I very much enjoyed this book.  It has a good story and excellent main characters.  I would definately recommend this book.

An easy to follow and heartwarming beach / airport read that I loved. I read this tale of loss and hope at the perfect time for me, so uplifting!

This novel, A Summer to Remember, was my first introduction to Victoria Cooke’s work, but it was just the warm-hearted beach read I always enjoy picking up in between heavier pieces of literature. Even better, it has many scenes set in a cute coastal town with lovely, welcoming people of the type we all secretly wish would take us under their wings, pour cocktails down our throats, and become our new best friends when we most need a new perspective.

For main character Sam, a new perspective is precisely what she gets when she temporarily relocates from London to Boston for work. It’s an assignment she’s been wanting for the better part of a decade, ever since losing her husband in a tragic accident, but she gets off to a rocky start, and escapes to Provincetown on the weekend to soothe her soul at the beach.

It’s there where Sam meets and befriends an array of delightful characters – Harry and Barney chief among them – who become her American support system, giving her advice and shaking her out of her self-imposed bubble. It’s also there that she gets to know Ethan, our male lead.

In the last two years, my own family has seen a lot of death and loss – both of my in-laws and my own stepfather, as well as a member of my chosen family – and dealing with that grief, and watching my mother continue to deal with the loss of her life-partner – has been challenging, but it’s also made me a harsh critic of stories covering similar territory. Cooke handles both Sam’s and Ethan’s grief and healing with sensitivity and truthfulness that I found to be profoundly real and incredibly believable.

Yes, these are characters in a summer romance novel, and so their reality is a slightly heightened one, but I still found everything I read to be completely plausible (with the possible exception of anyone getting seasick on a kayak.)

A Summer to Remember was exactly the book I needed to finish out the last days of summer. Okay, I live in Texas, so our hot weather will continue until Halloween, but the light is changing, and there’s a bite beneath the heat that means autumn is arriving, but, just as the end of summer in this novel doesn’t mean an end to new friendships or new relationships, merely a redrawing of parameters, so, too, does the end of summer where I live merely mean that the sun sets a bit earlier and the swimming pool isn’t quite as warm.

A Summer to Remember is a novel to be enjoyed.

Goes well with burgers grilled over an open flame and cold beer, ideally consumed while sitting in the sand.

This was a cute summer read with an interesting premise. I didn't love it, but it was an enjoyable summer book!

I really enjoyed this lovely uplifting novel. Well written, this is a story of grief, loss, family, relationships, friendship, love and new beginnings. Engaging characters who I could easily empathise with. Fabulous setting, it sounds idyllic and I would love to visit Provincetown. 

Heartwarming, uplifting and emotional, I recommend this book - a perfect holiday read or for an afternoon on the sofa. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

A Summer to Remember is my first book by Victoria Cooke, and it did not disappoint.  This novel is a deep heartwarming romcom about a heartbroken woman who has lost her husband in a tragic accident and is trying to move on with her life.  Sam seems to be doing well, she is working, she has friends, and she landed the summer trip to Boston for her firm which she has coveted for the past 7 years.

When Sam accepts the job, she couldn't be happier, a chance to see and do new things, and get away from the friends and life that seem to want her to find a "significant other" to prove she is ok.  But once she gets to Boston, her happiness fades when she finds that her dream position is run by a sexist boss who refuses to let her contribute to the team.  When she takes a weekend to get away, Sam finds Provincetown, a remote rural beach town where she makes friends and feels relaxed, and suddenly she starts to feel a lot more feelings than she's emotionally ready for.

Most romcoms are light and airy, and yes, this book is too, but it also has some deep undertones to it as well.  My husband called it a rom - drama - com.  Named so because it has just a touch more unresolved past emotions that need to be worked through and gave the reader that apprehensive "OMG" feeling almost as if you weren't sure everything was going to work out in the end.   (And you know everything has to work out in the end in our beloved romcoms)!  It was this unsure, anxious feeling that Cooke's writing gave me that kept me reading nonstop until the very end, because there was no way I could put this book down until I knew what happened.  (Nope, not going to tell you).

