I ADORED this book. Jenny Oliver has produced the perfect Summer read, full of fun, characters you wish you could be friends with & a WhatsApp issue that is too awkward for words! It’s great to see relatable issues that are common in everyday life dealt with (who doesn’t have a good stalk on Instagram), but it also made me look a little more at my priorities and question social media in my life which is great, especially with all that is going on in the world right now. Brilliant escapism!

I enjoyed this book. I’m pretty sure the first few chapters will be recognisable in a similar guise for many people however I liked how the focus of the book shifted and became shared. A lovely, fun read which I have to say I belted through as wanted to know the ending!

Thank you Netgalley

I enjoyed this book so much. In these difficult times it was complete escapism.

I love Julia’s character and when her secret escaped I was absolutely mortified for her (I could imagine it happening to anyone to be honest). It was also easy to understand in the day and age of “fake”lives on instagram, facebook, etc, where only the good bits of life are shown, and everyone seems to have a perfect life, to feel inadequate.

Thankfully, after true friends and real relationships are realised, love, and life are improved, and life is good!

This was an absolute joy to immerse in. My thanks to Netgalley and HQ Harper Collins for the advance copy.

Jenny Oliver is a new author for me, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The Summer We Ran Away was not the typical summer romance, but I definitely enjoyed it. To start with, Julia seems like a selfish, social media obsessed woman, and Charlie has obviously retreated. However, things are more complex than that. I really enjoyed the character development - Julia, in particular, as she freed herself (with a little help from Amber) from her preoccupation with pleasing others. The other three main characters also had good development. The story itself was entertaining and funny. Both “romances” were enjoyable, and there was a satisfying happy ending.

I’d recommend this book to people looking for a slightly different type of summer romance.

I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Perfect escapism for a summer's day.

Packed with humour, this is is the sort of light hearted read you need when you're relaxing in your garden with a glass of wine in hand.

I found myself smiling throughout and laughing constantly.

Gave me food for thought too about my own circumstances and relationship.

Reminds us to not take things for granted and that whilst you might think you want what others have, all isn't what it seems and actually you may be far better off with your lot.

Thoroughly enjoyed.

What a completely adorable escapist book! With empathetic characters, several compelling story lines, and a beautiful French setting, this is the perfect holiday novel. It is also equally good to be read at home as we dream of holidays again.... I will now look for more of Jenny Oliver’s books.

A Jenny Oliver book never disappoints! This is a great read - one which held my attention throughout. Perhaps it was a bit slow to get going, but the scene needed to be set. I found Julia a little annoying to begin with. It was obvious she was so busy trying to be like her "friend" Lexi that she'd forgotten about what really mattered. I felt for her poor husband. Once on the road with Amber the story really got going, and Julia began to see the trap she'd fallen into. I did think that an awful lot happened in just a few days, and also that it was was very convenient for Charlie to join Julia in France as quickly as he did, but no matter. I loved the description of the antiques fayre and all of the descriptions of the locations in France. Amber was great and I liked her back story. The ending was perhaps a little too perfect, but all in all, I really liked this book. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A pleasant read with memories of the France I know. A comment that a savoury crepe is known as a galette. I could picture the market and the old hotels as I have been to France in a variety of circumstances many times and been part of most of the scenarios in the book. Well written and enjoyable

I escaped in this book away from lockdown to the beautiful scenery of France.

Julia who is stuck in a rut , always wanting to fit in with the in crowd, the families on her street who seem to have perfect instragram lifestyles. Her big mistake of sending a WhatsApp message to all her neighbours instead of her friend has huge repercussions.

Devastated and embarrassed she agrees to join Amber who is going on a road trip to France. Maybe this will give her clarity and help put her life back together.

The second half of this book was my favourite. With Ambers help and their adventures, Julie comes to realise that not everything is what it seems. No one has a perfect life and the way we choose to look at something greatly influences how we feel about it. Being true to yourself and beating your own drum is a lesson , every people pleaser struggles with. The simple joys are definitely the best and this resounded in the book beautifully.

Overall this uplifting gentle read was perfect for me at the minute. Fantastic writing , thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this beautiful book .

Your nightmare come true, marriage rocky, money issues and secret crush on your neighbours husband. What happens when it all comes out at the neighbourhood party of the year.
You run away, reassess and find joy in the simple things. Being grateful for what you have, accepting you can't please everyone so you might as well start with what pleases you. Not preachy but enlightenment and good for showing you how to look at situations in a different manner. An enjoyable and rewarding read.

This was a very enjoyable story about how being stuck in a bit of a rut, making a little mistake, and running away for a little while can change your way of thinking!

Julia and her husband have fairly recently moved into Cedar Terrace and are slowly doing their house up, but struggling a lot with jobs/money/stress. Julia is part of a WhatsApp group for the people who live in Cedar Terrace, well only the 'right' people, mainly led by the 'Queen Bee' of the group who seems to by the 'perfect' one most of the group aspire to being, money/looks/Instagrams everything in sight. This 'Queen Bee' and her husband have a summer party every year which of course is the party of the year, everything to excess, and Julia is trying her best to keep up even though she can't really afford it.

