This was a thoroughly enjoyable summer read, with vividly rendered characters, an engaging plot and a portrait of family relationships - particularly those between grandparents and grandchildren - that felt very real and certainly tugged on my heartstrings. The story, set over two time periods, moves at an enjoyable pace and there are a few twists and turns along the way. The resolution is extremely neat, tying everything up in a bow in a way that feels entirely appropriate, if a little saccharine. Reading this book was a genuine pleasure and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light but compelling read during the summer months.

One caveat, however - the version I read still needs a thorough copy edit: there were spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes throughout, along with incorrect words in various places(e.g. 'conscious' instead of 'conscience', 'assure' instead of 'ensure'). It's a testament to how good the plot was that I continued to read enthusiastically, as these kinds of errors would normally lead me to abandon a book.

Based on the version I read I am going to give this a 'high' 3-star rating, but if these issues could be addressed, it would easily be worthy of 4 stars.

An incredibly heart-warming, warm hug of a book making you nostalgic for your childhood and spending time with siblings, cousins and grandparents. This is just a perfect summer read, an adventure for adults, which although its slow at first stick with it because once it gets going it is an amazing read with beautiful and touching writing. I love how each character is so different and unique and seeing everyone grow, learn about themselves and their family together. Just a really fun read.

A Darling Lovebug Summer. What a darling title!
That is what got me interested to begin with. Then the cover was so eye-catching!
And then the story… the story is a little bit more than “just” a family centered, nostalgic, heartwarming story. Although it would’ve been just fine if that’s “all” it was as I really like those types of stories.
I really enjoyed the “extra” content of having a few twists and turns and thought-provoking directions that the story went in.
Just as other reviews say, it might take a little bit of time to get fully into the storyline as the author really takes the opportunity to set the stage for each of the characters, and I think that’s really important for how the story plays out.
So I stuck with it, knowing that others had said the story gets good, and it did!
Nothing formulaic here, just an enjoyable, winding tale.
I recommend it!
Thank you to author Tanya Rumford, Cut and Run Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this before publication date!
Charlene 🌸📚🤗 @lastnownext

A perfect summer easy read full of warm hugs, forgotten childhoods and secrets. I love how Grams reveals her story to her grandchildren, the woman she once was and the event that changed her life. Grams knew exactly what she was doing and it was needed to bring her darling lovebugs back together.

A Darling Lovebug Summer is sure to be a darling summer read this year. Tanya Rumford has combined a cozy mystery with a heartfelt family-focused literary piece about a grandmother whose death brings her grandchildren back together for a big surprise.

Grandma Imogene has been suffering with dementia. In the end, she leaves each of her four grandchildren a mysterious object in her will. She also leaves them with a VHS recording of herself offering them the chance to unravel some mysteries they never knew about her. The objects are clues and though some of them have their doubts, they soon team up and set out on a summer adventure.

There's Belinda, a free spirit who travels around on a bus selling her homemade jewelry. There's Emeline, a divorced mother of two who moved away to pursue her career, but things didn't quite turn out the way she wanted. There's her twin brothers, Wyatt and Geoff. Geoff is having is own troubles with his girlfriend, while Wyatt was the only one who stayed behind and witnessed poor Grandma Imogene's last years.

Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view. You have the four grandchildren on the scavenger hunt, but Rumford also takes you back to Imogene's summer of 1963 when she met a man named Ted who worked on the waters, and they fell in love. As the story progresses, we also have chapters from Ted's point of view as him and a buddy try to start a boating business and end up in a bit of trouble.

The grandchildren end up meeting their Grandma's best friend from that summer, along with some other colorful characters who each have a story to share with them about their beloved Gram. The reader is led along on the journey as pieces come together, mysteries are solved, and Gram's darling lovebugs find not only what she wanted them to discover that she had hidden from them, but also that she jut wanted one last summer with all of them together.

It's a quick and light-hearted read that will satisfy a wide array of readers. Those who prefer literary fiction or some fun beach reads with a touch of romance will like the fast paced action and short chapters, while those craving a good amateur-sleuth mystery that keeps them guessing till the end will enjoy it as well.

A Darling Lovebug Summer is due to be released May 30th from Cut and Run Press.

I loved everything about this book!

It follows four cousins after the death of their grandmother. She sends them on a wild goose chance where they learn secrets about her past. It brings them closer together.

Her secrets were wild!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A Darling Lovebug Summer tracks 4 grandchildren - now grown up after the funeral of their gram. They’ve been left 4 clues in the will and a road trip to uncover their grandmother’s secrets.

I adored this one. I found it to be a slow start but once I was a few chapters in - I was hooked. If you’ve read my reviews before you know I love the jumps in narration from time periods to characters; and this novel has it all!

The characters are well written; full of life. The storyline is unique and while a little predictable near the end is endearing and had many twists. Overall, a great light-hearted beach read.

A Darling Lovebug Summer is an enjoyable story about a grandmother, her four adult grandchildren, and the adventure she sent them on after her death. This book has sibling rivalry, family ties, and secrets. Thanks to author Tanya Rumford, Cut and Run Press, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Loved, loved, loved this story. Four cousins, separated as they move into adulthood are reunited for their beloved grandmother’s funeral. Exactly as described in the synopsis, it really is a heartfelt and suspenseful tale of love, friendships and family secrets. We jump from past to present as the cousins follow the clues on their adventure. Secrets revealed, relationships tested and many surprises make this a fantastic light read. Highly recommend.

This Summer, follow the 4 Baker Cousins around the East Coast as they partake in a quasi -scavenger hunt created by their dear departed grandmother. Flashbacks layered in the story provide clarity to why there are secrets and why there is a hunt at all. It's a super fun story of unrequited love and family ties. #CutandRun #TanyRumford #ADarlingLovebugSummer

Once I got into this book, I really enjoyed it. It was light, easy reading that I ploughed through in a few sittings.

The plot of the book is interesting, a grandmother has passed away leaving an adventure for her adult grandchildren to discover through clues she has left behind. I loved that the narrative swapped between the main characters in the present day, and the grandmother/other characters back in the 1960s. The story unfolded very naturally, and the story told about what happened in the 1960s was beautiful.

The book got off to a slow start but is worth persevering with. I struggled to connect with the characters at first, they come across as unbelievable in the early chapters. They don't make the obvious choices, for example, they didn't immediately examine the gifts their grandmother left them once they discovered the first clue. Their conversations are at times quite flat and they come across much younger than their actual ages. For this reason, I almost gave up on the book several time in the first 100 or so pages, but I'm glad I carried on as the rest of the book was much better.

It's a very cute, friendly, and fun book. It's very heartwarming but I'd also put it into the category of suspense. It reunites siblings after a family death. The book is centered around the death of the grandma.