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.

I read this for a blog tour. 

The women at the White Party reminded me of high school girls - grow up! I can't really understand why Julia was so desperate to be in with them. Amber was a way more interesting character and their adventure in France is a whole lot of fun.

The best beach read I've read recently, although I read it on the sofa because lockdown means stay off the beach!

A fun, crazy adventure in a dodgy van with antiques and secrets popping up everywhere.

I do love a feel good book that helps you escape for a couple of hours and this was one of those. Lovely story and characters that took you away from it all

Thank you to @hqstories and @netgalley for the copy of this book and chance to be on the book tour, in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer We Ran Away is a wonderful heart-warming summer read that we all need at a time like this! The cover speaks for itself with it's summery vibes.

It just goes to show how messages in the wrong hands can change your life, how it can affect you.

I started loving this book as soon as the characters we running away to France, beginning with an antiques buying trip but culminating in so much more. I whiled away a few hours hankering for a pain au chocolat and French sun.

This was everything I expected the book to be; enjoyable, uplifting, humorous and exactly what I needed between some larger and darker books.

Definitely give this a go if your looking for a fun lighter read.

This is a very funny laugh out loud, feel good book with some rekindling of love that had become strained. It made me laugh out loud many times, it also made me cringe the odd time too. A light heart’ed book to read during the summer. With such funny escapades that are beyond belief, this really is going to be one of your best summer reads.

Julia and Charlie are the newest residents to make Ceder Road their home. They were both welcomed to the street by Lexi the queen bee, the one who either lets you in to her little inner circle or shuns you if you don’t fit in with her.

Every summer Lexi and her husband Hamish host the summer party of all parties, which only the select few get invited to. Julia and Charlie are invited and Julia ends up spending money they don’t have, on clothes for the party as she is desperate to become one of Lexi’s inner circle of friends.

The theme of the party is white hot. With not knowing what to wear to fit in Julia starts to following Lexi on Instagram. She finds herself purchasing knock off designer clothes similar to what she sees Lexi wearing, even though the style of clothes don’t suit Julia.

This spending isn’t doing much good to Julia and Charlie’s already depleting bank account. It turns out that they have bought the house from hell! Just as they get one problem sorted out another more expensive problem crops up. They have ploughed through their savings and now have a spreadsheet planning their life and wages for the next 5 years. This in turn has been putting some strain on Julia and Charlie’s relationship.

On the day of the party dressed up in her knock off designer dress Julia and Charlie arrive at Lexi’s. When Julia steps in to the house she is in awe of how Lexi has decorated her house and how effortless she seems to make everything look. While Julia feels everything is a huge task.

When the party is well underway Lexi and Hamish try to get everyone in to the huge Jacuzzi they have hired. This is where everything starts going wrong for Julia, as Hamish and everyone in the Jacuzzi start to taunt Charlie in to joining them, but Charlie just doesn’t want any part of if. When Julia joins in with the rest of them she sees that she has just made things even more strained between her and Charlie.

When Julia and Lexi are talking in the kitchen a bit later on they both end up picking each others phones up by accident, and as Julia heads back outside within minutes everyones mobiles start beeping with notifications. To Julia’s horror Lexi has shared some of Julia’s private WhatsApp messages to her best friend. Where she has told her about some of the dreams she’s had about Lexi’s husband Hamish. Julia is so humiliated and Charlie looks so hurt she runs off.

This is where Amber, Julia’s next door neighbour becomes her savior. She is just about to head off to France. She is going to all of the big antique fairs that are being held over the next few days. To see what she can pick up for her business. Usually Amber travels with her son, but he is off on his own adventure travelling around the continent with his girlfriend.

This is where all the fun begins, as they find themselves racing around France trying to catch up to Amber’s son who is looking for his real father. Amber and Julia find themselves getting in to all kinds of trouble along the way. All the while Julia is trying to figure out what she want’s out of life and how she can mend her relationship with Charlie.

As I’ve already said, with it’s funny escapades, this really is going to be one of your best summer reads. You won’t be able to put it down.

Firstly I have to hold my hands up and admit I completely forgot I was on the blog tour for this today. However after the tweet reminder I managed to devour this whole book in 6 hours. It was the perfect escapism to being shut indoors due to the rain. Who wouldn’t want to read about a sunny trip to France all brought up because some sex texts were shared in a WhatsApp group about another guys husband. This book was funny and extremely lighthearted.

The new novel by Jenny Oliver is the perfect escapism to enjoy this summer and I loved it from the first to the last page.

The neighbourhood of Cedar Road is like high school. There is the popular girl with the perfect house, the perfect husband, and the perfect Instagram page, who, together with her friends, rules on the road. There is the new girl, Julia, who wants to fit in and would do anything to be part of the group of popular girls. There is the party of the year which (almost) everyone is excited about and which becomes the scene of Julia’s humiliation when her Whatsapp messages and her secret are leaked to the entire neighbourhood. Ashamed and hurt, Julia runs away and finds herself on a fantastic and full of twists adventure in France with her neighbour Amber.

This is my second novel by Jenny Oliver and I really love her writing style and her stories. The Summer We Ran Away is an entertaining novel that kept me completely captivated and it’s so well-written and with such beautiful descriptions that it was like being on the trip with the two protagonists. I liked the characters of the novel (at least the good ones), they are flawed, relatable, and very likable, especially the two protagonists, Julia and Amber, who are quite opposite: the first is anxious and worries about things, while the other is more reckless and carefree, but they form a fantastic duo.

If you are looking for an enjoyable, fun, and compelling read than I suggest you pick up The Summer We Ran Away, which is out today and you won’t be able to put down.

Pure, perfect escapism!

This novel is charming, funny & emotional. Julia, Amber, and the rest of the cast of characters are perfectly imperfect, easily relatable and so entertaining I struggled to put it down.  

The plot takes us to on a road trip to France, I loved the descriptions of the French countryside and felt like I was right alongside them! It shows the importance of friendship and human kindness and is the perfect tonic to these lockdown days best enjoyed with your feet up in the sunshine. 

A huge thanks to HQ Stories for sending me a copy in return for an open & honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