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One Perfect #1
One Perfect Summer
'And you still love him?'
'Every second of every minute of every hour of every day…'
While on holiday in Dorset one summer, Alice meets Joe, a guy working at the local pub. She's eighteen and on the brink of starting university, while Joe's life is seemingly going nowhere. But despite their differences, the pair fall hopelessly and desperately in love. And then summer comes to an end and they are dramatically torn apart.
Alice heads off to university in Cambridge where she gets a part-time job punting on the River Cam and slowly picks up the pieces of her broken heart. One day Lukas - a gorgeous golden boy from Cambridge University - spies her and it's not long before Alice falls for his charms.
Months turns into years, but then Joe comes back into Alice's life again in a way that she could never have imagined. While Alice lives her ordinary life with Lukas, she has to watch from the sidelines as Joe's life becomes evermore extraordinary. She never stopped loving him, but he's out of her reach now, surely? And what about Lukas?
'Every second of every minute of every hour of every day…'
While on holiday in Dorset one summer, Alice meets Joe, a guy working at the local pub. She's eighteen and on the brink of starting university, while Joe's life is seemingly going nowhere. But despite their differences, the pair fall hopelessly and desperately in love. And then summer comes to an end and they are dramatically torn apart.
Alice heads off to university in Cambridge where she gets a part-time job punting on the River Cam and slowly picks up the pieces of her broken heart. One day Lukas - a gorgeous golden boy from Cambridge University - spies her and it's not long before Alice falls for his charms.
Months turns into years, but then Joe comes back into Alice's life again in a way that she could never have imagined. While Alice lives her ordinary life with Lukas, she has to watch from the sidelines as Joe's life becomes evermore extraordinary. She never stopped loving him, but he's out of her reach now, surely? And what about Lukas?
455 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 10, 2012
183 people are currently reading
6098 people want to read
About the author
Paige Toon
36 books5,628 followersPaige Toon grew up between England, Australia and America and has been writing books set in sun-drenched locations around the world since 2007. She has written fifteen novels, a three-part spin-off for young adults and a collection of short stories. Her books have sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. She loves hearing from her readers so get in touch via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PaigeToonAuthor or visit her website and sign up to her free newsletter The Hidden Paige.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 546 reviews
May 11, 2012
In all honesty, this book probably deserves a better rating (but not more than 2.5) but I'm SO frustrated with Toon right now.
Okay okay, before you yell at me , let me tell you - I adore Paige Toon's books, I really do. Johnny Be Good is one of my all time favorites in the chicklit genre. I started reading One Perfect Summer expecting it to blow me away like Toon's books usually do. I mean, I pre-ordered it and everything! However, as you can see, that did not happen.
The writing's still got the same heart-fluttering effect and the main romantic interest is..kind of swoony but One Perfect Summer is really high on the drama scale and not in a good way. I noticed Alice's extreme, obsessive emotions at first and I thought it was a bit unhealthy but that was only until I met Lukas..he's worse. I don't understand the point of this idiotic plot, I really don't.
The parts with Joe are bittersweet and I have nothing against him because he's seriously hot (who doesn't love a troubled boy who gets his happy ending in Hollywood?) but right from when Lukas entered the story until the end, all I could think was that he was bat-shit crazy. Lukas was controlling, over-possessive and mean. YET SHE MARRIED HIM! She's probably crazier. Even when Lukas tried to do something romantic like asking Alice to move in with him, marry him or have babies with him, it seemed as if he was trying to compete with is ex. I just couldn't see his appeal.
Oh and I haven't even gotten to the worst yet.. *drumroll*
I DON'T KNOW WHO SHE REALLY ENDS UP WITH!
Sure, Toon hints at the guy but right before the Epilogue, Joe says something to Alice that made me wonder if that's how the book ended or if it was a happily ever after ending. *Sigh* One Perfect Summer has one of the most frustrating, unsatisfactory endings I have ever come read about. She did the same thing with Pictures of Lily.
Why do you put me through that every time Paige???
I realized the one thing I've disliked about all of Paige Toon's books - her female protagonists are all weak. None of them are tough and they take all kinds of crap from their guy, except maybe Daisy.
That's it, I've given up on Paige Toon. I loved Johnny Be Good but haven't read any other book of hers that even comes close.
EDIT :
I just found out Toon's writing a sequel (Thank You!) and I'll probably pick it up because this book left me feeling messed up and I sincerely hope the sequel makes up for it. I'm editing the rating because this story's not finished yet. Nothing has changed - I still love Joe and hate Lukas - but *fingers crossed* I'm counting on the sequel to give me the answers I'm looking for.
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November 2, 2015Never have I been so confused about a book. I actually don’t know how to rate this.
The beginning of the book is really dark, there’s a lot of violence for a chick-lit.
At about 30% the mood lightens significantly, and the book falls back into its genre.
At about 70% the story becomes extremely gripping, a real page turner. It was nice to discover yet another character that briefly appears in a different book (Joe).
The end is too rushed. It felt like the author didn’t want to put in the final two or three chapters the reader needs. You just get an epilogue of a page and a half, and have to make do with that.
However, all of this said, I have two major problems with this book:
Problem #1: It never happened to me to so majorly dislike the heroine of a book.
Problem #2: I am so tired of authors having a go at the oh-too-perfect-man. I mean, Toon tries to make us dislike Lukas throughout the whole book. But what are his faults really? He’s a bit possessive? Big deal! He’s just jealous of Alice’s ex, and with good reasons. He is a control freak? Some people are like that, there’s worst, and if you don’t like it, nobody forces you to, all you have to do is walk away and let the poor guy be! However, what’s the worst he does? Have a couple of dresses made in Paris for Alice? Rent a beautiful house for them to live in together? Pick her up in London so she doesn’t have to catch the train? Propose? Uh-oh! Poor Alice!!
So:
Alice would be 1 star
Lukas 5 stars
The beginning of the story (first 30%) 2 stars
30% to 70% 3 stars
70% to 98% 5 stars for writing style, and pace; 1 star for how the story goes
Ending 1 star
How do you wrap your head around this?
The beginning of the book is really dark, there’s a lot of violence for a chick-lit.
At about 30% the mood lightens significantly, and the book falls back into its genre.
At about 70% the story becomes extremely gripping, a real page turner. It was nice to discover yet another character that briefly appears in a different book (Joe).
The end is too rushed. It felt like the author didn’t want to put in the final two or three chapters the reader needs. You just get an epilogue of a page and a half, and have to make do with that.
However, all of this said, I have two major problems with this book:
Problem #1: It never happened to me to so majorly dislike the heroine of a book.
Problem #2: I am so tired of authors having a go at the oh-too-perfect-man. I mean, Toon tries to make us dislike Lukas throughout the whole book. But what are his faults really? He’s a bit possessive? Big deal! He’s just jealous of Alice’s ex, and with good reasons. He is a control freak? Some people are like that, there’s worst, and if you don’t like it, nobody forces you to, all you have to do is walk away and let the poor guy be! However, what’s the worst he does? Have a couple of dresses made in Paris for Alice? Rent a beautiful house for them to live in together? Pick her up in London so she doesn’t have to catch the train? Propose? Uh-oh! Poor Alice!!
So:
Alice would be 1 star
Lukas 5 stars
The beginning of the story (first 30%) 2 stars
30% to 70% 3 stars
70% to 98% 5 stars for writing style, and pace; 1 star for how the story goes
Ending 1 star
How do you wrap your head around this?
November 9, 2017
*** 2.5 STARS ***
Like all of Paige Toon's books, this was an extremely quick read and I definitely enjoyed reading "one perfect summer". I just think the plot was incredibly unrealistic which really bothered me. Also, I once again had the same problem I already had with "pictures of Lily". Most of the book ( especially the middle part ) was extremely protracted and the ending of the book was so short and everything happened so quickly, it felt really rushed. Furthermore, the book ends with a bloody cliffhanger which is really disappointing since the only sequel to this novel is a 60-page short story which probably isn't enough to answer all the questions I still have.
But like I said, it was still a very quick read and just what I needed and so I decided to give it 2.5 stars.
Like all of Paige Toon's books, this was an extremely quick read and I definitely enjoyed reading "one perfect summer". I just think the plot was incredibly unrealistic which really bothered me. Also, I once again had the same problem I already had with "pictures of Lily". Most of the book ( especially the middle part ) was extremely protracted and the ending of the book was so short and everything happened so quickly, it felt really rushed. Furthermore, the book ends with a bloody cliffhanger which is really disappointing since the only sequel to this novel is a 60-page short story which probably isn't enough to answer all the questions I still have.
But like I said, it was still a very quick read and just what I needed and so I decided to give it 2.5 stars.
July 12, 2025
I couldn't put it down the whole time, but the main conflict was so rushed and unresolved😭🧐
August 26, 2012
I downloaded this book on my Kindle to read on holiday by the pool seeing as I know how easy to read Toon's book are, having read 'Lucy In The Sky' and 'Pictures of Lily' on holiday last year, so figured that this again would be the kind of book where you don't have to think very much and would be perfect for my holiday. However I didn't find myself liking this as much as I liked Toon's previous books.
Now, it was a bit too easy to read. It's what me and my mum call the 'he said, she said' type of book (another one of these was Cecelia Aherne's 'PS I Love You'), where basically there is not much description of anything (apart from what Alice, the main character, is wearing, or how she sweeps her hair into a bun - why we needed to know this I have no idea) and all it contains is line after line of 'he said this and I said this', just really basic dialogue after dialogue.
Alice as a teenager I found very annoying. Infact, she was annoying throughout the whole book. She didn't seem like any typical teenager I know (or was, I'm only a couple of years past being a teenager myself), with the whole 'we're so in love' stuff with Joe after the space of a couple of days. It was just so unbeliveable. How she could like this guy who was just marching around all angry all the time was beyond me. They never thought calling the police on his abusive parents or brother was what they should do, even when Alice is assaulted.
Alice in Cambridge meant the meeting of Jessie, a character who I did actually like and the reason for the one star rating. There was some good rapport between him and Alice that I enjoyed reading. However, the whole Cambridge part of the book just seemed to go on an on and on with no arrival of Joe, even though it was blaringly obvious that of course Joe would pop up again at some point, yet that didn't happen until my Kindle said I was 90% through the book! And it's not a short book at all! So of course until then we had this ridiculous relationship with Lukas, who was a stupidly annoying character. All the controlling stuff and this constant mention of Rosalinde, why would Alice ever stay with him?? Then we had Alice moping about going on about how much she HATES JOE (all in capitals because otherwise the reader just wouldn't get that Alice really, really hates him) but yet still torn between a guy that she hasn't seen for years after only knowing him for a few weeks and then of course she goes and marries the controlling guy???
