A Review of Summer at Thousand Island House by Susan G. Mathis

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Take a trip to Thousand Islands, New York state, and join Addi on an adventure in finding love!

Description of Summer at Thousand Island House

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to use her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

My Thoughts

Summer at Thousand Island House is a quick read rich in details about the 1000 Islands in New York. Addi makes a fun heroine with her boundless energy and the joy she finds in all situations.

From a tour of the entertainment pavilion on Staple’s Island to a trip by boat to a lighthouse, Susan provides a taste of life on the 1000 Islands. I cheered for Liam to win Addi’s heart and shook my finger at Lt. Worthington by turn.

Summer at Thousand Island House wasn’t exactly a put-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of story. It had some conflict, but for the most part, just went along at a leisurely pace. So that being said, you have to be in the right mood to read it.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book, but my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Quote From Summer at Thousand Island House

Addi squeezed his arm, imagining him twirling her about ’till she was dizzy. She’d never danced a reel, but with him, it would be a pleasure. And to hear live music in person, here? In the open air? With him? Well, this was magical.

Grab A Summer at Thousand Island House in Amazon

About the Author

More From Susan

BEHIND THE SCENES AT A SUMMER AT THOUSAND ISLAND HOUSE

I’ve been writing about the Gilded Age for several years now. A Summer at Thousand Island House is my eleventh published story, and I had so much fun creating it. The American Gilded Age was a time of rapid technical advances, industrialization, and thousands of new inventions from about 1870-1910. Mark Twain coined the term in his 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today that satirized the era of social problems that were masked by a layer of thin, gold gilding.

It’s a fascinating time in history, especially in the Thousand Islands. I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. All of my books are set during the Thousand Islands Gilded Age, when the wealthy came and scooped up the islands and built lavish summer homes, mansions, and castles.

It was an era of economic growth and wages were higher than Europe, so massive immigration drew about twenty million to the U.S. shores. Unfortunately, it was also a time of unequal distribution of wealth where the rich got richer and the poor working class suffered.

Many young women worked as servants until they married, and that’s what my stories are about—those nameless, faithful women who cooked and cleaned and served tables for the rich and famous. These “downstairs” women had fascinating stories to tell, and I plan to tell many of them.

All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the true stories of the owners of that island. So, my plot is generally true. There really was an entertainment pavilion on Staple’s Island where the patrons of Thousand Island House enjoyed all kinds of amenities, including a daycare. And US Presidents, including President Grant and President Chester Arthur (whom you meet), vacationed at Thousand Island House.

Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story. This makes my stories a bit more challenging, but I love a good challenge. Addison Bell cares for children. Liam Donovan manages the pavilion and Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector and single father, comes and goes.

And all of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. A Summer at Thousand Island House also focuses on healing broken hearts and embracing God’s redemption.

Mathis’s attention to detail and rich history is classic Mathis, and no one does it better.—Margaret Brownley, N.Y. Times bestselling author

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/26b9c/a-summer-at-thousand-island-house-celebration-tour-giveaway

Blog Stops

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Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 28

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For Him and My Family, August 1