Brave New Summer

by Sarah Morgan

☀️Don’t miss another heart-warming and feel-good novel from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author!☀️Readers LOVE Sarah Morgan

‘Sarah Morgan never disappoints’ Reader review *****

‘Sarah knows just what her readers enjoy, with this book comes friendship, family and a beautiful place for the perfect escape … another great read’ Reader review *****

‘Sarah Morgan brought us a beautiful and heartwarming story … It’s a brilliant, unputdownable read that left me wanting more from all of these characters’ Reader review *****

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Evie is the acting general manager of The Alexandra hotel in picturesque Cornwall, but she feels trapped in a life defined by others’ expectations. Just as she contemplates a fresh start, Abby arrives, sent undercover by the hotel’s owner to assess the staff and operations. But Abby is navigating her own struggles and longs to break free from the shadow of her mother.

As the two women forge an unexpected friendship, they confront their fears and the threat of change looming over them. With the help of a charming chef and a gruff pub owner, they begin to embrace their true selves and the bonds that unite them. Will they find the strength to reshape their futures, or will the weight of the past hold them back?

Full of warmth and heart, Brave New Summer is a joyful and uplifting novel about friendship, romance and being brave, from the Number One Sunday Times bestseller, Sarah Morgan.

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Readers LOVE Sarah Morgan

‘Sarah Morgan never disappoints I always look forward to my summer read from her … a must read for holidays’ Reader review *****

'I was absolutely hooked from the first chapter and knew straight away this was another book written with Sarah’s magic touch … utterly fabulous' Reader review *****

‘Sarah Morgan brought us a beautiful and heartwarming story … It’s a brilliant, unputdownable read that left me wanting more’ Reader review *****

Sarah Morgan's book 'The Christmas Cottage' was a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2024-10-28.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 21, 2026

About the author

About Sarah

USA Today and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes romance and contemporary women's fiction and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors.

Look out for Sarah's next novel coming in May - Brave New Summer (UK title)/ Five Star Summer (US/Canadian title)

Join Sarah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahM...
Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMorgan_
Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmorgan...
Website: www.sarahmorgan.com





Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Aditi Sinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brave New Summer - Sarah Morgan has done it again!
The perfect summer read. Set in beautiful Cornwall, we meet the staff and management of The Alexandra Hotel, namely Evie and Abby and follow the stories that unfold around them.

Sarah has such a way of describing relationships; their intricacies, nuances and ebbs and flows - be it child/parent, friendships and budding romances that I was completely lost in her world and finished the book in 2 days.
Thank you HQ Stories/Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me this eARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review - I loved it!

[Mary Lawrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to have the opportunity to read an arc of Sarah Morgan’s latest book as I love her books.

Sarah’s descriptions of Cornwall convey a wonderful sense of place & atmosphere that creates the perfect setting for this gorgeous story. I was immediately drawn in by the short prologue & I couldn’t put it down! We soon meet Evie, one of the main characters, who stepped in as acting manager of the Alexandra Hotel in Cornwall when the manager falls ill. Evie finds out that the hotel is struggling & losing business. She has lots of ideas for innovation & change; however, she finds it hard to implement her ideas, especially with older staff who’ve known her for most of her life. It’s a relief when it’s suddenly announced that Abby from head office is arriving shortly to provide interim support. Abby & Evie soon become good friends; although they’ve grown up on opposite sides of the Atlantic, they seem to have a lot in common. But Abby has secrets. She knows that she & her mother Alexandra lived in the hotel prior to moving to Boston, but Alexandra has always been tight-lipped about their past so Abby is determined to find out more whilst in Cornwall for the summer. It’s a complex story of family secrets past & present, with love & betrayal, hope & despair, & more than a hint of romance thrown into the mix as well.

