Holly LeCraw

Summers on Cape Cod are a family tradition for Jed and his sister Callie, but when Callie seems desperate for extra support after the birth of her second child, Jed takes leave from his job in the city to come out to the summer house. Being at the cape brings fond memories of summers at the beach, playing tennis and hosting parties by the pool, but Jed is also reminded of the tragedies his family endured, which put an end to their carefree way of life. When rummaging through a closet one day, he finds a small box containing an old bathing suit and is stunned. He remembers vividly who wore it.

Marcella lives alone in the cape town of Mashantum, busy with her garden, her cooking and her independence. She thinks only occasionally of her ex-husband Anthony, and desires that her teenage daughter Toni would visit more frequently, but is otherwise content. She avoids thinking of the painful secrets of the past until one day she answers a knock at the door to find Jed.

The Swimming Pool was a page-turner -- captivating and compelling. I was rooting for Marcella and Jed, despite the seemingly doomed and futile nature of their relationship. I'd recommend it as a beach read, partly because of the setting, if you don't mind a bit of tragedy and sadness coupled with your romance.… (mehr)

The people in this book - particularly the main character, Charlie - lie, dissemble, do not hold themselves or anybody else accountable, and generally act in ways that are annoying and disgusting. The author does not flesh out her characters very well, and hence I found myself not really caring about them, and frankly regarding most of them with disgust and dislike. May - or "May-May" as Charlie likes to call her (really??) - rarely can seem to articulate well-formed thoughts. "Charlie" she constantly says - just that, "Charlie" - plaintively, sadly, full of reproach, remonstrating, sighing. I felt like shaking her. And don't get me started on Nicky - the half-brother of the title - what a jerk (I'd use a much stronger word to describe him, but this is a family forum). The author wrote in such a hazy and elliptical way at times that it was hard to make sense of what she was trying to get across. And the ending! Talk about writing a rosy denouement so that Charlie and "May-May" could be together - give me a break. Really lazy on the author's part.… (mehr)