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Summer at Bluebell Bank
‘This book had me captivated from the start…a really great read.’ The Reading Shed
Returning home is never smooth sailing…
Summoned by her childhood best friend, Kate Vincent doesn’t stop to think. Instead she books at one-way ticket from New York back to Wigtown, Scotland, leaving her glittering new life behind. Scenes of idyllic holidays at Bluebell Bank with the Cotton family dance in her mind, but not everything has stayed the way it once was… Especially when her first love, Luke, returns to town.
Emily Cotton never expected one email, sent off in a wine-fuelled daze, to bring her old friend barrelling through the front door of her dismally failing bookshop. But life for the Cottons isn’t what it once was; Emily’s brothers are hardly speaking, her beloved grandmother isn’t quite the same and Emily…well, Emily is the one most in need of Kate’s help.
Kate has given herself until the end of the summer to stay in Wigtown. Can she bring the Cottons back together, and save the family who once saved her?
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2017
150 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 30, 2017
Sometimes you need an easy, uplifting read and this is why I was drawn to this book.
Not only did it not disappoint, but in the end it offered much more than that.
Family, friendship, loss, healing, memories of the past and promises of the future, (re)discovering home and one's self and all that entangles come together in this beautiful, heart-warming story that unfolds in the charming place of Wigtown, the city famous for its bookstores completed by the surrounding traditional, wild Scottish countryside and sea shores.
I would recommend this to fans of women's fiction as it's an enjoyable, relaxing and refreshing read.
**I received a free ARC of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Not only did it not disappoint, but in the end it offered much more than that.
Family, friendship, loss, healing, memories of the past and promises of the future, (re)discovering home and one's self and all that entangles come together in this beautiful, heart-warming story that unfolds in the charming place of Wigtown, the city famous for its bookstores completed by the surrounding traditional, wild Scottish countryside and sea shores.
I would recommend this to fans of women's fiction as it's an enjoyable, relaxing and refreshing read.
**I received a free ARC of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
August 8, 2017
I’ve had some wonderful debut releases this year, so I was hoping Jen Mouat would carry on with that trend, and I have to say I was not disappointed. Not one to throw around comparisons to other authors, Mouat’s writing and storytelling does carry some of the heart, tone and emotional impact that the earlier works from Maeve Bnichy brought me: and yet there is an original take on a familiar theme: going home, finding a new path, forgiveness and growth that just resonates through this story in all the best ways.
From detailed and well-developed characters that could be your neighbor, sister, friend or even nemesis, Mouat fills the story with ambience and life, bringing unexpected twists, situations and choices that draw the reader in, struggling and empathizing right along with the characters. Kate and Emily epitomize a friendship that is closer than sisters, where you not only gain strength from one another, but neither is afraid to speak out before (or after) a bad choice.
A summer is never long enough to solve every issue, but Mouat uses key moments, daring choices and several unexpected twists to push, pull and prod the characters in new directions, stretching their own expectations and challenging their comfort in doing things as they always have been done because it is comfortable and known. Sweetly affirming, the ease with which the story unfolds draws readers in, and following Kate as she quietly (or not so) moves to recapture the sense of family she felt in Emily’s home during that one summer will leave you believing that with enough desire, determination and love – you can go home again and make things much better than you ever imagined.
A wonderful debut offering that is full of emotion, engaging and redolent of the seaside, a quiet bookshop and family: family is forever and this book shows just how wonderful forever can be.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
From detailed and well-developed characters that could be your neighbor, sister, friend or even nemesis, Mouat fills the story with ambience and life, bringing unexpected twists, situations and choices that draw the reader in, struggling and empathizing right along with the characters. Kate and Emily epitomize a friendship that is closer than sisters, where you not only gain strength from one another, but neither is afraid to speak out before (or after) a bad choice.
A summer is never long enough to solve every issue, but Mouat uses key moments, daring choices and several unexpected twists to push, pull and prod the characters in new directions, stretching their own expectations and challenging their comfort in doing things as they always have been done because it is comfortable and known. Sweetly affirming, the ease with which the story unfolds draws readers in, and following Kate as she quietly (or not so) moves to recapture the sense of family she felt in Emily’s home during that one summer will leave you believing that with enough desire, determination and love – you can go home again and make things much better than you ever imagined.
A wonderful debut offering that is full of emotion, engaging and redolent of the seaside, a quiet bookshop and family: family is forever and this book shows just how wonderful forever can be.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
August 6, 2017
I was looking through my TBR for something nice, light and easy to read and came across the début novel from Jen Mouat - Summer at Bluebell Bank. To be honest I had completely forgotten I had it waiting to be read and really it was the bright summery cover that made me think this was the read I was looking for. Something not too taxing but with a nice message none the less. I glanced through the blurb and it sounded like a good read, the fact that it had a bookshop in the story made me want to choose it even more. Well, I wasn't one bit disappointed in my choice as this proved to be an excellent read and a highly impressive début that made me think why is it now we are only hearing from this author?
Don't be mislead by the cover that this is a run of the mill chick-lit read as you would be disappointed to miss out on this one. It's far from the boy meets girl story, it had so much depth to it which really surprised me and the standard of the writing was phenomenal. The author really got inside her characters heads and because the writing was so detailed and emotional I felt as a reader I did the same. The author managed to weave in several topical issues around the main strand of the story -that of the attempts of Kate and Emily to rekindle their friendship. In many other books I have often felt the author was throwing in little sub plots just to take up space and make things slightly controversial and it feels very contrived. Here the author did this but it wasn't page filling and I felt they combined very well with the overall storyline.
Summer at Bluebell Bank opens as Kate Vincent returns to Wigtown in Scotland after an absence of six years. She would much prefer to be back in America getting on with her advertising job rather than entering a musty old bookshop to meet a friend she had ran away from so many years ago. But Kate is a prime example of, if someone gets in contact with you and is in desperate need no matter what has happened before, you will always come running to help. Kate received a drunken email from her friend Emily Cotton, basically a cry for help. She has bought a bookshop but is floundering and doesn't know what to do with it to bring it back to life and start making some money. The only problem is Kate and Emily haven't spoken in so long and given they were the best of friends and lived in each other's pockets it's brave on both women’s parts to reopen the lines of communication.
Instantly I wanted to know what had happened to make the pair cease all communication. I knew I wasn't going to to get answers all that easily and the pace of discovery of their back story was a joy to read. The author moved back and forth between the present and also offered glimpses into their teenage years and how Kate and Emily came to be almost like sisters, yet something tore them apart. But the reader can sense that this could be the turning point, that the two wish to re-establish their friendship. The fact they have made the first steps in a tentative reunion can only be a good thing.
