A Summer of Surprises

A Summer of Surprises - Jan Ellis

It is two years since Eleanor Mace said farewell to her lover Christophe and returned to Devon.

Her bookshop in the sleepy seaside town of Combemouth has become the hub of the community and with the new love of her life, Daniel, everything seems to be blissfully plain sailing.

That is until Freya, Daniel’s ex-wife appears on the scene.

Hired as an architect for a major celebrity who plans to build an enormous new complex in Combemouth, Freya seeks Daniel’s help to get her ambitious scheme approved.

Outraged, Eleanor mounts a protest against the scheme – helped by some endangered local wildlife – that gets her noticed by the world’s media, but puts her at risk of losing Daniel.

As the campaign gains momentum, Eleanor is asked to speak at a conference in Spain, where she unexpectedly bumps into the handsome Christophe – a blast from her past.

Surely this must be fate?

Will Eleanor fall for the charms of her French ex-boyfriend, or can she find it in her heart to forgive Daniel and return to Combemouth?

This is the first time I have read any of Jan Ellis's work and I am thrilled to be able to supply an honest review in exchange for a copy of this novella.

The main character Eleanor owns a bookshop - so I felt right at home with her character straight away especially as she is near my own age, so a little daydreaming along with reading was in order.

There are many little turns of phrase in the book which made be smile and were very true to life. The writing is also very of the now with references to social media and its uses.

The story goes to Spain, and I was disappointed as I wanted to stay in the lovely Devon idyll, however, the writing is so evocative that I was equally enthralled by the scenes set in Spain.

A lovely story, perfect for a quiet afternoon or maybe a long journey - I'm just sorry there wasn't more of it.

Comments

No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done - Sophie Hannah

Description The twistiest murder mystery you are ever likely to read? A story about a family that does the unthinkable in order to save the life of one of its beloved members? Both? Or something else altogether? You'll have to read until the very last word in order to find out… You think it will never happen to you: the ring of the bell, the policeman on the doorstep. What he says traps you in a nightmare that starts with the words, 'I'm afraid…' Sally Lambert is also afraid, and desperate enough to consider the unthinkable. Is it really, definitely, impossible to escape from this horror? Maybe not. There's always something you can do, right? Of course, no one would ever do this particular something – except the Lamberts, who might have to. No one has ever gone this far. Until Sally decides that the Lamberts will… 'An incident involving a dog in a small village escalates to an all-out conflict, turning neighbour against neighbour, and culminating in murder. Bu...

The Dilemmas of Work Women - Fumio Yamamoto

Description The classic Japanese bestseller published in English for the very first time - a darkly funny and relatable book portraying the lives of five women 'Witty, wise and thought-provoking' Cecelia Ahern 'Crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence' Lisa Owens, author of Not Working 'So brilliantly written that I kept trying to memorise sentences in order to repeat them to people later' Roxy Dunn, author of As Young as This Izumi needs to get a job. Haruka needs to stop talking about how she once had cancer. Katō needs to get through a shift at the convenience store without being harassed. Mito needs to break up with her boyfriend - or marry him. Sumie just needs somewhere to live. In this classic Japanese bestseller, published in English twenty-five years after it took Japan by storm, the lives of five ordinary women are depicted with irresistible humour and searing emotional insight. Review A collection of short ...

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

Description THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER. YOU DON'T KNOW HER. BUT SHE KNOWS YOU. Rear Window meets Gone Girl , in this exceptional and startling psychological thriller Review I must be one of the last people to read this book. I did apply for a review copy but unfortunately wasn't successful. I then waited for the book to come down in price which it didn't - so I decided I would buy it and read it straight away! I'm sure it will be a film and before anyone gives away what happens I felt I really needed to get it read, so it jumped the TBR queue. There is not much plot outline from the publisher as you can see in the description above, so there wasn't a lot to go on when I began to read the book. First of all the book jumps around date wise - past and present and also between the main characters. I did have a little trouble remembering who was who and which time frame we were in - but that soon settled down. I also had to re-read the beginning because I th...

BOOKSIMO

Search This Blog