Kit isn’t quite sure where her life is going. For awhile she was certain of herself and her future - she was married to Adam and considered herself a “Wall Street widow.” Her husband worked all the time, leaving her to take care of their two children and socialize with the other “widows”. They bought a huge house in Highfield, Connecticut, and Kit felt more and more empty as time passed.

Now Kit and Adam have divorced, and Kit has moved into a small but charming house in Highfield with her two children. She meets Edie, the woman next door, who slowly becomes the mother Kit never had (Kit’s own was never the maternal type). She finds a job as an assistant for the phenomenally successful writer Robert McClore, who has been a recluse ever since his actress wife died under mysterious circumstances.

Kit is finally finding happiness and fulfillment when everything seems to change. Wall Street is showing its ugly side, with people being laid off right and left. No one has the security they once thought they did. Tracy, Kit’s best friend, seems to have taken a fancy to Robert and has begun to detach herself from Kit and their other best friend, Charlie. To make matters even more complicated, a woman named Annabel has shown up in Kit’s life, leaving Kit shocked and unsure of what to think.

Dune Road is a wonderfully written novel with a great cast of characters. The book revolves around Kit, yet even the most peripheral characters are well-developed. Green takes the time to make sure the reader understands each person in this book. As a result, the novel is almost like immersing oneself in someone else’s life; it’s easy to forget that these are characters written on a page.

Green is a master at keeping the reader hooked. Kit is a character who the reader can’t help but care about, so the desire to know what happens to her, and to ensure that she ends up happy, spurs the reader on. There are also some minor mysteries woven within the pages. While not the center of the story, these mysteries help propel the story forward.

Dune Road is another perfect beach read from Jane Green like last summer’s wonderful The Beach House. Green captures women’s fiction at its best: these are well-developed, nuanced characters who readers will want to get to know. Green gets the reader emotionally involved in the story but is careful not to be manipulative. The book is neither sappy nor too sentimental; this is not a novel of perfectly happy endings. Instead, it’s a book about real life. If you’re looking for wonderfully quiet yet well-written women’s fiction this summer, look no further. Dune Road is just what you need.

Renee is a wonderfully strong heroine. She’s not the type of princess to wait around for Prince Charming; if she wants something done, she does it herself. Courageous and witty, her femininity is one of her greatest weapons, and her moments of vulnerability make her feel true to life. When she and Michael acknowledge their feelings for each other, it leads to a passionate relationship. Many of the secondary characters were actual personages, and there are so many that it can be tricky initially keeping straight who’s who and which lord or duke is friend or foe.

Tudor England and King Henry’s court has long been a popular theme in books and movies, as the success of Showtime’s recent miniseries The Tudors demonstrates. Now its grandeur is revisited in Jane Green’s Dune Road in a wholly unique way. With its intelligent storytelling and great characters, Dune Road is an enjoyable and satisfying read. Historical fiction, historical romance, or historical paranormal, if you’re a fan of any of these, then this book is a must-read.