Beautifully written book which is easy to read. It’s a lovely celebration of friendship As always with this author the books are a joy to read

One Last Summer by Victoria Connelly
Lisa and Audrey have been invited by their long time friend Harrie to spend a summer holiday at a converted priory she has treated them to. They met 27 years ago and have not met up for the last six but have kept in touch. Harrie has a secret, one she wants to tell them but not until she has to as it will change the whole equilibrium. They have a housekeeper and there is a restorer on the property, a chap who Harrie is finding herself drawn to. They spend their days catching up and reliving the past , enjoying their beautiful surroundings.Lisa is into her yoga and tempts the gardener into trying it for his injured back. Audrey can’t stop working and disappears home for a few days and gets more than the work she anticipated. Harrie invites her daughter over to stay wit the group and this tips the balance. I liked Harrie. She was calm and in control in a very difficult situation. She thought of others over herself. The others had their strengths and weaknesses as we all do and found the best in each other.This is a poignant and evocative emotional read which is beautifully written. The pages almost disappeared between my fingers as I got so immersed in the story, I was almost at the end before I knew it. One of those reads to take you to another place. One to smile at, one to shed a tear. A truly wonderful read.
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Beautifully written, incredibly uplifting celebration of friendship - this is the story of Harriet who knows time is running out and she is determined to give her two best friends one last summer to remember,.

Harriet is full of strength and clearly loves her two besties Audrey and Lisa, even though they have barely spent much time together in the past 6 years.

This is a summer in which not only does Harriet have to reveal her reason for the get together but the other women all develop and learn more about themselves too.

Like I find with all of this authors books, the pages flew past incredibly fast, and I was sucked into the story very easily.

I loved the setting of this book too, The Priory, which was a big atmospheric building, that is having some restoration work done to it.

The three friends, experience a lot over the course of the book, and although there are sad emotional undertones throughout, there were only a couple of moments where I found a lump in my throat.

A fabulous story that I am delighted to have had the opportunity to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is a well written book, just not what I expected. I knew it was going to be sad but not so depressing. This book just wasn't for me, but don't let my review stop you from trying it. Thank you Lake Union Publishing Via NetGalley for the free copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

This is a story of lasting friendship, that friendship comes together well throughout the story showing that geographical distance can be overcome. However, there were many times throughout the book where the characters felt one dimensional to me.

Victoria Connelly is one of my favourite writers, and this book is up to her usual high standard. Beautifully written, with relatable and believable characters, this was a stunning read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this.

I love Victoria Connelly's books and highly recommend them all. I was eager to read this one and wasn't disappointed. What a fantastic read - so emotional but so well written.

Very thought provoking, sensitively written - a bittersweet story of love, friendship, relationships and facing death. This book did make me cry but there were also funny moments which made me smile. I loved all of the characters and how they interacted together. The priory location was beautiful.

I found the story compelling and found it difficult to put this book down. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciate the opportunity to pre-read One Last Summer and liked the premise of bringing friends together for a final time; however, I found the book predictable and ultimately, it didn't reach me emotionally as I thought it might. I enjoyed the book while reading it but two days after finishing it, I had to look at the synopsis to recall the book. Having said this, I think this is a book that will find an audience and be enjoyed by many and for that reason, I'm giving it a higher star score.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

I loved this touching story. It was a bit emotional to get through....we all have someone close too us we have lost too soon. But it was a wonderful story about friendship, love and figuring out what is important in life....and making the most of it.
Loved the plot. The author did a wonderful job of handling a very difficult subject that could have been sad and depressing but instead turned out a celebration of life.. The writing was wonderful. Loved the characters, they were like people you would know.I
I recommend this book..but make sure you have tissues on hand!

This wasn't my favorite book. I just lost a friend to breast cancer earlier this year and wasn't sure I would be able to get through the book without crying nonstop. The cover is beautiful and I so wanted to love the book, but sadly I didn't. The story is incredibly sad and it's hard to prepare yourself for losing a dear friend. I hate to say it, but I didn't connect with the characters. Harriet, Lisa and Audrey were just blah for me. They were all supposed to be best friends but Harriet never shared the truth about what was happening to her until the very end. Honor is mad Harriet's friends aren't acting a certain way. How should they act they don't even know their best friend has cancer?! I don't mind books that don't have a lot of action, but the three friends did absolutely nothing for six whole weeks. In the end, Audrey and Lisa figure out how to change their life for the better. I loved the description of the priory and gardens. It all sounded beautiful.

