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A review by srivalli
An Almost Perfect Summer by Jill Mansell
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
3.75
3.8 Stars
One Liner: Quite a bit of funny drama and OTT moments
Nella meets Nick, an intriguing man she rates 9 before she ends up in the A&E. Too bad they live in different regions. However, when Nella loses her job, she takes up Nick’s offer to join his company, a Cotswolds holiday retreat. However, can she risk everything to explore their attraction?
Lizzie, a Hollywood star on the verge of burnout, arrives at the holiday retreat to unwind. She has sworn off men but may flirt with Nick. She also loves to hate the grumpy Matthew but hey, things are hardly that straightforward.
As more people arrive and meet each other, the retreat becomes the place for endings and new beginnings.
The story comes in Nella, Lizzie, Mauve, Nick, Matthew, and other character’s third-person POVs.
My Thoughts:
As you might have guessed by now, this is a fun-filled read with many characters and multiple tracks. We have not one but multiple pairings that happen throughout the book. Naturally, there are breakups and new bonds, leading to more drama.
Though the POV shifts between different characters, it is easy to follow the plot. It might help to make note of the names and relationships, though.
The 430+ pages are used fully to develop the subplots. However, the distribution is uneven. I expected Nella to get more space, which she did but also didn’t. Lizzie ends up in the limelight, true to her role as a film star. A couple of them get limited space but manage to make an impact. Others do what they are supposed to do for the plot. Nella was easy to like. Lizzie is a bit extra (she is a celeb, after all) but a genuine person and someone easy to like.
Though this is romance, it is not steady. For example, one track is a super slow burn. Another is pretty fast-paced. It shines brighter as women’s fiction since the characters make some worthy friendships (found family vibes). There are no descriptions either (totally closed-door).
Of course, we have some annoying characters as well. Thankfully, these traits have been distributed between men and women, so the scales are not entirely one-sided.
The pacing is on the slower side due to the constant drama and developments. There are many funny moments as well. The overall effect is lighthearted with a sprinkle of bittersweet moments.
To summarize, Almost Perfect Summer is an entertaining book with some OTT moments and a great choice for summer beach reading.
My thanks to the author and Random Things Tours for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
One Liner: Quite a bit of funny drama and OTT moments
Nella meets Nick, an intriguing man she rates 9 before she ends up in the A&E. Too bad they live in different regions. However, when Nella loses her job, she takes up Nick’s offer to join his company, a Cotswolds holiday retreat. However, can she risk everything to explore their attraction?
Lizzie, a Hollywood star on the verge of burnout, arrives at the holiday retreat to unwind. She has sworn off men but may flirt with Nick. She also loves to hate the grumpy Matthew but hey, things are hardly that straightforward.
As more people arrive and meet each other, the retreat becomes the place for endings and new beginnings.
The story comes in Nella, Lizzie, Mauve, Nick, Matthew, and other character’s third-person POVs.
My Thoughts:
As you might have guessed by now, this is a fun-filled read with many characters and multiple tracks. We have not one but multiple pairings that happen throughout the book. Naturally, there are breakups and new bonds, leading to more drama.
Though the POV shifts between different characters, it is easy to follow the plot. It might help to make note of the names and relationships, though.
The 430+ pages are used fully to develop the subplots. However, the distribution is uneven. I expected Nella to get more space, which she did but also didn’t. Lizzie ends up in the limelight, true to her role as a film star. A couple of them get limited space but manage to make an impact. Others do what they are supposed to do for the plot. Nella was easy to like. Lizzie is a bit extra (she is a celeb, after all) but a genuine person and someone easy to like.
Though this is romance, it is not steady. For example, one track is a super slow burn. Another is pretty fast-paced. It shines brighter as women’s fiction since the characters make some worthy friendships (found family vibes). There are no descriptions either (totally closed-door).
Of course, we have some annoying characters as well. Thankfully, these traits have been distributed between men and women, so the scales are not entirely one-sided.
The pacing is on the slower side due to the constant drama and developments. There are many funny moments as well. The overall effect is lighthearted with a sprinkle of bittersweet moments.
To summarize, Almost Perfect Summer is an entertaining book with some OTT moments and a great choice for summer beach reading.
My thanks to the author and Random Things Tours for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.