Member Reviews

Sue Moorcroft's writing is so descriptive that I was swept off my feet to the beautiful, holiday destination of Malta whilst experiencing a guantlet of different emotions whilst reading this book.

A beautiful, heartwarming read with a strong fremale protagonist and loveable characters that you actually begin to care about. The storyline interwoven with romance, heartache, grief and forgiveness had me going through a range of emotions.

A well written, emotional and heartwarming read. I loved it.

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I absolutely loved this book, as I have loved all of Sue Moorcroft's stories. Each brings to life a different Mediterranean holiday, and this is no exception. The story starts in sunny Malta, and you can almost smell the sea air, feel the sun on your face, and taste the salty tang of the sea whilst you read this book. I have never been to Malta but now I am desperate to go and visit some of the places described in the book.

The story begins with Judith, who after a bad divorce in England has moved to an idyllic life in Malta. She has a wonderful job with her Uncle, a lovely apartment, and a gorgeous and much younger boyfriend. She thinks finally her life is on track. Unfortunately one tragic accident can bring the whole house of cards tumbling down. Take a journey with Judith through self development, and discover that sometimes things have a way of working themselves out in the most unexpected ways.

A wonderful summer read, but with all the travel restrictions this may be the nearest you get to a holiday abroad.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4147993173

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Nursing a broken heart after losing her partner, Judith decides to leave lovely Malta and return home to England. Staying at her sister's house she must face the future. A set of thoroughly like able characters that you can expect from Sue. I enjoyed the emotional journey that Judith embarked on to create a new future.

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I couldn't put this book down! A fantastic read, written with feeling.

Judith's life has certainly been through ups and downs - and in this book we get to travel with her for a while.

A story of loss, of love, of injustice - and, ultimately, a story of life.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐from me.

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Very poorly written and non engaging. The story line seemed forced and the character disingenuous. I do not recommend this book..

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Just brilliant!!! This is a story of hope and recreation, when your life and heart is broken, you can find silver linings in those clouds.
Judith is living her ideal life in Malta, but it does have its difficulties which she chooses to live with. When it all falls apart she needs to get home to her sister Molly and mum Wilma. What will she do now?
The family characters are so well written and observed if frustrating and not really likable.
The Maltese culture and Islands beautifully portrayed.
Interesting, heart warming and real.
Another fantastic book from Sue Moorcroft.
Thank you for the early read NetGalley much appreciated.

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A Home in the Sun is the latest book from Sue Moorcroft. We follow Judith who, after losing her partner, feels like she has lost her life in Malta too so decides to return to England and to her sister’s spare room. Missing the island views from her sun trap balcony, she’s soon drawn into all manner of dramas whilst still nursing a broken heart. She’s desperate to find happiness again but can she find it in England or will she return to the island. This is a beautiful heartwarming and engaging novel with some fabulous characters. I would rate it 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

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As an avid reader of all books by Sue Moorcroft, I was delighted to hear of the re-release of Uphill All the Way – now titled A Home in the Sun. I cannot remember reading this book before, although there was a familiarity which could have been from a long time ago. Whether, or not, I had read it before, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Judith is an immediately likable character; she struggles with her own ethics as she discovers that her lover may not be the free agent that he initially presented himself as. However, she overlooks her doubts and focuses on the potential for happiness. Sadly, her happiness is short lived, and she finds herself back in the UK.
The focus switches to the challenges that Judith faces as she starts to reintegrate into her Northamptonshire life, and all that brings. A brow-beaten sister, ageing mother, bitter ex-husband, lovestruck former stepson, and a long-forgotten school crush, who is renting her house. There’s a lot going on in this book, yet everything moves at a satisfying pace. One could be forgiven for thinking that with so many elements, the story would be confusing, but Sue Moorcroft is a talented storyteller, and her skills are what make her style seem so effortless.
With so many thoughtfully created characters, it was hard to pick a favourite, but then, it was impossible not to pick the gorgeous Adam. He’s the kind of romantic hero that a reader dreams about. His strength is just what Judith needs to help her overcome her grief and to navigate her way through the hurdles that life throws in her way. Adam’s gentle nature brings about a healing of her damaged spirit, but I was left guessing as to whether, or not, he would be enough to bring her the security that she needed.
A Home in the Sun may be one of Sue’s earliest books, but her skill and depth of research are on show. Of course, she has first-hand knowledge of Malta from her childhood. Visiting Malta with a former native makes sense and I loved this guided tour.

