The Goodbye Summer by Sarah Van Name

Caroline is dating older guy Jake and plans to move away with him after the summer.

However, Jake's cousin Toby gets her a job in the local aquarium gift shop to earn cash to save to afford to move and live off but while working at the aquarium she meets Georgia, they become good friends and soon she starts having fun with her and making some good friends and get to be just a normal teen before senior year and having to knuckle down to decide her future.

When Jake's dad offers them to stay with him, Caroline isn't happy and doesn't want to settle but see the world or not leave her home at all...

All through the novel, she struggles with her feelings to the point of making herself be ill with worry about the future while Jake is an over powering and dominating character who's persistent and pushy bordering abusive in his actions. Growing up is hard enough without growing up too soon and this book shows that clearly.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

One Summer In Rome by Samantha Tonge

When Mary invests in a one way ticket to Rome, much encouraged by her elder motherly best friend and colleague Jill,  she could never dream of what's to come. After heartbreak her whole life, playing the foster care system all her young life, finding Jake and falling in love until he chose moving for his work over her, Rome is a spur of the moment dream trip.

Working in Pizzeria Dolce Vita as a waitress, Mary encounters Dante the brother of Natale whom she befriends the best of the family whom run the business she's now working for. Though they get off to a tentative acquaintance at first, soon Dante and Mary grow closer despite any awkwardness at the beginning and discovering the mystery behind Dante's sight loss after enough trust has been created between the pair.

During the novel, the team all pull together including Maria's ideas for the restaurant in how they can stay within the top ten of pizzerias on the Lombardi list as they face their competition in ratings and with Maria's help hopefully they'll swim and not sink beneath the weight of their competitor's. Yet Rocco becomes threatening towards Maria and unsure why he is acting so, Maria finds herself feeling out of place once again.

From trusting in crystals over people and having fun dancing plus of course being up for a change and facing up to the challenges thrown her way, Mary is a weak seeming character but with hidden strength which is admirable and makes her even more likable for how well she stands on her own two feet never giving up whatever she faces. The plot is a slow developer over the course of the novel and is unrushed flowing just nicely and naturally. Each character has deep secrets which you won't expect and make the characters all the more real. This is a book you won't regret picking up if you love Jenny Colgan or Cathy Bramley's books!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Summer At Coastguard Cottages by Jennifer Bohnet

Eights weeks together for Karen, Bruce and Carrie in their respectful summer cottages in Devon, means their lives change and for the better...

Karen's parent's bought the holiday house years ago and despite her bully husband Derek, she declines parting with it as she and her son Wills like it there.

Bruce lost his wife, Gabby and is a left with no children either after they suffered three miscarriages together. He throws himself into working on his renovation business for distraction and fulfilment until later a huge secret about his late wife comes to light.

Guy loved but had to lose Melissa as she became a shell of herself when they were together. At first he numbs his pain with drinking whisky until he meets Karen...

Carrie found out she was adopted and also inherited a fortune from said dead biological father, she takes leave from working as a vet before venturing to discover the cottage she's inherited and works to solve the mystery of her real father Robert Trumble by asking other locals who knew him, about him.

This was a good book, I would have liked more about Bruce's back story without all being focused solely on Gabby but I understand why it was that way. Over all it really worked and I loved Carrie's journey the most.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Curves, Kisses and Chocolate Ice Cream by Sue Watson

Dani is an hilarious approaching forty year old who works with Marco a great cake maker unfortunately for her as she battles to lose weight throughout this book.

Dani returned to Appledore in Devon after fleeing to London years before as her nineteen year old self was broken hearted by the cad, Jude she was in love with.

The cafe she works in is alive with characters of all ages and Karla her beat friend is also staying with her right now which is great as she spurs her on in now deteriorating from her diet plans to be slim and trim by her birthday as she dreams of being!

As Dani battles the gym environment quite literally head on, am array of catastrophes in there result in Chris, a member of staff getting to know her rather well. He offers her personal training on the deal she doesn't quit and works with him for twelve weeks, she agrees and her life starts to change.

Through the book, we learn of Dani's insecurities being spurred on by her alcoholic mum who existed solely on a gin diet, calling Dani fat and not feeding her properly either. Her dad had left her mum and so she was heartbroken as a young child growing up in a tough situation all round as she was bullied at school too.

As her birthday approaches, a disastrous newspaper article printed,,she finds Jude reappearing in her life as well as Alex, a regular gym bunny appearing too close to Chris leaving her a little heartbroken until her birthday wish which may come true...

I devoured this book quicker than Dani could all her ice creams for sure I was hooked, hilarious and Miranda style Dani was a joy to read about and her story is so funny but probably relatable to some girls out there who read this book. Light hearted and beach perfect this is a summer read you definitely need!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!