#Review by Lou of Kakigori Summer By Emily Itami @EmilyItami #Summer #JapaneseFiction #Fiction #ReadingCommunity #SummerVibe #KakigoriSummer #CompulsiveReaders

Kakigori Summer
By Emily Itami

One of the big trends that is ever growing is books from Japan with their interesting stories that connect with any reader as themes are often universal. Kakigori Summer is both UK and Japanese based. From the shortlisted Costa Book Awards for Faultlines. This is another one to watch out for!
Today, I am part of the Compulsive Readers blog tour with a review after the blurb…

Blurb

Sisters Rei, Kiki and Ai have always had to look out for one another – but life has taken them on very different paths.

Eldest daughter Rei is spiky and sensible, distracting herself with an all-consuming job at a financial corporation in London.

Big-hearted Kiki is a single mother in Tokyo, juggling the demands of her young son and the cantankerous elderly residents of the retirement home she works in.

The free-spirited youngest, Ai , is a Japanese pop idol who has found fame and fortune but lost herself along the way. When Ai is embroiled in a scandal and thrust into the spotlight, Rei must pick up the pieces of her family once more.

Over the course of a summer in their childhood home on the Japanese coast, the sisters reunite with their sharp-tongued grandmother, entertain Kiki’s irrepressible son and silently worry about Ai, carefully avoiding the subject of their mother’s death fifteen years before. But silence between sisters can only last for so long . . .

Transporting, funny and moving, Kakigori Summer is an uplifting exploration of love and loss, sisterhood and family, the stories we tell ourselves about the past and how they determine our future.

Review

If you look at Google, Kakigori is a Japanese dessert often served in shops and at festivals in summer. It’s a Japanese shaved ice dessert, often flavoured with syrup and sweetened condensed milk. This book is not syrupy sweet. It does, however have sweet moments and summery vibes on the coast that swings you in the mood for summer and family.

Rei, Kiki and Ai provide an interesting exploration into family life and how paths go in different directions and grief and challenges enter their lives. Big responsibilities and emotions ensue.
There are also wonderful uplifting parts in the family ties as you delve into the dynamics and learn more about the sisters.

Kakigori Summer is an absolutely beautifully written book that takes you by the hand into summer and light and shade of family life.

#Review by Lou of The Beach Cabin – A Quick Read and Dyslexic Friendly version by Fern Britton Out Now, Happy Publication Day! @Fern_Britton @booksonthehill @LoveBooksTours #BlogTour #DyslexicFriendly #SummerRead #Summer

The Beach Cabin

Quick Read and Dyslexic Friendly

By Fern Britton

Review by Louise Cannon

The book world is proving that you do not need to be excluded from reading from books when you are diagnosed with Dyslexia. Publishers have been publishing, mostly children’s books, but now Books On The Hill (BOTH) is publishing for the adult dyslexic community. It is proving successful, with many well-known authors attaching themselves to it, with more book titles coming their way soon.
Today, I am on the Love Books Group blog tour to review The Beach Cabin. Check out the blurb and then my review below as well as how you can get your hands on a copy.

Blurb

Charlotte and Ed have been drifting apart, and Ed suspects Charlotte is having and affair. He decides that a family holiday in the Cornish village of Pendruggan could be just the thing to get them back on track. But Charlotte has been let down before and braces herself for disappointment.

Together with teenage daughter Alex, younger son Sam, and dog Molly, they set out on their Cornish escape. Will the trip bring the family closer, or is it too little, too late?

Review

The first thing to notice is how the very particular paper used, really makes the words jump off the page, differently from other books. I asked friend Kelley Duke, who is dyslexic what she thought of the text and readability.

She says “the font and text is clear, which makes reading easier.”

The plot itself is summery with bite. Not everything is as smooth and light as the summer air. The prologue allows readers to see what led up to the events that followed. It takes readers to channel 7 and a children’s tv programme, Skool’s Out. It sounds quite fun. That was in 2000, then time whisks onwards to 2015, Pendruggan, Cornwall.

The characterisation of Charlotte and her family are totally relatable as they embark on their escape to Cornwall to bring them closer. There’s a gently paced exploration of family dynamics, the growing apart and trying to bring it back. Some of the emotions that ebb and out, sometimes coming to a crescendo are piercing and all are realistic and relatable.

Fern Britton has captured family dynamics in a realistically compelling manner with the characters propelling the plot along very well.

The Beach Cabin is a book I recommend this summer. It’s a great holiday read for the beach or lounging in the garden or park.

