It’s a real pleasure today to be joining the blog tour for Second Chance Summer by Phillipa Ashley, published by Penguin Books on 6th June and now available in paperback, on all major e-book platforms (currently just 99p for kindle), and as an audiobook. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
At long last, I’ve finally managed to find the time to read and review one of Phillipa’s summer books! Her Christmas books are just wonderful – The Christmas Holiday (2022) was the first of her books I’d ever read (I know, I know…), and it was a real personal favourite (you’ll find my review here). A summer one next, I thought – then, however much I wanted to, I just couldn’t fit in the reading of A Secret Cornish Summer. But I did return once more at Christmas – Four Weddings and a Christmas was a real hug of a book with its wonderful Lakes setting, the loveliest story, and a developing relationship at its centre with particularly strong chemistry between its two main (and exceptionally likeable) characters (you’ll find my review here). But enough – it’s summer, and I’m off to the Scilly Isles…
From the moment Lily Harper arrives at a remote retreat on the breath-taking Scilly Isles, she is itching to get back to civilisation – and her thriving business.
Slowing down simply isn’t in her vocabulary, and so she quickly clashes with the gorgeous but dour Sam who runs the retreat.
Just as Lily is about to give up and leave, disaster strikes, and she is involved in an incident that changes her perspective on everything.
Lily is no longer sure she wants to return to the life she thought she loved. But will she have the courage to give the retreat, and Sam, a second chance?
Lily’s on-line business has been tremendously successful – she’s become a bit of a celebrity in a number of ways (one, involving a reality show, particularly unfortunate), and the interest of a supermarket chain might just move things into a different league. But how about her personal life? That’s something she’s rather neglected – especially her relationship with her young nieces, so important to her after the tragic loss of her sister. And when everything starts to catch up with her and she collapses at her desk, her PA convinces her that she really needs to take a break. And that’s how – after a difficult journey, and not experiencing the warmest welcome – she finds herself on the Isles of Scilly, the first and only guest at a new retreat on one of the smaller islands.
Her host is Sam – a man not without his own challenges, including caring for the difficult teen abandoned by his brother when he left for a new life in America, all while coping with his own broken heart. But he’s determined to make the retreat a success – just one completed cottage for now, and he could perhaps have hoped for a less difficult and demanding first guest than Lily. At first the sparks fly between them, but that “incident” mentioned in the synopsis (particularly dramatic, and so well written – my heart was in my mouth…) rather changes their relationship – and the media interest that follows becomes distinctly uncomfortable, but gives Lily the opportunity to see herself as others see her and re-evaluate what’s important to her.
The characters and their development are really excellent. Lily, hard-edged and driven at the start, softens at the edges and becomes nicely drawn in by the community who enjoy having a celebrity in their midst – and I’d never have expected to find her sharing the cooking and with a paintbrush in her hand, helping Sam complete the renovations. And as for Sam, he’s just gorgeous – not at all the grumpy individual he first appears to be, just keen to get things right and get through his difficult situation. The developing relationship between them was all I wanted it to be – very real, and with the most perfect of emotional touches.
The supporting characters are perfectly drawn too – the teenage niece whose bad behaviour had the most valid of reasons (and so well handled), Sam’s aunt with her warmth and caring, and I had a particularly soft spot for for Lily’s distinctly familiar and recognisable PA who certainly stepped up to the plate when it was most needed. And then there’s the setting, almost another character in the story – quite perfectly drawn, its beauty and remoteness wonderfully captured, somewhere I’ve never been but now firmly on my “must visit” list.
This really was the most perfect summer read – a romance I really enjoyed, the perfect setting, individuals who really won my heart, and a story that both engaged me throughout and warmed my heart. I loved it – you really must add it to your summer reading list.
About the author
Phillipa Ashley is a Sunday Times best selling author of uplifting romantic fiction. After studying English at Oxford University, she worked as a copywriter and journalist before writing her debut novel, Decent Exposure.
It won the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Award and was filmed as a Lifetime TV movie starring Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Hopkins.
Her novels have sold over million copies and been translated into many languages. She is also an Audible number 1 best-seller.
Phillipa lives in an English village with her husband, has a grown-up daughter and loves walking the Lakeland hills and swimming in Cornish coves.
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Lovely review Anne. I really wanted to go to the Scilly Isles after reading this one!
Thanks for the blog tour support xx