Cover Image: Summer in the Orchard

Summer in the Orchard

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Member Reviews

'Summer in the Orchard' is the third book in the 'Little Somerby' series and, whilst it isn't a necessity to have read the previous books in the series, I do think it would be advantageous as characters from previous books make appearances throughout, and it would save any unnecessary confusion if you already know who they are and where they fit in. Like I say that, you can read the book perfectly well on its own, so if you are okay with the not knowing every single persons backstory, you'll get on just fine!

Personally, I bloomin' loved this book! And no, it wasn't because the resident dog had the same name as mine! Plus Barney is absolutely brilliant and I did miss him in the storyline when he was no longer in the spotlight (don't panic - he's fine, I checked ;) ).

Sophie adores her job working with cider and, despite being around it all day, she still enjoys having several glasses off the stuff when she's off duty. However, not everyone is as excited about cider as Sophie. Carter's Cider is a family run business and the bosses really are keeping it in the family....for now anyway as an intern from overseas has made his way to Carter's to find out about how cider is made from the best in the business. But why Carter's? Why now? Why come ALL the way from Vancouver to talk about....apples?

This is such a drama filled storyline, and I loved the fact that I was able to sink my teeth into the story and not let go because of it. Sophie's situation with her ex had me switching between anger and rolling my eyes - yes, her ex is an eejit and he just seemed to get worse!! I also adored her gran - she reminded me of my great grandmother, Waddy - you couldn't get anything past her either! That woman seemed to have eyes everywhere!!!

'Summer in the Orchard' was such a delightful, energised read which kept me hooked due to the family dramas and animal antics. Fay Keenan has really gotten into the heart of the characters with this book! I think she has done a fantastic job of keeping the true meaning of the story close to her characters hearts without going off on an unnecessary tangent - I would even go as far to say that 'Summer in the Orchard' is my favourite book in the 'Little Somerby' series to date!

Such a free spirited, joyful and ideal read to lose yourself in - I adored it!

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This book is lovely, enjoyable and entertaining.
I loved the cover, the plot and the lovely cast of characters.
I look forward to reading other books by this writer.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Aria and Netgalley for this ARC

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Excellent book! Loved the characters and it was a great storyline. I would highly recommend this book.

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It’s coming to the time of year when summery stories are all I crave, after the rush of the holidays and the prospect of colder and grey days in sight. In this story, we return to Carter’s Cider but the Carter family is only a piece of the puzzle. Sure there are visits and moments with Matthew, Johnno, Meredith and the whole gang, but with the increasing popularity of the long-standing brand of cider and their many varieties, the business has decided to take on an intern from British Colombia, and Sophie, the ‘associate taster’ is to be their contact person. Sophie has been with the business since leaving school, her affinity for blending and her thorough knowledge of the process to make a bottle of cider have moved her, along with her palate, up to second in command in the tasting / production end of things. Her first impression of Alex is “wowza”, but still reeling from her last breakup and wholly unwilling to trust anyone, not to mention the complications of someone she’ll be working with for the next few months have her stepping back and away.

Alex has purchased an old orchard outside of Vancouver, initially planning a ‘kitchen’ level operation to test his skills and fulfill a dream – one that was partly meant to give his mother and stepfather a retirement space where he could be close. He’s applied for the internship at Carter’s to learn all he can about the production from tree to bottle, although his choice of Carter’s for was not a random one – he comes with secrets, secrets he’s not sure he’s ready to share yet -but that is for another time. Perhaps before he and Sophie got so close and came to rely on one another in ways that extended far past the workplace.

I love this setting and series, with the characters who are so wonderfully drawn and complex, while the cidery is a bit of a ‘tribe’ in the band together sense, the heart of the place all comes back to the founding father of the current generation of management, Jack. Jack was a salesman and charmer to his core, and unfortunately that behavior left some tidal waves in relationships and family dynamic, but the family seems to always manage to come together and find the brightness that seems to be behind the shadows. A lovely and complex story that is far more than expected.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at < a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-ad7/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

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This was a lovely little romance story that tugged at the heartstrings and shared a few laughs with us too.

It is about Sophie, who works at a cider farm - being from Devon myself, I know plenty about these - and her new trainee Alex.

Alex is from Canada and has come over to learn the tricks of the trade to take back home with him.

