In The Summertime by Maeve Haran

 In The Summertime

 by Maeve Haran


In The Summertime by Maeve Haran was published on 8th June 2023 by Pan Macmillan. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.




Synopsis

With her marriage falling apart and her longed-for holiday cancelled, Georgina Greenhills gets an unexpected offer: a holiday in the small seaside town nestling in the beautiful South Downs where she grew up. There is only one catch: she must try and solve the mystery of the valuable antiques disappearing from the remote manor house belonging to an old lady called Maudie. Gina gathers her childhood friends, scatty Ruth and feisty Eve, to help her. In the middle of a blazing summer they swim, sunbathe and share cocktails as they watch the sun sparkling on the sea and Gina realizes how much she missed them and how happy she is to be back here in the summertime. Not least because of bumping into Daniel Napier, her shy and awkward teenage dancing partner, now an alarmingly attractive man. Although there is the small problem of his annoying girlfriend. As Gina tries to solve the mystery at the manor and wonders how to get rid of the girlfriend, an even bigger secret emerges that will take all their skill and experience to resolve.




My Review


If you want to imagine warm summer evenings in a small seaside town, where friendships and love are rekindled then this is the book for you.

In The Summertime is one of those lovely stories to read for a few hours, or a couple of days over a lazy bank holiday weekend when you have to lose yourself in the story of Gina and her friends as she aims to resolve what has happened to The Honourable Maudie's antiques.

This is a story that also touches on the issues of modern slavery , which is cleverly intertwined with what is evolving at The Manor as Gina and Evie resolve the mystery and make an old lady very happy. The characters are described in such a way as to make you feel as though you know them personally and consequently you experience the highs and lows with them as the story progresses.

The contrast between the different lives of Gina and her friends is poignantly used to show how everyone can bring something unique to a friendship group for the benefit of all. This is the perfect book for your holiday, or to enjoy when you just want to escape for some "Me " time.




About the Author

Maeve Haran is an Oxford law graduate who worked in television and journalism before writing her worldwide bestseller Having It All which was translated into twenty-six languages. She has since written fourteen contemporary and two historical novels plus one work of non-fiction extolling life’s small pleasures. Two of her novels have been shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year award. She has three grown-up children and divides her time between North London and a cottage in the lovely Cuckmere Valley in East Sussex.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Delegate by Ali Carter

Image
The Delegate by Ali Carter   What a tangled web she weaved…   The Delegate by Ali Carter was  published on 29th November 2022 by Matador. My thanks to the author and publisher who sent me a copy and Random Book Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.      Synopsis Charlotte… Having been sprung by Mafia family the Zandini’s on a day release the previous year, and managing to ‘despatch’ one of their enemies in New York (plus a few extras), ex killer G.P> Charlotte Peterson was now securely back inside Rampton high Security Hospital. However, her work was unfinished and a second escape quite out of the question. It was why she had the need of a delegate. A killer to complete a very important job…someone she’d control. Annie… She had found the perfect person in Annie. A woman who felt cheated. A woman who was mentally and emotionally scarred in exactly the same way Charlotte had been throughout her own life. Annie was fully ripe for manipulation in t...
Read more

Tristan /Yseulte by Harry Bonelle

Image
 Tristan /Yseulte  by Harry Bonelle Tristan/ Yseult by Harry Bonelle  was published on 31st january 2024 by Unicorn. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours  for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Tristan/Yseult is a narrative poem about the yearning for oneness in a world split into fragments. A duel on an empty island sets the course for one of the greatest romances ever told. As the lovers of legend meet, something new is born, and something eternal is revealed. Their names will forever be spoken as one. This modern retelling of Tristan and Yseult sheds a stark light on the beauty of the Celtic tale. “Harry Bonelle’s new version taps into the dark and furious energy of the old saga, surging and juddering with life. Bonelle’s actor’s training has encouraged him to liberate the performance piece that its original author must have intended. Thrilling on the page, but even more so spoken loud....
Read more

My Father & Other Animals by Mike Kirby

Image
  My Father & Other Animals  by Mike Kirby  My Father & Other Animals was published in February 2024.  My thanks to Mike for sending me a copy  in return for an honest review. Synopsis My parents chose the Yorkshire Pennines – a tough place to pursue their dream of having their own farm. Dad, a man of many actions but few words, was as relentless as the farming seasons, and through long hours and lots of mud, sweat and tears, gradually carved out a living, slowly making real the vision that they shared. My Father and Other Animals tells the story of how this driven man, always hand in hand with Mum, and blessed with a unique understanding of his animals, brought their  farming dream to life, building a successful farming business against the backdrop of the South Yorkshire hills.  Together they raised  a family, blessing all four of their sons  with their  common sense and restless work ethic and love of being outdoors, working s...
Read more