An Almost Perfect Summer by Jill Mansell [Review

 

Today I am delighted to feature Jill Mansell's latest novel, An Almost Perfect Summer. It was published by Headline Review on January 16th.

 
Nick is the most intriguing man Nella has met in a while. He's a 9 in the looks department (no one gets a 10), he makes her laugh, and he keeps her company when she ends up in A&E. But they live hundreds of miles apart.

Then Nella loses her job. There's a perfect role on offer at a Cotswolds holiday retreat. The catch is that her boss would be Nick. And that makes Nick the one man she can't risk falling in love with.

While Nella struggles with her feelings, a Hollywood star has found a haven at the retreat. Lizzie's sworn off people - especially men - until her friendly new neighbours entice her out of her shell. Maybe she needs a flirtation - with gorgeous Nick, perhaps? Not with taciturn local Matthew, though, who definitely isn't a member of her fan club. Then an astonishing secret revealed changes everything . . .

The scene is set for a fabulous new novel full of friendship, warmth and romance. 

My Thoughts

What a brilliant read! There are so many story threads which interweave and yet keep their own distinctive feel. Across the generations, you meet and follow the lives of a disparate number of characters and each one has their own story to tell.

    The catalyst for the story is Nella who ends up working in the Cotswolds back where she spent her childhood. She is a strong and determined character who has remained generous spirited despite some difficult experiences.  The past has long buried secrets which rock a few characters' sense of who they are. You also see how kind and generous some people are and the reaction to Cami illustrates this. There is more than one romance bubbling away beneath the surface and some choices are surprising and show a different side to those characters. This is just the story to set you up in the dark days of winter, full of friendship and family.

In short: a sparkling romance fest

About the Author 

Jill Mansell is the author of over twenty Sunday Times bestsellers including The One You Really Want and Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay.  Take a Chance on Me won the RNA’s Romantic Comedy Prize, and in 2015 the RNA presented Jill with an outstanding achievement award.

Jill’s personal favourite amongst her novels is Three Amazing Things About You, which is about cystic fibrosis and organ donation; to her great delight, many people have joined the organ donor register as a direct result of reading this novel.

Jill started writing fiction while working in the field of Clinical Neurophysiology in the NHS, but now writes full time. She lives in Bristol with her family.

You can follow Jill here: Facebook  |  Website   |  Twitter

Book link: Amazon UK 

Thanks to Jill Mansell, Headline Review and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.