Finally we see the re-introduction of Joe, but now of course he's all famous and well known. I know that Toon like including characters that are celebrities or famous in her books, but could we not just have one book with a none famous character? Could Joe not just have been a normal guy?? From when Joe finally appears until the end of the book is horribly rushed, and after the huge chunk of the book being about this pointless relationship with Lukas, it just seemed that Toon could have spent more time re-introducing Joe earlier in to the book, rather than filling the pages with random snippets of Alice's life that could have easily been cut.
Then, just to top it all off, you don't know who she ends up with. But now I've heard that there's a sequel coming out, in which I'm sure Alice will spend her time being whisked around different countries by the famous Joe while being constantly harrassed by psycho Lukas.
To be honest, there's no point reading this book. It's obvious as soon as Joe disappears that one day he'll magically return and Alice will end up with him, and you'll just waste your time reading about Alice moping around in Cambridge and embarking on some ridiculous relationship with a guy that she constantly questions herself about (here's an idea, don't marry him then). Take 'Lucy In The Sky' on holiday instead, so you won't be tempted to throw your Kindle in the pool like I was.
Now, it was a bit too easy to read. It's what me and my mum call the 'he said, she said' type of book (another one of these was Cecelia Aherne's 'PS I Love You'), where basically there is not much description of anything (apart from what Alice, the main character, is wearing, or how she sweeps her hair into a bun - why we needed to know this I have no idea) and all it contains is line after line of 'he said this and I said this', just really basic dialogue after dialogue.
Alice as a teenager I found very annoying. Infact, she was annoying throughout the whole book. She didn't seem like any typical teenager I know (or was, I'm only a couple of years past being a teenager myself), with the whole 'we're so in love' stuff with Joe after the space of a couple of days. It was just so unbeliveable. How she could like this guy who was just marching around all angry all the time was beyond me. They never thought calling the police on his abusive parents or brother was what they should do, even when Alice is assaulted.
Alice in Cambridge meant the meeting of Jessie, a character who I did actually like and the reason for the one star rating. There was some good rapport between him and Alice that I enjoyed reading. However, the whole Cambridge part of the book just seemed to go on an on and on with no arrival of Joe, even though it was blaringly obvious that of course Joe would pop up again at some point, yet that didn't happen until my Kindle said I was 90% through the book! And it's not a short book at all! So of course until then we had this ridiculous relationship with Lukas, who was a stupidly annoying character. All the controlling stuff and this constant mention of Rosalinde, why would Alice ever stay with him?? Then we had Alice moping about going on about how much she HATES JOE (all in capitals because otherwise the reader just wouldn't get that Alice really, really hates him) but yet still torn between a guy that she hasn't seen for years after only knowing him for a few weeks and then of course she goes and marries the controlling guy???
Finally we see the re-introduction of Joe, but now of course he's all famous and well known. I know that Toon like including characters that are celebrities or famous in her books, but could we not just have one book with a none famous character? Could Joe not just have been a normal guy?? From when Joe finally appears until the end of the book is horribly rushed, and after the huge chunk of the book being about this pointless relationship with Lukas, it just seemed that Toon could have spent more time re-introducing Joe earlier in to the book, rather than filling the pages with random snippets of Alice's life that could have easily been cut.
Then, just to top it all off, you don't know who she ends up with. But now I've heard that there's a sequel coming out, in which I'm sure Alice will spend her time being whisked around different countries by the famous Joe while being constantly harrassed by psycho Lukas.
To be honest, there's no point reading this book. It's obvious as soon as Joe disappears that one day he'll magically return and Alice will end up with him, and you'll just waste your time reading about Alice moping around in Cambridge and embarking on some ridiculous relationship with a guy that she constantly questions herself about (here's an idea, don't marry him then). Take 'Lucy In The Sky' on holiday instead, so you won't be tempted to throw your Kindle in the pool like I was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2020
One Perfect Summer was just an interesting book in the book store first. I read the blurb and decided to buy it and read it. This summer I finally had the time to do this and it was definitley worth every minute and every single page!!!
When I started reading I couldn’t put the book down, it was so gripping, full of emotions and depth. Paige’s style of writing really takes you into the story, you can image the pictures and you feel close the the characters.
Alice and Joe are perfect together, you can really feel their love for each other. It is a great story about first love and two soulmates who found eachother. However, there is always some drama in a love story. After their perfect summer everything changes. There is a lot of heartache and you might have tears in your eyes.
Alice eventually moves on, but it takes her very long and Joe is always in her mind. Lukas the handsome German comes into her life and after a while they start dating. You could say he’s to total opposite of Joe. Her life is okay until her wedding day, when she sees a DVD of a film, with an actor who she knows really really well. Joe has changed, but he’s back in her thoughts. But, she does get married!!!
We can read about her life with Lukas, but there is always Joe and then she finally sees him again!!! Does this change her life???
After reading this book I couldn’t wait to buy Paige’s other books and read them immediately!!!
Sweet, amazing and charming!!! A great summer-read.
When I started reading I couldn’t put the book down, it was so gripping, full of emotions and depth. Paige’s style of writing really takes you into the story, you can image the pictures and you feel close the the characters.
Alice and Joe are perfect together, you can really feel their love for each other. It is a great story about first love and two soulmates who found eachother. However, there is always some drama in a love story. After their perfect summer everything changes. There is a lot of heartache and you might have tears in your eyes.
Alice eventually moves on, but it takes her very long and Joe is always in her mind. Lukas the handsome German comes into her life and after a while they start dating. You could say he’s to total opposite of Joe. Her life is okay until her wedding day, when she sees a DVD of a film, with an actor who she knows really really well. Joe has changed, but he’s back in her thoughts. But, she does get married!!!
We can read about her life with Lukas, but there is always Joe and then she finally sees him again!!! Does this change her life???
After reading this book I couldn’t wait to buy Paige’s other books and read them immediately!!!
Sweet, amazing and charming!!! A great summer-read.
August 23, 2018
He was wearing black jeans and a black indie rock star t-shirt. He was Alice's sort of guy from just one look. The story starts with Alice at the age of 18 on summer break in Dorset before going to University in Cambridge. One perfect summer (aged 18) is full of highs and lows and is not as perfect as you may think. Joe and Alice become very close in such a short time and a torn apart in a tragic circumstance. Will he come back for Alice? Poor Dyson! That scene was so sad.
The story carries on six months later with Alice in Cambridge and people mistake her heartbreak for her being a shy girl. Jessie is a new lease of life for Alice and encourages her to punt in her time away from University. Emily is also a very nice friend to have alongside her childhood friend Lizzy. One day she meets ''the foreigner'' who she later calls ''the German'' before finding out his name Lukas. A cold compress will never be the same to me again. Overnight she seems to put Joe out of her mind. Lukas's University sounds like Hogwarts. Jesse really does have Lukas right and Lukas starts to become more controlling over the Christmas period. It's annoying how she really wanted to study Mandarin but chooses German because of Lukas. Lukas always seems disappointed in something like her choice of dress, houses and her friends.
The next stage of the book is Seventeen months later and Lukas continues to get on my nerves i can't warm to him and i still really liked Jessie. Jessie is trying to find Joe for Alice but isn't having too much luck. Lukas and Alice do get married but i doubted that saying yes would be a goodbye to Joe. On her wedding day Lizzy finds a DVD with a guy looking like Joe, Alice knows immediately it is Joe. At her wedding Alice tired to believe the old Alice (with Joe) was dead with Lukas saying ''If you ever try to contact him again, our marriage is over''
The next section is several years later three and a half to be exact. Alice is a teacher and is really good at her job. One of the pupils mentions Joe on one of his movies this makes Alice think of Joe again. ''Do you still love Joe?'' ''Every minute of every hour, of every hour, of every day.''Lizzy calls them Adele's someone like you with Joe being Adele. (Good reference) I love it when one of the teacher mentions Johnny Jefferson marrying a girl recently. (I loved Meg and Johnny) With Lukas in German for a while she has the chance to meet Joe again thanks to Lizzy who gave a studio her details after mentioning Joe never stopped loving his first love Alice when questioned about women. One of the first questions Alice asks is why didn't you come back for me? He did but thought she'd moved on with Jessie. They take a trip back to Dorset back to the cottage were the events happened with poor Dyson. The cottage break reminds me again of Meg and Johnny. Lukas finds the cottage and grabs her wrists and that's when i'm cheering go Joe!!! The only downside I had was the cheating which is often quite common in Toon's books.
The epilogue i expected to be more of a cliffhanger it seemed obvious to me who Alice had picked.
Overall I loved Joe as a character the fame didn't seem to have got to him much at all. Lukas was not a favourite of mine he was to controlling for me even if it was because he loved Alice, I wouldn't be happy with someone like him. Alice is a mixed bag for me I like her but she annoys me at the same time. I did prefer her with Joe.
The story carries on six months later with Alice in Cambridge and people mistake her heartbreak for her being a shy girl. Jessie is a new lease of life for Alice and encourages her to punt in her time away from University. Emily is also a very nice friend to have alongside her childhood friend Lizzy. One day she meets ''the foreigner'' who she later calls ''the German'' before finding out his name Lukas. A cold compress will never be the same to me again. Overnight she seems to put Joe out of her mind. Lukas's University sounds like Hogwarts. Jesse really does have Lukas right and Lukas starts to become more controlling over the Christmas period. It's annoying how she really wanted to study Mandarin but chooses German because of Lukas. Lukas always seems disappointed in something like her choice of dress, houses and her friends.
The next stage of the book is Seventeen months later and Lukas continues to get on my nerves i can't warm to him and i still really liked Jessie. Jessie is trying to find Joe for Alice but isn't having too much luck. Lukas and Alice do get married but i doubted that saying yes would be a goodbye to Joe. On her wedding day Lizzy finds a DVD with a guy looking like Joe, Alice knows immediately it is Joe. At her wedding Alice tired to believe the old Alice (with Joe) was dead with Lukas saying ''If you ever try to contact him again, our marriage is over''
The next section is several years later three and a half to be exact. Alice is a teacher and is really good at her job. One of the pupils mentions Joe on one of his movies this makes Alice think of Joe again. ''Do you still love Joe?'' ''Every minute of every hour, of every hour, of every day.''Lizzy calls them Adele's someone like you with Joe being Adele. (Good reference) I love it when one of the teacher mentions Johnny Jefferson marrying a girl recently. (I loved Meg and Johnny) With Lukas in German for a while she has the chance to meet Joe again thanks to Lizzy who gave a studio her details after mentioning Joe never stopped loving his first love Alice when questioned about women. One of the first questions Alice asks is why didn't you come back for me? He did but thought she'd moved on with Jessie. They take a trip back to Dorset back to the cottage were the events happened with poor Dyson. The cottage break reminds me again of Meg and Johnny. Lukas finds the cottage and grabs her wrists and that's when i'm cheering go Joe!!! The only downside I had was the cheating which is often quite common in Toon's books.
