Okay, so I may have been a little impatient at first, wanting to be gripped from the get go. Erica James’ novels don’t work like that, and I don’t mean that negatively. ‘Swallowtail Summer’ is the type of read which takes patience for it to flourish, with the beauty of the authors words coming alive as the storyline progresses.

This is such a cosy, comforting and heartwarming read which made me sigh with contentment and apologise to the story for my lack of patience at the beginning. I’m being vague on purpose as I urge readers to discover the storylines beauty themselves, instead of me divulging too much.

Erica James is such a descriptive and magnetic writer, it was a delight being able to follow Alistair’s journey.

A good few years ago I'd read an enjoyed thoroughly a book by Erica James and always meant to read more, so when the opportunity to read her latest release, Swallowtail Summer, came up I was in!

Alaister spent his childhood summers at Linston End, then when he inherits it, it became the happy holiday home for his own and his friends families. Linston End became an important place to them all. But when his wife dies and he quickly meets someone else and decides to sell, his friends are not happy.

I think I expected a lighter read than this actually was. Swallowtail Summer examines complex relationships, secrets, resentments and lies. Erica James doesn't shy away from the darker side of human nature and her characters are flawed and not always likable. I really like this, it's extremely honest and raw.

The book is quite slow to begin with, where a lot of characters are introduced. However the pace picks up and I quickly found myself engrossed. I loved the setting, Linston End being a character itself and loved reading about the idyllic summers past. Erica James' writing is rich, with complex characters and shades of the light and dark emotions all humans experience. I think Swallowtail Summer would be a perfect holiday book and can recommend it!

I must say this novel ended up being nothing like I expected but a pleasant surprise.

Focusing on a group of friends, Swallowtail Summer is told from a multitude of perspectives and documents what happens within a group of friends when everything they take for granted is at risk of being taken away. Alastair, Simon and Danny have been best friends since childhood. They had the type friendship that continues into later life and is handed and shared with their children. But, like all friendships, cracks begin to appear when one of them makes an announcement that threatens to take away the foundations of their friendship.

This is very much a character driven story and Erica James builds up a group of characters and exposes their traits and flaws so brilliantly. Some characters are more likable than others and as each one tells the story from their perspective by slowly peeling the layers back, we come to find that not everyone is as they seem to others in the group. I love that each character is realistically written and despite finding them at times selfish and arrogant, their imperfections make them human and this is what really brings the characters to life.

Each chapter is short and reveals just enough to keep the pages turning but keeps a little back in order to create suspense. In addition to the main theme of friendship, there is also an underlying mystery surrounding the death of one of the group members previously which adds additional tension and an air of malevolence to the story.

If you like a luxurious slow burner, heavily focused on the characters and with a hint of suspense then I highly recommend this one for you.

