I love Sarra's books and this was just as fab as I hoped it would be. I loved the romance at the centre of the story. I lived the wider group of friends and what their story had to say about life, love abd friendship. I loved that it was a dreamy summer story but also left you with lots to think about in how bittersweet and heartfelt it was. A real gem of a read but then again I expected nothing less from Sarra.

As a PS the cameo from a certain couple was just perfect.

The Last Days of Summer was fantastic. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect as Sarra Manning was a new author to me, but I found the entire story hooked me right from the beginning, and I found it both believable and moreish.

Cassie and Marc have a turbulent and disagreeable history after a secretive beginning, however, they share their very best friends, a couple called Russell and Lucy, and so are regularly forced to socialise and make nice. When Russell is diagnosed with terminal cancer, they are thrown together even more to deliver a surprise 40th birthday party for Lucy, and a truce is called. Cassie realises how happy it makes Russell and Lucy to see them together getting on and looking like a couple; things get out of hand and a white lie surprises everyone but is a catalyst for something amazing.

This is a true enemies-to-lovers story, the antagonism is real, and it doesn't fizzle out the moment there is a hint of attraction between them. In fact, the spicy scenes (hello Marc on his knees in the pantry!) just fuel their resistance, and throughout the book, both Cassie and Marc continue to spar with each other. Having said that, this is also a story about friendship, growth, forgiveness, acceptance, and finding your person, even if it's in the most unexpected place. it is also an age-gap romance with a very rich, millionaire, male lead character, who is a total coffee snob! I'm not sure we're told how big the age gap is, but I think Marc is around seven years older - similar to the age gap between Lucy and Russell.

This book is sweet, it's funny, it's touching, it's kind, it's harsh, and let's be honest there are some really really tough moments because of Russell's diagnosis. There is no beating around the bush here, this is a story that doesn't shy away from the harsh realities, but also shows how important it is to spend quality time with the people you love and make lasting memories. Above all though, this is a pitch-perfect, beautiful romance about a couple who struggle to find each other despite having been in each other's orbit for more than 15 years.

This is a delightfully British book, with so many references to things like seaside holidays, fish and chips and peculiarities of living in London. This felt real and nuanced and like a life that I could step into tomorrow. I loved feeling absorbed in my own culture, when so much of the genre is set in the USA.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I love Sarra Manning and her writing style but I really struggled with this book because I really hated Marc!!! I found him slimy and creepy and just couldn’t see why anyone would want him beyond his looks!
The rest of the story was lovely, if incredibly sad. But unfortunately Marc ruined it for me

This was an unexpected 5 star read fir me. I'm not a big romance reader but marian keyes recommended it and I'm so glad I decided to read it. It's more than a romance, it's about damaged adults taking a leap of faith and making a family from friends. Emotional, spicy, witty, funny....it's got everything an enemies to lovers needs. I'm now going to read he back catalogue!

Love Sarra Manning so was super excited to get stuck in - and boy did I?! I devoured this in less than a day. A perfectly flawed but not too flawed romantic hero in Marc and relatable heroine in Cassie. This was well written, a great exploration of how friendships change/not change when faced with tragedy and some fabulously saucy scenes. I cried, i laughed, I loved this book!

I can always get behind a female character taking a stance and being rude to a man, but not when it comes across as childish like it does with Cassie and Marc, just taking slightly too long to explain exactly how he’s upset her. That said, this ticks lots of other boxes of enemies to lovers and fake dating romance, alongside a heartbreaking secret. Fun, but sad.

A solid return to form. This was a good mix of humour, romance, spice and sadness. Initially, I struggled with Marc as I really hated his attitude in the flashback but he grew on me. I feel that we could have have had a bit more time with Marc and Cassie together, but despite these two things this was a good read.

the last days of summer’s my very first book by sarra manning and what a nostalgic ride it was! i can say that i’m intrigued to read more by her!

when i saw the description and the cover of this book i was immediately drawn to it and well the book didn’t fail to deliver the things it promised because it u’re a fan like me of heartfelt stories that explores various aspects of life such as romance,friendship and redemption in a very deeply way to read well this story’s for u!

