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Kelsey Anderson #1
One Summer's Night
The path of true love never did run smooth…did it?
Kelsey Anderson is stuck in a rut so big, she’ll need a 4-wheel drive to get out. She’s just been made redundant from her dead-end job, and boyfriend Fran is so busy climbing up the career ladder that he’s forgotten how to have fun. She needs to change her life – and fast.
Stumbling across an advert for tour guides in Stratford-Upon-Avon seems like the perfect way to bring the sunshine back. In an impulsive move, she moves from her small Scottish village to Shakespeare’s birthplace, armed only with a suitcase and her battered copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
Kelsey quickly falls in love with the place, her job as a tourist guide allowing her to explore every inch of the picture-perfect town, from cosy cafes to the picturesque banks of the river.
But it’s not just the town that captures her heart, as she finds herself torn between the actors Will and Jonathan who both vie for her affections.
But will beautiful Peony, the lead actress at the Oklahoma theatre company where Jonathan is playing Oberon in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, play a role in keeping Kelsey and Jonathan apart?
Or will flirtatious, charming Will, the fellow tour guide who has set his sights on Kelsey, keep the star-crossed lovers from finding their happy ending?
A gorgeously uplifting, feel good romance that will captivate readers of Holly Martin, Cathy Bramley and Milly Johnson.
Kelsey Anderson is stuck in a rut so big, she’ll need a 4-wheel drive to get out. She’s just been made redundant from her dead-end job, and boyfriend Fran is so busy climbing up the career ladder that he’s forgotten how to have fun. She needs to change her life – and fast.
Stumbling across an advert for tour guides in Stratford-Upon-Avon seems like the perfect way to bring the sunshine back. In an impulsive move, she moves from her small Scottish village to Shakespeare’s birthplace, armed only with a suitcase and her battered copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
Kelsey quickly falls in love with the place, her job as a tourist guide allowing her to explore every inch of the picture-perfect town, from cosy cafes to the picturesque banks of the river.
But it’s not just the town that captures her heart, as she finds herself torn between the actors Will and Jonathan who both vie for her affections.
But will beautiful Peony, the lead actress at the Oklahoma theatre company where Jonathan is playing Oberon in A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, play a role in keeping Kelsey and Jonathan apart?
Or will flirtatious, charming Will, the fellow tour guide who has set his sights on Kelsey, keep the star-crossed lovers from finding their happy ending?
A gorgeously uplifting, feel good romance that will captivate readers of Holly Martin, Cathy Bramley and Milly Johnson.
329 pages, Paperback
First published March 6, 2019
51 people are currently reading
620 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
June 5, 2019
I loved the premise of the story. A Shakespeare-loving girl from Scotland takes a chance and leaves everything to go to England and work in Stratford Upon Avon as a tour guide. There are tons of Shakespeare references throughout the book and a lovely English setting. However, the story line once she is in England takes a very predictable turn and quite honestly, not a whole lot happens. For what seemed to become an adventure of a lifetime, the story is rather dull. The romantic part of the story line reads more like a young adult (teen) romance - simply too angsty and immature for my taste. Not a terrible book and rather sweet at times, but just lacked a more interesting development of the plot.
March 11, 2019
Kelsey Anderson finds herself in a rut. She's just lost her job in a camera shop that she truly loved, her long - term relationship with Francis seems to be going downhill and she really doesn't know what it is she wants to do with her life. She loves taking pictures, she loves Shakespeare and her fondest memory is this of her last holiday as a family in Stratford - Upon - Avon when her dad was still alive. So when she notices an offer to work as a tour guide in Shakespeare's birthplace what has she got to loose? It's only for a summer and maybe after this time they will be able to solve their problems with Francis? Her family and her best friend Mirren encourage her to make this move, Francis is not so thrilled... But as it's only a temporary position, she decides to go.
I absolutely loved the idea of Kelsey working as a tour - guide. I still can't forget Molly Hopkins's Evie Dexter's series, and it's years since I've read them, and they were a real hit, and I hoped for something very similar with "One Summer's Night". I really liked the few rounds of sight - seeing that we got, the interaction with the tourist and the way they were organized and I'd love to read more about them. There were hilarious tourists, some embarrassing situations and the eclectic group of the tourist guides - a lovely idea that felt a little too underdeveloped in comparison to Kelsey's love life and the many things Shakespeare. The author has really well captured the "Olde English" feeling of the place and vividly and scintillatingly described all the places, bringing them to life.
Kelsey was the main character and she was lovely and full of warmth, though I had a feeling that mentally she's much younger than her age. I liked her relationship with her family but I wanted more maturity there to be honest, and it felt as if she was sheltered from everything her whole life. Yes, of course, she had her own amount of grief in her young life and my heart went for her but the amount of her sobbing in the book was overwhelming. However, she was a good - hearted person, too easily jumping to conclusions and too quickly withdrawing when there was something happening in her life that didn't go according to plan, and she would be even better a character with a little dose of self - belief, as she was counting on other people's help too often. She was just a normal girl but it was probably this normality that made her feel so real and likeable - stuck in a rut, not sure what to do with her life and how to do it, uncertain, her dreams of photography long forgotten, her relationship rather stagnant but better such relationship than none, right? But there was still life in the girl, and even though she's full of fear, she decides to take the opportunity of the tour guide job. Often questioning herself and her abilities but always finding strength in the end to stay upbeat, to find the courage and it was nice to see her eventually finding her feet and making up her mind, making decision.
The other characters were a group of eclectic, colourful people, perhaps too cartoonish sometimes but still likeable and entertaining.
I enjoyed the writing style, it is very vivid and eloquent, and chatty and also somehow poetic and lyrical - an unusual combination but it works wonders here. I could feel the heat of the midsummer, so vivid was it described, and the descriptions of the town were beautiful - it was a lovely escapism. However, eventually, the whole story started to feel too one - dimensional, too flat and honestly a bit too predictable, too clichéd, too neat. I had a feeling when reading it that I've been there and I've seen it all.
"One Summer's Night" covered swelteringly hot summer in Stratford - Upon - Avon, romance, affairs, a great amount of confusion and jumping to conclusions so if you're looking for an easy, predictable romance with straightforward characters, it's a book for you. It was a warm, feel - good and uplifting read with some unforgettable moments and gorgeous descriptions.
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
May 8, 2022
I read this in June for Midsummer’s night and it was a delight from start to finish. A story of a woman who is thrown out of her comfort zone when she takes a job on impulse not knowing exactly where it will lead.
Kelsey Anderson has never fulfilled her potential, living in a small seaside town near Edinburgh with her mum and younger brother and in a relationship with a strangely detached and selfish kind of guy, her university boyfriend, Fran. Photography (and Shakespeare) enthusiast Kelsey is cast adrift with no clue what to do when the Vintage Camera Emporium closes down and she is made redundant. Her stingy teacher boyfriend is self-absorbed and no help at all, thinking she can work as a dinner lady at his school whilst spending her share of their house savings on a car. So when she finds a temporary job as a tour guide in Stratford upon Avon, Kelsey doesn’t tell Fran for quite a while. When she leaves to take up the job he has an attack of conscience and gives her the money back – maybe that is not all he has to feel guilty about!
