Love love love
Feel good upbeat go get them book.
Love the whole family and friend atmosphere and feel I could live there

l loved this book i fell in love with characters so easy to read one amazing plot i just wany to carry on reading i read in a day loved it all it so easy to read your pull into the story

Loved it! It made my heart sing. I adored the cover and the characters and the storyline had me hooked. I'm so sorry it has taken me some time to leave feedback. Health took over

Another winner from Cathy Bramley who never fails to make me smile with her lovely plots and characters.

I particularly enjoyed this book and the lovely surroundings which are described beautifully.

Highly recommended.

I have read every single one of Cathy’s books and although I love all of them ‘A Vintage Summer’ has to be my favourite so far.

We meet Lottie, who is in London having a very difficult time in her relationship to Harvey (I very much dislike him!!). I applaud Cathy for writing about such troublesome events, I won’t go into exactly what happens but I felt anger for Lottie whilst reading these scenes especially. As a result of the breakdown of her relationship she ends up taking a job at Butterworth Wines, a vineyard not so far away from her dad and sister Evie.

I adore the Butterworth family including the staff at the vineyard. They are endearing and Lottie is very lucky to have found them in her time of need. She takes to her new role like a duck to water (though she knew nothing about wine or how to run a vineyard!) Even whilst working at the vineyard, Lottie encounters some very difficult challenges and she deals with these superbly. I loved all of the characters in this story (apart from Harvey but you will see why)

I sat for solid hours captivated by this poignant story and this is Cathy at her finest. I can’t wait to read another one of her impossible to disappoint novels ❤️ This story is about having the courage to find the way you deserve to live your life. I give ‘A Vintage Summer’ 5*/5* 😊

Thank you to Transworld for an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.

A wonderful summer read !
Lottie was looking forward to her new life with boyfriend Harvey in London. He persuaded her to move there so he could set himself up as a personal trainer but whilst Lotties career prospects as a Gardner at the local cemetery are blossoming, Harvey’s career has even got off the ground.
When Harvey filled with jealousy starts becoming nasty and controlling a frightened Lottie packs her things and heads home to her family.
Unfortunately her dads decided to rent out the family home to go on the trip of a lifetime and sister Evie is going through a divorce so where does that leave Lottie.
When she gets offered a job at a vineyard with accommodation, Lottie jumps at the chance. Elderly owner Betsy needs a hand with everyday life as her eyesights failing and even though she has been trying to keep it a secret and manage by herself she is railroaded into getting help by her volunteering staff on the vineyard.
A mixed bunch of characters including delightful sister in law Marjorie. Roger and Geoffrey, pippa, Matt and Claire all become Lotties new family and when Betsys handsome grandson Jenson comes to visit could happiness and love be on the horizon or could a shock discovery throw a spanner in the works ?
A delightful summer read and one of Cathy’s Bramleys best stories in my opinion, would most definitely recommend this one. A gloriously delightful book .

A lovely feel good book. Lottie has her future in London mapped out but but life has some surprises for her. The Vintage Summer is a book to lose yourself in, enveloped by the warm characters and beautiful summer. It is a book of family, friendship, love and Paddington bear. Highly recommended.

This was a wonderful book. Another one which leaves you all warm and fuzzy inside. Although I initially thought that, given the title, the book was going to be about vintage clothes etc. So glad it wasn’t as I loved reading about the wine business.

Lottie is living in London with her boyfriend but their relationship has soured somewhat. She can’t confide in her sister as she is having problems of her own and her dad is getting ready for a trip touring Europe in his motor van.

She finds the courage to leave and in dire need of a job and somewhere to live stumbles on Butterworth Wines. Here we meet two wonderful ladies, Betsy (who has recently lost her husband) and Marjorie her sister in law. We also meet Betty’s grandson Jensen and the motley crew of volunteers.

I loved Lottie and seeing her relationships blossom. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A book by Cathy Bramley is always a highlight of my reading year, I absolutely adore her style and her heart-warming stories, and A Vintage Summer is no exception. Set in a vineyard in Derbyshire, this is a novel about friendship, family and love.

You can't help but fall in love with this setting but also with Lottie's bright personality and enthusiasm. She has had a rough time in London, so she is ready to go back home and find a new purpose in life. And she soon finds it in Butterworth Wines, a vineyard with a very unclear future.

In the vineyard, Lottie doesn't only find a job tough, she discovers a whole new passion and makes a whole bunch of very passionate friends. These characters were a joy to read. I loved finding out more about them and how they all had their part to make this story special.