we have the 2 main characters cassie and marc and they are enemies but guess what? these two were lovers before… and so page after page u’ll read about how their relationship will develop but again guess what ? it’s not just about them we have also lucy and russell that are not the main couple but they the connection they have with the 2 main characters will just add more substance and feelings to the story because well they are they of the whole story!

the writing was very captivating and it was very easy to understand and empathise with the characters! by reading this book u can learning or just or rediscovering some life lessons and how beautiful can be to just existing! don’t worry u will smile as well thanks to the humor that balances the romance and the rest of the topics presented!

what can i say in the end? if u are in the mood for feeling u won’t even expect well put this one in your tbr and give it a read!

a lot of thanks to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I went into this fully expecting a light-hearted summery romance and perhaps I should have read some more in depth reviews before requesting this one as I had no idea that the book would pretty much kick off with a tragic and devastating reveal. This was entirely my fault as I expected something a little different to what I received.

As someone who finds health related concerns a trigger, I unfortunately felt I cannot continue this beyond the first few chapters as I'm a little anxious as to what to expect and I don't think I can tolerate such a heavy subject at present.

That said I can tell it must be a very touching story with an uplifting romance so I'm open to maybe picking it up again in the future, I just wish I'd maybe known a bit more context when I read the blurb.

That aside, I can tell this is a well written book with captivating characters, and I think contemporary romance lovers will thoroughly enjoy it.

Thank you to Hodder&Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

I rated this book 3 stars but this in no way reflects the actual rating I feel it should be, I just don't feel I can rate it accurately due to the fact I didn't get very far with it

This book is a great mix of nostalgia, hard hitting topics and some seriously spicy scenes.

I like how the serious topic of terminal illness is balanced out by humour and romance. A proper enemies to lovers romance that is a page turner

Sarra Manning is one of my very favourite authors so I knew I would love this book. And I did! It’s romantic and sexy, both funny and sad. I loved spending time with such a well-drawn collection of characters (not Heather!) and I’m hoping at least one of them gets their own book in the future.

This ticks so many boxes:
- enemies to lovers
- fake dating
- very sexy sexytimes
- how to change a kingsize duvet

It made me laugh, and cry, and find hope in a hopeless situation.

‘The Last Days Of Summer’ by Sarra Manning is an emotional and steamy enemies-to-lovers romance that will break and repair your heart multiple times across the pages. Cassie and Marc have been arch nemeses almost since they first met, but are forced to orbit each other due to their close friendships with spouses Lucy and Russell. When Lucy and Russell’s perfect family life is struck by an awful tragedy, Cassie and Marc are thrown together to plan them a gorgeous, nostalgic and perfect weekend trip. To create beautiful and everlasting memories, they have to put their differences aside… but is it possible to fake cordiality after sixteen years of hostility?

Sarra is one of my favourite, auto-buy authors (I felt personally seen by the part of this book’s dedication that was to “those who… still think that ‘Unsticky’ is my best novel”), and this novel absolutely met my sky-high expectations (and not just because of the Grace and Vaughn cameo). I admire how Sarra creates realistic and loveable characters, and allows them to open up throughout the chapters until they feel like your best friends. Cassie’s sunny personality was given depth by her grief and complex feelings about family, and Marc’s grumpy and controlled disposition masked so much heart. Each supporting character was vivid and full of personality, even if some of them (Heather) weren’t exactly likeable!

Of course, this book had some wonderful spicy scenes, with Cassie and Marc making good use of the walk-in pantry and the en-suite shower of the beachside Manor House setting. However, the book was as much about friendship and respect as it was about lust. I was dreading the book ending for two reasons - I didn’t want it to be over, and I also didn’t want to feel destroyed by an inevitable gut punch - but the conclusion was pitch-perfect, real and full of hope as well as grief.

This was a five star read for me, and I’d really recommend it to anyone who enjoys character-driven, open-door romance. Just remember you may need tissues, but I promise you’ll smile and swoon more than you sob!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Marc and Cassie have a past but they must come together to help their mutual friends have an unforgettable 40th birthday party. Very emotional. I really enjoyed this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I’ve been a fan of Sarra Manning since Diary of a Crush, but this book is not for me - not at all because of the quality of the writing, but because of the terminal illness content, which I don’t think was adequately warned for at all. Those able to stomach it will no doubt enjoy this a lot more than me, so I’m rating highly regardless of my own enjoyment!