Kate is soon on board with plenty of ideas to help Emily get the bookshop up and running. Emily had been stalling for so long and her family were worried about her. She was at a loss and to be honest I thought she was an emotional wreck and very vulnerable, that any little thing would set her off. Basically she wasn't coping very well and as she slowly reveals some of her story, it made much more sense to me and I completely understood the way she was and why she was in the position she found herself in. With the return of Kate maybe memories could be resurrected, good times and bad and old ghosts and secrets put to rest.
I had initially thought the focus would solely be on the bookshop and god I love nothing than a good old story based on books and bookshops but instead it was a mere starting point and a focus at times at various times throughout the book. Normally I would be disappointed the bookshop wasn't getting enough attention but I wasn't here at all and that's down to the amazing writing from the author where every word was carefully chosen, every sentence so artfully constructed and such attention and care given to each character and their storyline and the range of emotions and situations they were dealing with and experiencing. I found myself completely drawn into the story just like Kate was once again drawn back into the embrace of the Cotton family. A family who meant so very much to her in the past, who took in her during holidays and offered her stability, comfort, hope, protection and love when it was so sorely lacking in her own home.
Kate had a business head on her and was practical regarding every aspect of her life where it seemed to me initially that Emily partly had her head in the clouds yet on other occasions she exposed her fragility and lack of confidence. Kate hopes to start afresh and that everything at Bluebell Bank – the house where Lena, Emily's grandmother lives, will have remain unchanged. The Cotton family and Lena were there for Kate when she needed support the most and now that she is back to confront old demons and help Emily too she wishes that everything has remained the same that the fond memories she has were not just made up in her head.
I thought Kate was bit foolish to expect to return and that time had more or less stalled in her absence. Life moves on at a fast pace on a daily basis and she was silly to expect people to be there waiting for her or that their feelings hadn't changed or that they hadn’t moved on with their lives. It's disconcerting for Kate to see Lena whom she loved so deeply declining with Alzheimers and now Emily is left to look after her. The brothers Dan, Ally, Fergus and Noah have all grown and moved on with their lives. I think Kate needed to be more realistic with her expectations and also more willing to accept what people were trying to say to her. She was very stubborn most of the time and she found forgiveness very hard to dish out. Kate was looking for redemption with Emily, to go back to more happier times, to start afresh, to retrace their steps and get everything out in the open but after everything they have been through and with Emily in a precarious state will the path to the end be smooth sailing?
Love in all its various forms plays a crucial role throughout the story, be it the love between close friends, the love a family has for each other or the love between a man and a woman. Love in fact is one of the main problems Emily and Kate have and if they can't resolve their issues and put the past to bed there will be no way of moving forward. Regarding Kate's situation I became very frustrated with her and at some points I started to dislike her and then within a few chapters I liked her again. That's the sign of a good author making you change your feelings and opinions of characters several times over all within a few chapters. I couldn't fathom how her heart and mind stirred up such feelings for certain characters when with one it should have been a no-go zone entirely despite their shared history. Kate's story was complex and riveting, I never knew how it would all end but I knew as the book progressed she wasn’t going down without a fight. In the same way Emily wasn't as strong she too began a slow transformation but she had a lot to get through before she could see any glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel
I'm glad this book wasn't all sweetness and light and plain sailing with everything virtually handed to the characters on a plate and everything wrapped up quickly. Instead Kate and Emily had an emotional struggle to right the wrongs both had done. The various minor characters had their own battles to deal with too and all were handled with such tact as we journeyed with them to bring things out in the open. Things that had been suppressed for too long. The only minor criticism I have is that I felt the middle part of the book dragged on a bit with not much happening before the latter quarter really ramped up the pace and became a real page turner with lots going on. Towards the end I thought there was a beautiful analogy that characters in books as in the books Emily loves to read so much, do not transform once the pages are closed you can return for comfort and reassurance. Kate was hoping returning to the Cottons would be like this but as each family member is coping with something one wondered throughout the book would she find the reassurance she so desperately sought?
I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent reading Summer at Bluebell Bank and I really got that thrill of discovering a new author and knowing that you will always look forward to reading whatever they write in the future. The story brought me on a journey with Emily and Kate and such compelling writing really transported the reader to the heart of the story. Don't let this brilliant read pass you by.
Don't be mislead by the cover that this is a run of the mill chick-lit read as you would be disappointed to miss out on this one. It's far from the boy meets girl story, it had so much depth to it which really surprised me and the standard of the writing was phenomenal. The author really got inside her characters heads and because the writing was so detailed and emotional I felt as a reader I did the same. The author managed to weave in several topical issues around the main strand of the story -that of the attempts of Kate and Emily to rekindle their friendship. In many other books I have often felt the author was throwing in little sub plots just to take up space and make things slightly controversial and it feels very contrived. Here the author did this but it wasn't page filling and I felt they combined very well with the overall storyline.
Summer at Bluebell Bank opens as Kate Vincent returns to Wigtown in Scotland after an absence of six years. She would much prefer to be back in America getting on with her advertising job rather than entering a musty old bookshop to meet a friend she had ran away from so many years ago. But Kate is a prime example of, if someone gets in contact with you and is in desperate need no matter what has happened before, you will always come running to help. Kate received a drunken email from her friend Emily Cotton, basically a cry for help. She has bought a bookshop but is floundering and doesn't know what to do with it to bring it back to life and start making some money. The only problem is Kate and Emily haven't spoken in so long and given they were the best of friends and lived in each other's pockets it's brave on both women’s parts to reopen the lines of communication.
Instantly I wanted to know what had happened to make the pair cease all communication. I knew I wasn't going to to get answers all that easily and the pace of discovery of their back story was a joy to read. The author moved back and forth between the present and also offered glimpses into their teenage years and how Kate and Emily came to be almost like sisters, yet something tore them apart. But the reader can sense that this could be the turning point, that the two wish to re-establish their friendship. The fact they have made the first steps in a tentative reunion can only be a good thing.
Kate is soon on board with plenty of ideas to help Emily get the bookshop up and running. Emily had been stalling for so long and her family were worried about her. She was at a loss and to be honest I thought she was an emotional wreck and very vulnerable, that any little thing would set her off. Basically she wasn't coping very well and as she slowly reveals some of her story, it made much more sense to me and I completely understood the way she was and why she was in the position she found herself in. With the return of Kate maybe memories could be resurrected, good times and bad and old ghosts and secrets put to rest.
