L'estate delle coincidenze

by Ali McNamara

Acquistare una vecchia casa sul mare è di vitale importanza per la carriera di Ren, ma chi sia il proprietario è un mistero È una magnifica estate e Ren Parker è a caccia: il suo lavoro, infatti, è quello di scovare in giro per l'Irlanda la casa perfetta per un cliente molto esigente. La sua ricerca la porta fino alla costa occidentale dell'isola, nella piccola città di Ballykiltara. Qui sorge "Welcome House", un piccolo gioiello. C'è solo un problema: nessuno ha idea di chi sia il proprietario. Quella casa è una leggenda per gli abitanti della cittadina. La sua porta è sempre aperta per chi ha bisogno di un tetto e non mancano mai scorte di cibo per i poveri o chiunque passi per una sosta. Mentre Ren indaga sulla proprietà, per capire come avviare una trattativa, comincia a immergersi nella storia e nei racconti che circondano la vecchia casa, aiutata da Finn, l'affascinante manager dell'albergo in cui alloggia. Riuscirà a scoprire il segreto della misteriosa "Welcome House"?

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Ireland, Summer, Summer Reads, Contemporary

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 24, 2018

About the author

Ali McNamara is a writer and author.

Her debut novel, From Notting Hill with Love...Actually, the first of three 'Notting Hill' books, became an instant bestseller.

Ali has had much overseas success with her books - particularly Breakfast at Darcy's which was a Top Ten bestseller in Italy. Her novels Step Back in Time and Letters from Lighthouse Cottage were nominated for the Romantic Novel of the Year.

Ali lives in Cambridgeshire with her family and beloved dogs. In her spare time she likes to visit antique shops and people watch, more often than not accompanied by a good cup of coffee!

Ali suffers with two chronic illnesses: M.E./CFS and UCTD and is a disability and invisible disability advocate.

To find out more about Ali visit her website: www.alimcnamara.co.uk
or follow her on Twitter: @AliMcNamara, Facebook and Instagram.

Reviews

[Melindam · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.4 stars

The promising combination of Ireland, romance & intrigue draw me to this book, but those promises were not really fulfilled.

The setting is lovely. The main character, Ren, goes house-hunting for a wealthy client, in County Kerry, near the Lakes of Killarney. As I travelled there a few years ago, it holds a special place in my heart and I was happy about all the reminders I found in the book.
However, I am sad to say that was the only aspect I could really respond to.

My like/dislike of the protagonist(s) is always the clincher for me in any chick-lit book & I am not keen on novels that are fully packed with physical description and overemotional passages, where every move, heartbeat and teardrop is described and explained over agonizing lengths (surely "chocolaty-brown eyes" must be the most overused cliché of the genre!).
Thankfully, the author keeps physical description to a bare minimum; regretfully, so does she everything else. We are introduced to two main characters of whom practically nothing personal is disclosed until the end. Ren and Finn act buttoned-up and secretive toward each other, but we readers are not told anything either. I guess this is to raise tension & mystery, but it proved to be totally unnecessary and it backfired, for I felt curiously detached from characters and story all the way through. Also the plotlines of modern romance & Celtic history do not mix well.

It was not a bad read, when all is said and done, but it failed to really interest and engage me.

Arc provided by the Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serendipity, or Ren as she likes to be called, is a property seeker. Her job is to find homes for her clients, when they can’t find them for themselves.

When one of her clients wants a holiday/retirement home on the Emerald Isle, she sets off to find him that home with a list of requirements, oh and her assistant Kiki.

After days of searching and finding nothing remotely close to what she is looking for, she soon becomes aware of a property up on a hillside. On closer inspection the, ‘The Welcome House’, as it is called, is perfect. There is just one problem, no one knows who owns it.

The Summer of Serendipity is an enticing novel, bringing together a wonderful story, filled with friendly, realistic characters, gorgeous scenery, and a little bit of magic.

Ren is a woman on a mission, she doesn’t like to fail, and has never given up on getting that one property that her clients want, no matter what, or who stands in her way. So when she is faced with trying to discover the owner of ‘The Welcome House’ she isn’t about to give up without a fight. But this is one fight she just may not win!

Kiki, Rens assistant is hilarious. Her misconstrued knowledge had me often giggling to myself. Who would of thought that the ‘Emerald Isle’ wasn’t called that because of all the Emeralds on the island!!

