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Wild Summers
Summer, 1969. The youth revolution has swept through London. Joan Summers is seventeen and it appears to have passed her by. Until the glamorous Nelson family move in next door, bringing far more than just a Rolls-Royce and rockstar rumours. They bring the summer that will change everything.
As fame and rebellion edge ever closer, Joan is catapulted into wild nights on the notorious Eel Pie Island, becoming submerged in the underground community of artists and anarchists who inhabit its crumbling hotel.
Temperatures rise, loyalties splinter and Joan discovers that every revolution has its price.
As fame and rebellion edge ever closer, Joan is catapulted into wild nights on the notorious Eel Pie Island, becoming submerged in the underground community of artists and anarchists who inhabit its crumbling hotel.
Temperatures rise, loyalties splinter and Joan discovers that every revolution has its price.
- GenresEbooks
506 pages, Paperback
Published July 22, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 1, 2026
I really wanted to love this book because I loved number 32 but I just don’t think the story was for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters and for some parts I was bored. I love the concept of young teenagers in a struggling family home with a rockstar neighbour in a band next door and learning about life and experiences and then there’s a whole drugs, hippie lifestyle, smoking and drinking and obviously it’s the summer of 69 but I didn’t actually finish completing the book I stopped at just over 40% so I think I will come back to it. I just don’t think the era is for me 😘
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2026
I don't even know where to start with this review. Very rarely does a book make me feel like I'm living the story with the characters but Cassie somehow manages to achieve it every time?! Wild Summers broke me, it made me feel nostalgic for the last childhood summer that we never realised would be our last, it made me feel hopeful, angry, proud (of Joan) and obsessed with a place I'd never even heard of before this book! I think its such a rare talent to be able to write like this and I will forever recommend Number 32 & Wild Summers to every book lover I chat to 🌼❤️
June 12, 2026
Yes again this author blows me away with her stunning writing and captivating character development
Wild Summers is a fun, exciting, exhilarating yet tender coming of age story
I fell in love with the FMC, as she explores and experiments through what was all set to be a boring summer. It ends up being anything but!
Wild Summers is a fun, exciting, exhilarating yet tender coming of age story
I fell in love with the FMC, as she explores and experiments through what was all set to be a boring summer. It ends up being anything but!
August 21, 2026
A standout of 2026 which I’ll remember for a long time. This story is so immersive you won’t want to ever leave the Summers family. Cassie has created such real characters and brings them to life through her beautifully descriptive writing.
I felt that Cassie really caught the essence of what so many people and families were going through during that late-60s era and captured it fantastically. The strict expectations within a family home, but a world progressing and experimenting outside of that - and this is where the Summers Family story gets caught up.
Joan is an outsider from her peers and she’s never found connection through school friends. She’s isolated and feels trapped by her parent’s expectations of her. But when her new neighbour Minty becomes the first person to accept her and introduce her to her ‘group’, Joan finds herself in a world so far removed from the one she knows.
Interestingly, I liked exploring how despite this being a new world for her, she becomes desensitised really quickly to the way these people live and the casual drug-taking which is worlds apart from her norm. I think it shows just how accepting and kind Joan is as a person, but also how much she just wanted to feel apart of something and be accepted. It’s a really interesting concept to explore.
It would be easy to write the people on the island off as troublemakers or drug-takers as many people of that time would have - but they’ve got sad stories and backgrounds that have bought them here. I loved the way Cassie could explore their backgrounds and humanise these people a little more. Some you’ll love - Some you won’t! But ultimately, their acceptance of Joan warmed my heart.
Cassie’s writing is so brilliantly descriptive - I could visualise these houses, the island, the hotel and everything in between so well. I was enchanted by it.
I loved how I never knew where the direction of the story was going. Unlike other genres where you know the villain will get caught, or the couple finally get together in the end, this story could go anywhere. It’s an investment into a family and how they’re growing as people within a changing world. I was just so invested in this story and couldn’t wait to see what Cassie had prepared in the next chapter.
Marilyn’s story was also another interesting one to explore and one that still isn’t out of place today. I think many women might relate to Marilyn in some ways.