The epilogue i expected to be more of a cliffhanger it seemed obvious to me who Alice had picked.
Overall I loved Joe as a character the fame didn't seem to have got to him much at all. Lukas was not a favourite of mine he was to controlling for me even if it was because he loved Alice, I wouldn't be happy with someone like him. Alice is a mixed bag for me I like her but she annoys me at the same time. I did prefer her with Joe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2014
One Perfect Summer is the first book I have ever read by author Paige Toon. I was surprised by the more serious tone to this story. Based on the "chick-lit" genre, the synopsis, and the whimsical cover art, I expected a light, fun story. This is not a criticism, but just an explanation of my initial expectations. Although the actual story was fairly complex, I actually loved it. It's a beautiful story of a summertime first love, the drama of first love's end, and the compromises that ensue as life goes on. But does first love ever die?
I loved Ms. Toon's writing style. I was thoroughly engaged in this book and these characters, and I found myself not wanting to put it down. It is a long book though, nearly 500 pages. After all of that reading, I have to admit I was very disappointed by how Ms. Toon chose to write the ending. There are enough hints in the epilogue to lead the reader to draw their own conclusion about the ending but it's not exactly spelled out for readers. There is no closure and this shocked me. Although I really enjoyed this story, the ending made me feel like I wasted my time for about five minutes. During those five minutes I was pretty upset. What just happened? Did I get a shortened version of this novel? Is there supposed to be more to this ending that I didn't receive? Is this type of ending typical of Paige Toon and I just didn't know? So I re-read the epilogue, and noticed the hints and just accepted that either . So I moved on and focused on the things I liked about the novel. All the characters are written so well. Even the side characters like Jesse and Lizzy. During stressful times, times when characters are purposely unlikeable, as a reader I still understood and appreciated each of their personalities and actions. This is why I wasn't personally sure how I wanted this story to end. Even with my disappointment and personal conflict with the ending, I'm glad I was introduced to this writer and I plan to read more from Ms. Toon.
My favorite quote:
"Surely if anything can put a girl off a guy, it's his family.
I loved Ms. Toon's writing style. I was thoroughly engaged in this book and these characters, and I found myself not wanting to put it down. It is a long book though, nearly 500 pages. After all of that reading, I have to admit I was very disappointed by how Ms. Toon chose to write the ending. There are enough hints in the epilogue to lead the reader to draw their own conclusion about the ending but it's not exactly spelled out for readers. There is no closure and this shocked me. Although I really enjoyed this story, the ending made me feel like I wasted my time for about five minutes. During those five minutes I was pretty upset. What just happened? Did I get a shortened version of this novel? Is there supposed to be more to this ending that I didn't receive? Is this type of ending typical of Paige Toon and I just didn't know? So I re-read the epilogue, and noticed the hints and just accepted that either . So I moved on and focused on the things I liked about the novel. All the characters are written so well. Even the side characters like Jesse and Lizzy. During stressful times, times when characters are purposely unlikeable, as a reader I still understood and appreciated each of their personalities and actions. This is why I wasn't personally sure how I wanted this story to end. Even with my disappointment and personal conflict with the ending, I'm glad I was introduced to this writer and I plan to read more from Ms. Toon.
My favorite quote:
"Surely if anything can put a girl off a guy, it's his family.
September 5, 2015
2 STARS. - update I've slept on it and decided it deserves 2 instead of 3.5.
This book is so hard to rate. I hated it and loved it, adored the characters and wanted to kill them, the ending was amazing but was also the BIGGEST cliffhanger ever. WHY.
Some aspects of this books were really strong: the setting, the description of romance, the side characters etc. But aspects were unforgivable: the main characters the (SPOILER) hinted at and mild domestic violence and the fact that it was just SO UNREALISTIC LIKE HOLY CRAP.
Alas, the ending was a cliffhanger...so I might need the sequel. Only if it's less than a fiver on amazon.
*UPDATE* the sequel isn't out yet, so I'l probably forget and never read it which is just fab.
This book is so hard to rate. I hated it and loved it, adored the characters and wanted to kill them, the ending was amazing but was also the BIGGEST cliffhanger ever. WHY.
Some aspects of this books were really strong: the setting, the description of romance, the side characters etc. But aspects were unforgivable: the main characters the (SPOILER) hinted at and mild domestic violence and the fact that it was just SO UNREALISTIC LIKE HOLY CRAP.
Alas, the ending was a cliffhanger...so I might need the sequel. Only if it's less than a fiver on amazon.
*UPDATE* the sequel isn't out yet, so I'l probably forget and never read it which is just fab.
August 18, 2015
wow...just wow...
Had me hooked from the 1st chapter...loved everything about this book ..the characters the settings...and the plot just made me want more more and more...
There was mixed emotions as I got towards the end....half of me wanted it to carry on cause I was enjoying it so much and the other half was excited to know the outcome......
Totally recommend this book.......
Had me hooked from the 1st chapter...loved everything about this book ..the characters the settings...and the plot just made me want more more and more...
There was mixed emotions as I got towards the end....half of me wanted it to carry on cause I was enjoying it so much and the other half was excited to know the outcome......
Totally recommend this book.......
March 27, 2022
Loved this.
A teenage Summer romance. A love that lasts a life time even though torn apart.
A teenage Summer romance. A love that lasts a life time even though torn apart.
June 15, 2012
I have read all of Paige Toon’s books and loved every one of them. I have been eagerly awaiting the release of One Perfect Summer and when I went into my local bookstore and see it was the last copy so it looks like I wasn’t the only one eager for this book to come out!
This is my favourite cover of Paige Toon’s books, it is quite simplistic and yet still eye-catching and instantly recognisable as one of Paige Toons.
Alice is taking a break in Dorset for the Summer with her mum before she goes off to university. The last thing Alice expects is to fall in love in her six week break but her heart is taken the moment she meets Joe in the local Devon pub. Their relationship grows over the six weeks but a tornado of events happen which see’s the couple ripped apart and Alice is heartbroken as her holiday is cut short, she wonders if she will ever find Joe again.
Nursing her broken heart with the help of new friend Jessie, Alice begins to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and starts to build a life attending university and it’s not long before a new love interest tries to win her heart but will Alice be able to put her thoughts and feelings for Joe aside and start her new life with Lucas?
This book had my full attention from the first chapter, there is something about Paige Toons writing style that draws you in from the moment we meet her characters.
Alice was easy to warm to she is a very gentle and loveable character and she leaves a lasting impression even after the book finishes and I think this is because when we first meet Alice she is only 18 and experiencing her first serious relationship which we can all relate to. The book then jumps through the years of her life and we see her growing up.
I loved Joe’s character too. His circumstances when we are introduced to him make his character feel vulnerable and we instantly want to care for him and hope that there are positive changes coming soon for him. When Alice and Joe parted I really missed his character, I was hoping we would move to Joe’s story at some point early on in the book so we could see what he was doing at the same time as Alice but none the less I still enjoyed the book I think it probably kept you turning the pages with the suspense of needing to know what happens to him.
I really didn’t warm to Lucas and I struggled to see what Alice saw in him he was very controlling and he seemed to just be competing with his ex rather than taking Alice’s feelings into account.
I would say this is one of my favourite Paige Toon boos but I would love to shake this author! She really does like to leave the reader hanging. As it was coming to the end I couldn’t wait to see how thing panned out but no wait for it....... there is to be a sequel to One Perfect Summer, Paige Toon what are you doing to me how will I sleep tonight!
This is a great read which will have you speeding through the pages and sitting on the edge of your seat. A must read by Paige Toon.
This is my favourite cover of Paige Toon’s books, it is quite simplistic and yet still eye-catching and instantly recognisable as one of Paige Toons.
Alice is taking a break in Dorset for the Summer with her mum before she goes off to university. The last thing Alice expects is to fall in love in her six week break but her heart is taken the moment she meets Joe in the local Devon pub. Their relationship grows over the six weeks but a tornado of events happen which see’s the couple ripped apart and Alice is heartbroken as her holiday is cut short, she wonders if she will ever find Joe again.
Nursing her broken heart with the help of new friend Jessie, Alice begins to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and starts to build a life attending university and it’s not long before a new love interest tries to win her heart but will Alice be able to put her thoughts and feelings for Joe aside and start her new life with Lucas?
This book had my full attention from the first chapter, there is something about Paige Toons writing style that draws you in from the moment we meet her characters.
Alice was easy to warm to she is a very gentle and loveable character and she leaves a lasting impression even after the book finishes and I think this is because when we first meet Alice she is only 18 and experiencing her first serious relationship which we can all relate to. The book then jumps through the years of her life and we see her growing up.
I loved Joe’s character too. His circumstances when we are introduced to him make his character feel vulnerable and we instantly want to care for him and hope that there are positive changes coming soon for him. When Alice and Joe parted I really missed his character, I was hoping we would move to Joe’s story at some point early on in the book so we could see what he was doing at the same time as Alice but none the less I still enjoyed the book I think it probably kept you turning the pages with the suspense of needing to know what happens to him.
I really didn’t warm to Lucas and I struggled to see what Alice saw in him he was very controlling and he seemed to just be competing with his ex rather than taking Alice’s feelings into account.
I would say this is one of my favourite Paige Toon boos but I would love to shake this author! She really does like to leave the reader hanging. As it was coming to the end I couldn’t wait to see how thing panned out but no wait for it....... there is to be a sequel to One Perfect Summer, Paige Toon what are you doing to me how will I sleep tonight!
This is a great read which will have you speeding through the pages and sitting on the edge of your seat. A must read by Paige Toon.
January 27, 2015
A great book, I loved reading the story of Joe, the little bit of his character that we saw in one of Paige Toon's earlier books Baby be mine had me intrigued.
Alice meets Joe on a family holiday in Dorset but circumstances separate them following their intense affair. Alice struggles to move on when she attends university, hoping that one day Joe would come for her. The months pass and eventually Alice starts to live again with the help of her friends and the enigmatic Lukas. Something is constantly missing in Alice's life but a surprising discovery throws Alice's life into chaos, will she ever be able to forget Joe?
I loved the characters in this book apart from Lukas and the Joe's family. It's on of those books that keeps you up at night until you've read the whole thing. The story is so compelling, the romance is beautiful between Joe and Alice but the ending knocked me for six.
