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The Never-Ending Summer
'Emma Kennedy's books are as funny, warm and life-inspiring as she is' Jenny Colgan'An excellent read. I loved all the characters' Claudia Winkleman'A warm, funny and truly life-affirming read. ****' Heat ________________ Three women. Two unforgettable road trips. Wherever you are in life, it's never too late to find yourself. Best friends Agnes and Bea decide to embark on one last adventure before their adult lives begin. For Agnes's mother Florence, a fresh chapter is starting as her youngest flies the nest and her marriage settles into a new routine. But she can't help feeling that something is missing. As Agnes travels to London and Florence follows her heart to Europe, both will discover a world of possibilities they never could have dreamed of... Full of warmth, wit and characters who will steal your heart, The Never-Ending Summer is 2021's perfect escape. _______________________ Praise for Emma Kennedy and The Things We Left 'A rich treat' Jane Fallon 'Moving and magnificent' Claire Balding 'A joyous book' Ruth Jones 'A beautiful novel... so tender and thoughtful. I loved it' Marian Keyes 'Wonderful' Mary Berry
472 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 11, 2021
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535 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
January 23, 2021
I enjoyed this book at the beginning but, halfway through it seemed to slow down and drag on and then picked up again towards the end. I enjoyed reading about the fashions and how most families didn’t own a washing machine or a freezer in the 1070’s which was true in our house. The book was good but not as funny as I’d hoped. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
February 7, 2021
We're in the 70s, in England. Agnes and Bea are best friends, who want more from life. They want to discover who they are and what they could be. And, also they both want to lose their virginity. They plan a vacation in London in secret and manage to set off on the adventure of their lifetime, without their parents knowing. Little did they both know, they are all going to learn of a new way of existing.
Agnes, Bea, Florence and even William are so very likeable and real. They all go make massive changes in their lives, and interesting to see how it all plays out.
Florence was a woman who didn't do things for pleasure. Everything needed to have a purpose, the house needed to be neat and clean, and her hair all neat and done for when her husband comes home. Agnes and Bea grew up wanting more, and slightly horrified by becoming their mothers. When they go on their quest for sexual equality and step into a brave new world they learn a lot about themselves. Their friendship is inspiring, strong and absolutely hilarious. If I have to describe how they looked at the beginning of this story, I'd use this sentence from the book:
''You look like a pair of librarians out for a walk with an owl''.
Also, when Agnes was described dancing at a concert:
''I very much enjoyed the bit where you pushed all your hair over your face and swayed like something found in the attic in a Victorian novel''.
This book felt like one perfect summer day: Sunrise is our introduction to the characters, their adventures and growth happening right around noon, and then we slowly drift towards the sunset, a change and a resolution. The characters all went through great changes, in ways that they didn't know they could. I found this book emotional, fun, funny, interesting, thought-provoking, and just lovely. I couldn't help but love the characters and root for them.
Themes: The story deals with growing up, patriarchy and feminism, identity, and family issues. Even tho it was set in a different time, it is still quite relatable.
And when the author referenced ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'', I was sure I was going to pick up more of Emma Kennedy's books.
Agnes, Bea, Florence and even William are so very likeable and real. They all go make massive changes in their lives, and interesting to see how it all plays out.
Florence was a woman who didn't do things for pleasure. Everything needed to have a purpose, the house needed to be neat and clean, and her hair all neat and done for when her husband comes home. Agnes and Bea grew up wanting more, and slightly horrified by becoming their mothers. When they go on their quest for sexual equality and step into a brave new world they learn a lot about themselves. Their friendship is inspiring, strong and absolutely hilarious. If I have to describe how they looked at the beginning of this story, I'd use this sentence from the book:
''You look like a pair of librarians out for a walk with an owl''.
Also, when Agnes was described dancing at a concert:
''I very much enjoyed the bit where you pushed all your hair over your face and swayed like something found in the attic in a Victorian novel''.
This book felt like one perfect summer day: Sunrise is our introduction to the characters, their adventures and growth happening right around noon, and then we slowly drift towards the sunset, a change and a resolution. The characters all went through great changes, in ways that they didn't know they could. I found this book emotional, fun, funny, interesting, thought-provoking, and just lovely. I couldn't help but love the characters and root for them.
Themes: The story deals with growing up, patriarchy and feminism, identity, and family issues. Even tho it was set in a different time, it is still quite relatable.
And when the author referenced ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'', I was sure I was going to pick up more of Emma Kennedy's books.
July 27, 2021
This is not a bad book and I might have enjoyed it more if it had not been described as “the joyful escape we all need” I feel pretty bleak right now and was specifically looking for a joyful, positive read to take my mind off *gestures wildly* all of the everything. Instead this book is mostly sad and a bit depressing for most of its length. Agnes and Bea set off on their adventure in London and mostly have a horrible time. Florence eventually sets off on her adventure and initially has a lovely time but then doesn’t. Someone is sexually assaulted and doesn’t know if she’s been raped. It’s not a feel good “joyful escape”. Everyone is somehow changed for the better at the end. So, at least there’s a happy ending. I honestly don’t know what other reviewers were reading when they raved about this being funny and heart-warming. I mostly feel sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2021
A fun coming of age story from two perspectives. Agnes and Bea - naive and innocent 20 year olds who wanted to live a little and Florence, Agnes’ mum who felt trapped in her own life of housework and motherhood. I found Florence’s story the more engaging and emotional- she like so many women of the 70’s felt stuck in the monotony of her own life and needed to take a chance to break free. Her adventures in France and Italy sounded great fun.
December 16, 2020
It’s approaching summer in the early 1970’s and the end of their time at secretarial college when best friends Agnes Ledbury and Beatrice Morgan make plans to fully embrace their womanhood and all that life has to offer. They are both desperate for adventure, desperate to lose their virginity and for Agnes, desperate to live a life away from under the shadow of her talented artist sister Eleanor. To escape the watchful eyes of her mother Florence and her uncommunicative father William also fuels Agnes’s bid for freedom. As soon as I began reading this latest novel from Emma Kennedy I thought the characters felt vaguely familiar. The penny eventually dropped when I realised the author was revisiting the Ledbury family (from The Things We Left Unsaid) and had given Agnes, her own starring role. I just knew I was going to be in for a real treat.
