Member Reviews

Clancy and Aaron meet the week of Aaron’s brother, Lee and Clancy’s cousin Alice’s wedding in Nelson Bar. They enjoy a brief kiss and look forward to getting to know each other after the wedding. Alice has other plans, as she abandons Lee at the altar and leaves Clancy to face Lee and his outraged family. Fast forward six years and find Clancy once again in the middle of a drama not of her making. This time fiancee Will has been caught on camera having sex with a former girlfriend, that would be bad enough except that it is a live feed from his laptop to a meeting with clients of Will and Clancy. In one fell swoop Clancy is left without a financee, without a home, and without a job. She heads back to Nelsons Bar much to the displeasure of Aaron and his extended family.
The coastal setting along with the eccentric and likeable villagers made the book a pleasure to read and I would have given it 4 stars except I thought the first half of the book was too repetitive and too slow to progress. The last half was terrific and I stayed up way too late in order to finish.
Thanks to netgalley and Avon for an electronic arc. I would recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I recieved an early preview copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The book starts at the wedding of Alice and Lee in the rural town of Nelson's Bar in Norfolk. Alice jilts Lee at the alter leaving her cousin Clancy to break the news.
Six years later, Clancy and Aaron( Lee's brother) are looking after the Roundhouse property which was bought by their relatives by email correspondence.
Clancy's perfect life in London is suddenly shattered just as the Roundhouse needs a caretaker. She decides to hide away in Nelson's Bar for a while. On arrival, she is treated with distain and suspicion, as the residents think that she must be like her cousin Alice.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were believable, and there was a good range of different types of people, to make the book interesting. Clancy makes a good protagonist, you have to admire her strength to keep trying to help others, and get on with her life even when everything seems to go wrong for her.
The setting was idyllic, and set over the summer would make a perfect beach or holiday read. It is very easy to read, as the story flows well. The story has just enough drama to it, so that it makes you wonder what will happen next. I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

Clancy needs to escape London and takes a job caretaking her cousin's holiday cottages. The same cousin who had left her fiance at the alter 6 years previously.. What could possibly go wrong?
Sue Moorcroft is a genius at describing a place so you can picture it in your head. She has captured North Norfolk so well. The characters are so believable and the different stories within the plot interweave together to make a rich tapestry that I savoured from start to end.
Perfect for holidays on the beach, or winter evenings by the fire - anytime you just want to escape

Was this review helpful?

Sue Moorcroft Strikes Again

I have always loved Sue Moorcroft's books, but particularly enjoyed this one. It is the sort of book you want to savour, only to find yourself waking in the night wanting to read another chapter and eventually galloping towards the end. Sue's easy style and realistic characters draw you into the world of her novel. Intrigue, relationship difficulties, a lovely setting, family differences and spice - what more can you ask? A delight!

Was this review helpful?

This is a book to keep and re-read again, or even lend to a friend if feeling generous.
After breaking up with her fiancé and leaving her business to be run by her partners in her absence, Clancy escapes London and returns to Nelson's Bar. Nelson's Bar is not a bar, it's a seaside village in Norfolk where Clancy becomes the caretaker for three holiday cottages.
Settling in she starts to enjoy the slower way of life that's the absolute opposite to her non-stop London existence. Unfortunately there are certain people in the village who make their dislike of Clancy very obvious, especially Aaron who almost became her brother-in-law.
'A Summer to Remember' is a delight and not a book to pick up for a quick read with a cuppa.
Make the decision to settle down comfortably without interruptions and you'll soon become absorbed in Clancy and Aaron's story.
An excellent way to pass a few hours.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved reading this book. The bulk of the story is set in Norfolk, a place i have never visited, but after the way its described, whether real or not, it has left me wanting to pay a visit there. This book is full of characters, some likeable, some not so. There are a couple of relationship issues that are quite beautifully dealt with and identifiable for some readers. This book really pulls you from the start and its wonderful to watch the story unfold. I heartily recommend reading for yourself, you wont be disappointed.

Was this review helpful?