Sparks start to fly, and with the promise of a secret, Alex must think long and hard about what he going to tell Sophie.

This is the third in the series and I haven't read the other two.

A sweet read, one that I imagine would be good to read on a beach somewhere. It is relaxing and emotional at the same time.

A good story. One I would recommend.

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A vibrant cover and a vibrant story! The 3rd in a series that I adored - it pulled in all the previous characters and some new ones to fall in love with too; such a feel good book!

As mentioned this is the 3rd in a brilliant series but it could easily be read as a standalone - we're introduced to Sophie, a long-standing employee of the Carter cider company. She agrees to mentor an overseas (I can hear the delicious Canadian accent!) cider newcomer, Alex, who is trying to learn the ropes for his own cider company back home.

As Sophie shares the knowledge with Alex a part of her heart begins to be shared too - but Alex has a secret and could it be the end before it's barely started? Well....to be honest because the synopsis alluded to a secret of Alex's when I began reading it quickly became clear to me what that 'secret' was but don't let this put you off as it's all about the story leading up to the reveal and, of course, the all important outcome. There were some sad stories shared between Sophie and Alex who both had loss in their lives that added some genuine sentiment and I had a lump in my throat a few times.

The main characters were Sophie and Alex, but with very large-part cameos from brothers Matthew and Jonathan Carter and their families that all appeared in the previous novels and I really appreciated the update on their lives too. I especially loved reading about Sophie's very wise grandmother Lily and Matthew's daughter Merry. I so hope a further book is planned with Merry taking centre stage!

Overall this was a welcome break from the festive romance books at this time of year. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will certainly be keeping an eye out on future releases from this author!

My thanks to Aria via NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I have previously read the other books in this series. I was delighted to receive an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley.
This book is set in Carter's Cider in Somerset. This book features one of the staff members Sophie, rather than one of the family members. She is mentoring a visitor from Canada, Alex in the art of cider making. It appears that things are not as clear cut as he suggests that they are.
It was easy to guess what his secret was, but I wanted to know how the plot developed and what the outcome was. It was nice to catch up with the previous characters from the Carter family as well.
I thought that this was the best book in the trilogy. The characters are likeable and the story is enjoyable. It is a perfect book for Summer, and leisurely reading on holiday. This is a nice, pleasant book, which I would recommend.

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After reading a flurry of Christmas books reading about a lovely long summer seemed a bit incongruous but it was next on my list so I settled down to enjoy summer in Somerset.

Set in the village of Little Somersby, Sophie Henderson works for a cider producer. Her career is stuck in a bit of a rut and a rival company is trying to headhunt her.

Enter gorgeous summer intern Alex, a Canadian looking to learn the cider business so he develop his own orchards and cider brand.

As Sophie and Alex's relationships develops long buried secrets are revealed. Is Alex all he seems?

This is gentle, light-hearted read. The characters are endearing and the supporting cast are quirky and interesting. There's no major shocks in the plot but it's nicely done and I can see why readers come back to this series - this is the third book set in Little Somersby.

Thank you Fay Keenan, Aria and NetGalley for this advanced ebook in return for a review.

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This third Little Somerby book is definitely a feel good book. I enjoyed catching up with previous characters and meeting new ones.. The story of the romance between the main characters develops amidst a mystery involving the obligatory handsome hero. The supporting characters were delightful too and the whole was wrapped up in what was a very entertaining read. A good book for anyone to read, even if they have not previously read the earlier books in the series.

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This was a lovely read, different and definitely not your run of the mill chick lit. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot was very unique and individual. I especially loved the details.

Overall it was a really nice fresh read.

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I really enjoyed this third instalment of the Somerby trilogy - although it works perfectly as a standalone too. It's the story of s family, and of a village and the interconnectedness of humans. It's part mystery, part heartstopping romance and I enjoyed every glorious moment. I know all kinds of interesting things about cider now too!!

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I quite like this series! This one was fun and quirky just like it's predecessors :c) Keep 'em coming Ms. Keenan :c)

***NOTE: I will repost my review on my blog when Goodreads adds the cover art :c)

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Third novel in this series I have read. An enjoyable book, and as well as the main story of Sophie and Alex it is nice to catch up with the characters from the earlier books.

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Summer in the Orchard is a charming, romantic tale with lovable characters & a cute storyline. It was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone.

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