This is a brilliant, fascinating and pivotal era in which to set the Ledbury family mini saga. Clearly well researched, the summer of 1971 is the starting point for the world changing in terms of greater freedoms and more choices for women in general. The sexual revolution aided by the introduction of the contraceptive pill is in full swing, women everywhere are burning their bras, Germaine Greer is enlightening women with her controversial book The Female Eunuch and the patriarchy had better beware because the feminists are on the march!. Thanks to advances in technology in the domestic sphere woman are suddenly waking up and realising they no longer need to resign themselves to a life of drudgery or tolerate their husbands having sole control of the purse strings. Finally women have the opportunity to control their own destinies and Florence and her friends are relishing this new status quo. It’s down with the Tupperware as the floodgates to freedom are well and truly opened. I was only a babe in arms when these fictional events take place but the Tupperware scene in particular brought back fond memories. We had tons of it in our house!
I think I was just as enthralled by Florence’s reawakening and bold decision to be as daring as her youngest daughter as I was Agnes and Bea’s own adventures into adulthood. Florence and William’s marriage felt to me indicative of many marriages of this era; as this storyline highlights only those brave enough to break the mould initially benefit from the shift towards equality. I’m sure there were many more who chose to remain chained to the kitchen sink. That Florence is such an accomplished housewife like so many of her generation is also her downfall. Catering to William’s every whim renders him completely useless in terms of domesticity but he did somewhat remind me of my own father when it comes to fending for himself! Reading this I couldn’t help wondering how many marriages survived this seismic shift in the balance of power between husband and wife but that’s a question that can be answered by an entirely different type of book altogether.
As for Agnes and Bea I could rhapsodise about this pair at length. They are an absolute hoot, their antics priceless, providing the reader with plenty of grounds for mirth. I didn’t expect to find the storyline as gloriously funny as I did but boy did I enjoy laughing at these best friends. The author has certainly enjoyed imagining the kind of scenarios to throw Agnes and Bea into ranging from defacing public property to joining the dubious sounding Mr Adlers agency for go getting ladies and who knew an avocado could be the source of wonderment and amusement?? Just a few examples to whet your appetite and give you a taste of the sort of sights and strange behaviour these young women willingly expose themselves to living in a house share in Hampstead. From small town life and secretarial college to a summer spent in the Big Smoke it is a giant leap for these gauche, naive, desperate to lose their virginity young ladies although what an era in which to come of age when the world is theirs for the taking. Whether or not Agnes and Bea’s friendship, or indeed themselves as individuals, can withstand such a shock to the system remains to be seen but suffice to say it’s not all fun and games with a serious more sombre and reflective tone creeping into the narrative.
The Never Ending Summer is a wonderful coming of age/period of enlightenment tale affecting not only Agnes and Bea but Florence too. All three characters are fundamentally altered by the events of this one summer so that the whole Ledbury family will never be the same again. It is also a glorious celebration of female friendship with superb characterisation (not just the main players) alongside a depiction of this period which is spot on. I loved this book so much I’m hoping (fingers crossed) that there will be an audio version narrated by the author herself because I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The Things We Left Unsaid. I recommend this author, especially her two books featuring this family but to be honest I rate all Emma Kennedy’s novels highly. The Never Ending Summer in my opinion is BLOOMING MARVELLOUS!! A sheer joy to read. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read. I’d like to stress that the opinions and thoughts expressed here are entirely my own.
This is a brilliant, fascinating and pivotal era in which to set the Ledbury family mini saga. Clearly well researched, the summer of 1971 is the starting point for the world changing in terms of greater freedoms and more choices for women in general. The sexual revolution aided by the introduction of the contraceptive pill is in full swing, women everywhere are burning their bras, Germaine Greer is enlightening women with her controversial book The Female Eunuch and the patriarchy had better beware because the feminists are on the march!. Thanks to advances in technology in the domestic sphere woman are suddenly waking up and realising they no longer need to resign themselves to a life of drudgery or tolerate their husbands having sole control of the purse strings. Finally women have the opportunity to control their own destinies and Florence and her friends are relishing this new status quo. It’s down with the Tupperware as the floodgates to freedom are well and truly opened. I was only a babe in arms when these fictional events take place but the Tupperware scene in particular brought back fond memories. We had tons of it in our house!
I think I was just as enthralled by Florence’s reawakening and bold decision to be as daring as her youngest daughter as I was Agnes and Bea’s own adventures into adulthood. Florence and William’s marriage felt to me indicative of many marriages of this era; as this storyline highlights only those brave enough to break the mould initially benefit from the shift towards equality. I’m sure there were many more who chose to remain chained to the kitchen sink. That Florence is such an accomplished housewife like so many of her generation is also her downfall. Catering to William’s every whim renders him completely useless in terms of domesticity but he did somewhat remind me of my own father when it comes to fending for himself! Reading this I couldn’t help wondering how many marriages survived this seismic shift in the balance of power between husband and wife but that’s a question that can be answered by an entirely different type of book altogether.
As for Agnes and Bea I could rhapsodise about this pair at length. They are an absolute hoot, their antics priceless, providing the reader with plenty of grounds for mirth. I didn’t expect to find the storyline as gloriously funny as I did but boy did I enjoy laughing at these best friends. The author has certainly enjoyed imagining the kind of scenarios to throw Agnes and Bea into ranging from defacing public property to joining the dubious sounding Mr Adlers agency for go getting ladies and who knew an avocado could be the source of wonderment and amusement?? Just a few examples to whet your appetite and give you a taste of the sort of sights and strange behaviour these young women willingly expose themselves to living in a house share in Hampstead. From small town life and secretarial college to a summer spent in the Big Smoke it is a giant leap for these gauche, naive, desperate to lose their virginity young ladies although what an era in which to come of age when the world is theirs for the taking. Whether or not Agnes and Bea’s friendship, or indeed themselves as individuals, can withstand such a shock to the system remains to be seen but suffice to say it’s not all fun and games with a serious more sombre and reflective tone creeping into the narrative.
