I loved this warm story of family and the path life leads us on. At the center is Mungo who returns to the family estate after a fruitful career in the movie industry. He and his brother Archie must decide the fate of the family holdings and what the next chapter of their life will be. This story is full of warm lovable characters and by the novel's end you feel like you are leaving behind old friends.

What a great read! I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story and couldn't wait to find out how it ended.

INDIAN SUMMER by Marcia Willett is a relatively gentle read which uses multiple story lines to explore a theme about the imperfections in what it means to be human. Archie and Camilla inherited a sprawling property in Devon, the West Country of England. Also living nearby is Sir Mungo Kerslake, a famous director and Archie's brother. The farm area has been worked for a long time by two other brothers Philip and Billy, now aided by their grandson, Andy. A renovated cottage has recently been let to Emma who has two very young children and a husband serving as a doctor in Afghanistan. It all seems very peaceful and perhaps even dull to James, an aspiring author looking for a setting for his next novel.

In some ways, the valley, filled with friends, happy memories and good food and wine is indeed restful, but there is more than a hint of violence, both past and present. Many of those characters are dealing with secrets and betrayals; others with painful recollections of love affairs and deaths. I originally picked up INDIAN SUMMER because of the beautiful, colorful cover and the author's reputation. I will look for more by Marcia Willett, whose writing has been compared to works by Maeve Binchy or Rosamunde Pilcher, two other personal favorites.

With its picturesque Cornwall setting, gentle good humor and a cast of engaging characters, many of them in the autumn of their years, Marcia Willett's new novel Indian Summer (St. Martin's Press, digital galley) reminds me of a Rosamunde Pilcher favorite, Winter Solstice. Famous actor and director Sir Mungo Springer loves his country retreat, part of the family farm run by his brother Archie and his wife Camilla. When his old friend Kit visits, she brings with her memories of good times shared and of other old pals, including a troubled actress. One of the book's running jokes is the presence of an aspiring novelist, who spies on the locals and concludes they're a dull bunch. Little does he realize that a young Army wife is on the brink of a dangerous affair, that two old men once buried a body in the orchard, that Kit is contemplating a second chance with her long-ago lover Jake, and that Mungo will do most anything to keep safe his family and friends. I'm getting this one for my mom.

from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

Thank you to St. Martins Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was offered to me by SMP to review and I'll admit I wasn't really interested in it just based on the title or cover art but as they say "don't judge a book by its cover". Surprisingly, the book is very well written and though it is written from multiple points of view you could almost read just one characters POV and it would still make for a great book. The only reason I marked this as 3 stars is because there isn't really a plot point to this book. There is supposed to be a "mystery" of sorts in the book but it's very obvious what happened early on in the book. I enjoyed the writing very much but at the end of the book I didn't really feel anything because there wasn't that build up/climax/resolution in the book.

How odd love is, thinks Kit. Like a virus attacking us when we’re low.

Plenty of memories swirl around this collection of friends, from love that never was, to unexplained disappearances and lonely guests that may step into a mess of mistakes. Old age seems like a disguise, so many of us think everything is finished past the first blush of youth. But there are dark troubling buried secrets for some, years of wear and tear, first loves that got away only to reappear when you feel so ridiculously worn down. Friendships are richer for their mileage, as with Mungo (retired actor, famous) and Kit, visiting him in the Devonshire countryside. Long ago Mungo was with Izzy (who is no longer living) but it was a cover. Izzy was involved with another man, Robert and though their history is dusty, what happened between them will play a vital role in this novel. For Kit, thespian Mungo will again direct, in a sense, by helping guide her to a rekindled flame for Jake, now a widower and free to love her. But is it too late for all that?

This is a bit like a summer breeze, with a hint of trouble. There is a farm owned by Mungo’s brother Archie. Archie and his wife Camilla are having trouble staying afloat, the threat of selling creates complications for others, due to a dark secret rooted deep in the past and the land. On this land too, are the renters- Emma with her family, her little boy Joe missing his father away serving with the AF as much as military wife Emma is lonely and hungry for affection and attention. Soon Marcus enters the scene, a surprise since he too is supposed to be serving elsewhere. Marcus is struggling with his own family problems, a separation. There is an attraction- both are yearning for different things, could it be so bad to have something for herself? What exactly are Marcus’s motives? It’s not as easy to seduce a woman with her children around. How does young Joe experience a budding forbidden relationship between his mother and another man? Will she go through with it? James is there to write, in quiet peace, without distraction. He just has to figure out how to write from a woman’s perspective, which apparently according to his wife, he is terrible at. He watches, he collects everything he sees, ideas percolate in his creative mind, and he uses his surroundings to write. What is the deal with the weird guy he keeps seeing around?

These are brief moments in the lives of all the characters. Some face difficult times financially, others are weighted down by guilt, some are there for escape but all come together to make a wonderful summer story. It is a quiet story without anything too wild, but I felt the confusion inside the hearts of the characters is something we can all relate to. Kit having a second life of sorts is something we should see more of in fiction. You still have a pulse as you age!

A nice read with the countryside as setting.

Available Now

St. Martin’s Press

Thomas Dunne Books

Indian Summer by Marcia Willett is set in the English countryside in the middle of a hot summer. The sights and sounds of the local farming area delight and please the senses. With an amazing group of mostly very ordinary characters, it was a rather surprisingly tension filled read.

