Following on from Veronica Henry's bestselling THE BEACH HUT.
A glorious summer novel featuring the lives and loves of the people who own a beautiful row of Beach Huts on Everdene Sands.
Summer appeared from nowhere that year in Everdene; and for those lucky enough to own one of the beach huts, this was the summer of their dreams. For Elodie, returning to Everdene means reawakening the memories of one summer fifty years ago. A summer when everything changed... Vince and his brother are struggling to come to terms with the death of their father, but they have very different ways of coping... And for Jenna, determined to put the past behind her, the opportunity to become the 'Ice-Cream Girl' once again might just turn her life around. But this summer is not all sunshine and surf - as secrets unfold, and some lives are changed forever...
Veronica Henry was a television script writer before turning her hand to fiction. She has published sixteen novels which she describes as realistic escapism - her setting are gorgeous, but her characters have problems and dilemmas everyone can identify with.
This was the second book in the series about The Beach Hut and it was lovely to read. It was as good as the first one if not better. You don’t have to read the first one to enjoy this one as they are stand alone novels and there are different characters in both of them. I love reading Veronica Henry’s books as they are such a good read. I’ve only read a few so I’m hoping to read all that she’s written.
A little bit boring in places and hard to follow as it jumps about between the characters. Sorry to all the fans but I wouldn't want to read another in a hurry.
The second book about the owners and renters of a row of beach huts, very much like the first book. A different set of people but once again their lives entwine to make a good story.
I tried, it was ok, but more and more povs showed up. Out of thin air and I never got to know them. I do not mind many povs but I could not remember anyone or care
I am absolutely smitten with the Beach Hut series by Veronica Henry (truthfully, all of the Veronica Henry books I’ve read!). This is definitely a thoughtful, slower story with a unique format. It offers vignettes from various perspectives, all people who find themselves at a colorful, cozy, apparently therapeutic beach hut in Everdene, for the summer. Their lives overlap in bits and pieces, but the common denominator between them all is the setting.
We follow a segment of each person, or couple’s lives, and glimpse first hand at how whatever life circumstance brought them to the beach at this time, is remedied, or resolved after their time on the shore. In this edition of the Beach Hut series, there is one main character, if you will, and we see a greater scope and vantage of her life. Her reflections and journey are poignant, incredibly touching, and meaningful.
I read a few chapters of this book each day and was always eager to come back to it. I think it’s a book to take your time with, rather than read straight through as you would books with singular plots. The Beach Hut Next Door (and the whole series) is quiet, insightful, heart-warming and contains a touch of the cozy U.K. appeal that only British fiction can offer. It’s a new favorite and I eagerly await Christmas time for the next edition to the series.
It was lovely to be able to return to the gorgeous setting of Everdene in this sequel to The Beach Hut. The chapters were all from different people's perspectives, all which had a link to a Beach Hut on Everdene for the summer. Some characters we only really saw once or twice, but a couple recurred quite a bit and I became quite involved in their lives. Elodie's life was very interesting and I also loved the idea of the new seafood restaurant being opened. This was a very enjoyable book, and incredibly fast to read.
I was beyond excited when I found out Veronica Henry was releasing a second book based on the little seaside town of Everdene and the inhabitants of the beach huts along along the stretch of coast. In the first book Henry wove together lots of individual stories which evoked a real sense of community and seaside atmosphere and although all the stories stood separately she tied them all back together and left me wanting more.
In this second book about life in the Beach Huts we don't, unfortunately revisit any of the original characters from the first book, instead we are introduced to new stories. Again they span all generations and walks of life, Elodie who at seventy is buying a home in Everdene but for whom the house holds memories of her childhood. We are taken back with her to the days of her youth and follow her story to date and it is, to this we keep returning alongside Henry's other characters. We have Jeanne a young unemployed entrepreneur trying to start her own business, two fisherman brothers coping with their fathers death, an ex - convict arriving to take up residence as an artist, a London high flyer finding a new life after leaving her job and a divorced couple trying to find a way to move on whilst still co-owning their hut.
Again this book just evoked such wonderful feelings of life in the sleepy seaside town, each time I see a beach hut now it makes me think of these books and I long to stay in one, like a recluse claiming some me time alongside the beach and the elements. Henry doesn't link the characters as closely as she did in the first book, their stories link but perhaps not so closely as previously. This didn't detract from the enjoyment of the story and each one draws you in and makes them feel fulfilling. Each is given enough focus to tell their tale and to allow you as a reader to become emotionally invested in their wellbeing.
This for me was one of the must have books this summer, it was perfectly timed as a release and I love that for people who haven't managed to book a foreign break but have managed a break in the UK seaside this might just be the book to take with you. Henry continues to deliver amazing books full of heart and emotion and she has again proved faultless.
I gave up on this book at p202. I found it really really boring. I picked this book up as it had a nice cover and it sounded quite good, but I found there wasn't much of a story and there are too many characters, it gets confusing. I'm not going to waste no more time reading it.