There are plenty of secondary characters too, with Finn, the hotel manager, and Eddie, one of the hotel staff, taking centre stage.

The book is shrouded with mystery, from ghostly goings on, to a house that seems to be alive, and then there are the secrets that both Ren and Finn seem to be hiding.

Weaving the main plot, with many subplots, the book is a real page turner. I was hooked from the beginning. The uplifting spirit that surrounds this book had me eager to keep reading. It gave me a glow of happiness, and I was fully invested in not only wanting to discover what secrets ‘The Welcome House’ was keeping, but I also enjoyed the romance that carefully invited itself into the book too.

Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book certainly never let me down and is a great magical read and really didn't want it to end. I've loved all of Ali's books and this has to be the best by far and had you entranced and wanting you to know what was going to happen and you really thought you were in the lovely island in Ireland. Serendipity finds the perfects houses for people for her job and she travels to Ireland with her friend in search of finding a perfect house. When she finds what is the perfect house she doesn't know who it belongs to and she tried to find out and what history and legend sounds this house and can both her and her friend find happiness along the way. A perfect summer read.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

There is something just a bit magical about this book, and the legends surrounding the Welcome House in Ballykiltara. When Ren and Kiki first encounter the welcome house they are convinced they have found the property they are looking for, for their customer, so long as Ren can find the owner and persuade them to sell.

Just one small snag local folklore believe the house is magic and that it has now owner, or caretaker or anyone in charge of it at all. Then there are the legends that state that the search for the truth will result in your own downfall. Plus there are many other bits of Irish folklore that appear to have made it into the book.

There is a couple of large mysteries as the heart of this book, and I was fascinated to see how they would resolve. Although not normally a fan of history, and there is a fair amount of ancient history in this story, I couldn't help but be drawn in by the suggestive writing, that captured my imagination.

The setting of Ballykiltara is beautiful, and the area of Ireland will be familiar to fans of Ali McNamara, and those that have read Breakfast at Darcy's. Given I really can't remember the details of that book I wouldn't worry if I hadn't read it, as its not relevant to this new book, other than providing some updates to various characters.

Kiki is an amusing and lovable character, especially with her ability to mix up words at time. She is a great sidekick for Ren, who seems to be Kiki's total opposite. There is definitely romance in the air in Ireland, and the place just weaves a spell over those that stay there, and in my case those that read the book!

In my eyes this isn't the best or my favourite book by the author, but it is an incredibly enjoyable story that I did love a lot, even as a skeptic towards almost all mysticism.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sphere for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 Words: Community, friendship, attraction, history, belief.

What a perfect summer read!

I have to admit, I wasn't feeling it when I started. It was miserable and raining outside, it felt like summer has disappeared, and I wasn't hooked from the start. But five chapters in that all changed. The weather outside was still awful, but it was summer in my head and I couldn't put the book down.

I loved the setting, although I did roll my eyes a wee bit at some of the stereotypes.

I didn't really like the main character so much, I thought that Ren was rather bull-headed and unsympathetic. When she talked so much about her own heritage and wasn't prepared to respect someone else's, she rubbed me up the wrong way. But I loved Kiki. She made for some truly hilarious moments and reminded me of my sister.

There are various sub plots in this story, and my favourite of these was the one that revolved around the mystery of the Welcome House.

The Summer of Serendipity is fun and at times fanciful, perfect for a summer escape.

[Justkeepreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, Publisher and Ali McNamara for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance reader copy of this book.

You can find my review on both Goodreads and Amazon. On goodreads.com/karenwhittard and on Amazon under k.e.whittard from publication date.

Ali is one of my all time favourite authors. Ever since I read Breakfast at darcy's back in 2011 which is one of my all time favourite books. I have always wanted catch up with Darcy and Dermot again and find out what they have been up to. Thankfully in this book Ali gives us fans what we have been asking for and has incorporated this within this wonderful book which I love.

However this is a stand alone book and even if you haven't read breakfast at Darcys you can read this happily.

In this book we meet Serendipity Parker or Ren Parker as she likes to be known. Ren has a complicated back story and after being hurt lots in the past has learned to shut herself off from everyone and doesn't let anyone in easily. Appart from her employee and friend Kiki.