Out of her depth and without a clue what to do on arrival in Stratford, but with a great knowledge and love of Shakespeare, we explore the town with her, get to meet her diverse and interesting colleagues and two rival love interests, Will and Jonathan. Will, a fellow tour guide, is a little flaky and flirty and can’t be taken all that seriously, and Jonathan, an actor with a touring company, well, Kelsey doesn’t communicate with him as well as she should but then if she did, we wouldn’t have a story, would we?!
The author has a nice, flowing style of writing with some insightful touches and I particularly enjoyed the Shakespeare epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. I went back and re-read them at the end of each one to check the meanings again. Other great things about this book are the descriptions of Stratford itself and the way that Kelsey comes out of herself and throws herself into her new world. Once she’s there, events start to unfold and midsummer magic affords opportunities to bring her her dream life, though she has to navigate crossed wires and misunderstandings to get there. Kelsey fitted into Stratford so well, it was as if she had always been there and Scotland was just a distant memory. What Kelsey finally decides to do with her life is the perfect tribute to “her lovely young dad, whom she would soon come to miss so much” who set her on the path to Stratford.
I’d have liked the author to have avoided the temptation of naming one character Will and giving another the surname Hathaway – this felt too contrived. But, a lovely cute, heartwarming and undemanding read that will do wonders for the tourist trade in Stratford upon Avon. I was chuffed to hear there will be a sequel.
Kelsey Anderson has never fulfilled her potential, living in a small seaside town near Edinburgh with her mum and younger brother and in a relationship with a strangely detached and selfish kind of guy, her university boyfriend, Fran. Photography (and Shakespeare) enthusiast Kelsey is cast adrift with no clue what to do when the Vintage Camera Emporium closes down and she is made redundant. Her stingy teacher boyfriend is self-absorbed and no help at all, thinking she can work as a dinner lady at his school whilst spending her share of their house savings on a car. So when she finds a temporary job as a tour guide in Stratford upon Avon, Kelsey doesn’t tell Fran for quite a while. When she leaves to take up the job he has an attack of conscience and gives her the money back – maybe that is not all he has to feel guilty about!
Out of her depth and without a clue what to do on arrival in Stratford, but with a great knowledge and love of Shakespeare, we explore the town with her, get to meet her diverse and interesting colleagues and two rival love interests, Will and Jonathan. Will, a fellow tour guide, is a little flaky and flirty and can’t be taken all that seriously, and Jonathan, an actor with a touring company, well, Kelsey doesn’t communicate with him as well as she should but then if she did, we wouldn’t have a story, would we?!
The author has a nice, flowing style of writing with some insightful touches and I particularly enjoyed the Shakespeare epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. I went back and re-read them at the end of each one to check the meanings again. Other great things about this book are the descriptions of Stratford itself and the way that Kelsey comes out of herself and throws herself into her new world. Once she’s there, events start to unfold and midsummer magic affords opportunities to bring her her dream life, though she has to navigate crossed wires and misunderstandings to get there. Kelsey fitted into Stratford so well, it was as if she had always been there and Scotland was just a distant memory. What Kelsey finally decides to do with her life is the perfect tribute to “her lovely young dad, whom she would soon come to miss so much” who set her on the path to Stratford.
I’d have liked the author to have avoided the temptation of naming one character Will and giving another the surname Hathaway – this felt too contrived. But, a lovely cute, heartwarming and undemanding read that will do wonders for the tourist trade in Stratford upon Avon. I was chuffed to hear there will be a sequel.
April 21, 2019
Adorable!
Nearly took my kindle out in church this morning, this is how attached I have become to Kelsey and her life. Loved this story from the start. It’s romantic, witty and sweet! I currently have a thing for characters who follow their dreams and passions, not knowing where they will end up. When I read there is a sequel I breathed a sigh of relief - this means more Kelsey.
Nearly took my kindle out in church this morning, this is how attached I have become to Kelsey and her life. Loved this story from the start. It’s romantic, witty and sweet! I currently have a thing for characters who follow their dreams and passions, not knowing where they will end up. When I read there is a sequel I breathed a sigh of relief - this means more Kelsey.
June 4, 2020
Really enjoyed this one! Classic feel-good summer romance with a Shakespearean twist. Very pleased to discover that there's a sequel in the works!
April 20, 2019
I loved this debut book from Kiley Dunbar and am delighted to learn that this isn't the last we have seen from Kelsey.
I loved seeing Kelsey come out of her shell and into a fabulous character after breaking away from a boyfriend and taking on a job in Stratford upon Avon that suits her down to a tee.
Was a lot of fun discovering what life ad a tour guide is like.
There are even a couple of hunky men in the running, although I was never completely sure who she would end up with.
What is clear is the author loves Shakespeare and the book is filled with quotes from the Bard.
Really enjoyable book and I can't wait to read more from the author.
Thank you to Hera Book and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I loved seeing Kelsey come out of her shell and into a fabulous character after breaking away from a boyfriend and taking on a job in Stratford upon Avon that suits her down to a tee.
Was a lot of fun discovering what life ad a tour guide is like.
There are even a couple of hunky men in the running, although I was never completely sure who she would end up with.
What is clear is the author loves Shakespeare and the book is filled with quotes from the Bard.
Really enjoyable book and I can't wait to read more from the author.
Thank you to Hera Book and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
August 2, 2019
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I absolutely adored this rom-com. Everything about the story screams - 'Awww!". I loved the plot, I loved all the characters, I loved the scenes, I loved the cover, basically everything. And the best part is that it wasn't repetitive at all.
Of course there's a HEA but that's obvious for a romance. What I really liked is at the end there is a letter from the author in which she tells us how her real life events inspired her to write this book. This novel incorporates bits of her life and perhaps that's why during the entire book I could feel that it was written with so much passion.
Another thing I really liked were the lines at the beginning of each chapter - taken from poems and plays. Some of them are so beautiful that you get transported to a different magical era. I highly recommend this book to all romance fans out there. If you love cute love stories, you will devour this like I did. Will definitely read more of Kiley's books.
After reading this I realized that this is the first of two books. I got it while I was in Scotland and I've not seen these here in Dubai. Now, I'm too curious to know what happens next.
I absolutely adored this rom-com. Everything about the story screams - 'Awww!". I loved the plot, I loved all the characters, I loved the scenes, I loved the cover, basically everything. And the best part is that it wasn't repetitive at all.
Of course there's a HEA but that's obvious for a romance. What I really liked is at the end there is a letter from the author in which she tells us how her real life events inspired her to write this book. This novel incorporates bits of her life and perhaps that's why during the entire book I could feel that it was written with so much passion.
Another thing I really liked were the lines at the beginning of each chapter - taken from poems and plays. Some of them are so beautiful that you get transported to a different magical era. I highly recommend this book to all romance fans out there. If you love cute love stories, you will devour this like I did. Will definitely read more of Kiley's books.
After reading this I realized that this is the first of two books. I got it while I was in Scotland and I've not seen these here in Dubai. Now, I'm too curious to know what happens next.
June 11, 2020
I loved this book!
Adding it to my reading list when it became Book of the Week on Apple Books, I left it purposely until the warm, sunny weather arrived.
