Amazon UK
Title: Sweet Home Summer
Author: Michelle Vernal
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Harper Impulse
Publication Date: 12th January 2018
Rating: 3 Stars
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| Amazon UK |
Sometimes, home really is where the heart is…
Leaving behind her hi-flying career in London, Isla Brookes has had enough. Burnt out and tired of an unfulfilling profession and lousy boyfriends, it’s time for her to go home.
Arriving back in cosy Bibury to stay with her grandmother, Bridget, everything is charmingly familiar. Even her childhood sweetheart, Ben, is as handsome as she remembered…
And when she discovers a stack of long-forgotten Valentine’s Day cards, Isla, with the help of Ben, begins to realise exactly what is most important in life.
I can't put my finger on it, but I just didn't gel with this book at all. I found it took over half the story before I actually started enjoying it, and from there on was where for me it became a good story.
I think part of it is there are a lot of characters, as there is a focus on Isla and her friends, Bridget her grandmother and her friends, and also the flash backs to Bridgets past with even more characters introduced, plus of course the rest of their family too.
So the elements of the story I did enjoy I can't really specify as they are far enough in that it would be considered spoilers, but I did like the various relationships and the potential relationships that were in the small town of Bibury.
The story that Bridget tells about her past is ultimately tragic but still shocks too, and I did feel for her a bit.
For me though the best character was Carl who just added an extra dimension to any chapter he was in, His friendship with Isla and Annie meant there was a friendship group of six that had a great dynamic to it, and I enjoyed that element of the story.
I really had no idea what to expect from this story, and I can see that there are plenty of people that will love this, especially the look at small town life in New Zealand in the 1950s, with the mining communities , but I think I just read this over a few days where I perhaps was in the mood for something different.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Impulse for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Thanks to everyone who voted for this book. It was a tie but given I had DNF a book by the other author I thought I would give this one a go. Wonder if I will like this week's choice any better.
I think part of it is there are a lot of characters, as there is a focus on Isla and her friends, Bridget her grandmother and her friends, and also the flash backs to Bridgets past with even more characters introduced, plus of course the rest of their family too.
So the elements of the story I did enjoy I can't really specify as they are far enough in that it would be considered spoilers, but I did like the various relationships and the potential relationships that were in the small town of Bibury.
The story that Bridget tells about her past is ultimately tragic but still shocks too, and I did feel for her a bit.
For me though the best character was Carl who just added an extra dimension to any chapter he was in, His friendship with Isla and Annie meant there was a friendship group of six that had a great dynamic to it, and I enjoyed that element of the story.
I really had no idea what to expect from this story, and I can see that there are plenty of people that will love this, especially the look at small town life in New Zealand in the 1950s, with the mining communities , but I think I just read this over a few days where I perhaps was in the mood for something different.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Impulse for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Thanks to everyone who voted for this book. It was a tie but given I had DNF a book by the other author I thought I would give this one a go. Wonder if I will like this week's choice any better.
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