Ren and Kiki run a property seeking business where they make it their job to find you the perfect house. On their most recent assignment they are sent to Baltkiltara to find the perfect house for a wealthy Irish customer.

While here they find the perfect house for their client. The only problem is that no one knows who owns the house. The house is steeped in myth and legend and is known locally as 'the welcome house'. Whose front door is always open, the cupboard and fridge are always stocked with food and beverages and is always there for anyone who needs shelter or help.

Then Ren and Kiki meet Finn and Eddie and the once shut off Ren. Has to decide if she wants to break down her walls and let her heart rule her head.

This is a really wonderful book, filled with love, romance, friendship, myths, legends, intrigue and ghosts. It is funny and romantic and is an honor to read. I simply love this and recommend it to absolutely everyone. If you are yet to discover Ali's spectacular writing then this is one of her best books to start with. Absolutely loved it.

Let me know what you think and as always happy reading.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally do not get pulled into reading light reads, but occasionally such a book draws me in. This is my first book by the author, Ali McNamara, so I jumped right into the book with great gusto. The book did not disappoint me; there were plots and subplots and the entire setting was eerie and magical.
Serendipity or Ren as she is lovingly known as, is a property hunter for her clients and one such search leads her to the beautiful west coast of Ireland and to the perfect "Welcome House" which is open for everyone and belongs to no one.
The book then follows Ren as she goes about hunting for the owner and the history of the house. She does keep meeting the manager of local hotel, Finn and romance blossoms. Ren's assistant, Kiki plays her part beautifully providing humor to an already delightful story.
The author, Ali has done a fabulous job to bring a light summery read which is absolutely magical. I wonder if there really is a "Welcome House" somewhere in this world...

[Il confine dei libri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buonasera, lettrici!
Ho letto per voi un’anteprima Newton Compton Editori, “L’estate delle coincidenze” di Ali McNamara, in uscita oggi, 24 Maggio.
Serendipity Parker è una giovane procacciatrice immobiliare, lei cerca le case perfette ai suoi clienti.
Durante il suo ultimo incarico, Ren si trova a cercare una casa in Irlanda e quando sembra che abbia trovato quella giusta sorge un problema, nessuno sa chi sia il proprietario.
Alla “Welcome House” sono legate tante leggende. Si dice che sia una casa che accolga chiunque ne abbia bisogno, infatti la porta è sempre aperta, e che è legato al piccolo paese di Ballykiltara. Ma Ren vuole comunque arrivare al proprietario in modo da andare avanti con il suo lavoro.
E nel farlo conoscerà Finn, il bel direttore d’albergo che sembra nascondere qualcosa.
La loro intesa è palpabile, ma la nostra protagonista non vuole distrazioni.
Per lei esiste solo il proprio lavoro... o forse no?
Ren si troverà di fronte a una scelta: seguire la testa o il proprio cuore?

Prima di tutto ringrazio la Newton Compton Editori che mi ha dato la possibilità di leggere questo romanzo!
“L’estate delle coincidenze” è il primo romanzo che ho letto di Ali McNamara, autrice già conosciuta in Italia con “Colazione da Darcy”.
Questo romanzo ci racconta la storia di una donna tenace e pragmatica, per cui i sentimenti non fanno parte della sua vita, dopotutto non hanno spazio nel suo lavoro.
Ren non ha mai deluso un cliente, ma quest’ultima ricerca la metterà di fronte a una sfida, e se prima è sempre uscita vincente, adesso dovrà fare i conti con la possibilità di fallire.

“Mentre aspetto il ritorno di Finn, la mia mente vaga di nuovo su Welcome House, Perché l’unica casa della zona che corrisponde ai bisogni di Ryan Dempsey deve essere tanto radicata nel folklore locale? Come ha detto Mac, queste cose mi interessano molto, e normalmente non penserei mai di interferire con i racconti di questo tipo, o magari persino di distruggerli. Ma ho un lavoro da svolgere e una reputazione da difendere. Non posso lasciare che niente e nessuno mi impedisca di farlo, mito, leggenda o qualunque altra cosa sia.”

