Across a Summer Sea

by Lyn Andrews

Lyn Andrews' warm-hearted, dramatic and nostalgic saga ACROSS A SUMMER SEA is not to be missed by readers of Maureen Lee and Donna Douglas.

Mary McGann's marriage has always been difficult, thanks to her husband Frank's drunken, jealous nature. Only because the little money he earns in the docks keeps food in the mouths of their children is Mary prepared to put up with him.

When Frank throws them all out on the street, Mary flees to her family in Dublin. There she meets Richard O'Neill, a handsome though solitary man. Despite the attraction between them, Mary's not looking for love, and when she hears that Frank needs her, she returns to Liverpool, foreseeing a future of yet more hardship.

But there are surprises in store. Though tragedy and danger are looming, a brighter horizon lies beyond - if Mary's prepared to be strong and take the chances that come her way...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance

408 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2003

About the author

Lyn Andrews is one of the the UK's top one hundred paper-back bestsellers. Born and brought up in Liverpool, she is the daughter of a policeman who also married a policeman. After becoming the mother of triplets, she took some time off from her writing whilst she raised her children. Shortlisted for the romantic Novelists' Association Award in 1993, she has now written twenty-one hugely successful novels. Lyn Andrews divides her time between Merseyside and Ireland.

Reviews

[Emz3000 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want to stop reading. It has been a while since I got so lost in a book that I missed my stop. I wasn't expecting much from this book but I really liked it, I felt so bad for Mary and I wanted to know how her story ended. A very nice read.

[Hamid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Lyn Andrews' novel I have read. Really liked how it portrays the community fighting with poverty and sympathetic relationships among its members. Mary (protagonist) has a very strong character with luck not on her side. Sometimes her choices feel unreal. The story is composed of a lot of little events occurring in her life. I found it a nice experience to read in characters' accents.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Lyn Andrews.

[Ian Mcnamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got introduced to this author by a friend a few days a go. This is the first book i have read by her. Her writing reminds me of Josephine Cox who’s writing i love. This was a wonderful book, her writing is amazing. I have found another new writer who i think i am going to be a huge fan of. The story was really good and very sad in someways. Maries story was very gripping.

[Gwen Readhead]

Great book

I always love Lyn Andrews books and this one didn't disappoint. Set in the early 19 hundreds it tells of the struggles of people and of the heart warming way they helped each other.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lynn Andrew’s never disappoints. I loved this story with lots of intrigue and a real page turner. Wanted to see how Mary fared and all her hardships with a lovely ending with her three children. Set in Liverpool and Ireland.

[Chirag Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful work of putting miseries and distress together 🌼 (I meant it as an compliment.)

[Linda Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous read

[Mookie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great, although interesting at first. Was not a fan of Richard. Donating.

[Carol G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this read didn’t want it to end!

[Sandra Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good easy read

[Dark-Draco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a typical saga, set in the poverty ridden streets of Liverpool. Mary is a hard-working wife and mother of three children, one a deaf mute called Lizzie. When her husband falsely accuses her of having an affair with a young neighbour, throwing her out on the streets, she is at a loss. Not wanting to be a burden on her friends, she takes the children to Dublin. But staying with family is just as bad and in desperation, she takes a job as housekeeper at a castle deep in the country. There she meets Richard, who befriends Lizzie and treats them all with kindness. When word comes that her husband needs her after suffering a horrific accident, she is torn between her duty and her growing attraction to Richard. Should she stay and turn her back on her vows, or go back to a man who hates her?

This is well written and I enjoyed it, although not something I would normally choose for myself. Mary's character was beautifully portrayed, even if some of the other came across as a bit two-dimensional. Still, it was a nice, easy read and kept me turning the pages to see if Mary gets the happy ending she deserves. And the final chapters are quite a surprise!

[Ainura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but it`s very hard to read and understand.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as others that I have read by her.

[Sababa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book at all. The characters were not well developed and the story line was depressing.

[Hashim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depressing story but has a happy ending :). Very well written - you empathize with the main character and her trials and tribulations.