Read Across America Day *plus* A Book Excerpt From The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery

Happy Read Across America Day, My Lovelies!

Today I have a treat for you: an excerpt from Susan Mallery's latest novel, The Summer Getaway. I don't know about y'all, but summer can't get here fast enough for me! I'm also posting the schedule for the other bloggers participating in this excerpt tour so you can visit all the blogs, read excerpts, and get a very good idea of whether or not this book is for you. The release date is Tuesday, March 15th, and it's a rather long hardcover book at 416 pages.

About The Summer Getaway:

One woman discovers the beauty in chaos in this poignant and heartwarming story about the threads that hold family together from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.

With her divorce settlement about to run out and a mortgage she can’t afford, Robyn Caldwell needs a plan for her future. She nurtured her family and neglected herself. But how’s she supposed to think when her daughter has become the most demanding bride ever, her son won’t even consider college, her best friend is on the brink of marital disaster and her ex is making a monumentally bad decision that could bring everything crashing down on Robyn’s head? So when her great-aunt Lillian invites her to Santa Barbara for the summer, Robyn hops on the first plane.

But it’s hard to run away when you’re the heart of the family. One by one, everyone she left behind follows her across the country. Somehow, their baggage doesn’t feel as heavy in the sun-drenched, mishmash mansion. The more time Robyn spends with free-spirited Lillian, the more she sees the appeal in taking chances—on dreams, on love, on family. Life is meant to be lived on purpose. All she has to do is muster the courage to take a chance on herself.

About Susan Mallery

#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives?family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

Excerpt:

Robyn’s mild sense of dread at having to deal with her ex-husband was mitigated by the fact that he wasn’t her problem anymore. Because of their kids, she would be tied to him forever, especially when grandchildren started showing up, but she was no longer “Cord’s wife.”

She didn’t have to worry about him buying something impulsively, without talking to her first. Not a car or this house or anything else. She wasn’t concerned about the ups and downs of his business—although to give him his due, in the past few years, there had only been ups. Their divorce settlement had relieved her of any responsibility to the family firm. He’d released her legally and was in the process of buying her out. A significant lump sum had been deposited the day their divorce was final, and every month he wrote her a check.

Because she had a smart lawyer, she was paid before any of his other bills, and should Austin want to go to college, his four years would be covered by his dad, as Harlow’s had been. The house was a bit more of a complication. She was required to pay the mortgage, insurance and taxes until Austin turned eighteen—something that had happened a few weeks ago. After that, she had six months to sell and split the proceeds with Cord, or buy him out. Something she had no intention of doing. The beautiful house on the water had skyrocketed in value. Keeping it would require getting a loan for at least two million dollars. Even more significant, she didn’t actually like the house.

But her thoughts on moving were for another time, she thought, as the antique clock struck six. Right now her biggest problem was guilt at not fixing appetizers or cocktails. Telling herself Cord’s visit wasn’t a social call didn’t make the compulsion go away. She’d been raised to be a good hostess. Old habits die hard.

At two minutes after the hour, the doorbell rang. Robyn let in her ex. Cord, about six feet of Florida tan, with a rangy build and easy, superficial charm, swept in with a grin and a quick cheek kiss.

“It’s humid,” he said, walking toward the kitchen. “Thunderstorms tonight.”

“As long as they’re done by morning,” she said. “So they don’t get in the way of the charters.”

Boating and lightning weren’t a good mix.

Cord looked around the kitchen. He wore a Hawaiian shirt over worn jeans. His sandy brown hair, a shade darker than Austin’s, was a little too long, but the messy style suited him. His eyes were brown, his jaw square. He was, by all standards, a handsome man. Yet when she looked at him, she only felt relief that he wasn’t her problem anymore. Not directly. Fighting with him because of her kids was easy—it was fighting with him for herself that had always left her feeling emotionally broken and battered. She’d never known if he was simply better at winning arguments than her, or if he knew her better than she knew herself. Regardless, she had rarely survived any of their verbal altercations unscathed.

*END*

What do you think? Does this excerpt intrigue you enough to read it?

Below are the other stops on the tour:

Monday, February 21st: Books Cooks Looks 1

Tuesday, February 22nd: Reading Reality 2

Wednesday, February 23rd: SusanLovesBooks 3

Thursday, February 24th: Kahakai Kitchen 4

Friday, February 25th: From the TBR Pile 5

Friday, February 25th: View from the Birdhouse 6

Sunday, February 27th: Subakka.bookstuff 7

Monday, February 28th: Laura’s Reviews 8

Tuesday, March 1st: Bookchickdi 9

Wednesday, March 2nd: The Bookish Dilettante 10 You're HERE!

Thursday, March 3rd: What is That Book About 11

Friday, March 4th: The Romance Dish 12

Sunday, March 6th: The Cozy Book Blog 13

Monday, March 7th: Girl Who Reads 14

Tuesday, March 8th: Bibliotica 15

Wednesday, March 9th: Helen’s Book Blog 16

Thursday, March 10th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers 17

Friday, March 11th: Book Reviews and More by Kathy 18

Sunday, March 13th: Novel Gossip 19

Monday, March 14th: Books and Bindings 20

I'd like to thank TLC Book Tours for asking me to join this excerpt tour. I enjoy Susan Mallery's books, and I can't wait to add this one to my Lake Reading list!

Until next time...