Another lovely summer romantic story from Sue Moorcroft. This time the setting is an idyllic seaside village in Norfolk. The residents are a close knit community as you would expect but some of them hold grudges. So when Clancy arrives she is treated like a bad penny and with hostility which I found unfair as it was her cousin Alice’s antics that left the residents despising her. If Clancy thought that escaping London, her job and her ex, who was literally caught with his pants down for a peaceful life in Nelson’s Bar then she soon realises that it is not going to happen without a struggle and determination to fit in.

A relationship rapidly develops between Clancy and Aaron but family feuds and incidents seem to constantly put obstacles in their path which in turn leaves very little time for them.

My thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC in exchange for my opinions on A Summer to Remember.

Was this review helpful?

This is not the first Sue Moorcraft book I have read, but the first one I have reviewed. It was read as a pure escapist and distraction read and it fulfilled that. Sometimes I had to go back over parts and reread as to me they didn't make sense, maybe a comma missing occasionally or just me.
Good description of the countryside, but sometimes it got a bit repetative.
Clancy, leaves London for Nelson's Bar after she is forced out of her job/apartment/ business because of her at the time fiancé being caught “in flagrante delicto”. She leaves for Norfolk where she represents her cousin's share of a house and holiday rental business. Small village mentalities exist, but all this in and out of each others lives was over the top.
I couldn’t understand why solicitors weren't involved in some of the business dealings, they only talked about accountants.
The characters seemed to pack in an awful lot on somedays, travelling from London to Nelson's Bar and then still going on and working.
In the acknowledgements Sue Moorcraft explains how she got advice on various subjects in the book, and things like the parish meetings and explaining about insurance covering subsidence came over well and presumably accurate. I hope so, as twice in the book she had people moving into other peoples homes because they were a part owner. No, it doesn't work like that, if someone was paying rent to cover that half, you can't do it. It is their home even though it might be partly your house.
Overall this was a pleasant read, it didn't tax the brain, but it was clichéd and over long.

Was this review helpful?

Well that was definitely a memorable summer for Clancy and everyone involved in The Roundhouse in the small village of Nelson's Bar in Norfolk.

What started as an escape for Clancy, soon turns into something so much more, as she gets to know the residents of the village, and one in particular.

The book opens with a jilting at a wedding thanks to Alice, Clancy's cousin, of Lee, who is Aaron's brother - and its 6 years later that Clancy and Aaron really meet and sparks fly for all manner of reasons.

This has all the fabulous feeling to it of a typical Sue Moorcroft book. It is warm, you find yourself drawn into the book, and are filled with regret when real life intervenes and you have to leave Nelson's Bar and return to the real word - always eager to get your next reading fix.

I loved watching how this story unfurled, especially given Nelson's Bar is almost pre-historic in its charm - in that there is now proper mobile or internet signal, plus the anticipated reaction from one man to a revelation, made me convinced there had to be dinosaurs living there!

I really did enjoy every moment of this book, and I would love to see more stories set in Nelson's Bar, it had such a great feel to it. The writing was great, I loved most of the characters while at the same time really hating the ones you weren't meant to like. It was just an all around comfortable and huggable sort of a book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

I can honestly say that I have not read a Sue Moorcroft novel that I did not love. As a confirmed fan of her work, I was eagerly looking forward to this new book, and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed. I devoured it in just a couple of sittings, the story holding my attention throughout. It has a wonderful setting of a small seaside village in Norfolk, where you could literally get away from it all, as technology has not reached it as yet, still an attractive quality for some of us.

The story revolves around Clancy, let down by her fiancé and work colleagues and forced to find both a new job and new home. She moves from London to sleepy Nelson’s Bar, where she takes over as caretaker for a few holiday cottages owned by her cousin, Alice. The job comes with a lovely cottage where I would love to live, even without mobile phone signal. Although it’s many years since she was there, Clancy has a connection with Nelson’s Bar and soon encounters some familiar faces. However, her reception isn’t friendly in all cases, especially from Aaron and his family, who are still struggling to recover from a wrong done to them by Alice. As time goes on, Clancy settles into life in the village and becomes entangled in village affairs. It also looks as though she may have found romance from an unexpected direction, but stuff seems always to be getting in the way. Are things going to work out for her in Nelson’s Bar, or is she going to have to find refuge elsewhere?