I could rattle on and on - but I’ve gotta wrap this up! Ultimately, this is an immersive and fantastic story about the Summers’ Family and their growth during the late 60’s when everything is changing.
P.S, I want Hannah Waddingham to play Val in a screen-adaptation of this!
I felt that Cassie really caught the essence of what so many people and families were going through during that late-60s era and captured it fantastically. The strict expectations within a family home, but a world progressing and experimenting outside of that - and this is where the Summers Family story gets caught up.
Joan is an outsider from her peers and she’s never found connection through school friends. She’s isolated and feels trapped by her parent’s expectations of her. But when her new neighbour Minty becomes the first person to accept her and introduce her to her ‘group’, Joan finds herself in a world so far removed from the one she knows.
Interestingly, I liked exploring how despite this being a new world for her, she becomes desensitised really quickly to the way these people live and the casual drug-taking which is worlds apart from her norm. I think it shows just how accepting and kind Joan is as a person, but also how much she just wanted to feel apart of something and be accepted. It’s a really interesting concept to explore.
It would be easy to write the people on the island off as troublemakers or drug-takers as many people of that time would have - but they’ve got sad stories and backgrounds that have bought them here. I loved the way Cassie could explore their backgrounds and humanise these people a little more. Some you’ll love - Some you won’t! But ultimately, their acceptance of Joan warmed my heart.
Cassie’s writing is so brilliantly descriptive - I could visualise these houses, the island, the hotel and everything in between so well. I was enchanted by it.
I loved how I never knew where the direction of the story was going. Unlike other genres where you know the villain will get caught, or the couple finally get together in the end, this story could go anywhere. It’s an investment into a family and how they’re growing as people within a changing world. I was just so invested in this story and couldn’t wait to see what Cassie had prepared in the next chapter.
Marilyn’s story was also another interesting one to explore and one that still isn’t out of place today. I think many women might relate to Marilyn in some ways.
I could rattle on and on - but I’ve gotta wrap this up! Ultimately, this is an immersive and fantastic story about the Summers’ Family and their growth during the late 60’s when everything is changing.
P.S, I want Hannah Waddingham to play Val in a screen-adaptation of this!
August 18, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed this one! I definitely had a bit of a hard time getting into it at first. There were so many characters and I struggled to really picture the setting in my head, so it took me a while to feel like I was fully into the story. But around the halfway point it really picked up and I started getting much more into it. Overall, I liked it and I’m glad I stuck with it!
August 25, 2026
Evocative and heartfelt. It took me back to the exhilaration and the pain of a first love, the first taste of freedom and the realisation that nothing can ever stay the same. Beautifully crafted, Wild Summers fully deserves 5 stars
August 21, 2026
★★★★½
Wild Summers by Cassie Steward
Sometimes, a simple, sweet story is exactly what you want and need. Wild Summers is a beautiful coming-of-age story about friendship, family, love, belonging, and finding your place in the world and I really enjoyed every minute of it.
I’m much more likely to reach for a thriller or something fast-paced I’ve found recently as my attention can wander, but Wild Summers completely held my attention. I became absorbed in the story, really liked the characters, and found myself genuinely invested in where their journeys would take them. There’s something wonderfully comforting about a story that doesn’t need twists and high stakes to keep you turning the pages. The nostalgia, longing to belong, first love, friends you make in your early years that you feel are your whole world and always will be is all right here in the pages of this story.
I’m a big fan of Cassie’s other book, Number Thirty-Two, so I was especially excited to pick up her new novel, and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint in any way. The writing is lovely, the story is beautiful, and there’s a warmth and emotional honesty to it that really stayed with me. I found it moving without ever feeling overdone, and I absolutely loved my time with these characters.
Wild Summers is the kind of book that reminds you that stories don’t always have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes all you need is a heartfelt story about people trying to figure themselves out, where they belong, and what really matters.
A lovely, tender and beautifully written read, and one I really didn’t want to put down. ❤️
Wild Summers by Cassie Steward
Sometimes, a simple, sweet story is exactly what you want and need. Wild Summers is a beautiful coming-of-age story about friendship, family, love, belonging, and finding your place in the world and I really enjoyed every minute of it.
