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Four Seasons Quartet #1
That Summer in Cornwall
A different latitude…a different world…
Meredith Champlin unexpectedly finds herself the legal guardian of a child she’s never met: Janet Barton Stowe, an unruly eleven-year-old “Beverly Hills brat,” whose mother – Meredith’s cousin-- has died in a private plane crash.
At the urging of the child’s Anglo-American aunt, Lady Blythe Barton-Teague, Meredith and her Welsh Corgi decamp from Wyoming to spend the summer at Barton Hall, a shabby-chic castle perched on the remote cliffs of Cornwall, England.
Taming the wild child proves a handful, but Meredith’s summer escape gets even more complicated when former British Army Lieutenant Sebastian Pryce, veteran of a bomb-sniffing K-9 squad in Afghanistan, proposes they establish the Barton Hall Canine Obedience Academy and that she join him on the Cornwall Search and Rescue Team. She wonders whether their instant attraction is an unexpected blessing or the prelude to another heartbreak like the one she left behind in the Rocky Mountains.
Even with an assist from a novice search dog named T-Rex, the odds seem long that three months in the land of Meredith’s Cornish ancestors can transform her troubled ward into a happier child, heal the wounds suffered by her soldier-turned-rescuer, and save the Barton-Teague estate from pending insolvency.
As a friend of Meredith’s confides, “It all sounds like a stretch, but we never rule out miracles.”
Meredith Champlin unexpectedly finds herself the legal guardian of a child she’s never met: Janet Barton Stowe, an unruly eleven-year-old “Beverly Hills brat,” whose mother – Meredith’s cousin-- has died in a private plane crash.
At the urging of the child’s Anglo-American aunt, Lady Blythe Barton-Teague, Meredith and her Welsh Corgi decamp from Wyoming to spend the summer at Barton Hall, a shabby-chic castle perched on the remote cliffs of Cornwall, England.
Taming the wild child proves a handful, but Meredith’s summer escape gets even more complicated when former British Army Lieutenant Sebastian Pryce, veteran of a bomb-sniffing K-9 squad in Afghanistan, proposes they establish the Barton Hall Canine Obedience Academy and that she join him on the Cornwall Search and Rescue Team. She wonders whether their instant attraction is an unexpected blessing or the prelude to another heartbreak like the one she left behind in the Rocky Mountains.
Even with an assist from a novice search dog named T-Rex, the odds seem long that three months in the land of Meredith’s Cornish ancestors can transform her troubled ward into a happier child, heal the wounds suffered by her soldier-turned-rescuer, and save the Barton-Teague estate from pending insolvency.
As a friend of Meredith’s confides, “It all sounds like a stretch, but we never rule out miracles.”
316 pages, ebook
First published January 21, 2013
49 people are currently reading
444 people want to read
About the author
Ciji Ware
45 books259 followersCIJI WARE is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling novelist, an Emmy-award winning television producer, reporter, writer, lecturer, and host. Her latest work, THE SPY WORE LONG WHITE GLOVES (Book 4, American Spy Sisters series), published October 14, 2025 , was inspired by the exceptional American women who volunteered as "Churchill's Angles"--secret agents during WW II, fighting enemy infiltration within Britain, as well as parachuting into occupied France to fight the Nazis. As with her other novels, author Ware invites her readers to view her research photos at www.pinterest.com/cijiware/the-spy-wo...
Ware's Four Seasons Quartet "THAT..." series includes stand-alone titles set in CORNWALL, EDINBURGH, VENICE and PARIS that were released betweeen 2013-2017. A novella "The Ring of Kerry Hannigan," part of the RING OF TRUTH anthology with novelists Diana Dempsey and Kate Moore, was released as a single title in the spring of 2015.
Ware has won numerous awards for her 15 works of fiction, including the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence; the 'Golden Quill' award for Historical Fiction; 'Best Fictionalized Biography' for her 18th c. historical novel, ISLAND OF THE SWANS. For the latter work, she was bestowed in Edinburgh the honor of FSA Scot, of which she is exceedingly proud. Another historical novel, A RACE TO SPLENDOR, debuted in April, 2011 on the 105th anniversary of the devastating 1905 San Francisco Earthquake and Firestorm and was short-listed for the WILLA (Cather) Literary Award in 2012.
