Just For The Summer

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Harry Sinclair is the owner of Vale Volumes book shop on Willowbury High Street. Content, if a little bored with his lot, his shop, as well as his life, could do with freshening up. When Kate offers to spruce up Vale Volumes ready for the visit of a famous author, they find they have a lot more in common than colour schemes. A sharp and scintillating summer novel that will make readers laugh out loud and cry happy tears from the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly. Hey,” he said, coming out. “Just admit you’re obsessed with me. You don’t have to plant things in my stuff for excuses to come see me.”

This story takes place in the lovely small village of Willowbury, where a small town romance will bloom. Today I am delighted to be joining the blog tour for this wonderful summer read, in this story we meet Kate and her 3 teenage sons as they embark on a summer away whilst she considers her options following her recent divorce. Abby has outdone herself with this book. I think this is her most tender piece of writing to date - the emotions will have you wound tight in a way that makes it impossible to put the book down.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention all the cameos we got in this book! The Abby Jimenez Cinematic Universe is alive and well. What?” she said, pulling a mint out of the change tray and handing it to me. “You have to manifest your own destiny,”

This story is about Kate finding her own way and trying to actually put herself first for once. It's also about finding the importance that your grown siblings can have in your life if you just give those relationships a chance. They do seem to become more important as we get older! Just For The Summer’ is superbly written but then I thin that to be true of all of Fay’s books that I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. Fay has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Fay’s books feels more like a chat between friends than reading an actual book. I hope that makes sense. For me the story hit the ground running and maintained a fairly gentle pace throughout. This was one of those books that made me laugh one minute, made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and made me develop a slight lump in my throat another minute. I felt as though I was part of the story and that’s thanks to Fay’s very vivid and realistic storytelling. Kate is a newly divorced mother of three; trying to navigate the changes in her life. I found Kate a hugely relatable and realistic character; one you can imagine being or being friends with. A woman in her late thirties trying to find a new purpose in life; while putting the needs of others first. The author did a great job with the characters; I felt like I could go out for a drink with Kate and her family. Kate is a divorced 39 year old with 3 sons. Before she has found a new home, her family home is sold. So her brother Aiden asks her to spend the summer redecorating/painting his house across the country in Willowbury. Harry is a handsomely single sole proprietor of Willowbury’s eccentric bookstore, Vales Volumes. On the surface, he appears to be the most eligible bachelor in town, but he comes with his own deep-rooted baggage. In a chance meeting in the High Street coffee shop, Harry and Kate don’t exactly hit it off on a positive note. Being such a small town, they definitely made up for it in subsequent meetings.

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Kate and Harry were both incredible characters and they were adorable together. Neither was looking for a relationship, but sometimes they just end up in your lap (Kate ended up in Harry's lap quite a few times!). Just for the Summer by Fay Keenan is the third book in her Willowbury Book series. Such a fun book, with great characters in a quaint British rural village. This, like all of Abby’s books, is hilarious and filled with comedic relief, but it’s also evocative and wrought with emotions and, in some ways, heavier than some of her previous stories. This book hooks you in from the beginning. It wastes no time in setting the scene or the pace for the story. Loved Justin as a character. You think you swooned with Jacob? Justin made us all hold his proverbial beer when he stepped up as the newest book boyfriend in town. He was exceptional. But Emma, she was outstanding. She had experienced so much in her life and couldn’t even realize that she was barely surviving. Seeing her have something good in her life was such a treat, but also getting to watch her make a choice to take care of herself first was so brave and moving. Maybe Justin was the right guy, at the wrong time. Maybe if I’d met him a few years ago, or six years from now, when his mom was coming home from prison, it would be a different story. But it wasn’t. It is in the small village of Willowbury, Kate will be drawn to the people with a lovely cafe and a handsome bookshop owner, Harry. As she offers to repaint his shop in preparation for a famous local author to hold a book signing event, Harry and Kate begin a romantic relationship. Will they just have the summer or will it turn into something longer lasting?

Kate Harris is newly divorced with three young boys to raise. When they sell the family home in Cambridge, she decides to move to her brother, Aiden’s home in the countryside to redecorate his house, while he goes on holiday with his partner Tom. I have been a fan of Fay’s work for a while now. I just love her stories. ‘Just For The Summer’ is the third book in the bestselling ‘Willowbury’ series. It is another corker of a read, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading but more about that in a bit. This book, as I've said was excellent, set in gorgeous surroundings, with great characters, in my opinion this is pure escapism. It's a stop gap, but it's also the ideal opportunity for Kate to decide what to do with her life, her and her husband have been divorced for two years now, and although they share custody of their three sons, and Kate's ex is in another relationship, there is no one special in Kate's life as yet. The film takes a lighthearted and humorous approach to the traditional romantic comedy genre. Jake and Sam's journey towards love is filled with plenty of obstacles and challenges, but their chemistry and playful banter keep the audiences engaged throughout.

It takes a strong person to admit you need help and do something about it. I admire that about Emma. She was willing to help everyone around her and when she needed help the most, she sought it. So good for her. When Kate Harris accepts the job of redecorating her brother Aidan’s house in the picturesque town of Willowbury, she knows it’s just a stop gap before she has to decide what to do with the rest of her life. While her three sons spend the summer holiday with their father, Kate has an opportunity to prove to herself that there is a new life, after her divorce. This is a story about two people falling in love who are perfect for one another but the timing just isn’t right (don’t worry, there is a very sweet HEA). This is a story about falling in love deeply and fiercely and being overcome by that emotion. It’s a story about overcoming trauma and neglect. It’s about fighting through the wounds of abandonment and dealing with grief. It’s about self discovery and healing. And it’s about the power of romantic and platonic soulmates. Thank you NetGalley, author Fay Keenan, and Boldwood Books publishing for giving me a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Whether you've jumped in since the beginning with her debut, The Friend Zone, or if you just discovered her with her latest release, Yours Truly, Abby Jimenez has proven time and time again to be one of our must-read writers. And don't just trust our word, some of our faves like Emily Henry to thousands of BookTok creators have already shared their love for her work, which is why we're so excited to give you the first sneak peek at what she has up her sleeve next! Her descriptions of the locations made it easy to imagine walking down the high street; however, I did find the repetitive use of Willowbury a little grating, particularly at the beginning. Although the author did seem to “settle” after a couple of chapters and the repetition of the town wasn’t as noticeable. Aside from the central romance, the film also touches on themes of friendship, family, and personal growth. Jake's interactions with the locals in the beach town, including the charming and quirky owner of the local diner played by Linda Darlow, help him rediscover his joy for life and his passion for writing.

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After I had already started reading this book I discovered it was the third in the Willowbury series, but I think each book focuses on different characters so they can be read as standalone books too. I have not read the other books in this series yet, but now I definitely want to. Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.