I had initially thought the focus would solely be on the bookshop and god I love nothing than a good old story based on books and bookshops but instead it was a mere starting point and a focus at times at various times throughout the book. Normally I would be disappointed the bookshop wasn't getting enough attention but I wasn't here at all and that's down to the amazing writing from the author where every word was carefully chosen, every sentence so artfully constructed and such attention and care given to each character and their storyline and the range of emotions and situations they were dealing with and experiencing. I found myself completely drawn into the story just like Kate was once again drawn back into the embrace of the Cotton family. A family who meant so very much to her in the past, who took in her during holidays and offered her stability, comfort, hope, protection and love when it was so sorely lacking in her own home.
Kate had a business head on her and was practical regarding every aspect of her life where it seemed to me initially that Emily partly had her head in the clouds yet on other occasions she exposed her fragility and lack of confidence. Kate hopes to start afresh and that everything at Bluebell Bank – the house where Lena, Emily's grandmother lives, will have remain unchanged. The Cotton family and Lena were there for Kate when she needed support the most and now that she is back to confront old demons and help Emily too she wishes that everything has remained the same that the fond memories she has were not just made up in her head.
I thought Kate was bit foolish to expect to return and that time had more or less stalled in her absence. Life moves on at a fast pace on a daily basis and she was silly to expect people to be there waiting for her or that their feelings hadn't changed or that they hadn’t moved on with their lives. It's disconcerting for Kate to see Lena whom she loved so deeply declining with Alzheimers and now Emily is left to look after her. The brothers Dan, Ally, Fergus and Noah have all grown and moved on with their lives. I think Kate needed to be more realistic with her expectations and also more willing to accept what people were trying to say to her. She was very stubborn most of the time and she found forgiveness very hard to dish out. Kate was looking for redemption with Emily, to go back to more happier times, to start afresh, to retrace their steps and get everything out in the open but after everything they have been through and with Emily in a precarious state will the path to the end be smooth sailing?
Love in all its various forms plays a crucial role throughout the story, be it the love between close friends, the love a family has for each other or the love between a man and a woman. Love in fact is one of the main problems Emily and Kate have and if they can't resolve their issues and put the past to bed there will be no way of moving forward. Regarding Kate's situation I became very frustrated with her and at some points I started to dislike her and then within a few chapters I liked her again. That's the sign of a good author making you change your feelings and opinions of characters several times over all within a few chapters. I couldn't fathom how her heart and mind stirred up such feelings for certain characters when with one it should have been a no-go zone entirely despite their shared history. Kate's story was complex and riveting, I never knew how it would all end but I knew as the book progressed she wasn’t going down without a fight. In the same way Emily wasn't as strong she too began a slow transformation but she had a lot to get through before she could see any glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel
I'm glad this book wasn't all sweetness and light and plain sailing with everything virtually handed to the characters on a plate and everything wrapped up quickly. Instead Kate and Emily had an emotional struggle to right the wrongs both had done. The various minor characters had their own battles to deal with too and all were handled with such tact as we journeyed with them to bring things out in the open. Things that had been suppressed for too long. The only minor criticism I have is that I felt the middle part of the book dragged on a bit with not much happening before the latter quarter really ramped up the pace and became a real page turner with lots going on. Towards the end I thought there was a beautiful analogy that characters in books as in the books Emily loves to read so much, do not transform once the pages are closed you can return for comfort and reassurance. Kate was hoping returning to the Cottons would be like this but as each family member is coping with something one wondered throughout the book would she find the reassurance she so desperately sought?
I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent reading Summer at Bluebell Bank and I really got that thrill of discovering a new author and knowing that you will always look forward to reading whatever they write in the future. The story brought me on a journey with Emily and Kate and such compelling writing really transported the reader to the heart of the story. Don't let this brilliant read pass you by.
June 5, 2018
This book follows the reunion of two long term friend as they remodel a bookshop in Wigtown. It sounded nice because I love books and Scotland! However, the story fell short. It was much more depressing than the cover made it out to be. I expected a nice wee romance with friendship in the middle, but it was very dramatic. The problem was that a lot of it was teenage drama so seemed a bit trivial too.
*This book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – all opinions are my own.*
*This book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review – all opinions are my own.*
October 4, 2017
Family, friendship, love, loss, memories, (re)building life, possible future, and books. This was a light and yet not flossy read.
October 11, 2017
Three and a half stars
I see this is billed as a charming romance, I must have read a slightly different book to that reviewer!
Kate Vincent is living the dream in New York, a flashy job in advertising, a wealthy boyfriend and evenings filled with dinners with friends. Then an email arrives from her best friend Emily, a best friend she has neither seen or spoken to in years, begging her to come back to Scotland, back to Galloway and the house where they spent so much of their childhood, Bluebell Bank.
Emily Cotton and her large family were the mainstay of Kate’s life, the security and love for a young girl whose mother found comfort in the bottle and her unsuitable boyfriends. Emily and her brothers Dab, Alastair, Noah and Fergus together with their parents Jonathan and Melanie and their grandmother Lena looked after that sad, frightened little girl and nursed her broken heart when her first love, Luke, broke her heart into a million pieces.
When Kate returns to Scotland she finds that things are very different now. Emily is divorced, depressed and has bought a barn which she intends to turn into a book shop, but has yet to do anything more that sit and read books in the cavernous space. Lena has Alzheimer’s and can’t be left unsupervised for long. Noah was expelled from school for crimes as yet unknown, Fergus is in Australia, Ally is in Edinburgh and Dan is married with a baby on the way. Everyone has secrets, explosive damaging secrets to reveal, things that have remained buried for years and they are festering, causing rifts between family and friends. And there is as much anger, betrayal, jealousy and sorrow as love mixed up in Kate’s feelings for the Cottons and their’s for her. The whole family seems to place such high expectations on Kate’s return, as if this woman with abandonment issues is more together than a close-knit family …
Then Luke returns to renovate his father’s old cottage and Kate must look deep into her heart and decide what she truly wants. Is it Ben her boyfriend, is it Dan, her best friend’s brother that she was in love with for most of her childhood, or is it Luke, her first love who broke her heart? But Kate can’t make her decisions until all the secrets have been revealed.
