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Summer on Blossom Street
Summer on Blossom Street
Summer on Blossom Street
Audiobook9 hours

Summer on Blossom Street

Written by Debbie Macomber

Narrated by Delilah

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Knitting and life. They’re both about beginnings—and endings. That’s why it makes sense for Lydia Goetz, owner of A Good Yarn on Seattle’s Blossom Street, to offer a class called Knit to Quit. It’s for people who want to quit something—or someone!—and start a new phase of their lives.

First to join is Phoebe Rylander. She recently ended her engagement to a man who doesn’t know the meaning of faithful, and she’s trying to get over him. Then there’s Alix Turner. She and her husband, Jordan, want a baby, which means she has to quit smoking. And Bryan Hutchinson joins the class because he needs a way to deal with the stress of running his family’s business—not to mention the lawsuit brought against him by an unscrupulous lawyer.

Life can be as complicated as a knitting pattern. Just ask Anne Marie Roche. She and her adopted daughter, Ellen, finally have the happiness they wished for. And then a stranger comes to her bookstore asking questions.

Or ask Lydia herself. Not only is she coping with her increasingly frail mother, but she and Brad have unexpectedly become foster parents to an angry, defiant twelve-year-old.

But as Lydia already knows, when life gets difficult and your stitches are snarled, your friends can always help!

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 1, 2009
ISBN9781423305316
Summer on Blossom Street
Author

Debbie Macomber

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author and a leading voice in women’s fiction today. She is a multiple award winner with more than 200 million copies of her books in print. Five of her Christmas titles have been made into Hallmark Channel Original Movies, as well as a series based on her bestselling Cedar Cove stories. For more information, visit her website:www.DebbieMacomber.com.

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Reviews for Summer on Blossom Street

Rating: 4.1475410061475415 out of 5 stars
4/5

244 ratings27 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Book 7 of 13. Next book in series is "Hannah's List".

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Awesome series, storylines and character development. Highly recommend. Very enjoyable.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    heartwarming and fun. I definitely recommend this series for all ages .
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I got this book off the book exchange rack at my library, but I see that two of my friends have read it as well and enjoyed it. I have read other books by Debbie Macomber, but I don't know if I've read any other Blossom Street books. I liked the idea of a Knit to Quit group, and I liked the camaraderie that the group developed. Lydia Goetz is the yarn shop owner (or co-owner with her sister, I'm not quite sure). She's married to Brad and has a stepson, Cody. They're planning to adopt a baby. Instead, they get almost-teen Casey as an emergency placement foster child.At first, the Goetz family's attempts to reach out to Casey fail. Lydia even attempts to teach her to knit as a way to bond, but for whatever reason, Casey can't "get it". It's Lydia's sister, Margaret, who figures out that Casey can crochet much better than she can knit. Phoebe Rylander joins the knitting group to occupy her and to relearn knitting after she breaks off her engagement to the unfaithful Clark Snowden. I admire Phoebe's resolve in sticking to her guns despite pressure from her mother, Clark, and his parents to overlook his indiscretions. (That part reminded me a bit of historical romances where men are expected to have affairs and the women are expected to look the other way and not mind--yet if the tables were turned, the women are ostracized and the men do mind.) Clark reads as stalker to me. Of course, it probably helps some that Phoebe meets Bryan Hutchinson through the knitting group and gets to see what a good man is really like.Hutch joins the knitting group on the advice of his physician who says it will be both calming for his blood pressure and physical therapy for his thumb. He seems like both an uptight worrier and a sweet guy who's a bit inept when it comes to romance. Alix Turner joins the knitting group as a way to occupy her hands and calm herself as she quits smoking so that she and her husband, Jordan, can have a baby. Alix is also the product of foster homes, so she advises Lydia on relating to Casey and also talks to Casey. Unfortunately, her history also makes her doubt her ability to be a good mother--probably another reason she puts off quitting smoking. Lydia's friend Anne Marie Roche doesn't join the knitting group, but claims she is going to make the scarf project that the group is doing--I don't know that she does. Anne Marie has recently adopted Ellen and the two are just back from a trip to Paris when Ellen's biological father (Tim) shows up. At first, Anne Marie refuses him, but later, after hearing Ellen's wish list, she reconsiders and allows him to paternity test the two of them to be sure he is the father. I'm not sure how I feel about Tim. He does seem committed to his sobriety (8 years) and though he starts out threatening to involve a lawyer to be able to see Ellen, once he gives that up, he seems very conscientious about Anne Marie's concerns and schedule. He also misleads Ellen (and readers) into thinking that the 3 of them might become a family when he's dating someone else (that kind of came out of left field for me--perhaps it was revealed in a previous book and those who read in order might not have been so surprised). I was kind of mad at him at that point. I kind of guess after Vanessa was introduced, that the two of them wouldn't work out. She seemed to resent having to share him with Ellen and seemed like she'd be extremely jealous of any woman he paid any amount of attention to (based on how she reacted to Anne Marie). I couldn't believe that Tim just expected her to have waited for him to decide this and figured he could just ask her to date him. So, Anne Marie has two seemingly decent men vying for her dating attention (since she had a blind date the night Tim asks her to date him).It's a series, so not all plot questions are resolved in this book--many are though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really enjoyed this novel. The best one in the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A pleasant, light read--another visit with the generally very nice people on Blossom Street, Seattle.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another enjoyable read in the Blossom Street series. The ending was a good one and of course I can't wait to get into book 7 of the series! Debbie Macomber has to be one of my favorite authors!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
    4 stars
    From book jacket: "Knitting and life. They're both about beginnings—and endings. That's why it makes sense for Lydia Goetz, owner of A Good Yarn on Seattle's Blossom Street, to offer a class called Knit to Quit. It's for people who want to quit something—or someone!—and start a new phase of their lives. First to join is Phoebe Rylander. She recently ended her engagement to a man who doesn't know the meaning of faithful, and she's trying to get over him. Then there's Alix Turner. She and her husband, Jordan, want a baby, which means she has to quit smoking. And Bryan Hutchinson joins the class because he needs a way to deal with the stress of running his family's business—not to mention the lawsuit brought against him by an unscrupulous lawyer. Life can be as complicated as a knitting pattern. Just ask Anne Marie Roche. She and her adopted daughter, Ellen, finally have the happiness they wished for. And then a stranger comes to her bookstore asking questions. Or ask Lydia herself. Not only is she coping with her increasingly frail mother, but she and Brad have unexpectedly become foster parents to an angry, defiant twelve-year-old. But as Lydia already knows, when life gets difficult and your stitches are snarled, your friends can always help!"