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Thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

A lovely summery read - set in Malta which is a place I've never visited (either in a book or in real life).

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It took me a while to get into the book and I didn't immediately warm to the setting of Malta. However, it was a heartwarming story and a refreshing break from some of the overly sweet stories where there is no wrestling with a few demons along the way. It was sad to read how a life can be so changed by one occurance and the complicated nature of family relationships.
If you enjoy a story with some drama and sadness mixed into the plot then this is a good one for you.

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A beautiful summer read.
Judith loses the love of her life along with her job and her life in Malta. She returns to her house in England absolutely devastated and tries to find ways to move on. She still finds she has unfinished business in Malta and finds herself in a quandary whether to stay in England or go back to Malta where she has so many happy memories.
This is a wonderful story with loveable characters. The description of Malta is amazing. It will have you longing to visit.
I could not put this book down and totally recommend it for an escapist read.

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TW: stillbirth, death (off page, but in current time).

I’ve been a Sue Moorcroft fan for a few years now, and so I was really pleased to receive an ARC of A Home in the Sun (which is a rerelease of her first book Uphill All the Way).

I found this book to be more emotional than some of Sue’s more recent books (not necessarily a bad thing). Judith is really put through the mill during the course of the story. However, don’t let that put you off, because this tale also contains humour, and a lovely romance.

I really liked both of the main characters, but especially Adam. In spite of having had a rough time of it, he is generally kind. I enjoyed the easy friendship that he and Judith fell into, even though they had opposing interests initially.

The plot is well written, and gets you involved. It’s emotional, and both main characters go through a lot, but it’s totally worth it for the final scene. I also liked the way other characters have their own stories.

Overall, this was an emotional, but rewarding story. It is well written, with gentle humour, as well as a lovely romance.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

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Well, that was brilliant!!
Judith 'Jude' lives and works on the beautiful island of Malta!! Tragedy strikes, and Jude is forced to go back to England. She feels it's the right thing to do!!
Her trials and tribulations she must endure in the relationships with her own family, and her partner's family, as well as trying to sort her own life out, is a nightmare!! But when she gets back to England, along comes Adam.
Sue Moorcroft has a very special way of getting your imagination going!! The scenery, the places, the characters are so real!! Beautiful story!!
I couldn't put it down!! Loved it!!

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A joy of a book. Perfect for summer days or autumn nights. Sit down, get comfy and prepare to be delighted.

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This is Sue Moorcroft’s very first publication – re-published with a brilliant title and cover makeover – and it’s such a treat to go right back to the very start of Sue’s writing career and still find her familiar, comforting style and characterisation. Key themes of the book explore love, loss, hope, hardship and so much more. Sue’s vivid and bright descriptions, carefully researched and experienced locations and sunny settings – finish this off to be an absolutely brilliant book.

Sue crafts her characters to be incredibly realistic. So much so that you can find yourself loving and hating them in equal measures for all their positives and their drawbacks! Georgio, Judith and the others that make up the bones of this book are well written and described. In fact, you’ll be thinking about them long after you’ve finished the book! A great book, perfect for Summer and for escaping when it might not be possible to nip abroad just yet.