This book gets an easy 4 star rating from me.  Victoria Cooke's characters were likable, relatable, real, and Ethan's description was downright sexy.  Cooke took a simple romance and mixed some very serious yet common personal family topics into the bowl, and came out with a winning recipe.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more of her writing in the future.

Thank you so much to Victoria Cooke, Rachel Gilbey from Rachels Random Resources, and Harper Collins Publishing / HQDigital for a copy of this book for my honest and unbiased opinion.

A very gripping and emotional story! I loved this book very much! I also loved the emotional depth of the characters. A must read!!

Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy.  In return for an honest #asummertoremember #netgalley

Sam is in her late thirties and suddenly finds herself a widow. As she ploughes herself into her career her one aim is to make the Boston team for 3 months over the summer. This team is the elite of the corporate world. When she finally makes the team will she be able to put her past behind her? And will she get more than she has bargained for?

The summery vibe on the cover drew me to this book.

Although not the conventional summer romance. This book makes you laugh, cry and hold your breath as you go through the roller coaster of Sam and Ethan being able to love again. 

This book is a great summer read. Allowing you to emotionally invest in all the characters you will a happy ending for each one whether that is together or seperately. Their was an equal amount of love and friendshipbuilding between different characters which gives it a beautiful holisitc feel.

Their are some emotional subjects included in this book such as death  widowers andlove after a tragedy.  I do not feel this takes away from the summer feel of the book or make it a heavy read.

Although I feel that certain parts of the book were rushed these were mainly the love and relationship scenes towards the end and also includes the rekindling of family relationships. Making it feel like the author was running out of pages so instead of continuing with the steady flow they sped it up slightly.

Cute story. The characters were really great, and the story was easy to read. Definitely predictable, but still a fun, light read!

I really enjoyed this read by Victoria Cooke, it wasn't really what I expected but in a good way. 
I think this is a lovely read about moving on, moving forwards and never giving up no matter what. I enjoyed the story taking place in Boston, I do love it when a book transports me to somewhere I've never been,
Loved the characters in this book, especially the love interest Ethan. 
It was emotional as I really connected with the theme of loss and grief. I definitely recommend.

What sets this book apart is the central character of Sam who has so many complications. She has withdrawn from nearly everyone she knows in the eight years since her husband's sudden death. As she begins to take a small step towards looking to the future, you are willing her to take the biggest leap of faith and just go for it. Of course, Sam has other ideas.

Working for the summer in the US, Sam has quite a time adjusting to the different surroundings and has to dig deep to believe in her own abilities. There are some great characters who befriend her and bring her out of her shell. However, this always feels like a 'two steps forward, one step back' journey. A Summer to Remember turned out to be the sort of book I didn't want to put down. I loved the setting and the plotting. There are also some genuinely touching episodes and in contrast, some amusing interludes.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of the book

*sighs*

Memories can be funny things, can’t they? You can recapture a cherished moment in time. Evoking all the thoughts and feelings that come with that specific memory. 

But memories also hold the power to work against you. Even though we don’t mean for them to, they can hold us back. Where nothing and no one can live up to people or times past. 

This is the limbo that Sam Butterfield finds herself in. 

Losing her husband irrevocably changed Sam’s life. As it would have *shrugs*, but in trying to cope with her grief and forge a new way of life she has placed an ‘Out of Order’ sign on her heart. 

Ugh! This hurt so much to read. No matter how Sam tried to pretty it up, her decisions made at that time echoed hurt and sadness through the page. 

We may have to push her kicking and screaming, but... bring on the light! *rolls up sleeves*

It’s funny how a change of scenery and pace of life can help lead to a large dose of introspection. Especially when you transport a quintessential English rose to the US of A! I know I wouldn’t pass up a summer working in Boston *snorts*.

Can’t you just feel that sun?! Ahhhh... come to mama *makes grabby hands*. 

Now, I have to be honest and say Sam annoyed me a couple of times during this story. I loved the friendships she made but found myself facepalming when her default setting was to lash out rather than admit how she truly felt.

Especially when it was aimed at my two special guys. What special guys you ask? Well, read it and find out *smirks*. 

Don’t worry, I didn’t hold it against Sam for long, lol. Let’s be real here, the first flutterings of romance after all this time are bound to be a scary time for her. 