I’m much more likely to reach for a thriller or something fast-paced I’ve found recently as my attention can wander, but Wild Summers completely held my attention. I became absorbed in the story, really liked the characters, and found myself genuinely invested in where their journeys would take them. There’s something wonderfully comforting about a story that doesn’t need twists and high stakes to keep you turning the pages. The nostalgia, longing to belong, first love, friends you make in your early years that you feel are your whole world and always will be is all right here in the pages of this story.
I’m a big fan of Cassie’s other book, Number Thirty-Two, so I was especially excited to pick up her new novel, and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint in any way. The writing is lovely, the story is beautiful, and there’s a warmth and emotional honesty to it that really stayed with me. I found it moving without ever feeling overdone, and I absolutely loved my time with these characters.
Wild Summers is the kind of book that reminds you that stories don’t always have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes all you need is a heartfelt story about people trying to figure themselves out, where they belong, and what really matters.
A lovely, tender and beautifully written read, and one I really didn’t want to put down. ❤️
August 17, 2026
Wild Summers is not the sort of book I would normally read, but I know Cassie Steward a little as a fellow author on TikTok and it's also a book that lots of people were talking about as it came out. So I thought I'd give it a go.
What stood out for me was the quality of the creative writing. Such rich metaphors that weren't gratuitous but really set the scene and felt in sympathy with the era the book is set in.
I also felt the moral issues covered in the book we're well thought out - recognising that many such issues are not straightforward. In particular, the recognition that many of those who may have been seen as hippie freeloaders often had a traumatic past or danger they were escaping from. It made me think of asylum seekers today, particularly as the community were squatting in an old hotel.
Joan was a likeable character with depth, and a good person through whom to tell the story. I also appreciated the glimmers of love that she had for her family, despite all the problems. Particularly her relationship with her dad and her siblings.
There were places where I thought the story could have moved on a bit more quickly, but overall an enjoyable, well written book which I enjoyed more than Number Thirty-two, not to say that was bad.
What stood out for me was the quality of the creative writing. Such rich metaphors that weren't gratuitous but really set the scene and felt in sympathy with the era the book is set in.
I also felt the moral issues covered in the book we're well thought out - recognising that many such issues are not straightforward. In particular, the recognition that many of those who may have been seen as hippie freeloaders often had a traumatic past or danger they were escaping from. It made me think of asylum seekers today, particularly as the community were squatting in an old hotel.
Joan was a likeable character with depth, and a good person through whom to tell the story. I also appreciated the glimmers of love that she had for her family, despite all the problems. Particularly her relationship with her dad and her siblings.
There were places where I thought the story could have moved on a bit more quickly, but overall an enjoyable, well written book which I enjoyed more than Number Thirty-two, not to say that was bad.
July 5, 2026
Cassie has done it again!!!
I was so lucky to receive an ARC of Cassie’s second novel. It is completely different to Number 32 but equally as brilliantly immersive.
The characters, the setting, the descriptive writing completely blew me away. I was 100% on Eel Pie Island with Joan, the middle child of a well to do family.
Joan was gearing up for another boring summer, in the shadow of her stunning older sister and annoying younger brother.
This is a fantastic coming of age story set in London, where the youth revolution is sweeping through. If you enjoy historical fiction and want to immerse yourself in life as a teenager in 1969 London, you will love this!!
This is a book that needs to be on everyone’s summer TBR list!!!
If you enjoyed, books like Chloe Michelle Howarth’s Sunburn, and Emma Cline’s The Girls then you will love this one.
Wild Summers is funny, tender, tense and everything else in between I bloody loved it 🥰
I was so lucky to receive an ARC of Cassie’s second novel. It is completely different to Number 32 but equally as brilliantly immersive.
The characters, the setting, the descriptive writing completely blew me away. I was 100% on Eel Pie Island with Joan, the middle child of a well to do family.
Joan was gearing up for another boring summer, in the shadow of her stunning older sister and annoying younger brother.
This is a fantastic coming of age story set in London, where the youth revolution is sweeping through. If you enjoy historical fiction and want to immerse yourself in life as a teenager in 1969 London, you will love this!!
This is a book that needs to be on everyone’s summer TBR list!!!