What drew me in was it is such a descriptive book.
From Kelsey standing in front of Shakespeares’ home when she was a teenager & describing all the floral smells coming from the garden...to strolling by the river.
From Kelsey & Mirrens’ gin afternoon tea on the sun baked roof terrace...to the mesmerising theatrical gala.
Not to mention two obviously gorgeous male characters!
All those moments made me feel like I was experiencing them too & made me want to visit the beautiful Stratford-on-Avon once again.
I’m looking to reading the second instalment of Kelseys adventures!
Adding it to my reading list when it became Book of the Week on Apple Books, I left it purposely until the warm, sunny weather arrived.
What drew me in was it is such a descriptive book.
From Kelsey standing in front of Shakespeares’ home when she was a teenager & describing all the floral smells coming from the garden...to strolling by the river.
From Kelsey & Mirrens’ gin afternoon tea on the sun baked roof terrace...to the mesmerising theatrical gala.
Not to mention two obviously gorgeous male characters!
All those moments made me feel like I was experiencing them too & made me want to visit the beautiful Stratford-on-Avon once again.
I’m looking to reading the second instalment of Kelseys adventures!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2022
If you want the ultimate rom-com story, full of lovely characters, great friendships, fun and plenty of romantic interest, this is your book!
Kelsey moved away from Edinburgh to follow her dreams and live in her own literature-dominated, theatre-loving bubble in Stratford-upon-Avon. Having met Will & Jonathan in her first few days there, she was instantly involved in a love triangle.
I had no idea who would win her over which made the book as exciting as rom-coms get… plus it was so lovely to see her gain confidence and achieve all of her goals.
It’s an easy read, not particularly stimulating or challenging but engaging, heart-warming and kept me occupied for a few hours! Looking forward to reading pt 2!
Kelsey moved away from Edinburgh to follow her dreams and live in her own literature-dominated, theatre-loving bubble in Stratford-upon-Avon. Having met Will & Jonathan in her first few days there, she was instantly involved in a love triangle.
I had no idea who would win her over which made the book as exciting as rom-coms get… plus it was so lovely to see her gain confidence and achieve all of her goals.
It’s an easy read, not particularly stimulating or challenging but engaging, heart-warming and kept me occupied for a few hours! Looking forward to reading pt 2!
March 1, 2019
This is the type of story that everyone needs to own. It’s one of those stories. That if you can’t decide what you want to read, or if you have a book hang over from a previous book, or life is too busy for something hard and heavy, or if you just want something that you do not need to concentrate too hard on. This this is the perfect book for you.
Pick it up and enjoy this lighthearted, wonderful romance story. Lovely.
Pick it up and enjoy this lighthearted, wonderful romance story. Lovely.
April 15, 2019
It was the first time I was reading a book from Kiley Dunbar and I have not been disappointed! This story takes place in the birthplace of Shakespeare.The main protagonist who has just lost her job and who is living a hard time in her relationship with her boyfriend, arrives there to work as a tourist tour guide for the summer. This is the perfect job for her as she has always been in love with Shakespeare work. But her true passion is photography and her dream would be living from her passion but it's hard to find job opportunities in that field. Of course there is also romance in this book which I liked a lot. I really liked this book even though I found myself a bit bored from time to time but fortunately these moments never lasted too long. All in all this book is quite good and I gave it a 4 stars out of 4.
August 8, 2023
This is Kelsey's story and I really liked Kelsey right from the start. Unlike Kelsey, I am not a huge Shakespeare fan. I respect his work and have read/seen some of his plays, but they are not something I am obsessed with, but I still really enjoyed this story. I could feel the connection between both Kelsey and her family and best friend and also with one of the men she meets in Stratford Upon Avon. The story is full of lovely characters and some adventures and emotions going up and down and I really enjoyed it. Having read Kiley's newest books I definitely think she has grown a lot as an author and has become a sure buy for me!
March 4, 2019
It’s the start of the blog tour for this absolutely delightful book, that I would recommend to everyone as a fabulous feel-good read!
Kelsey Anderson finds herself in a bit of a rut. She’s just lost the dead-end job that she loved in a camera emporium that’s been forced to close down, and her long-term relationship with the staid Fran (Francis) seems to be heading down a long winding road to nowhere.
She’s blessed to have a lovely mom, a grandad that she adores, and a quirky, nerdy teenage brother, Calum who she’s extremely protective of, mainly because she knows he has no memory of their father who died in a tragic accident when Calum was still a baby. She, however, still holds fond memories of their dad, having been in her early teens when he died.
Her fondest memory is of their last holiday together in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace, where her dad, being a keen amateur photographer nurtured her own love of photography, which she’s continued through to her adult life, using her dad’s camera which was passed down to her.
So at a bit of a loose end, when she sees an advert for summer tour guides in Stratford-Upon-Avon, she impulsively applies and is shocked when she almost immediately receives an affirmative response asking how soon she can get there! Her family is thrilled, as is her best friend Mirren … Fran, not so much. Sorry, I found him to be a foppish, selfish git!
Armed with her trusty camera and her well-worn book of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Kelsey bravely heads off to Stratford-Upon-Avon and into a summer of tourists, romance, jealousies, rivalry, a fair amount of confusion, sweltering heat, and loads of all things Shakespeare! It’s all just fantastic to be honest – but I have to own up to my own adoration of the area that I visited last year. I’d be at a loss to explain how anyone could fail to fall in love with the place. It’s so quaint and ‘Olde English’ and truly everything one could want for a holiday escape.
Kelsey is an adorable character. She’s been lovingly sheltered by her family, due to their circumstances, but also quite stifled by a selfish boyfriend who she’s believed has had her best interests at heart. When one is a genuinely good-hearted person like Kelsey is, one fails to see when others have less than altruistic motives. All she needs is a good dose of self-belief and she’ll be good to go. Thankfully there are a couple of people waiting in the wings to help her along her way.
Kiley Dunbar has created some lovely characters here – and they’re not overly saccharine sweet. They’re believable and authentic and I wanted to climb into my Kindle and become a part of their world!
Five sparkly stars for this gorgeous, upbeat book! I can’t wait to read the next instalment!
Kelsey Anderson finds herself in a bit of a rut. She’s just lost the dead-end job that she loved in a camera emporium that’s been forced to close down, and her long-term relationship with the staid Fran (Francis) seems to be heading down a long winding road to nowhere.
She’s blessed to have a lovely mom, a grandad that she adores, and a quirky, nerdy teenage brother, Calum who she’s extremely protective of, mainly because she knows he has no memory of their father who died in a tragic accident when Calum was still a baby. She, however, still holds fond memories of their dad, having been in her early teens when he died.
Her fondest memory is of their last holiday together in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace, where her dad, being a keen amateur photographer nurtured her own love of photography, which she’s continued through to her adult life, using her dad’s camera which was passed down to her.
So at a bit of a loose end, when she sees an advert for summer tour guides in Stratford-Upon-Avon, she impulsively applies and is shocked when she almost immediately receives an affirmative response asking how soon she can get there! Her family is thrilled, as is her best friend Mirren … Fran, not so much. Sorry, I found him to be a foppish, selfish git!
