Bittersweet

About The Book:  Suspenseful and cinematic, Bittersweet exposes the gothic underbelly of an idyllic world of privilege and an outsider’s hunger to belong.   On scholarship at a prestigious East Coast college, ordinary Mabel Dagmar is surprised to befriend her roommate, the beautiful, wild, blue-blooded Genevra Winslow. Ev invites Mabel to spend the summer at Bittersweet, her cottage on the Vermont estate where her family has been holding court for more than a century; it’s the kind of place where children twirl sparklers across the lawn during cocktail hour. Mabel falls in love with midnight skinny-dipping, the wet dog smell that lingers near the yachts, and the moneyed laughter that carries across the still lake while fireworks burst overhead. Before she knows it, she has everything she’s ever wanted:  friendship, a boyfriend, access to wealth, and, most of all, for the first time in her life, the sense that she belongs.  But as Mabel becomes an insider, a terrible discovery leads to shocking violence and reveals what the Winslows may have done to keep their power intact - and what they might do to anyone who threatens  them. Mabel must choose: either expose the ugliness surrounding her and face expulsion from paradise, or keep the family’s dark secrets and make Ev's world her own. 
About The Author:     Miranda Beverly-Whittemore  writes novels.  Bittersweet is her third and is set at the home on Lake Champlain where she spent summers as a girl.  Bittersweet was written for people who love The Secret History and The Emperor's  Children.  Her first two novels were published in 2005 and 2007.  Her next novel, June, will be out in 2016.

My Thoughts On The Book: This book, my first by Miranda Whittemore,  is the absolute perfect summer read! I was delighted when it arrived the day before we left on a beach vacation.  I opened it, dropped in my beach bag, and when we arrived I was delighted to have it.  This book has everything a summer read needs.  It has friendship, a dream of a setting, mystery and suspense.  It does not get much better than this.  Whittemore is an excellent writer and once I started reading I felt myself drawn into the story and could not put it down.  I was sad when it ended.  I do believe that as the ending unfolded I felt as if I was on a rollercoaster ride and things seemed to pick up speed.  I would have liked to have savoured the ending a bit more.  Great read and I can't wait for another book by Whittemore. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this e-book free from Blogging for Books as part of their Book Review Blogger Programs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!