Buy Links

Waterstones Waterstones WH Smith WH Smith Amazon Amazon

#Review By Lou of Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry @PenguinRandom #GreatBigBeautifulLife

Great Big Beautiful Life
By Emily Henry

Review by Louise Cannon

There are times when life can be absolutely big and beautiful and there are big characters stories to uncover in this delightful book, which is the latest by Emily Henry.

Blurb

When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island, Alice knows this is it: her big break. And even more rare: a chance to impress her family with a Serious Publication.

The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, is sure of the same thing.

The proposal? A one-month trial period to unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century, after which she’ll choose who’ll tell her story.

The problem? Margaret is only giving each of them tantalising pieces. Pieces they can’t put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story – just like the tale Margaret’s spinning – could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad … depending on who’s telling it.

Review

Margaret Ives has had quite the life, so it may seem. Much has been lived in the spotlight, now, journalist, Alice Scott wants to write a biography documenting her life. It just might be the piece of work her parents are proud of or at least see that her choice of career is a serious one and she can do the serious side of it. It isn’t going to be easy because of NDAs and there’s competition in Hayden Anderson to contend with as well. Margaret Ives gives both, rather juicy information. What is being spun out is rather intriguing and keeps you hooked into Margaret’s story.

Amongst the investigative journalism, there is romance in the air, but Alice and Hayden, it seems, aren’t always sure how to be around each other. He is tantalisingly curious about her. Masterfully, the tension between both Alice and Hayden is palpable.

There’s lots for readers to discover and lots that the characters have to discover throughout this engaging book.

Great Big Beautiful Life, with its intrigue that draws you in, the humour that makes you smile and laugh, the romance and characters with big lives to lead, could well be Emily Henry’s best book to date!

#Review by Lou of A Secret Escape by Sarah Morgan Happy Publication Day @sarahmorganwrites @HQstories #summerread #Summer

A Secret Escape
By Sarah Morgan

review written by Louise Cannon

Summery with friendships and thought-provoking aspects with warm escapism is within the newest book by Sarah Morgan. Many people have at least one friend from childhood, but you just never know what’s around the corner… Check out more in the blurb and my review below, thanks to HQ.

Blurb

A lifelong friendship

Childhood friends Milly and Nicole had always been more like sisters so Milly never understood why Nicole dropped out of contact all those months ago. Milly buried that hurt and moved on with her life.

A call for help

Now, suddenly, Nicole is begging for Milly’s help. She needs somewhere private to hide, and the only safe place she can think of is Milly’s holiday home business in the Lake District. Milly knows she should tell Nicole no, but she can’t ignore the desperation in her old friend’s voice so, despite her misgivings, she agrees to let Nicole stay.

A summer to reconnect

Over a summer of tentative conversations, the two women begin to reconnect, and there’s a potential new romance for Milly too. But then the biggest bombshell of all lands and their delicate friendship is put to the test once more …

Can the friends come together in this time of need, or will this summer break their bond forever?

Review

Friendships, however long you’ve known someone can have a certain amount of fragility and this is explored beautifully in this book. There’s a fascinating note from the author at the before the story really begins. It not only sets the scene, it’s poignant and truly thought-provoking in aspects that aren’t often explored in such a way this book does.

Milly and Nicole were friends since childhood and then suddenly this was dismantled quite disarmingly by Nicole.
Milly’s life sounds quite tough at times with other emotional stresses on-top of this, that makes her a bit self-reflective. She also became a mother, with a business to run in the Lakes.
Nicole’s life moved in a very different direction to follow her desires to act.

You get to learn more about what the friendship was like, what it became as you read further along. You can tangibly feel the hurt that is later caused and the desperation of need of help when their lives connect again. Some relationships with the sub-characters of multi-generations can be intense and others are heart-warming and well-meaning.

Friendships really come under the microscope and with well-written characters and plotting, A Secret Escape truly is an intently fascinating book to read.

There are twists and turns as reconnections are made, but you don’t always quite know what direction lives will go in the end. Secrets are revealed and truths come to the surface as the past and present is confronted, all in a lovely setting.

Can new beginnings happen in a positive way? What will become of the tentative re-budding of a friendship?

A Secret Escape truly is a hbeart-warming summer read you can escape into the lives of others as the sun beats down and whisks away the cares of the day.

At the back of the book is a small bit of Sarah Morgan’s next book, All Together for Christmas. We meet Becky at an airport that sounds like it’s in the sort of chaos we see in the news, or have experienced with delays, cancellations, noise. Just where will she end up? Newcastle, Edinburgh or somewhere else? There is also an all important family announcement to be made… It sounds a good read with the complexities of travelling at Christmas and relationships. It publishes October 2025.