Armed with her trusty camera and her well-worn book of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Kelsey bravely heads off to Stratford-Upon-Avon and into a summer of tourists, romance, jealousies, rivalry, a fair amount of confusion, sweltering heat, and loads of all things Shakespeare! It’s all just fantastic to be honest – but I have to own up to my own adoration of the area that I visited last year. I’d be at a loss to explain how anyone could fail to fall in love with the place. It’s so quaint and ‘Olde English’ and truly everything one could want for a holiday escape.
Kelsey is an adorable character. She’s been lovingly sheltered by her family, due to their circumstances, but also quite stifled by a selfish boyfriend who she’s believed has had her best interests at heart. When one is a genuinely good-hearted person like Kelsey is, one fails to see when others have less than altruistic motives. All she needs is a good dose of self-belief and she’ll be good to go. Thankfully there are a couple of people waiting in the wings to help her along her way.
Kiley Dunbar has created some lovely characters here – and they’re not overly saccharine sweet. They’re believable and authentic and I wanted to climb into my Kindle and become a part of their world!
Five sparkly stars for this gorgeous, upbeat book! I can’t wait to read the next instalment!
May 9, 2020
https://clavie.co/2020/05/04/book-rev...
We are introduced to Kelsey Anderson who loves cameras. She shows up to work to be suddenly let go of. I love how the little book she carries with her everywhere is Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
Her and her boyfriend Fran from the beginning had their problems and do not seem to be communicating at all as they have different paths ahead of them however Kelsey has the right to be a bit annoyed as she is under pressure as she does not know what she wants from life due to her limited choice of jobs and career path.
Just like that, after sending her CV off to what sounds like her dream job even though it’s only for the summer, the morning after she gets the call that she got it and has to be in England within the week, how exciting is that? Going from jobless to the job of your dreams.
I really did not like her boyfriend Fran, you do not spend your other half’s savings that was towards a house deposit on a car for yourself! Talk about being selfish as well as stuck up.
The novel started to remind me of Wild Woman’s Guide To Travelling with the whole tour guide and need to get out of where she currently was.
I loved how she got into her routine, her encounters with Jonathan and Will and just getting into that vibe of being in a new cutesy place, summer feeling, new routine, new career, new people and blending in with the locals, getting the local gossip in theatre world it’s all so artsy and it makes a cute change plus the cute little terrace she had to herself in the mornings and evenings I just wanted to be her for a while.
A quote I enjoyed, “Missing someone who’s right there in the very same town as you, alive and well and just getting on with their life is much worse than missing someone, say on the other side of the world, because if they’re nearby and they still don’t come and see you, then you really know all hope is lost. They simply don’t want you. “
Overall I really enjoyed this novel and the only thing I didn’t really like was that the main character was a bit silly at times for not communicating better with the guys mainly and her best friend thought it’s been okay to cheat whilst in a relationship however, it had a cute happy ending or shall I say start to the main character’s life ahead? The authors notes as well at the end of the novel where insightful as it aligns with her own adventures in Stratford.
4/5 stars
We are introduced to Kelsey Anderson who loves cameras. She shows up to work to be suddenly let go of. I love how the little book she carries with her everywhere is Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
Her and her boyfriend Fran from the beginning had their problems and do not seem to be communicating at all as they have different paths ahead of them however Kelsey has the right to be a bit annoyed as she is under pressure as she does not know what she wants from life due to her limited choice of jobs and career path.
Just like that, after sending her CV off to what sounds like her dream job even though it’s only for the summer, the morning after she gets the call that she got it and has to be in England within the week, how exciting is that? Going from jobless to the job of your dreams.
I really did not like her boyfriend Fran, you do not spend your other half’s savings that was towards a house deposit on a car for yourself! Talk about being selfish as well as stuck up.
The novel started to remind me of Wild Woman’s Guide To Travelling with the whole tour guide and need to get out of where she currently was.
I loved how she got into her routine, her encounters with Jonathan and Will and just getting into that vibe of being in a new cutesy place, summer feeling, new routine, new career, new people and blending in with the locals, getting the local gossip in theatre world it’s all so artsy and it makes a cute change plus the cute little terrace she had to herself in the mornings and evenings I just wanted to be her for a while.
A quote I enjoyed, “Missing someone who’s right there in the very same town as you, alive and well and just getting on with their life is much worse than missing someone, say on the other side of the world, because if they’re nearby and they still don’t come and see you, then you really know all hope is lost. They simply don’t want you. “
Overall I really enjoyed this novel and the only thing I didn’t really like was that the main character was a bit silly at times for not communicating better with the guys mainly and her best friend thought it’s been okay to cheat whilst in a relationship however, it had a cute happy ending or shall I say start to the main character’s life ahead? The authors notes as well at the end of the novel where insightful as it aligns with her own adventures in Stratford.
4/5 stars
March 6, 2019
Thank you to the publisher for this free copy to review.
The cover for this book is stunning, a big mention to Diane Meacham for her wonderful work; it perfectly captures the enchanting romance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (the Shakespeare play that the book centers around) and the backdrop of Stratford-upon-Avon’s Tudor style streets. It is a gorgeous cover!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a favourite of mine as I got married on Midsummer’s eve and our guest tables were all named after characters from the play, so I was instantly keen on reading this book when I read the blurb.
What I loved about this story is that it feels like a classic romance book, the kind I really got in to when I first stumbled across the genre after a recommendation from a friend. So similar in style to distinctive authors such as Trisha Ashley and Katie Fforde. This quintessential star-crossed lovers story has all the elements of a proper feel good, uplifting romance that you can just get lost in for a few hours; and that’s exactly what I did.
Kelsey is a character you are instantly drawn to. She has a good heart and has stoically dealt with tragically losing her beloved Dad at a young age, but she is stuck in a rut in her hometown in Scotland. Her photography career dreams are long forgotten, her relationship seems stagnant and she really has no idea what she wants anymore. Fate throws an opportunity her way that is too good to turn down and reignites a spark of purpose in Kelsey that she so desperately needed. Complications arise however, as you can tell from the blurb, it becomes a test for Kelsey to decide what she truly wants and whether her happiness is meant to be.
I very much enjoyed the writing style of this book, you are steadily guided to experience the heat of the midsummer, the magic that the town holds, and the little hidden secrets that provide great escapism. The characters of both Will and Jonathan were charming as were the supporting cast of Mirren (Kelsey’s best friend) and Norma (her boss). The tender moments tug at your heart strings and you are left with the uplifting conviction that it is never too late to chase your dreams.
From the author’s notes at the end of the book it sounds like there will be another Kelsey Anderson book that follows which I really look forward to reading; there are so many great plot features that can continue from this book that I really can imagine it being a great sequel. Kiley Dunbar is definitely a new author to pay attention to.
The cover for this book is stunning, a big mention to Diane Meacham for her wonderful work; it perfectly captures the enchanting romance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (the Shakespeare play that the book centers around) and the backdrop of Stratford-upon-Avon’s Tudor style streets. It is a gorgeous cover!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a favourite of mine as I got married on Midsummer’s eve and our guest tables were all named after characters from the play, so I was instantly keen on reading this book when I read the blurb.