    This is book 5 in the Blossom Street series by Debbie Macomber. As usual, the book tells stories about several different characters, some new, some old. One of my favorite parts about Macomber's series are that fact that with each book we get to learn new elements in the character's lives. In this book, we get a continuing of the stories of Lydia Goetz, Alix Turner, Anne Marie Roche and Ellen, and we also meet 2 new characters in Phoebe and Hutch. Each character is facing a different challenge, and I enjoy reading about the ups and downs they go through and I love when everything works out in the end. I was also happy to see not just knitting, but also some crochet being featured as I love crochet and haven't quite gotten knitting down yet. All in all, this was another successful addition the series and I look forward to the next.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber is a beach book, plain and simple. It is the story of a number of families living in the same neighbourhood. They all have lovely professions - one runs a bookstore, one a knitting shop, one a bakeshop. Each of the families is experiencing a crisis of some sort - one wants to adopt, one has an ex-fiance who won't leave her alone, another wants to quit smoking. Here's the thing; the author makes you care about her characters, their struggles and their happy endings - because, of course, everyone has a happy ending! I would definitely recommend this book for an easy, friendly read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A very captivating story even though the romance didn't really get going until the second half the development of the individuals was so absorbing it more than made up for it. I liked that there were multiple characters developing loving relationships. Hutch, Phoebe and Alix sign up for Lydia's knit to quit class.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'm adopted and this book had me in laughter and tears.. So heartwarming.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sometimes, knitting comes out perfect – even stitches, even rows. But sometimes, the tension is uneven; stitches get dropped, and rows must ripped out and redone. Life can be like that, too. Sometimes it is perfect, and sometimes tension causes rifts in relationships that must be reworked. There are some new faces on Blossom Street, and not all are happy. Phoebe just broke off her engagement, and is so ashamed that she lies about the real reason. Casey, a resentful foster child, believes that anger can protect her from hurt. Can Lydia and Brad reach the defiant child without sacrificing their own family peace? Anne Marie has child problems of her own in the form of Ellen’s long-lost father. And is Anne Marie attracted to him? But he has other ideas, or does he? Alix is so nervous she has again taken up smoking, much to everyone’s dismay. How can things possibly work out? Well, they do, but is everyone satisfied with the outcome? You won’t know until you read this charming addition to the Blossom Street saga. These well-developed characters will seem like old friends by the time you finish the story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My thought were sweet. I really enjoyed this book. I love how it ends and I am really glad for what happens to some of the woman in the book. You get see how the friendship develop and Relationships are tested though out the book. How friends can help and see the understanding. You get to see how part of the adoption take place and how thing can be tested with out knowing can happen unexpected. Love can happen though strange whys. Never did I expect what would happen at the end of the book.The Author did a wonderful job with the character and matching them up but doing in a way that would happen natural to find out how it all happen. It was nice reading about them all and not confuse me while reading it. I will want to read books 1-5 understand completely soon though. I am going to be reading 5 "Twenty Wishes now."
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I have read all the books in the series. So, every time a new one comes out, I look for it. Light, easy, and quick read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Lydia Goetz, owner of A Good Yarn, is offering a new knitting class - Knit to Quit. She has three students: Phoebe Rylander who is trying to get over her ex-fiancée; Alix Turner who wants to quit smoking in order to try and have a baby; and Bryan "Hutch" Hutchinson who needs to find a way to deal with the stress of running the family business. As Lydia tries to teach them to knit, she also has her problems as she is struggling not only with caring for her aging mother but with being a foster mother to an angry 12 year old girl. And then there's Anne Marie Roche, adjusting to life with her recently adopted daughter Ellen. They seem to be settling in nicely until a stranger appears and threatens their happiness. It may be Summer on Blossom Street but life there is never easy. "Summer on Blossom Street" is another good book in Debbie Macomber's soap opera like Blossom Street series. Fans of the Blossom Street books will be glad to see old favorites like Lydia, Alix, and Anne Marie while meeting new characters like