In 2015, Ware was named to the Martha's Vineyard Writers-in-Residence program where she began a long-term project: REINVENTING...ME, a memoir of her years in all aspects of media. Currently, she is working on the second of two novels in her Spy Sisters series set in WWII based on the lives of several American women secret agents in the armed conflict.
Ware's most recent nonfiction, RIGHTSIZING YOUR LIFE: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most, was named by the Wall Street Journal as "One of the Top 5 Books on Retirement Issues." She is at work on a sequel, SIMPLIFYING FOR SENIORS: Decluttering, Divesting, and Downsizing. She continues to lecture extensively on the subject of domestic downsizing for people age 50+ as she relates her own journey from 4000sq. feet of living space in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara, down to a "cottage by the sea" of around 1000 square feet in the San Francisco Bay Area--and loving it! She is also the author of JOINT CUSTODY: Making Shared Parenting Work.
For eighteen years, Ware was heard daily as a commentator on ABC Radio & TV in Los Angeles. During her noted career as a broadcaster, she has worked as a reporter or anchor for PBS and all three major network affiliates, covering a wide range of topics in the areas of health, consumer, lifestyle and women's issues.
Ciji Ware is also a sought-after event speaker, print journalist, (AARP, Travel & Leisure and other national magazines) and has the distinction of being elected as the first woman graduate of Harvard College to serve as President of the Harvard Alumni Association, Worldwide. The author is married four decades+ to Internet marketing executive, Tony Cook. The "Cook-Wares" have a son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.
Visit Ciji's website at www.cijiware.com; her Facebook page: Ciji Ware, Novelist
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ciji-Wa... and her Pinterest page at http://pinterest.com/cijiware/
Ware's Four Seasons Quartet "THAT..." series includes stand-alone titles set in CORNWALL, EDINBURGH, VENICE and PARIS that were released betweeen 2013-2017. A novella "The Ring of Kerry Hannigan," part of the RING OF TRUTH anthology with novelists Diana Dempsey and Kate Moore, was released as a single title in the spring of 2015.
Ware has won numerous awards for her 15 works of fiction, including the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence; the 'Golden Quill' award for Historical Fiction; 'Best Fictionalized Biography' for her 18th c. historical novel, ISLAND OF THE SWANS. For the latter work, she was bestowed in Edinburgh the honor of FSA Scot, of which she is exceedingly proud. Another historical novel, A RACE TO SPLENDOR, debuted in April, 2011 on the 105th anniversary of the devastating 1905 San Francisco Earthquake and Firestorm and was short-listed for the WILLA (Cather) Literary Award in 2012.
In 2015, Ware was named to the Martha's Vineyard Writers-in-Residence program where she began a long-term project: REINVENTING...ME, a memoir of her years in all aspects of media. Currently, she is working on the second of two novels in her Spy Sisters series set in WWII based on the lives of several American women secret agents in the armed conflict.
Ware's most recent nonfiction, RIGHTSIZING YOUR LIFE: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most, was named by the Wall Street Journal as "One of the Top 5 Books on Retirement Issues." She is at work on a sequel, SIMPLIFYING FOR SENIORS: Decluttering, Divesting, and Downsizing. She continues to lecture extensively on the subject of domestic downsizing for people age 50+ as she relates her own journey from 4000sq. feet of living space in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara, down to a "cottage by the sea" of around 1000 square feet in the San Francisco Bay Area--and loving it! She is also the author of JOINT CUSTODY: Making Shared Parenting Work.
For eighteen years, Ware was heard daily as a commentator on ABC Radio & TV in Los Angeles. During her noted career as a broadcaster, she has worked as a reporter or anchor for PBS and all three major network affiliates, covering a wide range of topics in the areas of health, consumer, lifestyle and women's issues.
