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Reading One Summer’s Night is like watching a mediocre Disney movie. It’s chock full of fairies and magic, and so gosh darn cute I actually felt guilty for not liking it more. While I did appreciate its whimsical qualities, I just couldn’t connect with the characters.
When Laurel Carrington turns twenty-one, her life is at a crossroads. She’s finished college, but hasn’t yet been accepted to the graduate school of her choice. Her long-time boyfriend has proposed, but she’s not sure she wants to marry him. All her life she has done what was expected of her, but suddenly she feels trapped and unsure of herself. When she gets an invitation to study with Maybelle Starr, a famous, reclusive artist who paints fairies, she jumps at the chance. She leaves behind her would-be fiancé and her father and drives to Vermont to meet her destiny.
Maybelle’s lifestyle is not quite what Laurel expected. Although her cabin is picturesque and her gardens are beautiful, she has no running water or electricity. Even more alarming, she has a gardener/hired hand named Dane who treats Laurel rudely. And although Laurel came to learn how to paint fairies, Maybelle doesn’t seem to be in any particular hurry to teach her.
But soon Laurel feels herself falling into Maybelle’s world. Strange things happen to her; her short hair grows long in a matter of weeks, and she can understand the thoughts of animals. She thinks less and less about her father and boyfriend, and more about the now-friendlier Dane. But there are a lot of mysterious qualities about Maybelle that Laurel still doesn’t understand. And while she is happy in Maybelle’s home, she’s not yet sure that she wants to give up her old life entirely. Before she can make a decision about her future, she must understand more about Maybelle – and her own past.
One Summer’s Night is brimming with fancy and charm, and there are fairies and enchantment everywhere you turn. But try as I might, I just couldn’t get into it all. Maybelle’s home and gardens are lovingly described, but I couldn’t stop wondering how she ever had the leisure time to paint fairies in the first place. She lives on a farm with no electricity and she cooks mouth-watering meals from scratch – when she’s not milking cows or making her own butter and cheese. Dane’s home is a little more cosmopolitan; he has electricity and store-bought items such as coffee and beer. Yet, like Maybelle, he never seems to leave the farm to purchase anything.
If I had been more engrossed in the story, I might have been less inclined to notice such nit-picky details. But although I liked the fairies, there just wasn’t enough going on to keep me involved. Laurel and Maybelle were somewhat interesting, but I never warmed up to Dane. He makes a bad first impression with his initial rude treatment of Laurel (he tells her to go away even though he knows perfectly well that she is an expected guest), and even though he is nicer to her later on, he is lacking in depth as a character. The author often mentions how attractive Dane and Laurel are, but there isn’t any real sexual tension between them. The few love scenes are laden with flowery metaphors, which doesn’t help matters, and, in fact, makes matters worse.
Part of the reason I feel guilty about not liking this book more lies in its very theme. Laurel discovers her true nature as she comes to accept the magical world around her. In the process, she sees Dane as more than just a farmer. If you can’t believe in fairies long enough to stop wondering how the chores get done and you can’t appreciate Dane’s finer qualities, you end up feeling like something of a philistine. I can appreciate a whimsical story now and then, but this one just didn’t work for me. If you are looking for a good fairy tale, I’d skip this one and read Neil Gaiman’s Stardust.
Grade: D+
Book Type: Fantasy Romance
Sensuality: Subtle
Review Date: 12/04/00
Publication Date: 2000
I've been at AAR since dinosaurs roamed the Internet. I've been a Reviewer, Reviews Editor, Managing Editor, Publisher, and Blogger. Oh, and Advertising Corodinator. Right now I'm taking a step back to concentrate on kids, new husband, and new job in law...but I'll still keep my toe in the romance waters.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.