Alice meets Joe on a family holiday in Dorset but circumstances separate them following their intense affair. Alice struggles to move on when she attends university, hoping that one day Joe would come for her. The months pass and eventually Alice starts to live again with the help of her friends and the enigmatic Lukas. Something is constantly missing in Alice's life but a surprising discovery throws Alice's life into chaos, will she ever be able to forget Joe?
I loved the characters in this book apart from Lukas and the Joe's family. It's on of those books that keeps you up at night until you've read the whole thing. The story is so compelling, the romance is beautiful between Joe and Alice but the ending knocked me for six.
April 2, 2020
Why did it take me so long to finally read this? It was amazing and someone should have told me to start reading right away! Full review to come...
Oh my goodness why did no one make me read this sooner? I read this as part of my Paige Toon back catalogue read along and did it as a buddy read with a friend. Thank goodness I did this one as a buddy read because I had so many thoughts on these characters and this plot!
I loved Alice as a main character, when we first meet her she is so innocent and so untouched by the world but then that summer in Dorset happens and she then carries on through life as a slightly jaded human being, just trying to get through the day, The swing in her character from beginning to middle and then middle to end is remarkable and I was so here for it.
Joe is an awesome male lead as well, I really liked how sensitive he was in the beginning and I loved how, like Alice he really goes on a journey over the course of the book, the person he is just after the very beginning of this novel is barely recognisable when you compare him to the person he becomes in the end. And then there's Lukas, I did't like Lukas but he because a little bit of a pantomime villain for me, the person I loved to hate and he really posed a dilemma for so many characters in this novel. I loved that he was there to do that but I still resent him now weeks after finishing the book.
I really like what Paige Toon did with the settings in this novel. This is the first book where we have very little travel to other countries, We travel to Dorset and to Cambridge and have a very brief trip to Germany, all of these settings are highly underused in novels though and so I loved exploring them all with Alice. Oxford gets used a lot in books so it was refreshing that so much of this novel was set in Cambridge, I loved the punting and I loved learning about all of the university buildings. Dorset was an interesting one for me because a lot of the places that Joe and Alice go to I went to with 40 children on a school trip so it was tough to pictures them as romantic settings. Thankfully Paige Toon's writing helped me a lot with that!
I just loved all of the love in this book, this read a little like One Day where you're waiting for characters to realise things and you're kind of waiting to see what catastrophic event the next time period will bring for poor Alice. I loved the romance I loved the characters and this is definitely in the running for my favourite Paige Toon novel of all time.
Oh my goodness why did no one make me read this sooner? I read this as part of my Paige Toon back catalogue read along and did it as a buddy read with a friend. Thank goodness I did this one as a buddy read because I had so many thoughts on these characters and this plot!
I loved Alice as a main character, when we first meet her she is so innocent and so untouched by the world but then that summer in Dorset happens and she then carries on through life as a slightly jaded human being, just trying to get through the day, The swing in her character from beginning to middle and then middle to end is remarkable and I was so here for it.
Joe is an awesome male lead as well, I really liked how sensitive he was in the beginning and I loved how, like Alice he really goes on a journey over the course of the book, the person he is just after the very beginning of this novel is barely recognisable when you compare him to the person he becomes in the end. And then there's Lukas, I did't like Lukas but he because a little bit of a pantomime villain for me, the person I loved to hate and he really posed a dilemma for so many characters in this novel. I loved that he was there to do that but I still resent him now weeks after finishing the book.
I really like what Paige Toon did with the settings in this novel. This is the first book where we have very little travel to other countries, We travel to Dorset and to Cambridge and have a very brief trip to Germany, all of these settings are highly underused in novels though and so I loved exploring them all with Alice. Oxford gets used a lot in books so it was refreshing that so much of this novel was set in Cambridge, I loved the punting and I loved learning about all of the university buildings. Dorset was an interesting one for me because a lot of the places that Joe and Alice go to I went to with 40 children on a school trip so it was tough to pictures them as romantic settings. Thankfully Paige Toon's writing helped me a lot with that!
I just loved all of the love in this book, this read a little like One Day where you're waiting for characters to realise things and you're kind of waiting to see what catastrophic event the next time period will bring for poor Alice. I loved the romance I loved the characters and this is definitely in the running for my favourite Paige Toon novel of all time.
Want to read
July 28, 2011Oh god, another Toon flavoured devastating love triangle. Can't wait! :D
May 18, 2012
First read: 11-13 May 2012
Ever wondered what happened to your first love? As if that isn't intriguing enough!
For the past two months I have been pining for Paige Toons Ones Perfect Summer! Fine! For the past year! :) Happy? I've been pounding easons shelves soaring for One Perfect Summer... I called, emailed, searched! Still with no luck. I was told to wait one more week for it to be released! Now, I waited a year for this novel and there's telling me another week? Really?
Paige Toons novels mean everything to me! As crazy as that sounds I am completely and utterly attached! I've never laughed, cried or smiled as much as when I'm reading her novels. For the crying part it depends on the novel... (CHASING DAISY!!)
Last week I thought the women were gonna batter me with books as I called in to ask again! 'Just one more week love!' They weren't too pleased when I went on their website on my phone and showed them it said IN STORES!!
After getting ushered out of the shop by my sister and friend we made our way to Asda. I'm a book addict - obviously! and was roaming the shelves when I saw a book that looked familiar! ONE PERFECT SUMMER! My mind went blank and the wind literally got whipped out of me. I soon started squealing Paige Toon at the top of my lungs... No sadly she wasn't in the store or she would have ran in the other direction LOL! But it was One Perfect Summer!
After registering I was swaying I managed to grab onto the shelf feeling a little light headed yelling at my sister who really didn't want to be related to me at that point. Trust me.... I know she didn't! People were also giving me strangle stares too..... Aw well! They'll never know how much a book can bring someone such happiness! :) I went straight home and dived in to start reading!
Paige Toon has done it again! Writing yet another character addictive page turner!
There was something different about this novel which I'm still unsure what. I don't know if it's because the characters were my age and doing what I should be doing. I felt I connected more to these characters than I ever have before with a Paige Toon's characters. There is definitely more to be though. (Paige Toon confirmed on facebook there will be a sequel.Eeek!) I also felt as if Paige wanted to do or say more with the epilogue. I don't know about anyone else but One Perfect Summer felt more real to me!
Alice is a carefree, shy girl about to start university with a shattered heart! We read about her marriage, work and love life! (What's left of it - after Joe) I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Alice as she's so normal and down to earth! I especially loved reading about her punting scenarios!
Joe.... First Love... the one that got away? First of all BABY BE MINE BABY BE MINE BABY BE MINE!!! I loved reading about Baby be Mine characters Meg and Johnny in a tiny snippet! (Thanks Paige for letting us know how they were) When we were first introduced to Joe in Baby Be Mine I wanted Meg to uncover all of his secrets. although I got something extremely better! THANK YOU Paige again for giving him his own novel! :) Joe is the perfect character! He is funny, caring and so mine if real! I'm so looking forward to reading more about him and his relationship with Alice. Joe definitely had a tiny piece of my Paige Toon heart..... but.... Johnny Jefferson has the rest! Or maybe Nathan..... Luis...... Ben..... Lucas have to! But I literally cried over Johnny Jefferson choosing Meg .... how dare he? LOL
Lucas! I'm going to be really honest here and say I disliked like the way he turned out! When I first started reading about him and Alice I was like 'Alice don't ever go back to Joe' but obviously.... I must have been sick cause Alice and Joe being with each other. No one can stand in the way of soul mates.
Although again there was something strange about One Perfect Summer! I loved Lucas and Alice together. I have to admit that! I also don't know at the start who I wanted Alice to end up with! That's clear now though... JOE JOE JOE!!! Sorry Lucas.... :(
Ahhh! Lizzy before I forget about her I really enjoyed reading about Lizzy as she's so funny, honest, flirty and full of life! Especially what Alice and every other girls needs in a friend!
Rosalinde.... I think her and Lucas obviously have feelings for each other.... enough said! Just go away and disappear together in a puff of fairy dust! Kaput!
The backgrounds of the characters was amazing and something that was totally unexpected but amazing! Paige Toon is AMAZING!
One Perfect Summer is a sublime novel which there will defo be a repeat of reading! Please I beg you Paige don't make me wait ages for the sequel! I literally don't think I could cope!
I advise everyone to read Paige Toon..... I need to make it a a law... anyone agree?
Loved everything about One Perfect Summer I am now attached! Although I think after 4 days of finishing it I can't continue to sleep with it beside my pillow.... :~/ time for the book shelf! Feels like it'll be miles away not just right above my head! :) A massive thanks to Paige Toon who continues to write these utterly fantastic novels which I'd be lost without! THANK YOU! I cannot wait for your next one!
Ever wondered what happened to your first love? As if that isn't intriguing enough!
For the past two months I have been pining for Paige Toons Ones Perfect Summer! Fine! For the past year! :) Happy? I've been pounding easons shelves soaring for One Perfect Summer... I called, emailed, searched! Still with no luck. I was told to wait one more week for it to be released! Now, I waited a year for this novel and there's telling me another week? Really?
Paige Toons novels mean everything to me! As crazy as that sounds I am completely and utterly attached! I've never laughed, cried or smiled as much as when I'm reading her novels. For the crying part it depends on the novel... (CHASING DAISY!!)
Last week I thought the women were gonna batter me with books as I called in to ask again! 'Just one more week love!' They weren't too pleased when I went on their website on my phone and showed them it said IN STORES!!
After getting ushered out of the shop by my sister and friend we made our way to Asda. I'm a book addict - obviously! and was roaming the shelves when I saw a book that looked familiar! ONE PERFECT SUMMER! My mind went blank and the wind literally got whipped out of me. I soon started squealing Paige Toon at the top of my lungs... No sadly she wasn't in the store or she would have ran in the other direction LOL! But it was One Perfect Summer!
After registering I was swaying I managed to grab onto the shelf feeling a little light headed yelling at my sister who really didn't want to be related to me at that point. Trust me.... I know she didn't! People were also giving me strangle stares too..... Aw well! They'll never know how much a book can bring someone such happiness! :) I went straight home and dived in to start reading!
Paige Toon has done it again! Writing yet another character addictive page turner!
There was something different about this novel which I'm still unsure what. I don't know if it's because the characters were my age and doing what I should be doing. I felt I connected more to these characters than I ever have before with a Paige Toon's characters. There is definitely more to be though. (Paige Toon confirmed on facebook there will be a sequel.Eeek!) I also felt as if Paige wanted to do or say more with the epilogue. I don't know about anyone else but One Perfect Summer felt more real to me!