The Never Ending Summer is a wonderful coming of age/period of enlightenment tale affecting not only Agnes and Bea but Florence too. All three characters are fundamentally altered by the events of this one summer so that the whole Ledbury family will never be the same again. It is also a glorious celebration of female friendship with superb characterisation (not just the main players) alongside a depiction of this period which is spot on. I loved this book so much I’m hoping (fingers crossed) that there will be an audio version narrated by the author herself because I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The Things We Left Unsaid. I recommend this author, especially her two books featuring this family but to be honest I rate all Emma Kennedy’s novels highly. The Never Ending Summer in my opinion is BLOOMING MARVELLOUS!! A sheer joy to read. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read. I’d like to stress that the opinions and thoughts expressed here are entirely my own.
May 30, 2021
A disappointing return to the 1970s in Emma Kennedy’s The Never-Ending Summer which never quite lived up to the inspirational and heart-warming billing for me. Bea Morgan and Agnes Ledbury have been best-friends for as long as they can remember, and at the age of twenty are coming to the end of their time at the secretarial college where they have reluctantly found themselves. Having just read Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch, however, they decide it’s high time they started asserting themselves and more importantly, lost their virginity, in a bid to become authentic second-wave feminists. Both awkward outsiders they tell their parents, who bizarrely ask no questions, that they are off to Europe and the very next day they travel to London for a summer of sex in the city with accommodation sorted. Disappointingly there is no attempt at filling in any details or adding colour with the author apparently too lazy to make the story more credible or add depth which gave me no incentive to care as a reader. Agnes’s mother, Florence, is forty-six and her daughter flying the nest for the summer gives her time to reflect on her own marriage to a man she barely knows, let alone communicates with, and a life of obligation and drudgery. That and a quick skim through The Female Eunuch and she sets off for her own summer of discovery through France and Italy, intending to find out what she really wants from life.
What follows is the next five weeks as they unfold, moving between the perspectives of all the main players in the story, including Florence’s husband, William, at home in Oxford. Sadly none of it proved particularly riveting and whilst I can understand what Emma Kennedy was attempting to illustrate with the book I found it too skimpily characterised for the intended messages to hit home. Although the book stretches to nearly 500 pages the story is woefully underdeveloped and all three of the main characters lack depth, but it is Bea and Agnes, who spoke and acted like fourteen-year-olds instead of the twenty-year-olds they actually are, that I had the most difficultly investing in. They seem to have very little real understanding of sex and are incredibly emotionally immature and just didn’t ring true. Despite not being born in 1971 I was also rather skeptical about the supposed abundance of research and questioned the dialogue on a number of occasions, including doubting that any twenty-year-old would dare mention having sex or orgasms in front of their mother. The novel ties up with all the life lessons every character seems to have learned over the course of their journeys, yet looking back there is so little supporting evidence that I really feel I may have been reading a different novel.
What follows is the next five weeks as they unfold, moving between the perspectives of all the main players in the story, including Florence’s husband, William, at home in Oxford. Sadly none of it proved particularly riveting and whilst I can understand what Emma Kennedy was attempting to illustrate with the book I found it too skimpily characterised for the intended messages to hit home. Although the book stretches to nearly 500 pages the story is woefully underdeveloped and all three of the main characters lack depth, but it is Bea and Agnes, who spoke and acted like fourteen-year-olds instead of the twenty-year-olds they actually are, that I had the most difficultly investing in. They seem to have very little real understanding of sex and are incredibly emotionally immature and just didn’t ring true. Despite not being born in 1971 I was also rather skeptical about the supposed abundance of research and questioned the dialogue on a number of occasions, including doubting that any twenty-year-old would dare mention having sex or orgasms in front of their mother. The novel ties up with all the life lessons every character seems to have learned over the course of their journeys, yet looking back there is so little supporting evidence that I really feel I may have been reading a different novel.
April 22, 2021
Agnes and Bea are best friends, they've been there for each other throughout their childhood, now at the age of 20, both very naive and innocent virgins, they want to have some fun before adulting takes over, so they tell their parents they want to spend a month travelling round Europe when, in actual fact, they're only going to London, determined to change and discover themselves. Agnes mother, Florence feels she's not needed anymore, her youngest wants to fly the nest and she's stuck in a loveless marriage, realising she wants more from life, she takes off to Europe to reinvent herself.
This story is set in the early seventies, where women became housewives & mothers and most men seemed to do whatever they wanted to. It was a slow burner to begin with and I did nearly give up on it but I'm glad I persevered, because it turned out to be a good read, the characters were quirky and mostly likeable, I wasn't keen on William but the old saying 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone' really hit home for him. I loved the addition of the epilogue too, packed with references to certain things in the story that, as a child growing up in the seventies myself, really resonated and I sat there nodding as all the fabulous memories came flooding back. All in all an enjoyable read.
I'd like to thank Random House UK Cornerstone and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.
This story is set in the early seventies, where women became housewives & mothers and most men seemed to do whatever they wanted to. It was a slow burner to begin with and I did nearly give up on it but I'm glad I persevered, because it turned out to be a good read, the characters were quirky and mostly likeable, I wasn't keen on William but the old saying 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone' really hit home for him. I loved the addition of the epilogue too, packed with references to certain things in the story that, as a child growing up in the seventies myself, really resonated and I sat there nodding as all the fabulous memories came flooding back. All in all an enjoyable read.
I'd like to thank Random House UK Cornerstone and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.
September 17, 2023
⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️
This was such a strange book, mainly Bea and Agnes had such a strange relationship. At times I expected things to take a turn and for them to discover they’re lesbians tbh and it’s mentioned so much and they’re talking about how they do everything together and then they’re on this self discovery “road trip” (which is absolutely not a road trip like the book says) however this is not the case it’s just very strange. The two girls go to London for 4 weeks that is it, no clue why the book says they go on a road trip. Bea goes through some SA (which is absolutely awful)and spends the next half of the book blaming Agnes for it and not once mentioning the guy who actually did it which is so strange. By far the best part of the book was Florence’s self discovery and how her relationship with William changes. Charlie and Eleanor are by far the best and deserve their own book, both of them absolutely feminist icons.
