Perhaps, maybe Summer has arrived in the UK. You can tell by the normal events, Trooping the Colour, Ascot and Wimbledon on the horizon. You cannot tell by the weather we are having, which means you need to look elsewhere for the Summer Sunshine and the Flowers. Look no further than a good book.
Its the end of the road for the stories at Heartcross, and it also seems the Vintage Flower Van is also going to come to an end too for the residents of this village, that i have got to know over the last fourteen books. When Florrie’s Aunt Ada, she is hit with inheriting everything, which includes an eviction notice to Rose Cottage and the surrounding gardens which provide the Van with it’s stock.
Of course the village immediately gets behind Florrie and her late Aunt’s legacy, but it doesn’t help when the man sent to sort it all out, happens to be Florrie’s ex boyfriend who broke her heart. However he remembers the village as well, and it seems there is more to what could be going on than first thought. Will the future of Heartcross be safe one final time? A perfect ending to a perfect series, and if you have never read them – go back to the beginning and devour them all!
Nothing says Summer more than Lavender. Del has looked after the little lavender farm in Provence for only three years, she has made herself at home when life took an unexpected turn. Now it is about to turn again, and she needs to embrace face on exactly what is going on whilst trying to manage the lavender harvest.
Could this be the last time that it is gathered? The strength of all the unknown lavender pickers, there backgrounds and history, bring them together as a community, that extends way beyond the fields but also to the food that is created. Food brings them all together and they can then see it could be a way of bringing fractured communities together too. But for Del it might just fix her too.
This was a return to characters I had read before, and it was joyous to be able to escape to France and the lavender, the sunshine and the food that all springs off the page in Jo Thomas’ novel.
Perfect Summer Read.
More sunshine can be sought from this novel by Alex Brown. All the way to Greece with Gina, who has left her husband of twenty seven years behind. Now is the time to find herself and also maybe, perhaps the man she really was in love with, Nico.
Travelling alone, she meets new people, strikes up friendships and starts to discover what she may have been missing for the last twenty seven years. There is sandy beaches, art classes, cocktails, sunshine and shopping. But there is also that mission to looks for Gina’s first love. Can it ever be found? And is it ever the same? Gina is prepared to take that chance.
Think Shirley Valentine and you won’t go far wrong with this book, great strong female friendships forged and the reminder that we should not just put up with something.
A refreshing read for the Summer.
Lily is burnt-out, an expression we hear a lot today. She is forced to take some time out, and finds herself as the soft launch guest at a remote retreat on a island just of the Isles of Scilly.
This will be as far as Lily has been from civilisation ever, and she immediately after the horrendous journey and realisation that she is cut off that she should get back to what she sees as reality. But she meets Sam, the owner of the resort and the person who is there to look after her. Something changes in both of them and Lily finds herself, back to where she has always wanted to be, without the corporate shadow permanently hanging over her.
The Isles of Scilly have a magical effect on Lily and draw her out of the corporate rat race and give her time to breathe, to focus on what is important. And if nothing else the book reminds us all that we probably need to do that too.
An excellent read from this author as always, and I felt completely transported away.
All of these books were advanced review copies from Netgalley and I thank the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read them. I can only apologise with the lack of timing for their reviews.
The Book Jotter 