This is just such a good story. It is filled to the brim with interesting characters experiencing everyday problems we can all identify with. Although Clancy and her struggle to come to terms with what has happened to her are central to the story, there is so much more going on. This little Norfolk village is hiding all sorts behind its sleepy facade, just like any village you might come upon. There is literally never a dull moment in the story. Just when you think that it will all be tied up in the next chapter, something else turns up. Although we are taken down lots of side roads, I think this adds to the overall story and its believability. I can definitely recommend this book to Sue Moorcroft fans and as a wonderful introduction for those unfamiliar with her writing.

Was this review helpful?

If you’re expecting a gentle romance that wanders along to the inevitable HEA or HFN then think again. This book is a rollercoaster that takes the reader through more emotional loops than Blackpool Towers. I just loved the character of Clancy who roared off the page and wasn’t prepared to sit back and take the poo that everyone seemed to be flinging in her direction. Nelson, the adorable dog, needs a special mention as does Daisy. However what struck me most was the clever way the writer addressed the plot issues of what is a very complex read. Here the good guys come out on top, the bad guys lose and the in-between ones, you know the sort – the ones that unwittingly harmed the mc through no fault of their own. Well, wait and see. This is up there with my best reads of 2019 and I predict will be in my top ten.

Was this review helpful?

A very charming book indeed.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this story of Clancy who leaves London to Nelson's Bar after publicly finding out her fiance was cheating on her with their company's client. When she takes on a caretaker job for the set of cottages her cousin Alice owned alongside with Alice's jilted fiance's brother, Aaron; the handsome homebody with the loveable one-eyed dog, Nelson. As Clancy goes through healing from the betrayal and humiliation of being forced out of her company she helped start and flourish from the cheating scandal, it brings her back into a world with Aaron who they shared a special kiss with many years ago and discover through patience, friendship and forgiveness can leave the heart with room for new love.

This romance story didn't have all the cheesy moments that I really dislike in romantic novels, but the author provided realistic expectations and feelings for Clancy and Aaron as this begin their relationship with one another. It was also easy to be sympathetic to Clancy's conflicting emotions as she was trying to heal, but also be open to the growing feelings she was having for Aaron.

When I am itching to pick up a certain book again means to me that the story was a juicy one to read that ended on a satisfactory, but great note. I hate it when a story ends and I didn't feel like I had enough further details that were provided on the protagonist's storyline.

Was this review helpful?

Set in North Norfok, this is the story of Clancy discovering some roots for herself after a peripatetic childhood and a shattering betrayal by her fiancee and work colleagues. The small seaside community is not immediately welcoming as her cousin, Alice,used to live there and left under a cloud. However it is full of interesting characters with their own stories that are revealed as they come to accept that Clancy is not like Alice. This is a perfect holiday read, specially for the reader who enjoys a bit of North Norfolk escapism.

Was this review helpful?

Perfect - wouldn't change anything. Loved the setting, and the development of Clancy and Aaron's relationship was just right. A special mention must be made of Nelson - his doggy antics made me smile. A relaxing read, but one which held my interest throughout. This is the first book of Moorcroft's that I've read, and it won't be the last. With thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
What a FANTASTIC book filled with inspiration warmth and had me totally captivated can highly recommend this book

Was this review helpful?

This was another great story from Sue Moorcroft! I think she is a master storyteller! I love her imagination in creating a world I enjoy to visit. I never had the opportunity to travel to a village in England, but feel like I know the experience from reading her books. They are so descriptive and inviting.

Clancy had a nice life and a happily ever after planned out until she found out that her fiancé, Will, had other plans with another woman for his future. In addition, since she worked with a group of friends and Will, that put her in a pretty bad situation. Clancy removes herself from that climate and goes away to think about her future. She finds peace and begins to also find healing in Nelson's Bar (a village in Norfolk, England - not a "bar"), that she spent some time in her youth with her aunt and cousin.