But it was not all sunshine and laughs at the vineyard, the story also handled some more serious issues, which really touched my heart. I really cared for this characters and rooted for them.

A Vintage Summer is a beatiful story that will warm your heart. With a delightful cast of characters and a stunning setting, it is the perfect read to enjoy outside now that the warmer months are coming.

I loved this book from Cathy Bramley. It was really interesting to understand the nature of the wine industry as well as to follow the characters on their journey, I didn't want to put it down. Can't wait for the next one.

I loved this book with the quirky characters - especially Gran, aren't grandmothers always the best possible part of a story?! Of course, there is the happy ending, no need to give a spoiler alert... but they details of this book coming to an end was still a bit of a surprise.

A Vintage Summer definitely deserves to be on my for-a-rainy-day shelf <3

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

This is the second Cathy Bramley book I have now read, and I have loved them both, but out of the two of them, this is now my firm favourite.

At the start of the story we meet Lottie, a gardener in a Crematorium, who has moved to London to live with her boyfriend Harvey who works as a personal trainer. When the relationship turns sour, and things don’t work out between the two of them, Lottie decides to return home. With no job or prospects her sister finds Lottie a job working as a manager of a local English Vineyard for six months.

I don’t want to give away any more of the story, as I want you to enjoy it for yourself. This was the perfect book for the sunny Easter weekend, and I felt a strange serendipity when I finished reading it on Easter Saturday – a date which is mentioned in the book!

This really is a must read summer novel – it will make you feel good about life, and if you’re like me, you’ll also want to visit your nearest vineyard.

I was provided with a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest and open review.

This is a gorgeous story about Libby, who has a controlling boyfriend, her mother died a few years ago, and she worries about her father, and her sister.. She is out of a job, and decides to run away from her boyfriend, and therefore answers an advert for a job, in a vineyard as a girl Friday.
When she arrives at the vineyard, she finds two elderly ladies, one in a wheelchair, and one going blind, who is the owner of the vineyard, whose husband has recently died.. They are at a loss as to how to continue his legacy, so Libby sets to, reads up about vines, and viticulture, and with the help of some willing volunteers helps to turn the situation around. Everything is compounded when she meets the blind lady's grandson Jensen, and falls in love with him.
Then she discovers by accident, that she is pregnant, after falling over and hitting her head. The volunteers help her recovery and they manage to organize a large open day at the Vineyard, which is a huge success, and results in huge orders for the wine. They also manage, by the skin of their teeth to get the vine harvest in before a storm hits them,
Libby is sad when she discovers that her father has had an accident on his gap year in Germany, but has found a lady who he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
There is a nice ending to this story when Jensen decides not to go to South Africa for his job, but to stay, marry Libby after the baby is born, and to start his own business at home with both of them, whilst his nearly blind grandmother and her friend buy a bungalow together.
Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this feel good novel.

As a huge fan of Cathy Bramley I just couldn't wait to get started with this book and my goodness this was good! This got me so excited for Summer and is the perfect reading material for sitting in the sun! Brilliant bunch of characters I just adored them, Lovely little story! What more could you want!

Nevermind bottling wine, the warmth and brilliance of this novel needs to be bottled!

Oh my gosh, ‘A Vintage Summer’ is everything I could have hoped for and more. Whilst a large part of the storyline does focus on grapes, wine and the Butterworth family vineyard, there are quite a few in depth and emotional situations in amongst all of that.

Lottie has lost her way a life bit and, despite feeling as though she had found ‘the one’, Lottie realised that she needed to make a drastic change before it was too late. Without delving into too much detail, Lottie is well rid did the change she had to make and I was SO glad to see her break free before things got a lot worse. I know that not everyone in similar situations can do what Lottie did, and that doesn’t make you any less strong. As they say, you can’t understand a situation unless you have been through it yourself.

When Lottie’s life perked up a little, it was such a joy to watch her flourish and live the life that she so badly craved. It didn’t take her long to settle into her new job in the vineyard, making a new set of wonderful friends along the way.

Betsy is an absolute LEGEND! She reminded me so much of my great grandmother, Waddy, it was unreal. This characters outlook on life was, whilst emotional at times, hilarious and one of a kind. Again, Betsy’s personality would sell millions if it was bottled!!

There are a lot of colourful and energetic characters throughout ‘A Vintage Summer’, some of which I favoured more than others (well, there was only one I really disliked). Actuslly to hell with it, aside from that one cactus, I loved them all. They were all so different yet all so wonderful.