Ciji Ware is also a sought-after event speaker, print journalist, (AARP, Travel & Leisure and other national magazines) and has the distinction of being elected as the first woman graduate of Harvard College to serve as President of the Harvard Alumni Association, Worldwide. The author is married four decades+ to Internet marketing executive, Tony Cook. The "Cook-Wares" have a son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.
Visit Ciji's website at www.cijiware.com; her Facebook page: Ciji Ware, Novelist
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ciji-Wa... and her Pinterest page at http://pinterest.com/cijiware/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 21, 2017
So this was one of those instances where I read this because it was the first in a series, even though I had originally been drawn to a subsequent book from the series, but thought I should start with the first. Still, the plot still sounded really interesting so I thought I would enjoy this.
The first thing that jumped out at me was the dialogue. It was so unnatural. People just don’t talk like that. It was at times stilted, formal, awkward, etc. But the story still had potential so I decided to power through.
But the story and characters were shallow. The only ones that had any depth were Meredith and Sebastian, but they lacked chemistry and they both pissed me off. Sebastian wouldn't reveal something about himself (probably why he and Claire broke up), they would get in an argument, he would storm out and Meredith would decide they were over while she didn't hear from him for days. And then the cycle would repeat. Again. And again. I would be proud of Meredith for being able to identify would she could and couldn't live with in a partner and then she'd throw that away. And Sebastian was infuriatingly closed off.
And then there was Meredith and Janet. I thought a major theme of the book would be them learning to become a family or something, but really no time was spent on Janet's evolution from a spoiled brat into a well adjusted kid. She was really just a prop to develop Meredith's story.
I also thought Meredith casting Claire as this villain out to capture the "Lord of the Manor" was far-fetched and forced. Again, a prop used to further Meredith's story.
This was just so different than A Race to Splendor I actually checked to see if this was Ware's first novel or something. Maybe I'll just stick to her historicals.
The first thing that jumped out at me was the dialogue. It was so unnatural. People just don’t talk like that. It was at times stilted, formal, awkward, etc. But the story still had potential so I decided to power through.
But the story and characters were shallow. The only ones that had any depth were Meredith and Sebastian, but they lacked chemistry and they both pissed me off. Sebastian wouldn't reveal something about himself (probably why he and Claire broke up), they would get in an argument, he would storm out and Meredith would decide they were over while she didn't hear from him for days. And then the cycle would repeat. Again. And again. I would be proud of Meredith for being able to identify would she could and couldn't live with in a partner and then she'd throw that away. And Sebastian was infuriatingly closed off.
And then there was Meredith and Janet. I thought a major theme of the book would be them learning to become a family or something, but really no time was spent on Janet's evolution from a spoiled brat into a well adjusted kid. She was really just a prop to develop Meredith's story.
I also thought Meredith casting Claire as this villain out to capture the "Lord of the Manor" was far-fetched and forced. Again, a prop used to further Meredith's story.
This was just so different than A Race to Splendor I actually checked to see if this was Ware's first novel or something. Maybe I'll just stick to her historicals.
February 8, 2019
It takes a lot for me to give a novel one or zero stars. There has to be pretty much nothing redeemable about a book in my eyes. Usually I can find something good to say whether it be the writing or plot points, but I have to say that this novel for me was just a total non-starter. I took me the better part of two weeks to struggle to the finish line with this novel. I fell asleep several times, got bored a few times and decided to just do something else (yes one time cleaning my oven was preferable to finishing this novel) and finally just bit the bullet,sat, and forced myself to finish it.
My brain is still mad at me by the way for this and I had to soothe it by re-watching Sherlock series 3 and appeasing it with images of Benedict Cumberbatch.
Now on to the novel. I decided to include this on my list of to be read for 2014 since the plot sounded interesting and I love books in a series. However, knowing what I know now I would never have stared this thing since this may be a quartet but none of the books has anything to with the prior book in the series (confusing I know) and so you don't even get to follow up with previous characters from what I can tell.
