Create a free Bookclubs account to organize your book club, get reading recommendations, view hundreds of discussion guides, and more!
The Summer Book Club
The rules of summer book club are simple:
- No sad books
- No pressure
- Yessssss, wine!
Besties Laurel and Paris are excited to welcome Cassie to the group. This year, the book club is all about fill-your-heart reads, an escape from the chaos of the everyday—running a business, raising a family, juggling a hundred to-dos. Even the dog is demanding (but the bestest boy).
Since Laurel’s divorce, she feels like the Worst Mom Ever. Her skepticism of men may have scarred her vulnerable daughters. Cassie has an unfortunate habit of falling for ridiculous man-boys who dump her once she fixes them. Paris knows good men exist. She’s still reeling after chasing off the only one brave enough—and foolish enough—to marry her.
Inspired by the heroines who risk everything for fulfillment, Laurel, Paris and Cassie begin to take chances—big chances—in life, in love. Facing an unwritten chapter can be terrifying. But it can be exhilarating, too, if only they can find the courage to change.
This discussion guide was shared and sponsored in partnership with Canary Street Press.
Please note: These questions contain spoilers. We recommend that you finish the book before you read the questions.
Book club questions for The Summer Book Club by Susan Mallery
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
There are three “inciting incidents” in this book—that is, three moments that propel each heroine’s storyline, the moment when each heroine realizes that something needs to change. What are the inciting incidents for Laurel’s, Paris’s and Cassie’s stories?
With which heroine did you identify most closely? Why?
Laurel worried that her own post-divorce attitude toward men was negatively affecting her daughters. Do you think she was right to worry? Why or why not? If you have children, how do you think your beliefs influence theirs?
Should a single mom with no male relatives make sure her kids have positive male role models? If so, what strategies do you think would work? Explain. How did you feel about Laurel’s plan to find a guy friend?
Jonah told Paris that he was partially to blame for their divorce. What do you think he meant? Do you agree with him? Why or why not? Do you think divorce is ever just one person’s fault? Share your thoughts.
Through years of therapy and hard work, Paris was able to change how she reacted to the world, but she was afraid to believe in herself. What finally convinced her that she could risk falling in love again?
In the beginning, all Cassie wanted to do was return home to Maine, but by the end, she saw the future of her dreams in Los Lobos. What changed her mind?
Although none of the men in the story was a point-of-view character, we learned a lot about them through their interactions with Laurel, Paris and Cassie. Which guy appealed to you the most—Colton, Jonah or Raphael—and why? What did you think of their reactions to the romance novel they read for book club? Do you know any men who read romance novels?
How does the structure of the summer book club in The Summer Book Club differ from the structure of your book club? How does your book club choose which book to read next? How do you wish your book club would choose? Does your book club continue to meet in the summer months, and if so, do you change the types of books you read during the summer?
In The Summer Book Club, the women read classic mysteries one summer, old-timey science fiction the next and ’80s romances this summer. What should they read next year?
The Summer Book Club Book Club Questions PDF
Click here for a printable PDF of the The Summer Book Club discussion questions
"A charming, feel-good story of the ways that devoted friends—and great books!—can change our lives with the summer vibes I’m needing right now! There’s a dose of Susan Mallery magic in all her novels; this one just might have an extra scoop!" – Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author
“Susan Mallery is a maven of heartwarming summer reads! The Summer Book Club is a page-turner about the best things in life: books, friendship, love, and finding the courage to live our best lives.” – Katherine Center, New York Times bestselling author