I absolutely loved this , pure Escapism!
It was a great read, laugh out loud funny at times . Real life was put on hold!
It was extremely well written, entertaining, a book I didn’t want to end!
Descriptions of locations were so realistic the reader thought they were there
I would recommend this book
Thank you to Netgalley, HQ, and Jenny Oliver for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

An amusing light read, just the thing for chilling out. It has a bit of fun, a bit of romance, the dangers of modern social media and a bit of the days of Lovejoy and antiques.

This book was such a surprise. From a person who clearly hero worshipped her neighbour, Julia turned into a fascinating character. One moment of poison on social media and coincidental timing from Amber turned into the adventure that she’d been dreaming of which changed her life.

I loved this. The subject matter showed how social media can be used for good or bad and can change your life either way.

The adventure and mad dash across France was enjoyable and fast-paced, pushing everyone’s comfort zones out of the water.

The conclusion was even more delicious and not what I was expecting at all!

This has to be read and be appreciated!

An enjoyable bit of escapism. Shows how caught up in life people get from What’s App to trying to keep up with the neighbours. This book is warm and funny and takes you away from the harsh realities of life.

Wasn’t expecting this at all from this book - I envisaged something bland and predictable about a woman running away from the mean girls and finding life after Instagram. There is a nod to that, in fairness, but it’s amongst storylines focusing on Amber - her relationship with her ex, her son, her job that we learn more about Julia and Charlie. A really great read that I flew through.

I really enjoyed this book. It shows that what is on social media isn’t always the truth and you shouldn’t follow the crowd! Be yourself and you’ll be happier for it. I’d definitely recommend this for a lovely lighthearted read

I loved this book. It really makes you realise that you shouldn’t follow all the popular people and that sometimes you need to re-evaluate what you have in life. Highly recommend.

This book highlights the flaws of people and the dangers of technology. I loved the start of this story, reading it was horrifying totally but enjoyable at the same time. I thought it was going to be very similar to Queen Bee by Jane Fallon, but then it took a totally different turn as Amber and Julia went off to France for the weekend. It was quite interesting following Lovejoy and Amber as they made their purchases.

Whilst it was a light read, I actually found it pretty sad in places - the hurt that Julia caused Charlie, the falseness of Lexi and her crew and Amber's deceipt to her son.

I struggled to get going with this book i think there was to many unlikable characters for me and a slightly farfetvhed story.

The perils of social media for a grown up woman! I was very unsure of this at the beginning, but as the book progressed so it improved. There was nothing wrong with the book at the beginning, I just cringed a little too much, but this is to set the scene for the transformation later.
Naturally, I thought Amber was great, and liked her attitude to life. By the latter parts of the book I was really enjoying it and engrossed.

The Summer We Ran Away by Jenny Oliver.
Synopsis:

Julia’s perfect life is in crisis.

As the founder of the Cedar Terrace WhatsApp group, she’s constantly chivvying the neighbours to action, as well as dealing with a kitchen extension, leaning-in at work, and dealing with Imposter Syndrome and her family…

But when she accidentally WhatsApps her neighbours a secret letter to an agony aunt she inadvertently confesses to a secret crush. While she loves her husband, Adam, she spends most of her time fantasising about the married father-of-two who lives opposite, timing her evening runs to coincide with his dog walks, finding reasons to pop over and chat and sometimes she catches him looking in a way that suggests he might quite like her too.

Julia is horror-struck as the little blue ticks appear on the WhatsApp message. Then left dangling as it’s met with widespread silence and a couple of embarrassed emojis.
When the neighbours know exactly what you’re thinking, there’s only one thing to do.

Run away.

My thoughts...

This book was a roller coaster of ups and downs, it was heart-warming and emotional yet funny and relatable. The main character, Julia, descended into a life of copying her neighbours by living in a house she couldn’t afford, surrounding herself with a group of women who were set worlds apart from herself. I think we have all felt like Julia at some point in our lives; pushing ourselves to the extreme in order to fit in.

Each page left me beaming and laughing hysterically whilst simultaneously giving me food for thought about my own circumstances and relationships. Julia reminds us that whilst we may think we want what others have, all isn’t what it seems, and you will often be better off just being yourself.

I absolutely loved this book and will be looking out for others by Jenny Oliver. The writing style was perfect, and the story gripped me from page one. This book was the excellent escape, and I thoroughly recommend reading if you too feel like momentarily running away and indulging yourself in something quite special.

Thank you to HQ Stories for the #gifted copy of The Summer We Ran Away in exchange for an honest review.

I started off really enjoying this book - seeing Julia being a bit of a follower and then finding out she's going on an adventure to France was exactly what I wanted to spend my weekend reading about. There were some really lovely idyllic descriptions of France that did really transport you there.

However, I did feel like the character development was lacking and that events were just a bit random that, for me personally, they didn't quite flow. This meant I struggled a little to get through it, although the ending was sweet and completely satisfactory.

This is the first time I've read Jenny Oliver, and I would definitely love to read more of her books, but unfortunately for me this just didn't quite hit the mark (although I'm sure many will absolutely love).