Alice is a carefree, shy girl about to start university with a shattered heart! We read about her marriage, work and love life! (What's left of it - after Joe) I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Alice as she's so normal and down to earth! I especially loved reading about her punting scenarios!
Joe.... First Love... the one that got away? First of all BABY BE MINE BABY BE MINE BABY BE MINE!!! I loved reading about Baby be Mine characters Meg and Johnny in a tiny snippet! (Thanks Paige for letting us know how they were) When we were first introduced to Joe in Baby Be Mine I wanted Meg to uncover all of his secrets. although I got something extremely better! THANK YOU Paige again for giving him his own novel! :) Joe is the perfect character! He is funny, caring and so mine if real! I'm so looking forward to reading more about him and his relationship with Alice. Joe definitely had a tiny piece of my Paige Toon heart..... but.... Johnny Jefferson has the rest! Or maybe Nathan..... Luis...... Ben..... Lucas have to! But I literally cried over Johnny Jefferson choosing Meg .... how dare he? LOL
Lucas! I'm going to be really honest here and say I disliked like the way he turned out! When I first started reading about him and Alice I was like 'Alice don't ever go back to Joe' but obviously.... I must have been sick cause Alice and Joe being with each other. No one can stand in the way of soul mates.
Although again there was something strange about One Perfect Summer! I loved Lucas and Alice together. I have to admit that! I also don't know at the start who I wanted Alice to end up with! That's clear now though... JOE JOE JOE!!! Sorry Lucas.... :(
Ahhh! Lizzy before I forget about her I really enjoyed reading about Lizzy as she's so funny, honest, flirty and full of life! Especially what Alice and every other girls needs in a friend!
Rosalinde.... I think her and Lucas obviously have feelings for each other.... enough said! Just go away and disappear together in a puff of fairy dust! Kaput!
The backgrounds of the characters was amazing and something that was totally unexpected but amazing! Paige Toon is AMAZING!
One Perfect Summer is a sublime novel which there will defo be a repeat of reading! Please I beg you Paige don't make me wait ages for the sequel! I literally don't think I could cope!
I advise everyone to read Paige Toon..... I need to make it a a law... anyone agree?
Loved everything about One Perfect Summer I am now attached! Although I think after 4 days of finishing it I can't continue to sleep with it beside my pillow.... :~/ time for the book shelf! Feels like it'll be miles away not just right above my head! :) A massive thanks to Paige Toon who continues to write these utterly fantastic novels which I'd be lost without! THANK YOU! I cannot wait for your next one!
May 14, 2023
Another lovely PT book ❤️ the perfect beach read
December 15, 2024
The ending was wrapped up too fast, didn’t get much closure
November 19, 2012
If you were to ask me who my favourite author ever was, I’d say Sophie Kinsella, but running a ridiculously close second would be Paige Toon. Since Lucy in the Sky, she has captured me as a reader with brilliant writing and even better characters. Not only that, but throughout each book we also hear about the characters from previous books so it’s like one big happy fictional family, and I love that. I pre-ordered One Perfect Summer as soon as I could, but it has taken me a while to read it. Firstly, because once you read the new Paige Toon you have to wait until the year after for a new one, and secondly, like with Sophie Kinsella, I always worry about whether Paige will keep me as entertained with her sixth book as she has with all the rest. And, for the first time in six books, I am actually on the fence about a Paige Toon novel.
One Perfect Summer is told in chunks. There’s Alice at 18, who meets Joe, and falls hopelessly (and that is very much the correct word here) in love with him, and they have this “perfect” summer together (I use quotes because the summer was so very far from perfect, when you look at it objectively), we then skip to Alice months later at Cambridge, where she meets new friends, learns new things, pines over Joe, then seemingly gets over him (sort of, or rather, enough) to fall for Lukas. We then see Alice as she grows up, and I can’t actually tell you about those chunks without ruining the story. But I found it very bitty. I found the skipping to be a blessing in parts (I would NOT have liked to have read Alice during the six months after Joe), but I found it rushed a bit. I think it would have worked better with the same structure Pictures of Lily had, showing Alice’s perfect summer with Joe, then jumping to her at 25/25 with Lukas and then perhaps tell us how she met him by looking back. But, then, One Perfect Summer is too much like Pictures of Lily already, but a different setting (UK rather than Australia) and different characters (obvs). (Not to mention, I loved Lily.)
Alice is also nothing like Toon’s other heroines. I LOVED all of Toon’s other heroines. Adored them. Found them warm, likeable, and totally people I’d be mates with. Not Alice. Alice is a drip. From start to finish, she doesn’t know what she wants. I thought the passion she felt for Joe (and the Lukas) bordered on insanity, and her depression after Joe rivalled that of Bella in New Moon, just without the blank pages. I didn’t understand how Alice could love Joe so much and be so, so crushed after he left that with just a few short pages later, she could find herself attracted to Lukas. I never really saw where the whole Lukas thing was going and I never really warmed to him. He didn’t treat her right, but she didn’t treat him right either. It’s like she settled for him, but tried to convince herself they were soulmates. It just never worked. I just kept hoping that either a) Joe would come back (which too WAY too long) or b) Alice realised she had feelings for flat mate and friend, Jessie. That would have worked for me better, Jessie was a brilliant character.
For once, it took me ages to finish the book. Yes, I am working a lot and that’s taken away my reading time but normally I’ll devour a Toon book in no time at all. It just never clicked with me. And the ending. Oh my word, the ending. I can’t even discuss it without spoiling the book, but what Joe says to Alice, what he infers they can do, and what Alice agrees to, it was wrong. I lost any and all respect for Joe when he suggested what he suggested. Alice’s justifications that Lukas was her husband, too, were really paper-thin. I’m sorry, but it was a tad late in the game to play the “vow” card. No, no, no, no, no. Apparently there’s a sequel out, One Perfect Christmas, which is a short story. I’m going to read that, if only so that it gives a clearer ending than we got. It’s almost as if Toon doesn’t like writing satisfactory endings. It was fine with Johnny Be Good, it left you in suspense and you just KNEW there was more to come, but not with One Perfect Summer. It felt a bit gimmicky and I just wanted my happy ending all wrapped up in a bow. I hope her next novel, The Longest Holiday, gets her back on par. I’m hoping Laura (from Chasing Daisy, yay!) is a better heroines, and it seems the Matthew we meet in this novel could well be the Matthew in The Longest Holiday, and I actually liked him, so let’s see what occurs there. But, for me, One Perfect Summer was disappointing.
One Perfect Summer is told in chunks. There’s Alice at 18, who meets Joe, and falls hopelessly (and that is very much the correct word here) in love with him, and they have this “perfect” summer together (I use quotes because the summer was so very far from perfect, when you look at it objectively), we then skip to Alice months later at Cambridge, where she meets new friends, learns new things, pines over Joe, then seemingly gets over him (sort of, or rather, enough) to fall for Lukas. We then see Alice as she grows up, and I can’t actually tell you about those chunks without ruining the story. But I found it very bitty. I found the skipping to be a blessing in parts (I would NOT have liked to have read Alice during the six months after Joe), but I found it rushed a bit. I think it would have worked better with the same structure Pictures of Lily had, showing Alice’s perfect summer with Joe, then jumping to her at 25/25 with Lukas and then perhaps tell us how she met him by looking back. But, then, One Perfect Summer is too much like Pictures of Lily already, but a different setting (UK rather than Australia) and different characters (obvs). (Not to mention, I loved Lily.)
Alice is also nothing like Toon’s other heroines. I LOVED all of Toon’s other heroines. Adored them. Found them warm, likeable, and totally people I’d be mates with. Not Alice. Alice is a drip. From start to finish, she doesn’t know what she wants. I thought the passion she felt for Joe (and the Lukas) bordered on insanity, and her depression after Joe rivalled that of Bella in New Moon, just without the blank pages. I didn’t understand how Alice could love Joe so much and be so, so crushed after he left that with just a few short pages later, she could find herself attracted to Lukas. I never really saw where the whole Lukas thing was going and I never really warmed to him. He didn’t treat her right, but she didn’t treat him right either. It’s like she settled for him, but tried to convince herself they were soulmates. It just never worked. I just kept hoping that either a) Joe would come back (which too WAY too long) or b) Alice realised she had feelings for flat mate and friend, Jessie. That would have worked for me better, Jessie was a brilliant character.
For once, it took me ages to finish the book. Yes, I am working a lot and that’s taken away my reading time but normally I’ll devour a Toon book in no time at all. It just never clicked with me. And the ending. Oh my word, the ending. I can’t even discuss it without spoiling the book, but what Joe says to Alice, what he infers they can do, and what Alice agrees to, it was wrong. I lost any and all respect for Joe when he suggested what he suggested. Alice’s justifications that Lukas was her husband, too, were really paper-thin. I’m sorry, but it was a tad late in the game to play the “vow” card. No, no, no, no, no. Apparently there’s a sequel out, One Perfect Christmas, which is a short story. I’m going to read that, if only so that it gives a clearer ending than we got. It’s almost as if Toon doesn’t like writing satisfactory endings. It was fine with Johnny Be Good, it left you in suspense and you just KNEW there was more to come, but not with One Perfect Summer. It felt a bit gimmicky and I just wanted my happy ending all wrapped up in a bow. I hope her next novel, The Longest Holiday, gets her back on par. I’m hoping Laura (from Chasing Daisy, yay!) is a better heroines, and it seems the Matthew we meet in this novel could well be the Matthew in The Longest Holiday, and I actually liked him, so let’s see what occurs there. But, for me, One Perfect Summer was disappointing.
June 16, 2012
Rating : A whooping 5/5!
Ever wondered what happened to your first love?
Alice is 18 and about to start university while Joe’s life is going nowhere. A Dorset summer, a chance meeting, and the two of them fall into step as if they have known each other forever.
But their idyll is shattered unexpectedly. Alice heads off to Cambridge and slowly picks up the pieces of her broken heart. When she catches the attention of Lukas – gorgeous, gifted, rich boy Lukas – she is carried along by his charm, swept up by his ambitious plans for a future together.
Years later, at just the wrong time, Joe is back, but out of reach in a way that Alice could never have imagined. Life has moved on, the divide between them is now so great. Surely it is too late to recapture that perfect summer of long ago?
It is no doubt Paige Toon is my new favourite after reading Chasing Daisy and Johnny Be Good, she's a spectacular writer. I could easily compare her to Sophie Kinsella (Paige must be over the roof!). I wonder why I haven't bother to check her up before. *smacks head* I actually requested a review copy from Simon & Schuster 3 weeks ago, but I could hardly wait longer. I bought it as soon as it hits the bookshelves in my local bookstore. As soon as I started, I loved it.
