The beloved author of The Summer House pens another touching and tender story of hearth and home. “With an agile mastery of multiple story lines and an uncanny knack for creating sympathetic characters, Willett winsomely creates congenial worlds that welcome loyal fans and new readers with ease.”–Booklist on Echoes of the Dance As summer beckons, Evie’s family gathers once more at the … Evie’s family gathers once more at the beautiful old riverside house they all adore. But when Evie discovers a secret that threatens their future, a shadow falls over them all: this summer by the river could be their last together . . .
For Charlie, a visit home to see stepmother Evie is an escape from his unhappy marriage in London. Until a chance encounter changes everything: in the space of a moment, he meets a woman by the river, falls in love, and his two worlds collide.
As Evie and Charlie struggle to keep their secrets safe, they long for the summer to never end . . . Can the happiness of one summer last for ever?
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I really enjoyed this novel!! The author is so eloquent with her writing, some parts are almost poetic. An audio version of this story would be magical.
This story is unique in that it follows the lives of several characters during a short period of time. As the reader we are given a window into the lives of these heartwarming eclectic characters. We discover how they are all connected and watch as their lives are forever changed inside a week.
The setting is the quaint English village of Dartmouth at the start of the village’s week long regatta festivities. During the festivities the character’s lives intersect, some through familial relations and others through spontaneous, fated run-ins, forging intriguing friendships. As the reader, we get to enjoy their gatherings, hearing stories, learning secrets, and finding love. The author continually vacillates between characters points of view, allowing us to see events and issues from various angles. I quickly grew fond of several of the characters with equal dislike for the more annoying antagonists. During the week their stories and lives unfold, showing unhappiness, family secrets, sadness, and comfortable joy.
After the week fades and time wears on many characters try desperately to recapture and/or hold on to all that was gained during regatta week. However blissful the week was, they all know it will never be the same and it is time to answer some hard questions. The Fortescues’ beautiful merchant house overlooking the river, has been in the family for generations. A shocking secret could disturb all of that history and change the future. Should the secret be revealed? What do you do when you meet your soulmate, but they’re already married? Should you pay into blackmail because of guilt?
The author’s interesting and captivating style of writing, gives us a voyeuristic view into the here and now with no real beginning or end. I truly enjoyed the characters, their appreciation and support of each other. I was a bit frustrated with the ease with which some seemed to be able to compartmentalize their feelings and those of others to allow themselves to have affairs. I was pleased with how the story ended with the realization for the need of accountability and not allowing history repeat itself. Despite my lack of support for extra-marital affairs, I did truly enjoy this well written story. The characters were so likable and the pacing comfortable.
All in all it was a captivating, pleasurable story.
I read an ARC of this story. My honest review is voluntary.
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Summer on the River was a relatively light summer read. Marcia Willett has a gift for describing the setting. I felt as though I was actually attending the regatta, smelling the flowers on the estate, and looking out over the water. I was hooked on her visuals by the third paragraph on page one! The story opens a short while before the regatta, and Evie is fretting about her relatives coming to visit… Or rather her husband’s relatives. After Evie’s husband passed away and left her the house, the family became quite rude toward her. Now everyone is coming for the regatta, and there will no doubt be drama. When individuals from Evie’s past show up unexpectedly secrets must be kept. All the while, romances are brewing. I enjoyed this story, but the build was slower than I would typically like, and the large number of characters made the plot hard to follow at times.
I would recommend this novel if you are looking for a read filled with secrets, mild romance, and a well described English summer setting. I wish I had read it on the water with a glass of wine!
This book will be released August 7th 2018! I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I like the characters in this book and how their relationships develop. She writes about their love and loss and caring for each other and how they resolve their conflicts. This story is about Cornwall and she also writes well about nature and landscape and living on a river.