"Swallowtail Summer" is a story about three men who have been friends from their schooldays, and about their families. One of them, Alastair, owns a beautiful house in Norfolk, where the whole group - later with the wives and then with the offspring - used to spent every summer, enjoying their holidays and sometimes searching for the elusive swallowtail butterflies. They are all happily settled into their lives and enjoy them, until Alastair's wife Orla dies, and he goes travelling. After his return, he has some news for his friends, that turns out to be rather shocking for them, and that will affect them all.
The setting was absolutely beautiful, the picturesque Norfolk Broads vividly and colourfully described. The house that was the centre of the story was incredibly welcoming. I had, though, problems to get into the book, the beginning was really heavy for me. It was probably because of the great number of characters introduced to us and I couldn't keep track who is who and who belongs to whom and what has happened, often feeling confused about their relationships. However, later, it starts to fit and after I've worked out who, why and what, I felt myself really invested in the story - it is really worth persevering, as then we are more likely to understand them, their decisions and motivations.
Nevertheless, I've started to feel anxious to be honest, because, well, I haven't warmed to the characters, and I was scared that it's going to destroy the whole reading experience for me. I couldn't, for example, really understand why the guys, and then their families, put Alastair's on a pedestal, I found it a bit strange, to be honest, I mean, they were all adults but they still behaved like in their youth. What made him so special? Also, I can't imagine any of my friends - best friends - behaving like this should I tell them such news as Alastair - well, it's my decision, right? However, they had strength to them and their personalities were very well captured, they all were flawed and had their own problems and secrets.
"Swallowtail Summer" was a story with friendship in its centre, loyalty and with a depth to it, written in a very lyrical way, providing a very accurate and sharp look at the ways people work, how they see what they want to see, how they react at truth. It was rather a sad read, or maybe I should say a very realistic one, as reality is a bitch, we know this only too well. There was never a dull moment, and while I might have not understand some of the actions of the characters, I really appreciated all the emotions that were released after Alastair's announcement. I could never be sure where the story would lead and the few skeletons that came out of the closets were really surprising. It is a great picture of characters' interactions, really exploring different group dynamics, showing the effect of Alastair's news, how it affected them all and how they tried to work it for themselves, and making you also wonder. A story that had a substance to it. Recommended!
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read by Erica James and I enjoyed it enough that I will read more by her in the future. Very character driven, Swallowtail Summer wasn’t what I was expecting at all. A story of grief, loss and friendship, it is told from several different points of view. Some of the characters were extremely likeable and I found myself rooting for them from the outset, but there were others I really didn’t like at all.

An interesting and engaging book that moved along at a steady pace, with the setting of the Norfolk Broads really adding to the atmosphere of the story.

A good read that I would recommend. My full review will be posted as part of the blog tour very soon.

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I also took part in a Blog tour for this title organised by Tracy Fenton.

Erica James has quite a back catalogue of books to her name and if you've not read any of her books yet, then why not pop your cherry with this one.

The story is more character driven and seems to be a little more in depth into the relationships between them, not in a romantic way more in the way that they all interact with one another as siblings, relations and friends.

Linston End is a property that seems to have a life of it's own, a holiday home set on the Norfolk Broads it appears as an integral character to the story and is responsible in so many ways for what happens in this story.

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to many characters all at once and it takes a little while to realise who is who and who is related to who and in what way. It's told from the perspective of several of the characters, so you need to be able to get inside their heads quite quickly.

As history almost repeats itself, an event that occurs one night is set to have huge repercussions on some of the characters. Will they ever get over the events of that night or not?

Alastair is one of the main characters, he is a widower who meets and falls in love with Valentina (in my opinion she's not a very likeable character for many reasons that I won't go into), as his plans for the future are set to create ripples on the Broads that the rest of them might find hard to swallow, as life in the future might be set to change for all of them.

Will Alastair's plans be for the better or for the worse for everyone concerned? To answer that you will need to grab a copy of this book and immerse yourself in their lives.

I quite enjoyed this story as it was a refreshing change to other stories by Erica James. I look forward to reading her next book to see if character driven stories are the way that she is going with her writing, rather than the more romance based stories of the past.

What can I say about Swallowtail Summer? It was a book of two halves for me. I enjoyed the multi-POV; I especially enjoyed the younger characters' storylines and perspectives. However, I didn't love the main characters and especially the (bordering on stereotypical) Russian gold-digging femme fatale character. There was an element of 'how the other half live' with their summers at the Broads but it was a great character study, with themes of grief, death anxiety and the importance of long-term friendships.
I've read Erica James before, and I will again, this just wasn't my favourite.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Today is my turn on the Swallowtail Summer blog tour. This is the first book by Erica James that I have read, but have heard lots of great things about her work so when the opportunity to take part in this blog tour came up I snatched it up. Thank you to Tracy Fenton and Orion for the opportunity to read this book and take part in the tour.

The start of the book felt a bit hard to get into because you were introduced to lots of characters very quickly from each of their points of view. However, once I got used to the different characters, which happened quite quickly, I was completely caught up in the story.