Durante il suo soggiorno a Ballykiltara incontrerà molti personaggi. Ma chi è riuscito a catturare la sua attenzione è il direttore dell’albergo dove alloggia, Finn Cassidy.
Bello, irlandese e circondato da un alone di mistero, Ren non può far altro che rimanere ammaliata da Finn, anche se lui non rientra nei suoi piani.

“Devo ammetterlo, per qualche secondo, Kiki mi ha trascinata nella sua fantasia. L’immagine di Finn che ha evocato non era per niente sgradevole. Ha ragione: è il tipico maschio irlandese alto, moro e bello. Una cliente del posto una volta mi ha detto che ci sono due tipi di irlandesi: alti e mori o bassi e rossi, a seconda dei clan da cui discendono. Non sono sicura che sia proprio così, ma Finn rientra decisamente nella prima categoria.”

Ma per quanto lei si sforzi di rimanere concentrata sulla propria missione, Ren non può fare altro che rimanere ammaliata da Finn. C’è qualcosa in lui che la attrae, ma anche se dovesse lasciarsi andare, lei dovrà tornare a Londra alla sua vita.
La nostra protagonista, però, nasconde dei segreti che, come con il protagonista maschile, scopriremo soltanto andando avanti nella lettura.
Non possiamo negare che i due formino una bella coppia!
Finn è dolce, gentile e scherzoso, la sua attrazione per Ren fa sì che lei sia sempre nei suoi pensieri.
Pur conoscendo la vera motivazione di Ren per la “Welcome House”, è disposto ad aiutarla a scoprire chi sia il misterioso proprietario.
Ma quando le cose sembrano diventare più serie tra i due, notiamo che entrambi i protagonisti nascondono delle ferite, ferite che non permettono di buttarsi e dare una possibilità alla loro relazione.
Questa è una storia romantica, ma allo stesso tempo è una storia di mistero, con molti riferimenti al folklore Irlandese e ai Celti.
Un’unione che mi è piaciuta un sacco! Il velo di mistero della storia è stato l’elemento che mi ha tenuta incollata a questo libro.
Devo dire, però, che non mi è piaciuto molto il lato pragmatico iniziale della protagonista. Il fatto di voler conoscere ad ogni costo il proprietario della casa così da potergli fare un’offerta per comprarla mi ha un po’ infastidita.
Per quanto il suo lavoro riguardi trovare la dimora perfetta per qualcuno, Ren usa qualsiasi arma a sua disposizione per far sì che il vecchio proprietario venda.
Ma certe cose non si possono comprare e i legami affettivi e storici il più delle volte sono più forti del denaro. Cosa che la nostra protagonista imparerà più avanti.

“Ho deciso di seppellire quella parte della mia vita molto tempo fa. Seppellirla dove fosse inaccessibile persino a me, per la maggior parte del tempo, significava non dover avere a che fare con le emozioni che suscitava il solo pensarci. Per quanto mi riguardava, nessuno me l’avrebbe più fatte riesumare.”

Possiamo dire che Ren mi è piaciuta e stata simpatica alla fine della storia, cosa strana per me, visto che il più delle volte la protagonista femminile si fa subito piacere.
Ma, detto questo, se non ho molto amato Ren posso dire che Finn ha lasciato il segno.
Così diverso dai soliti personaggi maschili che trovo nelle mie letture, mi è piaciuto conoscerlo. Semplice, ma allo stesso tempo intrigante e dolce.
Finn non ha bisogno di un passato tenebroso per attirare l’attenzione!
Questa è stata una lettura leggera e appassionante, i segreti e le leggende mi hanno attratta sin da subito.
Sono rimasta soddisfatta della scrittura di questa autrice e posso dire che sicuramente leggerò qualche altro suo romanzo.
Spero di avervi incuriosite, vi lascio e ci vediamo alla prossima lettura.
A presto.

[Chrys · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story about the magic of Ireland - unfortunately it lacked something for me.
Nice characters and scenery, also some interesting myth and legend tied in.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Summer of Serendipity was a great read that I didn't want to end! I fell in love with Ballykiltara and The Welcome House, I could really picture the place in my mind thanks to Ali McNamara's beautiful writing style.

Ren and Kiki are property hunters, they help other people find their perfect home. Whilst in a search for a home for a wealthy client who wants a holiday home on the West coast of Ireland which is how they ended up in Ballykiltara. Ren struggles to find a house right for him until she discovers The Welcome House on the edge of a lake.