It’s a perfect summer read! I found that the descriptions evoked memories of past holidays in Cornwall. Abby & Evie are very different but relatable characters & I loved them both. I was rooting for them as they each tried to resolve some big questions about life & love, & I enjoyed the way their stories interconnected. I loved this book - its been everything I’d hoped for from this great author. I recommend this as a great summer / holiday read.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read an arc of this gorgeous book.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

🩵 Blurb-
Evie is the acting general manager of The Alexandra hotel in picturesque Cornwall, but she feels trapped in a life defined by others’ expectations. Just as she contemplates a fresh start, Abby arrives, sent undercover by the hotel’s owner to assess the staff and operations. But Abby is navigating her own struggles and longs to break free from the shadow of her mother.
As the two women forge an unexpected friendship, they confront their fears and the threat of change looming over them. With the help of a charming chef and a gruff pub owner, they begin to embrace their true selves and the bonds that unite them. Will they find the strength to reshape their futures, or will the weight of the past hold them back?
💛 Review -
I have loved other books that I have read by the author and I always look forward to her new releases every year. Brave New Summer is the perfect beach read (or anytime of year when you want something heartwarming to read). I loved the easy to follow story, the place settings sounded lovely and as always there was a brilliant cast of characters. I always love that Sarah's books revolve around friendships as well as romance which makes a lovely change. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
🩷 Release date -21st May
💝 Thank you to HQ Stories and the author Sarah Morgan for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Maggie Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brave New Summer
Evie now acting manager of the Cornish Alexandra hotel since the manger Gerald was taken ill has realised the hotel is struggling to break even and losing guests. On trying to implement new ideas she meets resistance off the local staff working there as they have known her from childhood. Any improvements she wants to introduce are met with “Gerald wouldn’t do that” so she feels stuck and decides to apply for a hotel management post in London.
The owner of the hotel is head of this hotel chain around the world and seeing how profits have dipped sends her daughter Abby to work in the hotel to act as someone who is there to help and not reveal she’s checking what is happening.
Evie and Abby work well together and Evie is grateful for Abby’s input and Abby realises how difficult it has been for Evie.
Romance is on the cards for them, Evie with the new Chef Luca and Abby with the pub owner taciturn Tristran. No great build up to these relations particularly Abby’s, one date and they’re together. I did feel these were a bit of an add on as not much depth there.
An entertaining story with a good cast of characters and some emotional scenes that were well executed.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always loved Sarah’s books but lately I have started to be a little disappointed as the romance and the male characters have become almost invisible.
The writing is still excellent; SM couldn’t turn a bad phrase if she tried. The settings are always well done and very evocative.

The three main female characters are - fine. Evie and Abby were interesting and engaging. Alexandra the successful matriarch figure was less appealing and her thought processes less understandable. She left Edward because- well I’m not sure I actually understood the reason why.
She wanted her daughter to be happy so she kept her at a distance, left her feeling she always had to please her mother?

As for the three main male characters - they were mere cardboard cutouts and the romances were so brief as to be almost invisible, I wanted to be there as the romances developed not told about them afterwards.

Sorry but I wanted more and I was disappointed at the abrupt and swift endings when everything was tied up with a bow so casually. I think possibly I’ll not bother with SM anymore as she appears to have abandoned romance for female friendship. I always enjoyed her books with both elements in - but now there’s so little romance - it’s hardly worth it. Sorry.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evie is acting general manager at the Alexandra hotel in Cornwall after Gerald, the manager, is off sick. She has grown up within the hotel due to her dad Edward working there. Unfortunately for Evie, the workforce does not take her seriously, and the hotel is under threat from being sold.
Abby loves in Boston. She is being sent to the Alexandra hotel to work undercover by her mother, who also owns the hotel.
Abby is nervous, but she soon makes an impact and starts to make friends. This, in turn, makes her uncomfortable as no one knows who she really is.
This is told from the viewpoints of the three women.
I loved how the relationship between Evie and Abby developed. There was real warmth and friendship.
Throw in a couple of gorgeous men for some romance. It's the perfect recipe.
The location is never going to disappoint when you pick Cornwall. Hot summer, sunny days, glistening sea, and golden sand. What's not to love.
This is such a delightful read. I absolutely loved it.
The perfect summer read. I can highly recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the invitation to read this in return for an honest review.

