An Invincible Summer (Wyndham Beach), Mariah Stewart [best classic novels TXT] 📗

PRAISE FOR MARIAH STEWART

~ The Hudson Sisters Series ~

THE LAST CHANCE MATINEE

“Prepare to fall in love with this amazing, endearing family of women.”

—Robyn Carr, New York Times bestselling author

“The combination of a quirky small-town setting, a family mystery, a gentle romance, and three estranged sisters is catnip for women’s fiction fans.”

—Booklist

“If you like the Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis, you will enjoy this one. Stewart’s writing reminds me of Susan Wiggs, Luanne Rice, Susan Mallery, and Robyn Carr.”

—My Novelesque Life

THE SUGARHOUSE BLUES

“A solid writer with so much talent, Mariah Stewart crafts wonderful stories that take us away to small-town America and build strong families we wish we were a part of.”

—A Midlife Wife

“A heartwarming read full of surprising secrets, humor, and lessons about what it means to be a family.”

—That Book Lady Blog

THE GOODBYE CAFÉ

“Stewart makes a charming return to tiny Hidden Falls, Pennsylvania, in this breezy contemporary, which is loaded with appealing down-home characters and tantalizing hints of mystery that will hook readers immediately. Stewart expertly combines the inevitable angst of a trio of sisters, a family secret, and a search for an heirloom necklace; it’s an irresistible mix that will delight readers. Masterful characterizations and well-timed plot are sure to pull in fans of romantic small-town stories.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Stewart [has] the amazing ability to weave a women’s fiction story loaded with heart, grit, and enough secrets [that] you highly anticipate the next book coming up. I have read several books from her different series, and every one of them has been a delightful, satisfying read. Beautiful and heartwarming.”

—A Midlife Wife

“Highly recommend this series for WF fans and even romance fans. There’s plenty of that sweet small-town romance to make you swoon a little.”

—Novelgossip

“These characters will charm your socks off! Thematic and highly entertaining.”

—Booktalk with Eileen

~ The Chesapeake Diaries Series ~

COMING HOME

“One of the best women’s contemporary authors of our time, Mariah Stewart serves the reader a beautiful romance with a delicious side dish of the suspense that has made her so deservingly popular. Coming Home is beautifully crafted with interesting, intelligent characters and pitch-perfect pacing. Ms. Stewart is, as always, at the top of her game with this sensuous, exhilarating, page-turning tale.”

—Betty Cox, Reader to Reader Reviews

HOME AGAIN

“The town and the townspeople of St. Dennis, Maryland, come vividly to life under Stewart’s skillful hands. The pace is gentle but the emotions are complex.”

—RT Book Reviews

ALMOST HOME

“The characters seem like they could be a neighbor or friend . . . and it is because of that and Mariah Stewart’s writing that I keep returning again and again to this series.”

—Heroes and Heartbreakers

HOME FOR THE SUMMER

“If a book is by Mariah Stewart, it has a subliminal message of ‘wonderful’ stamped on every page.”

—Reader to Reader Reviews

AT THE RIVER’S EDGE

“If you love romance stories set in a small seaside village, much like Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series, you will definitely want to grab [At the River’s Edge]. I easily give this one a five out of five stars.”

—Reviews from the Heart

ON SUNSET BEACH

“Mariah Stewart’s rich characterization, charming setting, and a romance you’ll never forget will have you packing your bags for St. Dennis.”

—Robyn Carr, New York Times bestselling author

THAT CHESAPEAKE SUMMER

“Deftly uses the tools of the genre to explore issues of identity, truth, and small-town kinship. Stewart offers a strong statement on the power of love and trust, a fitting theme for this bighearted small-town romance.”

—Publishers Weekly

DUNE DRIVE

“Rich with local history, familiar characters (practical, fierce, and often clairvoyant centenarian Ruby is a standout), and the slow-paced, down-home flavor of the bay, Stewart’s latest is certain to please fans and add new ones.”

—Library Journal

~ The Enright Series ~

DEVLIN’S LIGHT

“With her special brand of rich emotional content and compelling drama . . . Stewart is certain to delight readers everywhere.”

—RT Book Reviews

OTHER TITLES BY MARIAH STEWART

The Hudson Sisters Series (Women’s Fiction)

The Last Chance Matinee

The Sugarhouse Blues

The Goodbye Café

The Chesapeake Diaries Series (Women’s Fiction / Contemporary Romance)

Coming Home

Home Again

Almost Home

Hometown Girl

Home for the Summer

The Long Way Home

At the River’s Edge

On Sunset Beach

That Chesapeake Summer

Driftwood Point

The Chesapeake Bride

Dune Drive

The Mercy Street Series (Suspense)

Mercy Street

Cry Mercy

Acts of Mercy

The FBI Series (Romantic Suspense)

Brown-Eyed Girl

Voices Carry

Until Dark

Dead Wrong

Dead Certain

Dead Even

Dead End

Cold Truth

Hard Truth

Dark Truth

Final Truth

Last Look

Last Words

Last Breath

Forgotten

The Enright Series (Contemporary Romance)

Devlin’s Light

Wonderful You

Moon Dance

Stand-Alone Titles (Women’s Fiction / Contemporary Romance)

Moments in Time

A Different Light

Carolina Mist

Priceless

The President’s Daughter (Romantic Suspense)

Novellas

“Finn’s Legacy” (in Brandywine Brides)

“If Only in My Dreams” (in Upon a Midnight Clear)

“Swept Away” (in Under the Boardwalk)

“’Til Death Do Us Part” (in Wait Until Dark)

Short Stories

“Justice Served” (in Thriller 2: Stories You Just Can’t Put Down)

“Without Mercy” (in Thriller 3: Love Is Murder)

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Text copyright © 2021 by Marti Robb

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Published by Montlake, Seattle

www.apub.com

Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

ISBN-13: 9781542025362

ISBN-10: 1542025362

Cover design by Caroline Teagle Johnson

For Charlotte Campbell Jones—welcome to the family!

CONTENTS

Start Reading

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.

In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.

In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.

I realized, through it all, that . . .

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

—Albert Camus

Prologue

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