Summer at Sea
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Summer at Sea Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Beth Labonte (Author), Erin Spencer (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 3,641 ratings
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Four jackets of varying weights, enough socks for the entire Confederate Army, three umbrellas, most of the antacid aisle from the local pharmacy, and six pairs of old-people sneakers that all look exactly the same. Have you ever helped your parents pack for a weeklong cruise? No? I didn't think so. So shut it.

So begins vacation for Summer Hartwell - 26 years old, living with her anxiety-ridden parents, and unwillingly booked by her brother on a weeklong cruise to Bermuda. Despite the nightmare of being trapped aboard a cruise ship with Mom and Dad, Summer sees a rare opportunity to fulfill The Prophecy - her mother's declaration that she will live at home until she gets married. With 2,000 passengers onboard, at least one of them must be husband material, right?

The only problem is Graham Blenderman - her brother's best friend who is joining them for the week in all of his tall, blonde, extroverted glory. Graham doesn't believe Summer needs a husband in order to break free from her parents. He thinks she just needs a little bit of nerve. And to Summer's introverted horror, he's willing to spend the entire week proving that he's right.

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  1. Listening Length
    8 hours and 9 minutes
  2. Author
    Beth Labonte
  3. Narrator
    Erin Spencer
  4. Audible release date
    February 26, 2016
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Audible Studios
  7. ASIN
    B01CDDXU9E
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 8 hours and 9 minutes
Author Beth Labonte
Narrator Erin Spencer
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date February 26, 2016
Publisher Audible Studios
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B01CDDXU9E
Best Sellers Rank #257,789 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#759 in Satirical Literature & Fiction
#10,834 in Fiction Satire
#11,276 in Humorous Fiction

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
3,641 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

BrainyBlonde
5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2016
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Summer at Sea was recommended to me by two friends who said that the book was a riot, and they weren't wrong! To start with, the premise is very clever and original. Heroine Summer Hartwell, a twentysomething school librarian who still lives with her parents, is joining her mom and dad on a week-long cruise to Bermuda paid for by her brother. Although she's not thrilled to be traveling with her clingy, multi-phobic parents, she sees the cruise as an opportunity to meet a man with long-term potential, one who could help her start living her own life. Unfortunately, Summer's quest for an onboard romance is hampered by not only her drama-causing parents, but the presence of Graham, her brother's bestie a.k.a. the guy who unknowingly crushed her fragile, adolescent heart. When Graham challenges Summer to flout her parents' wishes and take a walk on the wild side, she decides to go for it and soon she's doing all sorts of crazy (and wonderful!) things she never thought she would, including falling head over flip-flops in love.

This story was such a fun, fast-paced, and entertaining read! I laughed until I cried over so many bits in the book involving Summer's parents and the string of losers she encounters on the boat. And I totally swooned over Graham, who was the perfect combination of quirky (He has a fondness for LOUD shirts.), sweet, irreverent, and sexy. I still chuckle every time I think about how Graham and Eric (Summer's AWOL brother) made their money and how Graham seemed to attract cougars everywhere he went. Summer comes a long way from the beginning of the book until the end, and it was nice to see her develop and mature.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beth Labonte's writing style (It's perfect for the genre as she can find the humor in just about any situation and is a pro at building romantic tension.) and I'm so happy to have discovered her work. I have already downloaded her previous book, What Stays in Vegas, and look forward to reading it very soon.
12 people found this helpful
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A. J. Powers
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and frustrating
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2021
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This was a cute story that had many laugh out loud moments but also many frustrating moments. I got frustrated with Summers parents but I mostly got frustrated with her that she would not stand up for herself and thought the only way to get out of her parents home was to meet some man on the cruise. I really liked Graham and I could tell from the beginning that he liked Summer but he too frustrated me because he kept on leaving hints but not just coming out and saying he liked her. There was quite a few people they meet that were questionable, the storyline with Jackson though is pretty funny. I enjoyed the adventures that Graham had them go on and I liked seeing Summers parents loosen up a little, sometimes her dad loosened up too much which was a little weird. I was so happy when the truth comes out and I could not wait until the next story to see where things go.
2 people found this helpful
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Jessica Harrell
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a fun read!
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2021
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I loved this book! I was looking for something fun and short to get me out of a reading slump and this did the trick!

Summer’s character is 26 years old and has some deep rooted issues to work out and Graham is determined to help her! She’s got clingy paranoid parents who are scared of every germ on the planet and is going on a cruise with them... which to them is pretty much the equivalent of being trapped in a giant metal test tube.