If you enjoyed, books like Chloe Michelle Howarth’s Sunburn, and Emma Cline’s The Girls then you will love this one.
Wild Summers is funny, tender, tense and everything else in between I bloody loved it 🥰
July 17, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wild Summers by Cassie Steward is the perfect summer escape—heartwarming, emotional, and utterly impossible to put down.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the beautiful setting and completely invested in the characters
Cassie Steward captures the magic of this new found summer perfectly, weaving together romance, self discovery, friendship, and the courage to take chances. The writing is warm and immersive, making it easy to lose yourself in the story and feel as though you’re right there alongside the characters.
This is the kind of book that leaves you smiling long after you’ve turned the final page. If you’re looking for a feel good romance with depth, charm, and unforgettable characters, Wild Summers is a must read.
A wonderful five-star read that I would happily recommend to anyone xx
Wild Summers by Cassie Steward is the perfect summer escape—heartwarming, emotional, and utterly impossible to put down.
From the very first page, I was drawn into the beautiful setting and completely invested in the characters
Cassie Steward captures the magic of this new found summer perfectly, weaving together romance, self discovery, friendship, and the courage to take chances. The writing is warm and immersive, making it easy to lose yourself in the story and feel as though you’re right there alongside the characters.
This is the kind of book that leaves you smiling long after you’ve turned the final page. If you’re looking for a feel good romance with depth, charm, and unforgettable characters, Wild Summers is a must read.
A wonderful five-star read that I would happily recommend to anyone xx
August 10, 2026
Cassie steward does it again! It might have taken her 4 years of self doubt but she did it.
I absolutely loved this book, the characters were so well written and made the book what it was.
I especially found weed, Joan and minty to be my favourite. I hated a few characters (if you’ve read the book then you probably hated them too)
I was so captured by the description of eel pie island that I googled it to see pictures. I would absolutely recommend this book and Cassie’s first book number thirty two (not related to this book)
I am desperately hoping that cassie’s 3rd book brings backs some of the wonderful characters from this book. I would love to see what happens to them.
Thank you cassie for such a wonderful book. I’m sad it has come to an end but I’m looking forward to the next one (no pressure)
I absolutely loved this book, the characters were so well written and made the book what it was.
I especially found weed, Joan and minty to be my favourite. I hated a few characters (if you’ve read the book then you probably hated them too)
I was so captured by the description of eel pie island that I googled it to see pictures. I would absolutely recommend this book and Cassie’s first book number thirty two (not related to this book)
I am desperately hoping that cassie’s 3rd book brings backs some of the wonderful characters from this book. I would love to see what happens to them.
Thank you cassie for such a wonderful book. I’m sad it has come to an end but I’m looking forward to the next one (no pressure)
August 2, 2026
This book had all the vibes of the era. I actually felt like I was there with the characters and felt fully immersed in the world.
The characters were just so beautifully written and it almost felt like they were real people and getting to grips with the dynamics of the characters and also their growth. I loved following Joan throughout the story and watching as she changes and grows into someone so much different than how she started but in the best possible way.I think these characters will stay with me for a long time.
I would definitely recommend this book if you want some '60s vibes and also just the best character journeys
The characters were just so beautifully written and it almost felt like they were real people and getting to grips with the dynamics of the characters and also their growth. I loved following Joan throughout the story and watching as she changes and grows into someone so much different than how she started but in the best possible way.I think these characters will stay with me for a long time.
I would definitely recommend this book if you want some '60s vibes and also just the best character journeys
August 13, 2026
What a fantastic book!! I loved this book from start to finish! Couldn’t put it down! So Beautifully and expertly written that you feel like you are witnessing it all firsthand. Wonderful setting and characters. Very talented writer and one of the best books I have read so far!
One million percent recommend- the winning book of 2026- as featured in vogue magazine. Perfection
One million percent recommend- the winning book of 2026- as featured in vogue magazine. Perfection
August 28, 2026
🌸 Wild Summer by Cassie Steward 🌸
Such a lovely, feel-good read! 💕 I really enjoyed the characters and the summery atmosphere. It was an easy, enjoyable story that made me smile and was perfect for escaping into for a little while.
