One Season of Sunshine

I have to be honest and say that I had never read any of Julia London's books, so after reading about One Season of Sunshine, it sounded interesting so I agreed to read and review. Jane comes from a loving family, parents and two brothers who love her very much. Her family owns a restaurant and everyone in the family works there, except for Jane. She is a teacher and working on her thesis. She has a boyfriend and he has asked her to marry him but Jane stalls him because she can't commit until she knows more about herself. Jane is adopted and wants to find her birth mother, so in order to do this, she moves to the town that she knows she was born in. Jane applies and is accepted for a position as a nanny with Asher Price, a rich widower with two children, Riley 11 and Levi 5. Ashers wife Susanna was killed in a terrible car crash and the children are having a hard time adapting to this. Riley is sulky and argumentative and Levi acts out in bad behavior. So Jane has a hard time trying to get close to the children. She does win Levi over as she helps him grow a garden but Riley is harder to reach. Susanna was a gifted artist and Riley has inherited her talent but refuses to do any painting. As Jane learns more about Susanna she begins to understand the difficulties that this family has overcoming the loss of their mother and wife. In the meantime Jane is continuing to do all she can to find her birth mother. So with the help of some women at the local hospital and newpaper, clues start to emerge. On the other side of this, her relationship with her boyfriend, Jonathan, becomes strained as Jane is still not ready for marriage. As time goes by Jane and Asher become more and more attracted to each other until it gets to the point that they both need to make a decision. The truth about Susanna soon comes out, that she bipolar and her behavior had been detrimental to her ability to be a good wife and mother. Asher is away from home often for his job and does not want to get involved with the nanny, but he has a hard time with this as he finds himself falling in love with Jane and he hopes the feeling is mutual. This book was a fast and enjoyable read. I liked the characters and how they evolved over time and were able to start to have a life as a family that they all desperately need. I highly recommend this book and I will be reading more by this author.

I've read the author's historical romances before but this is my first contemporary by her and I was curious. To me One Season of Sunshine is more women's fiction than romance but I liked it nonetheless. It tells the story of Jane Aaron who was adopted when she was only a few days old. She has a great life: a loving family, great friends, a nice boyfriend and a job as a second grade teacher. But she had always felt that she's missing something in her life and yearns to meet her birth mother. So, she goes to Cedar Springs where she was born to search for answers and there, she ends up working for single dad Asher Price as a nanny to his two children--prickly teenager Riley and energetic 5-year-old Levi. Asher's wife, Susanna, died in a terrible car accident over a year ago but the family is still not over her death and their house is very Manderley-esque shrine to Susanna Price. As Jane gets to know the family, she begins to suspect that Susanna might not be the perfect wife and mother everyone says she was. A growing attraction between Jane and Asher develops but as Jane gets closer to finding out the identity of her birth mother, secrets are exposed that may ruin any future Jane and Asher might have. Throughout the whole book, I wasn't sure how I feel about Jane. I thought she was a bit selfish and insensitive in how she just packs up and leaves, first with her family and then later with Asher and the children. It's like she doesn't think about the impact of her decisions and what her leaving has on them. I also didn't like how she just kept stringing along her boyfriend for most of the book when she couldn't make a decision as to what to do with him. She describes herself as being a flake and she is that but her character does grow. On the other hand, I really liked how she was firm but sweet to Asher's difficult children and wasn't intimidated by them, especially Riley. I liked Asher right away though--he's trying his hardest to juggle a demanding career and still be a father his children who just lost their mother. As we learn more about Susanna, I really felt for him and was happy when he got his second chance with Jane--I thought the romance between them was sweet. As the story went on, it became less about finding Jane's birth mother and more about Jane becoming a vital part of the Price family. That's fine with me as I was more interested in Jane, Asher and the children and I thought the scenes where Jane was looking for her birth mom slowed the story down a bit. I liked that the issues weren't all tied up in a nice happily ever after bow but the ending is satisfying. Overall, this book is an easy read and, like in her historical novels, I like the author's voice. I enjoyed this book--I recommend it as a nice beach or a book club read.

We think allot about our past while living in the present preparing for the future. That is what Jane Aaron has done for too many years and she wants to break away from it all. She grew up in a wonderful household with a loving extended family but never got over the fact that she was adopted. Jane decides that in order for her to live in the present and prepare for the future she must take a step into her past and find her birth mother. She wants to know why the woman did not keep her and figure out how she fits into the world so all the pieces of Jane fit into the puzzle of the family that adopted her. So Jane takes a leave from her teaching position, puts her relationship with her boyfriend on hold, packs up her belongings and heads out for Cedar Springs, TX to find her birth mother and discover some answers. To supplement her stay in Cedar Springs Jane takes a nanny position with an out of control group who need more attention than she has the time for. They are children are recovering from the loss of their mother and the man in charge of all of them, Asher is globetrotting trying to keep his business afloat. Not enough time and too much anguish is tearing this family apart and as Jane begins her search for information she helps the children, Riley and Levi find a way back to live without grief and sorrow. What Jane never thought she would discover is a relationship with Asher and as the layers of their lives unfold it seems that destiny has brought them together? As Jane unravels the secrets of her life she becomes entangled in Asher's, but being wrapped up in his arms is not a bad place to find oneself. Julia London has been an iconic historical romance writer who last year ventured into the contemporary genre with the amazing Summer of Two Wishes. This book continues Ms. London's adventures in Cedar Springs and does update the reader on the last books characters but the new characters are even more charming, delightful and completely believable. We all spend so much time lamenting what has happened that at times we forget to work on today because tomorrow is at the door waiting to be opened. This book shows how great romance is written and I found it to be a complete delight. Mary Gramlich is The Reading Reviewer located at [...]

Julia London creates compelling, true-to-life characters that always make me want to come along for the ride, and I am right there with Jane Aaron when she sets out to discover her birth mother, and ends up on a breathtaking journey to find herself. What makes her feel so set apart from the perfect family who raised her? And why is she suddenly so emotionally invested in the lives of the children she takes on as charges, and the man who hires her as a nanny? It's hard to resist the pull of Asher Price, flawed hero, struggling with work conflicts and the desire to spend more time with his kids, still grieving the loss of their mother. There are shades of one of my favorite classics, Rebecca, as Jane tries to discover the truth to Susanna's past and her relationships at the time of her death, and how they affect Jane's own fate. A satisfying romance, but so much more. If you love Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin, give Julia London a try.