Book one of the Four Seasons Quartet, That Summer in Cornwall focuses on Meredith Champlin. Meredith finds herself the new legal guardian of her cousin's child Janet. Janet is spoiled and the offspring of a famous Hollywood director and actress. Meredith goes to Cornwall for the summer to stay with her cousin and Janet's aunt, Blythe Barton-Teague. Meredith needs help with Janet since the pre-teen is acting out about her father abandoning her to Meredith for the summer. Meredith also needs a break from her work as a nurse in a children's cancer ward in Wyoming. While there Meredith meets and falls for Sebastian Pryce. Sebastian is part of the Cornwall Search and Rescue Team and finds himself drawn to Meredith.
That plot sounds interesting right? You think you would get a lot of plot points with Meredith trying her best to be a mother to Janet, getting closer to her cousin Blythe. You get none of that. The entire novel as a whole is a shallow read from beginning to end. I have no idea what to make of Janet since you only have her acting out in horrible ways with no one really sitting down to talk to her about her mother or why her father just handed her off to a cousin she never met until the very end. The problem is that Ms. Ware does not get back to Janet until towards the end of the novel and I think by then most readers will not care about her. Speaking of Janet none of the other secondary characters like Blythe or her husband or step-son Richard have any depth to them at all. I felt like they were just around to say innocuous things to Meredith and keep on encouraging her in her endeavors.
Most important for me in a romance novel though is that the two leads have no chemistry together at all. Most of the novel dealing with Meredith being angry that Sebastian doesn't open up to her about everything and gets mad when he does not.
From the novel: "He's British, and besides he doesn't know you that very well...yet," Richard replied with a twinkle. Sebastian Pryce knows me better than you think Richard."
Seriously Meredith and Sebastian had only kissed Sebastian at this point in the novel. It made no sense for Meredith to be bringing the drama at that point. The entire novel just goes on like this with Meredith being mad that Sebastian won't open up to her, tell her about his ex girlfriend Claire. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Speaking of Sebastian's ex. There is also a horrible secret that deals with Sebastian and Claire who through the dumbest plot point ever comes to work for the Bartons. Clarie by the way was written as a nasty character at first and then somehow became sweet and loving. It made no sense. When you find out what drove her and Sebastian apart I don't know how much readers are going to sympathize with her. I know I sure as heck did not.
When we do have any love scenes between these two the chemistry is non-existent. I saw better chemistry between my cat and my living room coffee table. I was hoping that Ms. Ware would take pity on us all and have these two break up.
Also there was a side plot about Meredith and Sebastian running an obedience school and the Bartons starting a farm fresh dinner on the grounds of Barton Hall. There was very little detail provided about any of these things besides the Bartons needing the money. This would have been a wonderful opportunity to provide some interesting details about the visitors to Barton hall or show actual dog training activities, something. Instead we kept just focusing on Meredith begging Sebastian to open up to her or being mad at him for not opening up to her.
My brain is still mad at me by the way for this and I had to soothe it by re-watching Sherlock series 3 and appeasing it with images of Benedict Cumberbatch.
Now on to the novel. I decided to include this on my list of to be read for 2014 since the plot sounded interesting and I love books in a series. However, knowing what I know now I would never have stared this thing since this may be a quartet but none of the books has anything to with the prior book in the series (confusing I know) and so you don't even get to follow up with previous characters from what I can tell.
Book one of the Four Seasons Quartet, That Summer in Cornwall focuses on Meredith Champlin. Meredith finds herself the new legal guardian of her cousin's child Janet. Janet is spoiled and the offspring of a famous Hollywood director and actress. Meredith goes to Cornwall for the summer to stay with her cousin and Janet's aunt, Blythe Barton-Teague. Meredith needs help with Janet since the pre-teen is acting out about her father abandoning her to Meredith for the summer. Meredith also needs a break from her work as a nurse in a children's cancer ward in Wyoming. While there Meredith meets and falls for Sebastian Pryce. Sebastian is part of the Cornwall Search and Rescue Team and finds himself drawn to Meredith.