Local folklore soon tells Ren and Kiki that the house is magical and provides shelter for those in need so is absolutely not for sale. What follows is an exploration into ancient history going back to times of the monks and Vikings and also a journey through Irish folklore. I've read a few books relating to Irish folklore and I love it, it's such a fascinating premise and I love to read about it.

I love the characters of Ren and Kiki, they work well together and I would love to hang out with these two drinking Guinness! All the other characters in the book are great as well but especially Finn, he was one of my favourites!

I liked the little update we had of some characters from Breakfast at Darcy's, I loved that book but it's been a while since I read it so may have to read it again soon! Even if you hadn't read the book you won't get lost in this one as it's not really a sequel, just certain characters pop up again since it's in the same setting.

I highly recommend this book, I enjoyed every second of it! Now I need to go and grab a paperback copy to add to my collection of Ali McNamara books!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sphere for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

This sounded like something I would enjoy, and I probably would have if the story and characters were enjoyable. The plot was messy and the characters were pretty much deplorable. Having a character mention that someone can't be gay because they are "macho" is just tacky. So is having a character compare Guinness to "cat piss" while the character is in Ireland.

If this story just focused on the story and "mystery" of the Welcome house it would have been 100% better.

[Yvonne Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to another fantastic read by Ali McNamara ...loved every bit of it..the book just wrapped it's words and chapters around you and welcomed you in just like the house in the story...totally recommended

[Kirsty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope your characters aren't quirky and cute for getting mixed up. They are ignorant and irritating. I hate books which make ditziness out to be lovely trait because the characters who have it are always female. Women do not need to be stupid to be cute.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Summer of Serendipity is most probably the most magical book I have read in such a long time (and that's saying something as I'm a huge Harry Potter fan). This book has spent shivers down my spine throughout and I was constantly gripped on the story - trying to find out who is behind the mysterious Welcome House.

One of the many reasons I wanted to read this book in the first place is because of the location. This story is set in Ireland, and having a boyfriend who comes from there (and being half Irish myself), I felt a connection to it. I've also been to County Kerry and it is honestly the most beautiful place ever. So those two things came into play massively with my wanting to read this book.

I thought that maybe after reading about the Irish History in this book for a while would start to bore me a little but honestly it just made the whole story that bit more interesting - I simply couldn't put it down!

I found Ren's character really intriguing, I wanted to find out why she was so hesitant with everyone - and of course I wanted her and Finn to get together! Finn was your typical cheeky Irish chappy and he, I found, bought a little something extra to the story. I found every characters side story interesting and really enjoyed getting to know them better.

The book had everything - humour, drama, suspense, mystery and of course romance.

This is the first book I've read by Ali McNamara but it certainly won't be the last - I'm already looking into what else she's wrote!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

[Kiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sinceramente mi aspettavo tutt'altro, ma non mi lamento. Dalla copertina sembrava una storia estiva come tutte le altre, ma si è dimostrata più interessante di quello che pensavo.
Il punto forte sicuramente è il mistero che ti tiene sulle spine fino all'ultimo anche se mi sarebbe piaciuto che si approfondisse di più su alcuni temi: la risposta a certe questioni sento che è stata troppo banale o veloce. Inoltre, sento che nella prima metà la storia si è sviluppata troppo lentamente, non a caso la parte più interessante è la seconda in cui la protagonista mi ha incominciato a stare finalmente simpatica. La storia d'amore è carina, ma la antipatia per la protagonista mi ha impedito emozionarmi all'inizio. Sento anche che il secreto del protagonista era un po' banale da come c'è l'avevano presentato inizialmente. Per ultimo ci sono alcuni trame irrisolte e dà un po' fastidio.
In conclusione, sento che è una storia carina però con molto potenziale.

[Sarah Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from Ali McMamara. I really enjoyed this book and loved how it was both a romance and a bit of a mystery story rolled into one. Very enjoyable.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another stunning and outstanding read from this author, absolutely wonderful story and characters, all so very well written.

I did struggle with the history side of things in this book but that's just because I'm not a fan of historical tales.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable book and I loved that there was lots of animals throughout.

