June Baby

How do you shake a summer romance that went on for years and was never fully explored? Ruth lost her mother at seventeen and was shipped off to Block Island to live with a family friend she had never heard of. Diana, a renowned photographer, takes Ruth in and gives her a wide berth, providing scant information about her and her mother's relationship. Diana's nephew, Charlie, is Ruth's summer companion through her teen years into her twenties as she bounces from waitressing on Block Island to her mainland gig, never growing up or pushing herself to write, her supposed passion. It isn't until news of Diana's health and a wedding is on the horizon that Ruth finally faces the fact that it's time to break out of her holding pattern. This is my first beach read of 2026, and I loved it! It fully captures the magic of island summers and all the possibilities they hold!

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