Great book.
Great plot. Perfect read whilst socially distancing. Got me thinking about my own wishful thinking.
This is as gorgeous as the cover.

Gemma is a local registrar which makes her realize whats she's missing. Sam is the opposite due to tragedy in his life Gemma rents a rundown cottage on Sam's estate.

A big thank you to Netgalley for picking me to review this book. I quick read about love, life and dilemmas. The main character Gemma is handed one hardship after another. At 15, she became a single mother and it was all downhill until she met Sam. Sam, ex-cop from London has just purchased a castle in the countryside. I pictured Sam as Daniel Craig, strong handsome closed off to anything dealing with love or commitment.
I Just realized it was 1am 🤷‍♀️ I’ve been reading all night and I want to keep reading the main character was just in a car accident. I mean everything will be ok because she’s in love with the guy who owns the castle. 😍😂😬 A quick read, with not much depth. Sometimes British novels are perfect even if they are predictable 🤷‍♀️

A refreshing read! Eve Edwards once again takes the ordinary and does magic. Gemma is a lovely character. So full of good cheer and brimming with pithy humour, Gemma braves the world with her son Leo and strives despite the odds to make a home wherever she lives. Sam, her landlord, comes across at first as grumpy, staid, and a regular stick-in-the-mud. However, unexpected depths of character are unearthed as the book progresses and through his many flaws and impulsive manner, his genuine kindness shines through. It is difficult not to fall in love with Gemma and Sam; and the beautiful grounds where their story unfolds.

This story is peppered with diverse supporting characters that add colour and fresh dimensions to the idyllic setting. The narrative is compelling, handling difficult questions with candour. The featured chipped garden gnome captures the spirit of this book that is relatable with a generous helping of fairy dust, hope and the enchantment of new beginnings.

The story of Gemma and Sam

An easy read in a great setting of a castle being bought back to life. Will it have the same effect on it's owner Sam, who has shut himself off for years.

Gemma is struggling with all life is throwing at her - will moving to a cottage in the castle grounds make life easier?

A great book, looking forward to more from this author.

I’d like to thank Harper Collins and Netgalley for this advance copy of this enjoyable book. I loved it from the start and there was loads going on with the story. Both main characters were great but my favourites were William and Leo. Their growing relationship was lovely and a great aspect to the story. The setting was fabulous- loved the castle but always wanted to live in a little cottage in a village so it really appealed to me.
This would be a great holiday read- lighthearted but gripping with a very satisfying ending.

Great book which i read in a couple of days, i think this would be an ideal title as a part of a series .

I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC version of this book.

The book follows Gemma and Sam with their own narrative for the story of their lives, love and dilemmas.

I really enjoyed reading about two characters that had difficult pasts that form them into their present selves. I loved their interaction and how they changed during the course of the book whilst acknowledging that everyone is a human being and that we all make mistakes.

Life isn't just white and black and that is the main strength of this book - The characters judge themselves thinking they could have done something better and they are trying throughout the story to handle that grey area of life.

The array of characters is well developed and you can read about a lot of issues that arise in today's society and we are finally starting to talk more about- dementia, teenage pregnancy, minimal incomes, suicidal thoughts, entrepreneurship, etc.

One of the reviews mentioned that Gemma friend, Diana is portrayed as a stereotype of a black woman - big bust, being sexualy mischievous, described as 'sassy'. On one hand I agree that stereotyping is not good for a book and not PC today in 2020. But also on the other hand who are we to say that maybe author herself doesn't have friends just like that and that sterotpyes often hold at least a little bit of truth?
This is something to discuss. :)
And I want to put down that I hate stereotyping in general.

Anyway if you would like to read a not-so-heavy book that deals with a number of issues whilst you can enjoy a sweet love story this is a book for you.

A quick easy feel good love story. Great likeable characters, nice flow. A first for me by Eve I look forward to finding more by eve!!

I absolutely loved it!!!!! Quick read and full of goodness on every page. Highly recommend this one.

#NetGalley #TheSummerofWishfulThinking
⭐⭐

A Calamity of Stereotypes!

I was only half way through the first chapter when I realized this book is written by a white lady.

Di/Diana -sassy black friend... Says sugar, honey and girl a lot. Has "wild" boys and is over-sexed making everything a double entendre... This characature leads me to wonder if this author has ever met and/or befriended a black person.

Then there's is a gay wedding.... Elvis themed with an "histrionic" groom. Really?! Dramatic, Elvis-loving gay men? Was this published in 1982? (Did I mention we're still in the first chapter at this point?)

Ok, bad first impression, but I'm not a quitter, so here we go with the rest of it... Gemma and her son Leo move into a run down cottage on a castle estate owned by Sam. Sam is restoring the castle, cottage and grounds in addition to looking after his father who has dementia.

First impressions Sam and Gemma do not like each other, but that quickly fades when their respective father and son bond over gardening. The story is actually quite sweet. I didn't really connect with the characters much and while the stereotyping did calm down after chapter 1, it was hard to forget.

There's also a weird theme ongoing in the book about how women shouldn't ask men questions or expect direct communication about their feels... Like just watch and interpret... Ummm, Eve Edwards needs some girlfriends STAT or it's a pen name for Edward Eves who really wants his wife to STFU.

The attention to historical detail and description of the village and gardens were very good.

This charming book is perfect for that Sunday when you just want to curl up with a good story. A British rom-com that doesn't fail to include castles, rundown cottages, romance and a bit of mystery. It was lovely reading a book where the characters love their jobs, have normal life circumstances, and there aren't crazy plot twists just because.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a contemporary romance dealing with two main characters, Sam and Gemma, who have been burned by love before. They are essentially co workers and therefore spend a lot of time together which leads to falling in love. The book is a sweet easy read.

I received an ARC in exchange for honest review. This was a lighthearted romance novel that was a fun, easy read. The characters were very likeable and realistic, the plot was easy to follow but engaging enough to keep reading, and it had a classic happy ending! I read this book just after having a new baby, and it was the perfect book to read - it didnt require a lot of concentration but was distracting, uplifting and enjoyable!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed it, I thought it had a great story and well drawn characters, a story about loss and love, would definitely recommend.

Overall great book, with complex but nice relationships between friends and family. The ending was satisfying. Would recommend.

Nice book to read. See how relationships open up a grow in front of you. The book was well written and flowed well. Was true to life. Unlike a lot of romance books where everything is always rosy in the garden . This one isn’t and shows we all have bad days

The book is ok at best. I found that Sam, the male lead was overly aggressive and mean to Gemma. I don't mind a little misunderstanding and mean around the edges male leads but this felt like too much. Gemma was cute and I liked her and I am happy that she found love. I cannot relate to single moms but Edwards made it easy to understand Gemma's life, struggles, decisions, and short comings. The book started very slow for me but then it picked up and while I didn't end up loving it, I am glad that I read it. Some of the humor was lost on me since I am not British but it was doable.

I absolutely adored this as a love story and really enjoyed how the story progresses. For me, I think this will be a blockbuster summer beach read! I'll certainly be including it in our library's summer reads pamphlet this year. If you enjoy Heidi Swain or Caroline Roberts, you should enjoy this!

The Summer of Wishfully Thinking by Eve Edwards

4/5 Stars

Fantastic read, warm and funny with complex characters.

This wonderful story at its core is about family experiencing love, loss and what it means to truly be there for each other. Gemma Whitehall helps people tie the knot as the local registrar, but watching express their love for ea other isn't easy for this single mother.
Although this book slowed down a bit in the middle and some of the writing was a bit choppy I rather enjoyed it. I couldn't have asked for a better ending.

Thank you #NetGalley and #harpercollins for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.