Reviewed by Lynette Fowlston for Readers' Favorite

That Certain Summer by Mary Verdick is a light springy romance with a suspenseful undertone to it. Sally Grimes from Winner, Iowa, wants to be a writer but so far has not progressed past writing for the local newspaper. Now she has a chance to make it big, writing the life story of famous actress Diane Fenwick. Moving off to Connecticut to spend the summer with her at her beach-side cottage, Sally gets the shock of her life: Diane has children...seven year old twins, as a matter of fact! Is she there as a writer or a babysitter? She hardly sees Ms. Fenwick, mainly it’s the children and Ricardo, the handsome hunk who works for Diane’s landlord, with whom she interacts. She soon finds out something sinister is going on, and she is about to be in the middle of it.

This is a light summer read that gets the reader caught up in the suspense. The characters are lighthearted and easy to become involved with from the twins Megan and Alex, to Mr. Morley-Watts, the reclusive landlord, right down to Rufus the dog and Mildred the cat. With little twists and turns, the suspense takes the reader right up to an ending that he/she will not expect. All in all I would say That Certain Summer is an ideal afternoon read. Young adults, Chick Lit readers and grandmothers alike will find this book a delightful read.