The story is about Alice Simmons on a summer holiday in Dorset for six weeks with her parents, which was idyllic, as described by Paige. Alice was only 18 when the book starts off, I warmed up to her immediately because somehow, I could easily relate to her, as I'm 18. Alice is sweet, shy and the perfect heroine, because she's humble and the way she carried herself in the book was really charming. I really enjoyed reading about her perfect summer in Dorset.
Her relationship with Joe, her summer romance, was breathtaking. I was in awe at how a simple few weeks could bond two people together as though they have known each other for years. I loved how Joe is sweet and caring towards Alice and how much sacrifices he made to be with her. I mean, no summer would be perfect without a summer fling, right? But I felt Joe was more than a fling because Paige wrote with such depth from Alice's perspective, that it was love. Raw, real and heartwarming and ooh-ahh-inducing love. There's Lukas, in contrast to Joe, who is rich, handsome and seemed to be the perfect guy for Alice, but though I was blown away by his charms, like Alice, I still loved what she had with Joe. Though Lukas seemed to have everything, but his parents back in Germany really put me off! So what if you're a rich, high-society German family? Well, at least there's something to hate in the book, as it was too perfect! (Don't flatter yourself, Paige....)
I was really shocked and impressed at how well-written the surroundings were when I Googled "Dorset" and the pictures on the net blew me away. It was beautiful how Paige wrote about its stunning scenery and the perfect summer setting from Alice's point of view. So real that the pages came alive in my mind, with a vivid imagination of the picturesque surroundings. My favourite moment in the book has to be the first time Alice and Joe went to the cave in Dancing Ledge. It was true love for me and it's a special part in the book I'll always remember.
Overall, it was a lovely read. I loved every bit of it. Managed to finish it in 2 days, I could have done better if I weren't that caught up with school. It's good to read about a small cameo in the book too! Johnny Jefferson gets mentioned in the book! But you'll have to look out for it! I'm really glad I read this book. No regrets! None! It's a real Paige-turner! As always, beautifully written, Paige.
Ever wondered what happened to your first love?
Alice is 18 and about to start university while Joe’s life is going nowhere. A Dorset summer, a chance meeting, and the two of them fall into step as if they have known each other forever.
But their idyll is shattered unexpectedly. Alice heads off to Cambridge and slowly picks up the pieces of her broken heart. When she catches the attention of Lukas – gorgeous, gifted, rich boy Lukas – she is carried along by his charm, swept up by his ambitious plans for a future together.
Years later, at just the wrong time, Joe is back, but out of reach in a way that Alice could never have imagined. Life has moved on, the divide between them is now so great. Surely it is too late to recapture that perfect summer of long ago?
It is no doubt Paige Toon is my new favourite after reading Chasing Daisy and Johnny Be Good, she's a spectacular writer. I could easily compare her to Sophie Kinsella (Paige must be over the roof!). I wonder why I haven't bother to check her up before. *smacks head* I actually requested a review copy from Simon & Schuster 3 weeks ago, but I could hardly wait longer. I bought it as soon as it hits the bookshelves in my local bookstore. As soon as I started, I loved it.
The story is about Alice Simmons on a summer holiday in Dorset for six weeks with her parents, which was idyllic, as described by Paige. Alice was only 18 when the book starts off, I warmed up to her immediately because somehow, I could easily relate to her, as I'm 18. Alice is sweet, shy and the perfect heroine, because she's humble and the way she carried herself in the book was really charming. I really enjoyed reading about her perfect summer in Dorset.
Her relationship with Joe, her summer romance, was breathtaking. I was in awe at how a simple few weeks could bond two people together as though they have known each other for years. I loved how Joe is sweet and caring towards Alice and how much sacrifices he made to be with her. I mean, no summer would be perfect without a summer fling, right? But I felt Joe was more than a fling because Paige wrote with such depth from Alice's perspective, that it was love. Raw, real and heartwarming and ooh-ahh-inducing love. There's Lukas, in contrast to Joe, who is rich, handsome and seemed to be the perfect guy for Alice, but though I was blown away by his charms, like Alice, I still loved what she had with Joe. Though Lukas seemed to have everything, but his parents back in Germany really put me off! So what if you're a rich, high-society German family? Well, at least there's something to hate in the book, as it was too perfect! (Don't flatter yourself, Paige....)
I was really shocked and impressed at how well-written the surroundings were when I Googled "Dorset" and the pictures on the net blew me away. It was beautiful how Paige wrote about its stunning scenery and the perfect summer setting from Alice's point of view. So real that the pages came alive in my mind, with a vivid imagination of the picturesque surroundings. My favourite moment in the book has to be the first time Alice and Joe went to the cave in Dancing Ledge. It was true love for me and it's a special part in the book I'll always remember.
Overall, it was a lovely read. I loved every bit of it. Managed to finish it in 2 days, I could have done better if I weren't that caught up with school. It's good to read about a small cameo in the book too! Johnny Jefferson gets mentioned in the book! But you'll have to look out for it! I'm really glad I read this book. No regrets! None! It's a real Paige-turner! As always, beautifully written, Paige.
June 18, 2012
Oh dear. Where to start? maybe don't read on in case I spoil anything, though the back of te4h book manages that quite well.
Well, I liked the start - the young love between Joe and Alice was sweetly drawn though I did think Joe's family background was very overdone. VERY!! I got why they split - but then it all went wrong for me. There were too many WTF moments. over the top parents who hate one son and love the other? With no real explanation? Why didn't the MCs try harder to get in touch with one another? It really isn't that difficult. Yes, London is big but there's lots of ways of trying other than wandering aimlessly. Yes, Joe might not want to have been found but if we are to believe she was the love of his life, why the hell didn't he go and look for her. He knew EXACTLY where she was.
Lukas - I didn't find to be too objectionable. Yes, he was controlling but she married him for goodness sakes and spent YEARS with him. If she was still in love with Joe, how does that make her look as a character? Weak, spineless and not likeable.
In fact that was a major issue for me - aside from the start of the book, I didn't engage with the characters. A lot of shadowy detail on Lukas that is never followed through on - oh and I hear there is a sequel - so I assume that will take up where the book left off. I felt very sorry for Lukas at the end. It was unsatisfactory to say the least.
I won't go on and on - oops I already have - but there was a lot that didn't work for me in the story. I know I'm not a spring chick anymore and I don't mean any disrespect to those in their late teens and early twenties that liked this book, but age and experience makes me feel for those who have their hearts broken and there's only ONE person in this story that deserves the reader's support. Clue - the German. It was a bit too superficial for me. Maybe I don't like love triangles!
Well, I liked the start - the young love between Joe and Alice was sweetly drawn though I did think Joe's family background was very overdone. VERY!! I got why they split - but then it all went wrong for me. There were too many WTF moments. over the top parents who hate one son and love the other? With no real explanation? Why didn't the MCs try harder to get in touch with one another? It really isn't that difficult. Yes, London is big but there's lots of ways of trying other than wandering aimlessly. Yes, Joe might not want to have been found but if we are to believe she was the love of his life, why the hell didn't he go and look for her. He knew EXACTLY where she was.
Lukas - I didn't find to be too objectionable. Yes, he was controlling but she married him for goodness sakes and spent YEARS with him. If she was still in love with Joe, how does that make her look as a character? Weak, spineless and not likeable.
In fact that was a major issue for me - aside from the start of the book, I didn't engage with the characters. A lot of shadowy detail on Lukas that is never followed through on - oh and I hear there is a sequel - so I assume that will take up where the book left off. I felt very sorry for Lukas at the end. It was unsatisfactory to say the least.
I won't go on and on - oops I already have - but there was a lot that didn't work for me in the story. I know I'm not a spring chick anymore and I don't mean any disrespect to those in their late teens and early twenties that liked this book, but age and experience makes me feel for those who have their hearts broken and there's only ONE person in this story that deserves the reader's support. Clue - the German. It was a bit too superficial for me. Maybe I don't like love triangles!
September 20, 2014
This one was easily one of my fave Paige Toon books.
From the beginning I was absolutely hooked to the book and it couldn't put it down. It made me even forget time and I would have loved to read through the night to finish it in one sitting.
When I started reading this I expected a light summer lover story but it was soo much more. It was very intense and emotional.
Alice and Joe were absolutely adorable and I also liked her friends. I couldn't stand Lukas from the beginning. Funny fact and perspective for me reading about a german character in England. Most german names were kind of clishee and very old-fashioned, though they were perfect for his family.
Paige Toon, you seriously are my goddess of chick-lit!
From the beginning I was absolutely hooked to the book and it couldn't put it down. It made me even forget time and I would have loved to read through the night to finish it in one sitting.
When I started reading this I expected a light summer lover story but it was soo much more. It was very intense and emotional.
Alice and Joe were absolutely adorable and I also liked her friends. I couldn't stand Lukas from the beginning. Funny fact and perspective for me reading about a german character in England. Most german names were kind of clishee and very old-fashioned, though they were perfect for his family.
Paige Toon, you seriously are my goddess of chick-lit!
April 3, 2018
I remember this book as being an okay but frustrating read. I mean, a lot of it is pretty cliche and very The Notebook with the whole choosing between two guys thing.
It was enjoyable enough but you really can't stop to think about things too long because then you just get frustrated with how ridiculous everyone is.
Also, the ending made me so mad. One of those moments where I regretted the time I'd spent reading it.
Very basic chick lit and very little in the way of a satisfactory story. But an okay piece of fluff, I guess.
It was enjoyable enough but you really can't stop to think about things too long because then you just get frustrated with how ridiculous everyone is.
Also, the ending made me so mad. One of those moments where I regretted the time I'd spent reading it.
Very basic chick lit and very little in the way of a satisfactory story. But an okay piece of fluff, I guess.
February 19, 2013
Un-effing-believable.. wait, let me complete.. un-effing-believably DISSAPOINTING!!!!!
I’m mighty pissed with Paige Toon.. and myself..
But hey, i learnt my lesson- NEVER read a book juz coz u liked another book by the same author! MY DEAREST FELLOW GOODREADS READERS, CITZENS, COMPATRIOTS... DON’T . NEVER. EVER. Go solely by the book’s review/ abstract.
Thank god, now i’ll save myself from stopping to worship Jessica park.. in case i found out that relatively famous was nowhere comparable to flat out love.. now, we don’t want that, do we? YAYYYYYYY!!!!!.. Jessica you’re my favourite author still!!!!!!!