This was such a strange book, mainly Bea and Agnes had such a strange relationship. At times I expected things to take a turn and for them to discover they’re lesbians tbh and it’s mentioned so much and they’re talking about how they do everything together and then they’re on this self discovery “road trip” (which is absolutely not a road trip like the book says) however this is not the case it’s just very strange. The two girls go to London for 4 weeks that is it, no clue why the book says they go on a road trip. Bea goes through some SA (which is absolutely awful)and spends the next half of the book blaming Agnes for it and not once mentioning the guy who actually did it which is so strange. By far the best part of the book was Florence’s self discovery and how her relationship with William changes. Charlie and Eleanor are by far the best and deserve their own book, both of them absolutely feminist icons.
April 11, 2021
This is essentially a book about love, friendship and finding your own place in the world. It is a hugely enjoyable read.
We meet close friends Agnes and Bea, who have just left college in the late 1960’s and are keen to break free from the small town they live in and Agnes will do anything not to replicate the dull lives of her parents.
At 20 years of age the friends think that they will pretend to go to Europe but actually set off for London, their sights set on losing their virginity and having great fun. Despite the fact that they are very sure they are both boring and ugly they plot and plan and eventually head for the capital where they find lodgings with some much more worldly girls; amongst them a Bunny Girl and a lesbian activist.
The characters are well written and very likeable, especially the two main characters. We also follow the journey of Agnes’s mum Florence who starts the book as the textbook housewife, ignored by her family and drowning in boredom and routine. She herself sets off on a trip to Europe and finds herself along the way.
This is a very interesting insight into life of the 1970’s and how different life has become. It is a lively tale of friendship and love, but also deals with being different and how this can feel. There is joy and sadness in equal measure. It is a well written book and I would definitely recommend it and the quirky characters to others.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
We meet close friends Agnes and Bea, who have just left college in the late 1960’s and are keen to break free from the small town they live in and Agnes will do anything not to replicate the dull lives of her parents.
At 20 years of age the friends think that they will pretend to go to Europe but actually set off for London, their sights set on losing their virginity and having great fun. Despite the fact that they are very sure they are both boring and ugly they plot and plan and eventually head for the capital where they find lodgings with some much more worldly girls; amongst them a Bunny Girl and a lesbian activist.
The characters are well written and very likeable, especially the two main characters. We also follow the journey of Agnes’s mum Florence who starts the book as the textbook housewife, ignored by her family and drowning in boredom and routine. She herself sets off on a trip to Europe and finds herself along the way.
This is a very interesting insight into life of the 1970’s and how different life has become. It is a lively tale of friendship and love, but also deals with being different and how this can feel. There is joy and sadness in equal measure. It is a well written book and I would definitely recommend it and the quirky characters to others.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2024
The first part of this book was so long and bleh I was painfully trying to get through it. Tbh tho I think the author just did a good job at highlighting how miserable the 3 women’s lives were. It wasn’t enjoyable to read though until the end when things started to pick back up a bit and the lessons of the women came through. It also probably is meant for more British readers - I feel like they may be able to relate more to the characters but I could not. It just bored me. Would not read again.
May 25, 2021
I enjoyed this, and agree with the words on the cover: ‘the joyful escape we all need right now’! It’s easy to read and I liked the main characters - several strong and inspiring women figuring out what they want from life, and there are some important messages about friendship, and not just doing what you’ve been told you’re ‘supposed to do’.
February 28, 2024
An enjoyable read, ideal for reading on a sun lounger. Even better it made me laugh out loud more than a few times.
April 15, 2021
A pure joy to read from start to finish. This book helped me escape the stresses and strains of life. It reminded me how much potential we all have to live the life we deserve to - by being bold and brave and never giving up on ourselves. The Never Ending Summer tells the story of Agnes and Bea, best friends and soul mates. Nineteen and beyond fed up of provincial life, they embark on a four week adventure in London. Whilst it doesn't really go to plan, it nevertheless changes them both in ways that allow their friendship to deepen despite a fracture. But perhaps the most interesting character in this book is Agnes' Mum, Florence. Married to William she is leading a small and unsatisfying life. When Agnes leaves for her holiday, Florence realises she is purposeless. When William rejects her idea of a trip to Italy, she takes off without him, and sheds her old life with ease and splendour! She comes back stronger, wiser and with sass a-plenty, and I adored her metamorphosis immensely. Gorgeous dynamics evolve throughout the story, and it truly is a testament to friendships, love and being true to oneself. Many many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title in return for an honest review.
March 28, 2021
A lovely story...
I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book at first, but I was intrigued by the storyline, and I'm very pleased that I read it to the end. A 'coming of age' story featuring some very strong and inspiring women and a few men too. It is set in 1971 at a time when feminism was coming into it's own and breaking down those walls built up by women of the 'domestic goddess' era..A young woman and her friend set off on an adventure to find themselves and live a little before they settle down...at the same time, the mum of one of the women decides to take off her apron and do the same thing. This story is a wonderful inspiration to many and I thank the author for writing this story and using some of her own life experiences to give us a look at life as it was then. I was born a year later into a generation that took it all within our stride, so it was nice to have been given a personal perspective of life as it transitioned from Sixties to the Seventies.
I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book at first, but I was intrigued by the storyline, and I'm very pleased that I read it to the end. A 'coming of age' story featuring some very strong and inspiring women and a few men too. It is set in 1971 at a time when feminism was coming into it's own and breaking down those walls built up by women of the 'domestic goddess' era..A young woman and her friend set off on an adventure to find themselves and live a little before they settle down...at the same time, the mum of one of the women decides to take off her apron and do the same thing. This story is a wonderful inspiration to many and I thank the author for writing this story and using some of her own life experiences to give us a look at life as it was then. I was born a year later into a generation that took it all within our stride, so it was nice to have been given a personal perspective of life as it transitioned from Sixties to the Seventies.