That plot sounds interesting right? You think you would get a lot of plot points with Meredith trying her best to be a mother to Janet, getting closer to her cousin Blythe. You get none of that. The entire novel as a whole is a shallow read from beginning to end. I have no idea what to make of Janet since you only have her acting out in horrible ways with no one really sitting down to talk to her about her mother or why her father just handed her off to a cousin she never met until the very end. The problem is that Ms. Ware does not get back to Janet until towards the end of the novel and I think by then most readers will not care about her. Speaking of Janet none of the other secondary characters like Blythe or her husband or step-son Richard have any depth to them at all. I felt like they were just around to say innocuous things to Meredith and keep on encouraging her in her endeavors.
Most important for me in a romance novel though is that the two leads have no chemistry together at all. Most of the novel dealing with Meredith being angry that Sebastian doesn't open up to her about everything and gets mad when he does not.
From the novel: "He's British, and besides he doesn't know you that very well...yet," Richard replied with a twinkle. Sebastian Pryce knows me better than you think Richard."
Seriously Meredith and Sebastian had only kissed Sebastian at this point in the novel. It made no sense for Meredith to be bringing the drama at that point. The entire novel just goes on like this with Meredith being mad that Sebastian won't open up to her, tell her about his ex girlfriend Claire. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Speaking of Sebastian's ex. There is also a horrible secret that deals with Sebastian and Claire who through the dumbest plot point ever comes to work for the Bartons. Clarie by the way was written as a nasty character at first and then somehow became sweet and loving. It made no sense. When you find out what drove her and Sebastian apart I don't know how much readers are going to sympathize with her. I know I sure as heck did not.
When we do have any love scenes between these two the chemistry is non-existent. I saw better chemistry between my cat and my living room coffee table. I was hoping that Ms. Ware would take pity on us all and have these two break up.
Also there was a side plot about Meredith and Sebastian running an obedience school and the Bartons starting a farm fresh dinner on the grounds of Barton Hall. There was very little detail provided about any of these things besides the Bartons needing the money. This would have been a wonderful opportunity to provide some interesting details about the visitors to Barton hall or show actual dog training activities, something. Instead we kept just focusing on Meredith begging Sebastian to open up to her or being mad at him for not opening up to her.
April 22, 2013
There's nothing quite like a Ciji Ware novel. And this one set in Cornwall was divine. I love that's she going back to her historical novels and doing a sequel set in Contemporary times. Genius! I loved the descriptions in this book. It's one of the things she does so beautifully. You just feel like you're walking the cliffs in Cornwall. And oh the dogs and sheep! And a castle too. So delicious!
August 20, 2016
Ever have a child from a distant relative hoisted on you? Her father is a movie producer and can't be bothered with her.
In this novel, our heroine takes the brat to stay the summer in Cornwall, England. Here she finds romance and the brat finds friends among relative's children. She still hopes her father will return for her but when he does turn up it's with a fiancee wearing a huge rock.
A convoluted story of romance, the hopes of an only child who lost her mother who lost her mother too soon, a disinterested father and the wonders of the people of Cornwall, this is a book to be cherished. Too bad, I had to return it to the library.
In this novel, our heroine takes the brat to stay the summer in Cornwall, England. Here she finds romance and the brat finds friends among relative's children. She still hopes her father will return for her but when he does turn up it's with a fiancee wearing a huge rock.
A convoluted story of romance, the hopes of an only child who lost her mother who lost her mother too soon, a disinterested father and the wonders of the people of Cornwall, this is a book to be cherished. Too bad, I had to return it to the library.
July 27, 2020
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I thought it would be a fun, easy, distracting romance set in England.
First, the good. I thought that there was an interesting story *at times* here, and the setting was fun. I liked the concept of family ties - I really wanted Janet to be happy and get everything worked out for her. I also enjoyed the characters' work in search and rescue. Basically there was a lot of potential here for a great summer novel/beach read.