A good little book which tells the tales of the lives of a number of beach hut owners in the North Devon resort of Everdene.
Elodie, who spent many happy childhood days at the Grey House on top of the cliffs, longs to be back in Everdene, despite all the heartbreaking memories of her despicabley money orientated family. Vince and his brother Chris are trying to come to terms with a family tragedy. Jenna now a reformed character, gets her dream business and puts the past behind her. Tim and Rachel try to patch up a marriage that seems to be finished, but can they do it? And lots more great characters and their life stories. Every character true to life and coping with every day problems. An easy enjoyable read.
3.5 stars I did enjoy this book but my only niggle is there a lot of separate storylines running through it so I did get lost at times. Some of them I loved especially the brothers and elodie. I’m indecisive about wether this should be 3.5 or 4 stars 😳😳
What a delightful collection of little insights into the lives of the various characters. The village was brought to life so well, I felt I had been there in person.
Paluu rantamajaan. Ei nyt iskenyt tämä kirja yhtään. Iseampia eri hahmoja, joiden tarinoissa hypittiin. En vain jaksanut tätä, joten lukeminen jäi kesken.
Veronica Henry is a Chick Lit author that’s been around ages, but I’ve only read her last book, A Night On The Orient Express which was super enjoyable! So I was very excited when I read about her new novel The Beach Hut Next Door, I know she released a novel a couple of years back called The Beach Hut, and I figured she’d done another set of stories about the fantastic Everdene Beach Huts but I can’t say for definite as I haven’t read the first book and I can’t locate it on my TBR shelf (I’m SURE I had it, but oh well!). I wasn’t sure if The Beach Hut Next Door was going to be a series of short stories, all self-contained, or if they were inter-linking, but I was very excited to find out, and it’s the most wonderful Summer read!
The Beach Hut Next Door is a very clever novel. Despite wondering if the stories were inter-linking, or stand-alones, they’re actually a bit of both! Every story follows nicely with all the rest, and the novel flows just like an actual novel would, believe it or not, despite the short story nature of the chapters. It’s really, really clever. A really quirky, excellent way of doing things and I was super impressed. I don’t read many short stories, normally because I hanker for more than I’m given, and it’s tough to be introduced to characters for such a short time and not see them again (especially in a 300 page novel), but I liked that characters popped up again, it gave the novel a much more rounded feel, to not simply discard the characters once their chapter had finished. Super, super clever.
I literally dream of going to Everdene and buying my very own beach hut. It sounds PERFECT. Right on the beach, with the sound of the waves lapping you to sleep every night, painted in beautiful ice cream colours, and so many different personalities that you can’t help but make friends. Sigh. I have never wished for a place to be a reality as much as I do the Everdene Beach Huts. It’s such a delighful setting, with such delightful characters. I enjoyed Elodie’s story, even though it didn’t seem as if it was going anywhere at first. She actually has quite the tale, and I thought she handled herself with aplomb, considering the events! Vince was probably my favourite characters, I loved his rugged ways, and the fact he was a fisherman (although I was VERY happy I couldn’t smell him – yuk!) and I liked his drive and his ambition, helped along by his annoying friend Murphy. Then there was Jenna and her ice-cream van – I loved her little story, and the only thing that could have heightened my reading experience would have been for more of Jenna. She was as sweet as the ice-cream she served!
Veronica Henry is such a great storyteller, weaving plenty of characters into her new novel and making us care for them, even if we only know them a short while. The Beach Hut Next Door is the perfect Summer read, and I’m quite glad Veronica came back to her beautiful Beach Huts for another go around – I, for one, could read another book all about the beach huts and the characters I met during The Beach Hut Next Door. I felt like I clicked with them immediately and I was quite sad to say goodbye, although it was a very, very good goodbye, with everything wrapped up very nicely and neatly and even a quick look, once again, at Tim and Rachel, a couple who only appear very briefly, but who made quite the impact! That’s the wonder of Veronica’s new novel – you’ll meet so many wonderful people, and love them all!
When I received The Beach Hut Next Door I couldn’t wait to read it, from reading the blurb and looking at the cover I knew I was going to be in for a summery read. This is the second book that features Everdene; however you do not have to have read the previous book ‘The Beach Hut’ in order to enjoy this one. After reading this one though you may find yourself wanting to read ‘The Beach Hut’ to find out where it all began!
The story is based around The Beach Huts of Everdene, this summer the owners are back and we follow the lives of some of them. I really enjoyed this book; however there are many characters in the story and at times I was forgetting who was who and having to go back through the story to find out what that character had previously did. This was a shame as the writing was wonderful; it flowed well and was smooth. I just felt that there were too many characters in the story and some of them seemed unnecessary.