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This is an older book of Sue's, which I didn't know until I reached the end. Sue's writing has matured over the years, and I didn't enjoy this story as much as I do her more recent work. The title is misleading, because we move from Malta to a town in Northamptonshire . . . My main issue with this book though was Judith, or Jude. I just couldn't warm to her at all. I loved Adam - he was the best thing about this story. The descriptions of Malta were good, but sometimes read like a tourist brochure. There was certainly a lot covered: divorce, baby loss, death, care homes . . . I didn't feel much emotion coming from Judith, despite her going through so much, which was why I couldn't warm to her. I also thought at times that she was thoughtless, if not selfish. Take the way she turned up on her tenant's doorstep without warning, asking him to leave. Tenants have rights, and it was not okay for her to turn up unannounced. When she decided to pop into her old home for a glass of water whilst her tenant was out - that would surely have been against the terms of the tenancy. Okay, yes she discovered a party going on, but she shouldn't have been there in the first place. In fact, Jude had a tendency to drop into places unannounced when it was clear the people she was visiting were uncomfortable with it. She just seemed to do what she pleased. I thought the ending was a little rushed too. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I really enjoyed this book, although it took me a while to settle into it.

Judith's story was an interesting one from Malta and back to her roots... I loved how she met Giorgio and how we were given background on the Malta and its culture as it was crucial to the rest of the book.

On her return back to England, what happened in Malta took a while to sink in, but Judith started to find her feet and settle back into her old, but new, home. The twist with Adam with great and enjoyed finding out how their relationship developed, but socially and as work.

The ending was a bit quick, but drew a very good conclusion and brought all elements of the story back together.

This is another great holiday read. Sue Moorcroft's books never fail to make you want to travel.

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Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

After the loss of her partner, Judith feels there’s nothing left for her in Malta, and heads back home.

Now, living with her sister, in her spare room, she’s trying to come to terms with what’s happened. But instead, finds herself caught up in her family’s conflicts.
With a broken heart, she has to start to live her life again, the way she likes.

But does that mean that it’s where she was, in the glorious sun, and clear water beaches or where she is now? Home is where the heart is, but where is Judith’s heart?

A fabulous beach read. Recommend It.

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A Home In the Sun is a great summer read by Sue Moorcroft. Readers can escape to Malta, with it's beautiful scenery and find out about Judith's complicated life of love and woe and more... It is a delight for these hot weather days and nights.

Who can, on a hot, balmy summer's day, resist that title?

Judith McAllistair, in 2000 is 40 and lives in Malta and is hungry for change. New millenium, start of a new decade in her life, newly single, she sees it the perfect time to make changes. Already new romance is on the horizon with Georgio Zammit. All isn't as it seems with a peel back of the sun and scenery, into the culture of Malta, one that makes this potential romance tricky and a bit squirmy. It's a part of their culture that isn't talked about as it resembles very little to the tourist scene, but is part of real life for the permanent population. It gives a very interesting insight for people wanting to reside there, that becomes compelling. The summer vibe is also all there, adding to that blissful summery mood.

The book moves to the first chapter and time has also moved onto April 2004 and there's sizzling romance and it oozes with delightful scenery and diving is on the agenda. Everything is idyllic and has, even though, Judith is living in Malta, it has that easy holiday feel atmosphere, until tragedy strikes and her world of new hot passion is turned upside down and she is brought to earth with a jolt.

There is time for readers to soak up the Maltese sun and surroundings, which makes it lovely to escape into, amongst the challenges of the characters lives, which also takes readers to England in a move that isn't taken lightly and ends up in Birnham, where welcomings aren't all terribly warm and emotions are high and adjusting and building a new life is harder than it is assumed to be. There are serious money issues and the need for a new job and huge decisions to make about what it is she wants to do and not do for a living. It is fun meeting everyone, but not always easy for Judith to be reunited with people. As if that isn't enough to contend with. there is an unexpected issue involving a snake...

In part 2, time slinks into 2005. There are secrets to keep and lives for Judith to watch moving on and to be halted by more tragedy that is beautifully observed in the writing.

The writing has everything from sadness, anger, humour and overriding all of that is absolute pure drama as the past affects the present and future and how lives can move on and keeps you guessing how they can and if that is possible and where Judith will end up in her life - England or Malta?

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Another fantastic delivery by this author. She is a go-to author for me. Loved arm-chair travelling to Malta and then to England.. It has all of my favourite elements in a book - love, grief, heartache but is hopeful and heartwarming.

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