Sorry, got carried away.. Bear with me because bad books get lengthy reviews.. badder one’s lengthier.. because i wasted my time investing in such a thing.. i don’t mind giving a little more time to bringing it down.. he he i’m evil like that!!
I loved chasing daisy by Paige Toon.. But this book gets more than the opposite reaction from me!!!
STORY- Alice falls in lust with Joe(loser 1)- Alice’s Joe disappears- Alice still in lust(she thinks its love, oh, so does the author, so does she want us to think so)-Alice is broken- Alice falls in lust with Lukas- but Alice’s Lukas is nice(at first)- but he seems to have bipolar disorder or something according to the diagnosis i carried out- Alice is now a ‘little’ unhappy with Lukas- yet Alice gets engaged to Lukas- Alice finds Joe- but screw him he never came- so PLAN? Let’s marry loser 2- Alice finds that loser one’s big.. like Brad Pitt big- Alice wants closure with loser 1 now - Alice wants loser 1 now- Alice cheats on loser 2- LONG BREAK- Alice is with loser 1 now. THE END
With Chasing Daisy, Toon seemed like a smart author, the book seemed well written.. god, don’t i want to list out all the ridiculousness in this book
1. More than the relationships being based on love, the one’s in this book seem to be completely about physical attractions only..
2. I totally didn’t get the first relationship.. Alice and who? Oh yeah, Joe.. there was a complete lack of depth to it... imagine the plot of this book is about unrequited love, Alice feels.. the falling in love part needed more work to make us the readers believe
3. The second love.. woah.. did i believe this! This Lukas guy seemed to get all my attention that Joe failed to produce.. charming and all that.. but be warned this wonderful guy is an image the author tries to show before crashing your hopes!
4. The nice and charming guy turns out to be a control freak of sorts.. guess what the girl puts up with that.!! Because she didn’t get whom she wanted she’s settling for this freakshow .. you know, the kind that u run back to..so ultimately she’s using him.. That’s just plain pathetic
5. The author has also made the supporting characters lives miserable
6. Now coming to the ultimate most unoverseeable fact about this writing- the author gradually makes Lukas’s character darker .. so you and i and Alice are supposed to lose all feelings for him... and just start falling back to Joe..all this for the comfort of the plot. The author did something similar in chasing daisy where she kills off Will to give Luis a chance.. but somehow that worked there .. but didn’t , here.. the author’s tools were quite clear though .. because she injects moments between Luis and Daisy from the start of the book, disguising it in subtle words, which can be interpreted as something there, and not.
7. All this, while the author gives 80% of the story to Lukas and a meagre 20% to Joe. You’d think that..at about the starting 10% .. okay, Alice fell for Joe, real hard. Maybe i don’t get it now, but the author may give them and their relationship more time later on. But no, that didn’t happen folks. I thought this story was about how Alice would overcome a love based on a hopeless relationship that may or not happen with Joe, that she’d eventually understand that Lukas who loved her was better for her than Joe who didn’t. but i regretted starting this book soon after the author twists Lukas’s character. But only completed it to help fellow readers understand why not to read it.
8. So as a result, the protagonist’s relationship with the two male leads were for and mostly based on physical attraction only, and Alice and Joe’s love does not blossom into something meaningful even later on and Lukas was, though given a lot of time, was only interjected in the story as a distraction (that didn’t work well).
9. Oh, i almost forgot.. Joe becomes a famous actor and which is how Alice finds him. And while all the female population in the world is swooning over him, his chest and his every anatomical feature.. She doesn’t have a fucking clue why she should seem like everyother woman.. for my mind’s fucking peace, remember that you slept with him because you were in lust with him, bimbo!
10. And, I don’t have a fucking clue how, in the end, Alice and Joe’s relationship works out because the author skips this part. Because even she doesn’t have a fucking clue. So MAKE BELIVE.
I’m mighty pissed with Paige Toon.. and myself..
But hey, i learnt my lesson- NEVER read a book juz coz u liked another book by the same author! MY DEAREST FELLOW GOODREADS READERS, CITZENS, COMPATRIOTS... DON’T . NEVER. EVER. Go solely by the book’s review/ abstract.
Thank god, now i’ll save myself from stopping to worship Jessica park.. in case i found out that relatively famous was nowhere comparable to flat out love.. now, we don’t want that, do we? YAYYYYYYY!!!!!.. Jessica you’re my favourite author still!!!!!!!
Sorry, got carried away.. Bear with me because bad books get lengthy reviews.. badder one’s lengthier.. because i wasted my time investing in such a thing.. i don’t mind giving a little more time to bringing it down.. he he i’m evil like that!!
I loved chasing daisy by Paige Toon.. But this book gets more than the opposite reaction from me!!!
STORY- Alice falls in lust with Joe(loser 1)- Alice’s Joe disappears- Alice still in lust(she thinks its love, oh, so does the author, so does she want us to think so)-Alice is broken- Alice falls in lust with Lukas- but Alice’s Lukas is nice(at first)- but he seems to have bipolar disorder or something according to the diagnosis i carried out- Alice is now a ‘little’ unhappy with Lukas- yet Alice gets engaged to Lukas- Alice finds Joe- but screw him he never came- so PLAN? Let’s marry loser 2- Alice finds that loser one’s big.. like Brad Pitt big- Alice wants closure with loser 1 now - Alice wants loser 1 now- Alice cheats on loser 2- LONG BREAK- Alice is with loser 1 now. THE END
With Chasing Daisy, Toon seemed like a smart author, the book seemed well written.. god, don’t i want to list out all the ridiculousness in this book
1. More than the relationships being based on love, the one’s in this book seem to be completely about physical attractions only..
2. I totally didn’t get the first relationship.. Alice and who? Oh yeah, Joe.. there was a complete lack of depth to it... imagine the plot of this book is about unrequited love, Alice feels.. the falling in love part needed more work to make us the readers believe
3. The second love.. woah.. did i believe this! This Lukas guy seemed to get all my attention that Joe failed to produce.. charming and all that.. but be warned this wonderful guy is an image the author tries to show before crashing your hopes!
4. The nice and charming guy turns out to be a control freak of sorts.. guess what the girl puts up with that.!! Because she didn’t get whom she wanted she’s settling for this freakshow .. you know, the kind that u run back to..so ultimately she’s using him.. That’s just plain pathetic
5. The author has also made the supporting characters lives miserable
6. Now coming to the ultimate most unoverseeable fact about this writing- the author gradually makes Lukas’s character darker .. so you and i and Alice are supposed to lose all feelings for him... and just start falling back to Joe..all this for the comfort of the plot. The author did something similar in chasing daisy where she kills off Will to give Luis a chance.. but somehow that worked there .. but didn’t , here.. the author’s tools were quite clear though .. because she injects moments between Luis and Daisy from the start of the book, disguising it in subtle words, which can be interpreted as something there, and not.
7. All this, while the author gives 80% of the story to Lukas and a meagre 20% to Joe. You’d think that..at about the starting 10% .. okay, Alice fell for Joe, real hard. Maybe i don’t get it now, but the author may give them and their relationship more time later on. But no, that didn’t happen folks. I thought this story was about how Alice would overcome a love based on a hopeless relationship that may or not happen with Joe, that she’d eventually understand that Lukas who loved her was better for her than Joe who didn’t. but i regretted starting this book soon after the author twists Lukas’s character. But only completed it to help fellow readers understand why not to read it.
8. So as a result, the protagonist’s relationship with the two male leads were for and mostly based on physical attraction only, and Alice and Joe’s love does not blossom into something meaningful even later on and Lukas was, though given a lot of time, was only interjected in the story as a distraction (that didn’t work well).
9. Oh, i almost forgot.. Joe becomes a famous actor and which is how Alice finds him. And while all the female population in the world is swooning over him, his chest and his every anatomical feature.. She doesn’t have a fucking clue why she should seem like everyother woman.. for my mind’s fucking peace, remember that you slept with him because you were in lust with him, bimbo!
10. And, I don’t have a fucking clue how, in the end, Alice and Joe’s relationship works out because the author skips this part. Because even she doesn’t have a fucking clue. So MAKE BELIVE.
March 18, 2018
4,5 * Al haar boeken zijn om bij weg te dromen! Enkel het einde mocht voor mij wat meer zijn dan enkel die epiloog.
April 5, 2022
Paige has done it again 👏🏻 another wonderful book. I was so engrossed in this storyline and very much rooting for characters. I have to say, Paige always writes about characters that just completely draw you in. I was fully torn between Joe and Lukas to start with but then saw Lukas for who he really was.
Joe very much reminded me of Johnny Jefferson in a way, which of course I was okay with 🙊. Joe is definitely up there with my book boyfriends. He is a charming and strong character who had an upsetting childhood, I felt so sorry for him when he told everything to Alice. When they lost touch I was so sad and hoping they would find each other again.
I couldn’t stop turning the pages, I’m always fully engrossed in her books, they’re my go to for an escapism and the descriptions throughout always build a picture in your mind of the beautiful locations.
As soon as I finished one perfect summer I went straight on to one perfect Christmas to find out how things continued. So glad I went to read it straight away.
Excited for the next book in the buddy read, the longest holiday, will be reading that one this month.
Joe very much reminded me of Johnny Jefferson in a way, which of course I was okay with 🙊. Joe is definitely up there with my book boyfriends. He is a charming and strong character who had an upsetting childhood, I felt so sorry for him when he told everything to Alice. When they lost touch I was so sad and hoping they would find each other again.
I couldn’t stop turning the pages, I’m always fully engrossed in her books, they’re my go to for an escapism and the descriptions throughout always build a picture in your mind of the beautiful locations.
As soon as I finished one perfect summer I went straight on to one perfect Christmas to find out how things continued. So glad I went to read it straight away.
Excited for the next book in the buddy read, the longest holiday, will be reading that one this month.
August 29, 2023
I did not like this book
November 11, 2014
Picked this book up on sale on impulse, feeling nostalgic for British Chick Lit. Perhaps I should have left nostalgia alone - if this book is a fine example of the genre, I just don’t enjoy checklist as I once did. Part of it is that I’m not a fan of first person narrative except in rare cirucmstances. The dialogue was pedantic, often meaningless filler. What troubled me most was the underlying storyline, however.
The story is about first love. Our heroine, Alice, travels to a seaside resort for a brief summer vacation with her parents before heading off to college. Upon arrival she spots a barkeep, Joe, who makes her heart sing. He’s super attractive but has a troubled family life with parents who barely tolerate him and a jailbird brother who beats him up whenever he gets a chance.