Jane, is an ice cream girl, she wants to invest in her future and decided that buying a traditional van would be the way to go, we follow her as she tries to secure a loan for it and I was hoping to find out more about her and follow her story a bit; we however leave her to move onto another character. Although we do return to visit her, I felt that the level of information was lacking after the initial introduction to her. You may remember her if you have read Henry’s short story ‘A Sea Change’, it was nice to have a familiar character return.
My favourite character in the book has to be Elodie, she grew up in Everdene, living in Grey House she has spent many years away due to a secret that was exposed to her about her family. After many years she feels the time has come to return. Through the book we realise what had happened in Elodie’s life and how it has become since she left Everdene. I really enjoyed reading about Elodie, she was by far my faviourte character, I felt that I grew up along with her as I read the book.
Another of my favourite characters were Rachel and Tim. They have recently separated but although they have shared everything they had while they were together, neither one of them can come to terms with selling their beach hut. So they decide they want to keep it between them and sharing it for half the year each.
Although the book is wrapped up in the theme of Everdene and the beach huts, the stories are very separate and almost read as short stories which was nice. There were many other characters in the book though and I didn’t think these were needed, I would have been quite happy to have read more about my three favourite characters!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and the reason I haven’t given it 5* is just down to the amount of characters in the book. I thought the writing was wonderful, smooth and engaging, I am looking forward to reading other books by Henry.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
LOVED The Beach Hut and LOVED this book just as much. You don't have to read the first one to enjoy this book but why wouldn't you when they are both great! Set around a row of beach huts in the seaside town of Everdene, it's a simply great concept for a book. Each hut has it's each owners or holiday makers and they have their own little story to go along with them. However this book does go much more into depth of a very rich home owner who also owns one of these huts. I NEED ONE OF THESE HUTS, they are self contained, with a little bathroom, kitchen and bed area. Just imagine opening the tiny curtains each morning, looking out to the sand and the sea, what more could you want. The book intermingles the owners with their own stories and how it all gathers the community together. My imaginary seaside at its best.
Perfect summer reading, a wonderful web of interwoven lives - love, loss, betrayal and hope. Set on the beautiful North Devon coast, Everdene is an perfect holiday retreat.
The Beach Hut Next Door by Veronica Henry is a delightful story that is based on the little seaside town of Everdene, and like her earlier book the reader is introduced to the stories of her diverse characters but all beautifully tied together in the end. It is about the beach huts adorning the shorelines and the people living there who are from various walks of life and spanning various generations.
Veronica Henry’s Elodie is seventy. She is buying a house which has many wonderful memories of her childhood. It is an exciting journey as one is transported back in time in Everdene revisiting her youthful days. There is the enterprising young Jenna, ready to take on the challenges of life. We have Vince and his brother Chris whose father passed away recently. Then there’s Tim and Rachel, and Kiki and other eclectic characters who all contributed to the larger picture in the story.
The Beach Hut Next Door by Veronica Henry is a wonderful book that will make you come alive. Though the author has given prominence to Elodie, each of the character has their own space and story to tell. A perfect summer read, many readers will find great delight in the characters and their stories.
I was brought this book as a present as I asked for it for Christmas having read this author before I was keen to get stuck in as I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. Each chapter is dedicated to a character with some having several chapters per character so you really get to know them, The book is set in the fictional seaside town of Everdeen where there are a row of beach hut owners who you learn about throughout the story. The character's are great, all having their own unique story to tell whilst linking Everdeen at the heart of the plot. I would read this book again, it has a feel good factor with several twists and turns. A great summer read
It was delightful to go back to the warm and cosy beach huts at Everdene. A similar style to the first book of the series, in that it was like a collection of short stories, all interlinked via the beach huts. There was a new set of characters, but this book was written in such a way that you soon got to know them, so they soon felt like old friends. The stories were each charming in their own way with lots of likeable characters and Henry's vivid way of describing the beautiful landscape made me want to go and visit it.
Couldn't and didn't want to put it down. Starts out as a simple story of Elodie spending summers by the seaside in a house overlook the beach with beach huts. Brilliantly written with all the characters with the connection being of the huts and their individual stories. Full of surprises, some sad but they all end well. Love the way it turns full circle at the end.
This was a middling summer read. One of them where everyone gets a happy ending. And that's fine, it really is.
But what irks me is that there's so many characters who we only meet for a chapter, that we don't get any depth too, that it's hard to connect with the majority of the book. The exception being Elodie of course.
But I think I would have preferred a full length novel following just Elodie's story than this chopping and changing between characters who we will never see again.
This is the first work that I have read by this author. I have enjoyed the layout of the story and the interesting way that readers get to know the characters stories. The timeline for some characters is quicker than others but you get a sense of their lives and loves for Everdene and the beach huts. Definitely chick lit book and wonderfully satisfying!
I really liked some parts of the book, but it was a bit jumpy for my taste. So many different stories were told that it was hard to get the hang of the characters. I would say the book could be much better if it was split up in 2-3 books, it would give the chance to get to know the characters better.