What I loved about this story is that it feels like a classic romance book, the kind I really got in to when I first stumbled across the genre after a recommendation from a friend. So similar in style to distinctive authors such as Trisha Ashley and Katie Fforde. This quintessential star-crossed lovers story has all the elements of a proper feel good, uplifting romance that you can just get lost in for a few hours; and that’s exactly what I did.
Kelsey is a character you are instantly drawn to. She has a good heart and has stoically dealt with tragically losing her beloved Dad at a young age, but she is stuck in a rut in her hometown in Scotland. Her photography career dreams are long forgotten, her relationship seems stagnant and she really has no idea what she wants anymore. Fate throws an opportunity her way that is too good to turn down and reignites a spark of purpose in Kelsey that she so desperately needed. Complications arise however, as you can tell from the blurb, it becomes a test for Kelsey to decide what she truly wants and whether her happiness is meant to be.
I very much enjoyed the writing style of this book, you are steadily guided to experience the heat of the midsummer, the magic that the town holds, and the little hidden secrets that provide great escapism. The characters of both Will and Jonathan were charming as were the supporting cast of Mirren (Kelsey’s best friend) and Norma (her boss). The tender moments tug at your heart strings and you are left with the uplifting conviction that it is never too late to chase your dreams.
From the author’s notes at the end of the book it sounds like there will be another Kelsey Anderson book that follows which I really look forward to reading; there are so many great plot features that can continue from this book that I really can imagine it being a great sequel. Kiley Dunbar is definitely a new author to pay attention to.
September 24, 2019
One Summer's Night is an absolutely stunning debut novel by the lovely Kiley Dunbar which I totally adored reading. The cover is beautiful and I love the title. We are transported into the absolutely beautiful medieval town of Stratford-upon-Avon.
One Summer's Night captures Stratford Upon Avon in such detail - you feel like you are there. Absolutely breathtaking descriptions of scenery, the tourists, the food, the people and the community. We learn so much about the characters and their lives. We are taken into the wonderful world of Shakespeare, learning so much about his birthplace, the theatre and his works. Kiley Dunbar is an incredible author who has encapsulated Stratford-Upon-Avon so vividly and magically. You could imagine yourself standing in the middle of Stratford-Upon-Avon and watching everything going on around you as the descriptions are so vivid. I loved how every chapter started with a quote from one of Shakespeare's plays or sonnets.
The book is centred on the fabulous Kelsey who after being made redundant very bravely moves to Stratford-upon-Avon to work as a tour guide! And what a wonderful tour guide she is - the tourists are lucky if Kelsey is on their bus! Kelsey absolutely lives, eats, sleeps and dreams about Shakespeare so this is her perfect job! She followed her dreams and made them come true. I loved the relationship between Kelsey and Jonathan and I hope we get to find out more about them in future books! I loved Norma - she is an amazing lady who played a large part making Kelsey's future in Stratford-Upon-Avon so bright and full of happiness, fulfilment and success. With her and Jonathan's help (along with friends and family) Kelsey put everything into action and became a much more vibrant, courageous and resilient lady who could achieve whatever she wanted. The world is her oyster!
One Summer's Night is such a lovely enchanting story. It is so much more than a love story - it is about love, hope and whatever hurdles you come across, do everything you can to achieve your dreams.
One Summer's Night is such a warm funny uplifting read. I was in stitches many a time reading. I look forward to Kiley Dunbar's future books, of which there will be many I am certain! Christmas at Frozen Falls is her second book which I cannot wait to read!
Very very highly recommended!
One Summer's Night captures Stratford Upon Avon in such detail - you feel like you are there. Absolutely breathtaking descriptions of scenery, the tourists, the food, the people and the community. We learn so much about the characters and their lives. We are taken into the wonderful world of Shakespeare, learning so much about his birthplace, the theatre and his works. Kiley Dunbar is an incredible author who has encapsulated Stratford-Upon-Avon so vividly and magically. You could imagine yourself standing in the middle of Stratford-Upon-Avon and watching everything going on around you as the descriptions are so vivid. I loved how every chapter started with a quote from one of Shakespeare's plays or sonnets.
The book is centred on the fabulous Kelsey who after being made redundant very bravely moves to Stratford-upon-Avon to work as a tour guide! And what a wonderful tour guide she is - the tourists are lucky if Kelsey is on their bus! Kelsey absolutely lives, eats, sleeps and dreams about Shakespeare so this is her perfect job! She followed her dreams and made them come true. I loved the relationship between Kelsey and Jonathan and I hope we get to find out more about them in future books! I loved Norma - she is an amazing lady who played a large part making Kelsey's future in Stratford-Upon-Avon so bright and full of happiness, fulfilment and success. With her and Jonathan's help (along with friends and family) Kelsey put everything into action and became a much more vibrant, courageous and resilient lady who could achieve whatever she wanted. The world is her oyster!
One Summer's Night is such a lovely enchanting story. It is so much more than a love story - it is about love, hope and whatever hurdles you come across, do everything you can to achieve your dreams.
One Summer's Night is such a warm funny uplifting read. I was in stitches many a time reading. I look forward to Kiley Dunbar's future books, of which there will be many I am certain! Christmas at Frozen Falls is her second book which I cannot wait to read!
Very very highly recommended!
August 18, 2019
Rating: 2.5
This one has me a bit confused, if I’m being honest. One on hand, I really enjoyed it yet, on the other hand, I couldn’t get invested in Kelsey. Truth be told. I struggled to like her.
I liked that this one was a bit different. Rather than being centered on Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters, this one focused on Shakespeare’s birthplace and his works. I found that to be rather refreshing. And the Stratford-upon-Avon setting really came to life; I truly felt as though I was walking in Kelsey’s shoes as she traveled this lovely land.
Kelsey, for me, was a bit hard to like. She’s going through a lot of changes in her life but I don’t feel as though she’s growing or learning from these changes. She seems very childish to me, very dependent upon others. And I don’t feel like she wanted to grow/learn from her experiences. She basically spent the entire book complaining about this and that without doing anything to change/improve the situation.
And the romance…or rather the moping about, as it should be called as I didn’t see any actual romance happening. When Kelsey arrives in Stratford-upon-Avon, she’s drawn to Will—the handsome yet playboyish actor who was her tour guide mentor—but then she bumps into Jonathan—an American actor touring England with the Oklahoma theatre company. Rather than attempting a relationship with either one, she steals a few kisses from Will while pining over Jonathan, whom she believes is dating an another actress in the theatre company.
The whole of the conflict in this one could have been summed up with one question that was never asked. It just didn’t work.
It seemed like the author was attempting her hand at writing a comedy of errors but, for me, it just fell flat. The ‘errors’ were just too easy to figure out had the characters actually talked to one another.
This was my first time listening to Eilidh Beaton and I found I rather enjoyed her narration. Her male narration was a bit iffy at times but still enjoyable.
Overall, I enjoyed the setting of this one but the characters and plot just didn’t amuse me. It felt that this was a coming of age novel where the character never found her stride. Others may like it but, for me, I needed more. More growth, more plot, more communication.
This one has me a bit confused, if I’m being honest. One on hand, I really enjoyed it yet, on the other hand, I couldn’t get invested in Kelsey. Truth be told. I struggled to like her.