For me personally, the thing which affected me the most was when the topic of single parentage came up. It’s not often that I read a book where single mothers are mentioned in a positive and empowering manner – I just wanted to hug Cathy Bramley for what she wrote. I am a single mum and I got quite emotional as I was reading this book – thank you Cathy Bramley for showing single mums in a positive light. Thank you for showing the world that we are capable at raising children on our own. Thank you for not being like everyone else and looking down on us because we raise our children with one parent and not two.

I got quite choked up writing that, do excuse me.

Ahem.

‘A Vintage Summer’ made me as happy as Winnie the Pooh with a new jar of honey. I thought the storyline was just so beautiful and so beautifully written. I could feel just how much the author believed in her characters by the words alone. I am hoping Lottie and Jensen come back in another book because I am now left with multiple questions regarding their lives!

An outstanding, touching, emotive read which made fireworks explode in my heart. Definitely Cathy Bramley’s best book yet. I loved it!

What a lovely story with lots of twists and turns. Kept me entranced so that I had to keep reading right up to the final chapter. Definitely recommended.

Totally enjoyed this book, nice easy read for the summer, could not put it down just had to keep reading to find out if Jenson and Lottie got together and stay at Butterworth wines

The cover for this wonderful new book from Cathy Bramley is just glorious and so bright and colourful. It really sums up the book in just one picture and from beginning to end it was such a joy to read. Once you start you'll want no distractions at all allowing you to sit and read this charming, life affirming story in one fell swoop if at all possible. It was brilliant that this book wasn't published in four parts prior to publication as a full length novel as is normal with some of Cathy's books. In this way, I was able to keep going even when we got to points which I presumed could be cliffhangers if the book had been split into four parts.

Cathy just gets better and better with each book and in fact I don't think I have ever read a book by this author that I haven't enjoyed which is rare from me as usually I find an author can have one or two blips when it comes to publishing books. Thankfully this wasn't the case here at all and I quickly fell in love with the characters, the setting and the plot. It was obvious Cathy was clearly enjoying writing this story and she wanted her readers to as well. I'm sure it must have been lots of fun researching vineyards and wine production, imagine the wine tasting she must have had to do... All in the name of research of course.

Our main female character is Lottie Allbright who when we are first introduced to her has spent the last few months living and working in London with her boyfriend Harvey. Lottie moved away from the quaint village of Fernfield as Harvey wanted to satisfy his ambitions of setting up his own gym. Lottie managed to get a job as a gardener in a crematorium and although it may seem quite a strange job she has slowly learned to love it there. She is a people person and has brought her own unique slant to the job. But still Lottie doesn't feel she has really settled in London and having left her father behind to live by himself for the first time since the death of her mother she wonders whether she has made the right decision. She knows she had to spread her wings at some stage, and that her sister Evie is close by if needed, but the London dream is fast becoming a nightmare. When given the chance for promotion should she accept or will matters be taken out of her own hands? Initially I did feel the section of the book set in London was quite slow, and I wondered how this eventually would be connected to Lottie running a vineyard, but on reflection the scenes in London were crucial and absolutely necessary because they gave us an insight into Lottie's mindset as to why she felt she had to leave. I feared for her if she chose to stay any longer. The words sinister, controlling, manipulation, jealousy and aggression spring to mind.

I thought Lottie was so brave to make the decision she did because she knew she was changing her life path once again. It's not easy to admit you were wrong and to get out of a situation before it was too late but she made the choice and hopefully her life would be all the better for it. If she had remained where she was she would have been moulded into someone that was not really her and escaping gave her the options of directing herself down a new path. As a few little hints are dropped in every now and again I began to realise she was even braver for going it alone. The big surprise wasn't that much of a revelation to me as I easily picked up on the clues, none the less I was eager to see how this aspect of the storyline would be developed given the tricky situation that was unfolding. Lottie had been merely existing in London but now she needed to grasp new opportunities and live her life for herself and no one else. Was she too bruised to accept and embrace love if it came her way? Only time would tell.

When an opportunity presents itself that seems to good to resist Lottie soon finds herself as manager of Butterworth Wines, a vineyard and winery on the outskirts of Fernfield. Times are tough for the vineyard since the death of its creator Ted. Although we never got the chance to hear from Ted I felt as if I had because all the characters had such respect and love for him. It was like he was speaking through them and the devotion and love he had for growing the grapes and blending the wine shone through from every page. The research undertaken for this book must have been extensive because I hadn't any idea how much actually goes into producing a bottle of wine. Everything could have quite easily become bogged down in technical terms and processes but instead I felt it was informative, descriptive and interesting and the story didn't lose any flow or the main message within it when the wine making was being described.

