Santa Cruz, Summer 1940: When auburn-haired Violet Harcourt is crowned Miss California on the boardwalk of her hometown, she knows she is one step closer to her cherished dream: a Hollywood screen test. But Violet’s victory comes with a price—discord in her seemingly perfect marriage—and she grapples with how much more she is willing to pay.
Summer 2007: Single mother Marisol Cruz lives with her parents in the charming beach cottage that belonged to her grandfather, Ricardo, once a famed performer on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Drawn to the town’s local history and the quaint gazebo where her grandparents danced beneath the stars, Mari sells raffle tickets at the Beach Boardwalk Centennial Celebration, and meets Jason, a California transplant from Chicago.
When Mari discovers the obituary of Violet Harcourt, a beauty queen who died too young, she and Jason are sent on a journey together that will uncover her grandfather’s lifelong secret—his connection to Violet—a story of tragedy and courage that will forever transform them.
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I love books told from dual timelines. Those are my favorite books, especially if it’s historical fiction. When I picked up Boardwalk Summer , I didn’t know what to expect from the book since it was the first book I had read by the author. The title captured my attention first, followed by the summary of the book, which sounded like the type of book that I would enjoy. Within the first couple of chapters, I was hooked and wondered how I haven’t read this author earlier. Don’t you love it when you discover an author by accident? When I come across an author I haven’t read before, I never know what to expect, so I don’t have high expectations. I wish that I did for this book. I felt that I was reading two different stories, even though the two characters somehow connected. If I were asked if Violet or Marisol were my favorites, I wouldn’t be able to pick because I loved them both. Violet and Marisol were both unique in their way. Two strong women.
I loved reading about Miss California and how different it was back then. I found it interested that you had to be single to compete. I was curious if she would be discovered at the end, and if her husband didn’t show up, what would happen? My heart broke for Violet, especially when she couldn’t seem to escape her abusive husband. After she ran away, I was afraid of what might happen to Violet if her husband found her. I was hoping that he wouldn’t be able to find her. Her husband, Charles, got even more violent when he found her and brought her back home. I was sure that he would kill her this time. Violet’s emotions were vivid that even I could feel her fear. I loved that Marisol’s grandfather and Violet were connected, and like Marisol, I was curious about what happened to Violet. I loved the mystery behind it.
Marisol had her own story to tell. It’s interesting how one photograph of Violet sparked her interest in what happened to Violet. Marisol didn’t stop until she discovered the truth, and it was far from what I expected it to be. I could tell how much research went into Boardwalk Summer . I couldn’t get enough of both Violet’s and Mari’s stories. I loved both of their stories, but I did feel that Violet’s story was more emotional, and I had teared up on multiple occasions. Boardwalk Summer had a few hard discussions within the book that will leave you emotional and thinking. Now that I have read this book, I am eager to check out other work of Meredith Jaeger.
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