I liked that this one was a bit different. Rather than being centered on Jane Austen or the Brontë sisters, this one focused on Shakespeare’s birthplace and his works. I found that to be rather refreshing. And the Stratford-upon-Avon setting really came to life; I truly felt as though I was walking in Kelsey’s shoes as she traveled this lovely land.
Kelsey, for me, was a bit hard to like. She’s going through a lot of changes in her life but I don’t feel as though she’s growing or learning from these changes. She seems very childish to me, very dependent upon others. And I don’t feel like she wanted to grow/learn from her experiences. She basically spent the entire book complaining about this and that without doing anything to change/improve the situation.
And the romance…or rather the moping about, as it should be called as I didn’t see any actual romance happening. When Kelsey arrives in Stratford-upon-Avon, she’s drawn to Will—the handsome yet playboyish actor who was her tour guide mentor—but then she bumps into Jonathan—an American actor touring England with the Oklahoma theatre company. Rather than attempting a relationship with either one, she steals a few kisses from Will while pining over Jonathan, whom she believes is dating an another actress in the theatre company.
The whole of the conflict in this one could have been summed up with one question that was never asked. It just didn’t work.
It seemed like the author was attempting her hand at writing a comedy of errors but, for me, it just fell flat. The ‘errors’ were just too easy to figure out had the characters actually talked to one another.
This was my first time listening to Eilidh Beaton and I found I rather enjoyed her narration. Her male narration was a bit iffy at times but still enjoyable.
Overall, I enjoyed the setting of this one but the characters and plot just didn’t amuse me. It felt that this was a coming of age novel where the character never found her stride. Others may like it but, for me, I needed more. More growth, more plot, more communication.
July 17, 2023
If you are a Shakespeare lover, then I am sure you are going to love his epigraphs at the beginning of every chapter and the details given about Stratford-upon-Avon will definitely make you believe as if you're there sightseeing and checking out places like the Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare's birthplace and my favourite place.... Kelsey's rooftop 🙈
I loved how Kelsey's connection with the memories of her father and her family encouraged her to not only just go ahead with her dream of approaching her passion for photography & Shakespeare but also to come out of her dull-toxic relationship with Fran who clearly didn't care about Kelsey and her struggles at all. On the other hand, Mirren and Norma definitely added sweetness to the story. Reading about Kelsey's adventure with no knowledge of how, when and what will happen in a far away country made me wonder how challenging yet interesting it will be to just pack up my bags full of books and get settled in a town surrounded by mountains. 🙈🤔
However, I felt that the romance between Kelsey and Jonathan needed more heart-to heart conversations to develop their feelings for each other. I was clearly confused as to when their attraction towards each other got so strong that they declared it as love just after a few minimal interactions. I wanted more details about what made Kelsey fall for Jonathan apart from his looks and smile and vice versa. Whereas, Will definitely charmed me over initially with his smooth way with the tourists and his knowledge about Shakespeare but the abrupt ending of his character with very little to no explanation other than the fact that he just left, certainly made me question his presence.
Though I missed the romance with any of the male characters, I enjoyed Kelsey's love for that historic town full of things that she loved and I am looking forward to ordering the second book and reading it.
If you want to read something sweet and simple after a full blown book that left you with a cliffhanger so shocking that you cannot CALM DOWN. I'll recommend you to pick this one up. For sure 💜
I loved how Kelsey's connection with the memories of her father and her family encouraged her to not only just go ahead with her dream of approaching her passion for photography & Shakespeare but also to come out of her dull-toxic relationship with Fran who clearly didn't care about Kelsey and her struggles at all. On the other hand, Mirren and Norma definitely added sweetness to the story. Reading about Kelsey's adventure with no knowledge of how, when and what will happen in a far away country made me wonder how challenging yet interesting it will be to just pack up my bags full of books and get settled in a town surrounded by mountains. 🙈🤔
However, I felt that the romance between Kelsey and Jonathan needed more heart-to heart conversations to develop their feelings for each other. I was clearly confused as to when their attraction towards each other got so strong that they declared it as love just after a few minimal interactions. I wanted more details about what made Kelsey fall for Jonathan apart from his looks and smile and vice versa. Whereas, Will definitely charmed me over initially with his smooth way with the tourists and his knowledge about Shakespeare but the abrupt ending of his character with very little to no explanation other than the fact that he just left, certainly made me question his presence.
Though I missed the romance with any of the male characters, I enjoyed Kelsey's love for that historic town full of things that she loved and I am looking forward to ordering the second book and reading it.
If you want to read something sweet and simple after a full blown book that left you with a cliffhanger so shocking that you cannot CALM DOWN. I'll recommend you to pick this one up. For sure 💜
March 6, 2019
Kelsey thinks that her life is blocked, she doesn’t like her work and her partner doesn’t seem to support her as much as he should, only making more pressure on her. When she sees an offer to work as a tour guide in Stratford Upon Avon, she doesn’t doubt to take the chance. What can she loose? A few months in the Shakespeare birthplace, enjoying the summer and meeting new people, it seems that her moment has arrived!
This story has left me a permanent smile on my face, Kelsey loves Shakespeare and needs a little push-up to follow her dreams, this summer is her last opportunity to try to follow her dreams instead of trying to be what everyone else wants for her… Lucky for her, Shakespeare will be always on her side, in a spiritual way, of course! 😉
I liked the ambient with the friendship and collaboration that Kelsey has with her co-workers, they all try to welcome her and maybe be more than friends, but that’s a part of the story I prefer to keep silence and let you enjoy it! Because Kelsey has broken with her long time boyfriend, but being free doesn’t mean she will fall for anyone or she will try to break any couple…
Jonathan is a handsome artist playing the Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, but his partner Peony seems to want more from him than just work… Does Kelsey have any chance to be more than friends with Jonathan? Or the sparks she has felt were mere imagination?
I am always surprised on how we always trust the person who we should not, someone says something that it hurts us and instead of asking explanations or talk about it, we simply accept it and let it pass. Because this is not something it just happens on this book, a lot of books and real relations are damaged because we trust someone we should not. Maybe one day we will learn the lesson…
This had been a heart-warming story, I felt transported with Kelsey to a world where Shakespeare was everywhere and the Midsummer’s Night’s Dream was more real than ever!
Ready for One Summer’s Night?
This story has left me a permanent smile on my face, Kelsey loves Shakespeare and needs a little push-up to follow her dreams, this summer is her last opportunity to try to follow her dreams instead of trying to be what everyone else wants for her… Lucky for her, Shakespeare will be always on her side, in a spiritual way, of course! 😉
I liked the ambient with the friendship and collaboration that Kelsey has with her co-workers, they all try to welcome her and maybe be more than friends, but that’s a part of the story I prefer to keep silence and let you enjoy it! Because Kelsey has broken with her long time boyfriend, but being free doesn’t mean she will fall for anyone or she will try to break any couple…
Jonathan is a handsome artist playing the Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, but his partner Peony seems to want more from him than just work… Does Kelsey have any chance to be more than friends with Jonathan? Or the sparks she has felt were mere imagination?
