SUMMER IN SONOMA is the story of four women who have been friends since they were in high school, Cassie, Julie, Beth, and Marty. Marty and Julie are married and each have children, but there the similarities end. Cassie and Beth are both in the medical profession. Cassie an ER nurse, and Beth an OB-GYN. Both are also single, though Cassie would like to have a husband and family, but Beth is focused on her career.

Not being a writer I would think it would be hard to have four strong main characters and to merge them into one story that flows from point to point and makes your reader care equally about each person and how their story resolves. I would also think it's hard to allow enough time for each character to get the reader's attention, and for them to have time for their story to resolve to the reader's satisfaction when the last page is turned.

Ms. Carr does all of the above and does it quite well. At first I was worried, because Debbie Macomber has been doing stories of friendship for a long time, and while I have loved her earlier stories, I've been moving away from them lately...so when I realized this was the focus I wasn't sure that I would feel for each character the emotion that the author wanted to pull from me, and that when the book was finished I would feel regret that I was leaving Cassie, Julie, Beth, Marty and their significant others and families behind.

However, that is just what I felt when I set down SUMMER IN SONOMA, and while the conflict resolution is there for each person I would love to see a sequel set a few years in the future to know that everyone is established and living life to the fullest.

With this move away from my beloved Virgin River books to another love of mine...women's fiction Robyn Carr has cemented her place as my favorite must have author.

Book Summary

They've been best friends since seventh grade. But this summer, teetering on the threshold of thirty, four women are going to need each other more than ever.

Cassie has sworn off romance after yet another bad date. Yet deep down, she's still looking for Mr. Forever. A long-haired biker doesn't figure into her plans, so where's the harm in touring the back roads of Sonoma on a Harley with Walt Arneson?

Julie married her high school sweetheart—who can get her pregnant with a mere glance—too young and now wonders how her life became all about leaky faucets and checkbook balances. Maybe love isn't enough to sustain the hottest couple in town.

Marty's firefighter husband has forgotten all about romance, and an old flame begins to look mighty tempting.

Beth, a busy doctor trapped in a body that's betrayed her yet again, is becoming a difficult patient and a secretive friend.

Life can change in an instant…or a summer. And having old friends to lean on can only up the chances of happily ever after.

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