She meets again villagers that she briefly knew years ago and one special guy Aaron. Just when everything is falling into place and Clancy can see a positive future, her cousin (Awful Alice) returns to Nelson's Bar and Clancy's bad luck returns with so many issues that she once again needs to resolve.

The good thing is that Clancy is gifted in solving problems and always knows what to do when it comes to helping others. She was raised to be independent and handle difficult issues.

The plot of the story is excellent. The characters were created very life-like having both good and bad traits. I especially enjoyed the scenery and the village descriptions.

I want to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley.com for allowing me to read the ARC of this wonderful book. I recommend this book highly.

Was this review helpful?

****A Summer to Remember introduces Sue Moorcroft, a new British author to me, and she tells an endearing second chance story. Clancy, after being publicly dumped by her fiancé, retreats to small village to act as caretaker for a group of cottages co-owned by her cousin Alice and Aaron, the brother of the man Alice literally left at the altar. Clancy and Aaron had almost connected six years before at the aborted wedding, but family support came first. Clancy finds that she really enjoys small village life. The author does a great job dealing with the diverse group of characters who live in Nelson’s Bar, a village so protected it has no cell phone or internet service except through Aaron’s satellite phone. She also is very adept at painting word pictures that draw the reader into the quaint town and its inhabitants. No spoilers, but since this is a second chance story, I imagine you can guess where the story is going...at least for a couple of characters, and what a journey it is...sort of two steps forward...one step back, thankfully with no angst...at least until Alice returns. This American reader also enjoyed expanding her “British” vocabulary. I have no problem recommending this lovely read. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

This was a lovely, gently story with a beautiful setting. I would really have liked a little more chemistry in the romance though.

Was this review helpful?

In the opinion of this reviewer, there comes a time in the career of an author where they produce a work that elevates them to the next level; ‘A Summer to Remember’ is that work.

Sue Moorcroft if well admired and known for her work in the Women’s Romantic Fiction genre and though this novel fits neatly into that category, do not be fooled into thinking this is a light-hearted read, it is much deeper and thus, much more rewarding to the reader.

Without going into too many details (which I never do), we have the story of Clancy who has had to leave the company she worked hard to set up through no fault of her own and thus moves up to the small village of Nelson’s Bar on the north coast of Norfolk. Here, she comes into conflict with the family of the man her cousin left standing at the altar. It is here that Sue ratchets things up as the would-be groom had subsequently suffered a breakdown and his family are heavily protected of him, making her burgeoning relationship with his brother, awkward at times.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Sue is a master at playing with the readers emotions and with ‘A Summer to Remember,’ Sue takes us through every one that I can imagine, including anger. Yes, I was very angry on Clancy’s behalf at the way her so-called friends had treated her and then felt like cheering at how she bounced back and dealt with the situation. Family conflict has never been better written than here, with all the nuances of as closely-knitted family that is Aaron’s (the main male protagonist) laid bare.

This is a multi-layered novel that never feels rushed as all the threads come to a very satisfying close. As in the very best novels, you don’t warm to each character, but you shouldn’t. In real life, you don’t, so why should you in a novel, yet they are still there to serve their purpose. I for one, will be re-reading this novel as often as I can, as it would serve very well as a ‘How a novel should be written.’ Please note that I make no distinguishing between genres here, simply a great example of writing.

Take your time over reading as I did, savour this novel like a fine wine, is my final piece of advice.

My thanks to all at AvonBooksUK and Netgalley, but especially to Sue Moorcroft for allowing me to read this prior to its release; most appreciated.

Was this review helpful?

An amazing cast of characters are assembled together in a small Norfolk village. Some have lived here all their lives and never want to leave, others cannot wait to escape. Some find refuge here whilst others see it as a prison.
Sue Moorcroft excels again!
A great read with humour, family life, business drama and romance. Highly recommended

Was this review helpful?