I am always surprised on how we always trust the person who we should not, someone says something that it hurts us and instead of asking explanations or talk about it, we simply accept it and let it pass. Because this is not something it just happens on this book, a lot of books and real relations are damaged because we trust someone we should not. Maybe one day we will learn the lesson…
This had been a heart-warming story, I felt transported with Kelsey to a world where Shakespeare was everywhere and the Midsummer’s Night’s Dream was more real than ever!
Ready for One Summer’s Night?
March 15, 2019
Today I am taking part in the blog tour for One Summer’s Night, the debut novel of Kiley Dunbar and I couldn’t recommend this book enough. A fabulous, light-hearted, feel good read.
From the very start of this book I could relate to Kelsey, the lead character, her life taking a very close resemblance to my own. This meant that I was hooked from the start. This romantic comedy was exactly that.
Kelsey has a love for Shakespeare and she first visited Stratford-Upon-Avon as a child on a family holiday. Since then she has lost her father and has become stuck in a rut with her job and her relationship, but has never forgotten her love for the birthplace of Shakespeare. So when she sees a job advertised to work as a tour-guide in the town, she doesn’t hesitate to apply.
Moving to Stratford-Upon-Avon becomes the change, and the boost that Kelsey needs to change her life, thanks to her new boss, Norma, taking a chance on her.
The characters in this book are wonderful, her two love-interests, Will and Jonathan, her best friend Mirren as well as the rest of her colleagues, are all great different personalities, who made this story so readable.
I hope I find my Norma soon and I can’t wait to read the next instalment in Kelsey Anderson’s life. Keep your eyes peeled for more books by Kiley Dunbar.
From the very start of this book I could relate to Kelsey, the lead character, her life taking a very close resemblance to my own. This meant that I was hooked from the start. This romantic comedy was exactly that.
Kelsey has a love for Shakespeare and she first visited Stratford-Upon-Avon as a child on a family holiday. Since then she has lost her father and has become stuck in a rut with her job and her relationship, but has never forgotten her love for the birthplace of Shakespeare. So when she sees a job advertised to work as a tour-guide in the town, she doesn’t hesitate to apply.
Moving to Stratford-Upon-Avon becomes the change, and the boost that Kelsey needs to change her life, thanks to her new boss, Norma, taking a chance on her.
The characters in this book are wonderful, her two love-interests, Will and Jonathan, her best friend Mirren as well as the rest of her colleagues, are all great different personalities, who made this story so readable.
I hope I find my Norma soon and I can’t wait to read the next instalment in Kelsey Anderson’s life. Keep your eyes peeled for more books by Kiley Dunbar.
March 16, 2022
This is the first of Kiley Dunbar's books that I've read and I was happy to discover that my introduction to her writing was with her debut novel, and even happier to see that there is a sequel to it, One Winter's Night.
Anyway I digress, so back to this book first.
Kelsey Anderson, needs to change a lot of things in her life, and pretty quickly.
Kelsey loves all things Shakespeare, none more so than her battered copy of Shakespeare's sonnets, and when she spots an advert for Stratford Upon Avon tour guides, she impulsively decides to move there with just one suitcase and her treasured book.
Kelsey immediately falls in love with the place, her job being perfect for exploring the town.
Kelsey was a fantastic character, she took such a leap of faith, moving hundreds of miles from her home so as to be able to indulge in her passion, an incredibly difficult thing to do, but quite possibly the best thing in the end.
There are some fabulous supporting characters, I especially liked Norma, a very colourful, slightly over the top woman, who appears to do everything at one hundred miles an hour - literally everything - and Jonathan, the first time he and Kelsey meet is so sweet.
This is a proper feel good book, and I will definitely be reading the sequel.
Anyway I digress, so back to this book first.
Kelsey Anderson, needs to change a lot of things in her life, and pretty quickly.
Kelsey loves all things Shakespeare, none more so than her battered copy of Shakespeare's sonnets, and when she spots an advert for Stratford Upon Avon tour guides, she impulsively decides to move there with just one suitcase and her treasured book.
Kelsey immediately falls in love with the place, her job being perfect for exploring the town.
Kelsey was a fantastic character, she took such a leap of faith, moving hundreds of miles from her home so as to be able to indulge in her passion, an incredibly difficult thing to do, but quite possibly the best thing in the end.
There are some fabulous supporting characters, I especially liked Norma, a very colourful, slightly over the top woman, who appears to do everything at one hundred miles an hour - literally everything - and Jonathan, the first time he and Kelsey meet is so sweet.
This is a proper feel good book, and I will definitely be reading the sequel.
September 13, 2023
I really liked the author's Port Willow and Borrow a Bookshop series, so this one was a letdown. It started off with promise: 27 year old Kelsey, struggling to find a full-time job in her field, goes to Stratford-upon-Avon for the summer to be a tour guide. Her current boyfriend is so busy with his own career that he doesn't have much time for her. Kelsey is a burgeoning photographer with a passion for Shakespeare and hopes that her summer experience will be a much-needed change.
This is where the story went off the rails. Kelsey finds herself fending off a flirty co-worker, trying to figure out what to do about her boyfriend back home, and falling for an actor in a local theater company. Kelsey's infatuation with the actor is like something a 13 year old would dream up: they've spent almost no time together but she's obsessed with him the way you were about whoever was on the cover of Teen Beat in 1985. Even though they don't know each other well enough to be star-crossed lovers, Kelsey spends a lot of time moping and worrying about whether or not he likes her. The wrenches thrown into the plots are predictable, the supporting characters are underdeveloped, and the lovely setting underused.
This is where the story went off the rails. Kelsey finds herself fending off a flirty co-worker, trying to figure out what to do about her boyfriend back home, and falling for an actor in a local theater company. Kelsey's infatuation with the actor is like something a 13 year old would dream up: they've spent almost no time together but she's obsessed with him the way you were about whoever was on the cover of Teen Beat in 1985. Even though they don't know each other well enough to be star-crossed lovers, Kelsey spends a lot of time moping and worrying about whether or not he likes her. The wrenches thrown into the plots are predictable, the supporting characters are underdeveloped, and the lovely setting underused.
February 9, 2020
One Summer's Night is a well-written, thoroughly enjoyable read, with a cast of well-drawn characters and a gorgeous summer vibe. The story follows Shakespeare-mad Kelsey Anderson as she embarks on a tour guiding job in Stratford-upon-Avon, leaving behind a lukewarm relationship in Edinburgh with mathematics teacher Francis. Stratford has always been dear to Kelsey, tied as it is into poignant memories of being there as a youngster with her beloved dad, and Stratford is painted so vividly that it's no surprise to learn that the author was a tour guide in the town when she was twenty. For love interest, there is Will, Kelsey's suave, uber-confident fellow tour guide who is also an actor, waiting for his big break, and American actor Jonathan, Oberon to his ex-girlfriend's Titania in a summer run of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Mix-ups and misunderstandings abound as summer slips by, with Kelsey mooning over the "unattainable" Jonathan whilst trying to keep the rakish Will at arm's length. More on-the-page time for Kelsey and Jonathan's chemistry to really show/develop would have boosted my rating to 5 stars, but One Summer's Night is nevertheless an engaging and heartwarming read.