[Annelies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, Ali McNamara, one of my favourite authors.
Serendipity Parker (awesome name) is a property seeker, looking for the perfect getaway for her client on Ballykiltara. Ballykiltara is owned by the main characters of Breakfast at Darcy's.
She finds the perfect house, but no one knows who owns it.
This story was fun. Kiki (Ren's co-worker and friend) was such a joy to read. Finn, the hotel's manager and Ren's love interest was a little odd, but nice all the same.
The best part of all, this didn't have the penultimate chapter syndrome!
Some of Ali's books have some slight magic in them, which is actually really nice.

[Linda Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Serendipity (Ren) Parker and her assistant Kiki head to the west coast of Ireland house hunting for a client, they find more than just the perfect house.

I loved The Summer of Serendipity. It is unashamedly women’s fiction with the kind of warmth and romance that makes it such a pleasure to read. I’m not usually one for any element of magical realism, but the mythology, superstition and omens of ravens and stags worked highly effectively and convincingly to enhance the story without dominating it, so that they were broad brush strokes that could be accessed on many levels from spirituality to coincidence to suit the reader’s taste.

I thought the sense of place was excellent. I’ve never been to Ireland, but Ballykiltara had all the elements I imagine, from Guinness serving pubs to misty lakes and changeable weather, making for an area I could picture vividly in my mind’s eye.

However, what made The Summer of Serendipity such a lovely read was the characterisation. From Ren to Finn and Fergal the dog I found each person distinct and realistic so that I could easily imagine chatting to them in the town of Ballykiltara. The gradually uncovered back stories to Ren and Finn gave them added depth and appeal too.

I thought the quality of Ali McNamara’s writing was so good. The prose flowed so that there was never any awkwardness, making for a highly pleasurable reading experience and the dialogue felt absolutely perfect. But aside from the quality of writing, a great sense of place and warm human characters, it was the attention to detail in the plot I most enjoyed. Ali McNamara knows her mythology and there is a smashing mystery to be uncovered here too surrounding Welcome House.

The Summer of Serendipity is a lovely summer read. My only regret is that I haven’t read Ali McNamara before. I shall be putting that right immediately.

[Sophie Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book if you take it for what it is (a cheesy romance) and if you expect nothing more. I enjoyed this on the most part but some of it was just so far fetched that it left me inadvertently rolling my eyes.

An easy read but very predictable.

[Lucrezia Ugolini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confesso che il primo capitolo mi aveva fatto bollare in modo negativo il romanzo: ho trovato le prime pagine un po' superficiali, c'è stato qualcosa nell'atteggiamento della protagonista, Ren, che sul momento mi ha infastidita, al punto che da essermi preparata psicologicamente a trecento pagine di noia. In realtà già dal capitolo seguente mi sono dovuta ricredere.

Bellissima l'ambientazione: siamo onesti, a chi non piacerebbe fare un viaggio in Irlanda, in uno di quei paesini portuali dove tutti si conoscono, dove le leggende abbondano, dove i nomi sono assurdi e così piacevoli? Le descrizioni qui emergono pian piano: attraverso i percorsi dei personaggi si scoprono un poco alla volta le peculiarità dello spazio esterno e di quello intimo, più personale della gente del luogo. Ciò che ho notato in particolare non è tanto la realizzazione dello spazio, quanto la descrizione del rapporto tra lo spazio e le persone che lo vivono. Molto piacevole, varrebbe la pena di leggere L'estate delle coincidenze anche solo per questa ragione!

I personaggi sono piacevoli, ma non sorprendenti. Forse questo è il motivo per cui non ho sentito il bisogno di dare un punteggio pieno al libro: non ho colto reali novità, Ren e i personaggi che la circondano sono dei tipi letterari già visti e molto usati e, anche se diventano piacevoli considerando che si tratta di un racconto a scopo ludico, non hanno rappresentato nulla di nuovo. Ciò detto, però, ripeto che sono piacevoli: devo confessare che il mio preferito è Kiki, un po' svampita, ma molto tranquilla e spensierata. Forse manca di un aspetto più profondo, ma c'è da dire che la storia non lo richiede. Viceversa, la mia opinione su Ren purtroppo non è cambiata molto, l'ho trovata un po' spocchiosetta, ma c'è da dire che il bello sta proprio qui: le persone con il suo carattere esistono, il che fa di lei un personaggio verosimile. Ottimo lavoro su di lei, non posso lamentarmi.