As for the characters Lottie meets as she takes on the challenge of transforming the fortunes of the ailing vineyard and to get the grapes picked, well each and everyone one of them were fantastic. They each brought something unique and special to the story. They had their own little quirks and problems but together as a collective of volunteers they became a family unit with the success of the vineyard at the forefront of their minds. Nothing but love and a willingness to see things right was at the forefront of their minds. Roger, Godfrey, Clare, Pippa and Matt were essential to everything running smoothly but can Lottie make everyone pull together in the six months she has been given? But it's Betsy, Ted's widow, and Marjorie her sister-in-law who steal the show time and time again. What a duo they make. They have both experienced tragedy in their lives and now they have each other. An unusual couple so to speak but both oozed humour and warmth. Both have health issues but it is how one compensates the other that provided so many laugh out loud moments that have you chuckling along. Betsy is mischievous and devious but in a comical and good-natured way. She is slightly adrift but all the volunteers become like a family unit to her and unless Lottie can come up with some plans the vineyard will fail and all Ted's hard work, dreams and aspirations will go down the drain.

Lottie was certainly a character who throughout grew in strength and confidence. She would readily admit she was like a fish out of water when it came to viticulture and wine making but she never let that stop her. Her enthusiasm and ambition shone through at every opportunity. Even when things seemed insurmountable and there was more than one problem sent her way to test her capabilities she never gave up. What's even better was she realised she couldn't do things all on her own. She never tried to be someone she wasn't and it was brilliant hat she was willing and gracious when it came to accepting help. As the weeks pass she becomes deeply invested in the outcome for Butterworth Wines and hopes that by some chance of fate it may continue to be operated past the six months set down by Betsy. But who can take it over without it having to be sold?

Jensen, Betsy's grandson, arrives on the scene and as he has a high powered job he is deeply ambitious. He doesn't see what Betsy, Lottie and the volunteers see when it comes to their love and dedication for the vineyard, he doesn't want to take it over which would seem to be the easiest solution. To be honest I thought Jensen had two sides to him. One in which he was kind, caring and had a good nature and would tend to people if they needed help or support but on the other hand he also came across as being slightly selfish and too caught up in his own needs and his goals when it came to his career. I could tell he cared for his aunt but I wanted him to push his own goals aside and think of what the vineyard actually meant to Ted and Betsy. Should he let it slip through his hands and have it lost to the family forever? Will all Lottie's efforts be futile and of no use? As for romance will Jensen be as opposed to that as he seems to be when it comes to the future of the vineyard? So many questions and I urge you to read this delightful book to discover all the answers.

A Vintage Summer is a captivating and sparking read that you will readily lose yourself in. Cathy Bramley's writing is superb and the story once we reached Fernfield moved along at a great pace. A picturesque location, characters you can relate to, humour and an excellent plot all combine to make the story that awaits you inside the beautiful cover a deeply satisfying read.

I can’t believe that Cathy Bramley has passed me by and A Vintage Summer is the first book of hers that I have read. I was looking forward to some light refreshment and I certainly got that, but oh my gosh, this book gives so much more.

Lottie Allbright returns to her family in Derbyshire to get away from a toxic relationship. Coincidently Lottie ‘s sister Evie is also heartbroken at the prospect of the breakdown of her marriage. The girls have a wonderful dad who they both adore, sadly he is widowed and grieving but he finds the strength to take himself off on an exciting adventure.

The story really begins when Lottie gets a job at Butterworth Wines, a vineyard in Derbyshire ran by the adorable Butterworth family. Lizzie has a real job on her hands because the business is suffering after the death of owner Ted. In typical Lizzie style, she rolls up her sleeves and sets her mind to not only revive the winery but place it firmly on the map. First, she must learn everything there is to know about viticulture… and the clock is ticking!

I loved the sheer strength of Lottie, her enthusiasm for life and her complete kindness, a rare quality in this modern world. The characters just come alive as you read and your heart just aches for one in particular. The book is the perfect summer read, it is informative and teaches some real-life lessons about the importance of family and friends. A highly enjoyable, inspiring read.

Lottie has to leave home in a hurry but when she gets home things have changed and she needs to find a home and job quickly.. When she meets Betsy from Butterworth vineyard and gets thrown in the deep end of wine making. Then into her life comes Jensen Betty’s grandson who wants her to retire and sell Lotties new home. Can she make a go of it and convince Jensen to stay. A great cast of eccentric characters. Cathy Bramley writes a great summer read.