A group of life-long friends are all settled into their lives and are happy to plod along as they are, that is until Alastair throws a spanner in the works, impacting on all of their lives.

What I loved about this book was the relationship between the characters and the effect that Alastair’s news has on these relationships as well as how it affects each character individually. They have been friends for so long that the news opens their eyes to how their relationships have been and that things may not have been quite as they thought.

Not only were the characters great, the plot absorbing but the setting of the book gave an extra level to the story. The Norfolk Broads, and particularly Linston End hold a vital role in the story, almost like they were another character.

I highly recommend that you read this book, whether you are a fan of Erica James or new to her work.

A drowning leads to old friendships being torn apart. New love is not quite as it first appears and tension throughout means friends question their relationships.

When you look at a group of friends what do you see? The answer is you only see what they want you to. Rather like a swan in the water, the surface may seem smooth and easy going, but underneath the water, there is a furious paddling of feet, and turmoil, hidden from the casual observer.

‘ Summertail Summer’ is like this, three friends who have known each other since they were young, spend holidays together at a beautiful house in Norfolk, later they include their wives and eventually for some of them their offspring, but then someone dies and the following year even though they know it will be different they are unprepared for how different.

The beginning of the story introduces the characters; shows how they interact with each other and reveals some of their motivations. Even though this is a lot to assimilate and is slow-paced, it’s worth persevering, as it makes the rest of the book easier to follow. Allowing you to appreciate the complex characters and their diversity and secrets.

It is interesting to see how the characters interact, and how the group dynamics remain largely unchanged until Orla dies. This life event forces the group to change. The story’s essence is, will the friendships and family relations survive the need to change?

All of the characters are realistically flawed and many are not likeable, but this doesn’t detract from the story, just makes it more realistic. One of their favourite holiday activities is to search for Swallowtail butterflies. Their elusive quality equates to the finiteness of happiness, love and youth. It makes the story an interesting, but poignant read, with a lovely Summertime, feel.

I received a copy of this book from Orion Publishing via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I always look forward to a book by Erica James; her stories always have substance - the sort that you can really get your teeth into. This, her latest story, set in the picturesque Norfolk Broads, sounded right up my street. I settled down to read it with great anticipation. I have to admit that, unusually, I found the book a little heavy going at the beginning, where so many characters were introduced at once; I kept losing track of their relationships. However, I eventually became immersed in their world.

This is a story of friendships and loyalties, centred on three men who have been the very best of friends from schooldays and their families. One of the trio, Alastair, owns a rather marvellous sounding house right by the water, where the families gather together every summer to enjoy a holiday of fun and relaxation on and off the water, sometimes searching for the elusive swallowtail butterfly. Since Alastair was widowed the previous year, this summer promises to be somewhat different. However, none of the others could have guessed exactly how different. Alastair has some shocking news for them all, which promises that things will never be the same again. This news triggers a reaction that reverberates through the group, affecting them all in turn.

I have to admit that this is not my favourite Erica James novel; it has the usual depth that I associate with her writing, but it did not fire my imagination to the usual extent. There was certainly never a dull moment, however. Alastair’s shock announcement had everyone considering what it meant for them and whether they should try to change his mind. All sorts of emotions were released, often leading to conflict within the group and testing the strong ties that existed between the friends. Quite a few skeletons came out of the cupboards as well. I certainly never knew where the story would lead next, and definitely could not have predicted how it would all end. I would still recommend this as an interesting book to read, but, to my mind, there are better Erica James books out there.

It's the first book I read by this author and I'm happy I requested it because it's a really good one.
It's engaging, entertaining and well written.
I liked the amazing setting, it made me crave to be there, I love the plot.
I will surely read other books by Ms James.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Absolutely loved this book, have read all of Erica James novels, so was looking forward to this one.
Found myself quickly immersed with the characters and their feelings.
A real insight into families and friendships and what happens when things don't follow through the way you expect.......
A good read, highly recommend.