July 21, 2021
Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Agnes decides to escape for a few weeks to London with her best friend Bea following her secretarial exams telling her parents she is going to Europe. Meanwhile her mom Florence feels that there is more to life than being a housewife. Florence asks her husband William to take her to Italy for a 2 week holiday, when William refuses she decide to leave him and go alone. Can William cope without her, will he even notice that she has gone? Agnes returns from London and makes some big decisions. Florence returns from Italy a different person. Will Florence and William be able to rekindle their marriage as equals?
Agnes decides to escape for a few weeks to London with her best friend Bea following her secretarial exams telling her parents she is going to Europe. Meanwhile her mom Florence feels that there is more to life than being a housewife. Florence asks her husband William to take her to Italy for a 2 week holiday, when William refuses she decide to leave him and go alone. Can William cope without her, will he even notice that she has gone? Agnes returns from London and makes some big decisions. Florence returns from Italy a different person. Will Florence and William be able to rekindle their marriage as equals?
May 7, 2024
Why is Emma Kennedy (or her editor) making her characters refer to apple cider. Cider is traditionally made of apples here! (Pear ‘cider’ is actually perry, you rarely see it called that correctly now.) Particularly in the 70s when they didn’t make drinks that tasted of Ribena and called it cider! (Rekorderlig & Kopparberg I’m looking at you!)
—- Anyway….
Loved this! Found it hard to put down and really got stuck into the story and enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
Having read the authors notes at the end I’m really cross with myself! I just didn’t remember Rachel and Eleanor in the other book and of course now recall lots of mentions of Charlie.
29/10/21
—- Anyway….
Loved this! Found it hard to put down and really got stuck into the story and enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
Having read the authors notes at the end I’m really cross with myself! I just didn’t remember Rachel and Eleanor in the other book and of course now recall lots of mentions of Charlie.
29/10/21
November 18, 2021
“The Never Ending Summer” is the latest novel from Emma Kennedy and is genuinely a wonderful read with characters I adored from the start.
- Best friends Agnes and Bea decide to embark on one last adventure before their adult lives begin. Agnes’ mother Florence is feeling something is missing now her daughters have flown the nest and her marriage settles into a new routine. As Agnes travels to London and Florence follows her heart to Europe, both will discover a world of possibilities they never could have dreamed of.
Although I was fully invested in Agnes and Bea and their search for the sexual revolution in London, my particular interest was in Agnes’ mother Florence, who I felt the most empathy towards. Being of a similar age to Florence and having grown up in the era the book is set in, I could fully understand how she was feeling as a mother and the sense of redundancy. It was also a time when appliances were starting to overtake the manual work in the kitchen and therefore reducing the typical housewife’s work. As Florence begins to feel unimportant and no longer appreciated and coupled with losing her offspring as they fly the nest, her emotions were truly relatable and understandable.
Agnes and Bea’s journey was very addictive and the realistic scenes they encountered, like Glastonbury and introduction of drugs was a real eye opener for them and I loved witnessing their both very different reactions.
This is a superb coming of age story that made me smile, nod in agreement and allowed me to share the characters feelings of elation and sadness. Is the grass greener on the other side? Or can it make you realise that what you have at home, you can also have the dream you always wanted?
Based on a lot of the authors own experience and using realistic events, this was an incredible read, tender and life-inspiring.
#TheNeverEnding Summer - and I for one didn’t want it to end either!
5 superb stars
Emma Kennedy has written ten books including her bestselling memoirs. She’s an author, TV writer, actress and presenter. Emma’s novels are warm and funny and recently has entered the women’s fiction market with her stories.
Merged review:
“The Never Ending Summer” is the latest novel from Emma Kennedy and is genuinely a wonderful read with characters I adored from the start.
- Best friends Agnes and Bea decide to embark on one last adventure before their adult lives begin. Agnes’ mother Florence is feeling something is missing now her daughters have flown the nest and her marriage settles into a new routine. As Agnes travels to London and Florence follows her heart to Europe, both will discover a world of possibilities they never could have dreamed of.
Although I was fully invested in Agnes and Bea and their search for the sexual revolution in London, my particular interest was in Agnes’ mother Florence, who I felt the most empathy towards. Being of a similar age to Florence and having grown up in the era the book is set in, I could fully understand how she was feeling as a mother and the sense of redundancy. It was also a time when appliances were starting to overtake the manual work in the kitchen and therefore reducing the typical housewife’s work. As Florence begins to feel unimportant and no longer appreciated and coupled with losing her offspring as they fly the nest, her emotions were truly relatable and understandable.
Agnes and Bea’s journey was very addictive and the realistic scenes they encountered, like Glastonbury and introduction of drugs was a real eye opener for them and I loved witnessing their both very different reactions.
This is a superb coming of age story that made me smile, nod in agreement and allowed me to share the characters feelings of elation and sadness. Is the grass greener on the other side? Or can it make you realise that what you have at home, you can also have the dream you always wanted?
Based on a lot of the authors own experience and using realistic events, this was an incredible read, tender and life-inspiring.
#TheNeverEnding Summer - and I for one didn’t want it to end either!
5 superb stars
- Best friends Agnes and Bea decide to embark on one last adventure before their adult lives begin. Agnes’ mother Florence is feeling something is missing now her daughters have flown the nest and her marriage settles into a new routine. As Agnes travels to London and Florence follows her heart to Europe, both will discover a world of possibilities they never could have dreamed of.
Although I was fully invested in Agnes and Bea and their search for the sexual revolution in London, my particular interest was in Agnes’ mother Florence, who I felt the most empathy towards. Being of a similar age to Florence and having grown up in the era the book is set in, I could fully understand how she was feeling as a mother and the sense of redundancy. It was also a time when appliances were starting to overtake the manual work in the kitchen and therefore reducing the typical housewife’s work. As Florence begins to feel unimportant and no longer appreciated and coupled with losing her offspring as they fly the nest, her emotions were truly relatable and understandable.
Agnes and Bea’s journey was very addictive and the realistic scenes they encountered, like Glastonbury and introduction of drugs was a real eye opener for them and I loved witnessing their both very different reactions.
