Having been part of the cover reveal for Summer on a Sunny Island by lovely Sue Moorcroft back in February, I’m delighted to be part of the tour today by sharing my review.

As regular Linda’s Book Bag readers will know, I’m a member of Sue’s street team and Sue has featured here many, many times. Here are the links:

My review of Let It Snow

Discussing One Summer in Italy

An interview with Sue Moorcroft

A guest post from Sue on over-sharing and my review of The Christmas Promise

A guest post from Sue on her fantasy holiday companions

My review of Just For The Holidays

A guest post from Sue on loving a village book

My review of The Little Village Christmas

My review of A Christmas Gift

Published yesterday 30th April 2020 by Harper Collins’ imprint Avon, Summer on a Sunny Island is available for purchase through the links here.

Summer on a Sunny Island

This summer, sparks are flying on the island of Malta…

When Rosa Hammond splits up from her partner Marcus, her Mum Dory suggests a summer in Malta. Not one to sit back and watch her daughter be unhappy, Dory introduces Rosa to Zach, in the hope that romance will bloom under the summer sun. But Rosa’s determined not to be swayed by a handsome man – she’s in Malta to work, after all.

Zach, meanwhile, is a magnet for trouble and is dealing with a fair few problems of his own. Neither Rosa or Zach are ready for love – but does fate have other ideas? And after a summer in paradise, will Rosa ever want to leave?

My Review of Summer on a Sunny Island

Meeting Zach will not be the panacea for all ills for Rosa.

You know, whenever I pick up a Sue Moorcroft book I know I am going to be transported to whatever setting she has chosen, but in Summer on a Sunny Island I think the author has outdone all her previous novels. The sense of place is astounding. All the senses are evocatively stimulated through fabulous descriptions so that the reader can picture, hear, taste, smell and touch everything just as realistically as the characters. It is no exaggeration to say reading this novel left me ravenous and feeling as if I were in Malta experiencing it with Rosa et al.

I thoroughly enjoyed a slightly darker theme of crime here as Sue Moorcroft affords her readers the opportunity to explore shades of behaviour. I found it fascinating that, rather than simplistic right and wrong, I was able to contemplate morality through character responses to the action. I loved the other themes too. Marriage, mature relationships as well as younger ones, loyalty and trust, employment, emotions and anxiety give a warm rich depth that is so satisfying to read.

And what action there is. Summer on a Sunny Island has smashing pace because there are several surprises I hadn’t anticipated. Of course there are satisfactory resolutions that I would expect, but leading to them is a tautly plotted and hugely entertaining narrative.

However, it is character that really drives this story. I tend to prefer books that feature fewer people than Sue Moorcroft includes here, but in this case each person was so vivid and real that I had no problem keeping everyone distinct in my mind. Even secondary characters like Marcus were clear to me, adding enormously to my enjoyment in reading. But of course, it is Rosa and Zach who steal the show. I adored meeting them because, although the path of true love isn’t without obstacle, I felt as if they were destined to be together if not necessarily in this book. It was as if somehow they existed beyond the confines of the narrative because they are so real. You’ll have to read Summer on a Sunny Island for yourself to find out what happens!

Summer on a Sunny Island is the perfect lockdown read. Sue Moorcroft transports the reader to a different place and captivates them so completely that it’s an absolute pleasure to escape for a while. I loved being in Malta!

About Sue Moorcroft

Award winning author Sue Moorcroft writes contemporary women’s fiction with occasionally unexpected themes. The Wedding Proposal, Dream a Little Dream and Is This Love? were all nominated for Readers’ Best Romantic Read Awards. Love & Freedom won the Best Romantic Read Award 2011 and Dream a Little Dream was nominated for a RoNA in 2013. Sue’s a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner, a past vice chair of the RNA and editor of its two anthologies.

The Christmas Promise was a Kindle No.1 Best Seller and held the No.1 slot at Christmas!

Sue also writes short stories, serials, articles, writing ‘how to’ and is a creative writing tutor.

You can follow Sue on Twitter @SueMoorcroft, find her on Facebook and visit her website.