Phoebe and Hutch. It's easy to see from the beginning what direction the Phoebe/Hutch story is going in, but it is fun to sit back and enjoy the ride, even if Phoebe does find it a tad too easy to get over Clark. Macomber throws a few contemporary references into the plotline (for example a frivolous lawsuit) and a few twists, but the story isn't all that deep. Alix gets a little shortchanged in the plotline, although her conversations with Casey are some of the highlights in the book. Lydia's plotline is a little deeper as she struggles not only with an aging mother but an unruly foster child (of course readers will also know where that plotline is going). Anne Marie's plotline is the strongest - as she is the deepest character, showing some real flaws as she deals with an unexpected and unwelcome visitor. Debbie Macomber isn't the best writer in the world - it is easy to see where her plot lines are going and she tends to not only repeat herself in writing, but also her plot lines (the adopting an older child plotline, while a good one, is wearing thin after being featured in back to back books). But Macomber's strong point is her story telling - she continues to create characters that readers care about and want to revisit time and time again to see how they are doing. "Summer on Blossom Street" is no exception.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another great installment of the Blossom Street series. I have really loved watching the characters evolve in each book, and the new characters introduced in this book were excellent as well. I will say that I did listen to the audiobook version of this, which was narrated by the radio host Delilah. It was a tolerable recording, only because the story was engrossing, but I found Delilah to be an AWFUL narrator, probably one of the worst in any audobook that I have listened too.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is an oddly familiar, comfortable read. I like the way this author mixes new and old characters in this series. We always get to continue with the thread of the old, but it stays fresh with the incorporation of new. For example, Lydia has grown through the series, dating, marrying, having a family, ect. Some authors can write 30 books, and the character is the same in the first and the last. (I’m sure this is called something, I just don’t know what). I like that Macomber can advance the story through many books, but I never feel lost. Then there is another character named Alix. Alix is progressing, but I’m not sure it’s for the better. In this novel I just found her whiny, and thought she was there for padding for other story lines. So I guess I am ambivalent on the way this worked this time around. The novels themselves are based in a community that comes across comfortable and friendly, and you just want to step into the pages and have a cup of coffee or sit and knit a while. Now, these novels are somewhat formulaic in that it is always a group of characters that come together for a knitting class, and then help each other work out there problems by the end. But it is always a complete ending, and a nice place to visit.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved this book. Great story and happy ending for all.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Acquired via BookCrossing 02 Jan 2010 - from GillAnother excellent Debbie Macomber read with a new class of knitters, all trying to "quit" something (or someone) and the old favourites bubbling away too, some in the foreground, others more incidental. I loved the children in this one, and a good and comforting read as ever.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Summer on Blossom Street is the fifth book in the Blossom Street Series by Debbie Macomber. Lydia Goetz, who owns A Good Yarn, starts a knitting class called "Knit to Quit" for those who are trying to quit something. It could be smoking, a man, or stress. We meet several new characters and get caught up with some series regulars. Phoebe is trying to get over a cheating ex-fiance and Hutch is trying to lesson the business related stress in his life. We also see how Anne Marie is handling the appearance of her adopted daughter's birth father showing up in their lives. This book is about friends and family helping each other out during difficult times.I always enjoy reading Debbie Macomber's books. She just has a lovely, comfortable style that just brings you right into the story. Her characters are real and I always love finding out what they are up to. Blossom Street is wonderful-it is like one big family that you want to know all about! Yes, this book will leave you with a smile in your heart.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love these books. I always cry and the end. I always find myself rooting for the four people who highlight the story and hope for the best. The best usually happens but you still sit on the edge of your seat as you read about, Lydia, Anne Marie, Phoebe and Hutch (who is a man who learns to knit with this group of women)and hope that the major problem in their lives is overcome and all to the good. Predictable, maybe, but I still cringe when things go wrong and cry at the ending!