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Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced review copy of this book.
Format: Digital ARC
CW: Bullying, toxic relationship, gaslighting, abandonment, injury/injury detail, infidelity.
Publisher’s Summary | Author Bio | Skip to Review
I knew I was falling for you from the very beginning. It was torture and ecstasy all at the same time. (QUOTE FROM THE UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY)
Summary from the Publisher
Autumn’s summer is off to a smashing start… sort of.
Earlier this year, Autumn’s life looked great: she had a great relationship with her brilliant teenage daughter Chloe and from September she was all set to be Deputy Head at the London school where she works. And with a pay rise on the cards, she was excited for her and her long-term boyfriend Marc to buy their first home.
But Autumn’s barely opened the estate agent’s website when Marc vanishes with half their savings, leaving her no choice but to move into grandma’s rural home in Kent. And things go from bad to worse when Autumn is involved in an accident during the move, leaving the village’s dashing new baker Jake in plaster cast, and making her a local outcast before she’s even unpacked her bags.
Determined to put things right, Autumn offers to help Jake in the bakery over the summer holidays. But as things heat up in the kitchen, Autumn can’t help noticing that Jake is a lot more Paul Hollywood and a lot less Mr Kipling than she originally thought.
Maybe this summer isn’t such a write off after all?
Author bio
Phoebe MacLeod is the author of several popular romantic comedies. She lives in Kent with her partner, grown-up children, and disobedient dog. Her love for her home county is apparent in her books, which have either been set in Kent or have a Kentish connection. She currently works as an IT consultant and writes in her spare time. She has always had a passion for learning new skills, including cookery courses, learning to drive an HGV and, most recently, qualifying to instruct on a Boeing 737 flight simulator.
Phoebe loves watching people and observing social interaction. In fact, she nearly got into trouble once when a man in a shopping mall thought she was staring at him! As well as curling up with a book, she loves good food, good wine and good friends — especially when all three come together!
Review
My (Not-So) Perfect Summer is a very sweet (and clean) story with lovable characters in an idyllic setting. Reading about the little English town Autumn’s mother lives in makes me want to travel to the English countryside immediately! I want to listen to all the drama and ride in a tractor while gazing out at sheep. Having lived in a US farming state for most of my life, I know it’s not all sunshine and roses, but it just seems so lovely in this book. MacLeod’s writing is so lush and alive that I can’t help myself.
More than just a straightforward romance, My (Not-So) Perfect Summer is full of complex characters with real problems and baggage. It explores the various types of love and what it means to have a partner. I do wish we had some chapters from the perspective of Jake, as I don’t think the reader really got a good feel for him as a person. I wanted to know how he thought about her and his internal struggles surrounding his ex. I wanted to feel his yearning. As a reader, you know that he’s struggling with what will happen to the bakery, but you never hear it from him — I missed that.
My (Not-So) Perfect Summer is a very nice read, perfect for readers who want something light to read on a sunny day, preferably with a nice roll to munch on.
Rating: 4 kitties!
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