The book just wasn't meant for me, so I do recommend the book for others. I enjoyed the writing style, so I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Amazon Publishing UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

One Last Summer is an emotionally and poignant read. The story follows Harriet who brings her two closest friends together with her, to spend a summer together. Unbeknownst to her friends, Harriet is terminally ill and wants to spend one last summer with her friends.
This book does not bog you down in sadness and despair, even with the terminal illness hanging over the story. It was a great read and reminding me as the reader to live in the moment, take nothing for granted. Victoria Connelly took a tough subject and made a very memorable story, that will stick with me long after.

Harriet has got a secret that she has been keeping from her two best friends Audrey and Lisa, she had terminal cancer and only has six months to live. She decides to rent an old priory on the Somerset coast for two weeks so that she can spend some time with them and tell them her sad news.

This is a bittersweet novel about old friends reconnecting and spending time together in sad circumstances but we get to know all of the characters and their stories and the setting is fabulous

The netgalley blurb didn’t mention that there was the sensitive subject of terminal cancer featuring very heavily. Sadly this is too close to my heart so I’ve had to stop reading. I love Victoria’s books so will wait eagerly for the next one. Have four starred it even though I’ve stopped reading very early on so it’s not unfair to the author. Won’t post this anywhere else.

One Last Summer was a beautiful novel! I enjoyed the characters and how the friends’ relationships were portrayed. Harriet has rented an old priory for her to spend a few weeks in with her two close friends. She wants to spend this special time with them to reconnect and share her secret with them. The women hit some rough days, especially once they find out Harrie’s secret. But along the way they reminisce, bond with each other, and form new friendships with some people they meet at the priory. These characters were absolutely delightful! The story was both fun at times and emotional at other times as the friends were forced to look at their lives in a new way.

One Last Summer was an engaging read that was filled with beautiful descriptions of the unusual place Harriet chose to reunite with her friends for one last summer.

While I would recommend this book, I didn't care for the characters. They were well rounded and described well by the author, but they just didn't click for me. I don't know why, but I did continue reading because I was interested in how the story would unfold.

It does make you wonder what would you do if you knew for certain your time on earth was very limited. Thanks go to Netgalley, the author and Lake Union for approving my request for an ARC. Thoughts in this review are my own.

The setting in and around the ancient priory on the Somerset coast was the perfectly suited place for three friends to spend together in One Last summer. The characters were wonderfully realistic and each had their own story to tell. The book was very emotional and touching, but had many happy moments also.
I want to thank the author and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. My opinions are my own. I highly recommend reading this book.

This book was the story of 3 friends that is good so emotionally you feel it in your soul. I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley for my honest review. I laughed I cried and felt apart of them. Very well written and touching on so many levels. I couldn't put this down. Grab a cozy spot and a box of tissues and read this book! I definitely recommend it !

Harriet has rented a priory for the summer and has invited her two best friends Audrey and Lisa to join her. She is hoping they can reconnect and deepen the friendship these ladies have had since college. The all gather at the beautiful priory and their journey begins. What Audrey and Lisa don’t know is that Harriet has a deep secret that she has been hiding from them the past few years. Is their friendship strong enough to handle what is coming?

I did enjoy this book, but if I am being honest and keeping it real, I was a little disappointed in the beginning of the story. The allure of the book for me was the “deep secret” Harriet was keeping. Her secret was revealed right at the beginning of the book, which took all the mystery out of the story. The characters were well developed and you get drawn into the lives of the three women as the story continues. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.

Such a beautiful story and quite an emotional read! As a cancer survivor myself, this book had me thinking how lucky i was. This is the second book that i have read by Victoria Connelly, the previous book being 'The Heart of the Garden'. Both books are excellent reads and cannot wait to read more by this author. Highly recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

What would you choose to do if you only had about 6 months to live? One last glorious summer. Harriet was dying of cancer. She wanted to spend her last summer with her very best friends in the world, and occasionally her daughter. She rented a historic priory in Somerset, England. The description of the priory and the area, including the seaside, are mouth-watering beautiful. It makes you want to be there yourself! When you only have 6 months left to live, it's not a time for secrets. It's a time to bare your soul, to share your deepest thoughts and feelings but with others. But, can Harriet bring herself to do that? No, she keeps the secret that she's dying from her friends for most of the summer. Will they find out? How will they find out? This book is about friendship, love, the choices we make and discovering what is important in life. That summer changed the lives of all. The hours I spent reading this story were delightful.

* I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. That did not influence my review; my review is an honest review.

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