Heartwarming, fun and full of those cosy summer vibes. ☀️📚 Definitely a book I’d recommend if you’re looking for something light and enjoyable! 🫶
Such a lovely, feel-good read! 💕 I really enjoyed the characters and the summery atmosphere. It was an easy, enjoyable story that made me smile and was perfect for escaping into for a little while.
Heartwarming, fun and full of those cosy summer vibes. ☀️📚 Definitely a book I’d recommend if you’re looking for something light and enjoyable! 🫶
August 1, 2026
Another amazing story from Cassie Stewart. Full of descriptive characters and twists you just never see coming!!
August 17, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. I found the research thorough and the story relatable. I live close to Eel Pie Island so very much enjoyed the description of the area. Looking forward to more from Cassie Steward and hope to hear more about these characters in future xx
August 11, 2026
I loved this perfect summer read. I was transported back to 1969 and all its nostalgia. It’s an evocative and immersive read that takes you over to Eel Pie island and doesn’t let you go. Excellent second novel.
July 15, 2026
Review to come in The Bookish Drop newsletter 🩵
August 3, 2026
Loved this book, rich characters, good story. One of those books that will stay with me.
August 29, 2026
I have a personal interest in Cassie's latest novel, as she based a lot of it on my memoir Eel Pie Island Dharma. It's impressive how vividly her imagination recreates that heady time in the summer of 1969 when the world was undergoing the cultural upheaval of Beatlemania and hippiedom.
Her main character, seventeen year old Joan Summers, is experiencing a boring summer break as a disaffected upper middle class teen in Twickenham. Then the heady ferment of the sixties moves next door in the person of a rising young rock star. Her older sister is the cool one who attracts his attention, while nerdy Joan remains in her sister's shadow. A visit across the footbridge to mythical Eel Pie Island and the inhabitants of its abandoned hotel's hippie squatters causes a change in Joan's perspective. The unexpected friendliness of the bohemian gaggle of young people living in the ruined hotel cause Joan's life to change in directions she has never imagined.
This is the second novel acknowledging the influence of my memoir. The first was by the very established writer Hari Kunzru. His second novel, My Revolutions, also used the atmospheric and cultural turmoil described in EPID. Hari has gone on to establish himself on the A list of British authors, and it is my belief that Cassie Steward's book is at least the equal of his novel. I find her characterizations more believable and fully rounded out than Kunzru's, and her plotting more interesting and credible. Not to knock Hari whose literary credentials are secure, but to show how accomplished Cassie Steward's writing is.
In Canada where I worked as a librarian, Wild Summers would be classified as a Young Adult (YA) book. I believe it is one of the more important books in the YA canon, perhaps the equivalent of teen classics like The Outsiders or The Catcher in the Rye. I believe Wild Summers will help Cassie achieve the sales to also establish her as a financially successful writer. But I also believe Wild Summers has the potential to become a teen classic. Reviewers, librarians and book shop owners
pay attention to this brilliant and absorbing novel. Written with young people in mind, adults who remember their teen angst will enjoy this as much or more than their kids and grand kids. Harry Potter and Stephen King teen territory is be being invaded!
Her main character, seventeen year old Joan Summers, is experiencing a boring summer break as a disaffected upper middle class teen in Twickenham. Then the heady ferment of the sixties moves next door in the person of a rising young rock star. Her older sister is the cool one who attracts his attention, while nerdy Joan remains in her sister's shadow. A visit across the footbridge to mythical Eel Pie Island and the inhabitants of its abandoned hotel's hippie squatters causes a change in Joan's perspective. The unexpected friendliness of the bohemian gaggle of young people living in the ruined hotel cause Joan's life to change in directions she has never imagined.
This is the second novel acknowledging the influence of my memoir. The first was by the very established writer Hari Kunzru. His second novel, My Revolutions, also used the atmospheric and cultural turmoil described in EPID. Hari has gone on to establish himself on the A list of British authors, and it is my belief that Cassie Steward's book is at least the equal of his novel. I find her characterizations more believable and fully rounded out than Kunzru's, and her plotting more interesting and credible. Not to knock Hari whose literary credentials are secure, but to show how accomplished Cassie Steward's writing is.