Moving on does not mean having to let go...

*sighs* (again!)

Victoria Cooke has become a firm fav of mine since I ‘discovered’ her books last year. As a reader she makes me feel. Whether you’re laughing, crying, getting a tad annoyed or feeling mushy and gushy – her stories just get to you. And ASTR is the perfect example of this.

I wonder where she’ll take me next on her travels!

Victoria Cook has written another engaging story that made me smile and swoon. Not going to lie I was a little disappointed to find out most of this story does not take place in the UK, but rather the US. Good news was it took place in Boston and that is all the way across the country from me and a place I’ve never been so I did get to travel with my read, just not as far as I was anticipating. Additionally the setting of the story was quite delightful  and quaint. Such a heartwarming story filled with a tremendous amount of hope and heart. A book about starting over, moving on, and never giving up.

   Sam lost her husband many years ago and for the most part she has moved on, just not in the romance department. But Sam is satisfied with her life, she is surrounded by good people and successful in her career. A three-month stent in Boston might just be the thing to push her career to the next level. But Boston is not everything she dreamed it to be. Sam was likable although sometimes she frustrated and confuse me. Ethan the rude/stranger/love interest was a good guy who I found quite lovable myself. Also loved all the secondary characters especially Barney and Harry. A fabulously fun story, the perfect way to end my summer of great reading.

This book in three emojis: 🍹 💁🏻‍♀️ 👫

How could you not be tempted by such a beautiful cover?  And after a week where the weather has well and truly took a turn for the worst (apart form some bonkers sunny moments) a cosy summer romance is exactly what the doctor ordered. 

 After losing her husband at a young age, Sam has thrown herself into her career, friends and advocating the single life.  During a business trip to Boston that isn't exactly going to plan, she takes a short break and discovers there may be a little more to life. 

I found the beginning of this book to be quite heartbreaking (don't worry it doesn't stay that way), and from the opening chapter my heart bled for Sam.  Despite trying to show the world she is happy as a single career woman, there is a sense that she is lonely and unhappy and ridden with guilt.  When she arrives in Boston, meets the rudest man imaginable and her workplace voice is unheard and the undertones of subtle sexism in the workplace is really well written and realistic.  I wanted to punch most of the men there!

Heading to the beach for a weekend away she meets new friends who take her under their wing and the reappearance of the rudest man imaginable. Can Sam learn to be truly happy again?

This is a charming and uplifting novel that deals with the themes of loss, guilt and moving forward after tragedy in such a sensitive and realistic way.  A brilliant read to round of the summer.

"Maybe your heart can be happy again on a different continent."

This is a fun story about lost love and finding happiness again.  

Sam is lost without her husband and refuses to date anyone again. Ethan has lost his wife and tried to forget by dating too many women.  Will they be able to move on with each other?

"Why is it that when you want something bad enough and work hard enough for it, it doesn’t come until the worst possible time?"

Set in London, Boston and Cape Cod, the story brings Sam to Boston for her dream summer marketing job in Boston and on the way she meets new friends on a trip to the beach.  Though Sam and Ethan don’t hit it off at first, the slow build up of their relationship is sweet. When Sam breaks it off knowing she lives across the ocean, she is offered a permanent job in Boston. Will she stay or go?

Sam has been a widow for 8 years and her tendency to run away from everything is a bit childish and annoying. On the other hand, Ethan, who has been a widower for some time, is the calmness to her anxiety and his little girl Lexi is a smart cookie. Of course, I can’t leave out Harry and Barney who are believers in true love and give a great lift to the story. 

Thank you to Ms. Cooke and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Starting with a family tragedy, you immediately feel empathy with the woman suffering a cataclysmic loss. Fast forward to 2018 and we meet Sam, whose point of view this story is told from, and a widow after that terrible night in 2010. She is existing rather than living, with one good friend, who even though she understands still keep putting eligible men in her path. Happy, if you can call it that,with her demanding career and her cat coco, you really want her to find true happiness again.

