My enormous thanks to TeamBookends for sending me a copy of All Summer With You by Beth Good in return for an honest review.

Published by Quercus on 27th June 2019, All Summer With You is available for pre-order through these links.

All Summer With You

There’s no place like home…

Nursing a broken heart, Jennifer Bolitho retreats to Pixie Cottage. Her new landlord – a former soldier turned movie heartthrob – has grounds so large, she’s sure the little house nestled in the woods will bring her solitude.

Alex Delgardo also has reasons to hide away. Seeking refuge after a tragic incident turned his world upside down, he knows that the most important thing now is to care for his ailing family.

But when Jennifer enters their lives, that changes. Because, as they both learn, you can’t heal others until you learn to heal yourself…

My Review of All Summer With You

Jennifer seeks solitude to mend her broken heart.

All Summer With You is a lovely, lovely book that captured my attention from the first page and held it perfectly throughout. I loved this romantic story of love, life, family, trust, remorse – and goats!

Although All Summer With You might be seen as a light read, it is by no means insubstantial. So many thought-provoking themes, including grief and PTSD, underpin Beth Good’s exemplary and flowing writing in All Summer With You that she manages to ensnare the reader’s mind as well as their heart. Both Alex and Jennifer have past pain that they need to resolve which lends an added piquancy and depth to the narrative. I thought the way in which Alex’s past was gradually revealed to both Jennifer and the reader worked brilliantly. Indeed, I found myself very much in love with him too! I was desperate for Jennifer and Alex to realise they were meant for one another, often as frustrated as they were by the machinations of their encounters, but you’ll need to read the book to see what happens.

The characters are vividly drawn so that they feel real and warm. The way in which the whole spectrum of society populates the text from babies to nonagenarian Nelly, and actors to farmers, makes it feel as if it has relevance to all readers. Even the Cornish setting is vibrantly depicted through folk law and Jennifer’s oratory, making the county as much of a character as any of the people. I felt transported to the grounds of Porro Park House where most of the action is set.

There’s a smashing plot to All Summer With You that would make the most brilliant film. I felt completely emotionally invested in what happens because Beth Good has such a deft style that totally ensnares her reader. She writes with wonderful balance that made me feel I was there in the pages of the book.

All Summer With You was exactly the right book at the right moment for me. I adored every word. I was surprisingly touched by some scenes and shed a tear or two along the way. I think All Summer With You is the perfect summer read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

About Beth Good

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.) Beth says she can be found on Twitter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

You can follow Beth on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter or find her on Facebook.