Half of me loved the way that so many of the secrets were teased and hinted at throughout the book, that delicious anticipation of when the truth will be revealed. The other half was exasperated, feeling that there was absolutely no need. I had similar feelings about Kate and Emily and Dan – all three of them at times were so selfish, so centred on their own feelings, their own desires, that they rode roughshod over other people. Frankly I had a hard time liking Kate.
I would most definitely classify this as women’s fiction, the real story is the friendship between Emily and Kate, how the secrets they have kept from each other may break the friendship that they are forging anew. How jealousy can lead to destructive behaviour and burying your head in the sand is never the answer.
I enjoyed this book but I didn’t like it. I didn’t feel it was uplifting, more cathartic.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I see this is billed as a charming romance, I must have read a slightly different book to that reviewer!
Kate Vincent is living the dream in New York, a flashy job in advertising, a wealthy boyfriend and evenings filled with dinners with friends. Then an email arrives from her best friend Emily, a best friend she has neither seen or spoken to in years, begging her to come back to Scotland, back to Galloway and the house where they spent so much of their childhood, Bluebell Bank.
Emily Cotton and her large family were the mainstay of Kate’s life, the security and love for a young girl whose mother found comfort in the bottle and her unsuitable boyfriends. Emily and her brothers Dab, Alastair, Noah and Fergus together with their parents Jonathan and Melanie and their grandmother Lena looked after that sad, frightened little girl and nursed her broken heart when her first love, Luke, broke her heart into a million pieces.
When Kate returns to Scotland she finds that things are very different now. Emily is divorced, depressed and has bought a barn which she intends to turn into a book shop, but has yet to do anything more that sit and read books in the cavernous space. Lena has Alzheimer’s and can’t be left unsupervised for long. Noah was expelled from school for crimes as yet unknown, Fergus is in Australia, Ally is in Edinburgh and Dan is married with a baby on the way. Everyone has secrets, explosive damaging secrets to reveal, things that have remained buried for years and they are festering, causing rifts between family and friends. And there is as much anger, betrayal, jealousy and sorrow as love mixed up in Kate’s feelings for the Cottons and their’s for her. The whole family seems to place such high expectations on Kate’s return, as if this woman with abandonment issues is more together than a close-knit family …
Then Luke returns to renovate his father’s old cottage and Kate must look deep into her heart and decide what she truly wants. Is it Ben her boyfriend, is it Dan, her best friend’s brother that she was in love with for most of her childhood, or is it Luke, her first love who broke her heart? But Kate can’t make her decisions until all the secrets have been revealed.
Half of me loved the way that so many of the secrets were teased and hinted at throughout the book, that delicious anticipation of when the truth will be revealed. The other half was exasperated, feeling that there was absolutely no need. I had similar feelings about Kate and Emily and Dan – all three of them at times were so selfish, so centred on their own feelings, their own desires, that they rode roughshod over other people. Frankly I had a hard time liking Kate.
I would most definitely classify this as women’s fiction, the real story is the friendship between Emily and Kate, how the secrets they have kept from each other may break the friendship that they are forging anew. How jealousy can lead to destructive behaviour and burying your head in the sand is never the answer.
I enjoyed this book but I didn’t like it. I didn’t feel it was uplifting, more cathartic.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
July 5, 2017
This is a great debut from author Jen Mouat. My friend recommended it to me as something to read that is the same flavor and feel as Maeve Binchy, and I would agree.
Friendship, family, memories and loves lost and found again. These are just a few of the things Mouat brings into light throughout the novel, in the charming setting of small-town Scotland, with a summer home and a bookstore supplying plenty of fun as a setting.
This book has a lot going on, and by the end a whole large cast of characters that might feel a tad overwhelming. Nevertheless, I liked it very much and would recommend it to fans of Binchy and similar British women's fiction writers.
From the publisher:
Returning home is never smooth sailing…
Summoned by her childhood best friend, Kate Vincent doesn’t stop to think. Instead she books at one-way ticket from New York back to Wigtown, Scotland, leaving her glittering new life behind. Scenes of idyllic holidays at Bluebell Bank with the Cotton family dance in her mind, but not everything has stayed the way it once was… Especially when her first love, Luke, returns to town.
Emily Cotton never expected one email, sent off in a wine-fuelled daze, to bring her old friend barrelling through the front door of her dismally failing bookshop. But life for the Cottons isn’t what it once was; Emily’s brothers are hardly speaking, her beloved grandmother isn’t quite the same and Emily…well, Emily is the one most in need of Kate’s help.
Kate has given herself until the end of the summer to stay in Wigtown. Can she bring the Cottons back together, and save the family who once saved her?
**Thank you to NetGalley for an ebook review copy.**
Friendship, family, memories and loves lost and found again. These are just a few of the things Mouat brings into light throughout the novel, in the charming setting of small-town Scotland, with a summer home and a bookstore supplying plenty of fun as a setting.
This book has a lot going on, and by the end a whole large cast of characters that might feel a tad overwhelming. Nevertheless, I liked it very much and would recommend it to fans of Binchy and similar British women's fiction writers.
From the publisher:
Returning home is never smooth sailing…
Summoned by her childhood best friend, Kate Vincent doesn’t stop to think. Instead she books at one-way ticket from New York back to Wigtown, Scotland, leaving her glittering new life behind. Scenes of idyllic holidays at Bluebell Bank with the Cotton family dance in her mind, but not everything has stayed the way it once was… Especially when her first love, Luke, returns to town.
Emily Cotton never expected one email, sent off in a wine-fuelled daze, to bring her old friend barrelling through the front door of her dismally failing bookshop. But life for the Cottons isn’t what it once was; Emily’s brothers are hardly speaking, her beloved grandmother isn’t quite the same and Emily…well, Emily is the one most in need of Kate’s help.
Kate has given herself until the end of the summer to stay in Wigtown. Can she bring the Cottons back together, and save the family who once saved her?
**Thank you to NetGalley for an ebook review copy.**
July 15, 2017
I received an advanced free copy of 'Summer at Bluebell Bank' in exchange for an honest review.
I was absolutely hooked on this book from the second I started reading it until the very last page. Absolutely fantastic debut from Jen Mouat. I'm a bit of a sucker for a cheesy chick-lit book now and then, and that's what I was expecting from this story, but it was actually so much more than that! I was surprised at the depth of the storyline, and found myself shocked a number of times at some slightly unexpected twists and turns.
