Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for My Not So Perfect Summer by Phoebe MacLeod. This is a great summer read that I highly recommend. Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in this tour, and Netgalley for my copy of the book.

My Not So Perfect Summer by Phoebe MacLeod

Published May 7th 2024 by Boldwood Books

Autumn’s summer is off to a smashing start… sort of.

Earlier this year, Autumn’s life looked great: she had a great relationship with her brilliant teenage daughter Chloe and from September she was all set to be Deputy Head at the London school where she works. And with a pay rise on the cards, she was excited for her and her long-term boyfriend Marc to buy their first home.

But Autumn’s barely opened the estate agent’s website when Marc vanishes with half their savings, leaving her no choice but to move into grandma’s rural home in Kent. And things go from bad to worse when Autumn is involved in an accident during the move, leaving the village’s dashing new baker Jake in plaster cast, and making her a local outcast before she’s even unpacked her bags.

Determined to put things right, Autumn offers to help Jake in the bakery over the summer holidays. But as things heat up in the kitchen, Autumn can’t help noticing that Jake is a lot more Paul Hollywood and a lot less Mr Kipling than she originally thought.

Maybe this summer isn’t such a write off after all?

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/MyNotSosocial

4.5 Stars:

Autumn and Marc had been high school sweethearts and became a couple early when she became pregnant. Chloe is almost sixteen and Autumn was beginning a new position of Deputy Head at the London school where she taught. She wants to buy a house and move out of the rental flat. Marc puts her off saying that they have to wait until she starts her new job. It’s summer and one morning, when she gets up, she notices a letter by the front door addressed to her from Marc. He’s gone, leaving behind everything except the clothes on his back, taking half of their savings. He felt trapped and needed to get away. This throws Autumn’s and Chloe’s life into turmoil. They end up moving in with her mother in rural Kent. The day they arrive, there is an accident and the local baker ends up in the hospital after riding his bike into Autumn’s car. Trying to make amends, although it wasn’t her fault, she offers to help in the bakery until he can run it himself. What happens next is a summer where both she and Chloe settle into the village. Can they find happiness in their new life?

This is a story of betrayal, family, new beginnings, community and romance. Everyone knows everyone’s business in this village, but the gossip is like playing telephone. By the time everyone hears the news, it isn’t anything like it was at the start. I really liked Autumn and Chloe. They have a great relationship, and although Chloe is a teenager, she didn’t take out her father’s abandonment on her mother. She wasn’t happy about the move, but she moves on pretty quickly, perhaps because she had just ended a relationship in London. Jake was a character that had been through a lot and was pretty level headed. He was sure that any kind of relationship between him and Autumn had a lot of bumps and roadblocks they would need to get over. I loved Autumn’s mom. I wish she had been my mom. She was refreshing, honest and not naïve in the least. As in any small town or village, there are a lot of quirky and eccentric secondary characters that add much to this story. As they all moved forward into a new beginning, I smiled and rooted for them to have a happy ending. The only thing that kept me from giving this one 5 stars is that Autumn moved on pretty quickly after being devastated by Marc’s disappearance. An enjoyable story, with great characters, an engaging plot and an uplifting ending. If you enjoy women’s fiction, romance and family stories, then I recommend this one to you.

Meet the Author: Phoebe MacLeod is the author of several popular romantic comedies. She lives in Kent with her partner, grown up children and disobedient dog. Her love for her home county is apparent in her books, which have either been set in Kent or have a Kentish connection. She currently works as an IT consultant and writes in her spare time. She has always had a passion for learning new skills, including cookery courses, learning to drive an HGV and, most recently, qualifying to instruct on a Boeing 737 flight simulator.

Phoebe loves watching people and observing social interaction. In fact she nearly got into trouble once when a man in a shopping mall thought she was staring at him! As well as curling up with a book, she loves good food, good wine and good friends – especially when all three come together!

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