Reviews

The Summer Getaway by Tilly Tennant

hainyh's review

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3.0

This is a nice enough tale about two separate families that decide to go on holiday, whose lives become intertwined in a rather coincidental way. It’s a nice, enjoyable romance with a very predictable ending, therefore is not too taxing a read and is great to relax to. The only problem I had with it is that it took forever for the woman in this story to get to the point of the story. It’s very difficult to say exactly what I mean by this without a whopping great spoiler, but if you’ve read it you’ll know what I mean; the woman has one job to do throughout the story and manages to drag out until the last couple of chapters. This meant that I was impatiently seething at her and wishing the author would just get on with it. Not only that, but the way in which the man and the woman’s lives come together is too much of a coincidence to be believeable. Finally, the other thing I didn’t like is that the man and woman spend one day together and have a few kisses, and all of a sudden he’s going crazy asking worrying if she’s going to dump him (‘dump’, after a few kisses?!) asking where they’re going together, saying how happy he is with what they’ve got together... if it was the other way round I’m sure the man would run a mile!

bananatricky's review against another edition

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1.0

DNF at 74%.

I tried really hard to finish this book but frankly I found all of the characters to be unsympathetic, verging on dis-likeable.

Sixteen years ago Ashley Moon went on a summer holiday to Ibiza she would never forget, a one-night stand with a boy called Haydon (no surname) left her pregnant with a bogus phone number. For the first time in forever she and her daughter Molly are going abroad on holiday - to France to celebrate Ashley's step-father's mother's 100th birthday (I hope that made sense).

Haydon is a music teacher and divorced with a fourteen year old daughter called Ella. His ex-wife and her new boyfriend are thinking of moving down to London and taking Ella with them so Haydon decides to take advantage of a late offer from a pupil's father and rent a villa in France for a week's holiday with Ella.

Imagine Haydon and Ashley's surprise when they discover that after sixteen years of no contact they are staying next door to each other in France.

So, here I am, 74% of the way through the book, six days into Ashley's holiday and she STILL hasn't told Haydon that Molly is his daughter. Nevertheless the four of them, plus various wider family members, have managed to spend several days together. Ashley has to be one of the most infuriating characters I have ever read. She hasn't seen this guy in sixteen years. They had a one-night stand. She gets jealous if she sees him with another woman. She thinks she can't trust him. So she won't tell him he has a daughter. Her own mother can't understand what is taking so long. Haydon on the other hand is one of those parents who thinks that others need to tip-toe around their precious baby. His daughter gets upset and he thinks it's the fault of the other children instead of the natural outcome when there are two fifteen year olds and a younger child. Goodness only knows why he likes Ashley, she's wetter than a cold weekend in Seattle.

The book was too slow, do we really need 245 pages of Ashley faffing about before she tells Haydon he has another daughter? I suppose realistically I wanted the novel to be about what happens AFTER she breaks the news not this will-she, won't-she wobbling. Maybe I'm too old, I identify more with Ashley's exasperated mother than I do with her?

It's a pity because I've read Tilly Tennant books in the past and really enjoyed them.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Bumped for release.

lagadema's review against another edition

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5.0

Brilliant summer read. I had to read it in one sitting just because I wanted to see how the story will develop and see if there will be HEA.
More on my blog https://heyjustreadit.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/the-summer-getaway-a-feel-good-holiday-read-by-tilly-tennant-review-netgalley/

trauva's review against another edition

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4.0

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review. I enjoyed this book. Fast read, kept me engaged. I liked the characters a lot as well. It was something I'd definitely recommend to others.