The characters are really well written and I found myself able to relate to quite a lot of them for varying reasons. There was more than one occasion where I had to pause to wonder what I would have done in a similar situation. It's not too often that I'll finish a book and then have to sit and think about it for more than five or ten minutes.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one - will definitely be looking out for more books by Jen Mouat in the future. Thanks again for the opportunity to read this book before it's publication date!
I was absolutely hooked on this book from the second I started reading it until the very last page. Absolutely fantastic debut from Jen Mouat. I'm a bit of a sucker for a cheesy chick-lit book now and then, and that's what I was expecting from this story, but it was actually so much more than that! I was surprised at the depth of the storyline, and found myself shocked a number of times at some slightly unexpected twists and turns.
The characters are really well written and I found myself able to relate to quite a lot of them for varying reasons. There was more than one occasion where I had to pause to wonder what I would have done in a similar situation. It's not too often that I'll finish a book and then have to sit and think about it for more than five or ten minutes.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one - will definitely be looking out for more books by Jen Mouat in the future. Thanks again for the opportunity to read this book before it's publication date!
October 24, 2021
Bonsoir
Je viens de terminer la Librairie Des Nouveaux départs de Jean mouat. C'est une belle histoire qui raconte l'importance de nos choix et les conséquences qu'ils peuvent avoir sur les autres et sur notre futur. C'est aussi l'histoire des non dits et de leur danger. Je me suis bien retrouvée dans le personnage d'emily, rêveuse, et qui idéalise les gens comme dans les livres. C'est une histoire agréable à partager avec un bon feu, un plaid et un verre vin blanc et pourquoi pas un chien ou un chat sur les genoux. Un moment tout doux de lecture.
Belle soirée à vous et bonne lecture
Je viens de terminer la Librairie Des Nouveaux départs de Jean mouat. C'est une belle histoire qui raconte l'importance de nos choix et les conséquences qu'ils peuvent avoir sur les autres et sur notre futur. C'est aussi l'histoire des non dits et de leur danger. Je me suis bien retrouvée dans le personnage d'emily, rêveuse, et qui idéalise les gens comme dans les livres. C'est une histoire agréable à partager avec un bon feu, un plaid et un verre vin blanc et pourquoi pas un chien ou un chat sur les genoux. Un moment tout doux de lecture.
Belle soirée à vous et bonne lecture
May 25, 2022
non mi ha delusa!
ho preso questo libro sia perchè la CE pubblica volumi di generi diversi e sempre interessanti sia per la cover , intuendo che è un libro che parla di libri
e devo dire subito che la lettura è stata davvero molto bella
tutto parte dal ritorno di kate in scozia: sono passati molti anni, la sua vita si è sviluppata in america e quell'amicizia fraterna di una vita con emily era svanita
la storia non è solo su loro due, di due caratteri e vite sviluppate in modo diverso, ma ci mostra anche gli affetti familiari, con la nonna lena e la sua vita, i fratelli di emily e i loro diversi tipi di amore verso kate
ma soprattutto le due protagoniste, del loro affetto quello di una volta e quello rinato adesso, il tutto in modo corale con dei POV doppi nello stesso capitolo ma fluidi scorrevoli, che tengono il ritmo della lettura
mentre emily e kate riporteranno in vita il loro affetto così la piccola libreria tornerà a vivere attraverso il lavoro di tutti in un romanzo corale che ci fa credere davvero alle seconde possibilità
cinque stelle assolute e consigliatissimo
ho preso questo libro sia perchè la CE pubblica volumi di generi diversi e sempre interessanti sia per la cover , intuendo che è un libro che parla di libri
e devo dire subito che la lettura è stata davvero molto bella
tutto parte dal ritorno di kate in scozia: sono passati molti anni, la sua vita si è sviluppata in america e quell'amicizia fraterna di una vita con emily era svanita
la storia non è solo su loro due, di due caratteri e vite sviluppate in modo diverso, ma ci mostra anche gli affetti familiari, con la nonna lena e la sua vita, i fratelli di emily e i loro diversi tipi di amore verso kate
ma soprattutto le due protagoniste, del loro affetto quello di una volta e quello rinato adesso, il tutto in modo corale con dei POV doppi nello stesso capitolo ma fluidi scorrevoli, che tengono il ritmo della lettura
mentre emily e kate riporteranno in vita il loro affetto così la piccola libreria tornerà a vivere attraverso il lavoro di tutti in un romanzo corale che ci fa credere davvero alle seconde possibilità
cinque stelle assolute e consigliatissimo
May 7, 2024
C'était ma deuxième lecture de ce roman et c'est définitivement un favori!
Pour moi, c'est le parfait roman contemporain qui fait se sentir bien et nous transporte dans le parfait été en Écosse. Tout les ingrédients sont réunis: amitiés, famille, aventures plein-air, romances et bien sûr, une librairie à rénover.
C'est touchant, bien écrit et bien loin de tout clichés.
Je regrette juste que ce soit le seul roman de l'auteure !
Pour moi, c'est le parfait roman contemporain qui fait se sentir bien et nous transporte dans le parfait été en Écosse. Tout les ingrédients sont réunis: amitiés, famille, aventures plein-air, romances et bien sûr, une librairie à rénover.
C'est touchant, bien écrit et bien loin de tout clichés.
Je regrette juste que ce soit le seul roman de l'auteure !
October 25, 2019
The book had me captivated from the start, i loved the bookshop it made me want to hunt it down. The characters were well written and the storyline and area it was written in had me wanting more. Family relationships, love and friendship this is a really great read.
Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the Arc
Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the Arc
August 21, 2017
Sending emails while under the influence of a good Merlot is probably never a good idea. Responding to them by throwing in your job, breaking up with your boyfriend and flying from America to Scotland is probably an even worse idea.
This is exactly where 'Summer at Bluebell Bank' begins as Kate Vincent returns home in response to her friend Emily Cotton's drunken email request for help. Their friendship established in childhood may have frayed over the last few years because of time, distance and choices they have made but it still is solid at the very heart of things.
Kate is quick to find that the Cotton family who were her pillars of strength in childhood and teenage years are no longer quite as strong as they once were. Emily is suffering from a rather messy divorce which has left her with no confidence and a lack of direction. Lena, the family matriarch, has developed Alzheimer's and is slowly losing all memories of her world. Noah, the youngest of the Cotton boys, has been expelled from school. It appears Kate is going to have her work cut out to help Emily and the rest of the Cottons. along the way, find inner peace and a new path to follow.
If that isn't enough to deal with Lucas Ross re-enters Kate's life; her first love and one she never really got over. This summer is going to be long and interesting as Kate rediscovers friendships, family, and love.