Initially I thought that I wouldn’t enjoy this book but very quickly I was hooked. Well written, great characters and a plot that made me smile. Great holiday read. Recommended.

This was a lovely, enjoyable read and was the perfect escapism during lockdown. I loved the characters and found myself rooting for them all to get the happy ending they deserved. My happy ending would have consisted of me joining them in France and munching on a gorgeous pain au chocolat – the descriptions are to die for! The second half of the book was my favourite as I loved seeing Julia find herself and seeing everything come together. This was my first read by Jenny Oliver and it wont be my last.

*Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

A wonderful uplifting tale. I loved the normalcy of the characters and that I too have met and felt inferior to people like Lexi. The bit at the start had me cringing, as it was meant to. The part in France delightful. This skilled writer knows how to write full bodied characters to match her full bodied plot.

I really enjoyed this story but didn't think I would at the beginning. All those narcissistic people. Once the adventure started, it was a non stop delight. Great characters and interactions and a satisfying conclusion.

“The Summer We Ran Away” is my first read by author Jenny Oliver. I wasn’t aware of this author before and didn’t realise she had so many books published, I’ve certainly being missing out on some entertaining reads!
What a wonderful little treat this story was, fun, uplifting and thoroughly enjoyable, I really lost myself in France (the setting for most of the story) and felt I was truly walking around the unique antique fairs and winding back lanes in the summer air.
Julia is publicly humiliated when her very private and personal texts regarding her fantasies of Lexi’s husband, Hamish, are sent to everyone in the Cedar Road WhatsApp group during Lexi’s annual street party. Lexi is glamorous and well to do and Julia envy’s everything she buys and does. After arguing with her husband she walks out with nowhere to go. Meeting single mother Amber, her cool, unabashed neighbour, whilst sitting pondering on recent events in the street, she is tempted by Amber to accompany her to France for the weekend on a antique hunt. Can she just up and leave with the clothes on her back on a whim and will it help her to discover the real Julia?
I’ve never mixed in circles where neighbours are constantly battling to be the best and out do everyone with possessions and their status but I’m sure they do exist. Julia and her husband Charlie are your average married couple who work hard and are trying to fit in a street where the women are cliqued and sarcastic.
Being in France, does Julia realise the grass is not always greener and can she and Charlie rekindle their passion and find the couple they were in their younger years?
Amber is a fantastic character and the story is as much about her and her son Billy, discovering who Billy’s real dad is. One of the contenders, a man ironically called ‘Lovejoy’ is superb as the antique dealer Amber runs into and from there a fabulous relationship develops between all the characters involved.
This story focuses on desiring what other people have and pondering on the ‘what if’s’ and ‘perhaps’ of the past. I loved this book and enjoyed every single minute. I’ve every intention of now reading more by this author, she writes a cracking story and highly recommend this book to readers of this genre.

5 stars!

How is it that we always want what we don’t have and disregard what we have? This is a book to make us value our life options and what we have on our side. This is Julia’s story, everyone thinks her life is perfect, but as you can imagine her life is not as perfect as it seems, so when a message is sent to the wrong WhatsApp group her dreams with a handsome neighbour, she decided that the best way to face the problem is running away! Oh yes, with her life upside down she decides to take some “days” to clear her thoughts (and the air in her house). But she will not travel alone, her friend Amber will be her partner in crime, making the story approachable and refreshing for any reader. This is a quick and delightful read, complex and with a human touch that will make you feel part of the story and touched with all the characters. Don’t doubt that this book will take you through a trip to France that you’ll never forget, and remember to take the swimsuit! 😉
I love the stories with imperfect characters, even if they try to show that they are perfect on the outside, they know that the truth is far from it, making the reader feel closer to them and understand the way they act and think. I didn’t expect so much fun when I started this book, I’ll search for more books of this delightful author, Jenny Oliver, it’s a must read! This is a book that you’ll finish in just one stand, but the situations and characters will take much more to leave you. Ready to ran away?

I’m pleased to share my review for the latest book by Jenny Oliver today. Thank you to HQ Books for the gift of a digital copy via NetGalley – my thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift.

As we are currently in the middle of the Covid 19 pandemic, this book is a timely reminder of the dangers of being in WhatsApp groups (other social media channels are available). Julia broke the number one rule – never share your screen passcode, especially not when you’ve been sharing adult fantasies about the husband of your neighbour with a friend.

The opening chapters of this book are very funny, we know from the blurb roughly what is going to happen but the writing of this exceeded my expectations. I found myself cringing on behalf of Julia.

The rest of the book involves Amber, another neighbour of Julia. I enjoyed how the friendship developed between Amber and Julia, and how they both worked through their life challenges.

This was a fun summer read with some soul searching for Julia, Amber and Charlie. I enjoyed reading the book over a sunny weekend. There are elements of Bridget Jones, Mama Mia, and Thelma and Louise in this feel good read. This is the first book I’ve read by Jenny Oliver and I will now look to read her previous books.

It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last as she's a good storyteller.
It kept me hooked till the end and I loved the well rounded characters and the plot that flows.
Look forward to reading her next book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.