Summer has one thing on her agenda, and that is to find a husband and break free of “The Prophecy” she feels she’s destined for (which is: she won’t be able to move out unless she can find a husband on this 8-day cruise).

A lot of the thoughts and mental processing Summer goes through in the book is tied directly to her relationship with her parents. This book not only goes through her growth as a person but also the growth of her relationship with her parents and her parents themselves —— and we can’t forget her future boo!

I’ll say it again, I LOVED this book and highly recommend if you are looking for something shorter, flirty and fun!
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blurrysmom
3.0 out of 5 stars Decent story.
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016
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Cute story. Unique setting. I called the twist about halfway through, but it was still entertaining. My only complaint is that the parents were too much. They are portrayed as elderly people, when they are 65. Maybe they were annoyingly persnickety like older people get, but I doubt they'd be as incompetent and hysterical (not in the ha ha sense) as they were written. And their utter disregard for summer as an individual was not cute; it made them seem selfish and/or self-absorbed. I would have liked to read a "come to Jesus" moment with them realizing that they are part of the problem, not the solution. But I enjoyed the slow burn with graham and summer. An epilogue would have been great.
2 people found this helpful
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Sheri A. Wilkinson
4.0 out of 5 stars A laugh-out-loud read....
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2016
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Summer at Sea by Beth Labonte

Summer Hartwell is booked on a cruise with her parents by her brother. Her brother backs out but sends his best friend Graham Blenderman. The two are complete opposites, she is introverted and happy to be alone. He is extroverted and always looking for fun and adventure. Not only does she have to deal with her anxious Mother, and doting Father, she has to deal with obnoxious Graham. How will she handle being trapped on a ship with these people? Summer is determined to survive what she feels is about to become a nightmare.

Summer is very likable, despite her shyness and wanting to be alone. Graham is likable, he is lively quick witted and never short on something snarky to say to Summer. There are many laugh out loud moments, well actually most of the book is funny. I found Summer at Sea to be a very enjoyable read and feel those who like romantic/comedy will like it as well.
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Top reviews from other countries

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dragonsmama
5.0 out of 5 stars Hahaha
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2023
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Hahaha. Quite funny. I did love some of the descriptions of the parents - not being so young myself anymore, it was really pretty funny to read some of the packing list, and other habits.
The story was quite light, but fun to read, and I didn't really want to put the book down. If you want an easy beach read, then I do recommend this book!
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Sharan McNaughton
5.0 out of 5 stars delightful
Reviewed in Australia on September 12, 2021
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I read this in one day and loved it. Exactly the kind of lighthearted, funny, uncomplicated diversion that I needed during these strange times.
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Melissa
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a fun read
Reviewed in Canada on September 26, 2015
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I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a long time. Between Summer’s complete lack of judgement with men to her parents paranoid escapades, Beth Labonte had me laughing from page one. Although there is some romance, this story is more about Summer’s journey to independence. It was interesting learning how much she is sacrificed for her parents and how she learns to be more independent.

Summer at Sea is the second book by Beth Labonte, I have read. The previous book I read is called What Stays in Vegas. After reading these two different stories, one thing I found to be similar was the fact that both main characters were very relatable to me. I definitely share a sarcastic sense of humour with Summer. However the most ironic thing of all Is that fact that I am getting ready to go on vacation with my own parents.. and we are going on a boat! Thankfully my parents are very different and not as paranoid as Summer’s.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a funny beach (or cruise) read. Summer at Sea is a book I would read again and again. I’m looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.
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kari
5.0 out of 5 stars Nette und lustige Urlaubslektüre
Reviewed in Germany on November 24, 2015
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Summer unternimmt mit ihren Eltern und einem Freund ihres Bruders eine Kreuzfahrt. Sie plant auf dieser Reise einen passenden Mann zu finden. Dabei kommt es natürlich zu einigen Problemen, sowohl mit den Eltern als auch mit den möglichen Kandidaten für ihr zukünftiges Leben.

"Summer at Sea" ist eine sehr gelungene Geschichte, wenn man auf der Suche nach einem unterhaltsamen und lustigen Buch ist. Viele Stellen im Buch sind wirklich sehr witzig geschildert, die dargestellten Personen wirken sympathisch und das Lesen macht großen Spaß. Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist flüssig und lässt keine Langeweile aufkommen.
Wer auf der Suche nach unbeschwerter Unterhaltung ist, liegt mit diesem Buch sicher richtig!
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Laura N Bren
4.0 out of 5 stars Good easy read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2022
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This had been on my kindle for a long time and honestly it was better than I expected. Easy to read with a good storyline, if a little predictable in parts.
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