This is actually a four and a half star book for me. I found it hard to get started as I felt like I was actually intruding into an existing situation for the first couple of chapters but once I got to know the characters it was very engaging and I grew to really love these people. It was no lightweight chick lit read but rather a deeply involved story that made you really consider the value of friendship and family. These characters were well and truly multi-dimensional as they came to life for me. I wanted to visit Bluebell Bank and help Lena in her garden. I wanted to walk the beaches and the paths around the village. I wanted to sit near the wood-burning stove in Emily's bookstore, snuggle down into an armchair and enjoy a good book and a cup of tea (Sorry Kate, I prefer tea to coffee). This is well worth a read and as the first book for this author, I hope she has many more stories ahead.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. Thank you very much.
This is exactly where 'Summer at Bluebell Bank' begins as Kate Vincent returns home in response to her friend Emily Cotton's drunken email request for help. Their friendship established in childhood may have frayed over the last few years because of time, distance and choices they have made but it still is solid at the very heart of things.
Kate is quick to find that the Cotton family who were her pillars of strength in childhood and teenage years are no longer quite as strong as they once were. Emily is suffering from a rather messy divorce which has left her with no confidence and a lack of direction. Lena, the family matriarch, has developed Alzheimer's and is slowly losing all memories of her world. Noah, the youngest of the Cotton boys, has been expelled from school. It appears Kate is going to have her work cut out to help Emily and the rest of the Cottons. along the way, find inner peace and a new path to follow.
If that isn't enough to deal with Lucas Ross re-enters Kate's life; her first love and one she never really got over. This summer is going to be long and interesting as Kate rediscovers friendships, family, and love.
This is actually a four and a half star book for me. I found it hard to get started as I felt like I was actually intruding into an existing situation for the first couple of chapters but once I got to know the characters it was very engaging and I grew to really love these people. It was no lightweight chick lit read but rather a deeply involved story that made you really consider the value of friendship and family. These characters were well and truly multi-dimensional as they came to life for me. I wanted to visit Bluebell Bank and help Lena in her garden. I wanted to walk the beaches and the paths around the village. I wanted to sit near the wood-burning stove in Emily's bookstore, snuggle down into an armchair and enjoy a good book and a cup of tea (Sorry Kate, I prefer tea to coffee). This is well worth a read and as the first book for this author, I hope she has many more stories ahead.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. Thank you very much.
May 20, 2018
Summer at Bluebell Bank is now called The Bookshop of New Beginnings. The title and cover have recently been changed but I think this is a much more substantial story than even the new cover suggests. Rather than being cosy chick-lit - and there's nothing wrong with that at all, who doesn't love a bit chick-lit? - I feel this is contemporary women's fiction.
Emily Cotton has always wanted to have her own bookshop and has finally bought an old run-down building in Wigtown, which is officially Scotland's National Book Town. Feeling rather overwhelmed at the task ahead of her, Emily emails her friend Kate who lives in New York. Kate immediately quits her job and heads back to Bluebell Bank where she spent many happy summers as a child. She had had an unhappy childhood living with her alcoholic mother and for her the Cottons were a large welcoming family who were "her sanctuary, her solidity in this world." They fulfilled her need for something she never really had, a place she felt she belonged.
So many questions filled my mind as I was reading. Why did Kate immediately decide to go to help Emily? Why had the once inseparable friends all but lost touch. Why did Kate split up with childhood sweetheart Luke and flee? What did Emily feel she should confess to Kate? There were so many mysteries at the heart of the women's relationship. There were secrets, guilt, lies of omission and a perceived betrayal. I was completely absorbed in the story from beginning to end.
I actually felt quite emotionally drained by the time I had finished this book. To me it's a sign of a really great book if it can evoke such an emotional response to the characters and their situations and The Bookshop of New Beginnings did that for me. It is an excellent read about taking second chances and being open to new opportunities and I highly recommend it.
Emily Cotton has always wanted to have her own bookshop and has finally bought an old run-down building in Wigtown, which is officially Scotland's National Book Town. Feeling rather overwhelmed at the task ahead of her, Emily emails her friend Kate who lives in New York. Kate immediately quits her job and heads back to Bluebell Bank where she spent many happy summers as a child. She had had an unhappy childhood living with her alcoholic mother and for her the Cottons were a large welcoming family who were "her sanctuary, her solidity in this world." They fulfilled her need for something she never really had, a place she felt she belonged.
So many questions filled my mind as I was reading. Why did Kate immediately decide to go to help Emily? Why had the once inseparable friends all but lost touch. Why did Kate split up with childhood sweetheart Luke and flee? What did Emily feel she should confess to Kate? There were so many mysteries at the heart of the women's relationship. There were secrets, guilt, lies of omission and a perceived betrayal. I was completely absorbed in the story from beginning to end.
I actually felt quite emotionally drained by the time I had finished this book. To me it's a sign of a really great book if it can evoke such an emotional response to the characters and their situations and The Bookshop of New Beginnings did that for me. It is an excellent read about taking second chances and being open to new opportunities and I highly recommend it.
August 1, 2017
I can hardly believe this is a debut novel, it is so beautifully written and such an encompassing read. From the very beginning you can tell it is polished to perfection and so easily slips under your skin.
Kate Vincent didn't have much of a family life growing up but when she moved to Edinburgh and became friends with Emily Cotton at school, that all changed. From then on she spent her holidays on the Solway coast with Emily and her brothers at their grandmother's home where she became anointed as one of the family
Now aged 30 and living in New York, Kate receives a message from Emily telling her she needs her and without hesitation she ditches her job, romance and life there and hops on a plane to race to the rescue. Thus starts the story of friendships forged many years previously and getting to grips with how things are now and how they develop with Kate's return.
Set in an area I have visited several times this book does great credit to the area. I'm not surprised to read it's Jen Mouat's region - her love shines throughout this novel, and the characters are so well created and defined that I would expect to bump into any of them were I to visit again.
This is a tremendous story - bursting with love, happiness, reminiscences and even a bit of sadness which all add up to an awesome novel. It has been such a joy to read and I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending it to others.
I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Kate Vincent didn't have much of a family life growing up but when she moved to Edinburgh and became friends with Emily Cotton at school, that all changed. From then on she spent her holidays on the Solway coast with Emily and her brothers at their grandmother's home where she became anointed as one of the family
Now aged 30 and living in New York, Kate receives a message from Emily telling her she needs her and without hesitation she ditches her job, romance and life there and hops on a plane to race to the rescue. Thus starts the story of friendships forged many years previously and getting to grips with how things are now and how they develop with Kate's return.