There is quite a cast of characters living in this small place, Mungo the man who has made his money in acting and directing. And while he is at it, just delights in directing quite a few scenes in the lives of the people around him. His brother Archie lives on the family farm, but now that they are all older there is the worry of money to keep the farm up and the house Archie lives in is rotting away with no money to repair it.

Kit a long time friend of Mungo has come down to stay with him, she has had one main love in her life and was too slow in giving her commitment and he moved on. Yet now Jake is free and wondering is Kit still free after all these years. ( He has children and young grandchildren so we are talking lots of years.)

Emma is a young mother with a young child and a 5 year old. Her husband is overseas in service and she is looking for a little excitement. But... she takes on more than she can chew and I felt the tension around this, reading on to see what was going to happen. I really felt for the 5 year old who knew something was up but not quite what was causing his disquiet.

Then we have two old farmers who have worked the farm and live in one of its cottages. They have been loyal friends to Archie and Mungo, and are still very much part of the local community. Nearby is also a writer - James, endeavouring to write a second book, having self published a first. The whole drama that goes on around him totally escapes him and he thinks he is staying in a very dull place.

Is it all as quiet as it seems or ... is there far more under the surface. The short answer is yes but you'll have to read to find out exactly what.

3.5 stars. The author delivers beautifully on the setting and the prose. It's a fast, easy read that deals with relationships of all kinds...family, friends, lovers. The book doesn't deliver on the mystery/scandal/climax but does give us good, solid characters. While I was disappointed with such an anti-climax, the story was still enjoyable.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

I had a hard time getting into the story - haven't read any of the author's books before so wasn't familiar with the characters - but it's a nice story. I imagine followers of the author would like it even more than someone like me who hasn't read previous books in the series.

Synopsis

Some memories can be forgotten…and should be forgotten. Some memories just won’t . . . ever go away. Author Marcia Willett comes out with a magnificent new novel, Indian Summer.

Actor Sir Mungo, his quiet home village in Devon provides the perfect retreat. His brother and his wife live close by, which makes the rural location of his home the ideal getaway for his old friends in London.

Kit comes to stay for the summer, bringing with her a letter from her first and only love, Jake, and a broken heart. Years have passed . . . and now he has written to Kit asking to meet again.

Book Review Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05 Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05 Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05 Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05 + Screenshot 2017-07-02 19.36.05 (4.1)

A nice Marcia Willett story. It’s like meeting up with an old friend, as I read the books. Her characters come alive and she describes the countryside and houses so you think that you are there. Indian Summer is about a group who have been friends for years, secrets they keep from each other. A great read!

Marica Willits books are a favorite of mine . This book is a great addition to her work and very sweet story. The description of the location and culture is what keeps her readers coming back for each book. This centers on a group of friends who have known each other for years, how their friendships thrive and how they help support each other. It is a lovely book with a pleasing flow that makes it the perfect afternoon read.

Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

I greatly enjoyed this novel based in the English countryside, in a charming, small village. The author really did an awesome job crafting characters that held my interest and drew me into the story right away.

The intertwining stories and the parallel with what the author in one of the cottages is writing and the way the story twists and turns made me smile. The author kept telling his wife that nothing like what he's imagining for his book would ever happen in such a location....

Ultimately the novel is about friendship, loyalty and family which made it the perfect read for me. Honestly I wouldn't mind a sequel because I'd love to find out how everything turns out!

Thanks very much to the publisher, NetGalley and Marcia Willett for allowing me to read an early copy.

I'm really sorry, I didn't know that by clicking the widget the book would go to my shelf. I couldn't accept the book because I have a lot of reviews pending and I wasn't going to have time to read and review it.
I really appreciate the chance and I hope someday in the future I will be able to read one of your books.

Regards,

Indian Summer by Marcia Willett is the first book by this author I have read. It reminds me of the sort of tale that is on Masterpiece Theater. Lots of drama, lots of colorful characters in a story that flows smoothly even slowly at times. The countryside of Devon, England is beautifully and vividly described as the story of these varied people comes to life. The past is an intricate part of the present in this story with a dark mystery at its core. Quite the read.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.
3.5 Stars

I read many of Marcia Willett's books in the past and was curious to try again. Thanks to NetGalley, I had the opportunity to enjoy one of her books again. A good choice for a summer read.
posted on amazon...

Nothing ever happens in a country village where life flows effortlessly - or so visitors to his quaint English farm country think.

Meet Archie & Camilla Kerslake and the characters who share their farm; Mungo, Philip, Billie and various guests to the estate.

Strong characters and a well told story made this a timeless read. If you live Maeve Binchy novels this one is for you.

This was the first time I read Mrs. Willett's writing, and I'm really happy that I got a chance to experience her writing style, which I enjoyed a lot. I really loved how she masterfully brought the setting to life, as well as how much each of the characters jumped off the page. I found the pacing well-done and the plot really interesting. This is a great adult-lit read about friendship if you're looking for such book, I recommend this one.

I love this author, and this book did not disappoint. Marcia Willett has a unique story-telling style, and brings to life the characters and setting in this book. The story is about long-buried secrets coming to light, friendships that stand the test of time and that it is never too late for love. Some of the characters have appeared in previous books, but I do not think this one is part of a series.

Although this story starts slowly, sr8ck with it! As the story begins and we met the ensemble of distinct and hardly related characters, I struggled. But once you met the players and their gently interwoven lives, you will be glad you kept going. The characters are all unique and interesting, and the author does a good job of not playing favorites. If you dislike books that make ver6 frequent perspective keeps, this may not be for you. Otherwise, dig in and let this unique place surround you.