Julia did irritate me at first, all she seemed to be interested in was keeping up with the 'in crowd', dressing to fit in etc. when really it wasn't her at all. She was definitely a bit of doormat to start with. Her husband wouldn't conform to all this and couldn't understand why she was acting that way, I really liked him! He was just himself and wasn't impressed by the facade lots of the others were putting on.

Then a few text messages Julia had sent a friend about fantasies she'd been having about the 'Queen Bee's' husband fall into the wrong hands and Julia is humiliated. But along comes Amber, the 'Queen Bee's' next-door antique dealer/decorator neighbour who again isn't interested in the group and is just herself, who rescues Julia and through various circumstances whisks her off to France on an antiques buying trip for the weekend, which is when the book got really good.

Amber had her own issues going on, with her son and a sort of friend/partner, and was really the opposite of Julia, and definitely a bit of a loose canon! There were various little stories going on regarding relationships and jobs, and once they were in France it was never dull and really great fun!

So I found the beginning slightly irritating, as I'm really not a try and fit in person either, you either like me as I am or not at all... and Julia was the opposite of that to start with, but once they got away to France the book was just wonderful and in the end all the good characters really came together to help each other out and there was a lovely ending. Very, very enjoyable.

Julia and her husband Charlie are an ordinary like able couple who have got a bit disillusioned with their jobs, crippling mortgage and interfering parents. When Julia declares she has a crush on a neighbors husband and it gets back to her she feels she must hide. She ends up on an impromptu road trip to France. She ends up enjoying herself, standing up to her parents and rekindling her love for Charlie. It will cheer you up.

I very much enjoyed this story of two women, banding together to run away from their competitive Instagram loving neighbours.
Julia, a slavish follower of all things Insta, goes to a party where she makes a fatal social mistake. Cast out from the 'sisterhood' she joins Amber, a rather alternative type, and together they set off on a trip which will change their whole lives.
It's an amusing and perceptive book, showing what really matters in life....and it isnt instagram.
Thanks to Net Galley for a review copy.

I honestly loved this book. I felt as though I'd already known the characters for ages, before joining them on this adventure. While reading this book I felt heartache, second hand embarrassment, shock, excitement and overall very happy. A really good, fun read. I'll definitely look at reading other books by this author!

What a delightful book, not what I was expecting at all. I thought it would be a romantic escapist novel but it is a modern story about relationships and taking chances in order to make a happy life.

The perfect summer read!! And indeed perfect for lockdown reading as you get to escape abroad. This is the first book from Jenny Oliver I have read, and loved it. I was immersed in the characters and story within a couple of pages.
Julia is off to her neighbours summer party, which is the embodiment of perfection for the Instagram pages of every one there. What happens that day means there is only one thing to do......Run away!
The characters and situations are brilliant! Well observed, interesting and literally a joy to read.
Need to check out more from this great writer. Highly recommended warm imaginative read.
Thank you

A really great story of Julia and Amber and their adventures over the summer. Julia is so desperate to fit in with her snobby neighbours that she will do pretty much anything to please. But when an incident sends them all against her in a frenzy of humiliation, she hops in a van with another neighbour Amber, and ends up on an adventure that will change both of their lives forever....... A compelling read, full of laughter and tears, the perfect summer read.

I'm a Jenny Oliver fan and this book was as good as any she's written. I felt it was more mature - the main character was not without flaws, but then who is? Julia had a bit of a crush on her neighbours, fed by Instagram and Whatsapp, she had a severe case of envy which we knew was going to end in tears... for both Julia and poor Charlie, her husband. In comes Amber (who we would all love to be) driving to the rescue! And so the adventure - and self discovery begin.
I read this book in one very enjoyable day and loved every minute. If you've ever felt like running away (and even if you haven't) you'll love it too.

I absolutely loved this book. It was a thrilling, interesting, heartwarming, funny, emotional book. I am pleased to put so many descriptives for one book! It was a rollercoaster of ups and downs and I give it top marks. It kept me hooked all the way through.

This book may even make you think twice....
Do we hanker after the lives of others?
Do we see the grass on the other side as being greener?
Is it, social media to blame, or ourselves?
Would living in the moment and seeing what we have in front of us, make a difference to our lives?

The main characters in the book were, fun and likeable I thought.
Also, I loved the ending.

Great book by Jenny Oliver!

A great modern summer read.
I wasn’t expecting the book to go in the direction it did but I am pleased it did so. An engaging read, it explored relationships and how you view yourself all wrapped up in an entertaining adventure.
If it makes you consider and evaluate your priorities - great! If it doesn’t then just enjoy the read, I’m sure you will.