I have to say this was my cup of tea! Back in the day I would walk into the book store and go to my genre of choice and actually choose the longest book. Nothing was worse than being on the good old F train going into Manhattan with nothing to read. Sadly you have to look at the people on the train with you, not good! Anyways This book had a lot of great elements. Melanie St. John was a Texas Oil Attorney’s daughter. Most of the story she struggles with wealth and whether she wants it or hates it. Her and her parents and sister have a lot of emotional turmoil in their lives. The books shows a side of Texas that isn’t usually shown. The oil business is as big as their hats! Oldie is the typical wealthy attorney who loves with his heart and his wallet.

Melanie thinks she is getting away with a secret and her boyfriend David. I know this is a mini spoiler but….Oldie confronts her and wahooo does he have the goods on his little virgin daughter. It broke my heart and this is where I loved to hate Oldie. He was genuine in his care and concern for Melanie but it tore my heart out. She loved David. Yes there wouldn’t be a book if she chose David. I know that, but the characters were really real to me and spoke to me. I grieve the loss of David! 

 As Melanie decided to go to UT and with her sister and her friend Eva they start college life. Eva was the daughter of Helmut. OH my did that man scare me!  I really liked the dark side of her. Her life, chances, and the experiences she was famous for were priceless, scary and tragic. When the family goes to Europe and discovers what a colossal mess Eva and Whitney have gotten into.

Melanie watches Whitney have fun and never let college consume her. She seemed to consume, champagne and men. I liked all of her. She was not superficial, she knew what she wanted and was a semi alpha girl. I guess I appreciated her vision. I enjoyed all the fearsome foursome and their antics. All the college and angst of growing up were were played out well. I liked how descriptive she was with the areas. Whether in Texas, New York, Paris or Italy the author was descriptive with the areas letting you visualize it.

Melanie was a wonderful and rich character and so was the book. This is a great weekend at the beach book.

 This was my Barc 

 James Spader from Pretty in Pink, oldie (HA HA) but a goodie

Buy it at Amazon 

About the Author: 

Leighton Summers is a sixth generation Texan who has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe her whole life.  During her travels she was always surrounded by interesting, successful (and often eccentric) people who encouraged her to find her passion and live life to the fullest.  Writing novels always intrigued her, and so one day while in New York City she took out her laptop in a café and decided to jot down some notes about how a female character created from her own world could “love smarter.”  Over the next four years the notes turned into both funny and sad adventures of a women’s quest for finding friendship, love, self, and family and she weaved them all together into this, her debut novel.