In Canada where I worked as a librarian, Wild Summers would be classified as a Young Adult (YA) book. I believe it is one of the more important books in the YA canon, perhaps the equivalent of teen classics like The Outsiders or The Catcher in the Rye. I believe Wild Summers will help Cassie achieve the sales to also establish her as a financially successful writer. But I also believe Wild Summers has the potential to become a teen classic. Reviewers, librarians and book shop owners
pay attention to this brilliant and absorbing novel. Written with young people in mind, adults who remember their teen angst will enjoy this as much or more than their kids and grand kids. Harry Potter and Stephen King teen territory is be being invaded!
August 28, 2026
Wild Summers by Cassie Steward completely stole my heart from the very first page and easily earned a spot as one of my favourite reads of the year! It is super rare to find a book that captures that raw, nostalgic feeling of youth and deep connection so effortlessly, but Cassie just nailed it.
The story builds into a wild crescendo of psychedelic free love and complete page-turning suspense packed with surprising twists, balancing moments that are deeply heartbreaking with ones that are completely heartwarming. Set against a rich 1960s backdrop, it brilliantly captures the true pulse of the era—the music, the freedom, and the warmth, right alongside the flaws, pressure, and harder realities of the time.
The characters feel so real—like old friends you've known for years, while the villains of the story are utterly vindictive and hateful. Cassie's writing is warm, vivid, and deeply personal, painting scenes of sun-soaked days and meaningful moments that totally pull you in.
It's an unforgettable story about love, growing up, and those summer moments that change you forever. If you want a book that will make you feel everything and stay with you long after you turn the last page, do not sleep on this one. An easy, undeniable 5 stars!
The story builds into a wild crescendo of psychedelic free love and complete page-turning suspense packed with surprising twists, balancing moments that are deeply heartbreaking with ones that are completely heartwarming. Set against a rich 1960s backdrop, it brilliantly captures the true pulse of the era—the music, the freedom, and the warmth, right alongside the flaws, pressure, and harder realities of the time.
The characters feel so real—like old friends you've known for years, while the villains of the story are utterly vindictive and hateful. Cassie's writing is warm, vivid, and deeply personal, painting scenes of sun-soaked days and meaningful moments that totally pull you in.
It's an unforgettable story about love, growing up, and those summer moments that change you forever. If you want a book that will make you feel everything and stay with you long after you turn the last page, do not sleep on this one. An easy, undeniable 5 stars!
August 28, 2026
There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about Wild Summers, a real book of ages. Cassie Steward captures that strange, intoxicating period of being young enough to feel invincible but old enough to realise that every choice is starting to matter.
Told through the eyes of Joan Summer, her journey is messy in all the right ways, but, I liked that the book didn’t romanticise growing up too much.
The freedom, music, friendships and first loves are balanced against family tensions and the inevitable consequences of chasing that freedom.
The real strength for me was the atmosphere. 1969 feels alive here—gritty, rebellious, bohemian and just a little dangerous. I could practically feel the summer heat and hear the music drifting through the pages. Eel Pie Island, wow!
At times, the pace did drag slightly in places, and I didn’t quite connect equally with every character, but there was enough heart here to make those flaws easy to forgive.
Overall: A bittersweet, atmospheric coming-of-age story that left me with that slightly melancholy feeling of a summer you know you’ll never get back.
Told through the eyes of Joan Summer, her journey is messy in all the right ways, but, I liked that the book didn’t romanticise growing up too much.
The freedom, music, friendships and first loves are balanced against family tensions and the inevitable consequences of chasing that freedom.
The real strength for me was the atmosphere. 1969 feels alive here—gritty, rebellious, bohemian and just a little dangerous. I could practically feel the summer heat and hear the music drifting through the pages. Eel Pie Island, wow!
At times, the pace did drag slightly in places, and I didn’t quite connect equally with every character, but there was enough heart here to make those flaws easy to forgive.
Overall: A bittersweet, atmospheric coming-of-age story that left me with that slightly melancholy feeling of a summer you know you’ll never get back.
August 9, 2026
4.25.
This was a brilliant coming of age story, set in a fantastic location, and with some great characters. The imagery was brilliant at times; I loved the scenes in the hot sweaty dance hall, watching live music, that evoked some really great memories for me.