After many failures, she gains the opportunity to further her career, with a job in Boston, for three months, she decides to go, and it is the beginning of a new chapter in her life. The secondment does not go to plan and in need of some R&R, she takes a ferry trip to Cape Cod, whose small town charm melts her heart and leaves her open to friendship at least.

The setting is lovely, New England always brings charm and character, to a romantic story, as is the case here. The romance with Ethan, someone who is also hurting, is conflict ridden and gentle. It is believable, because the passion is low key and both are wary of laying their hearts open to hurt. The friendship with Barney and Harry is also noteworthy, it shows Sam what true friendship can be. The pacing is good and the cast of characters and emotion in the story realistic.

Angst, emotion and romance are beautifully intertwined in this gentle second chance love story, unfolding in a lovely coastal setting,

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

Hopeful, poignant and immensely enjoyable, A Summer to Remember is a heart-warming, emotional and uplifting contemporary tale from Victoria Cooke’s immensely talented pen.

The bottom had fallen out of Sam’s world after the tragic passing of her beloved husband. Despite friends and family telling her that the time has come for her to move on, Sam is determined to stay single and not to let herself be pressured into starting a new relationship. After all, when you lose the love of your life, one has no interest in finding a second-rate substitute and instead Sam has built a new life for herself surrounded by her loving family and friends. With a thriving career and a cat, Sam does not want or need anyone else in her life, but then fate has a funny habit of giving you the one thing you never expected as she finds out one memorable summer…

When she is seconded to her firm’s Boston’s office, Sam finds herself packing her bags and looking forward to this terrific new adventure. When she is in Boston, she decides to visit Cape Cod and its idyllic beaches, little realizing that her entire life is going to be turned upside down as finds herself enjoying a summer she will always remember.

Will happiness be within Sam’s grasp again? Will she ever feel the rush of falling in love a second time? Or will she go back to her old life and continue to merely go through the motions without enjoying life as she should?

A lovely read that touches the heart and moves the soul, A Summer to Remember is a terrific tale of second chances and fresh starts written with depth, sensitivity and charm which I struggled to put down. Victoria Cooke is a brilliant storyteller who pens stories you simply cannot stop reading and A Summer to Remember is certainly no exception.

Written straight from the heart, A Summer to Remember is another outstanding read from the always terrific Victoria Cooke.

A Summer To Remember was heartwarming romance that revolved around Sam who lost her husband in accident 8 years ago, who got opportunity to finds love and happiness once again in life. It was about second chance at love, getting over grief, and moving on in life.

Characters-

Sam was in her late 30s, passionate and enthusiastic career girl. Her feelings and fear were genuine and realistic. While she was living life, making some amazing friends and doing her dream job she was good at, she didn’t allow anyone to support her, cope with grief and kept pushing her loved ones away. I’m glad she felt change in feelings and emotions on meeting Ethan who made her realize she need her family and love back in life. Her development was gradual.

Ethan was great throughout the book. At first he was jerk and grumpy but as he and Sam met more I could see his soft side. He gone through pretty same as Sam but he was better with his emotions than Sam because of family and friends support. There was more to him and I liked the way he changed Sam’s life and view.

I loved Barney and Harry. This couple brought fun and light in both Sam and Ethan’s deflated life with their cheerful nature and parties. They were supportive, understanding and lovable. I cannot imagine book without these two.

What I Liked-

First thing, just look at the cover. Isn’t it calling to take it out on beach, relax and read? I loved that cover. I can buy it just looking at it.

I’m getting used to author’s writing. This is my 4th book by Victoria Cooke and I guess I will read anything by her. Writing was smooth with beautiful narration, sweet romance and picturesque setting made it aesthetically pleasing. But it’s not just romance here. I didn’t expect the depth to it. Story was told from Sam’s perspective which made feel more close to her than any other characters.

Books started with Sam finally getting her dream chance to work in US office for 3 months, summer she didn’t expect to change her life. A summer she will remember all her life and might be part of her life. She was happy being single, good at her job, living life and even enjoying it without love and men. When she started spending her weekends on the beautiful beaches of Cape Cod, her self-imposed perseverance started to falter. She got attached to this small town, new friends and dashing Ethan. Was it just attraction or she is falling in love? Can she give closure to her grief? Will it be just a summer fling for Sam or she will give another chance to love and her life?