[Angela Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the minute I started reading this book I was hooked it was the perfect feel good summer read.

Set in beautiful Cornwall Evie has her work cut out trying to motivate her staff to embrace change at the Alexandra Hotel. When Abby arrives the two soon form a close bond despite Abby’s secret and both navigate many different challenges.( no spoilers)

The characters were described so well and I loved the closeness of everyone. Donna was my favourite character and I enjoyed seeing the friendships grow between some of the characters.

A fantastic 5 star summer read that I definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Morgan and HQ for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Julie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to start the new year but with Sarah Morgan’s heart warming novel. This author never disappoints with her wonderfully written stories.
This time we are transported to Cornwall where Evie is having a challenging time as acting hotel manager. The trouble being that it is set in a place where everyone has known her all her life and gossip is rife.
Along comes Abby who is very career focused just like her mother Alexandra who owns a fleet of hotels.
Secrets are uncovered and relationships are formed with happy outcomes.
A five star read for sure. My thanks is to Net Galley for the Arc

[bookloversclub2023 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brave new summer 21 May

Another fabulous summer read by Sarah, set in idyllic Cornwall (it’s made me even more excited to go back to there this year!).

The characters and hotel was described so well I felt I was there. I loved how close they all were as friends and a community. Both Evie and Abby seemed such beautiful souls. The kindness they showed each other made a lovely read but also how the matured and developed as characters towards the end of the book.

Sarah writes in such an engaging way that captures the audience. I adore her writing and this is no exception for a perfect Summer read. Make sure you grab a copy you won’t be disappointed.

[Nicola (Not Just Books) Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant new book by Sarah Morgan. I enjoyed everything about the it. The Cornish setting evoked memories of happy holidays spent in the county. The characters were believable and you could empathise with Evie and Abby. The story moved at a reasonable pace and it was a joy to pick up whenever I had the chance. There was multiple layers to the story not just focusing on romance but included family drama and friendship. These layers helped make the story have more than a superficial narrative. Highly recommend

[Angela Free · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy.

I struggled with the first half of this novel, as it felt somewhat drawn out and slow to build momentum. I also found it difficult to truly connect with the characters at the beginning; they seemed a little underdeveloped and lacking distinct personality.

However, the second half was a real improvement. The story gathered pace, the characters became more engaging, and I found myself much more invested. By the end, I was genuinely enjoying it and felt it was worth sticking with.

[MEF · Rating 4 out of 5]

A triple treat lies within for the reader - the double plot with Evie and Abby., wrapped in the. Cornwall vibe.
The three week timescale seems longer, there’s so much going on and the flashbacks in their pasts add dimension.
There’s full on ‘feel good ‘ factor in a happy relaxing read of engaging characters, parental pressure and love plus a double dose of romantic ♥️ relationship .
The ideal summer read.

I received an advance review copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.

[Jasmine Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Sarah Morgan writes, the multiple points of view, feeling like you are there, feeling what the characters feel.
I adored this wonderful story! 3 strong woman, Alexandra, Evie and Abby. All wanting what is best for the hotel, little did Evie know, that Abby has came undercover to help.
Definitely a wonderful summer read!

[Victoria Hand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book. So well written. Warm and comforting but yet not predictable. Thoroughly enjoyable read. I felt totally engrossed in the world of the characters and invested in their relationships and lives.

[Ann Lovell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family dynamics & secrets , friendship romance and the Cornish coastline. Relatable characters who are warm friendly and open. Making for a wonderful setting.
Just enough to keep it interesting and keep me guessing all the way through. A page turner right to the end

[Sarah Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sarah Morgan never disappoints. I loved the characters and the setting, being in seaside village in Cornwall. Definitely a summer must read 📚

[Catlover12carley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love this author but this was a bit meh and felt different to other books by Sarah but it was a ok read .

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transported to beautiful Cornwall for a story about family, friends, romance and new beginnings at the Hotel Alexandra. Read it in winter but a great read at any time of the year.