Set in an area I have visited several times this book does great credit to the area. I'm not surprised to read it's Jen Mouat's region - her love shines throughout this novel, and the characters are so well created and defined that I would expect to bump into any of them were I to visit again.
This is a tremendous story - bursting with love, happiness, reminiscences and even a bit of sadness which all add up to an awesome novel. It has been such a joy to read and I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending it to others.
I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
October 18, 2020
J'ai mal aux yeux de les avoir lever au ciel. Pourtant l'idée de base était sympa. Les amies qui se retrouvent, les secrets qui remontent à la surface, la famille, le pardon, la seconde chance etc... trucs que je kiffe à la base. Mais mon dieu que ce fut laborieux.
Des drames qui se rajoutent à des drames, des secrets de gamines de 15 ans qui prennent des proportions ridicules, des dialogues limite culcul praline (la pauvreté du vocabulaire quoi ! ) , des passages entiers d'une niaiserie telle que j'en riais toute seule...
C'est con parce qu'on enlève 100 pages et on aurait eu (pu avoir ? ) un bon feel good.
Bon ceci étant dit, ce n'était pas horrible au point d'abandonner (encore que....), je me suis accrochée même si on connait la fin avant le début...
J'en profite pour rassurer tout le monde, côté romance, la parité est atteinte, les mecs sont aussi cons/nunuches/débiles/culcul (tous les superlatifs du genre) que les meufs. 😅
J'ai eu peu d'empathie pour les perso' ( petite exception pour le pauvre Dan) et même les magnifiques paysages écossais m'ont laissé de glace.
Bref une lecture en demi-teinte.
Ca reste toujours qu'un avis tout personnel, je précise...
Ca reste le bouquin sympa qu'on lit un soir d'hiver au coin du feu
Des drames qui se rajoutent à des drames, des secrets de gamines de 15 ans qui prennent des proportions ridicules, des dialogues limite culcul praline (la pauvreté du vocabulaire quoi ! ) , des passages entiers d'une niaiserie telle que j'en riais toute seule...
C'est con parce qu'on enlève 100 pages et on aurait eu (pu avoir ? ) un bon feel good.
Bon ceci étant dit, ce n'était pas horrible au point d'abandonner (encore que....), je me suis accrochée même si on connait la fin avant le début...
J'en profite pour rassurer tout le monde, côté romance, la parité est atteinte, les mecs sont aussi cons/nunuches/débiles/culcul (tous les superlatifs du genre) que les meufs. 😅
J'ai eu peu d'empathie pour les perso' ( petite exception pour le pauvre Dan) et même les magnifiques paysages écossais m'ont laissé de glace.
Bref une lecture en demi-teinte.
Ca reste toujours qu'un avis tout personnel, je précise...
Ca reste le bouquin sympa qu'on lit un soir d'hiver au coin du feu
August 16, 2017
When Kate gets a drunken email from her old friend Emily, a cry for help in running her bookshop, she decides that although she left Wigton in Scotland 6 years ago it is time that she came back and this email is obviously an olive branch from Emily, maybe they can get back their former close relationship
As a child Kate didn't have much of a home life and when she became friends with Emily Emily's family welcomed her into the fold, took her on holidays and included her as one of them, so to Kate this is a real homecoming with the past being sorted out she can really help Emily with her business and also maybe help the Cotton family the way they once helped her
A lovely book, great back stories to be filled in and plenty of emotion and both happy and sad moments. Definitely more than simple chick lit and easily recommended
As a child Kate didn't have much of a home life and when she became friends with Emily Emily's family welcomed her into the fold, took her on holidays and included her as one of them, so to Kate this is a real homecoming with the past being sorted out she can really help Emily with her business and also maybe help the Cotton family the way they once helped her
A lovely book, great back stories to be filled in and plenty of emotion and both happy and sad moments. Definitely more than simple chick lit and easily recommended
September 13, 2022
Konusu ilgimi çektiği için aldığım kitaplardandı. Bol kitaplı, öykülü, iç içe geçmiş, edebiyatla paralel ilerleyen bir okuma beklentisi ile başlamıştım. Umduğum kurgunun yanından dahi geçmeyen bir okuma deneyimi oldu maalesef. Yazarın ilk romanıymış. Bir ilk roman için benzer içerikli romanlar arasında başarılı sayılabilir fakat ben sevdiğimi söyleyemeyeceğim. Sürekli sahneler vardı kitapta. Senaryo okuyor izlemine kapıldım sık sık. Bir arkadaşlık ve aile hikayesi olarak okunması düşünülse bile yerine oturmayan, içinize sinmeyen şeyler var. Bir paragrafı okumasınız bir şey kaybetmesiniz gibi. Hani bir film izlerken sizi sarmadıysa ve bir sonraki sahneyi tahmin ediyorsanız kalkıp çayınızı tazelemeye gidersiniz ama filmi duraklatmazsınız. Öyle işte :)
July 6, 2017
4.5 stars.
“…because happiness is found in a bookshop.”
Sold! How could I resist a book with a strapline like that? Impossible. Luckily, Jen Mouat’s debut novel, Summer At Bluebell Bank, didn’t disappoint.
In fact, from the cover (I know, I know, not only picking a book for its strapline but also judging it by its cover. Tut, tut) I thought it was going to be a light and breezy beach read, which would have been great, but actually it goes much deeper than that, which was even better.
The way Jen writes the emotional drama between family and friends made me invested in the story to the point I found it hard to put down.
She also does a great job of weaving past and present without interrupting the flow of the story. Not only that, Jen has a lovely way of phrasing things that had me tapping the highlighter option on the Kindle throughout.
We know early on that both Kate and Emily have their secrets (no spoilers, promise) and I really enjoyed the gentle drip of clues, building to the big reveal.
I also enjoyed learning more about Wigtown, which I’m embarrassed to say I’d never heard of before – and I call myself a book lover! Officially designated as Scotland’s national book town, Jen makes it sound like a place I MUST add to the bucket list.
On the whole this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It seems to me that happiness is not only found in a bookshop but in reading about them too.
Thank you to HQ digital for the ARC in return for an honest review.
“…because happiness is found in a bookshop.”
Sold! How could I resist a book with a strapline like that? Impossible. Luckily, Jen Mouat’s debut novel, Summer At Bluebell Bank, didn’t disappoint.