They quickly fall in love but are wrenched apart before the summer’s even over. She tries to find him and goes through her first year of college in a catatonic state mooning over him.
{spoilers ahead} Nearly a year into school she develops a friendship with a punter, basically a tour guide for the boats that travel the city of cambridge. Their friendship brings Alice out of her shell and back to the living. After emerging she meets a good looking German man who slowly, and then not so slowly woos her. He claims love at first site. Fast forward, he proposes even though his parents want him to marry a wealthy daughter of their friends. Maybe they were onto something: even as she’s about to wed she’s pining after Joe.
Skipping ahead on the drama, turns out Joe’s a world famous actor but Alice somehow missed that fact. Her friends think her husband is wrong for her so they help her reconnect with Joe. They run off for sex on the beach while she’s supposed to be at her parents. After she misses her flight back German husband tracks her down and gets demanding. She leaves Joe to track German husband down. The book closes with her reuniting with someone - it doesn’t say who, but one can probably believe it is Joe.
I think I’m too mature (too old?) to appreciate this. The story’s about finding your own true love and holding out against hope that you’ll some day reunite, and when you find that person again you’ll be together but never mind the inconvenient relationships you may have in your life.
The story bothered me in the same way that many Emily Giffen books bother me. The characters are immature and don’t seem to understand what a loving relationship means. The author tries to paint German Husband in such a way that readers won’t like him much and will root for Alice to reunite with Joe. Instead, I’m just rooting for Alice to grow up. Yes, people make mistakes and marry the wrong person, but she acts like an idiot throughout. And the idea that Joe’s her one true love doesn’t ring true - at least in terms of what real, adult meaningful love is. They had chemistry sure, but it was puppy love. And even if she shouldn’t be with German guy, she doesn’t need to treat him so poorly. Seriously people,esp. you ALice, grow up.
The story is about first love. Our heroine, Alice, travels to a seaside resort for a brief summer vacation with her parents before heading off to college. Upon arrival she spots a barkeep, Joe, who makes her heart sing. He’s super attractive but has a troubled family life with parents who barely tolerate him and a jailbird brother who beats him up whenever he gets a chance.
They quickly fall in love but are wrenched apart before the summer’s even over. She tries to find him and goes through her first year of college in a catatonic state mooning over him.
{spoilers ahead} Nearly a year into school she develops a friendship with a punter, basically a tour guide for the boats that travel the city of cambridge. Their friendship brings Alice out of her shell and back to the living. After emerging she meets a good looking German man who slowly, and then not so slowly woos her. He claims love at first site. Fast forward, he proposes even though his parents want him to marry a wealthy daughter of their friends. Maybe they were onto something: even as she’s about to wed she’s pining after Joe.
Skipping ahead on the drama, turns out Joe’s a world famous actor but Alice somehow missed that fact. Her friends think her husband is wrong for her so they help her reconnect with Joe. They run off for sex on the beach while she’s supposed to be at her parents. After she misses her flight back German husband tracks her down and gets demanding. She leaves Joe to track German husband down. The book closes with her reuniting with someone - it doesn’t say who, but one can probably believe it is Joe.
I think I’m too mature (too old?) to appreciate this. The story’s about finding your own true love and holding out against hope that you’ll some day reunite, and when you find that person again you’ll be together but never mind the inconvenient relationships you may have in your life.
The story bothered me in the same way that many Emily Giffen books bother me. The characters are immature and don’t seem to understand what a loving relationship means. The author tries to paint German Husband in such a way that readers won’t like him much and will root for Alice to reunite with Joe. Instead, I’m just rooting for Alice to grow up. Yes, people make mistakes and marry the wrong person, but she acts like an idiot throughout. And the idea that Joe’s her one true love doesn’t ring true - at least in terms of what real, adult meaningful love is. They had chemistry sure, but it was puppy love. And even if she shouldn’t be with German guy, she doesn’t need to treat him so poorly. Seriously people,esp. you ALice, grow up.
July 13, 2015
3,5 Stars
Style and Language
Maybe my expectations were too high, but this novel contains a huge part where I had to read about things and started asking myself “why is that happening”? And most of all: where the hell is Joe?
One Perfect Summer starts great in every way. A fantastic atmosphere, two great characters and perfect emotions bring the special something between the pages. You can not only read that Alice and Joe experience the one and only real love, you also feel it.
The story is agile, easy going (even though there are a few dark moments) and it seems to be quite clear, that there is a great story lying ahead. Not only for the two figures you expect great things to happen - but also for the reader itself.
So I was utterly surprised when Paige Toon gave her novel a hard twist and showed for more than the rest of the book not only a completely changed main figure, but also a change of tone. There were things happening, I totally didn´t care about. Okay, I have to admit, that Paige Toon has a wonderful way when it comes to use words. This novel is well written, no doubt about that. But less would have been more here; a lot more.
Characters
Alice is a wonderful young woman. She has humor, is a bit shy and doesn´t believe that she could be of any interest for a man – till she meet’s Joe. Between them is chemistry, an understanding like she´s never experienced before. Fine, their romance will only last over the summer – that´s as sure as the amen in church, but why shouldn´t she enjoy it while it lasts?
But then the author turns her figure completely around and the reader is faced with a depressive and lonely Alice who´s only functioning – but not living. The reader gets to know everything about her new life without Joe, how she meets Lukas and how she starts to live a life that isn´t hers.
Okay, usually I´m interested in such things, because the development of a figure is important to a novel – or at least should be. But in this case? Maybe I´ve expected to read more about how Alice and Joe find each other again, how they start to look for a way to be together. And certainly not that there reunion will be squeezed into 10 pages at the end of the novel. I felt betrayed. Fine, the time in college is important to Alice and to see how she pulls her life back together was good to read. But why was she always so passive when it came to Lukas, why didn´t she say loud and clear what she wanted and how she wanted it?
Result
One thing is for sure: This novel promises something, which it can´t keep. Maybe my expectations were really too high and maybe I read too much into the text at the back of the novel. But in the end I was disappointed and didn´t know what to think of it.
Style and Language
Maybe my expectations were too high, but this novel contains a huge part where I had to read about things and started asking myself “why is that happening”? And most of all: where the hell is Joe?
One Perfect Summer starts great in every way. A fantastic atmosphere, two great characters and perfect emotions bring the special something between the pages. You can not only read that Alice and Joe experience the one and only real love, you also feel it.
The story is agile, easy going (even though there are a few dark moments) and it seems to be quite clear, that there is a great story lying ahead. Not only for the two figures you expect great things to happen - but also for the reader itself.
So I was utterly surprised when Paige Toon gave her novel a hard twist and showed for more than the rest of the book not only a completely changed main figure, but also a change of tone. There were things happening, I totally didn´t care about. Okay, I have to admit, that Paige Toon has a wonderful way when it comes to use words. This novel is well written, no doubt about that. But less would have been more here; a lot more.
Characters
Alice is a wonderful young woman. She has humor, is a bit shy and doesn´t believe that she could be of any interest for a man – till she meet’s Joe. Between them is chemistry, an understanding like she´s never experienced before. Fine, their romance will only last over the summer – that´s as sure as the amen in church, but why shouldn´t she enjoy it while it lasts?
But then the author turns her figure completely around and the reader is faced with a depressive and lonely Alice who´s only functioning – but not living. The reader gets to know everything about her new life without Joe, how she meets Lukas and how she starts to live a life that isn´t hers.
Okay, usually I´m interested in such things, because the development of a figure is important to a novel – or at least should be. But in this case? Maybe I´ve expected to read more about how Alice and Joe find each other again, how they start to look for a way to be together. And certainly not that there reunion will be squeezed into 10 pages at the end of the novel. I felt betrayed. Fine, the time in college is important to Alice and to see how she pulls her life back together was good to read. But why was she always so passive when it came to Lukas, why didn´t she say loud and clear what she wanted and how she wanted it?
Result
One thing is for sure: This novel promises something, which it can´t keep. Maybe my expectations were really too high and maybe I read too much into the text at the back of the novel. But in the end I was disappointed and didn´t know what to think of it.
August 2, 2012
I saw this at the library I work at, and was keen for a light read, but I wasn't wanting a rubbish book like this! I honestly do not know what Paige Toon was thinking this when she published this, what an absolute load of rubbish.
So we meet the main character Alice, dull, fickle, emotional and bloody depressing to read about. Sorry to all the lovers of this book, I've never wanted to slate a book so much before.
So, we meet Alice at the beginning of her final summer before she goes to University, she is meant to be going with her mum and best friend Lizzy but at the last minute Lizzy cannot go because of family problems. Alice at the time is very close to her family but equally isn't totally excited at the thought of spending 6 weeks in Dorset. On the first night she and her mum go to a pub and Alice meets Joe for the first time, she think he's gorgeous! They get together, they claim to "love" each other "forever". Joe has a hard time with his family and when it all goes pearshaped he leaves Dorset, and Alice. Alice is left heartbroken.
So we skip a bit and Alice is at the university depressed because she's lost the love of her life. Soon afterwards she meets Lukas a pompous manipulative controlling stuck up guy! I HATED him, he didn't like Alice's friends, Jessie and Lizzy. He puts pressure on Alice to get married and have babies with him.
I finished it because it was easy to read, and very very laughable, she's 18 when she meets Joe, she knew him for three weeks. Way to oover dramatic for my liking, and the writing was naf, tell me why I would want to know what Alice is wearing when they're on the dancing Cliff.
Won't be reading this author again!
So we meet the main character Alice, dull, fickle, emotional and bloody depressing to read about. Sorry to all the lovers of this book, I've never wanted to slate a book so much before.
So, we meet Alice at the beginning of her final summer before she goes to University, she is meant to be going with her mum and best friend Lizzy but at the last minute Lizzy cannot go because of family problems. Alice at the time is very close to her family but equally isn't totally excited at the thought of spending 6 weeks in Dorset. On the first night she and her mum go to a pub and Alice meets Joe for the first time, she think he's gorgeous! They get together, they claim to "love" each other "forever". Joe has a hard time with his family and when it all goes pearshaped he leaves Dorset, and Alice. Alice is left heartbroken.
So we skip a bit and Alice is at the university depressed because she's lost the love of her life. Soon afterwards she meets Lukas a pompous manipulative controlling stuck up guy! I HATED him, he didn't like Alice's friends, Jessie and Lizzy. He puts pressure on Alice to get married and have babies with him.
I finished it because it was easy to read, and very very laughable, she's 18 when she meets Joe, she knew him for three weeks. Way to oover dramatic for my liking, and the writing was naf, tell me why I would want to know what Alice is wearing when they're on the dancing Cliff.
Won't be reading this author again!
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