BUT. And it's a big but.... I hated the romance. I also hated the strict gender roles imposed on the characters. Here were my biggest issues:
At one point, Sebastian is talking with... Susanna (I think that was her name?) in the kitchen. Her husband comes in, and Ware writes that he steps into "his wife's domain." And a few sentences later Ware tells us that he wiped his dirty feet because the men of Cow Hollow (the farm) are "well trained." I had to double check the publication date for the novel right then. I remember in the 90's and 80's my parents sometimes made super cringey comments in this same vein... but they were cringey then and they are cringey now. For me, these comments reinforce gender stereotypes and sexist behaviors. There is nothing wrong with a woman choosing to work in the home, but that doesn't mean it is "her domain" and I really don't think men should be likened to dogs. Wiping your feet when entering your home is not a matter of being well-trained, it is being considerate and respectful of the work your partner puts in to cleaning the house while you are out working. Both jobs are equally valid and important in the lives of the couple and should be treated as such out of respect, not "training."
Moving on, we have Sebastian's constant "m'lady" phrases. UGH. Maybe it's just my experience, but every time I have heard/read a man say that, it is usually by some guy who comes on too strong, gets turned down, and so he calls the woman a "whore" or a "slut." The phrase got on my nerves to the point where I seriously considered putting down the book. This was probably my own personal issue, but it got under my skin.
My last really big issue was the interactions between Sebastian and Meredith. It was super manipulative, especially on his part. Why did he have to storm out every time she asked him a question about his past that he didn't want to answer? I really felt like it was completely unrealistic. If some guy I barely knew that I was interested in did that to me, I promise my interest level would dissipate, and I don't think I'm alone in this. And why did Meredith keep pushing it? I mean, seriously. Plus she was kind of super creepy when it came to Claire. I felt like both characters were incredibly immature, especially considering the fact that they were supposed to be in their mid 30's. Their behavior had all the hallmarks of a manipulative and unhealthy relationship. I was not really rooting for them to get together. Honestly, I was really rooting for Janet to live her happily ever after in Cornwall with her aunt and cousins.
I didn't like this book much at all, and the only saving grace was the story around Janet and her change from a hurt and sad little girl to a girl who was thriving. I wanted her to be OK and to succeed. So I gave it two stars for the setting and the story about Janet.
First, the good. I thought that there was an interesting story *at times* here, and the setting was fun. I liked the concept of family ties - I really wanted Janet to be happy and get everything worked out for her. I also enjoyed the characters' work in search and rescue. Basically there was a lot of potential here for a great summer novel/beach read.
BUT. And it's a big but.... I hated the romance. I also hated the strict gender roles imposed on the characters. Here were my biggest issues:
At one point, Sebastian is talking with... Susanna (I think that was her name?) in the kitchen. Her husband comes in, and Ware writes that he steps into "his wife's domain." And a few sentences later Ware tells us that he wiped his dirty feet because the men of Cow Hollow (the farm) are "well trained." I had to double check the publication date for the novel right then. I remember in the 90's and 80's my parents sometimes made super cringey comments in this same vein... but they were cringey then and they are cringey now. For me, these comments reinforce gender stereotypes and sexist behaviors. There is nothing wrong with a woman choosing to work in the home, but that doesn't mean it is "her domain" and I really don't think men should be likened to dogs. Wiping your feet when entering your home is not a matter of being well-trained, it is being considerate and respectful of the work your partner puts in to cleaning the house while you are out working. Both jobs are equally valid and important in the lives of the couple and should be treated as such out of respect, not "training."
Moving on, we have Sebastian's constant "m'lady" phrases. UGH. Maybe it's just my experience, but every time I have heard/read a man say that, it is usually by some guy who comes on too strong, gets turned down, and so he calls the woman a "whore" or a "slut." The phrase got on my nerves to the point where I seriously considered putting down the book. This was probably my own personal issue, but it got under my skin.
My last really big issue was the interactions between Sebastian and Meredith. It was super manipulative, especially on his part. Why did he have to storm out every time she asked him a question about his past that he didn't want to answer? I really felt like it was completely unrealistic. If some guy I barely knew that I was interested in did that to me, I promise my interest level would dissipate, and I don't think I'm alone in this. And why did Meredith keep pushing it? I mean, seriously. Plus she was kind of super creepy when it came to Claire. I felt like both characters were incredibly immature, especially considering the fact that they were supposed to be in their mid 30's. Their behavior had all the hallmarks of a manipulative and unhealthy relationship. I was not really rooting for them to get together. Honestly, I was really rooting for Janet to live her happily ever after in Cornwall with her aunt and cousins.