#Review by Lou of Best Summer Ever by Heidi Swain @Heidi_Swain @BookMinxSJV @TeamBATC #TeamBATC @simonschusterUK #Summer #SummerRead #BestSummerEver

Best Summer Ever
By Heidi Swain

Review written by Louise Cannon

Heidi Swain is celebrating 10 years being a published author, please join me in congratulating her in what is no mean feat. She’s published stand-alone books and 2 series over the years. She writes books that are primarily published for the summer and Christmas, each are feel-good, uplifting and pure escapism, whilst also tackling the challenges of individuals and society of the day.

Her latest is Best Summer Ever. I am incredibly surprised and proud that I have been quoted. Today, I am also very pleased to be returning to the community of Wynmouth on the blog tour.
Find out more in the blurb and my review below…

Blurb

Summer is in full swing when Daisy drives back into Wynmouth in her almost-clapped-out car, having left both her most recent job and the man her parents thought she was going to marry. Coming home could be just what she needs to move her life on.

At Wynbrook Manor, things are in disarray. Owner Algy isn’t getting any younger, and Daisy’s mum Janet, housekeeper at the manor, spends her days running around after him, while Daisy’s dad Robin, the gardener, has been let down by the person he had lined up to take care of the new cut-flower garden.

As Daisy tries to find her place at Wynbrook and in the village, she’s drawn to summer visitor Josh. But when he turns out to be not the person he appears to be, will the spark between them fizzle out? And with it, the chances of this turning into the best summer ever?

Review

Wynmouth is a community of people who I like very much to return to time and time again. There are always new people and new things to discover about it.

The opening lines instantly make you think of warm, summery days. Heidi Swain has a knack of placing you right there at the scene and making you feel everything. Whether you’ve had a great week or a week you’re pleased to see the end of, this book helps to ease the mind and take you to the warm, balmy carefree days of summer.

Daisy is looking to change her life and has returned to Wynmouth in the hope that this will help her to do so. There’s a realism in the carving out of the character Daisy that is relatable and other readers I am sure will find, either all or elements of relatability too. She’s never quite found her place in life, no matter what she does or how much she tries, whether its in employment or relationships. You get a sense of how challenging for the soul, life can be. Even at home, when she returns to Wynbrook Manor, she doesn’t slip in as she had hoped because there are many stressful factors occurring within her parents lives. It gives a real baseline of how trying to change life circumstances isn’t always as easy as you’d imagine.
Fortunately for Daisy, things do slowly turn around and you see her develop a sense of place and see old friends. It warms the heart as life begins to even out somewhat, until there’s more trouble. She meets Josh and there’s a spark, but there’s so much to find out about him that makes you wonder if things could go any further with this visitor because not all is what it seems, deep under the surface. It makes you wonder how it can be the best summer ever. You’ll need to read the book to find out.
The twists and turns of life appear compellingly well-written and immersive in Best Summer Ever.

Best Summer Ever lightens the heart with the warmth of sun, community and romance.

#Review by Lou of The Last Weekend by Hannah Begbie @hannahbegbie @harperfiction @harpercollinsuk @RandomTTours #Blogtour

The Last Weekend
By Hannah Begbie

Review written by Louise Cannon

It’s the weekend and where better to start it with a brand new book called The Last Weekend. It’s a good one for book clubs or just chilling out with after a busy week.
Today, I am on the final stop on the Random T. Tours blog tour with a review.

Blurb

Four women

Annie has brought her three best friends and their families together for a long weekend away in a gorgeous seaside Airbnb. It should be idyllic – sun, sea, sand, cocktails and laughter.

One shocking secret

But below the surface, none of these friendships are quite what they seem. And Annie has a secret – and an earth-shattering favour to ask of one of her friends.

A life-changing decision

As the idyllic weekend goes sour – arguments, grudges and a boat trip that goes awry – Annie must make her devastating decision – and change everyone’s lives, forever.

Review

Annie really wants the weekend get together to happen, even more than her friends whom she wants to join, but they all unite and go on their adventure to Dorset.

You get a real feel for the characters and their ups and downs, including disappointments career-wise and in ambitions as well as ageing parents. They have each other though and that’s what matters…. perhaps?
Not all goes swimmingly and tensions rise to the surface as this holiday doesn’t go quite as smoothly nor as idyllically as Annie had imagined.

The complexities of the relationships and challenges of being in such close proximity that become increasingly present creates some twists, making it compelling reading. It’s an interesting exploration of friendships and how they relate to each other and are in their personal lives.

Annie’s news really shakes things up and creates a desire to know how it ends and what, if anything is intact.