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I wait and wait for each book release in this series and again the wait was so well worth it! I loved this book as much as 20 wishes!I truly want to give nothing away here but Debbie Macomber has picked back up with Alex, who I wanted to hear more about and has made her even more real. The author also goes in one direction as my mind automatically tries to jump ahead and thinks it knows the outcome and yet I get surprised. Debbie Macomber also revisits adoption which being adopted myself she is able to hit emotions right on. Loved yet one more Blossom Street story!!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Macomber skillfully brings the group together, and throws in Lydia's friends from earlier classes. Slowly, Macomber is building a group of friends and family for Lydia. It's a close-knit community (pun intended) that comes together on Blossom Street. And, for those of us who are fans, Summer on Blossom Street is one of the stronger entries in the series. It's the type of book we all need occasionally. These are nice people who have troubles, and find a way to work through them. The Blossom Street books are feel good stories. Who doesn't want a book with a happy ending now and then? And, after a few tears and smiles at the end, there's a hint of a continuing story. It's a welcome hint for readers of this charming series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Lydia Goetz owns a knitting shop on Blossom Street and decides to start a new knitting class. This one is geared towards people who want to "quit something or someone." Three people sign up: Phoebe, "Hutch", and Alix. Ann Marie Roche turns up again and has some drama turn up surrounding her adopted daughter Ellen. Lydia and Brad have decided to try adoption and end up fostering a child. This is a book series but you don’t have to start at the first book to understand what’s going on. Debbie Macomber didn’t intend for the first book to turn in t a series, but she received many requests from her fans for her to do so. How can you say no to your fans?! I LOVE reading Debbie Macombers books. At the end of this one I was litterally crying/sniffling it was that good (happy ending). Then I was chuckling/laughing also. I thought only movies did this to me, but I guess I found out differently.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    You could say that Debbie Macomber's fiction is "formulamatic" (is that a real word?), but the series relating to Blossom Street is especially refreshing. from "book to book" you end up loving all of the main characters. Debbie weaves them seamlessly into her stories. I'd like to visit Blossom Street myself, have a pastry at the French cafe, buy some flowers from Sussanah's Garden, and learn to crochet at Lydia Goetz's yard shop.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love how you can pick up any of the Blossom Street books and catch up on all the characters. This book was no exception. I loved reading and catching up with what seems like old friends. Debbie Macomber does such a great job of making you feel like you are right there on Blossom Street and could walk in to A Good Yarn and sign up for classes! Can't wait for the next one!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As the owner of A Good Yarn, Lydia Goetz knows most of the people that live or work on Blossom Street. It is not surpising that the interest was there for another knitting class. Knit to Quit was just what Phoebe Rylander was looking for, anything that would help her get over the horrible way her ex-fiance has betrayed her trust ... again. As for Alix Turner, she and her husband, Jordan, wanted to start a family, but after all the stress of getting married, Alix had started smoking again. Then the man that had signed up for the class walked in, Bryan "Hutch" Hutchinson had taken over the family business after the unforeseen death of his father and now had the high blood pressure and stress that went with the job. His doctor had recommended he learned how to knit, now that he had been to see the class, he was glad he did. Lydia's own situation was a little closer to home, wanting to adopt a baby, her and husband Brad decided to foster a 12 year-old for a couple of days, which turned into more. All the while Anne Marie Roche, the owner of Blossom Street Books, was enjoying her and her adopted daughters (Ellen) summer vacation, a handsome man (Tim Carlsen) had been looking for them. His interest leaned more towards Ellen, and the reason was made clear that he wanted to know if he was more family to Ellen then Anne Marie was, biologically if not legally.What a lovely home coming that was, to find all my old friends on Blossom Street and all doing so well. I really enjoyed meeting the new characters, from Casey and Tim to Phoebe and Hutch. I enjoyed reading about the newest of Lydia's classes and the return of so many of the former characters was the best. So much of this book isn't wrapped around the yarn store or the class, but everyone involved has something to do with each other. The feeling of belonging, how to find it and the desire for it is all over this one. Some of Anne Marie's story surprised me, but in the end it seems to have almost been worked out.