This is a superb coming of age story that made me smile, nod in agreement and allowed me to share the characters feelings of elation and sadness. Is the grass greener on the other side? Or can it make you realise that what you have at home, you can also have the dream you always wanted?
Based on a lot of the authors own experience and using realistic events, this was an incredible read, tender and life-inspiring.
#TheNeverEnding Summer - and I for one didn’t want it to end either!
5 superb stars
Emma Kennedy has written ten books including her bestselling memoirs. She’s an author, TV writer, actress and presenter. Emma’s novels are warm and funny and recently has entered the women’s fiction market with her stories.
Merged review:
“The Never Ending Summer” is the latest novel from Emma Kennedy and is genuinely a wonderful read with characters I adored from the start.
- Best friends Agnes and Bea decide to embark on one last adventure before their adult lives begin. Agnes’ mother Florence is feeling something is missing now her daughters have flown the nest and her marriage settles into a new routine. As Agnes travels to London and Florence follows her heart to Europe, both will discover a world of possibilities they never could have dreamed of.
Although I was fully invested in Agnes and Bea and their search for the sexual revolution in London, my particular interest was in Agnes’ mother Florence, who I felt the most empathy towards. Being of a similar age to Florence and having grown up in the era the book is set in, I could fully understand how she was feeling as a mother and the sense of redundancy. It was also a time when appliances were starting to overtake the manual work in the kitchen and therefore reducing the typical housewife’s work. As Florence begins to feel unimportant and no longer appreciated and coupled with losing her offspring as they fly the nest, her emotions were truly relatable and understandable.
Agnes and Bea’s journey was very addictive and the realistic scenes they encountered, like Glastonbury and introduction of drugs was a real eye opener for them and I loved witnessing their both very different reactions.
This is a superb coming of age story that made me smile, nod in agreement and allowed me to share the characters feelings of elation and sadness. Is the grass greener on the other side? Or can it make you realise that what you have at home, you can also have the dream you always wanted?
Based on a lot of the authors own experience and using realistic events, this was an incredible read, tender and life-inspiring.
#TheNeverEnding Summer - and I for one didn’t want it to end either!
5 superb stars
February 12, 2021
✨BOOK REVIEW ✨
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
SYNOPSIS
✨ Set in the early 1970s in the midst of the sexual revolution, friends Agnes and Bea are embarking on a month long adventure in London before commencing their jobs as secretaries; a career neither is looking forward to. Upon Agnes’s departure, her mother Florence, a housewife, attempts to acclimatise to an “empty nest” and is forced to face her dysfunctional marriage with the serious and emotionally stilted William and her own personal happiness. Florence also embarks on a journey of self discovery and travels to Europe to contemplate the state of her life. Will Agnes and Florence leave their old selves behind and embrace happiness?
MY REVIEW
✨Heartwarming, funny and inspiring, “The Never Ending Summer” by @emmak67 is a sublime novel which imparts a wonderful message; “It’s never too late to be the person we’re meant to be.”
✨Kennedy beautifully captured the essence of the early 1970s; the music, fashion, popular culture and the sexual revolution. It was as if I was transported to this era. Germaine Greer’s seminal work “The Female Eunuch” acted as an impetus for the protagonists to question their roles in the world and how the patriarchy was holding them back. It was inspiring to observe these women transform into strong and independent individuals. The scenes at the infamous Playboy Club on Park Lane were hilarious but it was interesting how Agnes could appreciate that the establishment could be viewed as a “collaborator in the patriarchy” by sexually objectifying women.
✨It’s never too late for second chances and Kennedy beautifully conveyed this message. In particular, I loved how Kennedy explored whether it is possible to fall in love with the same person twice; it can happen but it requires synergy, patience, honesty and hard work.
✨I was captivated and constantly engaged by Kennedy’s writing style. Her character development was multifaceted and I enjoyed how she randomly alternated between Agnes’s and Florence’s storylines.
✨I recommend this book to those in the mood for an amusing and thoughtful read.
Thank you to @netgalley , @penguinrandomhouse and @emmak67 for this ARC. Out 11/02/21 🙌🏼
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
SYNOPSIS
✨ Set in the early 1970s in the midst of the sexual revolution, friends Agnes and Bea are embarking on a month long adventure in London before commencing their jobs as secretaries; a career neither is looking forward to. Upon Agnes’s departure, her mother Florence, a housewife, attempts to acclimatise to an “empty nest” and is forced to face her dysfunctional marriage with the serious and emotionally stilted William and her own personal happiness. Florence also embarks on a journey of self discovery and travels to Europe to contemplate the state of her life. Will Agnes and Florence leave their old selves behind and embrace happiness?
MY REVIEW
✨Heartwarming, funny and inspiring, “The Never Ending Summer” by @emmak67 is a sublime novel which imparts a wonderful message; “It’s never too late to be the person we’re meant to be.”
✨Kennedy beautifully captured the essence of the early 1970s; the music, fashion, popular culture and the sexual revolution. It was as if I was transported to this era. Germaine Greer’s seminal work “The Female Eunuch” acted as an impetus for the protagonists to question their roles in the world and how the patriarchy was holding them back. It was inspiring to observe these women transform into strong and independent individuals. The scenes at the infamous Playboy Club on Park Lane were hilarious but it was interesting how Agnes could appreciate that the establishment could be viewed as a “collaborator in the patriarchy” by sexually objectifying women.
✨It’s never too late for second chances and Kennedy beautifully conveyed this message. In particular, I loved how Kennedy explored whether it is possible to fall in love with the same person twice; it can happen but it requires synergy, patience, honesty and hard work.
✨I was captivated and constantly engaged by Kennedy’s writing style. Her character development was multifaceted and I enjoyed how she randomly alternated between Agnes’s and Florence’s storylines.
✨I recommend this book to those in the mood for an amusing and thoughtful read.
Thank you to @netgalley , @penguinrandomhouse and @emmak67 for this ARC. Out 11/02/21 🙌🏼
June 8, 2021
It's the early 1970's. Bea and Agnes have finished secretarial college but neither wants to be a secretary. Florence, Agnes's mother, is married to William, who barely notices her. Marjory, Florence's friend, leaves her husband and Florence realises she could do the same.
