The Days of Summer
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- €2.99
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- €2.99
Publisher Description
Emotions run high when the temperature rises…
Love, passion, power, jealousy and tragedy all combine in this dynastic tale of two Californian families thrown together by Fate.
1957, Los Angeles. Two speeding cars.
And a tragic accident, destined to change the future of two families forever.
The Banning family lead a life of affluence, luxury – and sorrow. Victor Banning, ruthless oil magnate and head of this privileged dynasty, is a man of absolute power and obsessions. From an early age his grandsons, Jud and Cale, are groomed to take over his vast empire.
Kathryn Peyton, widow of rising music star Jimmy, has struggled to keep her daughter Laurel safe and secure in the years since his sudden death. But one unexpected danger she is unable to guard against is love.
Decades later, when Fate intervenes, and Jud and Cale meet the beautiful and spirited Laurel, these two families cross paths once again – with terrible consequences…
Spanning thirty years and three generations, The Days of Summer explores our deepest ties to family, and the sacrifices we make in the pursuit of love.
Reviews
Praise for The Days of Summer:
‘Drama, passion and romance collide in this perfect read for long, lazy summer days.’
Tasmina Perry, author of DADDY’S GIRLS.
About the author
Jill Barnett was born and raised in California and now lives on a small island near Seattle. She is an international bestseller and there are more than seven million copies of her work in print in 17 languages. The Days of Summer is her UK debut.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the years since her last romance, 2002's Sentimental Journey, Barnett has grown rusty; chronicling three generations of Banning men and Peyton women through the years, Barnett depends on busyness and happenstance to take the place of solid plot and genuine relationships. The two SoCal families first intertwine in 1957 when Rudy Banning kills himself; his artist wife, Rachel; and the rock star Jimmy Peyton in a car accident. The Bannings leave behind two preteen sons, who go into the care of wealthy, demanding patriarch Victor Banning. Jud, the elder son, goes into the family business while Cale, a reckless skirt chaser, takes a winding path to med school. Improbably, Cale meets Jimmy Peyton's daughter, Laurel, on a beach in 1970, but Laurel also catches Jud's eye and soon comes between them. A growing pile of plot-propelling coincidences stretch believability: Laurel's grandmother unknowingly purchases some of the late Rachel's art; years later, Laurel's grown daughter wins a design contract with Cale's son; and everyone hides secrets. It's pure soap opera, buttressed only by Barnett's stock observations ("ilence between people said more than words ever could"), but it may suit readers who like their heroes attractive and their endings happy.
