The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Does your past define your destiny? Told through multiple perspectives, rich with emotion and immersive dual timelines, The Summer We Ran weaves together a story of lost love, devastating secrets, shocking sabotage, and the painstaking decision two people must make in order to fulfill the futures they each desire.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

June 2025; Zibby Publishing; 979-8989923069
audio, ebook, print (336 pages); women's fiction

This dual timeline novel tells a story of secrets between two people who went from love to shocking rivalry with each other.  What was once love became a fierce battle between two people who wanted to be elected the governor of Virginia while they tried to keep their past hidden from not only the voters but also their spouses, whom they had never been honest with.

In the summer of 1996, Tess and her mother moved to the house of a very affluent family where the mom had gotten a job as the cook for the summer.  Her daughter had always been very outspoken and at 17 years old, often got in trouble with her mom for her outspoken views.  Her mom gave her two rules for that summer -- keep quiet and stay out of trouble.  When Tess is offered a job to work in the gardens at a neighboring mansion, her mother sees this as a great way to keep her busy and out of trouble.  Grant is 18 years old and home from boarding school for the summer.  When they first meet, Tess is aware of how different their lives are, but as she begins to see him every day while she is working in the gardens, they become interested in each other.  They fall in love and spend the summer enjoying their time with each other.  When it's time for Grant to go back to school, things begin to change with their relationship, plus there is a lot of disapproval from Grant's father, which makes their relationship destined for failure.  The summer ended with secrets and betrayals.

In 2021, Tess and Grant are both running political campaigns to become the governor of Virginia.  They are both married, and neither their spouses nor the public knows about their relationship years before.  In fact, they haven't even talked to each other since the end of their summer romance.  But there is a secret and a person threatening to expose their relationship to the public. Will their romance be exposed, and if it is, how will their spouses react, and what effect will it have on their political futures?  More importantly, when Tess and Grant begin to talk to each other, will they understand what happened back in 1996, and will it create a new friendship or more for them?

The Summer We Ran was a well-written coming-of-age story for Tess and Grant.  It showed how past secrets can affect the future and the importance of honesty in relationships.  The story is told in two timelines and from the POV of Tess and Grant.  It's a real page-turner and keeps the reader well involved in the story.  Audrey Ingram is a new author for me, and I plan to check out her earlier books.

Buy The Summer We Ran at Amazon

Susan Roberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.   

  

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