving too much away. But it just gets better and better from start to finish. It is another book that I hated to see come to an end.
I enjoyed this book so much and felt like I was there. It kept me wanting more and wanting to know more.
Stardust Summer is a wonderful read and Lauren Clark did a great job. I had to give this book 5 stars and it really deserved more. Wonderful story that will make you stop and think where family are concerned. Don't wait until it is too late to let people know how much they mean to you.
I love all of Lauren's books but I think this one is my favorite so far. Great job and thanks so much for writing this.
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Family ... relationships ... love ... loss ... forgiveness ... and second chances ...

Grace Mason is a single mother of an eight-year old son named Evan, who lives a quiet life in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, a thousand miles from her troubled childhood in Keuka Lake, on the Finger Lakes region of Upper New York State.

When Grace receives the tragic news that her estranged father Henry has suffered a fatal heart attack, Grace and Evan travel to her hometown to attend the funeral. Planning on only staying nine days, Grace embarks on a journey that lasts the entire summer, a journey of self-discovery that will teach her about forgiveness, family dynamics, closure, love and second chances. It is a life lesson that she will learn from her stepmother Kathleen and their neighbor / town doctor, Ryan Gordon.

Stardust Summer is a poignantly touching story of family relationships, forgiveness, love, and second chances. Author Lauren Clark weaves a heartwarming tale written in the third person narrative, set in the lovely Finger Lakes region in Upper New York State. It is a realistic story of the struggles within Grace's family relationship, and her ability to deal with the varying dynamics that come from this relationship: her troubled childhood with her estranged father Henry; dealing with his loss; making peace with the past; learning forgiveness and learning to believe in love and second chances. This is an emotional story that will have the reader feeling the full gamut of emotions, you can't help but get drawn in as Grace's story unfolds.

The author provides an intriguing cast of characters who are realistic and have issues that are easy for the reader to relate to. I loved the development of the complexity in the relationships between Grace and her father Henry; Grace and her stepmother Kathleen, and between Grace and Ryan. I really enjoyed the mixture of tension and strife of the family dynamic, the suspense and drama, and the humor and lighthearted romance that ran throughout the storyline. I think what I loved most of all was the message that the author sends to her readers: the importance of family and being able to deal with life's challenges that come along with relationships. I loved the richly detailed description of the Finger Lake region of Upper New York State, I would love to visit that area and take in its beauty and charm.

Stardust Summer is a wonderful story of family, love and lessons learned, it is a story that will touch your heart, and make you ponder your own relationships, it is a story that will resonate with you for a long time.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by ABG Reads Book Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/stardust-summer-by-lauren-clar... ( )