In fact, from the cover (I know, I know, not only picking a book for its strapline but also judging it by its cover. Tut, tut) I thought it was going to be a light and breezy beach read, which would have been great, but actually it goes much deeper than that, which was even better.
The way Jen writes the emotional drama between family and friends made me invested in the story to the point I found it hard to put down.
She also does a great job of weaving past and present without interrupting the flow of the story. Not only that, Jen has a lovely way of phrasing things that had me tapping the highlighter option on the Kindle throughout.
We know early on that both Kate and Emily have their secrets (no spoilers, promise) and I really enjoyed the gentle drip of clues, building to the big reveal.
I also enjoyed learning more about Wigtown, which I’m embarrassed to say I’d never heard of before – and I call myself a book lover! Officially designated as Scotland’s national book town, Jen makes it sound like a place I MUST add to the bucket list.
On the whole this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It seems to me that happiness is not only found in a bookshop but in reading about them too.
Thank you to HQ digital for the ARC in return for an honest review.
November 15, 2025
Finally, a great book. One where characters are real, have human-sized hopes, dreams, faults, and skeletons. It's about hurts and things left unsaid that block relationships. It's about how hard and beautiful life can be.
Great writing, good editing.
Lena is the grandmother holding the Cotton family together. Emily is the granddaughter who has moved I. With her because they need each other. Emily has a raft of brothers that I never could keep straight.
Kate is the girl Emily befriended in grade school. Kate became an honorary member of the Cotton family. Now she's back from New York to help Emily open her bookshop.
Great writing, good editing.
Lena is the grandmother holding the Cotton family together. Emily is the granddaughter who has moved I. With her because they need each other. Emily has a raft of brothers that I never could keep straight.
Kate is the girl Emily befriended in grade school. Kate became an honorary member of the Cotton family. Now she's back from New York to help Emily open her bookshop.
August 6, 2025
Good read but trying too hard to use fancy words.
If the author was writing this review, she would probably have said something about the author being sesquipedalian or grandiloquent. To me, I will just say the story was marred by the feeling that the book was run through ChatGPT with the instruction to change every possible word into something more fancy or clever sounding. Sometimes it should just be written in ordinary words, in the way people speak, without trying too sound too clever.
If the author was writing this review, she would probably have said something about the author being sesquipedalian or grandiloquent. To me, I will just say the story was marred by the feeling that the book was run through ChatGPT with the instruction to change every possible word into something more fancy or clever sounding. Sometimes it should just be written in ordinary words, in the way people speak, without trying too sound too clever.
August 14, 2017
An uplifting, relaxed summer read. This book has a lovely setting with a brilliant family at the centre with some lovely descriptions. It drew me in and made me want to keep turning the pages to see what happened next. I love a good bookshop and loved the way this played centre stage in the story alongside the lovely Cotton family who reminded you of your own childhood summers. I thoroughly enjoyed this a recommended read
April 17, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. This is an earlier title and cover and the title 'The Bookshop of New Beginnings' was what I read so it's a bit confusing. Anyway, I loved this beautiful family saga, set in Scotland. Its a story of two friends, who went their separate ways for awhile, and finally found their way back to fix the troubles that caused them to fall out of friendship. I loved everything about this book, and looking forward to more from the author.
January 15, 2023
Un romanzo che fa parte della categoria "fuggo dalla mia vita attuale per tornare a quella da cui sono fuggita tanti anni fa" e ci racconta come il punto di vista della protagonista debba continuamente incontrarsi e scontrarsi con ciò che resta fuori, che lei non ha colto nel passato e che quindi nel presente è costretta ad affrontare.
Una lettura abbastanza semplice nonostante affronti temi dolorosi come famiglie complicate, difficoltà varie nelle relazioni personali, e malattie tremende
Una lettura abbastanza semplice nonostante affronti temi dolorosi come famiglie complicate, difficoltà varie nelle relazioni personali, e malattie tremende
June 27, 2017
Sometimes when you read a book the desire to step into the book is immense. That was what I felt with this book. I wanted to be a part of the story and I really wanted to be at wigmore.
This book had me hooked from the very first line to the very last. If you a chicklit or romance fan this book is definitely for you. I simply cannot recommend it enough.
Escapism at its best. Loved it.
This book had me hooked from the very first line to the very last. If you a chicklit or romance fan this book is definitely for you. I simply cannot recommend it enough.
Escapism at its best. Loved it.
November 22, 2017
A Story of Friendship and Belonging
This is the first book by Jen Mouat i have read and I look forward to reading more. Good solid characters. A Story of betrayal and loss. Guilt and misunderstandings. Of love and loss. The thread of Friendship never lost completely. Not the normal type of book I read but I like easy reading on holiday. This is a good holiday read.
This is the first book by Jen Mouat i have read and I look forward to reading more. Good solid characters. A Story of betrayal and loss. Guilt and misunderstandings. Of love and loss. The thread of Friendship never lost completely. Not the normal type of book I read but I like easy reading on holiday. This is a good holiday read.
April 10, 2023
Une magnifique démonstration du fait que les amis représentent la famille que l'on choisit.
De nombreux sujets importants sont décrits dans ce livre : comment se remettre d'une relation toxique, d'une dépression, de la maladie des proches et même de la mort. On ressent alors la douleur des personnages mais aussi leur soulagement face à la guérison.
De nombreux sujets importants sont décrits dans ce livre : comment se remettre d'une relation toxique, d'une dépression, de la maladie des proches et même de la mort. On ressent alors la douleur des personnages mais aussi leur soulagement face à la guérison.
April 14, 2025
What a sweet story! Childhood best friends who had a terrible rift but choose to try to overcome years later in adulthood. Many aspects reminded me of my own best friendship that started at 12 years old and has continued for two decades. Jen Mouat’s writing was beautiful, if a bit confusing from time to time, and I definitely will read her next book
November 5, 2025
How Did We Get Here?
We went from unforgivable to inexplicably forgiven with zero explanation and I'm, frankly, extremely confused. Also the "we both acted poorly" line of thinking doesn't really fit the plot here. Emily is a bad friend and Kate just forgives her with zero conflict resolution because someone dies? No. No thanks.
We went from unforgivable to inexplicably forgiven with zero explanation and I'm, frankly, extremely confused. Also the "we both acted poorly" line of thinking doesn't really fit the plot here. Emily is a bad friend and Kate just forgives her with zero conflict resolution because someone dies? No. No thanks.
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