February 29, 2020
This is my first book by this author and I certainly wasn't disappointed as it was brilliant and didn't want it to end. It was such a relaxing read and full of starting again and romantic and of course all set in Shakespeare's country and what more could you want.
Kelsey lives in Scotland but knows she needs to change her life as she isn't happy. She by chance sees an advert for a job which sounds perfect but it's in Stafford upon Avon as a tour guide. She gets the job and on impulse she packs her bags to leave of course her boyfriend isn't happy but she tells him she will be back at the end of the summer. Problem is once she moves she soon falls in love with the place and the job and she loves the town. Problem is she is also torn between two men will and Jonathan both different as Jonathan is in a play as a starring role and then Will is also a tour guide like her will she settle for either of them and what will happen when her job comes to an end will she start something new or head back home what will make her happy.
Kelsey lives in Scotland but knows she needs to change her life as she isn't happy. She by chance sees an advert for a job which sounds perfect but it's in Stafford upon Avon as a tour guide. She gets the job and on impulse she packs her bags to leave of course her boyfriend isn't happy but she tells him she will be back at the end of the summer. Problem is once she moves she soon falls in love with the place and the job and she loves the town. Problem is she is also torn between two men will and Jonathan both different as Jonathan is in a play as a starring role and then Will is also a tour guide like her will she settle for either of them and what will happen when her job comes to an end will she start something new or head back home what will make her happy.
February 2, 2020
I enjoyed the beginning - middle of the book, and the storyline was good and kept m me relatively interested for the most part.
However I didn’t finish the book because the more the book went on the more I found Kelsey increasingly irritating. I found her stupid, emotionally immature and extremely naive. She’s supposed to be 28 but has the maturity and intelligence of a 19 years old. If she had just left school or college then I would understand her thought process and her decision making and ALL THE CONSTANT WINING and this would match her actions and reactions to the information given to her, but this is not the case.
I’m 29 and do not know any people my age who are as young and dumb as Kelsey in this book, she’s extremely immature and in the end I got so frustrated with how obviously idiotic and wrong she was getting the most obvious scenarios, I just couldn’t carry on.
Won’t be recommending or reading this author again.
However I didn’t finish the book because the more the book went on the more I found Kelsey increasingly irritating. I found her stupid, emotionally immature and extremely naive. She’s supposed to be 28 but has the maturity and intelligence of a 19 years old. If she had just left school or college then I would understand her thought process and her decision making and ALL THE CONSTANT WINING and this would match her actions and reactions to the information given to her, but this is not the case.
I’m 29 and do not know any people my age who are as young and dumb as Kelsey in this book, she’s extremely immature and in the end I got so frustrated with how obviously idiotic and wrong she was getting the most obvious scenarios, I just couldn’t carry on.
Won’t be recommending or reading this author again.
March 10, 2019
I received an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover. The description appealed to me too, as the protagonist Kelsey loves Shakespeare's work. I studied the same works that are mentioned in the book, so this was a big attraction to me. Even if you are not familiar with Shakespeare's works, you cannot fail to be enchanted by the setting of Stratford -Upon-Avon, and the magic that it has on the characters. The book is well-written,easy to read and the storyline is lovely and romantic. This is the perfect book to relax with, if you are looking for a light hearted read. I was pleased to see that there is going to be a follow-up to this book, although there were no further details about it, I am eagerly awaiting its publication.
I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover. The description appealed to me too, as the protagonist Kelsey loves Shakespeare's work. I studied the same works that are mentioned in the book, so this was a big attraction to me. Even if you are not familiar with Shakespeare's works, you cannot fail to be enchanted by the setting of Stratford -Upon-Avon, and the magic that it has on the characters. The book is well-written,easy to read and the storyline is lovely and romantic. This is the perfect book to relax with, if you are looking for a light hearted read. I was pleased to see that there is going to be a follow-up to this book, although there were no further details about it, I am eagerly awaiting its publication.
February 12, 2019
This is a lovely book and would - with this title - indeed make a nice summer holiday reading! I especially liked the uplifting sentiment of the book with it's main characters all being so perpetually kind and funny.
There are also lots of quotes about looking at the proverbial bright side of life. Either from Shakespeare's books and plays or by the people supporting Kelsey. For instance her mother: 'Start with this one job and you can conquer the rest of the world another day.'
Speaking of her mother Mari.... I am wondering if there will be a sequel about her and her fourteen-year old Callum and how they get on without Kelsey, but with Granddad being a part of their household.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.
There are also lots of quotes about looking at the proverbial bright side of life. Either from Shakespeare's books and plays or by the people supporting Kelsey. For instance her mother: 'Start with this one job and you can conquer the rest of the world another day.'
Speaking of her mother Mari.... I am wondering if there will be a sequel about her and her fourteen-year old Callum and how they get on without Kelsey, but with Granddad being a part of their household.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.
March 27, 2019
I don't often read romance novels, so my first thoughts were that the book is as light and bubbly as the gorgeous perry that is shared. It's a bouncy, enjoyable read; there's no real drama and you know that everything will be ok in the end. You are promised a happy ending and that is what you get! Kelsey is a likeable character, and skirts with pockets for the win always. I love the little historical and feminist input in this book as well - it's not overt but it is there if you look for it! The descriptions of Stratford are gorgeous and if this was used as a "come to Stratford for your holiday" marketing then it would be absolutely perfect. And who doesn't love a bit of Shakespeare - the use of epigraphs were grand.
January 25, 2020
This book is as comfortable and soothing as curling up with my favorite blanket and a hot cup of tea. It was just perfect for my Anglophilic, Shakespeare-loving heart. Not only is this book a love story for main character, Kelsey, it's also a love letter to Stratford-Upon-Avon. I've been blessed to spend two afternoons of my life in Stratford and this book just wrapped me up in all my own colorful, beloved, memories of the place. Set against such a romantic backdrop, we find Kelsey discovering her own path in life and the leading man who will join her in it.
Everything about this book is just comforting, delicious, and good-fun. I can't wait for the promised book two to revisit Kelsey in Stratford and see how her romance and career are coming along.
Everything about this book is just comforting, delicious, and good-fun. I can't wait for the promised book two to revisit Kelsey in Stratford and see how her romance and career are coming along.
September 17, 2020
This book is such a lovely read! I got invited onto the blog tour for the sequel to this - One Winter's Night and knew I wanted to read this first. Kelsey is such a lovely character and this book really made me warm to her.
I love going out and taking pictures whenever I can but definitely not to the standard that Kelsey has. At the start of the book you really feel for her because she has been squished by Fran and nothing seems to be going her way. However as the book progresses you see the true Kelsey shining through and this just makes you smile!
I really liked how key theatre was to the story line and it's made me want to look into Shakespeares works a bit more and even maybe try and see a play being acted out on the stage - Kiley's writing just makes it sound so magical!
I love going out and taking pictures whenever I can but definitely not to the standard that Kelsey has. At the start of the book you really feel for her because she has been squished by Fran and nothing seems to be going her way. However as the book progresses you see the true Kelsey shining through and this just makes you smile!
I really liked how key theatre was to the story line and it's made me want to look into Shakespeares works a bit more and even maybe try and see a play being acted out on the stage - Kiley's writing just makes it sound so magical!
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