It’s a real pleasure today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of One Last Summer at Seabreeze Farm by Jo Bartlett. The third in her Seabreeze Farm series, it was published on 13th April by Boldwood Books, and is now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
Like the first two in this lovely series, Welcome to Seabreeze Farm (which I read and thoroughly enjoyed, and you’ll find my review here) and Finding Family at Seabreeze Farm (review of that one here), this isn’t technically a brand new book – it’s a re-polished version of One Last Summer at Channel View Farm, but I only mention that in case you might have read it before. While the loudest fanfares tend to be reserved for the midwifes of St Agnes – I blow my trumpet as loudly as everyone else, and if you pop the author’s name into my search bar you’ll find all my many reviews – I must say that I’ve enjoyed this series so far every bit as much. This is the last republished book – I see from the book’s acknowledgements that Jo’s planning on continuing the series with a bit of a change of focus, and I’ll be really looking forward to that.
But for now, let’s take a closer look at the latest…
A summer to remember…
Georgia Banks knows she’s living on borrowed time. So, when doctors tell her she’s got one last summer to make all her dreams come true, she’s determined to make every day count.
The one thing that’s never in doubt, is that she wants her best friend, Gabe, to be with her every step of the way. And so, Georgia draws up her not-a-bucket list with all the things she’s determined to tick off before she goes – number one of which is to spend one last summer by the sea.
Seabreeze Farm perched high on the cliffs above the English Channel is the perfect spot, and surrounded by the antics of its menagerie of rescued animals and the warmth of the friendship she’s offered there, Georgia starts to believe she can live out all her dreams before it’s too late.
And just when she thinks there’s nothing left to wish for, Georgia gets another chance at life. But taking it might mean losing the one person she cares about the most.
As she faces her biggest challenge yet, Georgia wonders if her last summer at Seabreeze Farm will mean the end of her biggest dream of all.
When a book starts with “How long have I got?”, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this might not prove to be the lightest or happiest of reads. A few nearby tissues are recommended, but I must say I very much enjoyed sharing Georgia’s likely last summer, the one she desperately wanted to spend beside the sea. Her heart is failing, and the chances of the kidney and pancreas transplant she needs are negligible – but my goodness, she shows such bravery when the odds are so heavily against her. In fact, she’s sometimes a bit too independent, refusing the help that’s available – her mother Caroline is frustrated that she seems to have given in to the inevitability of it all (something she flatly refuses to do) and her close friend Gabe has put his future on hold so they can spend precious time together. The relationship between Georgia and Gabe is just beautiful – all their exchanges are light and sparky as they constantly make fun of each other, but there’s a really special bond between them that neither one is willing to acknowledge in case it spoils everything.
Seabreeze Farm proves the perfect escape for them – a building converted together with the One Wish charity, some assistance reluctantly accepted and more than repaid when Georgia uses her skills as an artist to help with fund-raising. And Georgia and Gabe spend a blissful summer, surrounded by friends on the farm, sharing laughter at the antics of the animals, helping out at the wedding venue… until the end of their stay approaches, and the difficult times become their reality again.
As they have with others, the folk at Seabreeze Farm embrace them as part of the family – and if you’ve read the other books in the series (which really isn’t essential) it’s good too to catch up on their lives and the way their enterprise has grown. But it’s Georgia’s plight that has you by the heart – and as her story continues to unfold, there are plenty of tears before the story’s conclusion, and not for the obvious reasons. Emotionally, this book is simply perfect – the author can always be relied on to be a safe pair of hands, and although the subject is a difficult one the story retains its lightness and there are plenty of opportunities to smile amid the darkness. And yes, you’ll see from the books description that Georgia gets the chance at life she’s hoping for – but that doesn’t come without many complications, which the author navigates so very well.
This was such a lovely read – finding hope where there seems little left, happiness in the small things, and a relationship at the story’s centre that was something very special indeed. Highly recommended, as always – and I’m looking forward to whatever comes next.
About the author
Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast. Boldwood published the first title in The Cornish Midwife Series – part of a twelve-book deal – in April 2021.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter Sign Up | Bookbub