All three women set about changing their lives, with unexpected results. The two girls go off to London whilst pretending to be in Europe and end up working for the seedy Mr Adler whilst sharing digs with two other girls, one (Kiki) who is nice and the other (Camilla) who isn't.
Florence wants to go to Italy but William refuses, so she decides to go anyway. He finds himself unable to cope and ends up at his married daughter's home. Florence, meanwhile, has a great time and realises what she wants most of all is to be respected for herself.
The novel is basically about women taking control of their own lives and not being objectified or disappearing into the background. It is also about friendships and how people change.
It took a while to settle into the book and the characters seemed fairly mundane. Florence interested me the most because I could sense her latent resentment and was pleased when she finally recognised it and acted. As the story progressed, the characters began to fill out and it was easier to empathise with them, especially with Agnes. I particularly liked how the book ended as it affirmed the journey all three women had been on.
A good read in the end, despite the slow start.
I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Random House UK, Cornerstone, in return for an honest appraisal.
All three women set about changing their lives, with unexpected results. The two girls go off to London whilst pretending to be in Europe and end up working for the seedy Mr Adler whilst sharing digs with two other girls, one (Kiki) who is nice and the other (Camilla) who isn't.
Florence wants to go to Italy but William refuses, so she decides to go anyway. He finds himself unable to cope and ends up at his married daughter's home. Florence, meanwhile, has a great time and realises what she wants most of all is to be respected for herself.
The novel is basically about women taking control of their own lives and not being objectified or disappearing into the background. It is also about friendships and how people change.
It took a while to settle into the book and the characters seemed fairly mundane. Florence interested me the most because I could sense her latent resentment and was pleased when she finally recognised it and acted. As the story progressed, the characters began to fill out and it was easier to empathise with them, especially with Agnes. I particularly liked how the book ended as it affirmed the journey all three women had been on.
A good read in the end, despite the slow start.
I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Random House UK, Cornerstone, in return for an honest appraisal.
February 15, 2021
This is a brilliant exploration of female friendship and coming-of-age at a time when women were finally gaining their freedom!
The story opens with 20-year-old Agnes Ledbury arriving in London with her best friend, Bea, They're looking for adventure, love and sex – and not necessarily in that order!
A series of escapades follow as Agnes and Bea take on various temp jobs that include leafleting for the feminist cause in London’s underground and acting as extras in a public information film. Their older, more worldly flatmates introduce them to the city’s nightclubs. It’s all great fun – but it can’t last of course, and a shocking event threatens to put an end to their adventures, and worse, an end to their friendship.
Meanwhile, back in their home town of Brill, Agnes’s mother Florence is facing her own existential crisis. She’s swapped The Housewife’s Pocket Book for The Female Eunuch and let the scales drop from her eyes.
This story of a daughter and mother struggling to find their path in a brave new world will resonate with anyone who came of age in the 1970s. It’s an entertaining and accurate insight into life for the newly-emancipated women of the decade. But more than that, it’s an exploration of love and friendship, an often funny, sometimes heart-breaking and always emotional roller-coaster ride.
The story opens with 20-year-old Agnes Ledbury arriving in London with her best friend, Bea, They're looking for adventure, love and sex – and not necessarily in that order!
A series of escapades follow as Agnes and Bea take on various temp jobs that include leafleting for the feminist cause in London’s underground and acting as extras in a public information film. Their older, more worldly flatmates introduce them to the city’s nightclubs. It’s all great fun – but it can’t last of course, and a shocking event threatens to put an end to their adventures, and worse, an end to their friendship.
Meanwhile, back in their home town of Brill, Agnes’s mother Florence is facing her own existential crisis. She’s swapped The Housewife’s Pocket Book for The Female Eunuch and let the scales drop from her eyes.
This story of a daughter and mother struggling to find their path in a brave new world will resonate with anyone who came of age in the 1970s. It’s an entertaining and accurate insight into life for the newly-emancipated women of the decade. But more than that, it’s an exploration of love and friendship, an often funny, sometimes heart-breaking and always emotional roller-coaster ride.
March 24, 2021
The Never-Ending Summer by Emma Kennedy Pub Date 15/4/2021
This is the story of Beatrice, Agnes and Florence discovering themselves in the summer of 1971.
Agnes and Bea are best friends. Their friendship is solid and energetic. Now 20, they have finished secretarial school and do not want to work in an office; they want to have some fun before 'real life' intrudes. Uncharacteristically, they plan in secret a trip to London to explore who they are and who they could be. There is also the little matter of losing their virginity!
Agnes prim and proper mother, Florence, feeling unwanted, asks husband William to take her on holiday to Europe; when he refuses, she sets off alone. How will William cope with tradition broken?
When Agnes returns, she does so with big ideas and makes some significant decisions. But when her mom returns from Italy, she is a strong, independent woman with her own changes to make.
I felt genuine compassion for the three and William when his emotional deficiencies and how others perceive him is explained.
This story deals with growing up, patriarchy, feminism, individuality, and family issues.
The theme will appeal to all age groups with a coming of age story intertwined with a mid-life crisis. It's never too late to be true to yourself, to be who you want to be, to reach your full potential, no matter your age.
This is the story of Beatrice, Agnes and Florence discovering themselves in the summer of 1971.
Agnes and Bea are best friends. Their friendship is solid and energetic. Now 20, they have finished secretarial school and do not want to work in an office; they want to have some fun before 'real life' intrudes. Uncharacteristically, they plan in secret a trip to London to explore who they are and who they could be. There is also the little matter of losing their virginity!
Agnes prim and proper mother, Florence, feeling unwanted, asks husband William to take her on holiday to Europe; when he refuses, she sets off alone. How will William cope with tradition broken?
When Agnes returns, she does so with big ideas and makes some significant decisions. But when her mom returns from Italy, she is a strong, independent woman with her own changes to make.
I felt genuine compassion for the three and William when his emotional deficiencies and how others perceive him is explained.
This story deals with growing up, patriarchy, feminism, individuality, and family issues.
