Summer Roommates — Holly Chamberlin

A summer beach read with heart and substance, this poignant novel will delight fans of Elin Hildebrand, Nancy Thayer, and Shelley Noble, as four older women who are strangers to each other share a house for the summer in the picturesque Maine town of Yorktide.
 
Sandra Pennington has lived through enough Maine winters to know how long they can be. Even in April, Yorktide is chilly and muddy, adding to Sandra's pangs of loneliness. It's been five years since her husband died, her dearest friend is in a care facility, her children are grown, and the big house is suddenly terribly empty. But Sandra has a plan: to rent out three bedrooms and set up a summer bed and breakfast of sorts.
 
There will be challenges, of course, and Sandra's daughter is concerned. But Sandra is eager to try and build a community of like-minded, mature women for companionship and support. Soon, one by one, her chosen housemates arrive . . .
 
Mary, recently retired, is ready to discard her tough lawyer façade. Patty refuses to reveal -- or act -- her age, but beneath her flightiness lies a deep vulnerability. High-school teacher Amanda feels uncertain about where her long-term relationship is going. But surely it's too late now to change course?
 
Over arguments and laughter, these very different women get to know each other -- and themselves. And while summer is always too short, there'll be time enough for reinvention, reflection -- and realizing it's never too late to keep growing, changing -- and making new friends . . .
 
Praise for the novels of Holly Chamberlin
 
“A great summer read but with substance. It will find a wide audience in its exploration of sisterhood, family, and loss.” -- Library Journal on Summer with My Sisters

“Nostalgia over real-life friendships lost and regained pulls readers into the story.”
-- USA Today on Summer Friends