I didn't like this book much at all, and the only saving grace was the story around Janet and her change from a hurt and sad little girl to a girl who was thriving. I wanted her to be OK and to succeed. So I gave it two stars for the setting and the story about Janet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2018
Yep. Addicted. Not the most complicated book, but I loved it. Nice relaxing and enjoyable read. Great vacation book. (NOT a middle school book)
August 6, 2018
Another great story by Ciji Ware! I do enjoy sequels and this one did not disappoint, highly recommended!
September 8, 2024
This was a reread and I remembered really enjoying Ware's work but in revisiting, this was just okay. Nothing bad to say, just a little dull and male mc was less compelling I remembered.
July 9, 2014
Imagine your whole life being flipped upside down and you go from living a carefree life in your 20's to suddenly becoming a guardian for a child you have never met , for a cousin you barely kept in contact with. That is the life of Meredith Champlin, when she has her cousin's 11-yr old daughter dumped on her doorstep in Wisconsin. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, Meredith will try and reach her niece but when she reaches her wits end, their saviour comes in the form of a trip for the summer to Cornwall , England where Janet's Aunt Blythe resides. Are two heads better than one when it comes to dealing with Janet ? What starts as just a trip for the summer to Cornwall may very well be the beginning of a new life and direction for both Janet and Meredith as they meet new friends within the community and discover their passions and learn the true meaning of a family despite it's dysfunctions. If you are looking for an English countryside Chick Lit experience and wanting a bit more of a cast of 30's-40's and a family feel then take a trip down reading lane with "That Summer in Cornwall" and you will not be disappointed.
September 10, 2015
It was a welcome return to Cornwall and the Barton-Teague family in this sequel to Ware's A Cottage by the Sea, though this one has no time traveling or supernatural hopping around from century to century. Meredith Champlin flies to Cornwall, England with her bratty niece who has just lost her mother (sister to Ware's heroine from the last book, Blythe) in a plane crash. Her father, a film director is too busy to take care of her. While in Cornwall for the summer, Meredith finds love in a hunky search and rescue veterinarian who is also an Afghan War vet. Lots of different plots going on and overall I liked it, but Meredith's pushiness when it came to having Sebastian (the vet) reveal all his past irked me. She knew she needed to lay off - but did she? No! and it sent him scurrying. But, eventually they find their way back to each before she leaves for Wyoming at the end of the summer. I liked this a lot, and it really makes me want to go to Cornwall myself and see this area of the world.
May 3, 2013
This book was an unexpected treat as it was a sequel the first book by Ciji Ware that I read "A Cottage By the Sea." After reading that one, I proceeded to read several more and have thoroughly enjoyed each one.
Although the first was a very satisfying read, this one took the story down a new road adding more family to the original story. Drama in a real family is rarely, if ever, limited to one person or one situation. In this story, like life, characters have been impacted by a past and struggled into the present with more than a little wariness of the future. There is a myriad number of emotions that run through the story and seeing how the characters interact, clash, misinterpret and then try all over again kept me anxiously reading to see what would happen next. As always I was not disappointed.
This is an enjoyable read. I recommend a plate of warms scones and a nice pot of tea when you sit down to read this one.
Although the first was a very satisfying read, this one took the story down a new road adding more family to the original story. Drama in a real family is rarely, if ever, limited to one person or one situation. In this story, like life, characters have been impacted by a past and struggled into the present with more than a little wariness of the future. There is a myriad number of emotions that run through the story and seeing how the characters interact, clash, misinterpret and then try all over again kept me anxiously reading to see what would happen next. As always I was not disappointed.
This is an enjoyable read. I recommend a plate of warms scones and a nice pot of tea when you sit down to read this one.