Lo stile è ottimo: adeguato al genere a cui appartiene il romanzo, frasi brevi e ironiche, che donano una certa immediatezza alle sensazioni della protagonista. Ci troviamo al volo nella mente di Ren e seguiamo i suoi ragionamenti. L'autrice sa dosare bene il ritmo, passando da momenti rapidi ad altri più lenti senza mai smorzare l'andamento regolare della narrazione. A meno che non ricordi male si tratta del mio primo approccio alla McNamara, ma se questo è il suo stile sono molto curiosa di approfondire la lettura di altri romanzi. L'estate delle coincidenze si legge in fretta, è allegro e vivace: il genere di libro che vorrei a tenermi compagnia nei momenti di stress. Confesso che è capitato a fagiolo, mi serviva una lettura di questo tipo e sono rimasta soddisfatta dello stile frizzante della McNamara.

Purtroppo, ma qui non mi sto affatto lamentando, il titolo in lingua originale aveva un significato tutto da scoprire: The Summer of Serendipity richiamava sia il nome della protagonista, Serendipity appunto, a significare che quella è la sua estate, ma "serendipity" vuol dire anche la gioia del fare scoperte o ritrovamenti imprevisti. In italiano diventa difficile da rendere, la parola "serendipità" esiste ma non è di uso comune e in un titolo che deve essere accattivante non poteva chiaramente essere usata, senza contare che avrebbe comunque perduto l'assonanza col nome di Ren. Peccato, è uno di quei casi in cui con la traduzione si perde qualcosa, ma mi rendo anche conto che diventa difficile una traduzione letterale nei giochi di parole! In ogni caso il titolo è molto adeguato, perciò sono soddisfatta della scelta dei traduttori.

In conclusione, se non il massimo, L'estate delle coincidenze merita quattro punti su cinque. Lo consiglio vivamente, soprattutto se c'è la necessità di staccare e di rilassarsi con qualcosa di piacevole e divertente.

[Kerry Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely light read from Ali McNamara

The story is set in Ballykiltara a small town in Ireland.

Serendipity...better known as Ren, is a workaholic who doesn't like to fail...always on a mission. Until she visits Ireland looking for a property for a client and finds the Welcome house...but this is the house that will test Rens work ethic and beliefs. Will she gets what she wants...

Kiki is Rens assistant, she is funny quirky and very often gets the wrong end of the Stick! But very loveable.

Finn is the hotel manager at the Stag where Ren and Kiki are staying. Finn doesn't like following rules, but loves his dog..Felix and horse...Trixie. But when Finn meets Ren it stirs something inside him that was long hidden away.

Father Duffy is integrall to Rens new mission.

Donal who also works at the hotel is a fountain of historical knowledge...but will he help Ren....

Finally we have Eddie...who also works at the hotel. But he is also besotted with Kiki...will Eddie tell anyone his secret or help Ren find what she is looking for....

The lives of these people are all brought together by the Magic and romance of the Welcome House...weaving their paths to the twist and turn of the plot.

The story is surrounded with mystery, it has ghostly happenings, ravens interacting with humans and stags and the Welcome house who doesn't like it's doors locked.

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Summer of Serendipity" it had me hooked from the first page and I was so easily drawn into the story...i couldn't wait to turn the page to discover the secrets of the Welcome House and left me wanting more at the end.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this review copy.

Serendipity Parker is a property seeker, seeking out her clients dream home. Whilst looking for her latest property, she finds herself in Ireland with her assistant Kiki. In the small town of Ballykiltara, she finds the ideal property, known locally as The Welcome House. Wanting to put her negotiation skills into use she begins to try and track down the owner to see if they could be persuaded to sell. The only problem is none of the locals seems to know who the house belongs to, but they do tell her the house has been a local legend for hundreds of years – its door is always open for those in need of shelter and there is always a supply of food in for the hungry or poor. Whilst trying to ignore the local myths and legends, Ren sets about on a mission to find out the true story behind The Welcome House but she finds herself being distracted by Finn, the mysterious manager of the hotel she is staying in. Can she find out the truth about The Welcome House?