We see glimpse of Sam’s past, how she met Kev, the day of their marriage, fallout with her parents and the day of accident intermittently. We hear about Ethan’s loss, his struggle and how he managed to live after his loss. Both of their story and feeling were touching. I wanted to reach out to them and give them hug and also a good shake so that they could move on in life.

Emotions were the strength of the book. Both characters felt loss and grief. Both reacted to it differently and both spent long time being faithful to their loved ones, living in their memory and going along with life. I could understand Sam’s feelings and reasons up to some extent but I also felt she was being unfair to her parents and Ethan, even to the memories of Kev. The moments they spent together was so romantic, spellbinding, and heartwarming. I loved every bit of it.

At 50% story was like wrapped-up. Feelings and their life-story shared, both characters knew each other better, both realized they feel connected and have more deep relationship than just friendship, knew each other family and friends… what can be more to it? Sure if Sam agreed to move on there will be end of the story right then and there. So I was clueless what to expect next. All the second half was uncertain and emotional. Turns in the story were placed just right making it interesting and gripping.

My favorite fun and lovely moments in the book were, Sam at wedding in the beginning (those clues for guests to find their table was fun), meeting Harry and Barney for the first time, meeting Lexi, a date (so romantic), and those eight Christmas presents and the way she presented them for each year (it was so heart-melting, I actually shed some happy tears).

Climax was surprising. Things took unexpected turn. But it quickly turned in right direction. Honestly I expected it to be bot more dramatic but I guess one blow was enough and Sam might not wanted to ruin the chance. Anyway it was lovely to see their happily-ever-after end.

Overall, it was beautiful, heartwarming summery romance with wonderful setting and depth. I highly recommend this book.

Favorite Quotes:

I try to ignore the fact he’s incredibly attractive, because beauty comes from within, and there’s a gargoyle residing inside him.

It’s as though his mother went to the gene-pool buffet when she was making him and had first dibs on all the good stuff.

‘You stand here.’ Absentmindedly, I place my hands on his shoulders to manoeuvre him, and the shock of their firmness and sheer size jolts me and I almost recoil. Touching a man is such uncharted territory for me. It’s been such a long time that I feel like I’ve reached out and grabbed a forbidden sculpture at the Louvre or something.

As much as I’d like to stay here forever, England is my home. I can’t just emigrate at the drop of a hat. Besides, don’t you need the blood of a fairy godmother, half a shooting star and the wispy hair of five baby pixies just to get a green card to live here in the States?

It can take people a lifetime to figure out what makes them happy. At least you’ve figured it out while your jowls are tight and you don’t have cataracts.

My Review:

I enjoyed Ms. Cooke’s wry wit and clever humor as well as many of her secondary characters and story threads, although I waffled in my opinion and enjoyment of this book during perusal as the main character of Samantha wasn’t as endearing to me as I would have preferred; I struggled with her selfishness and deceit.  I was increasingly impatient for her to gain some self-awareness and pull on her big girl panties and was more than exasperated with her immature and avoidant behaviors by the time her epiphany finally came.  But this is but one of my personal pet peeves; I probably need a trigger warning for extended angst.

Two heart broken people who believe they have found their soul mates, only to tragically lose them, and have decided that life alone, without a live in love, is to be their fate. They are each OK with that.
Sam has thrown herself into her work and has her eye on the coveted prize of a three month assignment in the states working on a major PR project. Year after year she is rejected for this team but she never gives up. When she finally achieves her dream, she finds herself assigned the role of girl Friday, fetching coffee and doughnuts. She feels invisible and frustrated.
Ethan was always a family man, loyal and kind, and doing what he believed was right. So why did this English woman, who keeps turning up in his life, uninvited, irritate him so much?
This novel will grab you by the heart and make you feel warm and fuzzy. The characters feel so real and the situations are equally sad and funny. The writing flows smoothly and once you begin, you find yourself looking forward to beachy weekends and new friendships.
Don't expect things to end all sweet and pretty within the three month parameters of Sam's dream job. Life doesn't work that way.
This is a novel about healing and forgiveness and finding oneself and ones potential, both in work and in love.