As You Wish by Jude Deveraux (Review by Stephanie Smith)

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Jude Deveraux’s Book “As You Wish” is book number 3 in The Summerhouse Series. I did not read either of the first two books but didn’t feel that this had any impact on my understanding of book #3. “As you Wish” is a beautiful book of “perfect lives” that aren’t so perfect and the roles each of these women played in their own fate while equally being victims. Olivia is in her 60’s and despite the turmoil of an unhappy 1st marriage, has just married the love her life after a 40 year hiatus. Forty-year-old Kathy is married to someone who has become her best friend but doesn’t make her swoon. And twentysomething Elise is married to a man her parents choose for her, the big problem is his pregnant mistress and oh yeah Elise has just escaped from a mental ward.

You quickly fall in love with each of the women. Pour yourself a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and cuddle up in bed or on the couch because throughout the whole book you feel like you are right in the summerhouse with these women. You sympathize with their struggles, laugh at their fantasies, and wonder if you are one of them. In the end these women, get a unique chance to change their past. However, you quickly learn that even if you could go back you still can’t save everyone despite knowing what the future holds. Even if you change actions that caused your biggest regret you might still be surprised by the outcome. Or perhaps your dreams may come true.

I found this book beautiful, thought evoking, and it drew me in page by page. It was an easy read, but not full of fluff. My only complaint is Jude Deveraux’s method of ending the book while effective and equally as strong as the rest of the book is not a preference of mine for a book ending and reminded me too much of “dream scene” cope outs. It left me a little unfilled and made me feel like the book was no longer realistic. Despite this I would still give this book a 4.8 out of 5.