‘She was always going to feel at her most alone among a group of people who had found their person. Whatever life threw at them, they didn’t have to deal with it on their own…Still, it shouldn’t be so hard to find your most favourite person and be their favourite person in return. Not when she wanted it so desperately.’

Oh wow, Sarra Manning has done it again! THIS STORY is why we love this Author so much, why we will ALWAYS buy her books as soon as they release for our book shelves of love. She never fails to grab our hearts, make us laugh, and make us cry. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Sarra Manning is truly MAGNIFICENT!

’Even though it hadn’t been real, to Cassie’s indiscriminate heart, it had felt real. She wanted to hate him but she also wanted to mean something to him.’

Be still our beating hearts! Sarra Manning has written an absolutely beautiful story about friendship, love, and ultimately, the ups and downs of life. What a stunning romance, what a beautiful setting, and what a gorgeous group of friends! We felt every bit of Cassie’s journey as we laughed with her, cried with her, and swooned with her. We join her at a poignant moment in her life which sees her facing the ultimate test where the fragility of life is the main character.

’Despite the wind, the frenetic waves, there was a stillness to the two of them. Their love was palpable. A living breathing thing.’

One weekend changed everything for Cassie and it’s bittersweet. What a beautiful character she is! We loved Cassie for her devotion, her sense of humour, her selflessness, her vulnerability, and her patience.

’They fell asleep like that, the half-moon peeking in at the window the only witness to the start of something that had taken sixteen long years to begin. Something precious.’

When we, as readers, say we love enemies to lovers…THIS IS IT! Cassie and Marc’s story played out as if we were watching a movie, whilst frantically turning the pages, compelled by the stunning storytelling by Sarra Manning. This is a book that’ll stay in our hearts. Always.

Oh wow, Sarra Manning has done it again! THIS STORY is why we love this Author so much, why we will ALWAYS buy her books as soon as they release for our book shelves of love. She never fails to grab our hearts, make us laugh and make us cry. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! Sarra Manning is truly MAGNIFICENT!

Be still our beating hearts! Sarra Manning has written an absolutely beautiful story about friendship, love and ultimately, the ups and downs of life. What a stunning romance, what a beautiful setting and what a gorgeous group of friends! We felt every bit of Cassie’s journey as we laughed with her, cried with her and swooned with her. We join her at a poignant moment in her life which sees her facing the ultimate test where the fragility of life is the main character.

One weekend changed everything for Cassie and it’s bittersweet. What a beautiful character she is! We loved Cassie for her devotion, her sense of humour, her selflessness, her vulnerability and her patience.

When we, as readers, say we love enemies to lovers…THIS IS IT! Cassie and Marc’s story played out as if we were watching a movie, whilst frantically turning the pages, compelled by the stunning storytelling by Sarra Manning. This is a book that’ll stay in our hearts. Always.

Oh this novel was such a joy. My first book in a day for quite some time because I just wanted to read and read!
The story of Cassie and Marc, best friends to Lucy and Russel. The only problem is that they don’t like each other at all. However with shocking devastating news facing Russell, the two are forced to spend a lot more time together and find that actually they might not hate each other at all… in fact maybe they really quite like each other.
Ok it’s predictable but this isn’t the point. It’s funny, and romantic and sexy and totally enjoyable from page 1 to 400.

I have read and enjoyed several Sarra Manning books and this latest one didn’t disappoint.
Perfectly balanced with interesting characters some of which you will love but some you will love to hate.
It follows the path of Cassie and Marc,drawn to each other despite their differences and fall out of many years ago.Cassie is tasked with planning her best friend Lucy’s big birthday weekend by Lucy’s lovely husband Russell.
Without spoiling the plot news changes the world of old standing firm friends.The novel perfectly balances romance,love,spice(def spicy )and heartache.
Loved it,highly recommended

Smart, funny, sad, hopeful, sexy, addictive … all the adjectives for this latest novel from Sarra Manning which, predictably, is another absolute winner. It has everything you could want in a great read from an enthralling storyline to brilliant cast of characters, and then there's a host of different friendships, relationships, enemies, lovers … it has it all. Could I have loved this book more? I could not