April 5, 2013
I absolutely loved A Cottage by the Sea. When I saw that this was a "sort of" sequel to that book, I was excited to read it. While I enjoyed "catching up" with Blythe Barton-Teague and her family, and meeting her Wyoming cousin and her niece, the product of her ex-husband's affair with her sister, I was disappointed in the book. I prefer Ware's time-slip novels and historical fiction to this contemporary novel. This one read a bit too much like a bodice-ripping romance. It lacked depth. Parts of it seemed rushed. I didn't get a real sense of the area the way I did in A Cottage by the Sea. It was a bit predictable, too, although I was happy to see she didn't include the usual "heroine befalling some major disaster, requiring the hero to come to her rescue" scene. It wasn't a bad book, just not great, and in some ways, forgettable.
May 23, 2013
I love Ciji Ware, so when I saw this was a stand alone sequel to Cottage By the Sea, I bought it immediately. Throughout the book, I kept waiting and expecting, in Ciji Ware style, something supernatural to occur. A dream, a slip back into time, ghost appearances, something! I was a little disappointed. Once I finished the book, I realized even though I was disappointed in the lack of her weaving historical events into the lives of the main characters, I really enjoyed the book for what it was. A great book about love and deep family connection.
July 12, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. I love stories that take place in Great Britain and hope to travel there soon to see them. These characters were well written and while my mind gently hints at what the next page may bring, I'm pleased when I have guessed right. The young Janet did everything I imagined a spoiled child from Hollywood wackos would do. Good emotional tugs in this story as well.
May 18, 2014
There were so many things wrong with this book, but the most glaringly obvious was that fact that there were way too many words. Completely unnecessary descriptions, repetitive thoughts and phrases, unnatural dialogue and a plethora of run-on sentences. I found myself skimming by the end, and my OCD never lets me do that! This was just a tedious book to read.
January 29, 2016
This book was boring. Most of Ware's books have complicated plots that are unexpected and thus exciting. The only purpose that I found for this book was to revisit the characters from "A Cottage by the Sea" without the plot complications of historical flashback. Seemed to be phoned in. Someone wanted a sequel so they got one, without any original story or excitement.
February 2, 2017
Following my read of A Cottage by the Sea... I was so excited to find THIS book - which again, brings me back to the characters I loved from Cornwall. While you can read this book independently from A Cottage by the Sea, it means so much more if you know the "whole" story of characters. Again - completely enjoyed the characters and story-line! ;)
July 18, 2013
I finished reading 'That Summer in Cornwall' in the wee hours this morning. I enjoyed this contemporary romance by Ciji Ware. This is a sequel to 'A Cottage by the Sea,'which I absolutely loved, but both can be read as stand-alones. I plan to continue reading all of Ciji Ware's wonderful books.
August 10, 2013
This book, a loose sequel to A Cottage by the Sea, was not nearly as good. It had a lot of promise, but didn't live up to it. The pace was off and the characters a bit flat. There was so much more that could have been done to bring more depth to both the characters and the plot.
October 7, 2015
Nice sequel but ultimately not a lot of substance. I enjoyed the journey it took but I missed the trips back in time. The author does do a great job in creating believable characters and her description of place is impeccable.
April 29, 2015
I was disappointed since I had expected quite a bit more from the historical fiction Ciji Ware. The dialogue seemed stilted, the characters were not developed and the editor seemed to have been on leave of absence. Don't waste your time!
February 21, 2013
This was good and I enjoyed the description of the English Channel and Cornwall. I want to go visit.
May 30, 2013
I was transported to the countryside reading this book! Great summer read, and it had great flow.
March 1, 2013
I just could not get into this book .
March 4, 2013
Very disappointing. A cottage by the sea was so much better. This book was predictable and could have been told in half the time.
March 13, 2013
I really liked this book Cornwall Romance and Dogs great read!
June 15, 2013
What a colossally terrible book. The characters were poorly realized and flat and the dramatic tensions just weren't very tense. It was like reading a rough draft.
September 12, 2016
Easy read when in the mood for a romance book set in Cornwall.
August 21, 2013
Sequel to "That Cottage By The Sea." A pleasant read.
October 13, 2013
Another light and very enjoyable book by Ciji Ware! Love the setting in Cornwall, England. The story involves dogs and people and all of them delightful. A nice fun read.
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