There was elements of the story that were very familiar and done very well and I love that it was set somewhere real, with a real history. I also thought it explored parenting, relationships, and teenage angst really well, especially how things were in the 60s.
Where it didn’t quite win me over was with the pacing. It felt somewhat drawn out and then rushed towards the end. I think it could have been reduced down by 100 pages or so. I also think the 60s setting wasn't showcased enough and without a few key references, I'm not sure I would have known it was set then.
But I really did have a good time getting to know Joan and her friends. It was well written and a solid story. I'd love to see more from these characters.
This was a brilliant coming of age story, set in a fantastic location, and with some great characters. The imagery was brilliant at times; I loved the scenes in the hot sweaty dance hall, watching live music, that evoked some really great memories for me.
There was elements of the story that were very familiar and done very well and I love that it was set somewhere real, with a real history. I also thought it explored parenting, relationships, and teenage angst really well, especially how things were in the 60s.
Where it didn’t quite win me over was with the pacing. It felt somewhat drawn out and then rushed towards the end. I think it could have been reduced down by 100 pages or so. I also think the 60s setting wasn't showcased enough and without a few key references, I'm not sure I would have known it was set then.
But I really did have a good time getting to know Joan and her friends. It was well written and a solid story. I'd love to see more from these characters.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Now where is the option for more than 5 stars? Wild Summers is the second novel by Cassie Steward and I absolutely loved it. A coming of age story with family secrets (what family doesn’t have those) set in 1969 where we meet Joan Summers. Joan is a 17 year old middle child trying to make sense of herself and the world. A new family moves in next door and her life will never be the same again, especially when she first steps foot on Eel Pie Island.
Cassie has a way with words and I felt every single word. I feel as though I’ve visited the island myself with Cassie’s descriptive writing. This is without a doubt the perfect summer read. Add it now to your TBR!
Now where is the option for more than 5 stars? Wild Summers is the second novel by Cassie Steward and I absolutely loved it. A coming of age story with family secrets (what family doesn’t have those) set in 1969 where we meet Joan Summers. Joan is a 17 year old middle child trying to make sense of herself and the world. A new family moves in next door and her life will never be the same again, especially when she first steps foot on Eel Pie Island.
Cassie has a way with words and I felt every single word. I feel as though I’ve visited the island myself with Cassie’s descriptive writing. This is without a doubt the perfect summer read. Add it now to your TBR!
August 29, 2026
This is an historical fiction set in the 60’s when young people were navigating the free movement era.
You follow Joan, a socially awkward, intelligent young lady who finds acceptance and friendship in a commune of squatters who have taken residence in an abandoned hotel on an island in the middle of the Thames.
This book is beautifully written and delivers in a similar way to a Kristin Hannah or a Taylor Jenkins Read, in that you find yourself totally immersed in a different time and place with characters that spring to life. The story covers love and friendships but navigates trauma and Family dynamics and loyalty and will have you hooked…don’t wait for next summer, grab a copy now x
You follow Joan, a socially awkward, intelligent young lady who finds acceptance and friendship in a commune of squatters who have taken residence in an abandoned hotel on an island in the middle of the Thames.
This book is beautifully written and delivers in a similar way to a Kristin Hannah or a Taylor Jenkins Read, in that you find yourself totally immersed in a different time and place with characters that spring to life. The story covers love and friendships but navigates trauma and Family dynamics and loyalty and will have you hooked…don’t wait for next summer, grab a copy now x
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is going to be a complete hit this summer! This is another amazing read by Cassie Steward, a unique plot filled with stand out characters, and added twists along the way. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
August 16, 2026
Very enjoyable
August 28, 2026
I wasn't sure about this when I went into it but I was absolutely hooked I loved it 😍 Amazing story and Amazing Characters 😍
August 30, 2026
Wow!! Cassie has done it again!! Her amazingly talented which just imerses you into the world she has created, leaves you invested in the characters and wanting to know thier story. This has left me wanting so much more from these characters and this world. Such a beautiful and captivating story.
August 5, 2026
This started off well but I soon grew bored. I should have DNFd it but stubborn as I am I continued. Shame I didn’t like it as I loved the previous novel.
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