The theme will appeal to all age groups with a coming of age story intertwined with a mid-life crisis. It's never too late to be true to yourself, to be who you want to be, to reach your full potential, no matter your age.
April 14, 2021
I really liked the idea of this story. Set in 1971, Agnes and Bea just finished their exams. They live a dull, predictable life and adult future seems no more exciting. It's the time of second wave feminism. After reading Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch, they hatch a plan to spend a month in London and lose their virginity.
I found the first half of this book hard going. I know that it was deliberately dull to contrast the events that happened in London but I nearly gave up. It was only the side story about Florence, Agnes' boring mum, questioning her humdrum life, that kept me going. As her last child moves out, she decides that she needs some excitement and when her husband won't take her away, decides to go on a road trip any way.
By the end of the summer, the whole family dynamic has changed.
I found the first half of this book hard going. I know that it was deliberately dull to contrast the events that happened in London but I nearly gave up. It was only the side story about Florence, Agnes' boring mum, questioning her humdrum life, that kept me going. As her last child moves out, she decides that she needs some excitement and when her husband won't take her away, decides to go on a road trip any way.
By the end of the summer, the whole family dynamic has changed.
March 6, 2021
The Never-Ending Summer is set in 70s England. We meet Agnes and Bea as they finish secretarial school and decide to embark on an adventure to London. Then there's Florence, Agnes' mother, a housewife that feels like her life has become too mundane and routine. So she decides on a whim to leave her husband and follow her heart to Europe.
Told from both Agnes and Florence's perspectives, I enjoyed the book's different setting - it isn't often I read a book set in the 70s. However, I would have loved more character depth. It felt like the book only scratched the surface of both of their stories. Overall, I'd recommend this book only if you want to read something set in a different era.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC - all opinions are my own.
Told from both Agnes and Florence's perspectives, I enjoyed the book's different setting - it isn't often I read a book set in the 70s. However, I would have loved more character depth. It felt like the book only scratched the surface of both of their stories. Overall, I'd recommend this book only if you want to read something set in a different era.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC - all opinions are my own.
April 18, 2021
I found this book really thought provoking. Set in the very early 1970s it amazed me how much changed between then and a decade later when I was a teenager. The difference in the life of a wife and mother, and the life of a young woman. The stifling lifestyle expected of Agnes and Bea, and the rut that Florence felt her life had to be. This was joyful as the women discovered who they should be. It wasn't all plain sailing and there were some hilarious adventures along the way. I didn't expect to be thinking so much about life and its progression on reading this, and having a frank discussion around the issues it raised in my mind with friends. Excellent read. #netgalley #theneverendingsummer
March 30, 2022
This book was advertised as ‘the joyful escape we all need right now’ it is not. I picked the book up to cheer myself up after a painful double knee injury, it had the opposite effect it depressed me further. Quite honestly I would have enjoyed the book if it had been advertised correctly and picked up at another time. For the most part the characters stories were sad, a wife trying to escape a loveless marriage, her daughter fighting for independence. Their stories were fairly sad and continued to be with themes such a sexual assault much of the book. What was a joy for me was Emma Kennedy's writing, I loved her descriptions and turn of phrase, hence the four stars and hence the fact I will hope in the future to read some of her other books.
January 24, 2022
The Never Ending Summer by Emma Kennedy
It's never too late to find yourself.
Best friends Agnes and Bea decide to embark on one last adventure before their adult lives begin.
For Agnes's mother Florence, a fresh chapter is starting as her youngest flies the nest and her marriage settles into a new routine. But she can't help feeling that something is missing.
I enjoyed this book, I did give myself a time restraint to read this book due to me wanting to return it to the library early but it in no way felt like a chore to read. A brilliant take on female friends as they come of age in the 1970s.
Rating 4/5
It's never too late to find yourself.
Best friends Agnes and Bea decide to embark on one last adventure before their adult lives begin.
For Agnes's mother Florence, a fresh chapter is starting as her youngest flies the nest and her marriage settles into a new routine. But she can't help feeling that something is missing.
I enjoyed this book, I did give myself a time restraint to read this book due to me wanting to return it to the library early but it in no way felt like a chore to read. A brilliant take on female friends as they come of age in the 1970s.
Rating 4/5
March 6, 2021
I wanted to like this coming of age story, but the characters were very flawed and unlikeable, although I found them more endearing towards the end. I found it hard to believe the sudden changes in Florence and William and how, if he was that rigid and controlling, his wife would have access to so much of his money. I remember a friend of my mother's having a 'nervous breakdown' in the 1970s, and think this would have been more likely before Florence could reinvent herself so completely. Disappointing and unrealistic.
March 25, 2021
Set in the 1970s at the time of the Women’s Liberation movement and tells the story of the journey of three women and their journey to personal awakening. The characters were well created and developed and the story amusing and interesting. These were characters that you could sympathise with and having been a teenager at a similar time I was transported back to those times. It was a story of struggle but hope and a message that we can all have a second chance and achieve our dreams if we have self belief.
June 13, 2021
I had high hopes for this book. From the description it sounded like something I would enjoy reading but sadly this wasn’t the case.
I persevered but by the time I was almost half way through I still wasn’t enjoying it and it hadn’t got any better so I decided that life’s too short to and I’ve a long list of books waiting to be read so I gave up.
I always feel bad when I don’t complete a book as I feel I owe it to the author and to NetGalley to compete it and review it but the characters lacked any depth, the story line was boring and it just didn’t interest me
February 18, 2021
I loved The Never-Ending Summer.
I have to admit that Emma Kennedy is possibly my favourite author.
This book, a follow on from The things we left unsaid did not disappoint and could be read as a stand alone book.
Full of life, colour and characters that jumper off the page and into my imagination, I could see it as I read it and that's for me the sign of a great book. Rarely happens.
I have to admit that Emma Kennedy is possibly my favourite author.
This book, a follow on from The things we left unsaid did not disappoint and could be read as a stand alone book.
Full of life, colour and characters that jumper off the page and into my imagination, I could see it as I read it and that's for me the sign of a great book. Rarely happens.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews