What a delightful story and wonderful settings. Christina always gives us great novels and they are a real pleasure to read. Well done on this latest novel you get 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

This has left me with a massive smile on my face and great warmth in my heart.

It is everything I wanted the book to be, and it's the first full length Christina Jones novel that I've read for years, only due to lack of books being written as far as I can tell, and was mildly nervous that it wouldn't be as good as I remember this author to be.

Well my fears were unfounded, Christina Jones' writing is as fabulous as its ever been, and I was hooked on this story. It continues 6 months after where the Christmas at Sandcastle Cottage short story finishes, but don't worry that just gives good background to the characters, this can easily be read as a standalone and the relevant bits are dropped in.

I love Kitty, Jemini and Apollo, little Teddy and the dogs of course. They are an unlikely group of people to live together but needs must and they have been there 6 months now at Sandcastle Cottage, on a short term rental that is due to end imminently, but they don't want to split up as its a working "family unit" as such.

There are so many wonderful threads to this story, but I can't work out what to say as I don't want to spoil anything, but there is romance, there is laughter, there's some emotional bits, some amazing sandcastles, foot in mouth moments. Not to mention a surprisingly impressive party from one set of neighbours, quoting of a wellness guru from the other neighbour, some feisty conversations and just the most perfect ending going.

I've adored my time on Firefly Common, and would love the author to return there in future books, its a gorgeous seaside setting, and is just so quaint, it even has an old fashioned fish and chip shop that Kitty works at.

It's a joy of a British summertime read that I just thoroughly enjoyed every second of. It was a smooth read, and didn't take me too long to devour, and when I wasn't between the pages I was trying to work how whether I could justify stopping working just to continue reading.

So great to see Christiana Jones back writing again, I can't wait for whatever her next book is.

Thank you to Headline Accent and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Christina Jones is back – and back at her brilliant best.
Christina has long been one of my favourite authors and I remember (pre-kindle days) trawling charity shops to find her novels. It is great to have her return to our bookshelves.
The book follows on from a Christmas novella and sees main character Kitty and her friends Apollo and Jemini enjoying life in Sandcastle Cottage alongside their eccentric neighbours.
Kitty is such a lovely character and I was really concerned for her with her worries about whether they would lose the cottage (to the mysterious Mavis Mulholland) and her crush on local man of mystery, Vinnie. Her story is interwoven with the stories of her friends and it is all very lovely and sunny, with the right mix of drama and romance. The background of the chip shop, the beach and the sunshine just add to the joy. The writing really is very clever in the way the reader is drawn in and just doesn’t want to leave!
This was one of those books where I wanted to finish to see what happened, but I was bereft at finishing it. Perhaps a return visit might help?
This was a complete tonic when we are all feeling so down and dreary.
Thanks to NetGalley and Christina for a review copy – welcome back, Christina!

Really liked this book, almost like an unconventional family, but they make it work, the love where they live and the risk of losing that seemed hard but i love that they all go there happy endings

A lovely easy read.
The description of the village and the beach on the Dorset coast made me want to be there eating fish and chips from the chippy where Jemini works.
3 friends are renting Sandcastle Cottage all who have had their own heartbreaks, each of them support each other and none want to have to go their seperate ways when it looks like the tenancy is coming to an end. I dont want to spoil the story so will just say there are happy endings for them all

Christmas at the Sandcastle Cottage got us in the mood and now we’ve got the main course to get us through the last of the lockdown! I love the way the story develops and we learn more about each of the ‘stars’. Kitty blossoms but each character brings more to the story.
It looks as if everything is going to come to and end but Mavis comes up trumps at the end. And there’s one even more wonderful coming together which made me cry, but I don’t want to give it away. But you must read this book.
I’ve been reading Christina’s books for longer than I care to remember but she hasn’t lost her touch and I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone. It puts the Sunshine back in your life! Enjoy, I certainly did.

What a wonderful book of a family built up of friendships. How they love, care and look out for each other. Sandcastle cottage is their ideal home but unfortunately the end of there lease is due to end. They all hope that the owner doesn’t return anytime soon so that they continue living there. However a letter arrives explaining that the owner is due to return in early September, this fills them all with dread. But you never know what is around the corner. Just loved it and really hope there is another book about this mismatched family.

Summer at Sandcastle Cottage - Christina Jones

The perfect light hearted summer holiday read -which I think we could all do with at the moment! The pace of the story is lovely and really quite relaxing, I liked the characters and thought they were nice and relatable. Overall a great tale with friendships and romance - what's not to like! I will look out for more from this author in the future, many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for allowing me the chance to read and review this book.

A fantastic easy breeze read.. perfect for reading whilst soaking up the sun. Light hearted, flowed great, well thought out characters and lots of happy endings. Perfect

Delightful Escapism.....
Delightful escapism from Christina Jones as we take a visit to Kitty Appleby and Sandcastle Cottage. A heartwarming tale with a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters told with the authors’ trademark humour and empathy. (This is a follow on from the short story ‘Christmas at Sandcastle Cottage’ but can be read as a standalone)

This is a lovely light read with a plethora of happy endings. There are some delightful characters and a not too challenging plot line which would be the perfect read for that longed for, post covid holiday this summer. It promises to be a continuing story.....

I have been a Christina Jones fan for a long, long time. So I was really excited about a this new book! I was thrilled to receive a review copy of Summer at Sandcastle Cottage, and I have reread Christmas at Sandcastle Cottage in preparation.

I really enjoyed this book. It continues the tale of the housemates we met in Christmas at Sandcastle Cottage. The pace is lovely and relaxing, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters and setting better. I really liked Kitty, and it was so pleasing to see her gradually gaining courage and eventually seizing her opportunities. I loved Apollo and Jemini’s stories too. But of course I loved Honey and Zorro the best.

If you’re looking for a lovely story of friendship and romance, pick this one.

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

Three friends are renting a house and putting their lives back together but there is uncertainty as to whether their new life will come crashing down when their landlady wants her house back.

If you are already a fan of Christina Jones then you will love this book. All of those things that make her books so enjoyable are there: village locations, quirky characters, working class heroes, and a hint of is it/isn’t it magic. This book changes things up with a move to the seaside.

If you’ve not discovered Christina Jones before then you will love it if you appreciate humour, romance, the idea that the saying that ‘you can choose your friends not your family’ isn’t really true as you can choose to make a family too. The romance doesn’t dominate the book, friendship is as important if not more so, although I would like a ‘Vinnie the Vagrant’ myself. There is gentle humour, believable characters and a lovely plot which wends its way to a perfect conclusion.

I absolutely loved this story of friendships and love. Knowing the South Coast of England well helped me imagine Firefly Common in my head. I could feel the warmth of those long summer days when I was reading and smell the fish n chips ... mmmmmmm.....Glorious!

I thought I had it sussed - the whole who is Mavis and who is May - but boy was I wrong. I wonder if we are getting another instalment of life with this rag tag band of friends.

A lovely summery story, set on the Dorset coast.
A group of lost souls living in Sandcastle Cottage, rebuilding their lives after various heartbreaks, friends for life who feel they have finally found their place in life.
When their tenancy is about to come to an end, will Kitty, Apollo, Jemini, Teddy, Zorro and Honey have split up and go their separate ways? Will new found loves also be left behind?
A lovely story of love, determination, friendship and community.

Summer at Sandcastle Cottage by Christina Jones a five-star read that will bring the sunshine to your life. I will be honest at first I was a tiny bot lost as I started this without reading the short Christmas at Sandcastle cottage, if I could start again I would pick it up as I do plan to now, but I was soon all caught up and understood who was who and what was going on, this was such a sweet story it really did take me to the beach, I could feel the sand under my toes and the wind in my hair, imagining myself alongside Kitty, looking like a Botticelli painting (more her than me but hey ho). This really is a feelgood story, there is drama aplenty and romance along the seashore but there is also a great story that will encompass you as you read.

Ahhh, Christina, you didn't disappoint. This was one of those reads where you want to be friends with the characters and just be in their company. There's always something magical about this author's books and it was great to pick up where we left off with Christmas at Sandcastle Cottage, to see how the characters progress.
5 star review from me. I hope that there will be a sequel.

Christina Jones' novels are always a great escape, from the greyness of the weather and the current situation we find ourselves in. Summer at Sandcastle Cottage is full of lovable characters, bright sunny beaches and gentle romance. It's a pleasure to read and provides welcome light relief, whatever the time of year.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Lovely book, lovely characters, lovely location and a real feel good read. Roll on summer

A delight to read
Tumbledown Sandcastle Cottage is home to Kitty Appleby set in the delightful Firefly common Village and she loves living here with housemates Apollo and Jemini, but then landlady Mavis Mullholland drops and announced she is arriving back from a round the world cruise so where does this leave them Homeless? they knew it was only going to be for six months but Kitty is settled and friends and neighbours are wonderful to be around and what about Christmas time. It's become their magical place. This is such a beautiful read full of friendship and love, and I enjoyed every bit of it page after page