The beautiful Norfolk broads are the setting for this great read and it’s very much a main character with the long summer days and the broads in all its glory. Alastair is coming home to Linston End to tell his oldest friends some great news unfortunately they don’t take it well and secrets, betrayals and doubt start to surface. An excellent summer read that looks into family, friendships and love.

I love reading books by Erica James and was really excited to be approved on Netgalley to read this in the lead up to it being released.

Swallowtail Summer is based on the Norfolk Broads which is one of my favourite places to visit in the UK and somewhere I always find really therapeutic and relaxing to visit. 

During this story Alistair has returned home to the fold of his friends after going travelling following the tragic loss of his wife the previous year. After inviting his friends to stay with him for the weekend the summer then begins to unfold in a way that none of the friendship group ever foresaw.

A story focused around friendship, love and loss, I enjoyed this book but found it harder to relate to the characters and the many dynamics within their friendship group. I found the younger generation more relatable and was routing for Callum and Jenna to become more than friends.

Swallowtail Summer was a more complex read and wasn't as light hearted as the books I have come to associate with Erica James, I enjoyed the book but it was missing a bit of her normal magic for me.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as it is set on the Norfolk Broads, and I love Norfolk and often visit on holiday. The actual house and the setting sound lovely, but I found the characters harder to like.

Alastair owns Linston End, the house that his friends have holidayed in over the years (Danny and Simon from his schooldays, along with their wives and children). He and his wife Orla lived in it, until Orla died. Then once this happens Alastair takes himself off travelling for a while, only to return with the news that he's met someone and is selling the house and moving. Everyone is shocked and quite put out really as where are they going to holiday now?! I'm not really sure why as it is Alastair's house, not theirs, and it wasn't really their decision. The guys all had Alastair on a bit of pedestal, which I found a bit strange as they were all adults now with families of their own and it was like their friend was being taken away from them.

Once the new lady in Alastair's life is also thrown into the confusion when they all visit the house to meet her there are a real mix of varying emotions from everyone. Everyone seems to have their own worries and things they keep secret.

I did finish the book as I wanted to find out what happened in the end, but I must admit to skim reading the second half. Maybe it was me but I just couldn't connect to most of the characters and didn't even like some of them which made it hard going at times.

Swallowtail Summer where do I begin?
First off I think I better say that I have read a few books by Erica James in the past and have rated these highly as her writing style in those have consumed me from the start to the end, so it is with a sad heart I have to give this one and a half stars rounded up to two for this latest book. The reason why is the storyline really did not do it for me, I neither cared where this was going in the end and didn’t like any of the characters so was not invested in their journeys and outcomes. I found myself skim reading pages just to get to the end which isn’t something I do.
I chose this book on the author and the fact it was set in Norfolk which is somewhere I have been quite regularly so thought I would be able to resonate with everything easier but alas this was not for me, this doesn’t mean to say that this will be up someone else’s street just unfortunately not mine.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed book, up to Erica's usual standard, I read it from start to finish in two sittings.

Would make a great holiday read.

Friends since school, Alastair,Simon and Danny are now looking forward to a long and happy retirement with their wives when tragedy strikes:. Orla, Alastair’s wife drowns. One year later, Alastair returns from his travels with a new partner - Valentina.
How well do you know your friends? When the couples and their offspring meet at Alastair’s home for their habitual gathering, the dynamics have changed and Alastair has some upsetting news.
I was not immediately gripped by this novel, I struggled to find one redeeming feature about any of the characters, then suddenly the story took off and the characters started to become less one dimensional.
This is a study of friendships and what can be taken for granted over time, what can be hidden away and what is hidden in plain sight.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you like reading about family dynamics, friendship and manipulation.

Another glorious read from Erica James. This is set in the Norfolk Broads in a house that has been the scene of family holidays for a group of close friends from their teenage years. Now approaching their later years, a death and a health scare have altered the landscape of their lives and managing this change and its consequences form the basis of this story that takes place as they holiday together, possibly for the last time.