A Summer in Europe by Marilyn Brant is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter evening.
Sip hot chocolate and read about Gwen's month-long trek through Italy, Hungary, France, and England, and vicariously enjoy the beautiful weather, the beautiful sights and the beautiful relationships that build as the trip progresses.
A Summer in Europe is not so much a romance as it is a story of a young woman coming into her own. Gwen goes from someone who is intent on getting married and keeping her life in the rigid parameter that she thinks is "the way a life should be" to someone who wants to experience life from moment to moment and not only live life to the fullest, but enjoy every second along the way.
The other characters, who at the beginning of the book seem almost cartoonish as seen through Gwen's eyes, become real people with their own joys and sorrows as she gets to know them and accept them as unique individuals who choose not to follow the norm.
So perhaps the most important theme in the book is acceptance. Acceptance of those who are different physically, emotionally, and also those who are older, those who act goofy, and even those who are not nice (they may have their own reasons).
It's when Gwen learns to accept herself that she becomes secure enough to really take a look at her life and really take charge of her life. Gwen learns to take risks -- and that was what her clever aunt had wanted when she invited Gwen to take the trip.
Brandt writes knowledgeably about the sights, smells and sounds of the places the tour visits. Her love of Europe oozes out of each and every page, and one can only hope that she took a long time researching this book by visiting them all!
This review was based on the final paperback book provided by the author.
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