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.

Desperate to impress Lexi and her neighbours she begins to lose sight of herself and her marriage to Charlie. Imagining life with Lexi's husband Hamish might be more exciting. But Lexi accidentally sees her fantasies in a text and shares it with the neighbourhood. Upset she leaves with Amber to go on a road trip to France where she finds her true self again. Amber has to be honest to Lovejoy and tell him that he his the father of her son. A really good read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

This is a modern, well written book full of humor.The writer mixes the lure of being part of the popular crowd and the angst of human relationships.
This is a tale about stepping out of your comfort zone, taking a risk, moving away from your echo chamber, having an adventure, and embracing life! An easy read, a good read

This was actually quite a quirky read about two neighbours who inadvertently end up on a road trip in France due to random circumstance. Julia is dissatisfied with her life, especially compared to the insta perfect life of some of her neighbours, Amber (who has zero time for the insta neighbours) is battling to keep her beloved job whilst trying to manage a family issue that she thought she’d resolved. Both are very different people but it makes them a good balance overall and there’s some good thought provoking moments. The other characters are fun and the overall chemistry between them all is very believable. This is a great summer read but with some food for thought in some respects.

It's probably no surprise by now that I love a good rom-com novel, and Jenny Oliver's new one fits the bill perfectly. The Summer We Ran Away follows Julia's adventures in France after she's humiliated in front of all her neighbours at the street's summer party. (And who wouldn't be embarrassed if a private WhatsApp message was sent to the wrong person, then forwarded to everyone present?!).

Anyway, this is the book that (finally!) ended my lockdown reading slump. A funny, romantic summer novel about a spontaneous travel adventure complete with navigating the ins-and-outs of relationships, family dynamics, and new friendships was just what I needed to get me back into the swing of reading again.

The book starts on the evening of Lexi’s summer party.  Lexi is an ‘influencer’ and Julia’s neighbour – and Julia is desperate to be part of Lexi’s ‘in crowd’.  I initially felt a bit sorry for Julia – who was trying so hard to seek Lexi’s approval – when Lexi was clearly a complete cow.

(As an aside, I also wanted to buy Lexi a t-shirt from Paper Press Ireland that I recently got my teenage daughter which says ‘Being famous on Instagram is the same as being rich in Monopoly.  Calm Your Tits’.  Check out their slogan tees – they are EPIC.  Anyway – back to the book!)

The build up to the scene where Julia’s WhatsApp message is read by the wrong person is cringeworthy – you can just see where it’s going to go – real squeaky bum time!

And I actually much preferred the book after Julia had escaped from the party.

Her relationship with Amber (who I pictured as an Angelina Jolie-esque, don’t give a shit type person) develops really well, and the descriptions of France were brilliant and really evoked the feeling of being at an antiques market.

I also liked the fact that despite her disastrous time at the party – Julia is still desperate to know what has happened there by stalking social media – it really is an evil drug sometimes.

Using social media to stalk features later in the book too – and knowing who to stalk (sometimes not the actual person you’re bothered about – but someone close to them #skills) is great.

As well as Julia’s relationships with family and friends (I love the phonecalls with her parents – perfectly written), Amber’s relationships with her son and people from her past and present are also fundamental to the book.  Julia and Amber are incredibly different people. but it all segues together really nicely.

I enjoyed the ending and how lots of storylines were all tied together.  It also makes you think about priorities – especially at this weird time in the world.

As with all of Jenny Oliver’s books it was funny, warm, heartfelt and a lovely read.  I actually think this is my favourite so far (I suspect I say that every time?!)

I would definitely recommend you pre order it now so you get a nice surprise in June!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

A great read showing the challenges of friendship and that what you see is not always what you get. A brilliant book which is really light and easy to read.