What a wonderful magical story! I have read Ali McNamara books before, so knew this wasn’t going to be your usual chick-lit romance story. As usual, Ali has added a dash of mystery and magic to a story packed with love, friendship, myths, legends and good old Irish charm. The setting sounds beautiful and all the characters are so likeable. Whilst you can, to some degree, guess the ending, it is done so differently (you’ll understand what I mean when you read it). I love how the mystery and magic make it so different to all the other books out there. Fabulous read!

5 Stars!

[Io · Rating 2 out of 5]

Devo ammettere che mi aspettavo un romance classico ambientato nella stagione estiva: il classico libro da ombrellone poco impegnativo. Invece ci troviamo in un paesino dell'Irlanda, in cui tutti si conoscono, in cui le leggende abbondano e in cui non possiamo non sentirci un po' a casa. La voglia di partire e andare ad esplorare quei luoghi insieme a Ren, Kiki e Finn diventa quasi incontenibile. Però poi ci troviamo davanti a questi eventi sovrannaturali, a questa casa che accoglie chi ne ha bisogno, a cervi bianchi e corvi che portano messaggi. Non so, questo stile narrativo un po' alla Coelho non mi ha fatto impazzire. Io sono più per le storie reali, credibili, concrete. Qui invece facciamo un salto verso l'ignoto e la cosa non mi ha fatto impazzire. I personaggi li ho trovati un po' monotoni, potenzialmente interessanti ma mai troppo sviluppati. Mi è invece piaciuta la vena ironica che ogni tanto compare, che contribuisce a rendere la lettura più scorrevole e, per me, è stata determinante per riuscire a finire il libro. Lo stile rimane comunque abbastanza conciso, alterna descrizioni un po' più lente a frenetici ragionamenti che aiutano a dipanare la matassa. Forse questa autrice non fa per me, forse ho solo iniziato dal libro sbagliato, chi può dirlo.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ci sono alcuni libri Ali McNamara che proprio non riesco a sopportare. Sì, è maturata molto da Colazione da Darcy (di cui questo è uno spin-off), ma in questo caso la protagonista, Ren (da Serendipity... che razza di nome! Naturalmente si vede anche qui la passione di McNamara per le commedie romantiche, e le coincidenze del titolo italiano vengono da The Summer of Serendipity del titolo originale, che, in quel caso è però bivalente), è davvero odiosa. Sì, più avanti un po' si riscatta, ma non è sufficiente.
Innanzi tutto, che razza di lavoro fa? Procacciatrice immobiliare sarebbe anche un lavoro interessante, ma fissarsi su una casa quando potresti dare al cliente delle alternative (soprattutto quando scopri che i proprietari di quella con cui ti sei fissata NON VOGLIONO VENDERE)??? Salvo poi fare un totale voltafaccia e decidere di scoprire i misteri della casa per conto degli abitanti del posto e al diavolo il lavoro!
Ho fatto molta fatica a leggerlo, malgrado il fascino e il mistero dell'Irlanda delle leggende che donano un pizzico di realismo magico al romanzo.

[Lita · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It's all religions I take issue with. They're so conformist, there's no room to question anything".

"I continue to smile as I walk all the way back to the hotel and up to my room, forgetting all about the fact I'm supposed to be meeting Kiki in the bar, and by now she's likely to be high as a kite on caffeine, having waited for me to return from Finn's cottage".

"My heart, which had been so light and carefree a few moments ago, suddenly feels incredibly heavy in my chest".

"You see, that's where I have a problem with all this -I continue when he doesn't-. You're quite happy to break the rules when it suits you. But you're not happy to break them for me".

[Zarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a special and beautiful read from Ali McNamara. Part romance and part folklore, The Summer of Serendipity was all magical; from the legend of The Welcome House on the Irish island of Ballykiltara taking hold of main character Serendipity Parker, right through to the delightful islanders that make up the rest of the cast of characters of Ali's wonderful new novel. One to add to your summer TBR for sure.

[Ellie (bookmadbarlow) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Ireland this book that follows Ren on her hunt for the perfect property is part magical, part Indiana Jones film. I'm not a massive fan of too much magical elements and the authors other books have been on the right side of my tolerance. Unfortunately this one wasn't and that took my enjoyment of it away somewhat.
If you are a fan of magical realism or just events that cannot be explained then this book is for you.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this quirky, whimsical Irish story. It also made me remember I'd read the previous book connected to it: 'Breakfast at Darcys'.